Hello all Storm here with a new chapter! And it's been a while since this was updated, but I'm back at it, and here we'll be seeing a lot more of Naruto's time in the Moon Cell, meeting and reuniting with some of his "classmates", meeting their Servants as well. Along with when he formed a contract with Mash. So, without further ado.
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For a few moments, Naruto and Saber simply stared at each other in silence. The Uzumaki due to everything that's happened in the past few minutes and Saber as they now took in their Master's appearance.
"…What the hell are you talking about? What kind of name is Saber? And what do you mean by Master?" Naruto said after a few moments of silence, wanting to at least get some answers.
"My name isn't Saber, it's my Servant-class, and apparently I had the luck of getting an ignorant fool as my Master. But given you do have Command Seals and are the only one around, you are my Master." Said Saber, seeing the Command Seals on the back of Naruto's right hand before bowing, if only out of formality.
Before their helmet unfolded revealing a teenage girl with pale skin, dark emerald, green eyes, and pale blonde hair. Though Naruto's surprise at seeing she was a girl didn't last, as he instead was angry at her remark towards him.
"Ignorant fool? Says the little girl playing dress up!" Naruto retorted, only to soon find Saber holding a large sword at his throat and glaring at him.
"Say anything about my sex again and you'll die, before you can regret it." Saber threatened lowly, with the Uzumaki simply glaring at her before pushing her sword away.
"Oooh, look at the little girl acting all tough and scary. The only thing I see is an angry kitten." Taunted Naruto, with his words making Saber growl in anger.
"Well, thank you for proving me wrong! You're not an ignorant fool, you're just braindead if you don't know how to keep your big mouth shut!" Shouted Saber as the two glared at each other.
"Look who's talking! You say I'm your Master, why don't you show some respect, little girl!" Naruto yelled, refusing to back down against her.
"I'll get right on that, after finding someone worthy of my respect! All I see is an arrogant, pig-headed fool!" Saber shouted, the Master and Servant looking ready to start attacking each other.
"And all I see is a whiny little brat that probably doesn't even know how to use that weapon!" Naruto retorted, with the Knight holding her sword up to his neck again.
"You wanna find out?! Come on, give me a reason!" Saber growled, more than ready to attack him, only to be surprised when Naruto purposefully leaned in closer uncaring about the sword at his throat.
"Go ahead, try me." Said Naruto, glaring at her, having already had to go against the Kyūbi that tried killing him, then against whoever that voice belonged to, dismissing him to die.
He wasn't going to be scared of anyone or let anyone push him around ever again. With Saber being surprised at how he still refused to back down, despite how she could easily kill him.
Though before either of them could do anything, they were stopped when someone else suddenly appeared, getting their attention.
The person was a tall man with shoulder length brown hair, empty black eyes, and wearing simple black vestments a gold cross necklace, and a dark blue cassock. And oddly enough, the bottom of his jacket seemed to be made of glowing red squares or data if one looked closely.
"I believe that is enough. You have only just entered; it wouldn't do for either of you to end up killing each other." Said the man in an emotionless tone, with Naruto tensing at hearing his voice before glaring at the man.
"You! You're the bastard that was going to leave me to die!" Naruto shouted, going up and punching the man right in the face, recognizing his voice as the same one he heard after first entering the storage room and when he nearly died.
The punch sending the man flying back onto the floor, the Uzumaki about to go and attack him again, only to be stopped by Saber.
"Woah, woah, woah! Easy, he's the Overseer, you can't just attack him!" Said Saber, not really caring if her Master attacked someone, but she could sense this man was the Overseer and it wouldn't be good if they attacked him.
Though she did feel her respect go up a little for Naruto at how he didn't care who someone was, even the Overseer for the War. Along with amusement that he also didn't even hesitate to punch him, either.
"I don't give a fuck, who he is! The son of a bitch was planning to let me die before, now I'm gonna show him what happens when you fuck with me!" Retorted Naruto, only for Saber to hold him back.
"Just calm down! I'm sure you want answers, answers that he can give! If you let him speak, you'll learn more about what's going on!" Saber said, making Naruto growl in anger and annoyance as he did want answers, but also wanted to attack this guy again.
"…Fine. Who the hell are you, what the hell is this place, and what the hell is going?!" Demanded Naruto, after calming down a little, with Saber letting him go as they looked at the Overseer, who got up and brushed himself off.
"I am Kirei Kotomine, as your Servant just said, I am the Overseer of the Moon Holy Grail War. You are currently within the Moon Cell, think of it as a gigantic supercomputer of sorts within the moon, where those within have had their souls digitalized to enter the Moon Cell and qualify as Masters of the Holy Grail War." Kirei explained, which only made Naruto and Saber frown in confusion, since the former had no idea what any of that meant while the latter was confused at the nature of this Holy Grail War.
"And what exactly is this Moon Holy Grail War?" Naruto said, wanting to get everything he can out of Kirei before deciding if he'll still wants to kill him or not.
"The Moon Holy Grail War starts out with 999 participants, which is pared down to 128 Masters who then take part in tournament styled matches against each other along with their Servants. Servants are summoned through Effigies, like the one you fought and summoned Saber through. Though before they can be considered participants for the Grail War, they are first placed within the school with their memories suppressed. Those who manage to regain their memories are then given the chance to become one of the 128 participants, while those who do not regain their memories are disqualified. Then they are given their Effigy and must battle another to determine if they will enter, those who lose are disqualified as well, while those that win have their Servants summoned and become participants. The tournament battles then take place over the course of seven weeks until only a single Master and Servant are left." Kirei explained, with Naruto being surprised at hearing this, along with starting to question a lot more stuff he's encountered in the past few days.
"And what happens to the losers?" Questioned Naruto, doubting they'd simply be disqualified.
"For the losers, their souls are destroyed and due to the fact they have been digitalized and sent into the Moon Cell, if they die here then they die in the real world as well." Revealed Kirei, making the whiskered boy tense at hearing he could die here.
"And the winners? What do they get?" Naruto asked, wanting to know what the goal of this war was.
"The winners receive the Holy Grail itself and have any wish they want granted from it." Kirei answered, shocking Naruto again to hear that he could gain an actual wish from this Holy Grail, that is if he survives to win it.
Taking a few moments to process everything he just heard, along with his shock, annoyance, anger and worry that he's been drawn into something where he could end up dying. Naruto soon looked between Kirei and Saber, before turning back to the Overseer.
"…Fine, I'll join this Holy Grail War, but only to make sure I survive." Said Naruto, willing to participate if only to ensure his own survival and to get back at everyone that screwed with him, with Kirei merely nodding in response.
"Very well, I shall have you both registered at the latest pair in the Grail War. Though as a warning, you are an anomaly within the Moon Cell, even more so now that you have become a Demi-Servant. Your actions and existence have disrupted things, so the Moon Cell may respond in kind making it even more dangerous for you." Kirei warned, with Naruto simply scoffing at his words.
"If the Moon Cell wants to try and kill me, then it can take a number, get in line, and wait its damn turn!" Naruto retorted, having already had to deal with more than enough people trying to kill him, including the Kyūbi, he couldn't care less if one more entity wanted him dead.
Kirei merely nodded before leaving, sensing the last qualifying Master and went to check on them as well. With Naruto and Mordred soon taking their leave to find their way out of, wherever this place was.
*Later*
After finding their way back to the Academy with Naruto also managing to find a way to transform back to normal, much to his relief, the two walked around and observed everyone. The Uzumaki now being able to see the difference between actual participants in the War and the NPCs. Though he can see that many of the NPCs didn't act like scripted characters and did seem to act somewhat like normal people.
"So…I'm guessing you weren't originally meant to be here?" Saber asked while glancing at her Master, with Naruto merely shaking his head.
"No, I wasn't, I don't know how I ended up here and I don't particularly care, since I'm here now and have bigger things to worry about. What about you, are you actually supposed to be a knight?" Naruto asked while looking at Saber, who let out an annoyed huff.
"Of course I'm a knight! And yes, I do know how to use my sword, which you'll see once that tournament begins. Given I'll be the one fighting and needing to keep you alive." Said Saber, only for Naruto to scoff.
"Don't think I'm going to just be sitting on the sidelines. If I'm stuck fighting in this tournament, then I'm going to be fighting since that Kirei bastard said I'm a Demi-Servant, whatever that means. If I have powers, then I'm going to use them." Naruto said, refusing to sit back and do nothing when he now had power.
"At least I know what I'm capable of." Saber stated with a smirk, making the whiskered teen look at her with narrow eyes.
"And what exactly can you do? Since we'll likely be working together for a while, it'd be better if we knew what we're both capable of." Said Naruto, knowing they had to work together if they wanted to survive.
"You'll find out, since I'm sure we'll have time before the tournament begins. Which will also give us the chance to see what you can do." Replied Saber, agreeing that they needed to work together, with their chances of victory being much higher if she had a Master that fought alongside her against enemy Servants.
Naruto nodded in agreement at this, hoping to get some time to learn what he's capable of, and gain some control of his power. Before he grunted when someone crashed into him, knocking the Uzumaki to the ground with the person landing on top of him. The "Eep" coming from the person told Naruto it was a girl that landed on top of him.
The girl had long wavy brown hair and brown eyes, wearing the standard female school uniform of Tsukumihara Academy. Beneath her uniform, she was wearing a black turtleneck and black pantyhose.
"Hello Hakuno." Naruto said, recognizing the girl as Hakuno Kishinami, a relatively new "student", though now he knew she was a potential participant in the Grail War.
With them having met a few times before and were, at best, kind of friends since they still didn't really know each other that well.
"H-hello N-Na-Naruto. U-um c-could you mo-move your hands, please?" Hakuno asked with her face being bright red, making Naruto's eyes widen as he looked and finally saw just where his hands were.
One of his hands were holding Hakuno's hip and was dangerously close to her butt, while the other was right on her breast, with him quickly moving his hands away with a growing blush on his face.
"So-sorry!" Said Naruto, embarrassed that he'd just groped her like that.
"I-it's fine. I bu-bumped into you." Hakuno replied, also embarrassed at the position they ended up in.
"If you're going to be shameless, Master, at least have the decency to do it in private." Said Saber with a slight smirk on her face.
"Nonsense! There is nothing wrong with such a declaration of affection for all to see! It merely shows the love between Praetor and her consort, that they desire to express themselves in the open!" Another female voice said, making Naruto's and Hakuno's blushes intensify before hastily getting up, while they along with Saber looked at who spoke, with Naruto and Saber both being surprised at who they saw.
The person was a young girl with a short but curvy stature with pale skin, blonde hair done up in a complex bun, and bright lime green eyes. What was shocking was that her face looked the same as Saber's own. Her attire consisted of a military-styled revealing red and white dress with long poofy sleeves, a transparent front that exposed her white leotard underneath, and knee high golden armored boots.
"Uh…I'm…guessing this your…Servant?" Naruto asked, looking between Hakuno and the girl, while Saber looked at her with wide eyes as she was torn between confusion and anger at the resemblance to herself and her parents.
"Uh…yeah, she is. This is-" Said Hakuno, only for her Servant to interrupt.
"UMU! I am the glory of Olympia and Emperor of my beloved Rome, Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus! And I have been summoned by Praetor in the Saber-class! It is a pleasure to meet Praetor's consort as well as such a handsome and powerful one, at that." Nero declared while posing before smiling at Naruto and Saber, with Hakuno blushing at her words.
"S-Saber, N-Naruto isn't my c-c-consort. W-we're j-just friends." Said Hakuno, with Nero looking at her while tilting her head in confusion.
"But you clearly did not mind being on top of him, Praetor, and he did not seem to mind either. Or perhaps it's that you prefer for him to take control when you are together. If so, there is nothing wrong with wishing to surrender yourself to your consort, Praetor!" Said Nero, which only made Hakuno's blush intensify, with Naruto blushing as well at her insinuation.
"Hakuno and I aren't together! Anyway, I'm Naruto Uzumaki and this is my Servant, she's a Saber as well." Naruto introduced, making Hakuno and Nero look at Saber, only to be surprised at seeing her semblance to the latter.
"By the gods! You have summoned a truly beautiful Servant, one created in my own image!" Nero said with a smile at seeing Saber's resemblance to her, making the Knight scowl at the latter part of her statement.
"I wasn't created in anyone's image, let alone yours! You just…look the same as someone else I know…except for…" Said Saber before looking Nero up and down, seeing while she had the same face as herself and her parents, her attire and body definitely weren't the same.
"Even more Servants that could share my beauty and splendor! This is truly magnificent, don't you think, Praetor?! Though it would seem by your expression, you and the ones you speak of do not share all of my beauty. Is that why you wear such large armor, could it be you have not finished growing?" Nero asked before actually trying to look inside Saber's armor, making her quickly back away and cover herself while glaring at Nero.
"That's none of your damn business!" Saber retorted, embarrassed that she actually tried looking in her armor, along with internally jealous at just how developed Nero looked.
"Ah, I see. Then that means you only share my beautiful face and the rest of my figure. But I suppose it would be impossible for anyone to truly replicate such divinity, like myself." Stated Nero, while posing to show off her body, with Saber's anger growing at her words and actions.
"Let's see that divinity when you're in pieces!" Saber growled while summoning her sword, leading to Nero summoning her own.
"If it is a duel you wish for, then let us dance! You'll see it's not only my appearance that's divine, but my abilities as well!" Nero replied with a smile, eager to see what her fellow Saber could do.
Thankfully, before either of them could try anything, Naruto and Hakuno stepped in stopping their Servants.
"That's enough, Saber, save the fighting for the matches." Said Naruto, making Saber growl in annoyance before reluctantly lowered her sword.
"Yeah, we shouldn't be fighting Saber if there's no need to." Added Hakuno to her own Saber, with Nero merely sighing before dismissing her sword.
"Very well, Praetor. Besides, I'm sure I do not wish to ruin your chances with your consort by fighting their Servant." Said Nero, which only made Hakuno blush again.
"Oh yes, the two most boring people here, you'd make the perfect couple." Said a familiar voice, to Naruto and Hakuno at least, making the group turn and saw Shinji approaching with who they guessed was his own Servant.
The Servant was a woman who looked like a female pirate captain with long wavy crimson-pink hair, blue eyes, and scar across her face. While wearing a brown choker collar that looked almost attached to her dark pink captain vest that showed off her breasts, white pants, and long dark brown boots.
"The most boring student here and the most plain looking one, you would make a fitting couple. And I'm sure your Servants are just as equally boring and plain, perfect for Rider to take care of." Said Shinji with a smirk, hoping to get a rise out of them for his amusement.
"You dare refer to me as boring?! Insulant little pig, I was born to rule and conquer lands! As far as I can see, you would not have even been fit to be a footrest to sully my feet, let alone to kiss the ground I walked upon! In fact, you are not even worthy to have my gaze upon you!" Nero shouted before turning away while crossing her arms under her bust, much to Shinji's shock before Saber then stepped in and glare at him.
"Call me boring or plain again, and you'll learn the same lesson every other coward and weakling learned when they challenged me. That it'd only end in a slow and painful death! I may even be doing your Servant a favor, freeing her from being bound to arrogant little shit like you as a Master!" Said Saber, making Shinji back away slightly before looking at Naruto.
"Don't just stand there?! Tell your Servant to back off!" Shinji said, thinking his "friend/sidekick" would help him, only for Naruto to look at him with narrowed eyes.
"Shinji, shut the hell up. I'm not your sidekick, you can just boss around, and I'm sure as hell not someone you can complain to anymore about everything not going your way. You want help, go find a new "boring" and "uninteresting" student to push around. Oh wait, you can't boss around yourself." Naruto said, much to Shinji's shock at his words.
"And for the record Shinji, none of the girls actually liked spending time with you. They only did so out of pity that no one else wanted to be near you." Stated Hakuno, stopping any retorts Shinji could think of as he was left speechless.
With the Matou being able to only turn around and walk away to try and salvage what's left of his pride, while Rider followed behind him with an amused look on her face. While the group watched the two leave before turning to each other.
"Well…I guess we'll see you later Naruto, Saber. Good luck in the tournament." Hakuno said, with Naruto nodding in response.
"You to Hakuno, Nero, good luck." Replied Naruto while hoping he and Saber wouldn't have to fight them too soon in the Grail War.
"Your words are appreciated, but fear not, we will be claiming victory in all battles we enter. Until we meet again, Praetor Naruto and my lovely doppelganger! And do not worry, I'm sure one day you may possess far greater beauty to potentially match my own!" Said Nero, smiling at Naruto and Saber before she and Hakuno took their leave to return to their room, with the Knight growling in annoyance.
"I don't like her." Saber muttered, hating the jab at her body as she and Naruto left to return to their own room.
"Relax, she still called you lovely and I'm sure you're plenty skilled enough to make her respect you. Though we should focus more on what else we should expect from the War, along with what we can do. Since I still have no idea what I can do or what Servants I could have merged with." Said Naruto, making Saber look at him with a frown.
"Servants? You could only have merged with a single Heroic Spirit to become a Demi-Servant." Saber said, with Naruto shaking his head.
"Well I heard three voices when I transformed and summoned you, along with getting this on my hand. Though from how they sounded, it seemed like only two of them were Servants giving me their power." Naruto replied while showing a white circle on his palm, which only made Saber's frown deepen.
"I have no idea what that is, and if you actually merged with two different Heroic Spirits then you'll have far more abilities than from just one. So we'll definitely need a lot of time to train, so you'll at least be capable of helping fight the competition." Said Saber, the Uzumaki nodding in agreement.
"Yeah. It'd be best if we started tomorrow to, at least, try and find out what I can do then work our way up from there. Plus, it'll also give us the chance to see what each other can do as well, so we'll be able to better work together in matches." Stated Naruto, his Servant nodding as well since that seemed like the best course of action.
*Timeskip-One Day*
The next day, Naruto and Saber went to meet up with Hakuno and Nero, only to find them with Rin and who they guessed was her own Servant. With Saber tensing and clenching her fists in anger, when she saw who it was.
A young woman in her late-teens, with a slender physique, soft skin, emerald-green eyes, and finely textured blonde hair that looked to be sprinkled with gold dust, while done up in a bun and braid. Her attire consisted of shining armor with an old, styled dress, made from old-fashioned blue cloth, underneath.
'How many of them are there?!' Naruto thought upon seeing Rin's Servant, who also looked exactly the same as Nero and his own Servant, wondering how many Servants they'd find having the same face.
"Naruto, Saber! This is Rin's Servant; she actually got a Saber as well." Said Hakuno when she saw them approaching.
"How surprising." Stated Naruto with a deadpan expression, figuring she'd also be a Saber, before seeing the way his Servant and Rin's were looking at each other.
"Do you two know each other or something?" Naruto asked upon seeing their expressions, with his Servant glancing at him for a moment before looking back at Rin's.
"…No, we don't. Just surprising to see another Saber that looks like me, another copy." Said Saber while narrowing her eyes slightly, fully knowing who it is.
Her father, King Arthur or Artoria Pendragon as she was really known as. But while she wanted nothing more than to attack her, Saber knew it'd be better to keep their identities a secret for the moment. With Artoria silently agreeing though looked at her son with narrowed eyes as well.
"Really? Because I think you seem more like a copy, a rather poor one, if you need such bulky armor to protect yourself." Artoria retorted with a slight tilt of her head.
"Oh I don't wear armor to protect myself, it's to give enemies a chance. After all, it wouldn't be a challenge if I accidently killed them too quickly." Saber said with a slight glare.
"You do seem like the type that'd prefer killing and destroying everything, don't you." Said Artoria, clenching her fists slightly.
"Are you sure you aren't confusing me for someone else? Perhaps…yourself, as I'm sure it'd be easy to blame someone that looks like you rather than yourself." Retorted Saber, with the two looking ready to attack each other, only for Nero to get between them.
"Now, now, there's no need to fight each other. Besides, it has already been established that both of you are still only shadows to my glory. So there is no need to try and see which of you is better, when it's obviously me." Nero said with a smile, making Saber and Artoria turn to her.
"You?! So far, all you've done is boast about yourself! The only thing you've proven is that you have an ego bigger than Rome!" Said Saber, annoyed that she had to deal with both her father and Nero.
"Uh, Saber, maybe you should stop." Hakuno suggested in worry, only for her Servant to ignore her.
"Nonsense! I am merely stating a fact as I have no need to prove myself when it is already known. After all, as I now see, both of you may have my face yet none of the rest of my beauty. But as I said, I'm sure you shall grow more and you as well, my other doppelganger." Said Nero while looking at Saber and Artoria, the latter's eye twitching slightly.
"If growing means gaining your arrogance as well, I am perfectly content as I am." Artoria retorted, with Nero letting out a huff and putting her hands on her hips.
"Saber, maybe we should all just take a step back and calm down." Suggested Rin, not wanting their Servants to end up fighting each other before the tournament matches have even been decided, only to go ignored as well.
"Such insulants. Here I am, offering praise to two that possess a fraction of my beauty, yet neither of you have shown a hint of gratitude. It would seem you both have more in common than just having my looks." Nero stated, much to both Servants annoyance.
"I'm nothing like her!" Saber and Artoria said at the same time, making them glare at each other while Nero smiled.
"Ah-ha! You two are similar, so I'm sure you both also possess similarly shaped bodies. Though I will admit, you do seem to possess a more regal beauty than Praetor Naruto's Servant, more refined and elegant." Said Nero, with Artoria smirking slightly at her son who scowled at her.
"Then you mean she's about as stuck-up and arrogant as you?! Great, we agree on something for once!" Said Saber, wiping away Artoria's smirk.
"Saber, stop now. We don't need any of you starting a fight." Naruto said, putting a hand on his Servants shoulder to get her to back away, but was ignored as well as Saber pushed his hand away.
"I believe she meant that I am able to think more calmly and rationally, as opposed to one who'd merely act without thinking." Artoria retorted, making Saber growl in anger while Nero looked between them for a moment before smiling.
"Well it would seem you both have a lot of tension. Then it would seem there's only one way to settle this, by lay-" Said Nero, only for Hakuno to stop her and cover her mouth.
"Okay, that's enough for now, Saber! How about we just…try to all calm down." Hakuno said, desperately, not wanting a fight to break out between Naruto and Rin's Servants or for her own to make any suggestions.
"Agreed, if you want to fight then save it for the actual enemies we'll be facing." Added Naruto while looking at Saber, who crossed her arms in annoyance, but stepped back.
"That includes you, Saber. We can't risk fighting outside of matches and end up getting disqualified." Said Rin, with Artoria nodding slightly before returning to her side.
Seeing their Servants weren't going to try and fight each other, and Nero wouldn't continue egging them on against each other and herself. The three Masters turned to each other, only for Hakuno to let out an "Eep" while Naruto was shocked when Rin started groping the brunette.
"It's really fascinating how unique you both are. While you may look plain to be an actual person Hakuno, you are far more expressive than the other NPCs here. And you certainly have a lot of detail to your appearance." Said Rin, feeling Hakuno's breasts before pulling up her skirt to see her panties, much to her embarrassment and mortification as she quickly pushed her skirt down.
"What are you doing?!" Hakuno asked before gasping when Rin then groped her butt.
"Uh…Master, I don't think-" Said Artoria, embarrassed at her Master's actions before Rin began speaking.
"You can even get embarrassed! You certainly are unique aren't you." Rin stated before turning to Naruto, who's eyes widened at her look.
"Don't even thi-" Said Naruto, only for Rin to appear at his side and began groping him as well.
"You seem to have just as much detail, Naruto, it actually feels like you really have all the male parts. Not to mention your change in personality as well, from before. Hopefully, you both aren't just disposable NPCs, so I'll get the chance to study you both some more." Said Rin while touching Naruto's crotch and body, still believing he and Hakuno are NPCs rather than real people.
"Master!" Artoria shouted, finally getting Rin's attention as she looked at her with a raised brow.
"What Saber? It's not like they can actually feel what I'm doing or really react." Said Rin.
"Yes, they can! They aren't just NPCs, they're real! The fact that they have Servants with them should've made that obvious!" Said Artoria, causing the ravenette's eyes to widen as she looked between Naruto and Hakuno, the former quickly put some distance between him and Rin.
"…Eh?" Rin said, really hoping she misheard her Servant.
"Yeah, they're real! They're not just NPCs that don't react, they're completely alive and you just groped them both!" Saber said before laughing at how this would reflect on her father that her Master just groped two people without hesitation.
"Of course the Praetors are real! Do you truly believe a common NPC could ever hope to summon my magnificence?! And if you wish to touch Praetor and her consort, then you must first prove your worth to join in their relationship!" Said Nero, crossing her arms under her bust, much to Rin's shock as her eyes widened while looking shakily at Naruto and Hakuno.
"Y-y-yo-yo-yo-you tw-tw-tw-tw-two a-a-a-ar-ar-ar-are re-re-re-rea-rea-real?!" Rin stuttered, hoping they were just messing with her and she really didn't just grope two people.
"Yeah, we're real. And I didn't take you for a pervert Rin, but I guess that's just one more surprise in the past few days." Said Naruto, unamused and embarrassed at Rin's actions.
"I-I do-don't r-re-really judge Rin, b-b-bu-but please don't grope me again if you want to touch someone, so badly. A-an-and we c-ca-can still be fr-friends, I-I d-don't r-really mind if yo-you're a pe-pervert, j-ju-just d-d-don't g-gr-grope me please." Hakuno added with her face being bright red, with Rin being mortified at what she just heard.
"NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOOO! I'm not a pervert I swear I'm not! I-I j-ju-just th-th-th-thought yo-yo-you b-b-both re-re-really un-un-unique NPCs! I swear I'm not a pervert, I would have never done that if I knew you were real!" Said Rin, with Naruto looking at her blankly while Hakuno's blush intensified.
"So, you're saying you'd still have kept groping us if we were NPCs? You're not doing a good job at convincing us, pervert." Naruto stated, the ravenette's eyes widening at how she sounded.
"Th-th-that's n-n-no-no-not wh-wh-wh-what I-I-I m-me-meant! I-I-I ju-ju-just…I'm not a pervert!" Said Rin, only to see none of them believed her, making the girl internally cry that she's not a pervert.
*Later*
After the group calmed down, they began discussing their current circumstances.
"So, neither of you were aware of the Holy Grail Wat beforehand?" Rin asked, looking between Naruto and Hakuno, who both shook their heads.
"No, I didn't know anything until after meeting Nero and being told about what's happening. I'm just hoping to survive all this." Replied Hakuno, not really interested in actually winning or getting a wish, only wanting to survive.
"Same, when I started noticing a lot of strange stuff before nearly dying and summoning my Saber as well, before learning what's happening." Naruto said, with Rin nodding at this still intrigued at how they could have ended up in the Moon Cell.
"Well you both know that eventually, we will end up having to fight each other. No matter what, there can be only one winner, so we'll be fighting sooner or later." Warned Rin, knowing they'll eventually be facing each other in the tournament.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on either of you. If I'm stuck fighting in this, I'm intending to win." Naruto replied, not really wanting to fight his friends, even if he and Hakuno don't know each other that well, but he also had a very short list of people he genuinely trusted.
He'd rather not shorten that list himself, let alone be responsible for their deaths, given what happened with Satsuki.
"Let's…let's worry about that, when it happens and just do our best to survive." Hakuno said, also not wanting to fight or kill her friends, but knew she couldn't afford to hold back, not if she wanted to end up dying.
Though their attention was pulled to screens that suddenly appeared in front of them, listing the first round matchups in the tournament. And thankfully, they saw that none of them were up against each other in the first round.
"I'm going against Shinji and Rider." Hakuno said in worry, since she didn't know anything about Shinji or his Servant.
"I'm going against someone called Ernest Gravehill and his Servant…Shielder?" Said Naruto with a frown before looking at Saber, who shrugged.
"I don't recognize the Servant-class." Saber said, also confused about what kind of Servant Shielder could be.
"Shielder is a non-standard Servant-class and one that'll be difficult to face, given how no one really knows what they're capable of. But I do know about Shinji and Gravehill, and can give you both some advice on what they can do." Rin said, making Naruto frown at hearing about his opponent's Servant.
The Uzumaki remembering what Kirei said, wondering if this the Moon Cell is retaliating by having him and Saber go against a Servant they'd know nothing about.
"What can you tell us about them?" Naruto asked, with Hakuno nodding in agreement, knowing they'll need every advantage they can get.
"Shinji, while no one really likes him, no one can deny his talent as a Spiritron-hacker. He could potentially hack the system and disrupt it to give him an advantage in your match, the best you can do is prepare for any tricks that he may pull to get both of you separated and alone. Making it easier for him and Rider to eliminate you, both. While for Gravehill, I only know that's a talented Magi and uses necromancy, though I'm not sure how that will transfer over from the real world. At most, I think he may be able to summon Effigies and control them to overwhelm you both, so be prepared for a stamina and endurance match." Explained Rin, with Naruto and Hakuno nodding at the information.
"That should at least give us a good place start on how to beat Gravehill and his Servant, along with what to expect. Thanks for the information, Rin." Naruto said, knowing while it wasn't much, any information is better than none.
"Yeah, thank you, Rin. This'll help us a lot in our matches. And hopefully we'll be able to learn more about Shinji and his Servant as well to be better prepared for anything they throw at us." Hakuno added, smiling at the ravenette with Rin looking away and crossing her arms.
"Wh-whatever! I'm o-only doing this so-so you both can take out the co-competition for me! And I at least tolerate you tw-two mo-more than anyone else!" Retorted Rin, making the Uzumaki smirk slightly while the Kishinami smiled a little.
"Right, whatever you say Rin. But until our matches, I'm going to the training arena so Saber and I can begin preparing." Naruto said, standing up, with Hakuno soon following, also wanting to get some training with Nero before their own match.
*Timeskip-One Week*
One week has passed since the reveal of the matchups for the Holy Grail War, with Naruto and Saber having spent the past week training together in preparation for their match against Ernest Gravehill and Shielder. Though they also spent time together outside of training, as the whiskered teen wanted to strengthen his bond with his Servant so they could better trust each other. Something that Saber wasn't originally interested in doing so, only caring about focusing on winning the Grail War.
But, eventually, Naruto was able to get through to her, leading to them bonding together while still keeping some stuff secret about themselves. What they did tell each other, though, was enough to show them that they both seemed to have equally terribly childhoods and lives, which did help them bond. With it even reaching the point Saber was willing to tell Naruto her true name, Mordred Pendragon.
Which did help Naruto fill in some blanks about his Servant, but chose to not bring them up out of respect for Mordred to tell him first.
Aside from training and bonding with each other, they'd also spent more time with Hakuno, Rin, both of the other Sabers, and Sakura as well. The latter of whom Naruto hadn't gotten the chance to spend time with, given everything that was happening, leading up to him joining the Holy Grail War.
Though they also had to help Hakuno and Nero deal with Shinji and Rider, after both girls tried to get information about Rider's identity to give them an advantage. Something, Naruto and Mordred couldn't fault them for, since they've been trying to gather information on Shielder as well. Unfortunately, they were unable to get any information, seeing Ernest was likely holding his cards close to his chest. Especially any information regarding his Servant.
Despite this, the two decided to simply face anything Ernest and Shielder would throw at them, knowing they couldn't lose.
With the two now heading to the arena to start the first round of the Grail War, getting their first look at their opponents.
Ernest had short straw-colored hair, pale skin, and red-framed glasses over his green eyes. His attire consisting of white dress shoes, a white pinstriped suit with black buttons and a pocket on his right breast, a black turtleneck underneath, and white gloves.
While Shielder was a young woman with short lilac hair, lavender eyes, and fair skin, while having an athletic figure and large D-cup breasts. With her attire consisting of a skin-tight black and purple armor that resembles an extremely short mini-dress that exposes her butt, emphasizes her breasts, and reveals her panties. There is a hole that exposes her stomach area. She also wears black gauntlets and boots, a garter on her right thigh, and she was carrying a large cross-shaped shield.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding." Mordred muttered when she saw Shielder, specifically the shield she was carrying, with Naruto looking at her.
"Do you know who she is?" Questioned Naruto, wondering if Shielder was from Camelot, like Mordred was.
"The girl? No. Who that shield belongs to? Yes." Replied Mordred, which really got Naruto's attention at how she phrased it.
"…She's a Demi-Servant. One of the Knights of the Round Table?" Naruto stated, with the Knight nodding in response.
"Yeah, and only one of them used a shield that huge. And I know exactly how to get a reaction out of him." Mordred said as she and Naruto walked forward towards Shielder and Ernest.
"Maybe that wouldn't-" Said Naruto, not wanting Mordred to do anything that could expose her identity, only for his Servant to cut him off.
"Hey, shield bastard! That's you isn't it, hiding in that girls body?! Or are you actually going to fight, like dear old daddy Lancelot did when he killed the others to go after the queen! Are you now following his footsteps and planning to kill another Knight?!" Mordred said, watching a Shielder stiffened and held her head with her eyes shifting between lavender and a pale brownish-yellow color.
"The only one I would kill is a traitor, Mordred!" Said Shielder before her eyes returned to lavender, while Mordred smirked under her helmet.
"Yeah, that's you, Galahad. Still the justice obsessed runt you were in life. How long until you stain that precious honor of yours just like your father did." Taunted Mordred, making Shielder flinch again while Ernest was annoyed that the identity of his Servant was revealed.
"Well, it's unfortunate, your identity has been exposed, Shielder. But at least we also now know the identity of our opponent, the Knight of Treachery, Mordred Pendragon." Ernest said with a smirk while pushing his glasses up, with Mordred's helmet unfolding to reveal her face.
"So much for keeping it a secret." Naruto stated dryly, given Secret of Pedigree helped keep Mordred's identity hidden, even from those that knew her in life.
"Like it'll make a difference, it just means I don't have to worry about holding back!" Mordred said while summoning Clarent, even more eager that her first opponent is another Knight of the Round Table.
Shrugging at this, Naruto got ready for the battle with Shielder and Ernest doing the same, as both sides stared each other down. With Mordred making the first move and charging Shielder swinging her sword at her, which Shielder blocked with her shield, pushing Clarent aside before bashing Mordred with it. Only for her to quickly turn around and block another sword strike from Naruto, surprised at seeing him in his Demi-Servant form.
"Surprised?" Naruto said with a smirk, before Shielder cried out when Mordred blasted her in the back with Crimson Lightning knocking her away.
Though Naruto was then forced to jump back when Ernest summoned dozens of Effigies around him, looking at the Demi-Servant with a smirk.
"Surprised?" Mocked Ernest before having the Effigies attack Naruto, with the Uzumaki swinging his sword and was surprised at how easily they were destroyed, but also saw Ernest kept summoning more of them.
'I can see what Rin meant.' Thought Naruto, knowing this could come down to who will last longer.
Swinging his sword at the Effigies that were getting too close, Naruto began fighting his way out of them to avoid being surrounded, soon managing to get some space away from them. Only to see that the Effigies proved to be a lot faster than the first one he fought, as they all rushed towards him. The Uzumaki blocked several strikes from the Effigies and slicing them apart before jumping back. Only to be surprised when multiple skeleton hands shot out of the ground and grabbed him, throwing Naruto back towards the Effigies that attacked him.
"I must say, I'm surprised. I didn't think I'd encounter a Demi-Servant, here. But I'm also intrigued that you also possess a Servant. Hopefully, your body or at least part of you will be left behind after you're deleted, so I may study you." Ernest said with a smirk, intrigued at the chance to study Naruto's body.
Before his smirk was wiped away by all the Effigies around Naruto being destroyed, with the whiskered Demi-Servant glaring at him.
"You won't get the chance!" Naruto said slashing his blade destroying even more Effigies to get to Ernest, knowing if he's taken out then they'll be able to win the match and get rid of the rest of the Effigies.
Meanwhile, Mordred had engaged Shielder, who was blocking the Knights strikes with her shield. Waiting for an opening before raising her shield up, slamming the bottom into Mordred's face. The attack knocking Mordred back with Shielder rushing her and slamming her shield into her abdomen, knocking her further back. With the Saber-class Servant managing to block the next blow to her face with her arm, only to be met with a headbutt sending her stumbling back.
"You're fighting dirty. Galahad wouldn't have tried a trick like that." Mordred stated with a smirk before jumping back to dodge another strike from Shielder.
"I'm not Galahad." Retorted Shielder before charging Mordred, who raised Clarent blocking her shield, followed by slamming her foot into the Demi-Servants chest.
"And I was never honorable. Crimson Lightning!" Said Mordred, firing another blast of red lightning at Shielder, who raised her shield with the Knight being surprised when her lightning seemed to be absorbed into the shield.
"That's…new." Mordred muttered, knowing Galahad couldn't do that, only to be forced to jump out of the way when Shielder actually threw her shield at her.
With Shielder rushing and jumping towards Mordred, slamming her foot into the Knights face while catching her shield when it returned to her, before bashing Mordred with it as she did so. Skidding to a halt, the Knight looked up at Shielder with narrowed eyes before charging her slamming her sword against her shield.
"Crimson Lightning!" Mordred said, releasing another blast of red lightning, this time managing to hit Shielder and electrocute her, with the Saber-class Servant then taking the chance to kick her away before rushing her again.
With Shielder flipping in the air and landing on her feet before immediately charging towards Mordred, swinging her shield and knocking Clarent away when Mordred swung it at her. Followed by slamming her shield into Mordred and continued charging forward. Pushing the Knight along as she did so, until she gave a final bash that sent Mordred crashing into a wall.
Grunting at the impact, Mordred got back up and summoned Clarent back to her, looking at Shielder with a smirk.
"At least you know how to use that hunk of metal." Stated Mordred before charging Shielder, who did the same as both Servants clashed against each other.
Back with Naruto, the Uzumaki had been forced to keep moving as Ernest kept summoning more and more Effigies for each one he destroyed.
'How many of these damn things are there?!' Thought Naruto, blocking the Effigies closest to him when they tried slicing him, only to be cut apart by the Demi-Servant, who couldn't believe how many Effigies there were.
Swinging his sword, Naruto released a small shockwave that destroyed dozens of the Effigies and leaving a clear path to Ernest, which he took, intent to cut the necromancer down. Though the moment he got close, Naruto was forced to jump back when multiple skeletal hands and bone spikes shot out of the ground towards him. The same thing that's happened the few times he's managed to get close to Ernest, only to be forced back to avoid getting grabbed or injured. Knowing either would give the Magi a chance to have the Effigies overwhelm him.
Taking a quick glance to where Mordred and Shielder were fighting, the Uzumaki started forming a plan for how they could win the match. With Naruto destroying the Effigies between him and the two fighting Servants before jumping in, blocking a shield bash from Shielder and looked to Mordred.
"Deal with the Master!" Said Naruto, with Mordred looking to Ernest and the Effigies before smirking.
"Gladly. Crimson Lightning!" Mordred said, releasing a blast of red lightning at the Effigies, destroying the majority of them before jumping in and began cutting the remaining ones down, causing Ernest's eyes widened at seeing his Effigies were now being destroyed faster than he could summon them.
Seeing her Master was in danger, Shielder moved to go and protect him, but was stopped Naruto who slammed his foot into her chest, knocking her away from Ernest.
"Sorry, it's nothing personal, but I have no intentions of dying again." Naruto said before swinging his blade at her, with Shielder deflecting it with her shield and slamming it into the other Demi-Servants face, only to grunt when Naruto managed to cut into her side with his sword
Mordred, meanwhile, was cutting down the Effigies faster than Ernest could summon until the path was now open for her directly to the necromancer. Making the Knight smirk as she twisted Clarent's hilt, releasing a large wave of crimson energy
"Ah, trample that down then?! This for sure will be the wicked blade that will destroy my father!" Said Mordred, making Ernest's eyes widened and pale slightly, knowing she was about to unleash her Noble Phantasm.
"Shielder return and defend me!" Ernest said desperately using one of the Command Spells to force Shielder to break away from Naruto and return to his side
"Clarent Blood Arthur!" Mordred shouted bringing her attack down on both Ernest and Shielder, the latter slamming her shield down on the ground
"True Name, pseudonym registered. I can do this. Deploying Noble Phantasm! Lord Chaldeas!" Shielder exclaimed as she formed a massive barrier in front of her and Ernest, managing to block Clarent Blood Arthur, making Mordred pour more Magical Energy into her attack. Only to see the barrier was stronger than she expected as it refused to budge.
Seeing this Naruto rushed forward, trying to think of something to do to break through the barrier, before feeling his sword release a pulse. Looking at the blade for a moment, Naruto's eyes widened when he felt something enter his mind before he grabbed the blade with both hands. Twisting the hilt caused a pillar of green energy to erupt from it, surprising Mordred, Shielder and Ernest. The latter of whom was slowly backing away, knowing if he wanted to survive, he's going to have to escape.
"Let's go! The Evil Dragon will fall, and the world will now reach the twilight! Fall Balmung!" Naruto shouted as he brought the pillar of energy down on top of the barrier, the Noble Phantasm combining with Clarent Blood Arthur. With both attacks being powerful enough to blast right through the barrier, sending Shielder flying back against a wall before hitting the ground.
"I…I'm sorry, Master. I…" Shielder said, disappointed at failing, only for her to look up and see Ernest was nowhere in sight.
"M-Mast-" Said Shielder before gasping in pain as she felt the bond between her and Ernest was suddenly severed, feeling herself start fading away from the loss of her Master.
"The bastard actually ran away." Mordred said with scowl when she saw that Ernest was gone, angry and disgusted at seeing he'd escaped, leaving his Servant alone.
"He…he abandoned me? Master…abandoned me." Shielder said, lowering her head in sadness that her own Master would betray and abandon her to save himself.
"Yeah, because he was a pathetic coward that chose to save his own life, while throwing you away like you were nothing." Naruto said, approaching Shielder, who lifted her head slightly to look at him.
"Just finish it, then." Muttered Shielder, not caring if they kill her, only for Naruto to kneel down in front of her.
"No. I said it was nothing personal, the only reason we were fighting was because we were matched against each other. But I'm also not the kind of person that'd let an innocent person die or fade away, especially one that's just tossed aside as a sacrificial lamb. So, we're not going to kill you or let you fade away, I want to form a contract with you." Said Naruto, holding out his hand, much to Shielder's shock and distrust.
"Why? So you can just toss me aside? That's all I am, a shield to save others, even if it means I die." Shielder retorted, sadly and bitterly.
"No! I'm not like that bastard Gravehill or anyone else that'd only see Servants as tools! If we make a contract, you wouldn't be a tool, you'd be a comrade and, if you want, a friend as well. That's what I'm asking for, to join us as an equal." Naruto said, shocking Shielder again at his words and offer before the image of someone flashed in her mind.
A Girl with orange hair tied in a side-ponytail, smiling warmly at her. Leaving Mash unable to help, but wonder who that girl was and why it warmed her heart when she saw her. Was she a Master that she had at some point in the past? But what Mash did know, is that Naruto reminded her so much of her.
"…It doesn't matter. Even if I did accept, I can't form a contract with you, you already have a Servant. And the Moon Cell wouldn't allow you to gain another one." Said Shielder, knowing her fate was already decided the moment Ernest abandoned her.
"FUCK THE MOON CELL!" Shouted Naruto, shocking both Mordred and Shielder at his sudden shouted.
"Fuck the Moon Cell, fuck that Overseer bastard Kotomine, and fuck this damn War! I don't care about any of this, and who says I can't have more than one Servant! I don't even care about gaining another Servant to fight in this damn tournament! I care about helping you and giving you a chance to live, to make your own choices! Not to be some disposable tool for some shady bastard to use and toss aside to save his own life! That's what I care about, not the Moon Cell, not this tournament, not even the Holy Grail! Helping you, that's what I want, right now." Naruto said, with his words stunning both Shielder and even Mordred, realizing that he was being truly sincere in wanting to help the other Demi-Servant.
"You do deserve a chance to live and make your own choices. Take it from someone that's never been able to make their own choice or decide what they want, to have everything just decided from the moment you're born." Said Mordred, looking at Shielder, seeing how similar their circumstances are.
"Besides…we still need to finish our fight." Mordred added with a smirk, with Shielder looking between the two with wide eyes.
"Do it."
Hearing the sudden voice surprised Shielder, before realizing where it came from.
'Galahad.' Thought Shielder, hearing the Heroic Spirit within her speaking.
"Now, what do you want?" Naruto asked, holding out his hand to Shielder, who looked at her body and seeing she was starting to fade away.
"I…I…I WANT TO LIVE!" Shielder screamed, not wanting to fade away or die, she wanted to live her life to make her own choices.
With Shielder taking Naruto's hand, while the Uzumaki began chanting to form a Master Servant Pact between them, which the Demi-Servant accepted. But saw her body was still fading away, making Shielder sigh sadly and in acceptance.
'It…would have been nice…to live longer…' Shielder thought, closing her eyes to wait for herself to fade away.
Only for her eyes to snap open in shock as rather than feel herself fade away; she instead felt her body returning. Looking, Shielder was shocked as her body was being restored, while Naruto watched as three new Command Spells appeared on his hand.
"It…it worked?" Said Shielder before feeling herself being pulled up, with Naruto smiling at her.
"Yeah, it worked. And like I said, you're not a Servant, you're a comrade and a friend. And I promise that you'll never fight alone again or be left behind, no matter what." Said Naruto, with Shielder looking at him with wide eyes before she smiled tearfully at him and nodded.
"Th-thank you! I-I promise to do my best to se-serve y-you M-Mas-" Shielder said, only for Naruto to stop her.
"I said you're not a Servant, so don't call me Master. Just Naruto will do." Naruto said, surprising the Demi-Servant again.
"Y-yes, Ma…N-Naruto-senpai!" Said Shielder, correcting herself.
"Yeah, he really doesn't like being called Master, isn't that right, Master." Said Mordred smirking at Naruto, as after they'd opened up more to each other he told her to not call him Master, but she still did so to annoy him.
"By the way, what's your name?" Naruto asked, looking at Shielder with Mordred doing so as well.
"It's…Mash, Mash Kyrielight." Mash introduced.
"Mash…I like it, it's unique just like you. Welcome to the team, Mash." Said Naruto, smiling at Mash, which she shyly returned before the three went to leave the arena.
Though not long after leaving the arena, they were met by a solemn looking Hakuno and a serious Nero, something that set Naruto and Mordred on edge. Given how the Emperor usually had a carefree smile on her face.
"What happened?" Naruto asked, knowing something must have happened during their match.
"We have triumphed over Rider and her Master. But the victory has turned bitter and tasteless, as there is no victory to take pride in today." Said Nero looking down slightly.
"But…you won? Isn't that good?" Questioned Mordred, only for Hakuno to shake her head.
"Yes, we won, but Shinji lost. He and Rider were both deleted, and Shinji…he was eight-years-old! Outside of the Moon Cell, he was just an eight-year-old boy and he was still deleted, just like the others who'd lost!" Hakuno revealed, devastated that she's responsible for a child being killed, while Naruto, Mordred and Mash were shocked at hearing this.
With them now beginning to fully understand the implication of losing in this Holy Grail War, that it didn't matter who you were, if you lost then you would die.
*End Dream*
Miso's eyes opened up before she sat up in her bed on the boat heading back to the Land of Fire, not believing what she just saw.
'That's what Nii-san had to go through, fighting against other Masters and Servants, knowing if he lost he would die. And even if he won, the losers would be deleted, no matter what.' Miso thought, not believing what her brother had to go through, knowing each battle could have been his last if he wasn't careful.
Before the blonde girl looked down at her Command Spells, now fully realizing the extent the Master-Servant Pact between her and Naruto, and what these could really do.
'I…I could use these to make Naruto do what I want. I could finally spend time with him, have him spend time with our family. I could get his forgiveness!' Miso thought, knowing she'd finally be able to have her brother back with the Command Spells.
Before she shook her head, disgusted with herself that she'd actually consider controlling her brother like that and forcing him to do anything. Remembering what Gravehill had done with his own Command Spells, how he was willing to leave Mash to fade away. Along with the limitations that came with them, that they could make Servants do stuff, but not change how they felt.
'No, I won't force Naruto to do anything or say empty words. I want him to forgive me, but I want to earn it and really get to know Nii-san. I'll become closer to him because he wants me to be closer, not because he's forced to.' Miso thought, not wanting to be like Gravehill and force her brother to like her, she wanted to earn his forgiveness.
Wanting to get some air, Miso headed up to the deck of the ship, unaware that Naruto had been standing around the corner. The Demi-Servant peeking out once his sister was out of sight, along with sheathing his dagger and walking away.
Having sensed Miso seeing more of his memories as more of his strength returned, while having intended to "persuade" her it'd be a bad idea to use the Command Spells on him. But instead was actually surprised at seeing she didn't use the Command Spells, despite feeling part of her wanted to, only for it to be quickly crushed.
'I…suppose she's not that bad.' Thought Naruto, admitting that his respect for Miso went up a little, doubting anyone else would have even hesitated to use the Command Spells to control him.
Instead, she chose not to, both because she didn't want to force him to do anything and she's smart enough not to waste them either. The Uzumaki also knowing that with the new information she has, his strength was returning more quickly, which also meant his Servants were growing stronger as well.
'Won't be long now.' Naruto thought, knowing once they're back to full power and find the others, they'll be leaving this world for good.
So, what did you think, good. Yep we see Naruto and Mordred meeting each other, before Kirei arrives and introduces himself as the Overseer, with Naruto recognizing his voice and punches him, earning some of Mordred's respect. Before we Kirei explaining everything to them about the Holy Grail War they're now in, with Naruto agreeing to participate if only to avoid dying again. Before we see Naruto and Mordred interacting some more and how they'll be handling the matches against the other Masters and Servants.
Then we see Naruto bumping into Hakuno, leading to an awkward moment between them much to Mordred's amusement. Before it's made even more awkward when Nero arrives, with her and Mordred being surprised at their similar faces, only for Nero to begin going on about her own grace and beauty compared to Mordred's, even trying to look inside her armor to see how similar they are, which quickly annoys the Knight of Treachery, almost leading to a fight, with Naruto and Hakuno managing to calm them down. Before Shinji arrives with his own Servant, turning Mordred's and Nero's annoyance towards him when he insults them, with Naruto also standing up to his "friend".
We then get another timeskip with Naruto and Mordred meeting Rin and her own Servant, with her having summoned Artoria this time around, much to Mordred's anger. Leading to a small confrontation between them, keeping their identities secret, only for Nero to once again interfere as her usual-self. Only for things to become really awkward when Rin begins groping Hakuno and Naruto, still believing they're NPCs, before learning they're actually real, much to her mortification, even more so when they accuse her of being a pervert.
Next we see Naruto and Mordred in their first match against Mash and her Master Ernest Gravehill, with Mordred taunting Mash after realizing she's a Demi-Servant of Galahad. Leading to a battle between both sides, with Mordred taking on Mash and Naruto going against Ernest, until they switch opponents. Allowing Mordred to nearly take out Ernest until he has Mash protect him, leading to Naruto and Mordred combining their Noble Phantasms to destroy her shield. Only for them to see Ernest had ran away leaving Mash alone, until Naruto offers to form a contract with her, refusing to let her just fade away, with it managing to work and save her from being deleted. Though they then learn of Shinji's own fate and who he really was in the real world, realizing just how high the stakes are.
Finally we see Miso waking up and beginning to better understand everything Naruto's been through, along with refusing to use her Command Seals to get him to spend time with her, wanting to earn his forgiveness. With Naruto having sensed her seeing more of his memories and her refusal to use her Command Seals, earning some of his respect, while knowing it won't be long until he's back to full strength. So, for those that like the story, thanks for your support. For those that don't or at least don't like the direction taken, you're more than welcomed to drop the story. But thanks for giving the story a chance anyway.
Storm out