Chapter 5

Where am I? Jim thought as a cold drop of water hit his cheeks. Slowly, he opened his eyes and his senses came back. The sky was glowing a dusk orange hue, but the clouds were scattered and gray. Tiny droplets of rain hit his face, soaking him wet. The Trollhunter sat straight up and scanned his surroundings. The scenery before him had him gasping in horror. Bodies, dead ones, were scattered around him.

"Wh-What-!?" Jim's confused eyes rattled as he stood and looked around more. He was in a battlefield of some sort. The dead bodies were all wearing medieval armors and most of their hands held swords, maces and other ancient weapons.

The battle must have finished recently for his nose was soon filled with the familiar stench of iron, sweat and blood, still potent and fresh. It made him gag. He felt the rising of bile in his stomach.

"Arthur!" A shout suddenly reverberated from behind him. Jim turned around, and just as he did, he heard a familiar sound of an armor breaking and flesh being pierced. Another terrifying scene played in front of him.

"Sa-Saber!?" Jim said in shock. His Servant, Saber, was standing on top of a hill. She was clothed in a blue dress with silver armor. The King of Knights was hunched over and her hands held a long spear. The Trollhunter followed the spear and saw its end. It was sticking inside the body of another knight.

The knight, a girl based on her body and form, was wearing red clothes and a skirt with silver armor. Her helmet was adorned with a pair of horns, which suddenly shattered. Jim saw the knight's face, horrified and stricken with fear. She possessed blond hair that was tied behind her head and her green eyes showed nothing but doom. Her mouth was opened wide in terror and anguish and she muttered underneath her breath. "Fa-Father."

The words echoed deeply to Jim's ears as he realized what was happening. "Saber's dream, then this must be the Battle of Camlann."

The Trollhunter had read about the battle of Camlann before after hearing it from Strickler. It was the last battle of King Arthur where he was severely injured by the Treacherous Knight, Mordred.

Mordred, one of the members of the Knights of the Round table, had started a rebellion against the King of Knights that ruined Camelot. Jim didn't understand why, but perhaps it had something to do with her birth. She was a homunculus and a legit son of King Arthur from her Queen Guineverre, or in his Servant's case, King Artoria.

There must be bad blood between them.

"Saber," Jim felt sadness as he watched Artoria kneel and catch her son from falling. Her green eyes were filled with nothing but sorrow and sadness.

"I shouldn't…have pulled that sword." she muttered under her breath and it was filled with regret. "Where did I go wrong? I shouldn't have become a King!" she shouted to the afternoon sky, but no one heard her. She broke down into tears as she rested her head on her dead son's chest plate.

"Saber," Jim called. Although he knew that she wouldn't hear him, he wanted to help her, to comfort her against the sadness. And then suddenly, Saber started glowing. Saber? Jim watched as red and black lights enveloped the King of Knights. A menacing aura started to radiate from her and it bothered the Trollhunter.

"Curse them…" Saber rasped her voice rabidly. Her armor began to change into an ominous black. Her blue clothes that were once beautiful and gave a majestic authority to her slowly corrupted into deep blood red. Her hair became ashen and her luscious green eyes turned pale gold and lifeless. "Curse them!" She shouted in pure carnal rage and her face showed nothing but fury and anger.

Jim felt scared as he realized what he had just witnessed. So, this is why...Artoria became like that. She was reborn into her alternate form, a cursed and corrupted one. He thought in sorrow as tears started to trail from his eyes.

- Flight 56 - on the middle of the Mediterranean Sea -

Jim woke up after he felt the plane shake from turbulence. He looked up and saw the ceiling of the fuselage and remembered the dream. "Saber," he whispered in sadness as he sat straight on the reclining bed.

After the first round, Saber and Jim bought a first-class plane ticket since the King of Knights insisted that they should celebrate their first victory mid-flight. Jim got his own cubicle while Saber got one on the opposite side.

The Trollhunter also remembered how Saber had ordered lots of food and it made him happy. However, after witnessing her life through his dream, Jim couldn't help but feel pity for the King. He silently stood up and slid the door of his cubicle open. Across from him, Saber's cubicle was open and the King of Knights was sitting on her chair, reading a comic book. An open bag of potato chips was on her table while she sat in a very comfortable way.

She finally noticed him and beamed a grin. "Hm, good morning, Master."

"Saber, good morning to you too." he greeted and smiled, hiding his sadness. Jim only sat down again and opened the window to look outisde. The calming blue sea and several islands greeted his eyes and calmed his heart down.

"Hmph, these western comics are filled with nothing but false political correctness, woke pandering and SJW themes. How sickening." Saber ratted in discreetly as she stuffed the comics, bearing a title: 'I AM NOT STARFIRE', back on the magazine rack in front of her. The Servant glanced at her Master and noticed his silence, piquing her curiosity. "Master, is everything alright?"

Jim glanced at her and only nodded. "I'm fine, Saber. I still can't get over with our first victory." he said and looked down to his right hand. The back of his right hand bore a tattoo that resembled a sword. The tattoo appeared after he had summoned Saber and, according to the Spiritron Kaleido, it was called Command Spells – a symbol that Saber was under his contract to serve him.

"Master, you know what will happen if you run out of Command Spells, right?"

"Yes, Saber, our contract will be terminated and you will disappear from the face of the earth."

I should be careful. I can only cast these spells three times. Jim thought with caution. He couldn't imagine running out of Command Spells, but he knew it would be a nightmare for him.

The plane softly shook as the PA voice above them rang out. The pilot cheerfully greeted everyone good morning and announced that they would soon land at the airport. Once again, Jim looked outside and saw the City of Venice growing larger and larger as the plane descended.

The second round will happen here. The Trollhunter thought as his heartbeat increased in trepidation. Jim didn't know what would happen next. All that he knew was that, in two days, the place would become a battlefield. Fires would rage and buildings would collapse. And if he lost this round, his friend, Toby, would never wake up again.

- Hotel - Fantastique -

After several hours of flight, and pampering his Venusian and Sumerian Goddess Servant with several treats, Shirou opened the door of his hotel suite. His suite was large. A spacious living room with expensive furniture greeted his grey eyes first. Huge windows lined up on the wall, giving him a view of another beautiful hotel across.

"Hoh, not bad," His Servant finally arrived and brushed passed him. Ishtar was clothed in her red coat which she swung freely on the sofa. "Looks like you have good taste, Shirou." she smirked and commented at her Master, who only let out a tired sigh.

"Yes, yes, now please do put your coat on the coat racket-"

"Ho hoh, they even fulfilled my request." Istar brightened, like a cat finding food, as her eyes landed on a large box on the coffee table. The box contained nothing but small carats of diamonds, all crystal clear and plain. She giggled as she picked up one of the diamonds and channelled her mana onto it, changing its color into bright red.

"Oh, you're right, Shirou, Venetians are really good with Jewelry Smithing."

That box cost at least a hundred million. Shirou only shook his head in a frustrated manner. He didn't have time to deal with her shenanigans. The man moved towards the next room. The bedroom opened up to him. A large bed and a wardrobe were on his left and, on his right, was a terrace. He opened his duffel bag on the bed, took out a pair of binoculars, and pulled the curtains of his window.

"According to my calculations, the Saber Master's plane landed 30 mins ago. We arrived before them." He pulled the curtains, slightly opening it, and pointed his binoculars. Outside, he saw the water canal traffic moving slowly. The gondolas and boats were ferrying many tourists to their destinations. He scanned the scene with his sharp grey eyes and then he saw it.

The Saber's Master, wearing a blue sweater and black pants, and apparently could change into a troll, appeared. He was on a gondola, sitting still and looking bothered. Beside him, sitting calmly but cautiously looking around, was the Saber Servant.

"Saber – no, you're not like that. You're her altered form." Shirou had deduced it all. His mind traveled back to the fifth Holy Grail War, where he was once a Master. His Servant, Artoria, was a kind and courageous King that he had liked. He remembered her as a strong-willed woman who had vanquished many foes without succumbing to the corruption. The Artoria that he knew was strong on her ideals.

This Artoria, however, was a version who had given up and succumbed to the darkness of corruption.

"Shirou, I'm hungry. Are we gonna eat some pasta?" Ishtar stood by the door with a bored face.

The young magi glanced at her and said, "We will order. We won't go out today, by the way." Ishtar made a loud protest and pouted, but Shirou ignored it. Through his lens, he saw Saber and her Master climb out of the small pier in front of the hotel across from him. "Saber's Master confirmed...now for the other." he muttered and glanced at his watch.

"I don't know the name of the Master of Saber...but I do know the Master of Berserker."

"Hmm? You do, how?" Ishtar, who had cooled down from pouting, asked in an uninteresting way.

Shirou glanced at her and said, "The Master of Berserker is Mark Grayson, AKA Invincible. And I have a feeling that he will soon come in contact with the Master of Saber." And it won't be a very pretty picture if the two meet. Shirou tensed up a little. He knew that, in the Holy Grail war, the Masters would often meet to make a deal. However, in most cases, the Masters would end up killing each other.

Master Killing – it was a perfect strategy in winning the Holy Grail War. If a Servant's Master was killed, the Servant would lose his or her anchor to reality. Thus, the attacker would win by default.

"If Invincible does that...then I have to strike first." Shirou said, his voice cold as ice as a foreboding thought formed in his mind.

I have to kill Invincible.

- Hotel - El Grande -

Meanwhile, in the other hotel, Jim opened the suite that he had checked in. It was large and grand. Exquisite furniture lined up on the wall. A sofa and long coffee table decorated the middle. Saber walked behind him and looked around before she gave an approving nod.

"Beautiful choice, Master."

"Huh? Uh, yeah. Thanks, Saber." Jim said in a distracted manner as he pulled his backpack and sat on the sofa. Saber walked to the dual doors on the right and opened them. A bedroom was revealed. There was a large bed with clean white linen and beyond that was a large walk-in wardrobe that led to the bathroom.

I guess this will do. Saber nodded again and glanced behind her. "Master, may I know your plan for today?" Jim didn't answer and she noticed that the boy was sitting on the sofa with his chin on his knuckles, contemplating deeply. He was unusually silent today and it ticked her off. "Master," she called again.

The Trollhunter looked up, snapping him back to reality. "Uh, what is it?"

Saber sighed vehemently and moved towards the sofa. She sat across from him and her arms were on her chest. She cast her eyes at him, showing her seriousness. "Do tell me what's wrong. I don't want you getting distracted on the battlefield."

There's no way I can lie to her. Jim let out a frustrated sigh and rested his back on the sofa, looking at Saber with saddened eyes. "I saw the battle of Camlann."

Saber only shifted her eyes slightly to the left. Her face, however, was emotionless. "Go on."

"I saw how you killed your son, Mordred." This time, Saber shifted her eyes down, and she relaxed her arms. She knew what Jim would say to her and she already knew what he was feeling for her. "Saber, I'm so sorry."

"For what? That I killed my own son?" Saber answered in a dull tone.

It was now Jim's turn to be startled as he shifted in his seat, his eyes shifting into a half curious gaze. "Well, it must've been-"

"Terrible, it was. But I only did what was necessary for my Kingdom...even though I was too late." Saber said and she glanced down at the coffee table where a cooled red wine and several other drinks were put into a large ice bucket in a decorative manner. She picked up a beer and opened it. A loud hiss echoed through the room and she began to drink its contents. "Is that your problem?" she asked plainly at the boy who sunk on his seat, dumbfounded from her reaction. Saber stared at him and silently blushed because she found his reaction cute for her.

"Well, you cried. I feel saddened. I feel sorry for you. And I feel guilty for acting a bit rude to you."

"Don't be. You chose that and I ignore it. It's your own feelings." Saber took a huge gulp of the beer and let out a peaceful sigh, the liquor hit her spot and it made her smirk in delight. However, she glanced at her Master and saw that his grieving frown didn't disappear. She shrugged as she thought in disapproval. What a bother. Now I have to explain everything to him.

"Master, should I tell you a story on how Mordred was created?"

Jim looked at her. It had piqued his curiosity. He too would like to know how Mordred was born and why she rebelled. The boy sat straight and readied himself. "Please do, Saber. I will listen."

"And that was my life...in a nutshell, Master." Saber said in an uninteresting manner. After two hours of talking, she had finished her story with her arms spread wide as if she had just presented a PowerPoint filled with nothing but dismal contents. As for Jim, however, the boy sat still with his eyes wide from shock. He wasn't expecting Saber's life to be so dramatic and chaotic.

What the hell was that? "So, uh...let me get this straight. You and Queen Guinevere needed an heir. However...since you're a woman and the queen is obviously the same, you had Merlin, your world's version, convert you into a man?" Jim said the words as if he was doubting his own words and the whole of Saber's story.

"If you mean he turned me into a man just for one night, then yes. Merlin turned me into a man and gave me a dick." Saber said straightly without batting her eyes at him. The Trollhunter couldn't imagine how awkward it would've been for a woman who had turned into a man, just for one night and just to make a baby. But he let out a deep, resigned, sigh.

Oh, fuzzbuckets. I have seen and heard weird things, why should this be a surprise to me? Jim shrugged the awkwardness and clarified more. "Ok, then the Witch Morgana, who was your sister, stole your sperm while in transit from Merlin and she inseminated herself with it and Mordred was eventually born out of her."

"Yes, Morgana did that." Saber said with disappointment from her tone. She took another beer, which was her sixth, from the table and opened it up. Jim nodded while he absorbed the whole information to his brain. The things that he had heard today bothered him greatly. Saber's life was all about selflessness. However, her selflessness had led to her downfall for she was disconnected to herself, thus she didn't know much about humility. Saber served and served, but she was never connected to her people, and since she never understood her people at all, she created unnecessary choices that truly hurt innocent civilians, which damned her country and her Round Table.

"You know, it's kind of saddening for me." Saber spoke, breaking the thoughts of the Trollhunter. "I always remember that scene, but I feel distant from it. I know it's my memory, but I feel like I was watching a movie." The King of Knights remembered the death of her son, Mordred, but she didn't have any thoughts or feelings at all. Her memory played like a reel on a film and she was just watching from afar. "Perhaps I'm already numb and have moved on from that sadness." she said in an accepting manner, a sad smile spread her lips. "So much for me being a father, huh?" she added with a belittling tone as she gulped down the contents of her beer.

Saber, I completely understand you. Jim had heard her and he now knows the full picture of his Servant. "Saber, please don't belittle yourself." he said as a calm smile formed on his lips. Saber glanced at him and blinked. She noticed his smile and she felt the boy's demure had changed into a positive one. "You've had a hard life, Saber," the Trollhunter continued. "I feel sorry for what happened between you and Mordred. However, you couldn't love him for you deemed your love for your son to be selfish."

Saber nodded in agreement. The King of Knights wanted to serve her people equally so she had divided her love to each in a logical manner. "True." she muttered as Jim continued.

"Despite what happened, you've become a great King. You've protected innocent people and your country against Vortigern and the Saxons. I respect you and I like you for that. You're a hero, Saber – that will never change." Saber blinked as the words of the boy took effect. For the first time in her longest time, she was praised for being a good king. She felt her chest lighten up a bit and the air around the room was no longer heavy.

Her smile turned into a kind one as she looked at her Master. "Master...can I call you Jim?"

Jim nodded. With her saying his first name, he felt that he was already close to her. "Yes. Saber. You can."

"Thank you, Jim. I like what you said."

The mood of the Master and Servant were light and refreshing. The air around the room was no longer thick and heavy. The distance between them was shortened and Jim could feel that he finally understood Saber.

A loud rumbling, however, disturbed the atmosphere and Saber followed it, her eyes looking down to Jim's stomach. The Trollhunter's face reddened as he finally felt his hunger and it made Saber chuckle.

"How cute." she said as she stood up and walked towards the bedroom. "Jim, I heard that this hotel has a buffet restaurant. Shall we eat dinner there?" she asked invitingly as the Trollhunter glanced at the window. The sky was already deep orange and nighttime would soon come.

"Of course, Saber. In fact, I might eat a lot tonight." Jim said as the boy stood and made stretches before he followed Saber to the bedroom to change into his dinner suit.

Hope I look good. Jim said as he stood in front of a full-size mirror inside the bedroom, fixing his bowtie. He was wearing a full blue and white colored tuxedo suit. His coat was blue with a fret pattern on its fabric while his satin pant stripes and flat front trousers were white. "This suit… has the same price as my vespa back at home." he said as he carefully fixed his gold color shirt studs, not wanting to rip it out.

"Done, Jim?" He heard Saber from behind him and glanced at the mirror. Saber stood by the bathroom door. She was wearing a dress that was black as night and filled with glittering paraphernalia, making it look like stars. She was fixing her hair with a hairpin and she eyed Jim with a curious look. The boy, on the other hand, was enticed by her beauty. Her dress was simple, but she carried it with authority, making it look enigmatic.

"Jim, might I assist you with that?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Jim said as Saber moved closer and started fixing his cuffs and buttons with delicate movements. The boy gulped down in nervousness because the Servant stood so close to him.

"Done. Now then, shall we go? I heard they have good wine and pasta." Saber moved away and it snapped Jim back to reality, making the boy chuckle.

"Now, now, control yourself, Saber. We might get banned from the restaurant." the Trollhunter jokingly said as he walked out of the bedroom. Saber followed and remarked to him.

"You mean 'Cancelled'. This generation of young'uns love to 'Cancel' everything that doesn't go in accordance with their ideology or with their 'norms'."

Jim laughed loudly at her jokes before he opened the door of their room and showed his left elbow at her. "Shall we, Saber?"

"With pleasure, Jim."

The Hotel's restaurant was an alfresco one with a grand view of the canal. Jim and Saber had chosen a table beside the canal. The view was amazing. Gondolas sailing across the water greeted them and the park square, several meters away from them, was filled with people and lively activities.

"Fantastic choice again, Jim. I like this view." Saber commented and cast a smile at Jim, who only blushed again.

"Y-Yeah, I never thought Venice could be this good." Jim said as he darted his eyes away and onto the gondolas that were sailing placidly on the water.

"Well then, Master, I shall begin." Saber stood up and briskly walked towards the food buffet, leaving the boy alone. The Servant walked along several tables with people sitting and eating their food. However, unbeknownst to her, she just passed a man who was sitting alone. This particular man was clothed in white long-sleeve shirt with a red three buttoned vest and red bow tie.

He wasn't eating any food. There was only a bottle and a single glass of red wine on the table.

He is showing off his Servant. Does he even realize that other competitors could target them anytime, competitors like me? Mark Grayson thought with irritation. When he summoned his Servant, he thought that hiding them would provide him protection against the other Masters. Hiding and planning for a surprise was a good strategy in winning this war. But since the boy wasn't doing it, it ticked him off.

"He's the Master of Saber-Class…" Mark muttered as he took a sip of his wine. Doubt and dread filled his chest. If push comes to shove...then I will kill him. But he's just like me from before...a teenager. The Invincible Hero was completely torn in two. He wanted to fulfill his wish, his wish that could save everyone, and he was willing to do everything for it, including eliminating the Masters. However, this Master was an innocent teenager that somehow had an ability to change into a troll.

What if his wish was selfless just like his? Killing him would make him look like a villain.

"Tch...No, perhaps I can persuade him, make him back down." Mark said in regret as he put his lips on his wine glass. I don't want to hurt him.

'Don't be so sure that he's innocent.' The Invincible froze and his glass was almost touching his lips. No...not here, please. Mark put his glass down and closed his eyes. It was back, the familiar whispering disembodied voice. The man internally cringed as a throb of burning pain crawled across his skull. He hid his hands beneath the table and formed them into fists. His knuckles were turning white and blood slowly dripped out of his palms as his nails dug into his flesh.

I buried you. You're not here. I buried you. You're not here. The words repeated and it served as his mantra. Mark was having an episode again and he didn't want to cause a commotion. He would certainly alert the Saber Servant and her Master.

Suddenly, he felt a touch on his back. The voices disappeared and the crawling pang stopped. He recognized the touch and he slowly glanced over his shoulder.

"Thank you, Heracles...Now go back to scouting." Mark commanded his Servant, Berserker. The Berserker was completely invisible. However, the Invincible Hero was glad that the Servant was beside him, ready to catch and pull him out of his episode anytime.

Mark glanced at the two again then, after he let out a frustrated sigh, he stood up and walked away. I must rest. Tomorrow, I will approach him and hope he will say yes. Mark thought with eagerness as he went inside the hotel to call it a day.

The night deepened and the time for the second round drew near.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Fate/Stay Night, Tales of Arcadia and the cartoon Invincible. Names, places and events are all fictional, if one exist in real life then its purely coincidence.

Special thanks to Pure Red Crane for beta-reading.

Hello everyone! Another new chapter! Boy, it looks like the two Master's are geering up for a second round! Jim and Saber and formed a deep connection but how will that fair in a battle? And what's up with Invincible's episode's, clearly he's not sick with something isn't? Good thing his Berserker was always there, catching him! See you on the next chapter! Thinker Out!