Fate series and characters belong to Nasu and TypeMoon
The Dark Cave
"Stars, cosmos, gods, animus…"
Inside a cave, Olga Marie squatted down and planted small pieces of rock in the heart of the glowing magic circle. After deemed that Mash had adequate training, they made their move into the cave leading to the grail.
Decided they required a 10-minute break before pushing on, Olga Marie cast spells for their own defense at their enemies. The siblings and Mash sat on the ground with Romani's voice guiding them.
The Director wrote another symbol on another piece of rock she took while chanting.
"Hollow, void, anima, Animusphere…"
Once the symbol glowed and went into the rock, she continued the renewed process. Caster manifested behind her and his head peered over at the magic circle. "You're working hard."
"Better than nothing, right?" Olga Marie answered without glancing at him.
"Hmm," Hummed himself with a smile, Caster casually picked up a few of the rock pieces into his hand.
Spun her head upwards, Olga Marie glared. "Hey, don't touch without permission!"
As Olga Marie stood up to retrieve her rocks back, the Fujimaru siblings stared at the data presented on Ritsuka's projected holographic image from his wristwatch. Romani's voice ended. "And, that's how you can find the Servants origin list and Noble Phantasm."
"I see," Ritsuka nodded as he used his finger to scroll through the information. He paused for a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose from a headache before continuing. "A defensive-type of skill and Noble Phantasm…"
"This is the data that have collected from Caster's training," Romani explained. "Even though her agility is weak with the heavy shield, Mash can carry on with her Rank A endurance at any attacks hurled at her."
"Her mana strength is great too," Ritsuko pointed at the Rank B MP bar on the image. "You say she's able to cast her skills quite well, no?"
"Yes, but it'll take a moment before she could use it again normally," Romani added.
Her violet orb examined at both, Mash tilted her head. "Senpai, did my training with Caster improve?"
Ritsuka's orbs focused on the subject matter under the Noble Phantasm heading and murmured, "So, when it unleashed… It nullified any attacks thrown at her, including Noble Phantasm.
"Also…"
"Senpai?"
"Y-Yeah?" Ritsuka moved his head and spotted that Mash still awaited for her answer.
"After what the Doctor said, analyzed and what we've seen," Ritsuka tilt his head to her and grinned. "You definitely did, Mash."
"You improve a lot when we first arrived here," Ritsuko raised thumbs-up from her hand and grinned too. "Good work, Mash-chan!"
Mash's face lit up with a happy beam and bowed. "Yes, thank you very much, Senpais. I'll work harder to make both of you proud!"
"Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Ritsuko went over to Mash and patted her shoulders.
Eventually, Caster and Olga Marie moved over and the siblings stood up as they approached. Caster then said once they reached close to them. "The Greater Grail is back here. It's a little further back, so stick close."
With an agreed nod, the four followed Caster from behind deeply into the cave.
-0-
The natural dark cavern shape caught Mash's attention as they continued walking. She shifted to the front and pointed out. "This place looks like a natural cave… Did this always exist in Fuyuki City?"
"Probably, it's half-natural, half man-made.
"It's the underground workshop expanded by mages over several years."
Olga Marie explained.
She suddenly changed her gaze towards Caster. "Anyway, Caster. I forgot to ask you something important."
Seeing that one of his red orbs glanced at her, the Director went on. "Do you know Saber's True Name? It sounded like you'd fought several times."
"Yes, I notice it," Caster nodded and his lips set into a straight and thin line. "Anyone who gets hit by Saber's Noble Phantasm will find out that bastard's True Name…. The other Servants were all defeated because Saber's Noble Phantasm was that powerful."
"A powerful Noble Phantasm, is it? What was it like?" Mash prodded.
"The sister sword of the Sword in the Stone. It's the most famous sacred sword in your time. Its name…"
Before Caster could reply finished, an unfamiliar masculine voice interrupted him.
"The Sword of Promised Victory, Excalibur. Wielded by King Arthur, the proud King of Knights."
Fou stood up on Mash's shoulders and growled at the figure before them. Ritsuko's orange orbs widened at the surprise of the strange intruder before them. Ritsuka stood in front of his sister and wondered, "An enemy Servant?!"
Before them at the exit of an open field in the tunnel, a mysterious man stood in the middle. It was a youthful man in his mid-twenties with a muscular build. He had short white hair, gray eyes, and tanned skin color.
He put on a black body armor, which comprised a black tight and a sleeveless shirt. And black pants that had two black straps on his thighs, and another two strapped around his shins separate from each other. The said man also wore black metal plated shoes, which appear tied to his trousers.
"Archer!" Olga Marie deduced the identity of the enemy Servant.
Caster expressed a peeved look and glared at Archer. "Ah, speak of the devil. Or shall I say, the faithful follower? As always, I see you're still the loyal knight."
"Hmph, I don't remember becoming a follower of anybody," Archer replied. His hand manifested a black metallic bow and continued. "I'm just here to chase away unwanted visitors."
"In other words, you're the gatekeeper," Caster stated. His staff raised and pointed at Archer while continued. "I don't know why you're protecting Saber, but let's end this here. Isn't a game that never ends boring? For better or worse, we need to move the pieces forward."
"From the way you talk, I think you understand the circumstances. Yet you are still absorbed by your own desires," Archer's hand manifested a blade and converted a drill-shaped arrow.
He lifted and drew it back with his bow. "You still haven't changed despite being a mage now. In that case, I will knock some sense into you."
"Ha, big talk for a mere Archer," Caster scoffed. One of his red orbs shifted to Mash and warned. "Hey, why are you standing there, young lady? He's an Archer. Without your shield, I won't have the time to cast my spells."
"Ah… R-Right!" Mash shook up after pulling her attention back to the reality from their bantering. She stood beside Caster with her shield armed. "Sorry, I was out for a second there. But no problem, I can do this. For guarding, leave it to me!"
Gray orbs narrowed, Archer pulled back the bowstring and fired the projectile towards the two Masters. Before it was a quarter of its course towards them, Caster chanted. "Eihwaz!"
Flames came from the tip of the projectile and ignited into fires.
Archer remained unfazed and summoned another sword into his right hand.
As he placed the sword-turned-drill-shaped arrow, Caster grinned at him, "What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't have the confidence to take two Servants on?"
Swiped his hand swiftly across in the air, a line of runic words emerged and launched out fireballs towards Archer. Flying towards him, Archer gritted his teeth, "Tch!"
The fireballs collided with him and exploded with thick black smoke covering their area. But as the blast of wind blew the smoke elsewhere, Archer jumped out from the smoke and discharged another shot to Caster. Mash intercepted by moving to Caster's front and intercepted it with her shield.
Caster raised and spun his staff before tapping it onto the ground, "Ansuz!"
A runic word appeared beneath the staff on the ground. It glowed crimson as a burst of flame flared up and glided towards Archer. But, Archer leaped up into the air much to Caster's chagrin.
With another drill-shaped arrow attached to the bowstring, Archer pulled it back and exclaimed. "You're wide open!"
"Young lady!" Caster's red orbs glanced to the violet-haired Servant.
"Right!" Mash again stood before Caster and raised her shield against the streaming energy bolt.
Caster twirled his staff and tapped it on the ground. "Beroc!"
Tree roots erupted from the ground and ascended towards Archer. It slammed Archer against the rocky cliff, receiving a painful groan from the enemy Servant. Despite the bruises, Archer raised its bow with his projectile and shot at them.
Caster shot a startled expression before pushing Mash to where her two Master stood. Ritsuko caught hold of her, "Mash-chan!"
The four now stared at a large blue bolt of energy heading towards them. As fear showed on their faces, Caster now showed a confident smirk at Archer. Soon, Ritsuka heard Caster's voice in his head. "Look away, kid!"
The raven-haired gave a brief confused expression at Caster before shouting and turning his head away. "Everyone, close your eyes now!"
"U-Understood, Ritsuka!" Ritsuko replied with confusion mixed in her tone while closing her eyes.
Mash nodded and shut her eyes too while Olga Marie closed her eyes and lifted her hands to shield away whatever that's coming in front.
Noticed at the sudden awkward movement before him, Archer shot a wary expression before realization dawned upon him. With the smirk remained, Caster shouted while his staff traced the ground behind him in a crescent formation. "Here we go, grand-scale! Ath nGabla!"
With a loud tapping from his hand that slammed the ground, three runes appeared behind him and glowed in a brilliant bluish light. Multiple magical circles appeared on the ground in front of him and the sides around him and Archer.
With a sword manifested, Archer slashed away the tree roots and leaped up to escape. But, he got knocked down to the ground with a powerful impact by the rune above in the air behind him.
Another painful groan emitted from his lips, Archer slowly pulled up and threw an accusing expression at Caster. "You put Runes in the air!"
"Yeah, my mentor had a spell that summoned the Gate of the Underworld. I ripped her off, basically. It won't do any good to shoot each other at long-distance," Caster twirled his staff and maintained in a position like holding a spear and declared. "From here, let's go all out and do our usual fight between you and me!"
"From a Caster class?" A pair of black and white swords manifested in Archer's hands and he smirked back at him. "Maybe you've become smarter than usual."
"Heh!" Shot a grin back at Archer, Caster charged forward as Archer raised his sword readied. Once in front, Caster retorted before swinging his staff high. "One's cleverness and tastes are two different things!"
Archer swung one of his swords forward to block. The other raised and whirled towards Caster. Caster tilted his head aside but the sharp blade of the sword slashed across his face with a small laceration.
Letting out an irritated grunt, Caster shouted. "Tch! Eihwaz!"
The wooden staff set aflame by his command. Archer jumped out of the hole at once before Caster swung the burning staff at him. The blue-haired leaped out too and his staff at Archer.
Moved his arm to swing and deflect the blazing staff, Archer grunted from the scorching pain he got on his arm when the Caster moved his staff. In revenge, the Archer knocked the staff away and swung his blade down.
Another bleeding cut made on Caster's face, earning an irritated growl from him. Burning flames from the staff and sparks from the blades exchanged against each other. Burnt marks and cut wounds appeared as the further they waved their weapons.
"Anything about that Archer?" Ritsuko turned her eyes aside from them to her brother.
Ritsuka among the four had his mind focused a while on the projected holographic screen. He shook his head while his blue orbs moving left to right at the data he's reading. "Definitely nothing about that guy, Ritsuko. There's nothing about an Archer who could dual-wield and use a bow too."
"E-Eh?! Then, what is he?!" Ritsuko gasped.
"Who knows, But…" Ritsuka replied off-handedly while his hand motioning to scroll through the data.
Ritsuko gulped with her eyebrows furrowed, "Caster is still hanging on. That Archer too even when they are about the same state as each other…"
Turned her view to the front, Caster swung his blazing staff quickly and smacked the black sword away into the air. The enemy Servant looked at his empty hand and grunted, "Tch!"
He turned his head high and saw Caster leaped up into the air and whirled his staff down. The impact from the swing produced a puff of smoke that absorbed them into it. It soon blew off revealing Archer using his remaining weapon to intercept.
Ritsuka had darted up to view before shifting back to the screen and murmured to himself. "There should be something else for the Noble Phantasm other than protecting when it hits us…"
Nevertheless, his blue orbs widened as Caster's earlier words evoked in his mind. "Without your shield, I won't have the time to cast my spells."
An idea brightened up his mind as he scrolled back and paused a certain part of the information. "Unless–!"
"Game over. I think you've gotten rusty," Caster taunted, pressing his staff down against the blade.
Archer narrowed his orbs and quipped with a smirk. "You've come this far, and you're worried about someone else."
Followed his gray orbs, Caster's red orbs glanced behind and recognized the white sword he knocked away spinning in the air towards them. As it zoomed towards them like a boomerang, into a glowing blue energy.
Ritsuko followed and whirled around to spot the sword. "Director!"
"Kya!" Olga Marie turned and dashed from the spot she stood.
Ritsuka had realized it too and ordered, "Mash, deploy your Noble Phantasm now!
Ritsuko stared at her brother in disbelief. "But, isn't it–!"
"True Name, Pseudo Register. I can do this!" Mash nodded and rushed to the spot Olga Marie stood.
Though as Caster turned around ready to deflect the energy bolt, he didn't look the growing smirk on Archer's lips. Mash raised her shield high in the air and recited, "Deploying Noble Phantasm! Lord Chaldeas!"
With a powerful slam onto the ground, a white magic circle constructed in the air above with green light showering to them and Caster. The blue bolt clashed with the magic circle and the power surrounding sword disappeared after it swerved away.
Ritsuka stared the white magic circle faded away and sighed in relief. "What a way to verify this analyzed data of her Noble Phantasm…"
Olga Marie rose and scowled at Ritsuka. "Hey, you wasted Mash's mana for a small attack like this!"
"Hold on Director! I have a good reason to do so–!"
Before Ritsuka could explain finished, Archer's smug voice stopped them. "It looks like this is the end."
Swung their attention to Ritsuka's back, Archer now holding Caster with one blade pointing at his neck and the other at his gut from behind. The earlier diversion of the sword had Archer retrieved back into his hand. Ritsuka's blue orbs widened and exclaimed, "Caster!"
"So, It's a trap after all!" Ritsuko glared at the Archer along with Mash who shared the same wary gaze at the enemy Servant.
"Hmph," Caster, but, offered an unconcerned expression and stared at Mash's shield. "What do you think? Will that shield resist the sword? Or will that sword pierce the shield?"
Puzzled expressions shot at Caster while Archer hummed for a minute before responding. "A long time ago, I heard something like that."
"Yeah? And, what was the answer?" Caster asked.
Archer replied without a beat, "The answer was 'a paradox.'
"Only a contradiction is produced."
Caster snorted and snickered, "Hah, I don't know about that. I always think the same thing about that story. If both things are equal, then isn't it all down to the skill of those wielding them? Or let me put it another way.
"If you're losing because of the weapon's performance," Lifted one of his hand up with a piece of rock, Caster continued. "Then it's humans that compensate with wisdom, yes?"
He flipped the rock into Archer's view and it exploded into an intense light before detonating. Olga Marie noticed and shouted accusingly. "Hey, that's one of mine!"
Caster elbowed into Archer's rib cage as the latter being paralyzed by the bright light and released himself. But, before he could move further, the noise of stabbing rang in everybody's ears. Despite being blinded, Archer went to stab both his swords into Caster's back.
"Caster!" Ritsuko's shocked voice yelled as Mash and Olga Marie gasped at the sight before them.
Ritsuka paled and inhaled in fear while Archer produced a triumphant smirk to the predicted outcome. But instead, Caster's proud voice spoke instead. "You did a good job, kid. Witty of you to draw the young lady's Noble Phantasm out."
"Huh?" Before he realized it, Archer found both of his arms entangled by the tree root growing out from Caster's back. Struggled to tear away, his movement gave him to catch a familiar magic circle glowing in the green light. "That's from the Servant's Noble Phantasm earlier…!"
The memory of the earlier unleashed of Mash's Noble Phantasm dawned upon him. Despite his sword thrust inwards, the green magic circle prevented it from plunging into the body. The body of Caster turned to a wooden statue, and he emerged out completely unharmed.
Caster leaped aside and proclaimed with a loud snarl. "Don't underestimate the Sage of the Forest!"
As the Caster wooden statue transformed into an intense light, Archer pulled his arm with all his energy and leaped away before it exploded. He touched down on a safe spot and studied his surroundings for that blue-haired Servant.
"Sorry. This is all new to me," Caster landed on a tree branch behind Archer. As the white-haired Servant turned around, Caster twirled and pointed his staff as it glowed crimson.
A flame circle ignited and encircled Archer and a familiar large wooden hand that the four recognized grabbed hold of Archer into its grip. While it soared high from the flaming circle, Archer tried to move his arms to break open the wooden hand. "Guuh!"
The wooden hand then slammed onto the ground with an enormous puff of smoke as it diffuses away. It dissolved in golden light revealed critically wounded Archer on the ground.
The white-haired Servant shot a glare at Caster who tossed the Olga Marie's pieces of rock in his hand. "I guess it's better than nothing at all."
As he scoffed weakly, Archer glanced over at Ritsuka and congratulated with a proud grin. "Well done, Mages of Flowers's Apprentice-Master! Who knew her Noble Phantasm could be used that way!"
Ritsuko expressed a bewildered look and shot to her brother. "Mages of Flower?"
"I'm just as confused as you, sis," Ritsuka rubbed his chin to contemplate.
As Archer disappeared in golden light, Caster yelled at him. "Hey, it's time for you to take a hike! The young lady and I will take down the Sacred Sword!"
Once Archer disappeared, Mash heaved a sigh of satisfaction and shifted to Caster. "I'm glad you trust me, but do you think I can guard against it?"
Her brows furrowed and the violet-haired Servant continued, "I've heard about the Sword of King Arthur. My fingers are trembling, it seems too much for me…"
"Well, you'll just have to overcome it with courage," Caster answered in a forthright tone. He turned to Mash and reassured her. "But from where I stand, you seem to be perfect for the job.
"That shield will never shatter, if you were to lose, it would be because the young lady messed it up. If you let go of that shield, your two Masters behind it will evaporate instantly. Listen, don't think about beating the Sword. All you need to think about is to protect your Master. That's right up your alley, no?"
From her nod, the Caster showed a pleasant grin to her. "Well, anyway. Leave it to me to finish off Saber and just do what you need to do."
A period of silence later, Mash finally nodded and smiled back, "Right. That advice will be great of help."
Olga Marie's body lax as she breathed a sigh, "Before we do that, let's rest up ahead. I'm tired. And, I'd like you to return what was mine!"
"Right," Mash nodded and followed Caster whom ignored the annoyed Director going after him.
As Ritsuko followed too, Ritsuka followed behind as well while pondering. "Mages of Flowers… I didn't become no one's apprentice. Wait, unless it's that guy–!"
But as he picked another step forward, a giddy spell strike him and caused him nearly tripped over nothing. Ritsuko spun around to see what had happened, but Ritsuka quickly reassured. "I'm okay, just trip over a rock."
Watched her sister nodded at him, she turned back and proceeded walking. Ritsuka looked at his Command Seal and assumed to himself. "There's nobody other than him who offered that role, to begin with. But, only one way to find out his identity and confirm is to hear it from King Arthur himself."
With another deep breath, he continued walking again before picking up his pace to catch up with them.
End of Section 8
Still in grinding hell... Anyone still grinding materials for their Servants? OTL
I'm definitely still am now, especially for the new and free SR Servant for my team ^^;
Welp, anyway, thank you for the kudos and reading
I hope you guys like this chapter! :D
By the way... I'm definitely missing out somewhere while reading the spoilers in JP...
Is there a reason why Emiya calls Cu Mages of Flower?
It's not even a typo in NA or JP when he calls Cu, Merlin's title
So is there something I'm missing or Emiya lost his mind and can't recognize Cu...?
