Fate/Kyon's Order: The Return
A Haruhi Suzumiya & Fate/Grand Order Crossover
by Derald Snyder
Part 15: Gawain and Robin
"Oh, thank you for saving me!" gasped the spectacled brunette, watching as the body of the insane caster that had been chasing her faded into golden dust. "Are you Masters from Chaldea?"
"We are," Ritsuka nodded, introducing himself and Haruhi.
"So that was Gilles de Rais after going off the deep end from losing Jeanne..." Haruhi mused. "You sure made short work of him, Meltryllis!"
"But of course I did," Meltryllis stated smugly.
"Wahh! An Alter Ego?! P-please d-don't kill meee!" the woman screamed in panic.
"No worries, she's on our side for now," Haruhi assured her.
"You should stay close to me, madam," Artesia said. "I am far more trustworthy than she is, my appearance notwithstanding. By the way, what is your name?"
"Name? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Mable Macintosh. I'm a low-level employee here at Seraphix, though I'm also the best computer engineer!" the woman replied. "I'm so glad somebody finally responded to the SOS we put out! So many of us have already perished... at the hands of the Alter Egos, no less! I just barely managed to sneak by the one, but then that caster found me, and..."
"Well, you're safe now," Ritsuka said. "Where did you come from, though?"
"Oh, the Central Command Room. It hasn't been digitized yet... there's still a few others in there, but..."
"Well, first we have to get to safe shelter, before you humans are converted into data," Meltryllis spoke up. "The survivors in that Command Room can wait a little longer. Unless they foolishly try to escape like you did... Anyway, come on. The church is this way." She immediately turned and started skating off, albeit at a sedate pace.
"A-are you sure we c-can trust her?" Mable asked.
"Not like we have much of a choice right now," Haruhi pointed out. "Come on, let's move before she leaves us behind!"
*A short while later...*
"Looks like another insane servant is blocking our path," Meltryllis observed. Fortunately the group was far enough away to not be detected yet by the armored saber servant, who had his sword out as he looked about the area. "I can probably take him down quick if you give me a command spell, Master..."
"Hold! You'll do no such thing," Artesia suddenly spoke. "I know that one, let me try talking to him. Do not worry, I will cut him down if he turns out to be beyond reason..." Before Meltyrllis could protest, she was already walking up to the knight. "Hail, Sir Gawain!"
Gawain turned around, doing a double-take at the one who addressed him. "A-Artesia?! Is that you?!"
The alter's eyebrows went up at this. "Wait, you called me by Master's chosen name?! Then you're...!"
"Are you the Gawain from our Chaldea?!" Haruhi gasped in shock, she and the others emerging from hiding.
"Ah, Masters! Good, we managed to find each other! I was worried when we were separated during the rayshift..." Gawain said in relief.
"But... Nero was the saber who..." Ritsuka began, baffled.
"Ha ha, surely you jest, Master. It is I, Gawain, the servant who traveled here with you," the knight insisted.
"...This has to be a trap of some sort," Meltryllis muttered.
"Well, allow me to test you, then. What was I eating for breakfast this morning?" Artesia posed.
"Ah, you were devouring a tall stack of pancakes with strawberry syrup, if I recall correctly," Gawain answered without missing a beat.
"...Very well, that clears any doubt from my mind. Well met, Sir Gawain. Though I am not the Artoria you have pledged loyalty to, I would ask that you fight at my side once more," Artesia requested.
"Of course. Though I would fight more for the Masters' sake than yours," Gawain replied.
"Thanks, Gawain. That's really reassuring," Ritsuka nodded and smiled.
"My, but you're a handsome knight!" Mable seemed to swoon. "Are you single, I wonder?"
"Well, I was married in life, but that wouldn't apply to me as a Heroic Spirit- Ow!" Gawain grimaced as Artesia slapped him upside the head.
"Behave, Sir Gawain! Or do I have to tell Mash that you're becoming a pervert like Lancelot?"
"Ack!" the blonde knight went pale at hearing this. "M-my sincerest apologies, my liege! It won't happen again!"
"'My liege'? My, are your loyalties wavering already, O gallant knight?" Meltryllis ribbed.
"Quiet, you! 'Twas a slip of the tongue, nothing more!" Gawain stammered.
"It's probably just Artesia's Charisma skill," Haruhi pointed out. "Well, come on, let's get to that church-"
"Ah ah ah! Not so fast!" A familar voice spoke as BB's now-familiar face digitized into existence. But this time, it was no holo-screen, but the AI herself standing before them! "Tsk tsk, breaking the rules so casually! Don't you know you're only allowed to have one servant per Master in a Holy Grail War? Even I can't overlook such blatant cheating~!"
"I believe the pot is calling the kettle black here!" Gawain retorted as he equipped his blade. "How fortuitous that you show yourself to us personally, knave! Prepare to be cut down for your transgressions!"
"I concur with Sir Gawain!" Artesia said, holding her own sword at the ready.
"Hmm, seems they don't care for you suddenly trying to enforce the rules," Meltyrllis taunted.
"Ara ara, are you all ganging up on poor little me?" BB grinned, not intimidated in the slightest. "Well, I've got some backup of my own! Come on out, Matcha~!" Snapping her fingers, another servant appeared in a cartoonish poof of clouds, tumbling to the floor!
"Oww! Hey, I hate it when you just warp me like that!" the new arrival grunted as he climbed back to his feet. "At least give me a little warning next time! I was in the middle of eating, you know!"
"Robin Hood?" Ritsuka said in recognition.
"Oh, you're familiar with Matcha here? Good, we can skip the boring intro then!" BB exclaimed. "You've been training hard, right? Time to show these sabers what an archer can do!"
"So what am I, chopped liver?!" Meltryllis snarked.
"Oh no, I'm going to deal with you myself!" BB taunted back. "Hope you're ready for a spanking~!" But then she heard a 'Oof!', turning to see that Haruhi had dropped Robin with a double-footed dropkick!
"Who says I can't join the fight, too?!" the reality warper grinned savagely.
"What the hell...?" Robin grunted as he righted himself. "A human shouldn't be able to fight a Heroic Spirit?! What are you?!"
"You would be surprised what my Master is capable of!" Artesia smirked. "Gawain, assist Meltryllis against BB! Master and I will handle the archer!"
"Understood, my lie-! (ahem) -Artesia!" Gawain caught himself.
"G-good luck!" Mable called as she retreated to Ritsuka's side.
(Music- 'BB Channel FGO')
Robin Hood leapt into the air and fired on his opponents, Artesia dodging while Haruhi deflected the shots with her black keys! The two then charged as he came down, Robin ducking Artesia's sword, then blocking Haruhi's key with his weapon, only for the brunette to kick him in the face! Robin rolled backward to get some distance, but Artesia charged again, before suddenly leaping and flipping over her adversary before slicing with Excalibur Morgan, the archer evading, only to get nailed with a thrown black key! He spun aside to avoid Haruhi, but the Master lashed out with a low sweep, tripping him up! Robin barely managed to parry Artesia's overhead slash, putting his agility to good use as he fled a short distance!
Meanwhile, BB was easily evading every attempt at harm by Gawain, dancing about him like an uncaring schoolgirl! She then drew a magical 'B' with her riding crop that promptly detonated, sending the knight flat on his face!
"Amateur! Let me show you how it's done!" Meltryllis called in frustration, skating up to BB and slashing with her legs, the AI barely dodging, though she got a cut in her jacket! Gawain attempted to take advantage of this and skewer BB on his blade, but she turned aside at the last second! The saber then tried to compensate with a wide swing, but BB jumped and flipped out of harm's way- only for Meltryllis to body-check her in midair, sending her tumbling to the floor! "How do you like that, 'Mother'?"
"A body slam, really?" BB said as she picked herself up. "How ungraceful of you, Melt! You would only do that if seriously injured or desperate!"
"Au contraire, I know that you're aware of all my usual tactics!" Meltryllis shot back. "So of course I'll do something you're not expecting!"
Back with Robin Hood, the archer hit Artesia with shots from all different angles, only to get tagged and sent sprawling by a flying kick when he stopped, courtesy of Haruhi! "You seem pretty weak for a servant! That kick should've barely moved you!"
"Indeed, and I barely felt those arrows!" Artesia asserted.
(What the hell?! I know I'm not that weak!) Robin thought as he righted himself and took off running again. (Unless... oh, hell, don't tell me she-) His train of thought was interrupted as Artesia caught up and took his head off with a single swing!
"Sakura Beam~!" BB chanted, sending a heart-shaped beam at Gawain, who barely rolled away in time, though his armor was slightly singed. She then started twirling like a ballerina, sending herself at the saber-
-only to be intercepted by Meltryllis, who skated swiftly around BB materializing a whirling waterspout! "You left yourself open!" the Alter Ego taunted as she and the waterspout spiraled up into the air! "Sarsvati Meltout!" she intoned, hitting the AI with a slashing roundhouse that sent her back down to earth, several tears in her jacket!
"Nice work, milady! Now it's my chance!" Gawain exclaimed as he tossed sword into the air, which spun around and glowed with the power of the sun! "Excalibur... Galatine!" he cried, catching and swinging his sword, sending out a massive heat wave!
"Yeow! Hot hot hot!" BB cried as her jacket caught fire from the heat!
"Good job, Sir Gawain! Now I shall finish it!" Artesia said as she raised her sword, which was engulfed in dark energy! "Excalibur... MORGAN!" she intoned, sending a wave of darkness to engulf the AI!
When the darkness faded, BB was still standing, though her jacket was gone and her hair looked a bit frazzled. "My favorite jacket! Oh, how could you?!" she pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "Oh, fine, I guess I can let this offense slide for now..."
"Retreating now that your good looks are ruined?" Meltryllis taunted. "Why would you come all the way out here anyway? Shouldn't you be waiting for us in the final boss room?"
"Well, sure, but you get bored just waiting, especially when the heroes are taking so long to clear the first area!" BB shrugged nonchalantly. "So I thought I'd do a little bug-squashing, but oh well."
"Yeah, and what was with that weak archer?" Haruhi said. "I thought you said he'd been training hard!"
"Well~, I was a little upset at him maxing himself out like that, so I drained his levels for myself!" BB replied with a wide smile. "Oh yeah, almost forgot. Back to life with you~!" She raised her hand, electricity sparking with 1s and 0s surrounding it, Robin Hood suddenly rematerializing with a cartoonish poof!
"Owww! Why the hell did you have to drain off my levels like that! Getting killed hurts, you know!" Robin complained. "Honestly, this isn't worth the paycheck-AAAAaaaaa...!" He cried as he suddenly fell down a trapdoor!
"Sorry about Matcha, I'll be sure to punish him later," BB chuckled. "So, what will you do now? Will you head to Central Command to try and save the survivors? Or will you try and meet up with that Emiya at the church? Don't take too long to decide! BB, out~!" With that, she disappeared in a spiral of data.
"So, after all that, she just lets us go?" Haruhi crossed her arms in frustration.
"She was likely just taking her measure of us," Gawain postulated. "Are you all right, milady?" he addressed Meltryllis.
"You needn't concern yourself with me. I'm fine," Melt grumbled. "Though I admit I'm not in peak condition at the moment..."
"We should hurry to the church, then," Artesia said. "Especially if Shirou is waiting for us there..."
"B-but what about the other survivors?! We can't just leave them, either!" Mable insisted. "I mean, if you can handle that BB, surely you can deal with that bouncy Alter Ego, right?"
"Bouncy...?" Ritsuka asked confusedly.
"Oh, I know who that is," Meltryllis grimaced. "Passionlip, the Alter Ego of love and hate. She's the strongest of all the Alter Egos in terms of pure destructive force. We can't take her on as we are now..."
"Well... how about we just scout out that area real quick and see what we're up against?" Haruhi suggested. "Then we'll double back to the church and hook up with Emiya. Sound good?"
"A reconnaissance mission... very well, Master," Artesia nodded in agreement.
"Let us make haste, though, before you and Master Ritsuka get converted to data," Gawain cautioned. "As well as Miss Mable here..."
"Oh, you're so noble to look after me, brave knight!" Mable swooned again.
"Alright, let's go," Ritsuka nodded, the group heading off...
*To be continued...*
