Sky Blade

by Writer of a Thousand Stories

A certain Nameless Servant gets a new chance at life due to the final actions of his meddlesome Master. You survived and thrived on the Moon, Servant Archer: can you do the same in the Sky?

3. Chapter 2: Leviathan

Disclaimer: I don't own neither the Fate franchise nor Granblue Fantasy. I just write fanfics based on those games.

---

Chapter 2: Leviathan

"Useless! Useless! Useless! Why are you so useless?!"

Those manning the airship's bridge and the soldiers stationed there did their best to ignore the spectacle currently playing in the center of the room, either by focusing completely on their task or looking in the completely opposite direction.

In any other case, the sight of a Harvin stomping down on the head of a kowtowing Human would have been hilarious due to the difference in height involved.

Any other case didn't have the Harvin being Furias, a general of the Erste Empire infamous for his short temper, utter callousness for any life that isn't his own and the willingness to kill anyone who displeases him, even his own soldiers.

"My most... sincere... apologies... General," Pommern drawled through gritted teeth, his right hand clenched around the stump where the left used to be. "There were... unforeseen... interferences."

"Do you know what I can do with your apologies? Nothing! That's what!" He raised his boot and stomped down on the captain's head once again, causing the man to grunt in pain as his already abused face violently met with the floor once again. Normally Furias took delight in causing pain to others, but right now he was too angry to care. "I trusted your words when you said you could retrieve your oh-so-important specimen directly from Mizarea, and gave you not one but four battle-class airships! And what do I get in return?"

Furias turned around and took a few steps before throwing his arms in the air. "Two airships sunk! While another was left in the city and the last one is completely gone! All of this in a matter of seconds! Never has Erste suffered such a humiliating defeat!"

He walked back to Pommern and stomped on his head again. "And all you can tell me is that there were unforeseen interferences?! Do you think I am an idiot? Do you Pommern?! Do I look like an idiot to you?!"

"A-Absolutely not! Never! General Furias, I swear that wasn't my intention!" Pommern tried to explain, only to freeze when he heard a rather sharp 'click'.

"I have half an idea to just shoot you and dump your body overboard," Furias sneered, a gun pointed straight at the captain's head. "You have five seconds to give me one good reason why I shouldn't, and it better be convincing."

"I can give you one right now. I want to hear what he has to say," A new, deep voice interjected.

Furias' features twisted into something even more ugly before he took hold of his emotions. Having recognized the voice, and knowing that the speaker was one of the few individuals he had to show a modicum of respect, the Harvin looked up and smiled condescendingly at the knight in black armor that just walked inside the bridge. "Oya oya? How surprising to see you here, Apollonia. Aren't you supposed to be busy with something else on the other side of Auguste?"

"I never gave you permission to use that name, Furias. Mind your place!" The Black Knight snarled. The soldiers present promptly did their best to wipe out that name from their minds, lest they accidentally blurt it out later and incur the imperial advisor's wrath.

"Woah! So scary!" Furias took a few steps back while waving his hands, the gun now hanging from his index by the trigger's ring.

"If you're truly interested in this waste of space-" He shot a short glare at the still kowtowing Pommern. "-It's all yours."

The Black Knight watched the odious midget walk back to his raised throne before addressing the captain. "Pommern, was it? Stand up."

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Pommern quickly pushed himself back on his feet while keeping his head down, not daring to meet the Black Knight's intimidating gaze. "I apologize for this unsightly appearance-"

"It matters not," The imperial advisor interrupted him. "You were trying to retrieve the Girl in Blue, correct?"

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"But you failed."

Pommern gulped. "...Yes."

The Black Knight hummed. "How?"

"I..." Pommern gulped again. "I don't know who or how, but all the battleships... were sniped right out of the sky."

Metal encased fingers clenched around the sword's hilt. "Tell me the full story. Now."

---

The day after the Empire's failed kidnapping, the crew of the Grandcypher, with the addition of Eugen and Archer, left Mizarea with the goal of finally finding the source of the sea's corruption and putting an end to it once and for all. The one-eyed agent was at the helm of the motorized boat, while the white-haired man was sitting at the bow, using his superior eyesight to check for approaching hostiles. The rest of the crew was sitting between them.

Archer spared the crew of skyfarers a brief glance, seeing that Lyria and Gran were still mumbling among themselves while giving him their own brief glances, before turning back to stare at Auguste's sea. He might as well cut to the chase.

"If you have something to tell me, you should do it now when you still have the chance," Archer glanced behind his back. "There is no telling what will await us at our destination."

The two teenagers released a small 'eep' of embarrassment. Really, if they wanted to be discreet they should have done so where he couldn't hear them.

"U-Uh! Mister Archer!" Quickly composing herself Lyria put her hands on her lap before bowing. "Thank you so much for saving me yesterday!"

"I also want to thank you for helping me rescue Lyria," Gran was the second one to bow.

'That was it?' Archer shrugged. "There is no need to thank me. I saw Erste soldiers taking civilians hostage and acted accordingly. It's not like I was trying to specifically save you."

"Even so, I am really grateful for what you did," The blue-haired girl insisted.

"Yeah, you were quite amazing!" Yuisis piped up. "One moment we were watching the airships and then! Wham! You were already on another building and running like the wind!"

"I agree with Yuisis here," Katalina added. "That was quite the impressive jump. Without even a running start, you cleared more than twenty meters in less than a second."

"What? Twenty meters?! That's crazy!" Vyrn yelped.

"It's nothing special," Archer replied without turning back. "I knew people that could do the same, or even better. I'm just average in that regard."

Average among Servants, that's it. But this being an alternate dimension where magic and mythical creatures were still common, it was quite possible the people of this world still had the chance to become Heroic Spirits on their own. Moreover, the man now known as Archer has never been the type to underestimate possible dangers.

"I'm wondering what kind of company you kept that you would consider a jump of twenty meters 'average'," Rackam waved his hand with an awkward smile. "Changing topic, anyone saw who, or what, fired at the Empire's airships?"

The others shook their heads.

"Not that I am not grateful. But you must admit it makes you wonder," Eugen grunted. "Oy Archer, you have the best eyes here. Did you know anything?"

"If you're asking me if I saw the origin of those attacks, then my answer is no," Technically true since to do so he would have needed a mirror. "Also, monsters incoming."

"Eh?" Io looked left and right. "Where?"

"Under the surface. A school of Jawfishes. We will reach them in thirty seconds," He turned around to look at the crew. "Do you want to take care of it? Jawfishes aren't very strong, so they're an ideal choice to get used to the way Auguste's monsters fight."

"Leave it to us!" Gran declared without hesitation while taking out his weapon, the others following his example. Archer had to give them credit, they quickly took a position as to cover each other's back.

"What do you mean, 'the way Auguste's monsters fight'? Monsters are monsters, right?" Vyrn asked.

"I assume Mister Archer is talking about how the local monsters dwell in the water, so we can't fight them like we do those on land," Katalina mused. "They'll probably pop out of the surface for quick attacks before swimming away, or aim at the bottom of the boat."

Eugen snickered. "Not quite Miss Katalina. Not quite. True, they do the latter with big ships-"

At that moment the water's surface broke in a dozen different points, the monsters jumping out of them. They had the form of large blue fishes, with spiky fins and large maws full of razor-sharp fangs. Reaching the jump's apex the Jawfishes, instead of falling down, began to wave their fins and move in the air as if they were still swimming in the water.

"But when they have people within their sight, they always choose a more 'personal' approach."

"What the?!" Vyrn gasped. "They're flying!? That's cheating!"

"I don't want to hear that from the flying lizard!" Io shot back.

"I AIN'T NO LIZARD!"

"Oh yes, that's absolutely shocking. Taking advantage of a natural ability to gain an edge in combat. Truly, it cannot be anything but cheating." Archer deadpanned.

"This is not the time for childish bickering!" Rackam took aim with his musket and shot an approaching Jawfish. The blow staggered the monster before a second one finished it off.

"Who're you calling a child?!" Io protested with indignation. She waved her staff, collecting magical energy, before swinging in an arc and firing an ice spike that impaled another Jawfish.

"Focus on the fight!" Katalina admonished sternly as she delivers a flurry of thrusts with her rapier. Gran and Yuisis weren't idle either. The two were focusing on the other side of the boat, delivering single but powerful slashes at each enemy that came within their range.

Archer looked at Lyria with a raised eyebrow. "Please tell this doesn't happen all the time."

"Ah... hahaha..." Lyria laughed awkwardly before her eyes widened. "Uwah! Mister Archer, look-"

Without even turning, the red-clad bowman traced a nameless blade and slashed behind him, bisecting the Jawfish that was trying to surprise him. "Yes?"

"-Out... oh, never mind."

"No need to worry about him, Little Miss! This guy is harder to surprise than an old hag," Eugen laughed before being interrupted by attacking Jawfish.

"Ack! Back off you!" Without missing a beat Eugen raised his rifle and shot point-blank the monster. His single eye then narrowed at a certain monster. "That's... a Swordshark? I don't think it's wise to let that guy get close to the boat."

"Understood," Standing up Archer looked forward until he sighted the monster in question, the fin and sword-like horn growing out of the snout giving its position away. With the nameless sword still in his right hand, he raised the other one. A sleek, black bow almost as tall as he appeared in his left hand. He then held the sword up to the bow and drew it back.

"Wait. Bow Guy, what are you doing?" Vyrn asked.

"What does it look like?" Archer barely needed to aim, the Swordshark was a ridiculously easy target. "I'm about to shoot a monster that could seriously damage the boat before it comes closer to it."

"But that's not an arrow! That's a sword!" He protested. "They're not the same thing!"

Archer released the string. Everyone could feel the shot as the air shifting, the two kilos of solid steel crossed hundreds of meters in little more than a second. The impact raised a column of water, the mangled body of the Swordshark hovering in the air for a moment before collapsing back into the water.

"For me, they are," Archer lowered the bow, a smug grin on his face.

"...Did he just shoot a sword from a bow?" Rackam's incredulous voice broke the ensuing silence.

"Uwah! I didn't know you can do that." Lyria looked very impressed.

"You cannot Lyria. It shouldn't be possible, but..." Katalina had a hard time coming in terms with what she just saw before blinked. "Wait. In the first place, where did they come from?"

"What do you think?" He asked back. He didn't have a real reason to hide his abilities, but he didn't need to freely share personal details either.

Her eyes narrowed as if to say 'challenge accepted'. "A concealment spell? No, in this small space someone would have noticed. Teleportation is too much..."

"He created them with magic," Io answered. "It was fast, but I noticed the build-up of magical energy. What kind of spell was that? I never heard of one which can conjure something as complex as a weapon."

"It's called Projection," Archer sit down and dismissed the bow, letting the crew observe the dissipating magical motes. "As its core, it's just the materialization of an object through a mental image of and magical energy. Where I come from its considered a useless spell that is good only for training your magical control. I only use it because it fits my fighting style."

That said, his version of Projection was very different from the one used by other mages. If all they could create were empty shells, then the individual known as Archer was the only one, as far as he could tell, whose Projections could replicate every characteristic of an object, creating copies that, while inferior to the original, were still the result of a ridiculous amount of time and resources sublimated into a process of a few seconds with a meager cost in magical energy.

"No spell is useless!" Io frowned as if personally offended by the statement. Before she could continue, Eugen spoke again.

"We've arrived," He pointed to the coastline ahead, where the entrance to a sea cave could be seen. "That's the only sea cave in the area large enough to house large-scale activities. If the source of pollution is here, we'll find it inside."

Reducing the boat's speed to a minimum, they slowly moved inside the cave's entrance, looking out for possible dangers.

"Ugh... The stench is getting worse," Vyrn complained, holding a paw over his nose.

"We must be getting close to the source of the pollution," Rackam observed.

"No kidding," For Archer, it was even worse, since he could also smell the residual magic from whatever process those wastes came from. He had enough control to not let it affect him, but it didn't make the stench any better.

"By the way Eugen..." Katalina suddenly asked. "You wouldn't happen to be aware of the local legends pertaining to primal beasts, would you?"

That got Archer's attention. Primal Beasts were the closest equivalent of this world to Phantasmal Beasts. Why would Katalina be interested in them?

"Local legends... Oh, like the one about how pieces of the Sky Map are protected by great primal beasts scattered across the Skydom?"

The Sky Map... he remembered coming across that term during his initial studies of this world's history. According to the stories spoken among Skyfarers, it was a comprehensive map of the Skydom left behind by the Astrals, capable of leading whomever owns it to wherever they wish without fail. It was literally the 'Holy Grail' of the Skyfarers.

"I already told you about Lord Leviathan. There are also legends about Grani, a divine horse that carried a famous hero into battle during the Astral War. Oh, and it isn't local but here on Auguste it's also famous the legend of a supposedly 'Ice Empress' living in the coldest regions of Phantagrande. Some believed she lived around those parts before migrating elsewhere when the climate became warmer."

"You sure seem knowledgeable about this, Eugen," Rackam pointed out. "Have you been here a while?"

"Idiot! I was born here on Auguste," Eugen laughed. "Everyone who lives here has heard the tales."

"Huh? But I heard you were raised by wolves in the wilderness!"

There was a sharp 'click' as Eugen chambered a round, his face a mask of stone. "Just you wait, Rackam. Once we clear out the Empire's filth, you're next."

"What did I do!?" The brown-haired, smoking helmsman protested in a panic.

"Reaping what you sow, I believe the saying goes," Answered Archer.

Seeing the tunnel was widening Archer scanned through the darkness with his enchanted eyesight. He immediately saw it. 'Jackpot.'

"Over here, everyone!" Io pointed! "There's some kind of huge... something!"

"What is that?"

That was a large military complex built on one side of the cave. There were mine rails going through tunnels dug in the wall, towers connected by large pipes and a barbed wire wall encircling the whole building. On the wall's bottom were present drainage channels that released small streams of purple, sticky liquid. It pooled on the cave floor, spilling into the water and staining it before the liquid, being heavier, fell on the bottom and disappeared from sight.

"The source of Erste's pollution, no mistake about it," Eugen moved the rifle's barrel away from Rackam, much to the latter's relief. "Archer. You seeing anything suspicious?"

"No, and that's what worries me," His eyes were darting back and forth. "It's too quiet. It's like the whole complex is abandoned, but that is either too convenient or a clear sign something's wrong."

"No shit," Eugen grimaced. Moving closer to the only entrance, the group jumped out of the boat and on the cave's floor. "The Empire started a war for this damn thing, I doubt they would be willing to just drop everything."

"This doesn't add up. And considering the lack of security..." Katalina looked around, using her experience as an ex-Erste Officer to see if she recognized something. "Is this a trap?"

"Almost certainly," Archer raised a hand towards the gate, intending to perform Structural Grasp on it. "The other possibility is that the Empire has already completed what they were working on here, which is even worse."

The sudden sound of mechanical gears and heavy stomping made him jump back, Kanshou and Bakuya forming in his hands. A moment later the gate was crushed from the inside, a three-meters tall robot stepping over the remains to confront the group. Its legs were tiny compared to its body, with the right arm being twice as big as the left one. Coming out of the top of its 'head' was a hybrid between an axe and a gear, bizarre but as sharp as the former. Instead of eyes, it had a single glass visor, which was glowing an ominous red.

"So something was guarding this place!" Io cried.

"Katalina! Yuisis! With me, we'll take the front!" Unsheathing his sword, Gran began to issues orders. "Rackam! Io! Protect Lyria and Vyrn! Mister Eugen! Mister Archer! Can you provide support?"

"Piece of cake!" Eugen grinned while he and Archer darted to the right side of the robot, while Rackam and Io did the same to the left side. "I'd say this guy's weak points are the legs. What do you think, Archer?"

"I agree. It may be strong enough to fight efficiently, but those disproportionate arm and legs make its balance fragile," He replied before dismissing the two falchions and switching to his bow. "I'll take the left one."

"The right one is mine then!" Coming to a stop Eugen took aim with his rifle and fired at the back of the right leg's knee. The blow hit just after the robot tried to deliver a devastating punch to the frontline attackers, only for them to dodge out of the way, making it slightly stumble.

Then Archer's sword-arrow punched straight through the left knee, followed by a second one doing the same with a tiny gap on the hips. Rackam's bullets and Io's ice spikes slammed into the robot's back, making it fall on its knees as it used its large right arm as support.

"Let's finish this!" Taking advantage of the moment of weakness Gran and Yuisis ran at the robot.

It raised its left hand, but it was stopped by Katalina stepping in front of the blow and creating a magical barrier. "Light Wall!"

"I'll finish this with my own two hands!" Yuisis shouted as she and Gran jumped in front of the robot's head and stabbed their swords through the red visor.

The robot lurched violently, steam escaping by the gaps in its armor, before falling silent, its whole body going slack.

"Yay! We won!" Io cheered.

"Uhm... Io? There are more," Lyria pointed to the destroyed gate, from which three more identical robots were coming from.

"Oh, come on!" The twin-tailed little mage loudly protested.

---

"Whew..." Io wiped the sweat from her forehead. "W-Was that the last of them? The enemies are all gone now, right?"

"Quit shaking in your little boots," Rackam looked around and nodded. Seem like they were in the clear. "We can handle anything that comes our way!"

"Y-Yeah, I guess you're right..."

"You've found yourself a tough little crew, Rackam. And Gran," Eugen addressed the young boy, who was having his wounds healed by Katalina. "For a spacy, unfocused upstart you're not bad. Better than I thought anyway."

"Ah, thanks," He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "But like you said, I've still got a long way to go."

"You've always so hard on yourself, Gran!" Vyrn waved a paw. "You can just accept it when people compliment you, y'know?"

"Have faith in yourself!" Yuisis winked. "A Boss needs to be humble but also confident, otherwise other families will look down on him."

"You don't believe me? Let's hear a second opinion then. Hey Archer!" Eugen called out to the red-clad bowman. "What do you think of Gran and his little crew?"

The white-haired man stood up from where he was checking one of the fallen robots and faced them, arms crossed and right eyebrow raised. "What do I think? Let's see... Miss Katalina is an excellent swordswoman, though that long cape is just asking for an enemy to grab it. And why do you need more than one belt for?"

The brown-haired woman slightly blushed, one hand clenching around the cape as she looked away. "But, it's fashionable..."

"Fashion has no place on the battlefield. Rackam is a likewise good, if inexperienced, gunslinger. But, as we have seen, his weapon lacks the power to damage heavily armored enemies."

"Can't really object there..." Rackam replied, aware of his own weaknesses.

"Io, your magic is strong but you need to learn how to use it while moving. A mage who standstill on the battlefield is just asking to be singled out."

"No need to worry," She puffed out her chest with pride. "If someone comes too close I'll just blast them away!"

"What about an enemy which is resistant to magic, or someone else with ranged attacks?"

"Guh!"

Archer closed his eyes, "I'll pass over commenting about Vyrn and Lyria since I haven't seen them doing anything-"

Both lizard and girl felt like a figurative arrow just stabbed them.

"So let's skip to the most glaring issues," He pointed a finger at Gran and Yuisis, palm facing upward, before snapping his fingers. "You, Gran. Before the one you have now, you used a lighter sword with a curved single-edged blade and a single-handed grip, correct?"

He blinked, the shock clear in his eyes. "Y-Yes, but how-"

"It's in the way you wield it. You got used to a different type of weapon, so you kept using the same movements without adapting first," He walked closer and pointed first to Almace and then to Gran's chest. "You need to use both edges and both hands while fighting. Furthermore, that armor is not appropriate. Since your new sword emphasizes power over speed it will slow you down, so you need a better one. The one you have is good for gun users like Rackam and beginners, but if you want to keep being a close-range fighter you need to protect your body. Why?"

He pointed to one of the destroyed robots, "One single punch of them would have been enough to kill you. Blocking or dodging, it doesn't matter how - never neglect to improve your ability to survive. There are no do-overs in death. Do you understand?"

The last words were delivered with a tone as cold as ice. No one felt like speaking, and all Gran could do was gulp before giving a shaky nod.

The tension suddenly melted as Archer nonchalantly shrugged and shook his head. "Let's hope so. Finally, we come to the issue."

Tilting his head, he glanced at Yuisis, "Simply put, you aren't using your weapon at its full potential."

Her eyes narrowed, "Big words, but can you back them up?"

"You calling me a con? I can and will, solid as a rock," Archer internally chuckled at the nostalgic feeling talking like that gave him. Ignoring Yuisis's visible surprise he pointed to her weapon. "Your sword can combine with your shield, but have you never noticed that when you block a blow with your shield it gains a slight luminescence that grows stronger with every following parried blow, but disappears after you combine it with the sword and then separate them?"

She blinked, opening and closing her mouth two times before finding some words to say as she looked down at the Relic of Ditoria. "I-I mean, yes? But, isn't it just something it, y'know, does?"

"Oh yes. It does," Archer smirked. "What it does, is storing energy from the deflected blows into itself and then releasing it when combined with the sword. With a fully charged effect, I assume it would more than double your strength."

He shook his head. "With weaker enemies, it's not necessary, but remember it if you ever face an enemy that seems invincible. It may save your life."

Yuisis' gaze snapped back up, boring into his own, "How...?"

Archer smirked again. "There is no one who knows as much about swords like me."

Without another word, Archer turned around and walked towards the gate.

"Oops, should have expected that..." Eugen muttered.

"Gosh! What's his problem?" Vyrn exclaimed with a frown. "There was no need to talk smack everyone!"

"I... cannot agree with you here, Vyrn," Katalina watched the bowman's back. "His words were harsh, yes, but not rude. And it was sound advice, though he could have put it a little better."

"That's just the kind of guy Archer is," Eugen rested his rifle on his shoulder. "He rarely gives compliments and his teachings are brutal but effective. And he never does or says something he knows you can't handle. Trust me, that's his way of showing he cares."

"That is how he shows he cares?!" Io was the very picture of disbelief. "I dread to know how he treats those he dislikes then."

"Mostly, with indifference," Archer's voice came from behind the gate, making Io, Vyrn, and Rackam jump. "Are you coming or not? We don't have all day."

Eugen grinned. "Have I mentioned he doesn't have just a good pair of eyes, but also one of ears too?"

---

Archer removed his hand from the console, switching his open Magic Circuit to a dormant state to let it rest. Even with a Servant's body and mana capacity, it was better to avoid putting too much stress on them unless absolutely necessary. It was a lesson learned with much blood and sweat.

"Alright, this should do it," Moving with confidence, his hands pushed a few buttons and pulled a lever. The machines inside the base gave a shudder before going to work, metal plates rising around the vats from which the pollution came from to seal them; something similar was happening inside the drainage channels, making sure nothing escaped them.

"Is it done?" Eugen asked.

"No," Archer projected a large hammer (something he saw the local Draph smiths using, they sure used amazing tools) and smashed the console into an unrecognizable lump of metal.

"Now, it's done. No one will be able to reactivate the base until you can send a specialized crew to safely dismantle it. An explosion would cause residual pollution to spill outside all at once."

"Yeah, that'd be bad news. Better to take it slow and safe," Rackam then whistled. "That was fast. Don't tell me, you also boast engineering among your numerous talents."

"Hardly," Archer replied, arms crossed and eyes closed. "Some functions and command placement are standards. If all you need is to turn everything off, everyone can do it."

That wasn't the whole truth, of course. He had used Structural Grasp on the console and while most of the science and magic involved were outside his understanding, he could tell which causes would result in certain effects. In this case, which commands to select to shut down the valves. It was a trick that served him well during his mercenary days, and now as well. Knowledge of Spirit Hacking also helped, though right now he could only use it to speed up his processing ability.

The door opened, letting Gran and the others inside.

"Found anything?" Eugen asked them.

Katalina shook her head. "Whatever they were doing, they packed everything up and left. I... think it was some sort of weapon development, but I am not sure."

"Tch! Whatever," Eugen frowned. "I couldn't care less about whatever the Empire made here. The pollution has stopped, and the ocean can finally return to normal."

"If it's a weapon, there is a chance they will test it during the war," Archer pointed out.

"I dare them! I'll make mincemeat of it. That'll teach them!" Eugen said with determination. "There is nothing left here for us to do, let's return to Mizarea."

As they were leaving the base, Yuisis used the opportunity to approach Archer. The bowman watched in mild curiosity as the Erune made sure the others were looking elsewhere before whispering. "The more I think about it, the more I'm sure. You're mafia too, right?"

Archer resisted the urge to sigh. "And what made you reach that theory?"

"The way you replied to my question. That's the way of one who is deeply involved with the business. You're clearly a fixer." She nodded with a grin, obviously proud of her conclusion. "It's obvious your gang would protect your turf if the Empire try to invade, those guys hold no rules and no respect. Is Mister Eugen the local Boss?"

Archer raised a finger to silence her. "You're wrong. I suppose there may be a mafia group in Auguste, but I have no idea who is part of it. Eugen and I are truly simple members of a normal militia."

Seeing she didn't look convinced, he decided to reveal part of the truth, if only to avoid possible troublesome misunderstandings. "When I was young, I lost my parents, and the local boss took care of me as a favor to my father. His granddaughter was my legal guardian. As such, I grew up among the other members. I was friends with them, but not part of the family business."

"Ah. Apologies, I overstepped my bounds," Yuisis gracefully accepted the explanation with a small bow.

"I thought if you were part of the local gang, that..." She trailed off before shaking her head. "No, nothing. Please forget it."

"No harm done," Whatever her thoughts were, it was no business of his. Although, did he want to know why a by-the-book yakuza woman was part of a skyfarer's crew?

No, he probably didn't.

---

"Boss! Archer! You returned just in time!" One of Eugen's men greeted them upon their return. "While patrolling we spotted a small group of imperial agents. They were obviously up to no good, so we followed them."

"You don't say? What did you find?"

"Sorry, at one point they discovered us and there was a battle. They got away, but we managed to capture one of them."

At that moment, the air is filled by a piercing scream, "Lemme go! I said let me go! An agent of the Empire will never talk!"

"You mind helping us with this one?" The man rolled up a sleeve, revealing a lot of bite marks. "She got three of us with those teeth of hers."

"Would you look at that... That's one gutsy prisoner!" Eugen guffawed.

"Wait, that voice..." Seemly shocked Katalina ran inside the mansion. The others followed after her.

In the middle of the hall, three adult men were struggling to restrain a slip of a girl that barely reached their chests. Roughly the same age as Gran, she had silver hair and eyes, wearing a full-body blue and copper armor. Sitting in an angle was a one-handed sword and shield, obviously her weapons.

"Farrah?! Farrah, is that you?"

"Woaah!" The girl, Farrah, shouted in happiness. "Miss Katalina, sir! Wow, what're the odds? They captured you too?"

"No, not exactly. My days with the Empire are-"

"No need to explain! The fact that you came to see me says it all. Oh, how inspiring!"

So Katalina was once part of Erste. Archer had an inkling after seeing her sword's history, but that confirmed it.

"Well, somebody's in high spirits," Rackam snickered. "You know this girl, Katalina?"

"Farrah enlisted when I was still an officer before I met Lyria," The knight explained.

Lyria seemed slightly displeased at the news. "Hm... So she has known you even longer than I have..."

"Good thing you two are friends. Imperial agents so close to the city are suspicious after the last incident, I'm hoping to get some answers from her."

"Never!" Farrah immediately replied to Eugen's words. "Never ever, ever! I won't say a peep!"

"Farrah..." Katalina tried to reason to her. "I know the current circumstances are strange, but can you tell me what your mission was?"

"I'm sorry Miss Katalina, sir! I can't reveal it, not even to you!"

"She's a tough nut to crack. Not even Katalina can get a word out of her," Rackam seemed more amused than disappointed.

"Miss Katalina taught me well," She boasted. "No matter what happens, a soldier of Erste never cracks!"

"You resolve is impressive Farrah." Katalina beamed in happiness. "You always were a fantastic student!"

"Heehee!" Farrah giggled, clearly pleased by the praise.

"Normally, I would give the girl respect for not turning snitch, but what she knows could be useful..." Yuisis took out her sword and looked at the blade. "Maybe she'll sing if we rough her fierce?"

"Uwah?!" Farrah's eyes widened in fright.

Archer, seeing the chance for a small psychological gambit, shot Eugen a quick knowing glance before shaking his head. "I don't think it will work. Clearly, the girl has a will of steel that cannot be broken."

"That's right!" She nodded, internally sighing in relief.

"Let's just tie up and toss her in the sea. Problem solved, and one less soldier for Erste."

"Iieh?!"

"Might as well," Eugen grinned. "I just heard of an approaching pack of monsters. She'll make for both a great bait and distraction as we line a killing shot."

"Monsters! Inhuman!" Farrah screamed in fright, legs moving back and forth wildly as the men holding her had to lift her body up in the air. "Miss Katalinaaaaa! Help meeee!"

"I think they're just pretending to make her talk," Gran whispered to a worried Lyria. "Play along."

"Oh, for the love of... Step aside!" Ruffling his hair in exasperation Rackam approached the panicking Farrah with a friendly smile. "Don't worry miss, nobody here is going to use you as bait."

Seeing the distrustful look she was giving him the helmsman just carried on. "You're right. Following the rules laid down by your elders is important and shouldn't be punished."

"Course it is! I respect Miss Katalina as much as I respect my parents!" She hotly declared.

Rackam then lowered his voice. "Things are a little different now though. Katalina's in trouble. Don't you want to help her?"

"Oh?! So... So she wants me to talk? Would that make me a good soldier?"

"That's right!" Rackam assumed a pompous tone. "You just have to ask yourself... What's most important to you?"

"Lieutenant Katalina!" She immediately replied by instinct.

"What's the most important quality of a soldier?"

"Loyalty to one's superiors and country!"

"And what is the goal of today's mission?"

"Making sure the operation on Tzannis Plateau goes smoothly!" She said, before blanching in realization a few seconds later.

"All right! Good work!" Rackam clapped his hands. "Hear that, Eugen?"

"Wait a second! I want that struck from the record!" She pleaded.

"Tzannis Plateau, huh? Wonder what kind of operation they're doing there. Well, we can head there after resting a little."

Seeing that everything had been sorted out Archer made to leave, intending to look over the Plateau's maps.

"Uhm, Mister Archer?" Only to stop when Gran called out to him. Turning around Archer watched as the brown-haired boy rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "When you said I needed a better armor... do you mind helping me choose one? Since you seem to be an expert..."

Archer kept looking at him, his expression unchanged, for a few seconds before finally saying, "... It's not like I have anything better to do. Follow me."

---

"Welcome to the Knickknack Shack!" Sierokarte cheerfully greeted Archer and the others before her eyes lit up. "Ooh, it's you guys!"

"Miss Siero? Nice to see you again," Gran greeted back. "Weren't you working in Valtz?"

"Where there is a Knickknack Shack shop and clients in need, Sierokarte is there!" She giggled. "So, how can I help you today?"

After hearing Gran's request for new armor, Siero led them to a room on the upper floor, where numerous manikins in different clothes were arrayed on opposing sides. "This is our current selection. Look as much as you like."

While Gran, Lyria and Vyrn observed the various armors with curiosity Archer walked briskly among them, only stopping once in front of one armor themed after a dragon before shaking his head and moving past it, silently muttering 'spears'.

Reaching the end of the exposition, he turned around and walked back to the group. "As far I can tell you have three choices, depending on your preferences."

First, he pointed to a red leather coat, with a matching feathered hat and knee-high brown boots. "This is made for those who mix magic with physical combat, mostly geared towards supporting allies and hindering enemies. I assume you don't know magic?"

"Ah, no I don't," Gran shook his hand. "There wasn't a magic teacher on my home island, though Io said she's willing to give me a few lessons..."

"Until then, forget about this set," Archer informed him with finality. Stepping to the side, he pointed to a lightweight set of armor with a red breastplate, pauldrons shaped like dragon's claws and a fur collar. "This is similar to what you already have but better. With decent defense, it allows you to move fast and hit just as hard. It's made from monsters' parts, so it's reliable."

"I see you know your stuff!" Siero observed with a grin. "Let me guess, the final one you recommend for our Gran is... this, right?" She finished, pointing to the third set of armor.

"Correct," It was a heavy set of armor with a large rectangular shield that could be worn on the back with the aid of straps. "Speed takes a hit, but defense is drastically increased. It's sturdy enough to withstand even a blow from a high-class monster, and the shield's width allows you to cover more than one ally."

Finished with his explanation, Archer crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Those are your choices if you want to keep using a sword. The other armors? They're made to support the use of different weapons. So really, it's entirely your choice what to do. Improving what you already know, or trying your hand at something new. You're young enough that things aren't set in stone yet."

"What do you think, Gran?" Vyrn flew closer to the second set of armor listed by Archer. "I like this one. It's red, and it resembles a dragon. We would make a great pair!"

"Uhm, this is similar to what Katalina uses," Io added, looking at the third set. "Being able to protect yourself and others better sound good, but it does look heavy."

"Can I?" Receiving a nod from Sierokarte Gran tried to lift the heavy armor's shield. He succeeded, but- "It's taking me everything just to lift this. No way I can move while also wearing the armor."

He huffed after putting down the shield with a loud 'thud'. "Maybe If I train enough I could, but until then if there is an emergency I would be a sitting duck. Sorry Lyria, I'll take the other set."

"It's okay. The important thing is that it's useful to you, Gran," She replied with a smile.

Archer gave a nod. 'A good choice. Green, but not foolish.'

"Yes! Thank you for doing business with the Knickknack Shack shop!" Siero smiled brightly before taking out a measuring tape. "Alright Gran, please take off your clothes!"

"Eeeeh?!" The two teenagers and one flying lizard shouted in surprise, their cheeks red.

"She needs your measures to adjust the armor," Archer explained with a scoff and a grin. "Why, did you think it would fit you right from the start? The craftsman didn't make it with you in mind, just someone with roughly the same height."

"Upupupu~" The Harvin laughed. "Don't worry. When it comes to a customer, I am always Siero-us!"

---

"No way! Hahahaha!" Rackam guffawed after hearing the story. "That's hilarious!"

"It was not..." Mumbling Gran pushed down the headdress of his new armor, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Taking measures to adjust armor to a new user is a perfectly normal procedure. There is nothing to be embarrassed about," Katalina calmly explained, missing the point.

After Gran's little 'misadventure' he and the others have rushed toward the Tzannis Plateau, where Farrah said the Empire was having some sort of operation. Situated on the eastern side of Auguste the plateau offered a sweeping view of the archipelago. Tiny streams winded their way across the land until they spill into the ocean.

"Wow! Amazing! Look at all that blue over there!" Io cheered. "No matter how you look at it, the Auguste Sea is beautiful!"

"This isn't some field trip, Io..." Vyrn said. "You want me to take away your snacks?"

"Shut up, lizard!" She snapped in irritation. "Mind your own business!"

"Who're you calling a lizard? Do I look like a lizard to you? Help me out there, Gran!"

"Io, Vyrn is not a lizard," The brown-haired boy told the twin-tailed mage with a calm tone.

"I know, right?" Vyrn grinned while crossing his paws. "See, Io? I knew Gran would be on my side."

"Play nice, you two," Katalina gently scolded them. "Rackam, are you seeing anything out of the ordinary so far?"

"Not yet," He grumbled. "You don't think Farrah might have been lying, do you?"

"Considering it was you who made her talk..." Archer commented while looking around. "Nothing so far. If the Imperials are here they're north-east, past the swamps and the forest. It's the only place on the Plateau that I cannot see from here."

"You can see that far?!"

The white-haired man snorted, "I'm not called Archer just for show."

As they began to move in the direction he pointed out Archer's keen hearing caught on a hushed conversation between Gran and Lyria.

"Gran... Something's wrong... We traveled all this way, but I can't sense any change in Leviathan."

His expression didn't change, but inwardly his mind was at work. 'Now, why would she talk about Auguste's most famous Primal Beast, revered as a god even, as if she had met it?'

"What do you mean?" Gran asked.

"It's almost as if Leviathan is enveloping all of Auguste..."

'Considering its namesake from my world, either it's big enough to occupy the whole sea - though if it was someone would have seen it by now - or the whole island is its territory. The last one is more likely, but that begs the question. Who is Lyria, to be able to sense Primal Beasts?'

There were a lot of mysteries surrounding this specific crew, Archer realized. Normally, it would be none of his business.

Yet, wasn't it just recently that he thought there was more he could do besides helping around Auguste?

---

"Well, well, well. It seems the little miss was telling the truth after all." Eugen commented while observing the distant column of men marching through the plateau. They crossed the forest while dispatching the local monsters, and arrived at the top of a slope just in time to catch the troops' sight.

"Those banners... Only soldiers of the Empire would fly them." Katalina muttered.

"What do we have here?" Rackam squinted his eyes before gasping. "Woah! Looks like we got some tough customers on our hands."

Archer could see two figures of interest among the more generic Erste soldiers. The first was a bespectacled blond Harvin with the insignia of a general and, though mostly irrelevant, unnecessarily high heels. The only thing of note, besides his rank, were the vials full of colored liquids on his belt. He should be wary of them if it came down to a fight.

The second figure was definitely more interesting. A knight garbed head to toes in pitch-black armor with golden linings, of a quality high enough that it could resist even a blow from a low-ranked Noble Phantasm, and on its-

Blutgang.

Fathomless loyalty calls out to darkness, and its adamant vow bites deep. All alone, the knight protects her, almost possessed with tenacity. She swings her sword for Her Highness, and only for her.

-her waist was a sword he pleasantly welcomed inside his archive. He never had the chance to acquire the Blutgang from Earth, due to the sword breaking against the helmet Hildegrimur in the myth, but this one was an adequate replacement.

Its history also confirmed to him that there were people in this world with skills and abilities comparable to Servants. That black knight would make for a great Saber or a decent Berserker.

"Hey, guys," Rackam motioned to the rest of his crew. "Look over there."

"Ah? Gran, isn't that the Black Knight whom we saw back in Valtz?" Lyria exclaimed.

"Yes," He nodded. "It's him."

Another female knight mistaken for male? Oh, the irony.

"What are you mumbling about?" Eugen asked. "Talk so people can hear you! Yer not gonna leave an old man in the dark, are you?"

"Would you cut it out?" Io pouted. "We're run into one of the soldiers over there before. We met the Black Knight in Valtz..."

"A Black Knight... with the empire?" Eugen looked shocked at the news. He grimaced and ran down the slope, moving towards the head of the column.

"Woah! Hold on, Eugen! Stay with the group!" Rackam shouted after him. Archer ignored the helmsman's advice and followed after Eugen, easily catching up with him.

"I assume there is a good reason for this?" He asked him with a calm, unperturbed tone.

"Sorry Archer. I can't explain it now, but..." Eugen's grimace deepened. "That Black Knight and I, we have a history."

"None of my business then. Understood," Archer simply nodded. "I will simply save your ass if you end up doing something foolish."

"Eh! I believe I may end taking up on your offer sooner than expected," Eugen grinned.

"Halt!" A soldier commanded. "This area is under the control of the Erste Empire! Civilians are-"

It was as far as he went before Eugen's shot took him down.

Projecting Kanshou and Bakuya, Archer blurred forward and swept through the other soldiers, until it was him, Eugen and the two imperial officers in the middle of a ring of downed opponents.

"Yo. Fancy meeting you here," Eugen flippantly greeted the Black Knight while resting the rifle on his shoulder. "You seem to be doing quite well for yourself."

"You!" The knight spat, her voice deep enough that Archer could see how she could be mistaken for a man. "Hard to believe you're still alive, you miserable old man. Those islands are as unpleasant as ever, filled with faces I hoped to never see again..."

For a moment Archer could feel her gaze boring into him, though it was mostly wariness at an unknown.

"Oh, come on! Don't be like that. Think of everything we've been through..."

"Yayaya! Mh? What is the meaning of this, Apollonia?" The Harvin asked, his voice obnoxious and condescending. "And who is this raggedy old man?"

"Mind your place, Furias! This is the second time I need to warn you." The Black Knight spat. "If you blurt out that name again, you'll be breathing through your neck."

Furias seemed hardly fazed by the death threat. "Simply terrifying... Why not try to have a little fun for a change? Even if you are an imperial advisor..."

"You tactless vermin... I'll be sure to mention your attitude when I report how you allowed the enemy to reach us unimpeded."

"Eugen! Archer! You okay?" Rackam asked as he and the others finally reached them.

"C'mon, why did you have to leave us behind?" Io complained.

"You!" Katalina's eyes widened at the sight of Furias. "You were in Port Breeze!"

"What have we here? You're still alive?" Furias laughed. "I suppose it's always a challenge to exterminate such tiny little insects..."

"Boss, who is this guy?" A frowning Yuises asked Gran. "He's giving me a bad feeling..."

"That guy... He experimented on Tiamat, the Primal Beast of Port Breeze, and even tried to use her to destroy the whole island."

Archer's assessment of the Harvin went from 'annoyance' to 'warmonger with too much power'.

"What are you lot doing in Auguste?" The Black Knight tilted her head. "Oh, I know... The Archduke must be behind this. Furias! I'll leave this to you... I trust you understand what you need to do."

"Ever the worrier... But I know I'm not supposed to kill them. Leave it to me!" His smile was downright nasty. "There's nothing I love more than playing with my prey! Funny thing though... Your names seem to have slipped my mind."

"Sorry, but I don't share my name with imperial scum." Rackam snidely remarked.

Furias' smile instantly changed into a sneer. "Zip it, scruffy. No one asked you!"

"What's wrong with this guy?" Io looked awkwardly. "He's the one who brought up our names in the first place..."

"Gran, I knew there was something off about him," Lyria whispered, her hands clenching around the hem of her dress. "The power I feel, it almost reminds me of a Primal's..."

"Blah, blah, blah... Don't flatter yourself by thinking I cared about your names in the first place!" Archer added 'unstable' to his assessment of Furias. "Just be good little snacks! C'mere, Poochie!"

At the call something large began to move forward from the back of the column, the soldiers hastily moving out of the way. When it came into view the group could see it was a massive, bipedal saurian monster, with skin covered in orange crystals and a maw that opened all the way to the bottom of its long neck.

"That's Poochie?!" Io screamed in disbelief.

"Of all the low down, dirty... Everyone, keep your guard up!" Vyrn shouted.

The monster raised its narrow head and roared to the heavens.

Kanshou and Bakuya spin through the air and embedded themselves into the monster's neck. The beast's body convulsed before falling on the ground, where it died slowly choking on its own blood.

"What?" Archer answered when everyone stared at him in shock. "It was the perfect opening. I just took it."

"Poochie...?" Furias whispered before snarling in rage. "Useless beast! Gah! Forget about it! Kill them! Kill them all!"

While the Erste soldiers surged forward to engage the group of Skyfarers, the Black Knight, instead of calling out to Furias on his breaking of orders, pushed by idle curiosity to approach the monster's body.

Grabbing the hilts of the two falchions she yanked them out. She observed them for a moment, marveling at both the beautiful craftsmanship and the apparent ease with which they pierced the monster's hide, before blinking in shock when they dissolved into motes of light. "What?"

"Did they not teach you to ask for permission before touching what belongs to someone else?" Whirling about she came face to face with a grinning Archer, the twin blades back into his hands.

"You..." Her hand rested on the hilt of Blutgang but didn't move to take it out. "You're different from the rest of the rabble. Who are you?"

He shrugged. "Just a nameless archer." He glanced behind his shoulders. "I think I should say something now... Nah, don't feel like it. Goodbye, Apollonia Vaar."

By the time Apollonia took out her sword to attack him, he was already gone, his twin swords a blur as he cut a path back to the rest of the crew.

"That miserable old man... Of course, the company he keeps around would be just as irritating." She snarled, the sword sliding back into the sheath with a 'click.'

---

Kanshou cleaved first through the descending sword -steel, mass-produced, reliable but unremarkable- and then the soldier's shoulder. The man hissed at the feeling of metal biting into his flesh before the falchion's pommel crushed part of his helmet, incapacitating him, and immediately moved forward to parry a spear's thrust, Bakuya coming up to cut through the wooden shaft. Archer took two steps forward before kicking the spearman in the stomach, the force pushing him into the men behind and bowling them over. It gave him the opportunity to spin around and jump above the hail of fireballs coming his way. He tossed both falchions while in midair, the twin blades spinning around each other as they slashed through both the attacking mages. Archer ran at them, his fists punching their heads and knocking them out. He hadn't the chance to test if he still had his Magic Resistance and if it worked against the magic of this world, but a battlefield wasn't the right place to do that.

"Aaah!" Gran shouted at the top of his lungs, raising his sword high before slashing down with all his strength. The heavy blow made the imperial soldier reel back. His partner tried to swing at the still recovering Gran, but his blade was blocked by Yuisis' shield, followed by the Erune's sword slashing through his breastplate.

"Guh! You damn traitor!" The armored man shouted, stepping back with one hand over his bleeding side.

"You may call me a traitor as much as you like," Katalina stated with a hard tone before drawing a circle with the tip of her rapier, large blades made of ice forming around the path. "However, you will not harm those I swore to protect! Blades of Frost!" The blades flew and stabbed through the enemy ranks, sending them into disarray.

"There are too many enemies!" Rackam was shooting everywhere without considering his bullets, a gun in both hands. "For my tastes! Io!"

"On it!" The young mage gathered magic at the bottom of her staff before driving it into the ground.

"Freeze!" Ice spikes formed around the crew, driving back the attackers and forming a wall. "Now! Let's get out of here!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" They all began to retreat towards the forest while the Erste soldiers were still busy going through the ice wall.

"Ah!" A Draph with an enormous mace crushed the ice wall and stepped through. "This cannot stop me!"

"Die Antikenkanone!" Eugen's supercharged shot exploded right in the center of the Draph's chest, sending him flying away. "But this one apparently can!" He shouted before turning around and escaping, laughing all the while.

"By the stars! Eugen, what kind of rounds do you use?!" Rackam asked while they darted through the trees.

"Oh, you know how it is." He rolled his shoulder. "A little bit of this, a little bit of that..."

"And a special order to the Knickknack Shack. They use those rounds to fend off wild Primal Beasts on another island." Archer added drily.

"What he said. This reminds me, I've almost finished them..."

Archer resisted the urge to snort. He traced one bullet and tossed it to Eugen, who caught and put it into his pocket. "One now. The rest when I don't need to conserve magical energy in case of an emergency."

"Gahaha! Gotcha!" The one-eyed man grinned.

"He's running you ragged, huh?" Rackam muttered with a sympathetic look. Archer rolled his eyes.

---

"Sorry about that," Eugen began after they found a good hiding spot. "I'm way too old to be this hotheaded."

"Don't worry about it. What I'm wondering is..." Katalina began. "Do you share some connection with the Black Knight?"

"You sure looked like you knew each other," Io commented. "Did you do something with the Empire too?"

Rackam still looked a bit miffed by the whole episode. "Well, Eugen?"

"...Sorry. I have a lot of things I'm just not ready to talk about," He replied with a sad look before switching to curious. "I'm more interested in hearing what you and yer group have to do with the Black Knight, Gran."

The brown-haired boy looked at the rest of his crew. After some sort of silent conversation, he began to explain. "It all started on my home island, Zinkenstill..."

Archer's eyebrows progressively rose with each new revelation, from the girl, Lyria, being able to summon and command Primal Beasts despite, supposedly, being not an Astral herself to the people in front of him fighting head-on two Primal Beasts and living to tell the tale.

It explained a lot of things. Rather, it explained almost everything. From why the Empire was after Lyria to how they developed a technology to control minor primal beasts, the so-called high-ranked monsters.

"I see. The Empire wanted to exploit Lyria's power, so they captured her..." Eugen summarized at the end.

"H-Heh..." Under Eugen's gaze, Lyria smiled in embarrassment.

"No need to be scared now. I'm not going to bite," The old agent reassured her.

"Yeesh... You could try looking a little more surprised, old man," Rackam said while he lit a new cigarette.

"I've lived far too long to waste time with that nonsense, thank you very much," He laughed. "A little girl with a big appetite's nothing I haven't seen before."

"She can absorb the power of primal crystals, and you're passing it off as a big appetite?" Katalina muttered with an awkward tone. "I don't know what to say..."

"Let's call it with its proper name, controlling weapons of mass destruction." Archer's harsh words, delivered with a casual tone, cut through the mood like one of his blades. "Because that's what it is in the end. Maybe the Primal Beasts you met only wanted to keep sleeping and didn't want to fight, and that's a good thing, but it's also true they didn't have a choice when forced to do so. Don't forget that it was thanks to them that the Astrals once ruled the entire sky. And now, not only is there someone else with the power do so but the Empire managed to partially replicate said power."

With every word Lyria seemed to curl in on herself, guilt and fear welling up inside her.

"That's enough!" Katalina exploded, scowling fiercely at Archer while standing protectively in front of Lyria.

Gran was doing the same by her side. "It isn't Lyria's fault!"

"I never said it was. I'm just stating facts," The white-haired man just scoffed. "You saw first-hand the lengths Erste is willing to go to retrieve Lyria, and it's probable they will only escalate from now on. And even it if stops... how long before someone else tries to do the same?"

He turned around and crossed his arms behind his back, "Power begets power. It is never a sin to just possess the potential for something, only how you use it, but those with it have a duty to consider the effects their actions, or merely their existence, have on the whole world."

Then he spoke the words he prepared the terrain for.

"If you think running to the end of the sky will solve all of your problems, you're up for a rude awakening."

He said so not out of malice, or a desire to belittle their resolution. But to the person known as Archer, there was nothing he disliked more than 'Immaturity'.

"Then I'll stop them," Gran's voice came clean and strong, with no single trace of hesitation in it.

Archer didn't turn around. "How?"

"I'll talk with them, and bargain if they're reasonable. If they're not I'll avoid them, and if they insist I'll beat them until they desist."

"Even if you were to fight against the entire world?"

"...Even then, I'll fight. I won't just abandon Lyria, I'll keep helping her until I'm satisfied."

Those words... did he hear them before?

No, they weren't the same. But they might as well be.

He slowly turned around until he stared back into Gran's eyes. The brown-haired boy was standing up straight, his entire body containing nothing but unwavering resolve.

"What do you even intend to do once you reach the end of the sky anyway? Estalucia is a just a myth at worst, the ruins of a once-great civilization at best."

"My father is there," Gran smiled. "He has found Estalucia, and now he's waiting for me there. To become a Skyfarer and journey to the end of the sky, just like my father, is my dream!"

"Let me take on your dream. I'll make it come true."

Hasn't he decided to leave everything behind? To think he would get nostalgic. "I really have the worst luck."

"Er... What?" Gran asked in confusion, caught by surprise by the dry, sardonic smile that had replaced the older man's carefully neutral look.

"Just an old memory. Gran, was it? You and your friends are really more trouble than I thought." He looked in the direction where they met the Imperial troops. "Speaking of troubles, what do we do with what we discovered today?"

"There are too many of them for us to deal with. We need to inform Auguste's main army, no buts about it." Eugen spoke.

"Right. I'm going ahead since I'm faster. Try to stay out of sight until reinforcements arrive."

"Wait, Arc-" Before Eugen could finish Archer was already far away, the distance increasing enormously with every passing second. "...He's doing this on purpose, isn't he?"

"Such speed! He, he is truly..." Katalina muttered in amazement.

"What... What in the sky was that for?!" Io (figuratively) exploded. "Saying all that, and then running away without even explaining!"

"He was trying to help us," Lyria suddenly said.

Io looked in confusion at the blue-haired girl. "Eh? Haven't you heard the things he said?"

"They were true, weren't they?" Despite looking still distraught, most of Lyria's expression was dominated by a small smile brought by Gran's words. "Just ignoring a problem wouldn't make it go away. If we do, we may regret it. I... I can't explain why, but I can feel it. Mister Archer, deep down, is truly a good person."

---

From his vantage point, the red bowman surveyed the whole Tzannis Plateau and the two armies gathering there. After alerting the Auguste military of Erste's presence on the Plateau he didn't return to Eugen and the others but sought out an ideal place to perform the specialty of his Class: long-distance sniping.

Granted, the requirements to be an Archer in the Moon Cell's Holy Grail War were somewhat loose and he himself was not a very good example, but there were few Heroic Spirits that were as good as him with a bow.

A quick search revealed Eugen and the others were behind the allied lines, busy... eating? Well, it was wise to recover spent energy before its lack could be a hindrance. They were safe, and that was one less problem to worry about.

Now, it was time to make sure this battle would be over with the least amount possible of causalities.

Normal arrows, their tips stabbed into the earth, began to appear all around him, ready to be picked up and shot at any given time. While swords caused more damage, it was a style too distinctive. In this case, it was better for the enemy to believe he was just one of the normal archers serving the Auguste Army. Picking up one arrow he held it up to his bow and drew back the bowstring.

With his enhanced eyesight he swept through the Erste troops until he found a captain giving out orders. A small application of Alteration changed the arrowhead to a squared metal spike, ideal to pierce armor, and another of Reinforcement increased the 'piercing' attribute.

He let go of the string.

The arrow covered two kilometers in a few seconds before stabbing through the helmet and into the captain's temple, killing him instantly. Archer waited a few moments to see if someone among those present had enough authority to calm the panicking soldiers. Seeing none, he searched for another target, his hands already pulling back a new arrow.

It was a job without glory. It was perfect for him, who never sought glory nor recognition. He left those to the soldiers fighting on the frontlines, who were performing quite admirably even. Erste had the technological advantage, but terrain knowledge and the desire to protect your own home were powerful compensating forces.

The battle had been going for a while when Archer noticed Eugen's group retreating even further away from the battlefield. Were they having trouble with monsters again? ...Yes, he could see a weak pack coming ahead of them, but also a group of imperial soldiers following from behind. It didn't take a genius to guess their objective.

"Seriously," He scoffed, stabbing back into the ground the arrow he was previously going to shoot and aiming his bow in another direction. In his now free hand, a new type of arrow appeared one of several Mystic Codes he had made by an expert for when he needed a special effect without having to Trace a Noble Phantasm.

He aimed at the back of the imperial group and shot. Upon hitting its target, the arrow exploded, releasing a paralyzing chemical that leaves those affected unable to move for a few hours. Some of their comrades will be forced to stay behind to bring them to safety, thus further reducing the pressure on Eugen and the others.

Or so he thought until he spotted many other groups of imperial soldiers converging in the crew's direction. And they even had tamed monsters with them.

"Is Erste really prioritizing capturing Lyria above winning the battle?" He wondered aloud before chuckling. "Well then, thanks for making things easier for me then."

After all, protecting a single person is easier than protecting the many.

---

"Hm? What do we have here?" Furias laughed after he and his soldiers surrounded Gran and the others. "Are you trapped? You are, aren't you? Someone do something interesting before I die of boredom!"

Eugen narrowed his eyes. "If yer feeling bored, why don't you take us on yourself?"

"Staining my hands? Gross." The blond Harvin made a disgusted face. "Besides, this place is already finished."

"What do you mean... finished?" Lyria asked, a feeling of dread slowly creeping up her back.

"You'll see soon enough! You ruined our research lab! Oh yes, you did!" Furias sneered. "But too bad! The weapon that was developed there... is already finished. And it's on my beautiful battleship."

"Say what?"

"Oh, I would just looove the chance to show it to you... Even if it would be a waste to use it on cornered rats." Furias' grin was positively sadistic. "It's not like you can escape. Mh? Now that I think about it, aren't you guys down a member? What, did they run away after seeing how hopeless you are?" He laughed again.

"Damn, I don't want to agree with him but he's not wrong," Rackam frowned. "Oi, Eugen. Where's Archer? We can use a helping hand here!"

"Yer a fool." Eugen declared, no one knowing if those words were directed to Rackam, Furias or both. The old agent's tone was even, and his posture relaxed.

"...What was that?" Furias demanded.

"That guy likes to downplay his own accomplishments, but I fought by his side for months and I know how dependable he can be." Eugen grinned. "Archer. His name isn't just for show; you know?"

"The hell does that even mean, you old fool?!" Furias spat.

The Black Knight, who was just observing the events, suddenly looked up. Her eyes widened under the helmet.

"It means-" Eugen slowly raised a hand before suddenly thrusting a finger to the heavens. "Watch the sky."

"TAKE COVER!" The Black Knight screamed, unsheathing her sword with one hand and grabbing onto Furias with the other.

To those watching in the right direction, a large area of the sky above was suddenly littered with red dots before they closed in to reveal a shower of arrows traveling at breakneck speed. The projectiles rained on the imperial troops in a restless onslaught, armors, and shields offering only temporary protection before being overwhelmed. The only one left unscathed was the Black Knight, whose sword was a blur as it deflected all arrows directed her way, and Furias, who screamed in outrage as he was tossed back and forth in the knight's grip.

"Is... Is this Mister Archer's doing?" Gran exclaimed, awestruck.

"'Course it is," Eugen dropped his hand, a large grin on his lips.

"Where is he firing from!?" Rackam looked around. "I can't spot him!"

"Eh, probably one or two kilometers in... whatever direction I suppose."

"One or two kilometers!? Most bows only have a range of four, five hundred meters at most!" Katalina declared in shock.

"I take back all the bad things I thought about him," Vyrn gulped. "I truly do."

"ADVERSA! SOMEONE ACTIVATE ADVERSA! ERASE THIS UNSIGHTLY ISLAND!" Furias was screaming when the rain of arrows stopped. Already regretting helping the vile midget the Black Knight unceremoniously dropped him. Furias landed face first in the sand before immediately pushing himself up.

"Didn't you hear me!?" He spat out the sand that entered his mouth. "Why aren't you moving!?"

"No... This can't be happening..." Lyria muttered the feeling of dread had not subsided at all in the meantime. And now she knew the cause.

"No need to feel sorry for those punks," Yuisis reassured her. "Whatever this weapon of their is, I'm sure it's nothing to-"

"No! I mean the Imperials!" The blue-haired girl interrupted her. "They're being swallowed up!"

"Sir!" A soldier came running from where the battle between Auguste and Erste was still being fought. He paused for a moment at the sight of his comrades being utterly defeated before his sense of duty spurred him on. "General Furias! I have orders from-!"

He barely managed to dodge the gunshot from Furias.

"Are you deaf?!" Furias loaded another bullet. "I said ACTIVATE ADVERSA!"

"B-But Sir!" The soldier tried to reason with the deranged Harvin. "We've been given the order to retreat! More than half the airships we're anchored have been swallowed up by the sea!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Furias blanched. "Dammit! My beautiful battleship!" Without even waiting for the others he began to ran away.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but we're got a chance now!" Rackam suggested.

"Agreed." Katalina nodded. "Gran, let's take advantage of the confusion to escape!"

The Black Knight made no move to stop them.

"It's time." She muttered before turning around and leaving.

Archer didn't lower his bow even after confirming Eugen and the others were safe. He too saw the imperial airships being swallowed by the sea, and it was setting off all of his alarm senses.

It was at that moment that an overwhelming magical scent hit his nose. It brought to mind the sea, the murky depths, and an all-consuming feeling...

...of hunger.

Somewhere between the Tzannis Plateau and Mizarea, a large portion of the sea rose up in a gargantuan water column that seemed to brush against the sky canopy. When the water collapsed it revealed what was concealed within.

A long, sinuous body that even while partially submerged was already as tall as a mountain. Blue scales, with shades of red and purple, created a natural armor that no normal weapon could even hope to scratch. Four great wing-like fins flapped in a frenzy, the air movement alone creating powerful gusts of wind and high waves. Its maw was large enough to swallow whole buildings, while a ring of water spun fast around it.

That wasn't a Phantasmal Beast. That was a Divine Beast.

"Leviathan..." Archer muttered in awe and disbelief, suddenly glad he has been born in a time when such creatures had withdrawn from the world. It was a different feeling than facing Saver. While the first spoke of a sense of inevitability, of defiance being futile, Leviathan's aura was simply so powerful you couldn't help but compare it to a natural disaster, something that could only be endured and, with enough luck, survived.

Any hope the Primal Beast was there to help was squashed when Leviathan roared angrily, followed by the smaller islands and beaches around it being swallowed by the sea. When swarms of monsters began to gather around the great serpent Archer swore under his breath, "Damn it, Eugen! I know you always say Leviathan protects Auguste... but right now, that thing is a danger to everyone!"

All the arrows he projected beforehand disappeared. They were useless anyway. Holding no certainty but the need to do something Archer opened all of his Magic Circuits.

"Trace, on!"

A sword formed in his right hand. It was a pitch-black weapon, with a few small edges coiling around the thin core, spiraling around it and somewhat curving outward. Glowing red lines of magical energy began to cover its surface, changing its form to a more aerodynamic one while simultaneously overloading it to the breaking point. Notching the now arrow-like sword he pulled back the bowstring while taking aim at Leviathan's head, tracing a path to avoid the monsters around it.

"Fly, Hound of the Red Plains!" He intoned before releasing the arrow. "Hrunting!"

The Broken Phantasm shot out like a lightning bolt, tearing through the air while being barely held together by the will and magic of its owner. With a single target in mind, the sword sought out the most direct path to it, moving around anything else with sharp turns than not even a bird could pull out.

Leviathan turned around to face the sudden disturbance, only to reel back in pain and shock when a large explosion went off right into its face. Scales were torn off and skin seared by the heat, while the monsters too close to the radius was instantly vaporized.

The white-haired bowman was already projecting another copy of Hrunting. "It's hurt. It can be hurt. And if it can be hurt, it can be killed."

The Primal Beast of Auguste glared in the direction the attack had come from, part of its face still smoking. It fully opened its gigantic maw, water and magical energy gathering in front of it. Realizing the creature was preparing an attack Archer moved away from the cliff he was standing on. A few instants later Leviathan shot a blue beam that traveled at the same speed of Hrunting and cleaved the cliff into two perfect halves. Along with the rest of the landscape around it.

"A water jet cutter. It can use a water jet cutter." Even if by size alone it was more akin to a waterfall, but when you have the power to use that much water to cut instead of crushing then the rest was just semantics.

The presence of a long-range attack that could reach him complicated things. Normally he would be able to use the great distance to keep shooting copies of Hrunting with impunity, adding more magical energy to each new shot to increase its power and, eventually, overwhelm the beast's defense. But with Leviathan capable of hitting back, he didn't have the time to increase the Broken Phantasm's power beyond the minimum necessary. The more he charged the power the less time he had to dodge, and not dodging when necessary would quickly lead to his death.

Rolling at the foot of the ex-hill he stood on a half-kneeling position, took aim and shot. Leviathan, in a display of agility impressive for its size, jerked its long body to the side to get out of the projectile's path.

Unfortunately for the serpent and all of Beowulf's opponents until it failed to penetrate the supernatural hide of Grendel's Mother, Hrunting doesn't miss. Ever.

Leviathan roared when the sword-turned-arrow exploded once again in its face and in the exact same point, further increasing the damage. As droplets of dark-blue blood stained its scales the Primal Beast growled in anger before roaring again. The swarm of monsters began to fly towards Archer's position with the serpent following almost immediately, another water jet cutter charging within his maw.

Archer had a split second to decide - left or right - before sprinting left, towards Mizarea. While it sounded beyond foolish to put the city and its inhabitants in danger, there was a fork in the road that would allow Archer to lead Leviathan and the monsters away from it. While the right road, towards Tzannis Plateau, would have forced him to pass close to where everyone else was still fighting. In essence, it was a tactic to keep the casualties to a minimum in exchange for... probably a lot of property damage. Yes, Archer had the inkling the local maps would need to be redrawn after the crisis was over.

"But first, I need to do something about you." After he outpaced another of Leviathan's jet cutter Archer kept running, a third Hrunting forming in his hands. At the same time, he Traced a few nameless E-ranked Noble Phantasms around him, broke them to push their rank to its original value and shot them at the incoming monsters. The projectiles all hit the head of the swarm in different points, the following explosions creating a blanket that stopped the rest in their tracks and hid him from sight. It was torn apart by Leviathan a second later, but the white-haired man was already gone by then.

The third shot was followed by Leviathan shooting its jet cutter in a sweep rather than a downward swing. Seeing the searing wall of water coming his way Archer quickly deduced the course of action with the highest chance of success. He dropped in a baseball slide and, keeping his body down as much as possible, projected his favorite defensive armament. "Rho Aias!"

The first layer of Ajax the Great's shield barely held together when Leviathan's jet cutter passed a scant meter above it, the displaced air, sand and water droplets moving at immense speed leaving behind a devastated, barren landscape.

Jumping back on his feet Archer discarded the fading Noble Phantasm and resumed running. "It's learning. The time at my disposal has been reduced by at least a third." More low-ranked Noble Phantasms were traced and shot at the approaching monsters. "Well, story of my life really."

---

Eugen, Gran and the rest of the crew watched as Leviathan kept moving farther and farther away. They tried to hurry after it, but they were already out of breath and the Primal Beast still nowhere close.

"I give up!" Io fell down on her knees with a wail. "I can't walk anymore!"

"I hate to admit it, but none of us is in the condition to continue." Katalina frowned, sweat running down her face.

"Shit! I'm sorry Eugen." Rackam clenched his fists. "We told you we'll stop Leviathan, and yet-!"

"Strange." While worried, the one-eyed man was also confused. "He's not exactly going towards Mizarea. He's... steering to the left. I'm sure of it. Whatever Leviathan is fighting; it's baiting him away from the city."

"Is it... another Primal Beast?" Gran looked at the blue-haired girl. "Lyria?"

She cupped her palms together, deep in concentration as she used her power to sense Primal Beasts.

"...No, I can feel only Leviathan. But..." She looked at the distant sea serpent, who was made to reel back by a red flash once again. "Even if it's not a Primal Beast, for a brief moment I can sense great power within each one of those red flashes."

Far away, on the observation deck of an airship, the Black Knight was observing the actions of Leviathan. Next to her, a girl in a black dress with light-blue hair tied up in twin-tails looked out of the window with a blank expression while hugging a stuffed cat.

"I expected that crew to fight and calm Leviathan, but that Primal Beast is stronger than I expected." She tapped a finger on the hilt of her sword. "But then, what is it fighting? Doll, what do you sense?"

The girl leaned close as if listening to something only she could hear. After several seconds of silence, she spoke with a quiet voice. "...Something... powerful..."

"Another Primal Beast?"

"..." She shook her head. "I don't know."

---

Back in Mizarea, people were watching in apprehension the battle between the titan and its unknown opponent.

"I'm scared..." One kid whimpered before feeling a small hand gently rubbing his head. Turning around he came face-to-face with a smiling Zahlhamelina. "Big Sister?"

"Shhh. It's alright, everything's going to be alright." The Harvin said with a soothing voice. However, once the kid calmed down she looked at the distant Primal Beast with a frown. "I thought Leviathan was supposed to bring the blessing of healing to Auguste's ocean. But if he keeps raging like that..."

"Yeah. This is shaping up to be a real mess." A tall, busty woman dressed like a pirate approached from Zahlhamelina's side. "And yet, someone is clearly already out there, fighting that big snake."

The Harvin tilted her head. "Uhm, you are...?"

"Name's Sig. Just a passing pirate." She said that as if it was perfectly normal. "Yer want to go out there and do the same, I'm right? It's written all over yer face. Want to join me and my men? Against that, we can use all the helping hands."

"...Normally I would say it's too dangerous, but-" The rest of her words was drowned out by Leviathan's roar.

Everyone watching witnessed as the ring around the Primal Beast's head began to spin even faster, the water creating a spinning aura of reflecting water around its body. The next time a red bolt was fired it stopped at the edge of the barrier, hovering there for an instant before bouncing back in the opposite direction.

---

With a grunt, Archer dispelled Hrunting after the third failed attempt to pierce the Primal Beast's barrier.

"A ward strong enough to not only block a B-ranked Broken Phantasm, but also reflect it back at its sender? A nice trump card to have."

The sea serpent reared back its head, the smell of the sea sharply increasing in intensity. The monsters divided into two waves to keep the area in front of their master empty, while behind the beast an immense wall of water was quickly rising up and gaining speed.

He grimaced, "Correction. I guess Leviathan has decided to stop playing around."

He looked around, first at Mizarea and then in the direction he came from.

"...No escape routes left. But I guess this place is good enough. Either it works, or I'm dead. Hell, I'm probably dead even if it works."

"Heh," He snorted. "Yes, this is truly the story of my life."

Raising his bow in his left hand he held up the right one, palm facing upward.

"...I'm not sure my usual one is going to be enough. I need that version... ugh, it's a good thing nobody's here to see me embarrassing myself."

Archer allowed himself a small grimace before schooling his features and closing his eyes.

"I am the bone of my sword."

Glowing lines appeared on his right arm. Above his palm, something as tall as him began to take form.

"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."

First was a sword hilt as long as his own arm, followed by a circular guard covered in spikes.

"I have created over a thousand blades."

The blade, if it could even be called that, coiled into a giant, wicked-looking spiral. By the time he was done, what Archer was holding resembled more a jousting lance than a sword.

As he locked it and began to pull back the bowstring cracks from which shined a rainbow-colored light began to appear on the weapon's surface, its form compressing and elongating into a more aerodynamic one.

The wave created by Leviathan was now half as tall as the Primal Beast, the immense mass of water harmlessly passing around it to continue its path. The monsters, heedless of the danger behind them, kept flying towards their prey.

Archer opened both eyes, raising his bow and fixing his aim by using not his eyes, but his trusted sense of smell. The projectile in his hands was less a weapon and more a jigsaw puzzle around a luminous core of pure power.

"Overflow, rainbow. Beyond the spiral's horizon! Ultimate Rainbow Sword!"

---

Lyria's eyes shot wide open. "What-"

"...is that?" Behind her helmet the Black Knight gaped at the black-dressed girl's shocked expression, showing more emotions in that moment that she ever did in the last ten years.

---

The shadow cast by the wave covered the land. Yet, even in the darkness, a light refused to perish.

"CALEDFWLCH CALADBOLG!"

---

For those watching from afar, it was as if the sky itself was split apart by a soaring shooting star that left behind a trail of a rainbow.

The immense wave was about to crash down on the land when a brilliant bolt of light pierced through it, space itself distorting at its passage. The swarm of monsters was annihilated as a simple aftereffect of it passing in an area far away from them. Behind it left a majestic rainbow, its rays falling down like a great tapestry.

The bolt of light tore through Leviathan's barrier like it wasn't even there before reaching its head.

The next instant a titanic explosion of rainbow light swallowed the top of Auguste's Primal Beast, its mind marveling at the power of an intensity it hasn't witnessed since The War before its body was torn apart into subatomic particles along with space itself.

Such was the power of an A+ ranked Anti-Army Broken Phantasm. Such was the power of the sword said to be the prototype of all magical swords in history, including Excalibur.

---

It was a thoroughly soaked and tired Archer that dragged himself through the streets of Mizarea, where the citizens have gathered to celebrate both the end of the war with Erste and the cessation of Leviathan's rampage. But even if the sight of all those smiling people filled him with happiness he really wasn't in the right mood, or shape, to join them. Firing Caladbolg has prevented him from being directly crushed by the water above him, but when the rest landed he'd found himself at the bottom of a new lake. Swimming to the surface and going back to Mizarea has exhausted the rest of his already dwindling forces.

"Sir Archer?" The figure of Zahlhamelina materialized before him, a concerned look on her face. "Are you alright?"

"..." He thought about it. "...I could use some assistance."

He admitted before falling on his face and fainting.

---

"Yo," Eugen's grinning face was the first thing Archer saw upon his awakening. "Welcome back to the land of the living, sleeping beauty."

The white-haired man pushed himself up with a grimace, idling registering he was inside the infirmary. "Please don't tell me you're peeling me an apple."

The old agent laughed heartily. "Sorry! You'll have to console yourself with ale!"

He put a mug filled to the brink on the table next to the bed before taking a second one and chugging it down.

"...Maybe when my head hurts less," He had used too much prana to power up Caledfwlch Caladbolg and the rest of his Projections, but it was worth it. "What did I miss?"

Eugen's mood turned a little somber. "...I'm joining the kid's, Gran's crew."

"..." Archer watched his hands, opening and closing them. "I'm not taking your place."

"Idiot!" He snickered. "There's no need for a militia now that the war with Erste has ended." He looked to the side. "Looking at those youngsters, choosing to stand and fight instead of running away... Well, they made me decide to not run from my past anymore. That's all."

"This includes the Black Knight of Erste, I assume?"

"Yes..." Eugen suddenly gasped. "That's right! Did you see that... thing that defeated Leviatan? That Rainbow Star?"

Archer rolled his eyes. "Hard not to. I was a bit busy not drowning, though." He answered, choosing his words to imply he didn't know much beyond that.

"Caught you in a bad spot, uh?" He leaned back on his chair and took another sip of ale. "There are all sorts of crazy theories being thrown around, even that the Astrals have returned. Oh, we found out the reason behind Leviatan's rampage. Until now he kept purifying the oceans, but the damage caused by the pollution was too much. He compensated by eating everything available, but the sudden increase of power sent him into a frenzy. When we finally reached him the little miss, Lyria absorbed his excess power. That calmed him. But..."

Archer turned to face Eugen and raised an eyebrow, mentally filing what he just learned about the blue-haired girl away. "But?"

"The Black Knight. She was there with someone else, a girl. Somehow that girl did the same as Lyria and absorbed part of Leviathan's power."

'Someone with the same ability? A second individual with the same origins or disposition... unlikely. An advanced state of the Empire's research on controlling Primal Beasts? Maybe a clone of Lyria, or just someone who was injected with her DNA?' Were some of Archer's thoughts in response to the news.

"They left without revealing a thing, but she said if we want to know, to go to the Lumacie Archipelago. It's a long journey till there, so... yeah, I don't think I'll come back here for a while." Eugen smiled. "That's all about me. And you? What will you do now?"

"..." Silently Archer turned around to stare out of the window and at the full moon glowing brightly in the night sky. "Give me some time to think about it."

---

Two days later, having fully recovered, Archer finished collecting the few things in his possession within a sack and swung it over his shoulders. Stopping at the door frame he gave one last look at his room, the first place where he first woke up in Phantagrande, before quietly closing the door and leaving the key within the keyhole.

Once outside the mansion, he began to walk through the streets of Mizarea with a leisurely pace, and after a while, he arrived at the docks.

"So this is the Grandcypher," Archer commented as he looked up at the docked airship. "By dimensions alone, it's comparable to a galleon... Eh, that woman would fit right in this world."

"Sir Archer? Is that you?" Zahlhamelina came down from the deck of the ship. "What a coincidence."

"Truly," He gave her a formal bow. "I haven't thanked you yet for helping me a few days ago. You have my gratitude."

"Oh, you're welcome," She smiled. "But I haven't done much. Your wounds were minor, and to bring you to Sir Eugen's above I had to enlist the help of a few kind passersby."

Considering the difference in height and body mass, it was understandable.

"May I ask what are you doing here?"

"Since Sir Eugen has joined before me, I imagine you know who this airship belongs to...?" He nodded. "I have decided to join Sir Gran's crew, as a skyfarer. I... I guess you can say I wish to protect a few precious smiles."

"I see," He had an inkling of her real reasons, but knowing the Harvin there was no need for him to worry.

At that moment Gran, Lyria and the others arrived from the other side. Seeing the group Archer went to meet them.

"Oh, hey! It's Uncle Sword!" Vryn perked up when he spotted him. "You here to see Eugen off?"

Archer raised an eyebrow. "...That's one of the nicer nicknames that have been given to me so far." He exchanged stares with Eugen, who just grinned knowingly, before looking at Gran and crossing his arms. "Captain. Do you have a spot left in your crew for a nameless archer?"

"Eh? Mister Archer, you want to join - I mean, sure! It'll be reassuring to have you with us." The brown-haired boy smiled. "Can I ask you why?"

"Just two reasons. The first-" He sent Lyria a quick glance. "Is that I'll surely sleep better knowing I am close enough to intervene if things go south. Not to sounds rude, but I don't fully trust you... yet. The second reason..." He stared right into Gran's eyes with a neutral expression. "You remind me of someone I knew."

He blinked in confusion. "Who?"

"Someone you shouldn't really imitate, and that's all I will say on the matter. Still..." He held out his hand. "If you accept me, from now on I'll be the ally of you and those you care about. What do you say?"

"Ah! Sure!" Gran shook Archer's hand with a dazzling smile. "Welcome to the crew of the Grandcypher, Archer!"

"Ahahah!" Eugen guffawed as he slung an arm around Archer's shoulders. "I knew you were going to do this! Everyone, I propose-no, I insist we make this guy the ship's cook. I swear you will not regret it!"

"Uh, actually..." Rackam scratched his chin. "I already hired a cook and his two friends as assistants."

"Who-"

"Look! It's the Master!"

"What what what! It's really him! What?!"

"That's totally him!"

"...I changed my mind." Archer's expression turned completely blank upon hearing the trio of obnoxious voices. "I think I'll find a nice angle of Mizarea and quietly wait for my natural death."

A second arm was slung around Archer's shoulders from his other side. "Archer, bro!" Lowain laughed. "You're part of this crew here? That's, like, totally amazing!"

Archer silently mouthed 'Haven't I been punished enough?' to the sky before shooting a dry look at the Erune Trio. "Lowain. Elsam. Tomoi. Don't you have a job?"

"I quit. I've totally fallen in love with Katalina, and decided to follow her to the end of the skies!"

Archer looked at an increasingly despairing Katalina. "My condolences."

"Where Lowain goes, I'll follow!" Elsam declared.

"Me too!" Tomoi added.

"For Miss Katalina, I'd walk a thousand miles!" a girly voice finished it. Everyone turned around and stared at the smiling silver-haired girl, Farrah.

"Farrah?!" Katalina was first to react. "What are you doing here?"

"I simply couldn't forget about you, Miss Katalina, so I decided to leave Erste and follow you," She explained. "Now I'm just another knight!"

"You left the Empire?"

"That's correct! Well, the ship left without me and I shouted my intention to quit at its retreating form, but it totally counts!"

As everything descended into chaos, from Farrah, Lyria and Lowain starting a contest about who could praise Katalina more to Yuisis insisting all newcomers break bread with Gran, Archer could almost hear his late Master's voice.

Hakuno Kishinami, Master of Archer and victor of the Moon Cell's Holy Grail War, was definitely laughing at his current predicament.

---

This is a response to the review left by Draconic. I had my crew members read your review. Doing so we realized a few points:

1) My chapters are proof-readed. Dozens of people read them on SV and SB, and when they point out an error I correct it. Here on FF I always post the complete and approved version.

2) I played through all those events directly in the game. While I do admit writing Lowain and Bros is difficult, I'm slowly improving. My crew members said no to French and surfer's speech, saying that my current way to write them is good.

3) Zeta works for the Society. She goes wherever the Society sends her and is capable of solo missions. Vaseraga and Zeta didn't even work together very well.

4) Going by their first crossfate, Yuel didn't reunite with Socie until after she joins the crew.

5) The three people you complained about all had valid reasons to be in Auguste: Yuel was treasure hunting, Jessica was brother hunting and Zeta had a mission. Naru was the most iffy one by virtue of being a hermit when we meet her in game. But as none of those character appeared, the point is moot.

6) More than anything, where did I ever say I would be following only the anime? The anime ends there, the game continues with the story.

Thus, we concluded that your gripes don't make sense and that the only cesspit of garbage here is your mouth.