FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS
Chapter 3: The First Command
Upon hearing the female student's scream, Shirou and Rin rescinded their battle and ran outside to see what happened. Shirou found the unconscious girl first and inspected her, then reported, "It's okay. She's just passed out."
"Are you kidding!?" Rin snapped. "Can't you tell that she's been drained dry!?"
"Drained dry?"
"Of her mana… Essentially her life force. She has so little blood left that she'll die if we leave her like this."
"Die!? Can't you do something!?" Shirou exclaimed.
"I can stabilize her with one of my gems," Rin assured, then took out a green gemstone and powered it over the girl. As she was busy with the treatment, Shirou thought he sensed something wrong nearby and turned his gaze toward the outer forest. He stopped… and his eyes widened as a terrifying sense of danger overcame his nerves.
"LOOK OUT!"
Rin was so startled by his scream and of him pushing her that she jerked forward. When she opened her eyes, she found traces of blood on his arm. For all of the professionalism and elegance she took pride in, that all disappeared as she stared in sheer horror at the very first critical injury she ever got to witness in her life. A strange dagger attached to a chain had been gouged clean through Shirou's wrist, and large amounts of blood covered the sleeve.
"W-Why did you…?" Rin gasped, then shook her head and exclaimed, "I mean, you're bleeding like crazy! Doesn't that hurt!?"
"It does… You wouldn't believe how painful it is…" Shirou mumbled as he stood up, disregarding the agony through an absurd level of willpower. "I'll go see what it is. Stay here and take care of her, Tohsaka."
"Wha-!?" she protested, but he ran off before she could stop him.
Connla was about to emerge from around a corner of the school grounds, but then stopped and hid herself from view. She found Rin and Shirou taking care of the dying student and had witnessed the attack. Luckily, Connla was far enough away that Rin wouldn't pick up on the Servant's presence, though it also meant she couldn't hear what they were saying. Then to her surprise, she watched Shirou run toward the forest where the attacker came from, armed with nothing but a flimsy iron pipe.
That idiot! What does he think he's doing!?
Without thinking, and while maintaining her distance, Connla followed him into the woods. She even entered Identity Concealment mode so that should Rin accidentally see her, she would only catch a glimpse of some hazy viridian winds rather than a person. As Connla leapt from branch to branch attempting to keep up with Shirou, she thought, It's obvious that he was attacked by a Servant! If I don't do something, he'll be killed!
She came upon him just as he was being assaulted by someone else. The girl crouched on the thick branch, about to rush in and provide support for him when she noticed something on the top of his hand.
Wait… is that-?
When Connla had been initially summoned, she had been shown the sigils for the seven Servants taking part in the Holy Grail War. She also saw their faces, but had not been divulged of their True Names. She paused, surprised to see one of those symbols on Shirou's hand.
No mistaking it. That's the Command Spell for Saber. Then is this young man Saber's Master…?
Connla glanced over at Shirou's opponent. There was no doubt that the stranger was a Servant who didn't belong in this era. She was tall, slender, and absolutely beautiful with her ankle-length violet hair and form-fitting black skirt, gloves and thigh boots that accentuated her supple curvature. However, there was also a sinister countenance to her as she kept her eyes concealed beneath a lavender blindfold.
The lady seductively licked her lips, then went on the offensive. Connla couldn't react in time to rescue Shirou as he struggled to survive against the Servant's dagger stabs and whirling chains. The lady broke through his feeble defenses and gracefully sliced upwards, tearing apart his shirt and gashing through his flesh.
"GAAAAGH!" Shirou shrieked while stumbling back. The woman then slipped behind him and snatched his face, curling her fingers around his wide open eyeballs.
"First I'll cleave out your eyeballs," the lady whispered in a soft yet sinister tone, "then dismember your limbs one by one before swallowing you whole like the mouse that you are. I'll make sure you savor every last moment of your agonizing death…"
"Not so fast!" Connla called out and vaulted from her vantage point, re-emerging in physical form as she readied her spear to swipe at the Servant's exposed back.
"Kgh!" the woman grunted and released Shirou so she could jump away before the blade could carve into her shoulder bones. She flipped backwards so swiftly that it almost seemed purposeful that her lithe movements exuded sexuality. Connla caught Shirou before he could fall onto his back, then glared at her blindfolded opponent. She thought the woman would go back on the offensive and prepared an Ansuz Rune. Luckily, the Servant quietly turned away while whirling her chains about before leaping off and disappearing.
I remember that face, Connla thought back to when she was summoned. I'm pretty sure the Rider-class Command Spell was associated with her… Anyway, I better go after her before she causes more trouble. If anything, I'd like to find out if that Bounded Field Ms. Hortensia detected is the work of this Rider Servant.
Before that though, she felt Shirou stirring awake. He had passed out for a few moments right as Connla repelled the lady Servant. He opened his eyes weakly, wondering where his assailant was. It was difficult for him to tell at first, but he soon figured out that he was being supported by a completely different person.
Huh…?
Shirou turned his gaze directly upon the child's stern face.
A little… girl…?
He wanted to ask her so many questions, but the tremendous amount of exsanguination he suffered had greatly weakened him to the point that he couldn't speak.
"Looks like you're still alive," Connla said plainly, then glanced at the symbol on his hand. "Why didn't you use a Command Spell to have your Servant fight for you? You should know that Masters trying to fight Servants head-on is suicide."
"I… Ungh…"
"Never mind. You were lucky that I was around to drive Rider away. Leave her to me and stay here for now."
"N-No… A child like you… shouldn't be… fighting…" Shirou grunted.
"I am a Servant. There's no need for you to worry about me."
Despite her assurances, he feebly reached up and snatched her shawl, as if trying to stop her from leaving. She stared at his bloodied hand for a moment, then murmured, "Guess you're one of those stubborn types. Looks like I have no choice."
She raised her hand before his eyes, and an X-shaped Rune appeared in the space between them. She chanted in a breathy voice, "Generosity brings credit and honor, gifting maintenance to all broken men. Gyfu."
A strange, comforting sensation overcame Shirou's senses, as if all his troubles were washed away and he was being put under anesthesia. He succumbed to this warm feeling and slipped into a deep sleep. The girl rested him upon the grass, then shifted her eyes aside when she heard running footsteps rustling in the grass. She opted not to stick around to see who it was and jumped upon the tree branches, fleeing from the area as quickly as she could.
The footsteps belonged to Rin, who had finished treating the prana-drained student and hurried to see how Shirou was doing. She found her bleeding classmate sleeping peacefully, but while she was relieved that he was still alive, something else greatly bothered her. She had caught a glimpse of Connla as she retreated, and Rin noticed the weapon she was carrying.
A spear…?
Way on the opposite end of the school grounds, Caren quietly strode about and panned her eyes about everywhere. She was certain that she saw someone traipsing about around here just a few minutes ago. Shirou and Rin had already retreated into the forest, and the prana-drained student remained laying on the pavement unconscious. Just to be sure, Caren kneeled over the sleeping girl and checked her pulse.
Hm… This doesn't appear to be the work of that Bounded Field, but rather a direct attack by a Servant. So long as this one is alive, tending to her will be unnecessary. Even so, it will become a problem if such attacks continue unabated.
Caren stood back up and folded her arms. Soon, her expression turned into a mix of boredom and annoyance, looking clearly unimpressed by whoever was skulking about in her proximity.
"My, my!" a young man's voice rang out. "Don't you know that school hours are over at this time of the day? A fine lady like you shouldn't be trespassing unless you have actual business."
She glanced back at a nearby tree where she heard the fellow's decrying taunts. From behind the thick trunk emerged an indigo-haired boy around her age dressed in Homuhara's standard brown gakuran. The tips of his hair curled so that it resembled unkempt seaweed, and he pranced about with such a confident swagger despite cowering behind the tree just moments ago that Caren thought she was conversing with some kind of undersea abomination. The dopey look in his perverted eyes and his condescending chuckle didn't help improve her image of him.
"Oh, but I am on business here," Caren calmly retorted to the student, maintaining her professional demeanor despite wanting to throttle this guy without a second thought. "What about you? Shouldn't you be doing your homework right about now? Or are you one of those insufferably 'too cool for school' types who get by in life through sheer dumb luck?"
"I am a student here, so I can come and go as I please," the boy said, brushing his bangs back with an air of self-importance. "Besides, I have some necessary business to take care of as well."
"Is that so? Does such business include commanding your Servant to assault your own classmates?" the priestess wondered coldly as she glanced at the unconscious student.
He raised an eyebrow, then asked, "Does this mean you're one of the other Masters?"
"I asked you a question first."
He shrugged, then replied nonchalantly, "Whatever. None of this is my fault, you know. Rider attacked that girl on her own. If she dies, it'll have nothing to do with me."
"A true Master would take responsibility for his Servant's actions."
"Real Masters also don't let excellent opportunities slip by them."
"So that means the Bounded Field being secretly placed all around Homuhara is just another example of an 'excellent opportunity' for you, isn't it?"
The boy suddenly grew irritated with Caren's unflappable attitude and demanded, "Wha-!? How the hell do you know that, woman!?"
"So you're not denying it," she smiled lightly. "You're the one who intends to harvest your fellow alumni's mana to power your Servant."
"So what!? I'm the heir to a great Mage family! It's my birthright to use everyone around me to win the Holy Grail War!"
"Yes, you keep telling yourself that, Matou Shinji," Caren declared the young man's name casually, which astonished him. She faced him confidently and said, "The fact that you need your Servant to take in hundreds of people's worth of mana must mean that you're completely and utterly incapable of supplying the necessary mana to your Servant on your own."
"What are you-!?"
"On top of that, your plan is absolutely terrible. If you're a real Master who doesn't let excellent opportunities slip by you, then you would also make sure not to draw so much attention to yourself by attacking an entire school at once. He he he… Now I'm starting to see why your grandfather made your foster sister Matou Sakura the real heir to his family's dwindling legacy. I'm sure he believes that you were a mistake that should have never been conceived… and I am inclined to agree with him."
Shinji was beyond livid at this point. That was when he took out a strange book with its covers crafted out of human flesh, and he stormed toward her while shouting, "Who do you think you are, you underdressed tramp!? Don't you know who you're talking to!? I am a genuine, flesh-and-blood descendant of one of the world's most prominent Mage families! With but a mere thought, I could have Rider end your life!"
"Is that right?" Caren murmured, unperturbed by Shinji's threats. "Then call your Servant here."
He raised the strange grimoire and was about to use it, but then immediately stopped and trembled while clenching his teeth. She smirked, "Oh dear. Looks like there is a brain beneath that mop of kelp you call hair. That's right – not only would it be a waste to use a Command Spell just to kill an ordinary human, but you don't even have Command Spells in the first place."
"Uh…!?"
"Matou Sakura wasted two of Commands to confer at least one order to you. That's what that ghastly tome is, right? The Book of False Attendant. Now I understand why you're targeting Homuhara. With Matou Sakura unable to transfer her mana to her Servant, and you being wholly incapable of sorcery, you have to make do with haphazardly draining those you deem most convenient for your purposes. I would be disappointed in you, but first I'd have to be surprised."
"You… Who are you!?" Shinji screamed, horrified that this strange woman was saying things that no ordinary person should ever know.
Caren didn't answer. She simply continued smiling as she walked toward him. He stepped back and frantically pleaded, "Stay away, bitch! Don't you dare lay a finger on me! I-I-If you do…!"
"If I do…? Then what? You'll violently rape me, like you do to your own sister?"
He howled in horror, flabbergasted that she knew his most darkest secret. His desperation turned foul as he laughed and uttered, "Y-You should consider yourself lucky, woman…! I-I'm only letting you go because I'm feeling quite generous right now!"
"Goodness. I feel so fortunate," Caren muttered bitterly. "But aren't you someone who doesn't let good opportunities slip by him? Here stands a beautiful lady for you to sully, and you want to run away? Make up your mind, already."
"In what universe are you beautiful, bitch!? Get out of my sight! You make me sick!"
"How troubling. Here I thought we would get along so well, seeing as how we're both the kind of people who take advantage of every opportunity they get."
With that, the nun raised her arms in a delicate manner and made the Shroud of Magdalene appear from out of nowhere. Shinji had no idea what was going on, and he didn't want to stay to find out. He let out a pitiful scream of terror and clumsily turned to flee.
"Noli Me Tangere…" †
Caren murmured an unusual phrase, which commanded the red cloth to chase after him. It wrapped around his upper torso before ensnaring his arms, abdomen and upper legs. He resembled a small animal that was being choked to death by a boa constrictor, although the shroud's tautness would not cause such lethal injuries. He accidentally dropped the Book of False Attendant, and Caren picked it up.
"You-! You can't do this to me!" Shinji yelled. "Rider! RIDER! Get your worthless ass over here and save me!"
"Too bad," Caren teased. "Your Servant is most likely preoccupied with mine to listen to you."
"You fucking whore! Just what do you plan on doing to me!? If you know that Sakura is Rider's real Master, then you should be going after her instead! Leave me out of this!"
"Be a good boy and stay quiet for a while. Or do you want me to constrict your nose and mouth as well?"
"Heek…"
Realizing that he was powerless to stop Caren, Shinji ceased his wailing and merely trembled in fear. She forced him to walk alongside her as they headed into the forest outside Homuhara.
Connla continued her pursuit into the woods, completely focused on searching for the unknown Servant. Soon, she reached a large enough clearing and stood in the center. It was probably foolish for her to be out in the open when she could be ambushed easily, but it was also the best way to lure the enemy to where she wanted. Connla knew that the Servant was still nearby – she could sense the latent magical energy that all Heroic Spirits emanated.
She slowly panned her eyes around in a panoramic fashion, scoping out every last inch of the woods for anything suspicious. The silence was so incredible that it would have crushed lesser men. Connla was used to such tension however, since her mentor Scathach employed similar scare tactics to try and ambush her student.
Soon, she caught sight of a bizarre glint in the distance. Acting on pure instinct, she swiped her weapon upward, which wound up deflecting a dagger that had been thrown at her forehead. However, that was when she heard leaves crunching beneath someone's feet from her right side.
"Gh!" Connla grunted as she raised her arm to block the lady Servant's powerful stab-like kick, but the force of the blow sent the small girl flying backwards. The woman seemed to teleport behind Connla while she was caught off-guard, but the girl deftly twisted her torso and swung her spear to block an incoming dagger stab. While still in mid-air, she knocked her opponent aside and spun her leg about to deliver a strong roundhouse kick that struck the lady's cheek. She whirled like a funnel, and her absurdly long violet hair curled around her entire body as she spun upside-down before landing on her feet. Connla likewise stood in her combat stance and keenly eyed her foe.
"What a tenacious one you are," the woman murmured.
Connla asked, "Are you the one who has been placing the Bounded Field upon that school?"
"What's it to you?"
"If you really are the culprit, then I cannot allow you to continue."
"I'm afraid I don't need your permission to utilize whatever methods are deemed necessary for me to win on my Master's behalf."
"That's why I'll stop you with force."
"Interesting. Though I do not know your True Name, it seems you are not to be trifled with despite your age. Or are you actually hiding your real form behind a child's visage?"
"Think whatever you wish about me. In contrast, your identity is not too difficult for me to discern. Long hair that flows like snakes… A blindfold to conceal eyes that emanate magical power… You must be the one that resided within the Shapeless Isle – Medusa, the youngest of the three Gorgon Sisters."
"Hoh," Rider murmured. "You were able to deduce that much with just a single glance?"
"I can't say there are too many other Heroic Spirits who match your description."
"How true. But will that knowledge do you any good, little one? No matter how much you think you understand me, the fact remains that you will die an agonizing death."
"That will be for our skills to determine."
"Such conviction… It's been a long time since I played around with my prey. Let's see how much enjoyment I can extract from you before I end your misery."
With those words, Rider – or rather, Medusa – charged at Connla while flailing her chains and daggers about in a dancing flurry. The young girl carefully read her movements and blocked the knives, simultaneously jerking her legs and torso around to avoid being ensnared in the chains. The chains managed to curl around her spear, and the two Servants remained in a standstill for a few seconds. Then to Medusa's surprise, Connla summoned an Ansuz Rune on the tip of her blade, which was pointing at Medusa's chest, and fired a high-speed fireball at her opponent. Medusa immediately relinquished her grip on the spear and crossed her daggers into an X formation to help block the blazing projectile, and she skidded backwards a few yards.
Without waiting for Medusa to recover, Connla went on the offensive this time. She rushed in low and slashed at Medusa's legs, carving in a number of deep lacerations faster than the woman could react. As Connla hurried away, Medusa tossed her chain at the girl, but she was way too quick for her to capture. Connla dove through the spiraling chains like an acrobat performer at a circus would, then propelled herself off of a tree trunk and ricocheted all around Medusa to confuse her. However, since the Rider wasn't relying entirely on eyesight, she could read the wind being disrupted by the Lancer and judge where she was going to land next.
To Connla's surprise, Medusa flung her dagger right into her shoulder immediately as she reached the next tree. The pain disrupted her movements and forced her to get back onto solid ground. She clenched her teeth and endured excruciating pain as she pulled the small blade out of her skin, leaving behind a large bloodstain on her white shawl. The whole process took a couple of seconds, and Connla had no time to recover as Medusa attempted to rush in and stab her chest with another dagger. Connla somersaulted across the ground to avoid being skewered, so Medusa jumped high upon a tree and landed on a branch before leaping high above her stricken opponent.
Despite having to fight a tough battle, something kept nagging Connla at the back of her mind.
Something's wrong.
As Medusa dove in to deliver a piercing heel kick, Connla reared her entire body back until she was a ball standing on her hands, then used a Ken Rune to propel her legs up into the air. She acted as a torpedo that countered Rider's attack, and both of their feet instantly made contact with each other. A circular shockwave emanated from the strike and shredded leaves, branches and grass everywhere. Both Servants tumbled about clumsily and managed to land meters apart from each other in similar hunched postures. Neither of them wasted time going after their opponent, with Medusa flinging her chains about and Connla expertly evading them with gymnastic flips and whirls while making her advance.
If I remember correctly, Medusa is supposed to be a goddess, which would make her a Divine Spirit. Normally I don't stand a chance against deities, but for some reason, I'm matching her equally.
Connla dashed in low to rush beneath the flailing chains, startling Medusa with how fast she was moving. The long-haired goddess was forced to backflip to avoid a mighty swipe of the girl's spear, and she retracted her chains so that she could brandish her daggers instead.
"You're putting up quite the struggle, child," Medusa crooned. "But this is the end for you. Irregular Servant or not, I will make you writhe in agony before finishing you off."
Connla didn't respond, too lost in her strategizing to have a tit for tat with her foe.
Since she's a Servant, it means the magical energy she's designated is proportionate to what her Master can give her. If she isn't fighting at her peak condition, does that mean she's targeting the school because her Master is actually handicapping her?
"You have no final words to say? That is fine. They would have been wasted on me anyway," Medusa smirked.
Connla remained on the defensive as the Rider flipped backwards, then hopped high into the air way above the forest. Medusa confidently stared down at her young foe, keeping that same smile plastered on her face. Just then, a bright white light surrounded Medusa and blinded Connla for a moment. When the light dimmed down, the girl discovered that the woman was now riding a beautiful winged white horse that flew about gracefully.
Connla grimaced as she realized what she was dealing with. Since she figured out Rider's True Name already, she was thus familiar with why Medusa was summoned into the Rider class in the first place. It was because, according to her legend, after the Greek hero Perseus decapitated Medusa, the blood dripping from the severed head gave birth to the Pegasus. Normally, Pegasus was a docile creature that never engaged in battle, but Medusa possessed a special set of reigns called the Bellerophon that could bring forth the divine creature's latent powers and force it to fight.
The biggest drawback to this Noble Phantasm was that it required a rider to accompany Pegasus at all times, or else the horse would not be able to fight. Therefore, Medusa had to remain seated on her mount to draw out the beast's true power – it was impossible for her and Pegasus to work separately to overwhelm Connla. Medusa snapped the reigns to command Pegasus to swoop in toward Connla. The girl ducked as low as possible to avoid being slammed into multiple times, though she felt the horse's hooves grate against her skin.
This is bad. I need to get rid of that horse somehow…
Eventually, Pegasus flew back into the sky, but then turned back around in a wide arc and gained an incredible amount of velocity in such a short distance. Medusa and the Pegasus shot straight for Connla like a pure white comet, which startled the girl. However, she realized that this was her best chance to counterattack now that Pegasus was not constantly hovering over her. She got to her feet and got into a javelin-throwing posture, glaring fiercely at her incoming opponent. Then a series of Ansuz Runes shone on her polearm, spontaneously combusting it in searing flames.
Medusa called out at the top of her lungs, "Bellerophon!"
She forced Pegasus to fly faster, intent on smashing into Connla before she could get her attack off. The girl exhaled a fierce grunt and hurled her fiery spear right in the mythical horse's path. Although the weapon itself wouldn't do much against such a high-speed onslaught, the addition of the Runes would create a tremendous explosion of roaring fire once the horse made contact with it. For a few moments, the sky was ripped asunder with pure heat and light, pushing away the February chill so that the area felt like a summer afternoon.
Once the carnage settled down, Connla landed back on her feet. She used a Rune to summon her plummeting weapon back into her hand, then calmly waited to see the result of her attack. Through the thick smoke that descended upon the ground, she could see Medusa landing after a long fall. Clearly she had dismounted Pegasus seconds before the explosion, though she wasn't entirely unscathed. The flames had singed her skin and burned away portions of her black skirt and thigh boots. Beneath her blindfold, Medusa glared at Connla.
"Goodness… What an unruly one you are," she muttered bitterly. "You would have made better feed for the Minotaur rather than myself. I heard he was quite fond of eating naughty little children like yourself."
"…"
They remained in this stalemate for a short while, waiting for the acrid fog to clear around them. They glared intently at each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. Neither of them budged even a millimeter. They were as perfectly still as statues…
Suddenly, a snapping twig broke through the thick tension, and both Servants darted their heads over to the source of the noise.
"Master!?" Connla yelped.
Indeed, Caren had emerged from the thick of the woods, forcing the restrained Shinji to follow her. Medusa's expression remained impassive.
"Good evening, Rider," the nun greeted with forced cordiality.
Medusa quietly demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Isn't it obvious? I have your feeble Master in the palm of my hand."
Despite his situation, Shinji interrupted them by shouting, "Rider! Hurry up and save me!"
"Still clinging on to some false sense of hope, are we, Matou Shinji?" Caren muttered. "What reason would she have to rescue someone who doesn't possess the book that binds her to them?"
The long-haired Servant was inclined to agree, since she noticed the Book of False Attendant in Caren's hand. Shinji grew frustrated and screamed, "Rider, you worthless piece of trash! You couldn't even take out a little kid!? Scum! Harlots! Filth! All of you are USELESS!"
"Still haven't gotten that verbal abuse out of your system yet? Maybe this will help," the nun said as she unwove the Shroud of Magdalene binding him, and he collapsed to the ground gasping for air.
"Finally! Someone actually did the right thing for once!" he wheezed.
"There, is that better? Now for the main show."
Connla wasn't sure what was going on as she watched her false Master raise the strange tome in front of her.
"I order you, Rider…"
Slowly but surely, Caren's lips curled into a truly devilish grin unfitting for a dedicated maiden of the Church.
"Kill that boy."
"Wha… WHA WHA WHA WHA WHA WHA-!?" Shinji's expression contorted into one of absolute dread. Connla observed in repressed shock as the Book of False Attendant shone bright purple and passed Caren's order onto Medusa's Spirit Origin. She dropped the grimoire just before it burst into flames, rendering it completely useless.
The panicking teenager screamed for his life and scrambled away from his former slave. Connla remained rooted there in astonishment, but Caren watched with that same malicious smirk as Medusa jammed numerous daggers into Shinji's joints to immobilize him. As he fell forward, his eyes and mouth wide with sheer horror, she proceeded to butcher him into an unrecognizable heap of flesh and bones. Command Spell aside, she momentarily relished in the delight of killing him after everything he had done to her and her real Master.
After several minutes of mindless carnage, Medusa eventually calmed down once the fun of slicing apart a corpse was expended. Although her eyes were concealed beneath the blindfold, she still turned her empty gaze toward the duo. Connla didn't know what would happen next, so she anxiously stood in front of Caren and readied her spear.
Medusa's mouth quivered slightly, and it was extremely difficult for them to hear her as she asked, "Why…?"
"Oh? Why not?" Caren wondered. "You could say I'm doing everyone a favor by offing that boy."
"You make it sound like you're expecting the world to thank you for this. How adorably naïve, even for a human…" For just a moment, the Servant's glowering sounded especially venomous.
"You misunderstand me. If anything, it is every participant's duty to silence any witnesses to this conflict. He knew too much, so I shut him up before he could involve any outsiders with his stupidity."
"Sounds more like an excuse than a reason."
The priestess' smile barely flinched as she retorted, "Is that so? Then let's just say it's my comeuppance for him approaching me like I was some commonplace whore."
Medusa likewise smirked, as if the two were silently agreeing with each other despite being enemies. Connla wasn't sure what they were talking about, so she opted not to contribute anything to this awkward conversation. To the girl's shock, Caren confidently stepped in front of her little guardian and continued, "If memory serves me right, Masters are able to confer their Command Spells to another in the form of that book. However, the process consumes two Spells – one to create the grimoire, the other for the fake Master to use. That means your real Master is already down to one order that she can give you."
"Kh!" Medusa snarled, feeling uncomfortable once Caren said the word 'she'.
"Did I hit a nerve? Please, it should be obvious as to who really summoned you, Rider. Since you and the throwaway daughter of Tohsaka Tokiomi are in such a precarious situation, it would be wise for you to let me speak with her."
"As if I would grant such an idiotic request."
"I'd think carefully if I were you. Don't you realize that something is already wrong with this war?"
Rider's lips closed tightly as she turned her attention to Connla. Then she mumbled, "There are two Lancers…"
"Good," Caren said. "I take it you are acquainted with the other one then?"
"He and I had a brief skirmish, though he retreated before I could make him squirm."
"Then you should understand that if things continue as they are, your dear Master will be in grave danger. A darkness greater than anyone can imagine is slowly but surely creeping upon us all. Anything and everything, whether they be innocent or sinful, human or monster, Hero or Anti-Hero, will be swallowed whole in this encroaching calamity. This foolish Holy Grail War will be the catalyst for this inevitable oblivion, unless we see the truth for what it is and face it head-on as Masters and Servants with a common cause."
"Don't be absurd. The War is a contest to see who is worthy of-"
"Spare me that drivel. This Holy Grail is not the true sacred chalice of my everlasting Lord and Savior, but a wretched facsimile forged by imperfect human hands. In fact, it is blasphemy to even attribute the Holy Father's name to such a flawed piece of trash. I am here to guide everyone toward the light and unite them to counter the darkness that thrives within the fake Grail. What do you think, Rider? Wouldn't your Master agree to my proposal, given how timid and reticent she is?"
Medusa remained standing there, facing Caren with an empty expression. Soon, she uttered a simple question beneath her breath:
"Who… are you?"
She had every right to sound so appalled. Caren was speaking about her Master with such disturbing familiarity despite the two having never met in life.
Caren's smile never wavered as she declared, "When you report to Ms. Matou, tell her that I, Caren Hortensia, have come to impart this warning to all Masters. Oh, and do tell her that I look forward to speaking with her… on my terms, of course. I'm sure she wouldn't refuse to find a way to escape her wretched fate as a pawn of Matou Zouken, knowing that her precious Emiya Shirou is likewise participating in this war as a fellow Master."
Medusa glanced away and bit her lower lip.
Sakura…
Connla got into her fighting stance again and declared to Caren, "Please stand back, Master. There's no telling how Rider will react to your claims."
Fortunately for the child Servant, Medusa turned away from the pair and leapt high into the trees, quickly vanishing from their sight. She lowered her spear and mumbled in surprise, "It… worked?"
"That was much too easy," Caren coolly dusted off her habit and made the Shroud of Magdalene vanish.
"How did you know so much about Rider's Master to rile her so?"
"Let's just say I do my research. After all, information can be just as deadly as a freshly-sharpened sword."
"…"
"Come, Lancer. We're finished here."
The nun casually turned and walked away from the scene. Connla pensively stared at Shinji's corpse for a moment, wondering if she should do something to get rid of it. She assumed that someone else would take care of it though, so she quickly gave up on the idea and dematerialized into spirit form so she could follow Caren.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
† - Latin phrase meaning, "Do not touch me," referencing what Jesus Christ said to Mary Magdalene during His resurrection.