"Have you ever wondered just how it was that your parents died?"
Those words almost seemed to make Ai's heart freeze. Hirata Genjiro… did he know? Had he been there? For a few moments, she didn't know what to say or do. How could she? Her amber eyes drifted towards her Servant, who seemed to be ready to attack the man at any moment. But the fact was that the short brunette didn't want to attack someone who was unarmed, no longer a part of the Holy Grail War. And yet, she wasn't sure what to tell her. Tsubaki and Lancer were eyeing Genjiro warily, but had yet to act as well.
"So you're just coming around giving out traumatic facts like that? How would you even know about that, Hirata?" came the tanned girl's voice. She sounded rather suspicious, to say the least.
"I lived in Minami ten years ago," Genjiro replied, simply, "At the same time as the previous Holy Grail War."
Ah… so that's what he meant.
"… I…" Ai took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly, before stepping forward. Ever since she learned when the previous war in Minami took place, she had known exactly why her parents were dead. It was no longer a mysterious accident at all. "… I figured that out a while ago, Hirata Genjiro-san. They died during the last Holy Grail War."
The thought was painful. But in a way, it was better to know how they died rather then go on and believe it had been some kind of accident that had never occurred. Would they really, truly be proud of her participation in this war, with that knowledge? Ai had to hope so, if nothing else. The fact remained that no matter how painful it was, knowing was better than the alternative.
"Well, I suppose that's obvious," Genjiro responded, with a small shrug, "Two magi die at the same time as the Holy Grail War, it doesn't take much speculation to reach the correct conclusion. But, I wonder, have you ever considered who it was that must have killed them?"
His words struck the short brunette like a hammer. It was something that Ai had subconsciously known ever since she concluded that her parents must have died during the Holy Grail War, but the thought of them being killed by someone else was still a shock that had run through her entire body.
"I know it's about your parents, Master," began Saber, silvery-gold eyes still fixed on Genjiro, "But you don't have to listen to him. He was our enemy until this point, what reason would he have to tell you something like this?"
Deep down, Ai knew that was true. But at the same time, how could she just ignore what the man was saying, when he promised to let her know the truth about her parents' deaths? Her eyes drifted from her Servant, to Tsubaki. The tanned girl had fallen silent, looking uncertain herself. Lancer was standing by her Master's side, ready to strike just as Saber was.
"I know, but… he's…" Ai began, trailing off. This was the only time in ten years someone had ever tried to tell her the truth about the deaths of her mother and father. Even the organization had never told her anything. This was the only opportunity she'd ever been given to learn more. Even if it hurt, she wanted to know as much as she could.
"… Was it a Servant? One of the enemy Masters?" the small brunette found herself asking. There was a myriad of different possibilities.
She heard Tsubaki try to say something, but whatever it was, the words died in the girl's throat as Genjiro started to speak.
"Your parents entered the war as a team, your father acting to support your Mother, who had summoned Rider," he explained, calmly, "Near the end of the war, they came into conflict with one of the other Masters, while their Servants clashed. It was a vicious one, and by the end both of your parents had been killed."
Ai could feel her chest beginning to tighten. Her mother and father, dying in battle near the end of the war… even thinking about it wasn't easy.
"Master…" she heard Saber's voice, the girl samurai trying to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Surprisingly, the perpetrator was none other than a member of one of the other families living in Minami," continued Genjiro. Wait… so it was a representative of another of the families? Ai found her mind struggling to recall the other magi in Minami City. There was the Inoue, obviously, but as it turned out there had also been Natsuki Yukihiro's family, and maybe there was others had grown unfamiliar with in her ten years away from the town. The Shimada, maybe? Who could it-
"The man who murdered your parents was none other than Inoue Tsubaki's father."
Those words pierced Ai's heart like the tip of a spear.
By now, ominous clouds filled the sky, and there were near constant rumbles of thunder filling the air. It felt heavy…
The glasses-wearing magus shook her head. That couldn't be true.
"There's… there's no way that's true!" Ai insisted, "Inoue-san… Inoue-san's been my ally from nearly the beginning! If that was the case… then…"
There was no way it could ever be true.
"It's not true, right, Inoue-san?!" she called to the other girl, turning to face her.
But Inoue Tsubaki's gaze was no longer on Genjiro. Her eyes had drifted downwards, towards the ground.
"… I-Inoue-san…?"
Ai's voice was shaking.
When Tsubaki spoke, it was exactly what the girl had been hoping she wouldn't say.
"… I'm sorry, Ai," replied Tsubaki, her eyes still downcast, "… I knew from the start. I didn't want to fight you, the moment I met you that first day in class. After learning what my family did to yours… I didn't want to fight anyone who carried the Matsushita name. I had hoped that it was a coincidence…"
The tanned girl's gaze rose again, but she was still avoiding looking into Ai's eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Ai. I didn't know what to tell you."
"… N-no…"
Ai's voice was shaking. The girl who had spoken to her on the first day of class, the ally who had stood by her side with Lancer, this whole time Tsubaki's father had been the one who…
"No… no no no…"
There was a part of Ai that couldn't accept it. She couldn't believe it was possible. But there was no way it wasn't, was there? Tsubaki had acknowledged it herself. This whole time, she'd been the child of her parents' murderer… Ai felt her chest grow tighter, she felt her throat constricting as tears began to well up in her eyes. Her ally, her friend… the first person to even bother to speak to her without being required to in ten years… That person shared the blood of the man who slaughtered her mother and father.
It was all some kind of cruel joke, wasn't it?
Ai barely even felt the raindrops, as the sky began to open up. All she could do was bury her face in her hands as hot tears began to flow down her cheeks freely, her breathing coming out as sobs. None of it had mattered. All of it had been a cruel joke on her, for daring to consider Tsubaki to be her friend. Daring to hope her parents would have been proud of her.
"… Master…" the small brunette heard Saber's voice, but she didn't respond. How could she? What could be done?
There was nothing. There was no point.
"… Ai, I-" Tsubaki began, reaching out towards the smaller magus as the rain began to fall harder.
"No!" shouted Ai, turning away from the other girl. Tsubaki's hand fell limp at her side. She couldn't talk to the girl. She couldn't bring herself to say anything more. How could she, when Tsubaki's father had killed her parents? What could she ever say to someone like that?
Ai couldn't even bring herself to remain here any longer. After a few moments of silence, broken only by the rain and the brunette girl's shuddering sobs, she simply broke into a sprint, running away from the site of the battle as quickly as she could.
"Master!" she heard Saber's voice again, but she didn't turn back. She didn't say anything. Her hot tears mixed with the cold rain as she ran. Ai didn't even know where she was going, any longer. She didn't know what she could do. But she couldn't be there any longer. The memory of that day when she learned of her parents' deaths played out over and over again in her mind, interposed with the image of Tsubaki's face. She hadn't been the killer, but her father… she had the same blood… why did it have to be like this?
Why?
Ai only stopped running when a hand gripped her shoulder. By this point, the rain was coming down harder, and she could barely see through her glasses. But even blurred, she could still make out the shape of her Servant, Saber's white kimono and pale skin standing out in the dark forest.
"… Master… I know how you must feel, but it's too dangerous to run off into the forest," she said, placing her hands on both of the girl's shoulders, "… Stay with me, Master. Even if I don't always know how to help, I can at least stay with you and keep you safe, can't I? I wish there was more I could do..."
Ai looked up, into her Servant's beautiful, silvery-gold eyes.
She wrapped her arms around Saber and sobbed into her kimono, even as the rain fell all around them. She could feel the warmth of her Servant's body against her…
The short girl felt the samurai's arms wrap around her, and pull her close, too.
Even as it was raining, it was some time before either of them moved again. Ai barely remembered returning home, her mind was simply unable to focus on what she was doing. Even though the rain was now pouring down on the both of them, the brunette couldn't even bring herself to move at anything more then a slow walk, her clothing soaked all the way through as she heard the sound of thunder above.
Saber had been careful to guide her. She'd stopped urging Ai to get out of the rain after only a little while, given that the words simply weren't reaching her.
When they arrived, Ai said nothing to anyone. Not her maids, both of whom looked concerned, Marianne trying to advise her to at least change her clothing to something that wasn't completely soaked. Alys was watching silently from upstairs. The little girl could easily sense something was wrong, even though the both of them had returned safely.
Saber simply followed Ai upstairs, quietly, as they both passed Alys by. The little girl didn't say anything, but she quietly tried to reach towards Ai before hesitating, as she passed out of reach. Saber gently patted her on the head before following her Master. Even if she didn't say anything… at least she was there. Ai no longer knew what to do, but at least she knew that her Servant was still there, still beside her, still warm, still close.
That was all she had, now. She couldn't even be close to Tsubaki anymore, knowing who she truly was. She didn't hate the girl. She couldn't articulate her feelings on Inoue Tsubaki any longer. But she couldn't even bear to be close to her. Not after learning the truth. Even if she had stopped crying, for the moment, her mind was trapped in something like a fog of sadness. Her body felt heavy.
"… Saber… stay close…" she murmured, as she stepped into her room, heading right for the shower. Left with nothing else, all she could do was ask for that, couldn't she?
She heard the hesitation in Saber's voice when she next spoke. It was plainly obvious that her Servant was concerned. Why wouldn't she be?
"Master, I think we… we should try and talk, even if-"
Ai didn't respond, as she approached the bathroom door. Quietly, she pushed it open and shut it before Saber could finish speaking. Once inside, she unbraided her hair, took off her glasses, and undressed.
When the warm water hit her body, all she could do was crouch down, hug her knees to chest, and cry.
Tsubaki watched as Ai ran. She didn't try to pursue her, how could she? There was no way she could ignore the reality of the situation, that the girl she considered to be her friend and ally undeniably must hate her now. There was no denying her fault in the matter, either. As the rain came down, steadily harder, soaking her body, Inoue Tsubaki knew that there was nothing she could do. The moment the truth came out, Ai would hate her, no matter how it did. She'd desperately wanted to do everything she could to make up for her father's actions, and for a while it seemed as if that would have worked… but it couldn't last, could it?
For a few moments, she simply stared down at her feet. Lancer stood beside her, silently, as the rain came down.
"… Master, I…" Lancer hesitated. This was all so sudden, even a legendary knight didn't know what to do, did she? "… I can't imagine…"
"… It's fine, Lancer," she replied, quietly, "It's not as if there's anything I can do about it any longer. Ai must hate me now…"
Tsubaki's eyes drifted away from her feet, towards Genjiro. He didn't seem to care about the rain, either… Her gaze hardened.
"What are you planning, Hirata?" she asked, narrowing her eyes, "It's not as if this isn't my fault, but there's no way you don't have a reason for telling her."
There was nothing she could do to change what had already occurred. Nothing she could do to make up for what her family did to Ai's. But what she could do was discovered just why Hirata Genjiro had done this. Who was he, that knew exactly what happened? What did he gain from this, when his Servant had already died?
"I simply thought she should know the truth," Genjiro replied, evenly, with a small shrug, "It was your actions that lead to the way she responded to it."
That was something she couldn't deny. As much as the thought made her heart sink, Tsubaki knew full well just how she had caused this. It wasn't as if telling her would have resulted in anything different, and by this point the tanned magus felt, on some level, that this was just the response she deserved.
But that didn't mean Genjiro could be allowed get away with whatever it was that he was intending.
"… Lancer, he's still our enemy," she said, simply. Lancer tore her blue gaze away from her Master, her expression growing more cold as she raised her weapon. And yet…
Genjiro was completely unarmed. He'd made no attempt to attack anyone of them. Nothing he had done was aggressive, and he still showed no signs of doing anything of the sort. Perhaps it was because he knew attacking when Lancer was there was suicidal, or perhaps because he genuinely had no intention of doing so. Whatever the case was, Tsubaki couldn't bring herself to order Lancer to attack an unarmed man. No matter how much her chest had tightened.
"… He is unarmed, Master," came Lancer's voice, and that was the end of it.
"I knew you weren't the sort to attack an unarmed man," responded Genjiro, simply, "My place in this Holy Grail War was has vanished with Rider. This is likely the last time that you'll see me."
Tsubaki's hands curled into fists. There was too much unanswered, too much she didn't understand. If Genjiro had been here the whole time, why had he done nothing to support his Servant? Why had he told Ai about what happened to her parents? It wasn't as if the latter had been the wrong thing to do, but the fact that it was him who told her, rather than herself…
Either way, she knew the result would be Ai's hatred, but at least if she had told her the truth herself…
Tsubaki couldn't even respond to the man. Hirata Genjiro simply turned around and departed the same way he had entered, vanishing into the Harazuki forest.
Tsubaki and Lancer were left alone in the rain, which had steadily grown heavier. The cool water had seeped into her clothing, plastering it against her skin, dripping from her hair. She could hear it tapping against Lancer's armor, as well.
"… We're going home, Lancer," she said, quietly, turning back towards the direction they had initially come from.
"… Master, should you not try to speak to Matsushita?" asked Lancer, as she lowered her spear and began to follow the black-haired magus, "Even considering the actions of your father, you are not respons-"
"Do you really believe she wants to talk to me, Lancer?" she cut off her Servant, "There's no way. I lied to her. I didn't tell her the truth at all. Not that it would have helped."
She gave a hollow laugh.
"I'm the child of the man who murdered her parents. She has every reason to hate me."
Slowly, the both of them were making their way out of the clearing. Even though it was raining, Tsubaki couldn't bring herself to move any more quickly.
"Even so, Master," Lancer replied, "I… you consider her to be your friend, did you not? You are not the one responsible for killing them, are you?"
That didn't matter. She knew Lancer was trying to help, but at the same time she knew there was no way that Ai would ever want to speak to her again. It was fitting that something like this would happen so close to the end of the war. After all, they would need to fight soon, anyway, wouldn't they?
The thought was a bitter one, to Tsubaki. She couldn't bring herself to even consider the idea of harming Ai, not only because of what her father had done but because of the fact that they had been friends. Ai was such a small, and delicate girl… and Tsubaki had hurt her. Even if Genjiro had been the one who told her truth, Tsubaki knew it was her fault.
For a long time, the tanned girl and the blonde knight walked through the rain in silence.
Lancer sometimes tried to speak, but nothing she said earned a reply from Tsubaki. She was just trying to help, and to be honest the magus felt guilty about shutting her out, but there was nothing words could do at this point. But really, it wasn't as if anything else would have helped, either. There was some small part of her, as she walked, that did want to try speaking with Ai again, but what could she even say? Try to apologize for her father's actions? She didn't even know the circumstances, her father had never seemed very forthcoming about them. He had never spoke much about anything that had occurred in the last Holy Grail War.
Soon enough, they had reached the Minami bridge. It was the quickest path back to Tsubaki's home, from this location at least.
"Master… Nothing good can come of refusing to speak about it," Lancer urged, as they started across the bridge. At this time of night, in this weather, there wasn't anyone else out. It was isolated, aside from the two of them, "And… perhaps if you did speak with her, the both of you could-"
"She'll hate me, Lancer," Tsubaki replied, morosely. At the moment, she could think of no other outcome. "She must already, so there's no way a conversation could change it. There's no point in trying to speak with her any longer. It's my fault."
The blonde knight was silent for a moment, as the rain continued to fall. By this point, the both of them were soaked.
"… Master, this is not the person I know," Lancer said, "That is not to say this situation is not every bit as terrible as it sounds, but you are someone who always did her best to confront every problem ahead of you. You are not the one who killed Matsushita Ai's parents. You cannot take responsibility for it, nor should you. This-"
Suddenly, she froze. Wordlessly she turned away, facing down the bridge. The storm made it difficult to see if there was anything ahead, but Tsubaki had been dragged out of her thoughts by the way Lancer had immediately stopped speaking. Her blue eyes were narrowed, fixed on something some distance down the bridge… Whatever it was, Tsubaki couldn't see it.
"Lancer?"
"Something is coming," replied the Servant, her tone on edge. Golden light coalesced in her right hand, forming the shape of the Trap of Argalia as it did. Had Theomanius sent Archer to mount an attack on the enemy Servants, now that so few remained?
"Is it Archer?" she asked, her heartbeat quickening. She hadn't been prepared for another Servant battle so soon.
Lancer shook her head, slowly, raising her lance as she did. For a moment, Tsubaki wondered if it was Saber, returning on her Master's orders to take them on. But the both of them had left in the opposite direction, if nothing else. Which meant… If it wasn't Archer…
Had Atlas truly summoned an eighth Servant?
"There's something wrong," said Lancer, suddenly, still looking across the bridge. "This… this is not a normal Servant. It feels… dark…"
Dark? What did the blonde knight mean? It didn't make any sense to Tsubaki, but now she was certain. This was Atlas's eighth Servant. Whoever it was, the most important thing was that the alchemists really had managed to call another Heroic Spirit.
Whatever had been summoned was now approaching them from across the bridge. The sheets of rain made it nearly impossible to see for some time, the tense moments ticking by, but then…
A figure was slowly becoming visible through the rain. As it approached, Tsubaki was able to discern more and more details of the eighth Servant's appearance.
She was a girl, older then Tsubaki herself, but still fairly young. Her bare feet were not touching the street, she simply floated instead. Her skin was incredibly pale, her eyes a shade of pale gold, and dull, unlike that of Saber's. Her hair was silver, almost white, her dark red dress oddly angular, red markings adorning part of her face and her upper arms… Beside her, there floated a strange cube, roughly the size of the Servant's head and adorned with unusual geometric patterns, shifting in colors from dark purples, to browns, to blacks…
She was oddly, ethereally beautiful… and yet something was so terribly, terribly wrong. Physically there were no abnormalities, beyond perhaps the Servant's extremely pale complexion, but there was something so terribly wrong, discernable simply by laying eyes upon her. Tsubaki couldn't understand what it was that was so horribly off about the young woman's appearance, and yet it was impossible to ignore.
Quite simply, that Servant did not look as if she belonged in this world.
"… Master, stay back. I do not know the name of this Servant, but there's no denying the danger she poses," Lancer asserted, stepping forward to take defensive position in front of Tsubaki. Both of her hands were now firmly placed on the Trap of Argalia.
The other Servant came to a halt several meters away. The box simply floated beside her, as she remained still, nonplussed by the falling rain. Instead, she simply, quietly, cocked her head to the side, dull gold eyes drifting from Tsubaki herself to settle on Lancer, instead.
"The Knight of the Spear," said the dark Servant, softly, her voice barely audible over the sound of the falling rain, "Lancer. So the first one I have met is Lancer…"
When she spoke, her voice was totally flat, completely without any sort of inflection or tone. She was entirely expressionless, as well. Trying to clear her mind, Tsubaki attempted to discern what she was looking at. There was no doubt in her mind that the strange box was this Servant's Noble Phantasm, but what was her class? Caster, to replace the first Servant to have died?
"… I won't ask your name, but what is your class? You are an irregular eighth Servant…" Lancer kept her cavalry lance trained on the dark figure.
"I'll tell you both, Lancer of France," replied the Servant, a small smile coming to her lips.
"Avenger…"
She paused for a moment, her smile growing. Avenger?! But that wasn't one of the standard seven Servant classes…!
"Pandora."
Pandora. The legendary woman created by the gods as a gift, the one who opened the box that unleashed all the evils of the world upon humanity. But not of her own volition, due to trickery of the gods of Greece. The girl who had become a profaned offering to the human race. She had been created to wrong them, even though it was not of her own free will. And now she stood before them, summoned into the irregular Servant class of Avenger. Was it because of her position in mythology, or because of the resentment she must have felt towards the deities that used her as a tool?
Or was it both?
Regardless of the case, Lancer kept the tip of the Trap of Argalia trained carefully on Avenger, even as the rain continued to pour down upon them. The bridge was wide, and relatively open, with little cover. On top of that, there was no way that the box drifting alongside her was not the mythical box that had unleashed All the Evils of the world. If it was her Noble Phantasm, there was no telling what it would do…
Glancing towards her Master, Lancer would see the expression on Tsubaki's face. It was one of shock, and confusion. The arrival of an eighth Servant was already unexpected, but when the identity of that Servant was one of the most famous figures out of Greek mythology…
The blonde knight took a deep breath before speaking.
"… And what is your purpose, here, Avenger?" she asked. Of course, it was hardly difficult to guess on her own, that a fight was about to begin. But Lancer wanted to test her opponent first, to avoid making the first move when she could not guess at her enemy's capabilities.
"My purpose…?" asked Pandora, her smile fading to a neutral expression once more as she tilted her head again, soaking wet hair hanging behind her. "Isn't it obvious…? I'm here to defeat one of my opponents, then kill the rest and claim the Holy Grail. Is that not what you have been doing?"
Lancer narrowed her blue eyes. It wasn't as if it wasn't obvious, but again, Lancer had hoped to bait Avenger into an attack to get an idea of what she was capable of. Attacking such a dark presence without any consideration would be incredibly dangerous, and while she would do it without hesitation if her Master or others were in immediate danger, for the moment it did not seem as if Pandora was going to start suddenly attacking.
She could take solace in that, at least.
"Then I must defeat you here!" declared Lancer, thrusting her cavalry lance forward. She pushed her mana outwards, letting energy course into the Trap of Argalia-…
But the light sputtered and died. No golden magical power suffused the weapon. For a moment, the blonde knight couldn't comprehend what had happened. She had done exactly as she always had, to empower her weapon with the divine mana granted to her by God, and yet nothing had happened. No, it wasn't as if nothing had happened at all. The golden light had briefly flared around the shape of her lance. Rather it was as if it had been cancelled out, nullified before she could use it properly. How was that possible?! It had been given to her by the grace of God…!
"Lancer?" she heard Tsubaki's voice form behind her, "What… what hap-"
Suddenly, some sort of dark mana blazed around Avenger's box. Something black, something seething with red, came hurtling from the container, and Lancer acted as swiftly as she could, yanking Tsubaki to the side as she darted away from it. As it flew past her, she could make out just what it was: Some kind of blackened mud.
A darkness that had emerged from Pandora's box… There was no question of it. That black mud was some sort of embodiment of the evil that had been contained inside of it. That substance, seething with darkness, was unquestionably All the Evils of the World.
"Is something wrong, Lancer?" asked Pandora, her voice rising, her tone going from flat to almost amused, "Were you not capable of far stronger displays of power? A sputtering light isn't very impressive, is it?"
It didn't take much thought to come to the obvious conclusion. Some capability that Avenger possessed had prevented her from using her divine light to empower the Trap of Argalia. What could possibly have done so? It was granted to her by God! How was it possible for Avenger to cancel it out?
"… What did you do?!" Lancer demanded, remaining in position in front of her Master.
"When I was tricked into opening the box by those bastards in the guise of gods," began Avenger, smiling once more, "It wasn't simply the evils of the world being unleashed. All the blessings were lost, as well."
She spread her arms wide, her smile spreading into a grin.
"The blessings of the gods cannot exist in my presence! I deny the gifts those things that were called divine give to whoever was unfortunate enough to gain their favor!"
Even God's light was unable to help her here… Lancer took a deep breath. She was still a skilled knight. She was still capable of defeating any enemy she could encounter. Even one as dark as this. No, in fact, because she was a Knight of God, this was exactly the sort of enemy she was best suited to destroying!
And yet…
That black mud. She could feel it, just how powerful it was. The corruption was practically dripping from it. If it so much as touched Tsubaki…
"… Master, run," she said, "This is an opponent who could destroy you in an instant. That black mud truly is All the Evils of the World."
"Lancer? But I have to support you, don't I?!" cried Tsubaki, stunned. The rain was pouring down harder.
"You can tend to any injuries I sustain after I have claimed victory," Lancer insisted, "For now, it is for your own safety. That black mud could kill you before either of us could do anything about it."
"But-"
"Go, Master!" snapped Lancer, firmly, "There is nothing you can do here! Avenger is no ordinary opponent, it is for the best if I fight her while you remain at a distance!"
Finally, after a few moments of hesitation, a reluctant Tsubaki turned and fled. Avenger made no effort to stop her, rather watching her run with her head cocked to one side, her smile having faded.
"A noble act," commented the extremely pale young woman, her tone flat once more, "As expected from a knight such as yourself. Your Master will survive somewhat longer."
Somewhat? Lancer's blue eyes narrowed. No, no matter what kind of enemy Lancer was, she would defeat her here. Rather, she had to. That black mud… it wasn't simply a dangerous weapon, it was something that could kill humans on a massive scale if it was unleashed. Simply being near it had given enough of an understanding to the knight. If Pandora opened her box wide enough, there was no telling what would happen.
"I shall end it here, Avenger!" declared Lancer, leaning forward as she did, her cape and ponytail fluttering even dampened with the relentless rain. She could see a trio of magic circles, one above Pandora's head and the others to her sides, spiral into existence. So she was a magus as well…!
There was a flash of purple light from each of the circles as beams of mana screamed through the air towards her! But Lancer wasn't about to be taken off-guard by such an obvious attack! In the blink of an eye, the knight darted to the side, her speed forming a curtain of rainwater around her as she sprinted forward. Even though she could no longer use the blessings of God, therefore unable to attack at long range, she could still strike Avenger directly!
When she neared the enemy Servant, there was immediately a shower of sparks and light as the Trap of Argalia's tip struck a brilliant purple barrier! It scrapped along its side, and before Lancer could turn to try and pierce it, the box opened once more…!
Lancer moved, sprinting past Avenger as a stream of black mud was released into the spot she once occupied. It splattered across the bridge, spraying dark muck across the concrete. There was no way she could allow that mud to touch her. It would be deadly to humans, and to a Servant she had no idea how dangerous it could be.
"If you're thinking that you can avoid my attacks so easily, you're mistaken," Avenger commented. Before Lancer's eyes, the mud that had sprayed across the bridge suddenly rose, curling in on itself and forming a seething black mass in the air. It stretched, creating what almost appeared to be a huge stake of blackened muck, before launching itself towards her almost immediately! So she could freely manipulate the mud even if had already left the box?!
"This dark muck is a part of my very existence, Lancer!" shouted Avenger, as the mud twisted to pursue Lancer even as she dodged the initial strike, "I can control it as easily as I can control one of my limbs! The gods ensured that my life was inexorably intertwined with every evil known to mankind, so how could it be any different!?"
Lancer inwardly cursed. This made striking at Avenger all the more difficult…! But it reaffirmed her decision to insist her Master fled. There was no way that she could defend against the mud when it was possible for Avenger to control it like this! It was following her with incredible accuracy, pinpointing her movements perfectly… It would be difficult to shake it off!
The lights flared around Avenger's form again. She was attempting to cut off Lancer's evasion with another set of spells to bring her to a halt…! But…!
As each shot fired, they never hit! Instead, it was as if a barrier was around Lancer's body, forcing the mana to flow around her!
"… A high rank of Magic Resistance, then?" mused Avenger, cocking her head to the side as she did, "I suppose I should have suspected that was the case."
The circles around Pandora's body faded away, and the box was once again beginning to open… inwardly, Lancer cursed again. Shaking a single stream of mud was difficult enough, but a second one?! This was going to be even more hazardous… The knight girl glanced towards the bridge's supports. Maybe if she could gain some height! Turning sharply, she placed one armored foot on one of the enormous wires and pushed off, sending herself into the air as she made her way put the side of the bridge. Pandora seemed momentarily confused, before directing her mud upwards, to pursue her! But that was fine, that was exactly what Lancer was expecting!
The circles flared around Avenger once more, this time smaller, and shifting lower. It took a moment for Lancer to realize what it was that her enemy was intending, until she began to fire the bolts of mana. She was trying to take out the support wires that the knight was using as her pathway! The one just behind her hissed as the mana burned through it, the molten metal dripping down as the enormous support tipped sideways. But if she could keep moving fast enough… she simply had to get into a position above Avenger!
As long as she could keep moving ahead of Pandora's magical attacks, and stay out of reach of the black mud, that would be enough until she reached the position she needed. Therefore, she simply had to keep moving, leaping from support to support in order to outpace her attacks! While Saber still outstripped her in agility, the Lancer class was known for being agile as well! The mud was gaining slowly, but as long as she kept out of its reach…!
There! She had the perfect position! Twisting in place, just as Avenger prepared to fire another barrage of magical projectiles, Lancer sprang off of the support, raising the Trap of Argalia over her head as she hurtled through the air! As the rain came pouring down, so too did Lancer careen towards Avenger! The pale young woman's dull gold eyes widened with surprise, and immediately her magic circles tilted inwards to fire on the knight. But it was no use! They were simply deflected by Lancer's Magic Resistance!
Avenger slid back through the air, a magic circle materializing in front of her as she did, another barrier. But with this momentum…!
With a shout, Lancer brought her cavalry lance down, slamming it into the purple barrier! There was a shower of sparks at the contact between both the weapon and the shield, sizzling in the falling rain! But the bridge beneath Avenger split, crumbled, and-!
Avenger was knocked clear through the bridge! She hurtled downwards through the crumbling concrete, slamming into the lower layers and tearing to the waters below, crashing through them with a resounding splash!
Lancer's armor clanked as she landed beside the newly-made hole in the bridge. While she hadn't struck Pandora directly, the impact of her blow had sent her opponent smashing through the solid concrete and steel. The mud that had been pursuing her collapsed into a seething pool on the bridge, no longer following her but lingering there. The knight was not so foolish to think her opponent was dead, not when she had failed to pierce Avenger's barrier, but certainly the enemy Servant was not capable of mounting an immediate counterattack after taking a blow strong enough to cause her to hurtle through the enter bridge.
The blonde girl straightened, hand gripping the Trap of Argalia more tightly. While she felt certain a counterattack was unlikely, at the same time something didn't feel right. It was a persistent suspicion in the back of her mind that in spite of the blow she had dealt Avenger, the other Servant was not entirely disabled. After all, she was still unable to channel mana into her weapon…
Moments later, this suspicion was proven exactly right.
As Lancer glanced towards the side of the bridge, she was briefly taken aback as a large tendril of black mud exploded from the water, raising up and over the bridge. But it wasn't simply one, three more similar blackened limbs composed of the muck erupted from the waves, the rain hissing as it splashed against them! Each of the mud tendrils curled inwards, over Lancer and the bridge itself, before slamming down, almost as if they were fingers wrapping around the entire structure! But Lancer did not simply stand idly and allow this to happen. Sprinting forward, the rain splashing against her armor, Lancer darted out of the path of the immense tendrils, avoiding their impact entirely! She spun on her heel, awaiting Avenger's reappearance, but the mud simply seemed to slip back into the water…
And Pandora burst from the water at her right! Before Lancer could turn to face her opponent, a series of needle-like projectiles suddenly materialized in the air around the enemy Servant, launching themselves at Lancer through the rain with blistering speed! But even taken by surprise, the knight was hardly out of options! Instinct allowed her to react incredibly swiftly, meaning she could deflect even attacks like this! The side of her cavalry lance slammed against one of the spikes, sending it hurling through the air as she shifted her position, the others slicing through the rain as they tore past her!
"Even without the blessing of your god, you are still a Servant of considerable power," commented Avenger, landing lightly on the opposite side of the bridge, "… Excellent."
Avenger was pleased to be fighting a powerful opponent? Regardless of the reasons why, Lancer knew that she would have to take every chance she could in order to win. Pandora possessed powerful ranged capabilities, that mud being chief amongst them. The darkness lurking inside of Pandora's Box… she had to do everything she could to prevent it touching her. She wasn't certain what would happen if it did, but every part of her mind screamed not to allow it.
And, after all, it was an attack by her enemy. Why would she let it touch her?
In spite of these ranged capabilities, the fact was that Avenger had not exhibited any capabilities in melee. No, Pandora seemed to be unsuited to close-range combat, beyond the use of barriers to prevent herself from being struck. Even in spite of the fact that she was capable of cancelling any skills relating to the gifts of gods, if Lancer could engage her at close range, if she could stay in melee with the enemy Servant, she felt certain she could win!
"I am a knight of God, and of France," declared the armored girl, pointing the tip of her Lance towards her opponent, "This is the role I filled in life. As long as I remain as such, I shall not lose against an enemy like you, Avenger!"
Pandora's neutral expression cracked once more, a large grim forming as she almost seemed to chuckle, before blackened mana began to seep from the box as it opened once more… This time, Lancer didn't wait for the attack, sprinting right towards Avenger before she could fully open the box! Avenger was capable of acting quite swiftly as well, spewing more mud from the box as she did, but Lancer was prepared! She darted to the side, letting it careen past her. Even if Pandora could control the black mud, if she reached her first…!
The tip of the Trap of Argalia slammed against one of Pandora's barriers! But this time, rather then holding fast, it cracked! Before she could press her advantage in melee, however, a set of spikes formed around Avenger once more, and she could hear the mud beginning to shift behind her. As the spikes fired, she was forced to retreat, springing back several meters and swiftly stepping to the side to avoid the second charge of the mud.
While it was undeniable she held the advantage in melee, it was difficult for Lancer to take that advantage when her opponent's abilities allowed her to disrupt the knight whenever she got into a close-range battle. The seething muck was already twisting in on itself and turning about again, preparing to pursue her once more!
She had to shatter that barrier as swiftly as possible! If Lancer could break it before Avenger could counterattack her, then she would be able to deal a critical injury, or perhaps even kill the enemy Servant! It was her best possible chance, given how powerful her opponent was at range.
But if she could stop Avenger here, not only could she return to her Master in victory, but she could also prevent the danger that her enemy posed to all the other innocent people living in Minami. That mud… it truly was evil.
The muck sprang towards her once more, and once again it swiftly followed Lancer even as she did her best to evade!
It spread, like fingers reaching out towards her, attempting to grasp at her. But the blonde knight wouldn't allow that blackened mud to so much as brush past her. She couldn't let a single piece of it come into contact with her body, not when it felt so incredibly dark. Even if it hadn't issued forth from what was undeniably Pandora's Box, the sheer sensation of its presence would have been enough to indicate its nature. Even if she had not introduced herself by name, a box that spat out All the Evils of the World would be enough to tell Lancer just what her opponent's true identity was. Perhaps that was why Avenger had been uninhibited in revealing her true name.
Or perhaps she simply didn't care.
For a while, the battle continued like this. While Lancer was perfectly capable of evading the black mud and the strange needles, and attacks via magecraft were of little threat to her, it made it difficult for her to press her advantage in melee. Pandora, for all she almost seemed as if she was not paying attention to the battle(her face once again wholly neutral, her eyes still seemingly dull and lifeless), was doing everything she could to keep the lance-wielding Servant at a distance. She had to break through…!
A stream of dark needles materialized around Avenger and fired once more, this time aiming ahead of Lancer. Narrowing her blue eyes, and gritting her teeth, the knight stepped back, swinging the Trap of Argalia to deflect one of the spiraling projectiles as it hurtled towards her, most of the others burying themselves in the concrete ahead of her feet! Avenger was trying to force her back into the black mud! Rather then letting it touch her, however, Lancer broke to her left, darting to the side instead. Unfortunately, it put further distance between herself and Avenger…
"Are you just going to keep running, Lancer?" came Pandora's voice, over the falling rain, "You were boasting of your abilities as a fighter, before…"
It didn't sound like a taunt, more like an observation. The enemy Servant's tone was once again flat, neutral, without inflection. It didn't sound as if she was trying to anger Lancer, but at the same time it hardly failed to do so. It wasn't as if Lancer wasn't attempting to attack every opportunity she got! It was just that Avenger's ability to keep her moving and at a distance was extraordinary… But she couldn't allow the battle to keep on this course. There could have been other abilities that Avenger had not yet displayed, and simply trying to outrun the fight was an unacceptable solution. No, she had to find a way to strike at Pandora, to pierce her shield!
Another hail of spines flew her way, once again lead ahead of her, forcing her to change her direction. As long as that mud was in pursuit, Lancer couldn't stop moving… And she couldn't strike with enough power to break the barrier in a single blow.
But she had to. She had to shatter it. She couldn't keep running.
She had to try.
The blessing granted to her by God was what gave her even greater power, allowing her to funnel mana into her body and weapons at an enormous rate. But Avenger had nullified it, preventing her from utilizing that blessing as long as she was close by. Even so, however, that didn't mean there was nothing she could do. There was a reason she had been granted such a blessing in the first place, after all!
But she had to find an opening before she could do anything else!
Lancer turned, another shower of needles being unleashed towards her. Slamming her lance down, she buried the tip into the concrete and tore a chunk of it from the bridge, sending it hurtling into the air, towards the shower of mud. If nothing else, it would at least disrupt it and force Pandora to open her box once more before if she wanted to attack again immediately! She had to force an opening! She had to strike as quickly as she could!
The Knight of the White Plume had to take this chance!
"There is one mistake you made, Avenger!" she declared, the hunk of concrete slamming into the mud and smashing it down, if only for a moment.
"… Oh? What is that, Lancer?" asked the enemy Servant flatly, gesturing towards her box. It was opening again…
"I was a Knight of France, dedicated to justice," responded Lancer, narrowing her eyes. She could feel it… her body was blazing. She was forcing herself to do something she had never attempted to even in life, but she knew that her blessing relied on her own stores of mana. If she could just use those… it wouldn't be as powerful, but all she needed was a little more… even as it burned through her… "That is why I received my blessing. It was my duty that granted me God's grace!"
"The blessings of any god are nothing more then a sham," replied Pandora, simply, cocking her head to one side, "And so-"
The mana flowed through Lancer's body, erupting across the Trap of Argalia! The golden light had returned, even as pain leapt through the knight's frame. It was not a brilliant glow, as it was when she was using her blessing, but even this faint light was enough! It was what she needed! Just as the mud emerged from beneath the concrete, and began to flow from Pandora's box, she erupted forward, the sheer force of her movement causing the rain to be repelled from her!
Pandora, having been taken by surprise, could only manifest another rotating barrier in front of her! But even with this enhancement to her weapon, it wouldn't be enough!
The tip of the Trap of Argalia met Avenger's barrier, and in that instant it cracked, and then shattered! Lancer caught sight of the enemy Servant's dull gold eyes widening, and her weapon hit home with a burst of magical energy!
Pandora's left arm exploded off of her body, blood as black as the mud from that box spewing into the air! It tumbled across the bridge, sparks flying from Lancer's armored feet as she was carried past her opponent, rotating in place by using her momentum. She had dealt a serious injury to her enemy! Severed one of her arms! But that wasn't enough, as Avenger clutched at the bleeding stump, Lancer exploded into action once more.
"I shall end it here, Avenger!" she cried! Lancer drew her golden lance back and-
Something hot shot through her entire body, all at once. The origin point was her back, between her shoulder blades, but it was spreading through her entire body, now. The knight slowed to a halt, gasping. It was… it was so painful, and yet…
Slowly, her blue gaze drifted downwards. Her chestplate had been pierced, as well, the tip of a tendril of black mud emerging from it. Lancer had been entirely pierced through by Avenger's black mud. Veins of darkness flowed from it, spreading across her armor like cracks, and slowing growing…
The Trap of Argalia dropped from her hand. Her eyes felt heavy… Lancer slowly found her gaze drifting towards Avenger. She'd… failed…?
Pandora was grinning.
"… Excellent," she said, seeming unperturbed by the loss of her left arm. Indeed, moments later, the answer as to why became obvious: With an ugly, squelching sound, a new limp erupted grotesquely from the stump, a fully-formed replacement. So Avenger could regenerate…
She'd failed…
"… Worry not, Lancer," Pandora continued, her grin widening, "Your role in this Holy Grail War has not ended."
Lancer could feel it. There was something growing inside of her. From the mud as its origin, it was spreading just like those veins of darkness, across her body, reaching towards her cheeks. A seething blackness, seeping into her very origin as a Heroic Spirit. Weakly, in vain, she attempted to grasp at the black mud and pull it from her body, but that just made the darkness spread to her hands as well.
"I-I… Master…"
"Didn't I tell you not to worry?" came Pandora's voice again, and Lancer felt a hand on her cheek, "Sleep now."
The world blackened around Lancer, as sudden walls of mud rose around her, curving inwards.
Her last thoughts before they folded in on her, were of Tsubaki, and how she had utterly failed her Master.
"I'm… sorry…"
And then she was engulfed in blackness.
Pandora simply watched, as the mud formed perfectly into a sphere around the other Servant.
"… You will feel far better when you awaken, my beautiful Lancer~"
And some distance from the bridge, Tsubaki watched in horror and despair as the red markings of her command seal faded from her hand. There was no need for any confirmation. The last words of her Servant had been a reassurance that she would see her again, but…
Even as the rain came pouring down, the magus fell to her knees and cried.
It had rained all night.
Ai hadn't slept particularly well, but eventually she'd simply failed to stay awake any longer, from sheer exhaustion. The short brunette girl couldn't be certain just what time it was when she finally nodded off, especially since the storm made it difficult to see anything but darkness. Even after she'd awakened, there was a long period of time where she lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was hard to feel any motivation to get up, after what she had learned the previous day. The information kept replaying over and over in her head, the fact that her ally and friend was the daughter of the man who had killed her parents. What could she do? Could she do anything? Was there any point in trying, any longer?
Ai didn't know anymore.
Even when her maids came in to tell her that breakfast was ready, the small girl simply felt listless, unlike she could do anything more then lie in bed. At one point, Alysvial peered into her room, but, uncertain, simply left after a few moments. Ai's entire body felt heavy, and she simply couldn't motivate herself to get out of bed.
Eventually, however, Saber entered the bedroom.
"… Master…" she began, "I… I know how you must feel. Having learned that someone you feel is your friend was related to the death of your family. That she's the daughter of the one responsible for the deaths of your parents. But the circumstances of her birth, of her father's actions, this wasn't anything she chose."
The silvery-haired girl sat on her bed. Slowly, Ai sat up, if only to get a better look at her Servant.
"It's terrible, to know that someone you call a friend, an ally, was tied to something like that," she continued. "You can't possibly know what to do. It's almost unimaginable. But it's nothing that she chose, nor that she desired. How could Inoue-san have known what to tell you?"
Ai was silent. It wasn't as if Saber's words were untrue. She knew that Tsubaki bore no real responsibility for the deaths of her parents, that it was entirely the acts of her father. But at the same time, how did someone even talk to the child of their parents' killer?
"But it's not only that," Saber continued, turning to face her Master. "You wanted to make your parents proud, didn't you? And you have been. You've been pushing forward every day and doing everything you can to fight in this Holy Grail War. I'm sure that they're happy to know how hard you've been fighting. You can't let yourself falter now, can you?"
For a few moments, Ai simply didn't say anything. But then…
"… Fighting in the war that killed them, making friends with the child of the man who killed them…" she said, morosely, "That sure is something to be proud of, isn't it…?"
"Showing your prowess as a magus, coming out on top again and again," Saber responded, "And don't just say I'm the only reason you ever won a battle, you're the one who summoned me and helped to create the plan that defeated Rider. Your familiars are the reason we won that battle. But there's more to it than that, Master."
There was more to it? Ai had entered this war because she knew it was what the organization wanted, and that it was something she thought that would make her parents proud. But in the end, it didn't seem like any of that was true, any longer. Aside from the organization's desire to ensure that she entered the war, would her parents ever had been proud of something like this? The small magus couldn't see how, nor she could see what else was left.
"You've pushed forward, because of yourself. Because of your own desires, Master," Saber continued, a small smile coming to her lips as she looked down at her Master, "You've made it this far of your own free will. If you didn't want to succeed for yourself, could you have kept fighting, truly? I'm certain that's what your parents would have wanted to see, above anything else. Their daughter pushing ahead not simply for them, but because she wanted to."
Was that true…? She'd… Ai placed one hand to her chest. She'd pushed forward all this time, she'd wanted to win… even after something as terrible as the fate of Yumimura Saori came to life, she'd wanted to keep fighting. For her parents' sake, for her organization's sake, for the sake of ending the war before any other innocent people got hurt, but also… also because she had made it so far, because if it ended now… what was the reason for coming so far in the first place?
She had no wish for the Holy Grail. But at the same time, to win it… after everything had happened, if she stopped now…
"… You talk about me like I'm someone amazing, Saber," she responded, averting her eyes from the beautiful samurai, "But I'm not. You keep saying what a wonderful Master I am, but all I've done is stood by and watched while you won every battle. Before I summoned you… I just drifted through life. No-one spoke to me, I didn't speak to anyone else. I just stayed in my room alone."
Her fingers gripped at the bedsheets, as she stared down at her lap.
"I was like a ghost. The only time anyone even said anything to me was when they had to. And now the first girl who ever decided I was worth talking to… the first friend I made in over ten years…"
She could feel the tears beginning to well up again.
But then, she felt Saber's hand on her shoulder.
"You are an amazing person, Ai. You were thrust into a battle between heroic spirits right out of legend, and you've made it this far. You've helped me recover from serious injuries, and supplied me with enough mana that I feel like I can do anything!" she replied, her smile growing slightly, "You've participated in planning battles that defeated powerful enemies, and as for Inoue-san…"
Slowly, Ai looked up.
"There's no doubt in my mind that she truly, truly cares. Sometimes, terrible things happen, and you might think that there's nothing you can do. Sometimes even the people you care about seem to have become a part of something terrible. But you have to keep going, with a smile on your face. I don't mean simply bearing it. I don't mean bottling up your feelings inside. I mean that you should smile and push forward so that there can be a better tomorrow."
"… S-Saber…"
Ai trembled, eyes wide. Her Servant… those words were… It was everything that Saber truly believed. That she really was amazing, that Tsubaki… really had wanted to be her friend for more reasons than just guilt, that… that there could be a future that was worth it.
This beautiful girl truly believed in her.
Everything, in that moment, bubbled over in Ai's heart. Tears flowing freely down her cheeks, Ai leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her Servant, tightly, pulling herself close to the other girl and burying her face in the fabric of her clothing. For a few moments, she stayed like this, the girl samurai returning the favor, and holding her close, but that sensation in her chest kept building up more and more…
"S-Saber… I-I… I…"
She quaked, looking up towards her lovely Servant's face…
"I-I love you!"
For a moment, the entire world seemed to go still. In that instant, Ai had no longer been able to restrain her feelings. She'd realized it for a while now, known what the feeling that welled up in her heart every time she looked at her Servant truly was. But she hadn't been able to speak about it before. She hadn't been able to tell the beautiful Saber-class Servant just how it was she felt. Whether it be due to her own hesitation, or due to outside interference, before this very moment she had simply never been able to say it. But now, it had come pouring out all at once.
The girl samurai's silver-gold eyes widened. Ai could see her cheeks flushing, but she didn't reply immediately… so Ai continued.
"I… E-ever since I s-saw you for the first time, I… I couldn't get over how beautiful you are," the short brunette said, her heart hammering in her chest, her hands trembling, "But… but that wasn't all! You're… you're so skilled… and kind… y-you… you truly believe in me. I-it's not just because you're my Servant, it's because you're such a kind and loving person."
For a few moments, her words hung in the air. But she wasn't done.
"You… you say you're a manslayer, but you're so much more than that! You're so brave, you're so gentle… you were kind to me, any time I felt like I can't go on you always know what to say… You did everything you could to help Alys-chan, even though she was one of our enemies… A-and you're so elegant, and beautiful… y-your hair, your f-face… th-those lovely eyes… I… I really… I truly love you, Saber!"
"I… I…"
Saber stumbled over herself for a moment, opening and closing her mouth.
"You… love… me? But… I'm… I…" she trailed off, placing one hand to one of her flushed cheeks, another over her heart. In that moment,
Ai couldn't help but wonder if Saber's heart was beating just as fast as her own. "I… Ah…"
Both of the pale girl's hands raised to her cheeks, which had become even more red at this point.
"B-but I… I'm… I'm a manslayer who doesn't know anything about love! I n-never… I never… n-no one ever told me anything l-like that…" she trailed off for a few moments, her entire body trembling, "I-I'm not H-Hijikata-san, I… I never had any l-lovers… I-I didn't even know girls could… girls could…"
She stumbled over herself, and there was a small part of Ai that felt a little amused that she'd managed to set her beautiful Saber completely off-balance… But the rest of her was horribly nervous.
However, it was Saber herself who had said that you had to keep pushing forward, wasn't it?
"I… I've never said anything like this to anyone before, either," replied Ai, her golden eyes drifting downwards slightly, "It's the first time I ever felt this way about someone… I… I've known I liked girls for a while, but… but I never came to love anyone this way… until now… S-Saber… I…"
Now it was her turn to stumble over herself, her gaze drifting back up towards her Servant's eyes, her hands clenching at the sheets.
"… M-maybe… maybe that's…" Saber half-mumbled, then shook her head, "I… d-didn't know girls could love other girls… and I didn't know about love at all… is that why I couldn't tell…?"
Why she couldn't tell? Ai wasn't certain what her Servant meant by that.
"S-Saber…?"
"… I've felt strange for a while now, Master," continued the swordswoman, softly, "I wasn't sure what it was… my chest felt strange. It felt so tight inside… like something was going to burst inside of me. But I'd never felt it before, so I didn't know what it was. I just knew I felt that way when we talked, Master…"
Saber… Saber felt that way whenever they talked, but she didn't realize what this meant? Ai had been afraid. She'd been scared that Saber wouldn't feel the same way about her, she'd been terrified that Saber wouldn't even be capable of feeling that way for another girl. That was one of the reasons it had been so hard to say anything before. But now, Ai was learning that she'd felt like this for so long, she just didn't know what it meant…
"… W-was that love, Master?" Saber asked, hands still on her flushed cheeks, "I… I didn't know. I wanted to stay close to you and protect you, but… but I thought that was because you were my Master. I liked being near you, but I thought it was because we were friends, and Master and Servant. I didn't realize that… this tightness in my chest was anything else…"
Slowly, she lowered her hands from her face.
"… I… I didn't even know I was… I liked… girls like that…" she murmured, "B-but… Master… y-you could… really love a manslayer with a transient body like me? S-someone who never even realized what love f-felt like? S-someone who… who never…"
Saber trailed off, her silvery-gold eyes drifting downwards as she did.
"… It's… it's okay, Saber," responded Ai, a shaky smile forming on her lips, "I already told you. You're so much more than a manslayer."
Slowly, she reached out, placing her hand on top of Saber's.
"And this… this is my first time doing anything like this, too…" she added, looking into her Servant's eyes again. It wasn't as if she'd never felt an inkling of this sort of feeling before. There had been other girls before where she felt some attraction… it was how she'd learned she was attracted to the same sex in the first place. But she'd never been so close to anyone to develop feelings of love, before now. Ai had always been too frightened to even speak to anyone, let alone spark any kind of relationship. But now, with all this time spent alongside that beautiful girl that was her Servant…
"… Th-this isn't anything like… like… I-I… I thought… I…" Saber was stumbling over herself, her fingers grasping weakly at the sheets as she did. Ai's grip on her soft hand tightened. Even her hands were so beautiful, pale, delicate-looking… Even though Saber was the taller of the two girls, she had always possessed this fragile look. And yet she'd proven time and time again just how much of a skilled and strong fighter she was, how capable she was in combat, in spite of looking so frail. And yet right now, she seemed just as fragile as she looked, completely unprepared for anything relating to romance.
And yet, deep down, Ai felt the same way. Everything had just come spilling out of her so quickly. Her emotions had bubbled over and come pouring right out of her, almost before she could even think. But in this moment, she couldn't help but be glad… no matter how much her heart hammered in her chest, no matter how much she had been afraid, she was so incredibly happy she had finally told Saber her feelings. She was so happy she had learned that the girl samurai really had shared such feelings. In spite of everything that had happened, she couldn't help but feel joy.
"Aaaah," Saber cried, suddenly, "This isn't a-anything like swordplay! I-I don't know what to s-say, I… I…"
The sudden outburst was surprising, but there was no way to ignore that it was really quite cute, as well… Saber was not only beautiful, but cute. There were so many reasons to love her, her appearance, her personality… there was nothing about her that Ai didn't love.
"… Y-you've said s-so much and I-I've b-barely… s-said anything…" mumbled Saber, her cheeks having grown even more flushed. "Y-you… y-you're… c-cute! A-and beautiful! A-ah… a-and you're a lot braver then you think you are, a-and y-you're a wonderful M-Master and… and… and…"
Beautiful? She was beautiful even though she had this immature, child-like body? For a moment it was Ai's turn to be taken aback, but she found herself smiling.
"You… you don't need to say anything, Saber," she said, finding herself stammering less and less. "The fact that you feel the same way is all I needed to know. I'm… I'm so happy, I was scared you wouldn't feel that way about me…"
"… I d-didn't know I did, until now…" responded Saber, averting her eyes, blushing more deeply by the second, "I-I'm so skilled with the sword, but I guess my own feelings are a completely different matter, aren't they?"
"As long as you know now… does it really matter that you didn't realize before? A-as long as we both know now…" Ai trailed off, shifting uncertainly. She knew what she was trying to say, but she wasn't sure how well she was coming across.
"… I-it really is nothing like swordplay," commented Saber, a weak smile on her face as she raised her gaze once more, "But… I…"
The pale platinum blonde took a deep breath, her fingers digging into the bedsheets once again.
"I-I love you, too, Master!"
Ah… it wasn't as if Saber's words hadn't made it clear how she felt, but hearing her say it directly like that… it was completely different, hearing her directly say 'I love you'. For a few moments, Ai was almost stunned, unable to do or say anything else, her heartbeat hammering faster and faster in her slight chest, her hands trembling. Saber had really said it, all on her own… it was… it was wonderful. It was almost too wonderful. Did she really deserve to hear something like that?
"… B-but… but now that we both know… wh-what do we do now?" she heard Saber ask, the flushed girl shifting awkwardly as she sat on the bed. She seemed to be at a loss, and to be honest it wasn't as if Ai knew what she was doing next, either. Everything had come out in a wave of feelings, rather then anything that had been planned out. Her emotions had just erupted. She had no idea what the next step was, not when it came to this or anything else. But it was like Saber said, wasn't it? She had to keep pushing forward.
"… I… I don't know, Saber," she confessed, "But… that means we can both figure out what to do together, doesn't it?"
It was strange. Even if she was still nervous… had Saber's words really given her a confidence boost? After all this time, had she really become more confident? Ai wasn't sure, but it almost felt like it… knowing that Saber returned her feelings, knowing that her words were true. What ever the case was, she was glad that she could be honest about her feelings.
"… That's true, isn't it?" Saber raised one hand, placing it atop one of Ai's as she did, still quivering slightly. "And it's only… it's just how it should be. We're Master and Servant, a-after all…"
Ai smiled up at the swordswoman. Saber still didn't seem to know what to say, but she was trying so hard… as long as they both knew they loved one another, though… That was what really mattered. There was a few moments where the both of them remained like this, but Ai, looking up into her Servant's beautiful silvery-gold eyes, her soft lips…
Ah, she simply couldn't help it any longer, could she?
The short brunette's body almost moved automatically, leaning up, placing her hands on Saber's arms as she did. Shakily, her heart pounding her chest, she leaned close… Saber didn't seem to understand, for a moment, but then…
Their lips met. Saber… she was so soft, so beautiful… Ai trembled, feeling the warmth of the other girl as she pulled herself closer. It seemed as if Saber was in a moment of shock, but soon enough… she'd raised her hands and placed them on Ai's shoulders, holding the smaller girl as well, feeling the sensation of their lips locking against one another.
It was one of the most wonderful things that Ai had ever felt in her entire life.
A few moments later, both girls fell onto the bed together.
And Ai was able to learn first-hand just how soft and smooth Saber's body really was.