The room is silent, with only the few moments of disturbance from her quiet breathing and shuffling of feet across the tiles. The girl carefully stands on her toes as she places the book back on the shelf from where she took it.
Making her way towards the couch, she gently sits on it before pulling her legs closer towards her, with her chin rested on her knees. Her pupils glance over towards the man who seemed to be going over some important documents, a serious expression worn over his features.
How long had he been inside of this room without proper rest? A day or two maybe? Or perhaps even longer? The girl couldn't help but stare at the man in wonder, curious as to how he can continue going about with his work without seeming tired or exhausted.
As if he felt her eyes on her, the man looks up from the bundles of papers in his hands at her, the corners of his lips curling up slowly to form a smile. "Ah, Hakuno...are you done reading the book? That was fast," he commented, earning a nod from the brown-haired female.
The man continues to smile as he goes on with his work, the girl's eyes never leaving his stature. "Sorry, but I don't think I'll be done anytime soon. You can go ahead and rest first if you like," he says after a moment, eyes still glued onto the papers. Hakuno's eyes drift towards her feet. "...It's fine...I'm ok," she replies slowly in a soft voice.
In all the time that she's spent in this room, there had only been a few moments where he'd ask her to help with his work...most of which was just to sort some papers into stacks for him to read later. Closing her eyes, she allows the calm silence to ease her mind, the sound of the clock ticking by a corner. Really...what a wonder it was for him to be so busy.
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Archer had long been awake, watching over his sleeping master in silence. Though stirring every now and then, the girl mostly kept still, with the slow rise and fall of her chest to indicate that she was still alive and well despite appearing to look like some dying patient on their deathbed.
The past events that occurred mere hours ago began resurfacing in his mind; the look on her face while she cried, the way her body shook in such fear as she spoke, and the hopelessness that was laced in her voice as she broke down in tears before him. Never did he imagine seeing such despair on her features. In fact, her crying back in the nurse's office was almost nothing compared to the spluttering mess she had been a few hours ago; she was probably holding it in back then.
Somehow, the man couldn't help but feel pity towards his master, fully aware that she was a person of no past experience in magecraft, alchemy or any form of sorcery for that matter to be even qualified as a decent magus. This girl was but a fragile being who was forced to participate, to slaughter and kill to live. Then again, it wasn't like she had much of a choice when given the option to survive and continue onto the main tournament or die during the prelims.
Their opponent this time was idiotic but otherwise a tough foe. While Archer himself usually wouldn't be saying this, he himself had a tough time dealing with the opponent's servant whenever they faced off in the Arena. Not only is he lacking in strength due to his master's noviceness, the female herself was pretty reluctant in hurting Shinji to begin with. Forget about hurting, they were going to face a battle to the death when the week ends, and only one of them of going to emerge victorious while the other dead.
The man gave a quiet sigh, massaging the bridge of his nose in irritation at the situation they were in. While he did ensure his master earlier that he would fight with all he got, he still had his doubts. Sure, he would fight against Rider and protect his master till he drew his last breath, but even then there was no telling what could happen in the next 2 days or during the Elimination Battle.
It was then that he noticed her waking up. It took a few minutes before the girl places her hands to her eyes, rubbing them gently as her fingers graze over her eyelashes. She slowly pops her eyes open as she does so, letting out a tired groan as her chocolate brown irises moved left to right to gaze at her surroundings. While still a little swollen and looking tired, Archer was overall glad that her eyes didn't look red and bloodshot. Her body shifts on the bed before she rises to a sitting form.
"Good morning Master," he promptly greets. This of course, causes her to look at him. She pauses, taking a moment to stare at him, looking to be deep in thought before a gentle shade of pink colours her cheeks. She shift aways slightly to avoid looking at him, replying back with a quiet "...Good morning Archer." which seemed slightly uncharacteristic of her seeing that she had been greeting him with a smile these past few mornings. She must still be slightly embarassed after last night's incident. Well...anyone would be after breaking down like that.
...And on another side note, he was also glad that her throat seemed fine (despite it sounding a little raspy than usual) as well.
Deciding not to linger on last night's event, Archer clears his throat. "You seemed to have slept well. I hope that you're ready for another hectic day?" he inquires. This causes her to visibly stiffen, before she finally turns to me, a rather forced smile on her lips. "Yeah, I am."
While Archer didn't really mind letting his master rest a little more, it was better for them to get as much training as they can within the short period of time they had left. That...and Archer didn't wanna risk his master having another bad dream or something; he had been through a lot just to console her after just one nightmare.
After showering and getting dressed, the two exited the room, with Archer disappearing into astral form as soon as Hakuno opened the door. "So, what's the agenda for today Master? Are we going to do anything besides attending classes and getting more info on our opponent?"
Despite the fact that not even a week has passed, the two were doing the same repetitive routine that it seemed like a schedule at some point...not that he cared. After all, there was nothing much one could do when they're stuck inside a killing game of all things.
"Hmm...I was thinking of heading to the commisary to stock up on supplies since we did use quite a few ether crystals yesterday in the arena. library to research more on Rider's background before classes start. Then I suppose we can head to the library to research more on Rider's background before classes start. That, and I was also thinking of getting more points for the Alteration of the Soul when we head into the arena later after classes end. Besides those, I think that we can pretty much do the usual," Hakuno replies, tapping her chin as if trying to remember if she had forgotten anything else. At the casual mention of this, Archer's expression turns to one of surprise.
"...What?" the girl asks after some time when she realized the odd reaction and silence she was getting. "Ah...no. Perhaps it was just me overthinking things," her partner replies, crossing his arms over his chest. "...? What do you mean by that?" She tilts her head to the side, frowning at him as an obvious sign that she had no idea what he was talking about.
"Er...no...well...I presumed that you would still be shaken up after yesterday's Alteration of the Soul...but it seems that I was wrong." Hakuno blanks out at his statement, taking a moment to process his words. Yesterday's Alteration of the Soul...? What could he be-
"...Oh." Suddenly realizing what he meant, a light tint appears on her cheeks as she looks away. "Wait...don't tell me you've already forgotten? After you were so embarassed too-" "I wasn't embarassed! You just...said it in such a roundabout way," she immediately replies, cutting him off before he could finish.
Biting down on her lower lip, she forces herself to look back at him in the eye, praying that her face was not flushed red. "B-Besides...if we managed to get through to the next round, we'll have to get used to...holding hands and all," she adds, attempting to sound dead serious. She did have a point. It wasn't like she could keep acting like some main character in an otome game if she was going to have to hold her servant's hand every time they did an Alteration of the Soul; this was to strengthen Archer after all.
This war that she was in was a matter of life or death itself, with no in-betweens. She certainly couldn't place herself against the other masters if she were to continue to act the way she currently was. Her servant goes silent at her words for a brief moment, before he lets out a small chuckle. "...Get through to the next round, huh?"
"W-What's so funny?" Hakuno asks, slightly dumbfounded by his change in attitude. "Nothing, nothing at all. I just noticed that you sound more like an actual master with the way you planned out the day." Hakuno narrows her eyes at Archer, unsure of whether he was being sarcastic as usual or not. "Um...thanks...I guess? Doesn't sound much like a compliment when you say it though," she slowly replies, muttering the last sentence under her breath.
Upon walking down the hallway to get to the commissary, she almost runs into the school's nurse, Sakura Matou. The violet-haired girl smiles kindly at her as soon as their eyes met, her rosy lips quirked upwards. "Ah, good morning Kishinami-san! I hope that you've slept well last night." "Ah...yeah." Somehow, it felt kinda odd bumping into her now of all times, especially while knowing that she was an AI.
"Oh, that's right! I almost forgot to give you something!" Rummaging through the large pockets of her white lab coat, Sakura eventually takes out what appears to be large pouch of ether powder. "Starting today, the nurse's office will be stocking healing supplies. These healing suuplies will be distributed once per round to all participating masters. With that said, please don't forget to drop by when you have a spare moment!"
With the smile not leaving her features, Sakura waves and slowly walks away, retreating back to the nurse's office. Hakuno watches her with raised eyebrows before she stores the healing item away in her terminal's item inventory. This item would certainly come in handy later at the Arena.
Heading downstairs to the commissary, she takes notice almost instantly of an all-too familiar girl standing by the counter, her twintails swaying in motion to her head as she looks to be asking the lady at the counter about something. Carefully approaching her, Hakuno waits until the woman at the counter nods and walks away to retrieve whatever item that Rin had ordered. "Hey Rin."
Turning her head, Rin's sea-blue eyes meet Hakuno's as she flashed her a smile. "Oh, hey there Hakuno. How are things doing between you and wakame?" she casually brings up. Hakuno sweatdrops; by wakame she meant 'him', didn't she?
"Everything's alright so far. What about you?" Rin leans her back against the counter as she sighs. "It's okay, though my opponent this round seems a little feisty whenever we meet in the Arena. It's a little troublesome dealing with them I'd say," she sighs. "Ah...I see..." So even strong people like Rin face a problem or two with their opponent. It was reassuring to know that she wasn't the only one stuck with a problematic opponent.
"So, I know this seems kinda random and all but I couldn't help but eavesdrop on your conversation with Leo yesterday." Stiffening, Hakuno watches as Rin drums her fingers along the counter, a neutral expression on her face. "That's...well..."
Sighing, the red-clothed girl leans against the counter, propping her elbow on it as she rested her left cheek on her hand. "Relax, I won't bite, nor will I tell you who you should or should not be conversing with." At the mention of it, the brown-haired girl blinks in surprise. "...However, I will warn you once again. Everyone in here apart from the NPCs and your servant are your enemies...me included of course."
Rin's eyes wander towards the few masters present in the cafeteria, her neutral expression unchanging as she went on. "It's fine to talk with them every now and then but...if you let your guard down for even a second, it'll be game over for you," she says just as the counter lady came back with her items. Storing them away in her terminal, Rin throws her hair over her shoulder, her lips now curling upwards to form a smile.
"Anyway, the Elimination Battle's in two days, and I look forward to seeing who emerges as the survivor in your battle," Rin smirks, playfully slapping Hakuno across the shoulder before she walks off. Hakuno watches her in confusion as the proud woman strodes off upstairs. Hakuno bites down on her lower lip as she watches Rin slowly disappear to the first floor.
The woman's words certainly held some truth in them, and even her servant had warned her in advance of such a thing. Her mind flashes back to Nagisa, the same girl who continuosly approached her and talked with her like they were old friends. Rin had also been, in a way, helping her out whenever she was clueless or lost these past few days. They both were considered an enemy, that of which Hakuno had to remind herself after every conversation they had...yet...
Why is it so difficult to grasp and accept it in her mind? Was she really starting to consider Nagisa and Rin as her friends? Is her judgement getting clouded over by her mind rejecting the notion that those two girls are and will be her enemies throughout the course of the war?
The girl shakes her head. She souldn't start to feel sentimental now. In this war, there's no point befriending anyone. Friends will eventually abandon you and betray you at a moment's notice for their own survival and benefit anyway. Even people like Nagisa and Rin...
No, she shouldn't think of such things now. She had other things to do for the day, and she certainly didn't want such negativity to obstruct her in any way. The Elimination Battle was drawing close, and she had to ensure that she was prepared for it.
The brown-haired female barely manages to get to the library door after restocking on her supplies when it is violently slammed open, and out comes a pissed looking Shinji. "Dang it! I searched through all those books in the library and yet nothing! What a waste of my time!" he practically roars, causing Hakuno to cringe. Unfortunately for her, she was caught in yet another hallway with nowhere to hide...what a wonderful way to begin her day. Then again, the school's campus wasn't that big to begin with...so she wasn't too shocked to run into him first thing in the morning.
...She really wished she didn't though.
And of course, because she wasn't hiding like last time, Shinji sees her almost immediately. "H-Hakuno?! W-Well well well...to think that we'd meet so soon again right after our little brawl yesterday," he begins, blowing off a strand of hair from his face as he runs a hand through his hair. Hakuno had to resist wrinkling her nose in disgust as she manages to force a crooked smile on her lips. "Yeah...you too."
Shinji, as if not already sensing how incredibly uncomfortable Hakuno was feeling, started to yammer like usual about how he was gonna 'kick both her and her servant's asses' and that she stood no chance against her, with Hakuno only half-listening and practically tuning Shinji out like he was white noise. Well, part of her also didn't really feel like listening after the nightmare she had last night.
"Anyway, don't think that you can get off so easily today! I will definitely emerge as the champion for this round whether you like or or not, you hear me?!" Shinji finally concludes as he practically shoves Hakuno out of the way as he walks down the hallway, with Hakuno's eyebrows creasing to form a frown. She was well aware of Shinji's bad temper, but it seemed like his ability to lose his patience at practically anything had increased by thousandfold since the preliminaries.
"Don't let his words get to you. The guy's probably resulting to lame insults because he doesn't have much going on for him. That, and he'll be penalized even further if he tries to do anything else like he did to you in the girls' restroom the other day," Archer says, his voice cutting through her thoughts. Hakuno lets out a sigh in response. Archer had a point; there was no use worrying about trivial matters when she should be focusing on preparing for the Elimination Battle. "I suppose you're right."
"...At the end of the day, the master who prepares and plan ahead the most will emerge as the winner. Continue doing your part, and I can guarantee you that I'll last against Rider," he adds in, lightly flicking Hakuno on the forehead to remove the frown from her features. Hakuno looks up and blinks at her servant at his advice. That was...unexpected. Was this his way of supposedly cheering her up after last night?
Unknowingly, a small smile appears onto her features. "Yeah, thanks Archer." Archer gives a nod, crossing his arms over his chest, his stoic expression unchanged just as Hakuno enters the library to scout out for more books regardinh her current opponent's servant.
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The bell rings just as Taiga Fujimura dismisses the class, dashing out of the classroom like usual as Hakuno stares absentmindedly out the window. To think that she would be forced into a life-or-death battle with Shinji in two days. It was still something unbelievable and difficult to digest even after so many days had already passed. A sigh casually slips from her lips she she buried her face on her desk.
It didn't help that she couldn't find much on Rider earlier since classes were about to commence by the time she found the books she wanted. She would probably have to come back later or even tomorrow to continue her research given the time she had left to do her training in the Arena.
That's right...she and Archer had to get stronger. She had already gotten a good amount of information on Shinji's servant, and had studied up on all the battle tactics Taiga had taught during the lessons. The only thing left to do is get her training done in the Arena. After all, despite the knowledge she had of Rider, the servant was still pretty strong, and could definitely tip the odds against her and Archer if they weren't careful.
Hakuno sighs once again, well aware of how often she had been doing so. She should've been more or less prepared for the Elimination Battle...yet the sense of unease and dread still lingers in her. That, and the nightmare last night had only helped in increasing her doubt and worry.
Eventually lifting her head from her desk, she could already spot a familiar individual walking towards her. Turning her head, she gives a half-smile at Nagisa just as she reaches her table. "Hey there...couldn't help but notice you looking rather down. You ok?" Nagisa asks, offering her a sympathetic smile.
Hakuno forces herself to laugh at her question despite knowing the answer all too well. "Yeah...just a little tired, that's all." Nagisa tilts her head to the head, quirking an eyebrow at her response but decides to pursue no further.
Staring at Nagisa, Hakuno couldn't help but feel a little envious of her. Despite being fully aware that her opponent this round is quite powerful, possibly even more powerful than Rider, Nagisa still looks unfazed and energetic. It was one thing that Hakuno wished she had, given at how pessimistic she's been ever since the first round had begun.
"Hey Nagisa...about your Elimination Battle with Leo...," Hakuno begins. "Hmm? What about it?" Hakuno hesitates, unsure of how to approach her question before she finally asks after a moment of thinking. "That is...are you confident in...winning against him?"
Hakuno is met with silence as Nagisa stares at her blankly. The brown-haired master looks down at her hands in her lap, clearly regretting asking such a preposterous question. She hoped that Nagisa wouldn't misunderstand or take in her question the wrong way. "...Why do you ask?" Nagisa asks slowly, her voice carefully calm and somewhat relaxed.
Judging from the way her bright and happy demeanor had vanished from the moment Hakuno had raised the question, it was obvious that Nagisa was either curious or suspicious of the reason for her to do so. "That's...I do not mean to offend you. I'm merely curious. You always seem positive so..." The words tumbled clumsily out of her mouth, and Hakuno seems to be at a loss for words as she begins playing with the hem of her skirt nervously, with Nagisa not saying anything.
The minutes continued to tick by, with awkward silence and tension weighing the air. At this point, Hakuno was starting to regret asking in the first place. Maybe it was better if she hadn't...
"Well...the way I see it, approaching something positively is the best way you can get results right?" Hakuno looks up, blinking as her eyes widened ever so slightly. "...Huh?" Nagisa lets out a chuckle in amusement at her surprised look as she goes on.
"I mean...others may say that thinking in such a way means you're digging your own grave, but from my point of view, you can only truly achieve something you want by moving forward and being positive, even when things aren't looking so swell." Sitting onto the chair in front of Hakuno, Nagisa props her elbows on her desk and rests her chin in her hands.
"Sure, there aren't a lot of good things to get out of this chaotic holy grail war, but if you keep looking at the bad side of things, you'll eventually lose confidence in yourself that you'll be able to achieve anything...even surviving." Hakuno stays quiet as she goes on. "Only by acting positive can you start to think that you can achieve it. And when you think that you can achieve it, you start to try your best to achieve it. I mean...there's no denying that Leo and his servant are hella strong and it seems like a great feat to defeat him...but I want to believe that I can beat him."
Leaning over, Nagisa places her hand on Hakuno's shoulder. "You're a great gal Hakuno...though at times I can't help but think that you need more confidence in yourself." She gives a wide grin to emphasize her point.
"Although we won't know how things will turn out in the future, I'd like to focus on the present as it is and take things one step at a time for now. You may not be a super strong master now, but you outta believe in yourself more that you can kick Shinji's ass! After all, you've also worked super hard to try and get stronger right? Then be proud of your efforts and don't let it go to waste with your negativity."
Nagisa stands, retracting her hand back to her side. "At any rate, I'm still going to do my best in the Elimination Battle and come back alive...so you should too Hakuno!" Hakuno, unable to respond to Nagisa's words, merely nods, a smile slowly replacing the worried look she had on her face a few minutes ago.
Satisfied, Nagisa gives Hakuno a good slap across the back. "That's better! Anyway, I gotta go to the commissary to get some supplies. See ya!" With no more to be said, Nagisa brisk walks out of the classroom, leaving Hakuno feeling better than earlier.
"Has the girl's words served any useful purpose?" Archer asks, leaning against the wall. "...I suppose," was all Hakuno replied as she sorted her notes and stood up. "...I see." It was odd that such simple advice could give her even the slightest bit of motivation, and that alone seemed to bring a chuckle to Hakuno's lips. Exiting the classroom herself, Hakuno decides not to waste anymore time and head to the chapel to get an Alteration of the Soul done.
Opening the doors to the huge chapel, Hakuno quietly walks inside, stroding forward towards the huge floating cube to which the two sisters were already there. Upon noticing her presence, Touko adjusts her spectacles while Aoko stares at her with an amused look.
"Hey there kiddo. Here for another Alteration of the Soul?" Aoko asks. Hakuno nods as her servant dematerializes before them. "Well then, since you already know the procedure, let's get started right away."
Once the procedure had been completed (and Hakuno quickly retracted her hand from Archer's before her heart could possibly burst from her chest), the female master turned to leave the chapel and head to the Arena...but not before getting stopped by Touko. "By the way, who's your opponent for this round? I heard that your opponent was assigned later than the other masters."
"Ah...well it's...Shinji Matou." Ugh, just the sound of his name gave her a headache. "Shinji Matou...ah right. He's the intolerable and annoying brat that came in here like he owned the place. Wouldn't stop yammering the whole time...not to mention that his fanclub was irritating me to no end as well." Hakuno laughed sheepishly at her comment. Well, at least someone else agreed that he had an insufferable personality.
"At any rate, I'd advised you to be careful around him. I'm probably not the first one to say this...but that kid and his servant are fairly strong. That, and I'd be grateful if you could give him a few good punches to the face during the Elimination Battle." Hakuno sweatdropped; just what on earth did Shinji do or say when he came to the chapel yesterday?? Well, he did get thrown out so...it must've been pretty bad.
"Good luck. Personally, I'd bet on you winning over him. That idiot deserves a good beating," Aoko adds. Hakuno could only force a smile in return. "Thanks...I'll...definitely come back for another Alteration of the Soul before the Elimination Battle." Aoko smirks in response. "Sure, come back anytime you need to. We'll always be here to attend to masters of all sorts anyways."
Stepping out of the chapel, she comes face to face with an elderly man...more specifically the same man who had thrown Shinji and his followers out of the chapel yesterday. "Oh...hello there young one. We meet again," he greets, his expression remaining neutral. "Ah...yes." For some reason, there was something about this man that felt...slightly off, though Hakuno couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
"It must be odd seeing an old man like me participate in the holy grail war." Well that was unexpected; Hakuno thought that this man was an NPC at first. No wonder she thought that he seemed different compared to the other NPCs around the school. "Ah...no...that's..."
Without missing a beat, the man tips his head and walks into the chapel, stopping just a few feet from her as he turns. "Pardon me, but I must cut our conversation short. I too am here for an Alteration of the Soul before I head to the Arena." "O-Oh I see! Apologies for interrupting then." Not wanting to disturb him, Hakuno bows and quickly brisk walks back into the school building.
It was kinda hard to imagine that this seemingly harmless old man was actually a participating master as well...how odd yet intriguing. Did that mean that there were other masters like him who weren't students? Or maybe he was an exception? He could be pulling on her leg but...it didn't seem like he was lying to her either.
Standing before the door leading to the Arena, Hakuno checks to see if she had missed out on doing anything before proceeding to turn the doorknob. However, the moment she tried to open the door and enter the Arena, it seemed like she ran into a wall and was flung backwards after receiving a shock to her hand. Hakuno, now sitting on the floor stunned, winced as she touched her hand.
"Are you ok Master??" Archer asks almost immediately. Despite the pain that she was feeling in her hand, Hakuno slowly gets her feet, rubbing the spot that had received the shock. "Y-Yeah I'm ok...but...what was that?" Walking towards the door, Archer attempts to touch it, only for his hand to also receive a shock, only milder. "Tch, it seems like someone has put up a barrier to prevent you from entering the Arena," he replies, shaking his hand.
"A...A barrier?? Is...is that even allowed on school grounds?" Hakuno asks, bewildered. Setting up a barrier meant hacking into the system and altering the school's surroundings. Would the SE.RA.PH or Moon Cell even allow that in the first place?
"Technically, it shouldn't be possible for a master with amateur or low level hacking abilities. However, it is possible for an expert to set up a simple barrier...by placing a seal of some sort on the Arena door. It should be obvious that someone in this building doesn't want you to enter the Arena. And the only individual childish and cowardly enough to do that to you would of course be Shinji Matou," her servant explained.
Hakuno gritted her teeth. Of course Shinji had to go and cause her more trouble. Like it wasn't bad enough that he messed around with her like some toy for the past few days. Before, she just found him annoying but after these past few days, she was pissed at him to a point where steam could come out from her ears.
"Like they say, a leopard can't change its spots. Expect nothing but subterfuge from now on." Archer didn't even need to continue before Hakuno heard footsteps behind her. Whirling around, she glares at the person standing a few feet away from her, hands in their pockets and a large smirk on their lips.
"Hey there! Looks like you've been hitting the Arena pretty hard. Toughen up yet?" "Shinji...you did this didn't you?!" Shinji doesn't even try to deny her claims as he lets out a chuckle. "I was bored, so I decided to set up a few surprises here and there. My bad." Clenching her hands into fists, Hakuno continues to glare daggers at him. Just how childish and desperate was he to stoop as low as sabotaging her so she couldn't even enter the Arena?! This was just ridiculous!
"Oh, but I'm actually doing bottom feeding Masters like you a huge favour, since the Arena is a dangerous place. Weaklings like you shouldn't even need to step foot into the Arena to begin with," he goes on. "Release this barrier right now Shinji," Hakuno says, her voice calm despite the fact that she was ready to tackle Shinji to the ground and throttle him with her hands.
"Why should I? People like you should learn to remember your place. You've been getting rather cocky lately, and it's getting on my nerves, so I figured that I might as well teach you a lesson." The man pauses, giving another a chuckle before he continues. "...But if you must enter the Arena, you must track down the two magic sijils I set. However, once you make it into the Arena, I'll crush you like a cockroach. Show up if you dare." With his smirk growing wider, Shinji turns and begins walking away.
"See you later. Oh, and where are the magic sijils you ask? Find them yourself, loser!" With no more to be said, Shinji walks away and disappears down the hallway before Hakuno could give him a piece of her mind. The female master resisted the urge to curse aloud as she bit down on her bottom lip, attempting to calm herself down.
"Not to be offensive or anything Master, but I sometimes feel more like a babysitter than a servant." "...You don't say." At this point, Hakuno didn't even have a witty comeback; she was just plain upset to even care about Archer's sarcasm.
"Anyway, all jokes aside, this barrier is fairly weak, and is caused by an anomaly in the area's programming code. I guess that leaves us no choice but to track down the two locations that little vermin put his sijils," Archer suggests just as Hakuno was beginning to settle down. Right, she had no time to waste on the likes of Shinji. This barrier was probably one of his twisted ideas in getting her to at the very least, lose her composure and panic anyway. As of now, she should probably focus on finding those sijils so she could enter the Arena.
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She wasn't gonna lie...but finding those sijils was practically a joke.
While searching the first floor, she came across Sakura yet again who told her that Shinji had apparently stuck something on the door to the nurse's office which was preventing her from entering. Upon heading to the nurse's office, Hakuno confirmed her suspicions that Shinji had indeed placed one of the sijils on the door to the nurse's office of all places, promptly pulling it out. As soon as she did, the sijil fizzles into data.
"That's one down. The next sijil should probably be somewhere within the school building as well. Let's go and find it," Archer says. With a nod of the head, the two carry on with their search for the second sijil.
The second location wasn't too much of a hassle either. Nagisa had apparently gone back to the classroom to get something she had left behind when she saw Shinji placing something onto the desk next to Hakuno's and decided to tell her about it. And of course, that was where the second sijil was. Hakuno almost wanted to laugh out loud at how bad Shinji was at placing those sijils, but decided against it and quickly peeled it off. Like the first sijil, the second one also fizzled and faded away from her away into data.
"Now that's been taken care of, we can stop playing this silly game that we've been dragged into, though I won't deny that whoever initially dreamed this trap up is either a genius...or a savant. It's too bad that Shinji is an utter moron when it comes to finding suitable locations to place the sijils. Both the sijils were placed in locations that could easily be discovered or noticed by anyone. It could either be that he was doing it on purpose to distract you...or he's clearly an idiot." As much as Hakuno wouldn't really mind Archer going on, now wasn't exactly the best time to talk about Shinji.
"Since both the sijils are gone, that barrier around the Arena entrance should be gone as well. Let's hurry back so we can head to the Arena and get our training done," Archer instructs. Hakuno wasn't gonna complain as the two quickly headed downstairs and back towards the Arena entrance. She was well aware that they had wasted enough time playing Shinji's mind games when they could've been training in the Arena...so Hakuno wasn't gonna start arguing with Archer on that anytime soon.
As soon as Hakuno reached the Arena Entrance, she halted just a few feet away from the door, surprised and highly exasperated to see Shinji yet again...only this time his back was facing them and judging from the way he was acting, he hasn't noticed them yet.
...If Hakuno hadn't calmed down earlier, she was pretty sure that she would've gone over and given Shinji a good punch to his cheek or jaw by now. The amount of tedious and unnecessary trouble that both Hakuno and her servant had to go through and endure because of him was beyond infuriating.
Glancing at the door, she was relieved to see that the barrier was indeed gone, which meant that she could now head into the Arena to get her training done. Hakuno was about to call out to Shinji when he begins speaking aloud, shaking his head as he placed a hand to his forehead.
"Hmph, they got here faster than I expected. But all that means is that they didn't collect much treasure." Hakuno pauses. 'Didn't collect much treasure'? What did he mean by that? The brown-haired female doesn't even get a chance to ponder on before Shinji magically disappears into the Arena before she could stop him.
"What was that all about?" she asks, hoping that her servant might have some sort of idea. "Hmm...I'm not sure either but...it could be information on his servant...you should probably check it out later after our training in the Arena." At the mention of this, Hakuno comes to a sudden realization as her body stiffens. This of course, doesn't go unnoticed by Archer. "...? What's wrong? Did you forget to do something?"
Hakuno fidgets uncomfortably, giving her partner an anxious look. "No that's not it. Do you think...we might run into Shinji and Rider?" Archer scratches the back of his neck, looking over at the door to the Arena. "There's a possibility, especially since we both just saw Shinji enter the Arena. But unlike our first encounter, we now know more about Rider. That being said, I can probably stand my ground against her and make an escape if necessary."
While Hakuno certainly didn't doubt her servant's strength or abilities, she couldn't erase the shadow of doubt that lingered in her mind, the terrible nightmare haunting her at the back of her head like a bad omen. Still, she was well aware that she had she had to go into the Arena.
Sensing her worry, Archer gives his master a brief pat on the head. "Don't worry Master, I promise that whatever happens, I will protect you as your servant. Rider's bullets won't even touch you." "I know that but...I can't help but feel worried. What about you?" Hakuno had already witnessed Archer getting severely injured during their encounters with Rider, and while he was her servant, Hakuno didn't really like the idea of him acting as her meat-shield and take on all of Rider's blows.
Archer couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. Even at a time like this, she was still worried about his wellbeing. He was starting to wonder if his master truly grasped the idea that her servant was a heroic spirit. "Master, you're worrying for nothing. If you had forgotten, all the servants who have been summoned for the holy grail war are all Legendary Souls, historic figures who have accomplished deeds that have changed human history one way or the other. We're all more or less equipped to fight." Seeing how she was clearly not convinced, Archer pokes her on the forehead.
"Though I know that you're concerned since Rider is quite powerful and my abilities are hindered by your noviceness as my master, I can more or less hold out until we escape even in a weakened state...otherwise I wouldn't be much of a Legendary Soul to begin with. I'll also be careful should we face her. After all, I did mention that you would make it to the Elimination Battle. That, and I also did mention that we would both kick Shinji and Rider's asses then and there didn't I?" Walking over towards the Arena door, Archer motions for Hakuno to come over. "I don't to take back what I said. So trust your servant on this at least, alright? Besides, didn't that girl tell you to see the more positive side of things? You should also take her words to heart then."
Hakuno stares at Archer for a moment, before she finally gives in and walks forward, her look of uncertainty replaced with a small smile. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go Archer." Though Hakuno still had her doubts, she knew that she could trust her servant's words. Since the very beginning, Archer had, in a way, reassured her that no matter what, he would fufill his duty as her servant and get them both to the Elimination Battle. Nagisa was right; she had to be more positive.
Standing before the all too familiar door, the two entered the Arena.
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Archer leans back onto his throne of chairs, glancing at his master who was sitting on her bed amongst a pile of books, her face currently burried in one of them. "Master...I know that finding information on Rider is essential, but don't you think that it's time for you to get some rest? You've been reading those books for hours and it's getting late."
Ever since they had returned from the Arena, Hakuno had been busy digging through all the books that she borrowed from the library to find anything regarding Shinji's servant. While the two of them were grateful that they never ran into Shinji or Rider in the Arena despite Shinji's threat earlier that afternoon, Archer couldn't help but feel that her master was being paranoid.
...Overly paranoid at this point.
Hearing no response from his master, Archer gives a long sigh as he stands and walks over towards her, gently plucking the book from her hands. Hakuno lets out a tiny cry of protest, reaching out to grab the book from him. "Give that back Archer. I was almost done reading that section," she says, her eyebrows knitting together.
"No can do. It's already past midnight and you're still engrossed in reading. If I didn't come over and stop you, you could be reading all the way till the sun rose," Archer replies, his voice laced in its usual sarcasm. Hakuno frowns, sitting back onto the bed and crossing her arms over her chest. "What's wrong with that? We need to know more about Rider before the Elimination Battle anyway."
Archer resisted the urge to sigh once again as he grabs the other books off the bed and places them on the table beside it. "It's true that learning more about your opponent is important, but getting sufficient rest is just as essential. How do you intend to train tomorrow in the Arena if you're not up to par?" He seemed to have hit the mark as his master flinches before she looks away, pouting. "I get that...but...the Elimination Battle is the day after tomorrow. I can't help it," she replies, her eyes downcast.
"It's normal for anyone to be paranoid. However, getting overly paranoid at this point won't do you any good. It's best to sleep so you'll have enough energy tomorrow. Since tomorrow is the final day of preparation before your Elimination Battle, that's all the more reason why you should sleep well. As your servant, I can't have you lagging behind because you didn't get sufficient rest the night before." Hakuno opens her mouth to protest, but soon clamps her mouth shut, unable to argue back.
On the other hand, it seems a bit odd now that she noticed. Maybe it was just her, but Archer seems...relaxed? Completely unfazed over the fact that the two of them were going to literally face a life or death battle. Maybe it was because he was once a hero that went through much more horrific situations when he was still alive, but even Hakuno found it hard to believe that he wasn't stressed out in the least unlike her. "You seem...overly relaxed," she decides to say, raising an eyebrow.
Deciding to forgo her thoughts of Shinji and Rider at the moment, there was something else that definitely needed an immediate answer. With all the running about and mayhem that the duo had to deal with these past few days, the female master herself had almost forgotten all about it. Now that she had some time to converse with the servant...it was time that she brought the topic to the table.
Archer gives her a confused look, signaling that he wasn't too sure what Hakuno was trying to say. Sighing, she crosses her arms over her chest and gives him an unamused expression. "Don't try to dodge the subject. I'm pretty sure I've briefly addressed this in the past, but your...condenscending attitude is an issue. Aren't servants supposed to...y'know...respect and obey their master?" She tries to ask this as calm and casually as possible, but the underlying tone of annoyance was still evident in her voice that she had to inwardly grimace.
Ugh, it wasn't really like her to be all nitpicky and point out the faults or flaws of others, and to be fair...she herself knows that she hasn't exactly behaved in a manner that was deserving of this man's respect. She certainly was also aware of the fact that she sounded somewhat similar to Shinji barking demands at Rider. ...Actually, scratch that, she didn't wanna think of Shinji at the moment after all the nonsense she's been through because of him.
If she really had to compare herself to the likes of Shinji, Shinji was probably way worse with the way he practically treated Rider almost like she was dirt beneath his feet. Anyone watching from a third person's view would've probably even pity Rider for having to be stuck with one of the most annoying masters there was in this war, or one of the most annoying people undeserving of sympathy on this planet in general. Nonetheless, if she wanted the two of them to work together smoothly, it was something that she had to do anyway, regardless of whether she or Archer liked it or not.
Archer places a hand over his mouth in a lousy attempt of hiding the smirk from his face. "Of course. As a servant, it is my obligation to obey a magus whose abilities allow me to use my full strength...Master," he replies, the last few words laced with that hint of sarcasm that only made the brown-haired female narrow her eyes at him. Oh, of course he had to play that card...!
Archer looks away, seemingly oblivious to the glare that Hakuno was now shooting him with. "Hmm...I wonder if there is a magus in that room who even comes close to that requirement," he further taunts, his smirk growing ever so slightly. Hakuno grits her teeth, resisting the urge to either retort back something highly unpleasant or give him a good whack across the face by flinging her shoe at him. Damn him and that smirk of his!
If only it were possible to...change servants or something just to avoid or put an end to all this sarcasm and derision! It wasn't that she was overexaggerating or was being bratty and ungrateful. In fact, she was thankful for Archer's strength and advice from time to time, but the way that he had been testing her limits these past few days with his onslaught of insults, teasing and verbal abuse was just...aggravating! Believe it or not, but Hakuno would've gladly preferred a beautiful, graceful servant who's at the very least respectful and not bitter and jaded!
"Hahaha. Hahahaha. Hahahahaha." The laughter that echoes in the room sounds both amused and sarcastic. Why that...! And Archer even has the nerve to laugh at his master despite the fact that she's ready to blow up like a firecracker in his face. It was painful enough as it is just having to deal with this attitude for the past few days, but now she has to sit and endure his insults and taunting right in front of her. Where does this red-caped buffoon even get off laughing at her with that smug look on his face?!
"Ah there's nothing quite like the painful, unvarnished truth of youthful scorn. If it makes you feel any better, I understand exactly how you feel." Oh...just perfect, he's even aware of it yet still chooses to do it nonetheless...surely the mind of a sadist at work. "However, fate hasn't smiled upon you it seems. The normal, well-balanced servants have been out of stock for many rooms at this location." And he still insists on going on with his teasing. Hakuno wasn't sure if she wanted to continue listening to him or not at this point.
"Also, this establishment has a strict no-return policy. I guess we're both out of luck aren't we...Master?" The brown-haired student had to bite down on her lower lip to fight against the increasing urge to curse aloud. This servant just wouldn't stop with the insults now, would he?? She could be lying on the ground half-dead with a broken limb or two and he'd probably still come up with a dozen witty comments before even bothering to help her.
Unfortunately, as much as she'd liked to open her mouth and argue with him, Archer already views her with enough contempt. She has a number of opinions about his...unique attitude and personality, but the best choice would probably be to keep them to herself for now. Any further protests will most likely just result in her receiving more scorn from him. The two already had an odd and rather rocky Master-servant relationship to begin with, to a point where Hakuno almost feels like she's threading on thin ice half the time, so if sucking it up will not worsen the crack any further...she'll do it.
Returning back to his throne of chairs, Archer gets himself into a comfortable position before propping his feet up. "On another note, congratulations. Shinji Matou has his eye on you. It seems that he's finally treating you like a Master." Hakuno raises her eyebrows in confusion. "Should...should that even be a good thing?"
"It is in a way. That means that he's finally acknowledging your strength and sees you as a possible threat." Hakuno couldn't exactly imagine Shinji seeing her as an equal, but if what Archer says is true, then that means that he and Rider won't be pulling back any punches during the Elimination Battle.
"Although, of all places to wage a war, I wonder why they'd pick a twentieth century high school?" he suddenly mutters out loud amidst her thoughts, a frown sewn onto his features with the question drawing his master's attention from the books, her curious chocolate orbs drifting towards him. Looking over, he addresses what he meant upon noticing her confusion.
"I can only assume that you feel the same, but I have a strange affinity for places like this. With the exception of myself, this place must be a nightmare for most Legendary Souls. It's most likely a coincidence, but the choice of venue is could be intentional. As a soldier, I hope it was a fluke." "What did he mean 'intentional'?" Could there be a deeper meaning in making the stage for the holy grail war resemble a high school?
Hakuno only assumed that the Holy Grail chose the school due to a majority of the participants being students, but maybe there was more to that than what meets the eye? Could there be some hidden motive that she and probably the other fellow masters didn't know about?
"No, it's not so much the appearance of the stage itself as the motivations of whatever created it. If the Holy Grail created this place of its own accord, then I'd write it off as a coincidence. But, if someone's using it for their own purposes then there's more to worry about then just winning the war." Some unknown person using the Holy Grail...could it be that priest?
From her point of view, he seems uncharacteristically evil and manipulative for a man of the cloth. In fact, he didn't give off the best first impression when they initially met either. The way he acted rubbed her off the wrong way that she couldn't help but feel somewhat suspicious every time she saw him.
"A brilliant bit of deduction, but you're way off the mark. The priest is nothing more than an NPC. This is only my personal opinion, but no one could be using the Holy Grail or manipulating it. That'd only mean that the Holy Grail has already been claimed by someone. If that was true, then the Holy Grail War could not happen." Well...he had a fair point about that.
Using the Holy Grail would pretty much deem the user the winner of the Holy Grail War. It'd be kinda impossible and pointless for the war to even take place right now if that were the case. Her suspicions probably led her to read too much into Archer's words. However...
...Ignoring everything for a moment, why does Archer suddenly look so smug and self-satisfied? Hakuno couldn't help but frown at his change in expression. Was it something she said earlier?
"No...it's just that I find it amusing for you to call a man devoted to God 'evil and manipulative'." Archer briefly chuckles in response before he quickly waves it off. "You're lucky you don't know the truth. The real thing is far worse, and it seems that I'm stuck with him for eternity. While I'd like to complain, there isn't much that I can do about it either."
Archer shrugs his shoulders in resignation, seeming somewhat indifferent at the same time. It appears that he had met the priest before becoming a servant. Maybe that was why he seemed on edge when she first met Father Kotomine. ...Then again, anyone would given how Kotomine acted.
But if he knows the priest who is overseeing this Holy Grail War, then maybe he knows about the original war for the Grail...? Glancing towards him, Hakuno notices that Archer goes silent, a clear indication of not wanting to proceed with the current topic at hand.
...And the conversation ends, with her servant clamming up before Hakuno could raise anymore questions regarding the matter. By Archer's standards, that must've been the equivalent to idle banter. The look on his face as he contemplates the situation is enigmatic at best. Though she was still curious and wanted to know more about Archer's odd and strained relation to Kotomine, she guessed that it would have to wait for another time...much to her disappointment.
"But ...why a school? Outside the Arena, I don't see the need to have a place for magi to mingle." He must be referring to her constantly chatting with Nagisa, Rin and Leo. Hakuno was well-aware that such conversations wouldn't really help her much but...
"...Then again, maybe this place isn't for the master's benefit, but it is something the Holy Grail requires. Master, are you aware of the one obligation that all intelligent beings are required to meet?" His question catches her off guard, the brown-haired magus blinking in bewilderment. Well, that question certainly came out of nowhere.
Minimum obligation? Why didn't he ask about the definition of intelligence? From what she could tell, mankind developed their intelligence and bent the world to their will. They created organized societies and mighty civilizations, some of which still exist. But...what obligation is humanity required to fufill...?
"The one obligation of all intelligent beings is to reject stasis and complacency." Answering the question for her, Archer leans back on his throne of chairs and goes on. "If humanity just wanted to live, it'd be easy to live like animals and let natural selection run its course. But humans in general do not think like that. The abandonment of rational thought...it'd be like devolving back into man's primate predecessors."
He was right. Whether they liked it or not, humans are selfish and greedy beings by default, never fully contented with what they have and always craving for more, looking ways to achieve more...to gain more. It was natural for everyone to behave in such a manner, otherwise they'd be no different from the animals that roamed the earth, or the plants that sprouted from the ground. This was what made humans superior over all life forms.
Humans despised being stuck in one place, unable to move forward or thrive. And in return, such greed was rewarded with the evolution of mankind, the advancement of technology and knowledge paving the way to a better, higher standard of living, flourishing the economy with much prosperity.
"Precisely. No matter the circumstances or era, humans will always be inventive, progressive living beings. And regardless of how things will go in the future, they can never be satisfied leaving things as they are." While the subject was interesting in itself to think and talk about, Hakuno was starting to wonder why Archer had brought it up in the first place and how it had any relation to the Holy Grail War.
"In short, progression is the duty of any intelligent being. Their souls demand that they learn and evolve. The Holy Grail holds that aspect of humanity in the highest regard." Right...so that's why all the masters here are fighting for the Grail...to satisfy their desires that cannot be achieved by normal means alone.
"Thinking along those lines, this setting is supposed to remind masters of what makes them human." Human? In what way? By forcing all the masters in this school to go head to head in this senseless bloodbath...all for one prize? Yeah, she couldn't help but doubt that.
Even though the war did make use of man's primal instinct to chase after their desires no matter the cost, Hakuno couldn't see how the pros outweighed the cons. Perhaps it was her her inability to comprehend the situation with the proper mindset of a magus, but Hakuno couldn't see any regular human being killing their friends and loved ones just to get one wish granted from a mythical object.
The thought itself already seemed like something straight out of a movie. Sure, there were wars taking place around the world to seize countrol over resources, power, wealth and so on...but this was a different matter to consider. They were taking about people straight up murdering each other to obtain a wish-granting object.
While it did sound like something worth fighting for, the brown-haired female didn't think that so many lives needed to be sacrificed just to obtain it. Call her cowardly or a chicken...but such acts just sounded...cruel and utterly inhuman to her. The situation was almost similar to someone repeatedly stabbing another person to death for the chance to receive a toy they had always wanted but couldn't get for years.
This war was far too ridiculous for just the Holy Grail, no matter how powerful it may seem. And yet, perhaps it was the human's unability to suppresss their own needs and wants that led to this disaster anyway. As much as she hated it, there was nothing she could do about it either. That, and the Holy Grail would undoubtedly bring chaos and turmoil to the whole world if it fell into the hands of the wrong individual.
"While I don't sense any evil intent, that makes me even more suspicious. I don't think it's the fight itself that interests the Holy Grail. Rather, I think that it wants to observe how humans would confront one another in a real-life setting," he concludes. Hakuno tilts her head at his speculation. Did that mean that the Holy Grail purposely chose this school as the venue for the war to take place simply to remind the masters of the reality of the situation and see how they tackle it?
No matter how you thought of it, Hakuno couldn't feel like the puzzle was somewhat incomplete, that there was more to it than just that. In fact, the conclusion itself was already starting to raise a plethora of other questions in her head. What was the Holy Grail's actual intention behind all this madness? What outcome did the Holy Grail want to see from this bloodshed? Such questions remained in her mind.
"All chatter aside, it's time you get some rest. We have another busy day tomorrow, especially since it's the last day to prepare ourselves before the fight." She was abruptly yanked out from her thoughts by the sound of Archer's voice. Right...it was already this late. While she absolutely wouldn't mind conversing more about the topic with her servant, Hakuno knew that she had to go to sleep and prepare herself for another busy day of training and collecting information...only...
Looking over, Archer notices his master looking rather uncomfortable, still sitting on the bed instead of lying down like usual. "...Master? Is there something wrong?" The brown-haired female flinches once again, her body stiffening as she shakes her head. "Err...no. Nothing's wrong...only..." Archer cocks his head to the side, clearly confused to his master's sudden change in behaviour. Something was clearly bothering her.
Though he wasn't a big fan of guessing games, it didn't take him long to realize what was on his master's mind. "...Are you afraid of having that nightmare again?" Hakuno's eyes widen slightly as a light tint of pink colours her cheeks. "Um...that's...not..."
Seeing that she wasn't exactly denying it completely, Archer places a hand to his forehead. What a troublesome master he had. "Master..." "I know! I know it seems silly and childish and all...but..." Gripping onto the bed sheets, her frown deepens as she stares at the floor. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't scared of possibly having that nightmare again. "That nightmare...felt all too real." She goes quiet, unable to say anything else as she bit down on her lower lip, her bangs hiding her eyes.
"...Go to sleep Master. I'll be awake until you fall asleep." Hakuno, confused and surprised at his actions, looks up at him astonished as her mind took a few seconds to process what he had said. "I won't say it again. Now go to sleep." With that, Archer falls silent, looking away from her.
Hakuno continued to stare at him for a while, not quite registering what he had said earlier before a smile slowly creeps onto her lips. Finally giving in, she lies onto the bed and gently pulls the sheets over her, her eyes watching his figure until drowsiness eventually overtook her.
...And just as she closed her eyes, Hakuno could faintly hear her servant muttering 'good night'.
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Archer looks over at his now sleeping master, her breathing soft and slow with her eyelids occasionally fluttering as she shifted. The preparation period was almost over, and the Elimination Battle was drawing closer with each passing second. It wouldn't be long before his master needed to fight against Shinji. That being said, he could see why she was being paranoid earlier. Anyone thrown into this life-or-death situation would.
Well, at least she was trying. Despite her many weaknesses and flaws, she was still working hard to make up for her noviceness as a mage. Even if the progress was slow, it was still progress nonetheless.
And although it wasn't hard to tell that her pessimistic side tended to demotivate her at times, all she needed was a push to get back to her feet. However, her lack of desire which only hindered her drive to go on was something Archer found surprising. That, and her habit of miraculously getting herself into trouble while being somewhat reckless was something he was still getting used to.
Archer wondered if his past self was as naive as her. ...Actually, screw that, his past self was probably way more reckless and naive than her now that he thought about it. His past self, unlike Hakuno, would rush straight into danger willingly without even giving it a second thought or even having a decent battle plan. While there was nothing he could do about it now, Archer questioned his own stupidity back then, cringing at the mere thought.
His thoughts then flash back to her. He wondered how she'dreact if they were to meet again. Knowing her, she'd probably laugh at his sorry state and tease him endlessly, before telling him to 'cheer up' and how it'll 'somehow work out in the end'. That was how he pictured it, and almost knew the words she was going to utter. It wasn't that she was predictable, but more of him having a feeling. Maybe it was due to their odd bond as servant and master back then, but Archer found himself smirking at the thought.
The differences between Hakuno and her were almost appalling. She was an influential mage who never stopped until she got what she wanted, all while showing compassion and mercy to those who were powerless or weaker than her. She was strong, but didn't neglect those who couldn't fend for themselves. Perhaps it was that trait of hers that made her stick out like a sore thumb.
While there were some similarities to her and the current Rin in this holy grail war, Archer knew that she wasn't the same. Sure, he could see some characteristic traits that both versions had, but this Rin was a different individual. This Rin knew the taste of bloodshed from a distinct perspective, her trained expression portraying the look of someone who had seen hundreds of people die in the past. This woman knew the hardships of war, and had gone through it on multiple occassions. And although there were still some mysteries surrounding her, Archer could tell that she was a foe not to be messed with.
He shakes his head. What good would it do to keep thinking about her? That holy grail war had already ended a long time ago. There was no point lingering in the past; it would only hinder both himself and his master. For now, he had to focus on the wellbeing of his current master. Yeah, that was all that mattered right now.
His eyes trailed back to her sleeping face. To think that such an innocent girl would get thrown into this madness; the Holy Grail certainly had a dark sense of humour that Archer himself couldn't help but feel pity for her. He knew that Hakuno had good intentions, but such an attitude would only get herself killed in this place.
Hakuno was...normal to a point where it seemed abnormal and out of place in this war. Nothing stood out about her from the others, and she didn't have anything worth applauding for in terms of her abilities as a magus.That night she broke down and the conversation they had earlier further emphasized how weak-willed she truly was, not desiring to betray or kill anyone for her own gain.
It wasn't that he wanted her to be able to kill others without hesitation, but her lack of a resolve to do so was somewhat problematic on its own. Indeed, her innocence as a normal, teenage girl was both pure on its own while managing to be a huge issue to them as a servant-master duo. He even wondered how long he could keep up with such a disadvantage at their end.
Not only did it affect his overall abilities as a servant, but it also prevented him from outright just killing Shinji in the Arena and getting it over with. While he certainly could kill him on his own, such an act would probably scar and even break her...and he didn't want to deal with it after seeing how she cried that night from just a nightmare. She would probably never be able to recover from the shock and harsh reality if he were to do so.
Perhaps it was her lack of desire that made her like this. Then again, she had woken up with amnesia, so it was somewhat understanding. Though anyone would've been shaken to the core, he was still kind of astonished that Hakuno had been able to cope and keep on going so far. Anyone else would've long given up since the first day under such a predicament. Maybe that was one of her better trademarks as a master.
Archer had no doubt that Hakuno would've been a whole other person if her memories were intact. He had given some thought of how things would've turned out if she did wake up with her memories intact. Well...she would've probably still been super weak but...perhaps she wouldn't be as unwilling to kill as she is now, just like Nagisa.
...What was he saying? It almost sounded like Hakuno wouldn't mind killing someone else if she had her memories. Then again, how she even woke up with amnesia was still a major, unanswered mystery. That, and she was the only one out of all the participants to experience it.
He wondered how that was even possible in the first place. Was there some sort of error when she passed into the final room? Or could there have been something else that happened to her during the preliminaries which caused her to wake up in such a state? There were many possibilities and not enough answers that he was just going around in circles pondering about this matter.The red-clad servant must've surely drawn the short end of the stick with such a dilemma that it wasn't even worth laughing over.
...On another note, he had yet to ask his master about her wish for the holy grail. Though it was unlikely that they would win, Archer was still curious to know what she wanted nonetheless. ...Actually, did she even have a wish since she had no memories? For all he knew, Hakuno probably didn't even possess a concrete desire apart from wanting to stay alive. Ugh, this was frustrating. Maybe he should ask her some other time. For now, they had to focus on dealing with Rider and that brat.
Rider seemed relatively strong for someone under the command of an idiot. Though Shinji himself was an expert in hacking, his idiocy and irritionality had proved to be their downfall. Archer had no doubts that if he were paired against stronger masters like Rin or Leo instead, he would lose in a heartbeat.
Under any other circumstance, Rider would've probably also lost to him right away if he had a more competent and strong master. It wasn't as if Rider was weak, but it was that most of the faults pointed towards Shinji Matou.
That man had to have some sort of unexplainable talent to be able to unconsciously leak info on his servant without him even realizing it. Thankfully for him, he was paired with a novice this round. Whether that was a stroke of luck on his side or not, Shinji would definitely be able to flex his servant's power and abilities with Hakuno as his opponent.
Though they were strong, Archer didn't exactly wanna lose to them either. Maybe it was the fear of damaging his ego or merely his pride as a heroic spirit, but it didn't sit well for him to get his ass kicked nor just call it quits right there and then. Well...whatever, he would just have to see what happens in two days' time. He would see it out that their contract as master and servant as fufilled, and fight till he drew his last breath. Even if he was well aware of how weak his master was, he wasn't heartless enough to just give up and let her die on the spot either.
Closing his eyes, Archer finally allows himself to get some sleep. There wasn't much merit to thinking too much about such matters right now anyway, especially since the Elimination Battle was already near. He would just have to wait until the time came to get more answers. Shifting into a comfortable position, he relaxes just as his mind subconsciously drifts towards a certain someone with sea-blue eyes, smiling brightly at him.