Truth be told, Archer honestly didn't know what to expect. Alright...so maybe he did ask his master for a distraction so he could finally release himself from these damn chains. On top of that, he also told his master not to use Rin's gemstones. However, he did specifically also remind her not to do anything stupid.
So when he sees a warship zooming towards the Golden Hind at the corner of his peripheral vision, the servant just had to stare at the smaller vehicle speeding towards them in horror. Never did he realise that she would take into account the first two aspects...but neglect the third. No way...she didn't...!
He didn't even have time to react before he felt the massive force of the collision, the ship shaking from the impact. Rider begins looking around, eyes darting frantically as a string of curses begin escaping her mouth. "What the hell?!"
Shinji seems equally as confused and terrified, barely able to stay on his feet as he grabbed onto the side of the shop tightly to prevent himself from falling over. "What the heck are you doing Rider?! Is this another one of your stupid schemes?!" Rider gives her master an incredulous look, most likely questioning his intelligence. "Like I would ram a ship into one of my own!"
Wow, glad to know that these two would still argue even as her ship was literally being torn in half. But thanks to the impact, the chains around Archer have loosened around him considerably. With a swift burst of prana, the tanned servant manages to easily get his arms out by breaking the chains before he summons his blades, cutting through the remaining chains binding his feet and torso.
Taking advantage of the confusion around him, Archer dashes over towards Rider. The enemy servant is taken unaware as a scream tore through her lips just as Archer stabs her in the arms from behind. The blades dug straight into her flesh, making a clean blow as Rider's blood spilled onto the floor.
Enraged, Rider shoves Archer away and begins shooting at him, trying to stay balanced due to the intense rocking of the ship. "Damn, so you and your master had this sorta crazy plan in mind, huh?!" She had every right to be pissed...since well...his master literally went ahead and wrecked her ship, though he couldn't say that he formulated this 'crazy plan' with Hakuno to begin with.
Archer avoids the countless bullets coming his way as Rider comes at him. By then, the rocking had stopped, but the irreparable damage to the ship had already been done. Attacking furiously, Rider lands a kick at Archer's torso, pushing him back. "Don't think you can ride this ship free of charge! Going around doing whatever you please...hoho, they'll be hell to pay for both you and that girl!" Yep, she was definitely pissed.
At any rate, it seems that Rider had already drained a massive amount of her prana during the course of the battle...especially after unleashing her Noble Phantasm. With how easily the ship was able to be destroyed, it seems that El Draque was nearing the limits of her endurance.
Sneaking a glance at the enemy master, it seems that Shinji too has exhausted his mana with all the complicated code casts he did earlier, and thoroughly boosting Rider's power so far. This meant that the Noble Phantasm's form wouldn't be able to hold out soon enough; it was only a matter of time.
Meanwhile, Hakuno had finally managed to hoist herself back up onto the Golden Hind, albeit with some difficulty. Panting, she looks around to see that Rider and Archer were now battling heatedly at the other side of the ship. She was glad to note that Archer had indeed managed to land a few good blows on Rider, with splotches of her blood colouring her clothes.
"What's taking so long Rider?! H-Hurry up and kick his ass already! I still have a score to settle with Hakuno!" Directing her gaze onto Shinji, she sees that he had taken his own terminal out, furiously typing on it. It can't be...he was still trying in a desperate attempt to generate another code cast even with the little mana he had left...! She had to stop him...and fast...!
Pushing herself back on her feet, Hakuno begins running over towards him, the enemy master still completely unaware of her existence amidst the chaos. With her legs burning in pain, she takes a leap across and tackles the enemy master to the ground, with Shinji smacking the back of his head hard against the ground from the impact.
He doesn't get a chance to recover however, as the man lets out a cry just as Hakuno brings up her fist and gives him another good blow across his face. Covering his cheek, Shinji looks up at her in both shock and fear. "Wh...?! Hakuno?!" He must've not expected her to show up so soon, much less punch him again in the face.
The brown-haired master pins him down, his terminal already being thrown to the other end of the ship. Holding her fist up in warning, she glares at him. "I won't let you get in the way of this fight, Shinji." She didn't know if she sounded or looked threatening, but Shinji visibly goes pale at the statement, immediately shutting up. For once, he knew better than to open his mouth and retaliate against someone who could and will surely beat him up if he did so.
Clicking her tongue, Rider eyes her master's pathetic form on the ground. She couldn't get to his side and rescue him however, as Archer manages to yet again land another blow onto her abdomen. Staggering, she grits her teeth as she grasps at her side. "What's wrong Rider? Your earlier enthusiasm has vanished, or have you finally decided to give up?" Archer challenges, eyeing the servant before him.
Letting out a cough, blood trickling down her mouth as Rider shakes her head. With her eyes still brimming with bloodlust, she smirks at him. "I must say...what a turn of events. But I'm not done just yet pretty boy." She raises a hand into the air as familiar canons began emerging from behind her. "It would've been better fighting to the end if I was drunk, but then again...being picky about your tastes ain't good, as they say."
With her smirk widening, she directs the canons at Archer. "Not yet...the fight isn't over just yet. To only work when you have good luck on your side is boring after all; I'd much rather test fate with only my bullets...now that's the real thrill, rational thinking aside." Archer narrows his eyes at her. "I see...so even at the brink of death, you take on every fight as an entertaining challenge."
Rider let's out a laugh, the sound of it echoing across the Coliseum. In that moment, it really seemed that she was enjoying the fight, even while bleeding in several areas. "Perhaps. Now then, are you ready to go bankrupt?! Everything, stock, lock and barrel! Let's raise the curtains on the final act! Prepare yourself, Archer!"
Archer had already readied his bow and arrows, shooting down the first few waves of canonballs coming his way. Dashing towards the enemy master, he summons his swords back in his hands, deflecting the next few canonballs coming his way at sonic speed.
Seeing that he was preoccupied, Rider aims her pistols at him, pulling on trigger. Eyes widening, the servant curses in disbelief as no bullets came out, feebly backing away. "Out of ammunition already?! Dammit!" It was then that Archer manages to close the distance between them, bypassing the remaining canonballs as he swings his swords above his head, about to land the finishing blow.
It was as if time had slowed down as Rider looks at the enemy servant before her, her shoulders finally slumping in defeat as she internally lets out a tired sigh. "Man, this sucks. How unfortunate of me." Running out of prana at the very last second...what bad timing. And here she thought that she wouldn't have a problem finishing the two of them off; these two were tougher than she realized.
She didn't think that she would lose against them...but it seems that wasn't the case. Glancing over towards the brown-haired master, the ghost of a smile graces her lips. "Oh well, these things happen pretty often." Just this once...she would accept her loss. A pity though...she somewhat wanted to stay a little longer...to toughen up that damn brat.
Archer's swords plunged through her chest, stabbing her cleanly through her heart as El Draque finally fell, collapsing onto the ground with a thud. Hakuno watched in mute shock as the enemy servant lay unmoving the ground, with the slow rise and fall of her chest being the only indicator that she was still somehow alive.
Archer hadn't killed her yet it seems, but he did injure her to the point where Rider couldn't move. It didn't seem that Rider was able to continue fighting however, not with all the wounds she sustained from him. She could already see the warships around them fading away, with Rider no longer able to keep up her Noble Phantasm's form.
The Coliseum goes pin-drop silent. With her eyes slowly directing themselves onto her servant, she watches as his twin swords dematerialized from his hands. Steel grey eyes met chocolate brown ones, the two of them staring at each other. Archer begins slowly walking over towards his master as Hakuno rises to her feet, heart thumping in her chest. Was it over? Did they do it?
Did they...win?
The silence is disrupted by a loud voice ringing throughout the the Coliseum as an announcement from the SE.RA.PH comes in. "The first round has concluded. The enemy servant and master are no longer able to go on. Hence, the winner of this Elimination Battle is participant number 128, Hakuno Kishinami." Hakuno could hardly believe what she was hearing. Had she heard right? This seemed too good to be true. Did she...really win against Shinji?
The look that Archer was giving her confirmed her suspicions as Hakuno gulped. They...they really did it. Somehow, they managed to emerge victorious!
She didn't have time to celebrate however, as a bright light soon engulfs the entire Coliseum. Gasping, Hakuno shuts her eyes, waiting for a few seconds before she feels the light die down before opening her eyes. Blinking, she sees that the Coliseum's surroundings had reverted back to normal, and the two of them along with the enemy duo had been transported back to the shipwreck they were standing on earlier before the fight had begun.
Hakuno's eyes go wide as she realizes that all her wounds have magically disappeared as well, with her uniform being completely clean and spotless and free of any bloodstains. Looking over at her servant, she notices that all his wounds were gone too. Super confused, her eyes drift over towards the enemy duo who also appear to be free of any injuries, almost as if the fight had never occurred.
"Archer...this..." Archer crosses his arms over his chest, nodding his head. "The fight is over. We've won, Master." Smirking, he eyes his master's dumbfounded expression in amusement. "What did I tell you? We ended up being the victor in his Elimination Battle after all."
If it weren't for the fact that Shinji and Rider were still around, Hakuno might've fainted. So they really won?! Words couldn't begin to describe the sheer relief she felt. This was almost unbelievable! To think that they actually beat Shinji and Rider was...incredible to say the least!
"On another note, about that little distraction of yours...Master..." Hakuno couldn't defend herself in time as Archer gives her a hard flick across her forehead, the master giving out a tiny wail in response. "Ow! Wh- Archer! What was that for?!" she asks, rubbing her forehead and frowning at him. She would've expected him to be at least a little happy at their win, rather than attacking her forehead.
"I could say the same for you. What on earth were you thinking, driving a ship into the Golden Hind like that? Did you have some sort of death wish?" Despite how relatively calm he was, Hakuno could sense that he was indeed irritated. Well, that was understandable; she didn't exactly think things through before she went ahead and did that after all.
The master lets out a sheepish laugh, shrinking slightly at her servant's words. "S-Sorry...I...there was nothing else I could think up of at the spur of the moment...so..." She doesn't even try to come up with an excuse, instead hanging her head low in embarassment. The tanned servant sighs, placing a hand on his hip. "I can't believe you ignored what I said. That was beyond reckless. In any other situation, you could've gotten seriously hurt."
Despite that, he shakes his head, letting out a quiet huff. "Anyway, it's good that you're still in one piece...and your distraction still worked as intended." Hakuno could only smile awkwardly at him in response. She didn't know if she should take that as a compliment but...her servant was probably still mad at her.
That aside, he wasn't scolding her anymore so...she should probably just leave it at that for now. "Yeah, you did great too Archer." The servant scoffs, raising his eyebrows at her. "Save me the flattery. The fight would've turned out a lot better if we had dealt with the master first to begin with."
This statement causes Hakuno to perk up as she slowly turns to look at Shinji. Now that he mentioned it, what was going to happen to Shinji and Rider? Archer killed neither of them, and they were still standing in front of them looking perfectly fine like she and Archer were right now too. But...she was already announced as the winner for this fight...so...
Shinji was now pulling at his hair, frustration overtaking him. "Wh-What the hell man?! How did my servant get defeated?! This makes no sense at all! This has to be a fluke!" Biting on his thumb, he begins stomping on the ground. "No matter how you look at it, I'm the best! At everything! I'm inferior to no one! I can't lose in the first round!"
So it seems that he's still in denial of the truth. Well, since Shinji hated to lose at anything, that's a given. However, that doesn't change what had already happened; Archer had clearly defeated Rider in the fight earlier, and so she had been granted the win for this round.
Whipping his head towards his servant, Shinji points an accusing finger at her. "This...i-it's all YOUR fault El-Draque! This happened because you suck!" The fact that he lost against Hakuno of all masters must've left Shinji in a state of both shock and anger, because he now directs his rage towards his servant, refusing to believe the outcome of the battle.
Rider looks over towards her master, sighing. She looks particularly exhausted, probably because all her prana had been drained from the fight. "...Huh? Flogging a waterlogged sailor, are we? It won't reverse your fortunes, Master."
This comment only adds on to Shinji's increasing anger, as he storms towards her and begins roughly jabbing his finger at her chest. "Argh, shut up! I've had it with all your sarcastic remarks and insults! If you've got the energy to talk back, then go fight! There's no way I'm losing this!" The enemy master proceeds to point at Hakuno and Archer, causing the brown-haired master to frown. "Both of them are standing right there! So just use your Noble Phantasm again and finish them off this time!"
He really was flushing out the result of the battle down the toilet. Hakuno worriedly looks at her servant. Was Rider going to listen to him and start fighting again, even with the lack of prana? Would the SE.RA.PH even permit them to continue fighting after the result had already been announced? She knew that El Draque couldn't possibly unleash her Noble Phantasm again, not when she looks this burnt out...but even so...
Instead, Rider shakes her head, not even bothering to summon her twin pistols. All the gusto she had earlier seems to have flickered and disappeared, because the expression on Rider's face now is that of understanding, knowing that she had clearly lost and accepting it. "Hmm...I don't think that's happening Master. If you forgotten, I depleted all my prana fighting that guy earlier. I can't go on battling anyway...since I'm going to disappear soon." Hakuno's eyes widened at the revelation. So Rider was going to fade away because she lost?
"Servants who have lost in the war will inevitably fade away, and return to the Throne of Heroes, waiting to be summoned again eventually in the future for some other Holy Grail War. It's a repeating, never ending cycle." As if reading her mind, Archer elaborates for her, earning a surprised look in return.
So all servants had to suffer this harsh cycle? "But this...isn't this cruel? That means..." Archer nods, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yes, we servants don't get to truly rest in peace. But all of the Legendary Souls are aware of that, and we're prepared to endure this cycle from the very start anyway." Hakuno bites down on her lower lip. So that means...if she had lost instead of Shinji...even Archer would...
Shinji doesn't seem to care about Rider's situation at all, raising his voice even louder at her instead. "Say what?! You think you can run away and leave me here?! I lost because of you!" Even till the very end, he truly only cares about himself...how inconsiderate and selfish of him. Rider wrinkles her eyebrows at him, running a hand through her hair. She doesn't even look exasperated anymore, merely tired.
"...My fault? Perhaps. Or maybe it could've been carelessness, or a lack of tenacity, luck, ability, etc." She lets out a laugh, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, whatever. Fortune is fickle and fate is what we make of it. We lost for a reason- we may be strong, but we didn't have what it takes to win." She says this in a casual tone, but Hakuno had a hunch that she was already prepared to disappear in a few minutes.
Shinji clenches his hands into fists, his body trembling from anger. "Why are you making it sound like someone else's problem?! I did what I'm supposed to do! I'm the best! I used all those code casts to ensure your victory! And yet you couldn't even do your job as a servant at all!"
Archer narrows his eyes at Shinji's conduct disapprovingly; it seems that Shinji forgot how he interrupted Rider earlier huh? Instead he chooses to blame her for everything. The tanned servant was somewhat mildly surprised that Rider wasn't even retaliating at all. Or maybe it was because she was really too tired to care.
Shinji lets out a frustrated groan, once again stomping his foot on the ground. "This wasn't supposed to go like this! You ruined everything by becoming my servant! You useless, good for nothing piece of shit!" Shinji isn't even holding back on the insults anymore, instead going on a massive tantrum. "Damn it! I can't believe I lost! This game sucks! Suuuuuucks!" Seeing his poor display of attitude, Hakuno could only watch from afar with what felt like pity for both him and his servant, before she sees Archer turning his back towards them. "Archer...?"
"Let's go Master. There's nothing left to do here. We should return back to school grounds now; there's got to something else you could be doing rather than stand around watching this idiot vent his frustrations like a child." He had a point...but still...
He gives a glance towards Rider, a brief expression of sympathy crossing his features. "...El Draque. I'm surprised that you're a woman, but perhaps you're even wiser and deadlier for it. After all, gender has nothing to do with prowess on the battlefield. Farewell, great navigator." Even as enemies, Archer apparently still has some level of respect for his opponent.
Hakuno gives him a bewildered look as the servant begins walking away, yanking her arm and dragging her along with him towards the direction of where the elevator was located. Wait, so they were just going to leave like this?! Staggering in her steps, Hakuno tries to keep up with Archer's pace, still totally confused. The look on his face and his attitude almost suggested that Archer wanted to quickly get away from this place. Why though? "Hang on...Archer...!"
"Hey...w-wait, hey! Wait just a moment, don't go just yet!" Archer pauses in his tracks, an irritated groan passing his lips as the two of them turned to see Shinji hastily walking over towards him. The glare that he throws at Shinji is enough to have Shinji stop at a good distance away from them, with Hakuno knitting her eyebrows at him. Just what was Shinji planning to do now?
The blue-haired man looks flustered, but flashes on a crooked smile at Hakuno. "I've got an idea. How about we declare that I won the battle?!" Hakuno shoots the enemy master a look of disbelief which quickly hardens into a glare. He couldn't be serious. Even now, after the Elimination Battle, Shinji was trying to make stupid bargains and ridiculous deals just so that he could emerge as the winner?! This wasn't even laughable, it was beyond insulting.
Seeing the two of them glaring at him, Shinji begins sweating bullets and fumbling over his words as a desperate attempt to convince her. "B-B-Because you know...you just won by accident! There's a 100% chance you'll lose in the second round, but I'll win it for sure." Now that definitely did not make things any better. He couldn't even afford to be the least bit humble while striking a deal...figures.
Shinji goes on, completely oblivious to the rising anger the brown-haired female was exuding. "C'mon Hakuno, aren't we friends? Think about it. Isn't it better for one of us to keep winning than for you to lose in the next round?" Why was she even here listening to him anyways? Scratch that, why was Shinji even bothering to bargain with her in the first place? Did he think that she would pity him enough to accept?
It seems that Archer himself couldn't bear to hear anymore of the nonsense Shinji was spouting, as he massages the bridge of his nose. "We should ignore him Master. If we continue to stand here and listen to this idiot run his mouth off, I fear we may suffer permanent brain damage at the bullshit he utters. The sheer idiocy of him never fails to surprise me." Hakuno had to wholeheartedly agree with him, nodding her head; listening to him was indeed rather pointless.
The two turn their backs towards him once again, about to continue their journey back to the elevator when she hears Shinji shout at them, his voice having a panicked tone. "Hey...wait! I said wait! Can't you see the equation? I'm saying that I'm willing to share the Holy Grail with you!" Ok, just what the heck was he trying to save or prove now?? Shinji probably wasn't even being sincere or earnest, with the deal most likely being a trap of his...not that she would fall for it anyway.
She had enough of this. By then, Hakuno already had her mouth open with the intention to retort when Rider finally steps in, most likely trying to save whatever was left of Shinji's almost nonexistent dignity. "Cut it out Shinji. You've lost and you know it. You can't change what happened." Hakuno had to silently thank her for intervening and preventing a potential argument from happening between her and Shinji.
"Shut up! We lost because of you! What makes you think you have the right to act so bossy?!" The cheerful facade he had going on earlier instantly cracks and breaks down, now replaced with an irritated expression. Seeing that Hakuno was unwilling to budge and accept seems to have riled him up as he begins cursing aloud. "...Damn it! Argh, you may have won this one game, but don't get a big head over it. In real life, I'm still a champion!" Dang, he really sounds that reluctant to admit it.
He goes on, waving a finger threateningly at her. "Listen up, 'cause I'm only going to say this once! When I go home, I'm gonna figure out who you really are, you hear me?!" Hakuno stays silent, unsure of how to respond to that. Truth be told, even while suffering from amnesia, Hakuno wasn't really bothered by his empty threat either. She simply stares back at him, her glare soon relaxing into a blank stare. "...Let's go Archer." They should return back to the school; there was no more need to associate with Shinji Matou. The first round was over, and she was still pretty tired herself.
In a fit of anger, Shinji grits her teeth and begins marching over towards the girl who has her back facing him once again. "Hey, get back here! Are you listening to me?! I'm not done with you just yet! Don't think you can start getting all high and mighty just because you won one fight!" He stretches his arm out and extends his hand with the intention to grab onto her shoulder. Turning around, Hakuno watches as Archer was about intervene himself and stop Shinji himself...when...
A thin barrier appears out of nowhere, promptly separating the enemy master from the duo. "...! Master!" Hakuno flinches as she feels a few drops of something splatter against her face, shutting her eyes for a few brief seconds. What the...? Wiping the substance off, she stares at the familiar crimson liquid now staining her fingers, pausing. Wait...this was...blood...?
Her body instantly tenses as she slowly looks down...her eyes widening drastically as her chocolate brown orbs come in contact with what appeared to be an arm, with blood leaking out of the ends, almost as if it had been chopped off and dislocated from someone's body. She stares at the arm, mind blanking as her fingers began to tremble at the horrific sight. Wait...what on earth...?!
"Master, are you okay?!" her servant questions, instantly rushing to her side. She quickly backs away from the limb, but doesn't even get to respond before she hears a scream from Shinji. "My arm...!Guh...m-my arm! It's...it's...ARGHHHHHHHH!"
Jerking her head, she sees Shinji now on his knees, grasping onto his shoulder in pain as tears began to form in his eyes. Hakuno's eyes widened even further as she realised that Shinji's arm was gone, the area where his arm was previously bleeding profusely as blood spilled onto the floor like a running tap. Quickly connecting the dots, Hakuno recognizes the command seals on the arm on the ground next to her and makes a horrific discovery that it was his.
She continues to watch in shock as Shinji cries out in pain just as the area where Shinji and Rider were standing in was completely engulfed in red. "Making appropriate adjustments. Undergoing preparations for deletion." Looking up, she could hear yet another announcement come in from the SE.RA.PH, confusion and fear filling her entire being. What was happening now?! Preparations for deletion?!
As soon as the announcement came through, Hakuno sees the arm on the ground slowly fizzle into blackness as it begins to disintegrate and fade away. With her focus back onto the enemy master, she sees that his hands and arms were also starting to fizzle into nothing, with Shinji panicking even more. "Wha...?! Wh-What the hell is going on?! M-My body's disappearing?! I've never logged out like this!"
His eyes met Hakuno's wide ones as he begins limping over towards her, the barrier in between separating the two. "H-Hey! Is this one of your little tricks?! Cut it out Hakuno, this isn't funny!" Hakuno instantly shakes her head, obviously also unaware of what was going on as her servant looks on with a serious expression, eyebrows furrowed together. "So it's begun, huh? I was beginning to wonder why the SE.RA.PH was taking this long."
Hakuno body turns rigid as a rock as she looks at her servant, horrified. "Wh-What do you mean by that Archer?! What's...what's going on?!" Even her own voice was trembling by then. This was the actions of the SE.RA.PH then?! But why was the SE.RA.PH doing this, and what was happening to Shinji?!
"Losers die in the Holy Grail War. As a master, you should've known that, Shinji." Hakuno directs her eyes towards Rider, and it was then that she sees Rider also beginning to slowly fade away. "Rider...you too?! B-But wait a second...d-die? I-Is this some kinda threat?! For electronic brains to die...is that really...?!" "But it can still die, right? It's the same fate for anyone who takes part in this war," Rider says, looking at him dead in the eyes. Tears were beginning to prick the edges of Shinji's eyes as his feet begin fading away as well.
He plasters a nervous smile, looking at Rider. "This must all be some sick joke right?! Isn't it only our avatars that get erased if we lose?! I mean...there's no way you can actually DIE in a virtual world..." Rider shakes her head; she didn't even look scared, and was already accepting her fate. "No. You lose, you die. This is a war, not a game. Almost all of the masters who join this war ends up dead. The sole survivor is the only one who can go home alive."
Hakuno freezes at Rider's explanation. She had totally forgotten about the consequences of losing in the war. But...then this meant...that the SE.RA.PH was now in the process of killing the two of them by deleting them from existence?! She knew that this was a fight to the death but...not like this! This...this can't be right...!
Shinji drops to his already disintegrating knees, processing his servant's words. "N-No way...it's too late to tell me something like this! This is a tournament, so it's a game right?! RIGHT?!" He looks down at his hands that were long already gone, his shoulders slowly fading away. "Argh...w-why isn't this stopping?!" He looks up at Rider, nothing but desperation in his eyes. "Y-You...do something! Save me! Isn't a servant supposed to help their master?! You can't let me just die!"
Rider scoffs, her legs and torso beginning to fade into oblivion. "No can do. If it was that easy to break the rules, they wouldn't have created them in the first place." She looks up towards the sky, the corners of her lips tugging upwards. "But well...the good and bad are both sent to another world in the end, so it's nothing to complain about." Shinji was already crying by then, tears spilling freely out of his eyes in both fear and anger as he screams at El Draque. "Acting like you know so much...! Aren't you ashamed at all?! First you lose...and now this...!"
Rider stares back at her master unhesitatingly, frowning at him. "Hmm? Am I ashamed? Of course I am. I'm so disgusted with myself that I could throw up." She chuckles, not even caring that her torso is already gone. "But remember what I told you when we made our contract, little boy? Be prepared, because a villain's last moments are laughably miserable." The servant gives a hearty laugh, even as her body is being erased by the system. "Considering the things you've done, this isn't such a bad death. Just let yourself go, Shinji."
She now turns to look at Hakuno, her signature smirk gracing her features. "And you folks over there, let's hear some laughter, huh? It's sad when a clown doesn't get a laugh." Seeing Hakuno's troubled look, she sighs, her own expression softening at the enemy master. "So even now you still look scared? What, feeling sympathy for us now that we're about to fade away? Don't be. You've won the fight after all." Rider looks relatively relaxed as she goes on. "May the rest of your journey go well. I'd like it if you ended up being stronger than me."
A large portion of the servant's body has already disappeared to the point where the servant can't even move much less take a step towards Hakuno, her head and neck already being erased. "In life, I fought against military ships, it's against my nature to enjoy fighting weaker opponents." A forced smile followed by a quiet laugh finally makes its way towards Hakuno before the female pirate finally disappears.
Hakuno stares at the empty space where Rider was standing just moments ago. She was a great navigator, and the first person to circumnavigate the world...and she went out laughing. So the servant really has been erased, returning to the Throne of Heroes. Hakuno gulps, the fear within her intensifying to a painful degree. But...now that she's truly gone...Shinji must know what his fate is.
"H-Hey! Who gave you permission to disappear on me like that?! You gotta help me, don't leave me!" The female master is brought back from her shocked daze with Shinji's yell. He calls out towards his servant, but it is futile, for she is no longer here. "I hate this! I hate this! Oh...oh god...! Then you...you help me...!" He turns back to face Hakuno, where Hakuno notices that his abdomen was already disintegrating. Shinji begins lashing out at her in his scared state, trying to justify his reason to live. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this situation right now! You owe me-"
Black cracks began appearing on his face as Shinji gives out a wail, panicking even more. "N-No, no! I'm disappearing! Ugh, didn't we used to be friends?! You will save me right?! Help me Hakuno, save me! Y-You can't just let me perish like this!" Hakuno quickly runs towards the barrier, banging on it and trying to break it down. She didn't care if he was trying to manipulate her at the moment, someone's life was on the line here! "Dammit! Archer, can't we do something?!"
She looks back at him for assistance, only to see her servant shake his head, a neutral expression on his face. "There's no point Master. The SE.RA.PH will not let us intervene no matter what, even if I myself try to cut down the barrier. The circumstances will not change whether you like it or not; Shinji will disappear." She knows he is right, and yet how can he say that with a straight face?! Does he really not care that someone was about to die right before him?!
Hakuno's fists continue to knock harshly against the barrier, her frustration increasing by the second. "Stop this SE.RA.PH, please! Stop it! This isn't how the match is supposed to end! I know I won the fight but even so, you can't just wipe out Shinji like this!" There's no response, with the SE.RA.PH ignoring her pleas.
It's useless, the barrier doesn't budge, not even a single crack or dent in it despite how hard Hakuno is trying to break it down. The master finds herself feeling hopeless at the situation; she really was going to watch Shinji vanish from this world. Just the fact that the SE.RA.PH is making her witness this whole execution feels twisted to the core. Didn't she have some say in this as the winner?!
Shinji's jaw was already gone, the tips of his hair vanishing along with them too as he realises the gravity of the dire situation he was in. "Waaah, I'm really disappearing! I can't even feel this side of my body anymore! W-Why does it feel like I'm going to die in real life too?!" This really was his final moments, and all Hakuno could do was continue to watch while pounding onto the barrier.
Tears were still flooding his eyes that were fizzling away as he cries aloud like a helpless child, feeling his cheeks begin to disappear like the rest of his body. "What the hell?! This is crazy! Help...why aren't you helping me?! I'm only eight years old!" Shinji continues to scream to the skies in pure anguish and grief, refusing to accept his death. "Even knowing this, I'm still going to die! No, I don't wanna die! I don't want to die yet-"
The last thing Hakuno witnesses is Shinji's panic-striken face full of terror before he finally fades away, the barrier in front of the living master vanishing a moment later. Hakuno's goes quiet, eyes wide with her body stiff and unmoving. She stays silent, not a word from her mouth as she processes what had just happened before her very eyes.
He's gone. The person known as Shinji Matou has been erased from existence. The only thing left behind...was her, the victor. The expression he had on his face was etched into her mind, haunting her. Slowly, Hakuno brings her hands up to inspect them, seeing the smudges of red blood on her fingers...Shinji's blood on her fingers. "A-Ah..."
Her body begins to tremble, her shoulders shaking immensely. No, this...this can't be happening. She must be hallucinating. Shinji couldn't be dead, she didn't want to believe that he was really dead. This must all be a bad dream...a nightmare she wasn't woken up from.
She feels a hand on her shoulder. Violently pulling away, her wide terrified eyes come in contact with Archer's, who looks just as surprised at her sudden reaction. "Master...are you alright? We should be heading back to the school now." Right...they...they had to return back to the school. She opens her mouth, but no words come out. Instead, she begins hearing a distant ringing in her ears, her loud heartbeat slowly drowning out her servant's voice even as he calls out towards her.
Her mind goes blank. She can't think of anything but Shinji's death, the gruesome scene forever engraved in her memories. She had always pictured death by Shinji's hands, but to see him dying before her very eyes instead...and unable to do anything to save him. A sudden realization comes crashing onto the girl, her breathing quickening in pace. "A-Ahhh...ahhh...this..." She couldn't deny her actions. She was a murderer. She was the cause of his death. She was the reason he died.
She...had killed him.
A horrid, ear-piercing scream tore through the Coliseum as Hakuno fell to her knees. She couldn't register her servant hovering over her, going hysterical and unable to think of anything else. This was all her fault. Because of her, Shinji was now gone forever. Because of her, he couldn't go on living.
She doesn't know how long she's been screaming, but she soon felt her servant's hands on her wrists, yanking them away from her face. "Master, look at me! Snap out of it!" Dilated, chocolate brown orbs come in contact with worried steel grey ones. His voice drops low, as if carefully choosing his words and not wanting to instill any more fear into her. "Master...calm yourself down."
Hakuno stares at her servant, her lips trembling as her hands clenched into fists. "A-Archer...Archer..." Her voice comes out scared and pleading, soft as a whisper as she utters his name. Right...her servant. There must be something they can do to reverse this mess, right? Archer watches as her eyes began to water, the master mustering a strained smile at him. "Shinji...he...he can't be dead right? There's no way...I mean...I didn't mean to do it. You know that, right? I didn't intend to...to let that happen."
She starts stumbling on her words as she goes on, uncaring for whether she was making sense or not. A hiccup erupted from her mouth as tears begin to stream down her cheeks. "Please tell me he can't be dead. He can't actually be gone forever, right? Please...there...th-there must be something we can do to bring him back."
Archer slowly releases his hold on her wrists as Hakuno grabs onto his large hands instead, grasping onto them tightly with shaky fingers. She looks at him with the tiniest glimmer of hope in her eyes, praying that her servant had a solution. Instead, she was met with silence, as her servant could only shake his head. Her face falls in dismay. No, no this can't be!
The grip on his hands tighten as her voice increases in volume. He had to be joking. "Please Archer, tell me he's not dead. Tell me that we can bring him back. Tell me that this is all a bad dream...! Please!" Her voice cracks as her cries slowly die down into sobs. "Please...I beg you..." Her head is bowed low as she weeps before him, breaking down. She couldn't believe it...that she had actually killed someone, that it was her fault that Shinji died.
Her servant remains quiet, looking at the master before him that was lost, torn and broken. He knew that the death of Shinji Matou would affect her negatively but...to see it affect her to such an extent. It looked as if the whole world had crashed down on her shoulders. He had no words to offer to try and console her, as the harsh truth still remained that Shinji Matou was now dead.
Carefully, he places a hand on her back, hoping that it would at the very least provide her some comfort and allowing her to cry. The master in return did not say another word, and could only grip onto her servant's arms tightly, hot tears spilling from her eyes, with the frustration, grief, sadness and anger all coming down at once in that very moment.
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The elevator ride back to the school is silent throughout, with the master's eyes downcast. Her servant doesn't say a word to her either, most likely trying to be considerate in his own way. She was grateful...but her heart was nonetheless torn over the series of events that had occurred back in the Coliseum.
And so, round one of the Holy Grail War comes to a close. The fight is over. She had won and Shinji has lost. And so, Shinji will meet death. Her fingers curl into fists as she clenches her teeth. Can it be true? She knew what she saw, she witnessed the whole thing, but it doesn't feel real.
Her frown deepens as she stares at her feet. Her eyes and throat hurt from all the screaming and crying she did earlier, but she couldn't care about it at the moment. Has his life been lost forever? All because she won? Without any explanation or greater meaning? And she was going to continue like this onto the second round as well? She indeed wanted to fight back earlier and live, but to think that it resulted in the SE.RA.PH wiping out Shinji from existence...
The elevator rumbles to a stop as she hears the doors open. Slowly, she lifts her head, tired eyes staring blankly into space as she steps out of the elevator, the doors closed promptly behind her. Archer looks like he had something to say, but chooses not to and instead enters astral form a moment later.
She assumed that he didn't want to worsen her mood any more than it already was. Again, he was probably being mindful and considerate for her sake as her servant. Hakuno continues to stand in the hallway by the shoe lockers, not moving a muscle. Why was she even here? Did she even deserve to return back to this place after what she had done? It wasn't as if her victory felt rewarding in the slightest.
"It appears that the first round is over." She wondered how long she was standing there, dumbfounded. When she came to, Rin Tohsaka was standing before her, staring at her with a solemn expression. "Rin..." She doesn't even have the energy to try and muster a proper greeting beyond calling out her name name as acknowledgement of the other master's presence.
Was Rin here to see the result of her and Shinji's battle with her own eyes? From the looks of it, it seems that her fight too had already ended some time ago, meaning that Rin too had emerged as the winner in the first Elimination Battle. That was to be expected, given how strong she was.
Hakuno goes pale at the realization; Rin had killed someone as well...but didn't even seem that bothered by it. In fact, the look that Rin was throwing her now was anything but worried or guilty despite having taken someone else's life. It doesn't seem that Rin came to congratulate her either, judging from the serious gaze on her features. "Even though Shinji was the one who chose to fight you, he's the one who ended up dead. The reigning game champion of Asia is defeated."
The brown-haired master's shoulders go tense. She doesn't know what expression she's showing, but Rin begins frowning at her as she goes on. Was she trying to gauge some sorta reaction out of her by mocking Shinji? "The moron didn't have a clue how to fight for his life. Such is the way of any magus who treats the Holy Grail War like a game. A pathetic way to die, no?"
Hakuno automatically opens her mouth to defend the dead from desecration. "That's...!" Rin's frown hardens into a glare as Hakuno retreats back into silence, no words coming out. "This place is a battlefield. What good is there in exalting someone who was dealt defeat?" Rin wasn't wrong; Hakuno too was questioning what she was trying to prove or achieve by talking back to her. It wasn't as if her deeds were any more heroic than Rin's; she had just murdered someone in order to survive earlier herself.
The look in Rin's eyes and her words drove home a message: on the field of battle, losers die. It should have been obvious, but apparently not to Shinji...and perhaps even herself. This was the reality of the Holy Grail War she's involved in...and yet Hakuno couldn't seem to discard the part of her which felt that this whole mindset was wrong.
Rin cocks her head to the side, crossing her arms over her chest. "The winner of the Holy Grail War will be granted any wish. But there is only one winner." Yes, that much is obvious...but the fact that so many people were going to die over this ordeal was...terrifying.
The blue-eyed master seems to sense her fear and hesitation, because she sighs, her hands going to her hips. "Everyone who enters has wishes and dreams, things they desire to have at any cost. Things worth dying for. You on the other hand, don't seem to have regained your memories yet." She seemed to have struck the nail on the head, as Hakuno once again begins to stare at her feet in shame.
That's right...she still haven't recovered her memories. Even after undergoing such a deadly fight earlier, Hakuno still had no clue what her desires or wishes were, other than to live on. Compared to the other masters, she was a hopeless case. Even though Shinji treated the war as a game, he too probably had a wish of his own...and she prevented him from seizing a chance to have it fulfilled.
It was then that Hakuno almost thought she saw Rin's gaze softening just the slightest bit. Whether it was out of pity or sympathy or something else entirely, she didn't know. "...It's better that way, to lack a motive that is. But you should at least be mentally prepared. If you're not ready to kill or be killed, then it'll be better to go hide under a rock."
Was this a piece of advice, or a threat? She couldn't tell. But Hakuno looks back at her anyway, biting down on her lower lip. "...I'm prepared." Rin takes a moment to assess her answer, before she gives a nod of approval. "Right. So long as you mean it." Turning her back, she begins walking away, the conversation ending with Hakuno still standing in the same spot.
What else could she say? Rin was right about everything. Everyone who makes a stand here fights with a strong will. There wouldn't be a single master she could defeat without a hard fight during the Elimination Battles first. And yet...she still didn't possess a reason to fight. She couldn't possibly think of whether to kill or be killed without a reason to fight. That being said, what right does she have to trample on other people's dreams?
"Oh? Why if it isn't Kishinami-san." Her eyes glaze over to see a familiar student with blonde hair smiling back at her. "Leo..." The master smiles back in return, slowly walking towards her before he stops just a feet or two away from the brown-haired female. What was he doing here?
"So it seems you have returned, which makes you the victor in your fight against Shinji Matou." Even in astral form and not verbally voicing his thoughts, she could sense Archer eyeing Leo with distaste.
Hearing him say it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth; as if he had to remind her any more of that terrible fact. What point is there in telling her this anyway? She had already witnessed Shinji's death before her own eyes.
However, it was then that Hakuno's body goes rigid. Wait a moment...if Leo was still standing before her right now...then that means...! Her heart rate begins to accelerate as the ugly truth dawned on her. No...it couldn't be. Because she promised, she promised that she would fight. She said that she would fight to the every end...and survive.
The pleasant smile that Leo is giving her does nothing to ease the tension the room. As if sensing her thoughts, Leo places his hands behind his back, looking relaxed and the smile not leaving his face. "How nice it is that both of us got through the first round. From the looks of it, it seems that Rin Tohsaka also managed to survive, as expected of her." Sweat begins on form on the palms of her hands. She didn't feel like raising the question, the answer already right in front of her, but does so anyway. "Leo...you...you killed...Nagisa?"
Leo pauses, looking at Hakuno questionably. "Hmmm...well...if I am standing in front of you, does that not make the answer obvious enough?" The girl could already feel her heart drop at the revelation, Nagisa's face popping into her mind. So that means...Nagisa...died. She was dead...Leo had killed her...
It felt like the room was spinning around her as Hakuno tried her best to remain calm. Leo must've noticed her shock, because his smile drops slightly. "Ah, sorry. I almost forgot that the two of you were friends. However, 'kill' is a rather strong word in this context. I merely did what was needed to be done, the same as you did with Shinji Matou. On that note, I came to deliver a message to you...from Nagisa herself."
The way he phrased it was so blunt that it felt like a hard slap to the face. She could feel some sort of ugly emotion begin to bubble inside her, her already unstable mood getting worse by the second, but the master forces herself to pull a straight face. She couldn't break down again...not here...and not in front of Leo.
"Consider it a parting gift from her to you. The girl, even naive and foolish as she was, died a rather honourable death and fought as hard as she could even with her limited power, so relaying this small dying message of hers is the least I can do to acknowledge her efforts." Even in her final moments, Nagisa still thought of her and even had something she wanted to tell her?
Hakuno gulps, unsure if she was even remotely prepared to hear what Leo was about to say. "What...what did she want to tell me?" She watches as the master opens his mouth, his expression now neutral. "During her final moments, she wanted you to still remember and never forget her."
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The master doesn't know how when she got back to her private room, but night soon arrives in Tsukumihara Academy, and the girl is seen sitting on her bed after thoroughly washing up. Her dull eyes gaze aimlessly at the window, staring blankly at the blue moon and stars being illuminated across the virtual sky. Her servant still hadn't said a word to her, most likely letting her have her own personal space and time to sort out her thoughts.
The master feels strangely hollow, empty and tired inside, continuing to stare at the sky as if she was expecting something to happen. The words that Leo had told her, along with Shinji's death were still replaying in her mind like a broken record. A small sigh escapes her lips as her shoulders slumped in exhaustion.
So Nagisa had perished as well. Hakuno had a sinking feeling in advance that it would be the case, especially with how strong Leo and Gawain were as a servant-master duo, but even so...finding out about it was anything but welcoming. Did Nagisa somehow anticipate her death and as such made such a tall promise with her just to momentarily relieve Hakuno of her worries before the Elimination Battle? She didn't know, for she had no way of asking her.
But...to think that Nagisa would still think of her even while she was dying. Did Leo finish her off, or did the SE.RA.PH do the job instead? She didn't get to ask...and frankly, she doesn't want to know either. Again, she had to question why Nagisa would regard her in such a good light, and as a friend too? She honestly didn't think she did or say anything particularly outstanding this past week for Nagisa to be so nice to her...even in her final moments.
Now that she thought about it, she never got to thank Nagisa for all the times she cheered her up or gave her confidence before she left this world for good. What a terrible friend she must be indeed, and yet there were no second chances...no way of apologizing to her.
The least she can do now however, was to honour her dying wish. She wasn't going to forget Nagisa and would carry on the burden of her death on her shoulders and live on. Because...that was probably what Nagisa would've wanted...and as her friend, it was all she could do now that Nagisa was truly gone.
The quiet master began to think back on the times Nagisa had approached her. She was always so positive and constantly brimming with energy, even trying to motivate Hakuno when she was doubting herself. She couldn't deny that while her optimism was over the top at times...it was incredibly infectious as well.
For a moment...the selfish and unreasonable part of herself wanted to think otherwise...that Nagisa would've survived and made it to the second round, and that she would get to see her again. If Nagisa had lived on, she would definitely walk over and congratulate her, and constantly find any given opportunity to talk to her. But that wasn't happening anymore. Nagisa was dead, and there was no way of bringing her back like Shinji.
She was truly gone, wiped out from the face of the earth.
It was then that her vision began to blur, and Hakuno realises that tears had began to prick her eyes once again. Letting out a quiet but bitter chuckle to herself, she begins swiping at her eyes, trying to stop the salty liquid from coming out. So even with how exhausted she was, she could still cry her eyes out? How inconvenient.
The girl lets out a sniff as she continues to try and stop herself from crying. She had to be strong. Her servant would undoubtedly be upset seeing her in such a state. Tomorrow, she has to face yet another round...another preparation period, and another opponent she might have to kill. Would she be able to do it? She doesn't know, but she knows she has to do it anyway.
For now though...tonight...just for tonight, here in this dark room, with her thoughts to herself, the amnesiac master would allow herself to mourn for the deaths of her friend and opponent.
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Under the moonlight, a girl is seen walking towards the fountain by the gardens. Quietly, she sits down, adjusting her spectacles before she gazes up the moon. "The moon is high up...and the stars are out tonight," she mutters, admiring the view.
"Professor, I have followed your teachings up until now. It appears that she and I...ah...yes...she and I are searching for the same star. If all is well, everything will proceed as you have predicted." Peering into the waters of the fountain, she narrows her purple irises, focusing on the ripples of the surface. "Interesting. This is...a new ordeal. A hunter hidden in the shadows of the forest."
She concludes her findings, standing up and clasping her hands together as her eyes direct themselves back towards the sky. "Very good...the stars have aligned themselves. It shall not be long before we meet, Hakuno Kishinami." With her eyes glinting in the darkness, she slowly walks back towards the school building.
And thus, the second round commences.