"I am Saber, name's Mordred. I ask this of you. Are you my Master?"
I nod, fighting down the urge to holler in excitement. I mean, sure, this isn't the end of a life or death situation, but I did it! I summoned a Servant!
"Mordred, the son of Arthur Pendragon, the King of Knights?" Mash asked.
"His one and only true heir," The armored knight responded, pride clearly evident despite the horned helmet obscuring their features. Then said object retracts, allowing for messy blonde hair that ends in a rough ponytail to fall down. I stared in amazement at green eyes as the thought finished registering in my head.
"You're a…. girl?" I asked, before suddenly realizing my mistake. The revelation was further supported by the sudden appearance of her oversized sword pointed at my throat.
"Call me that again, and I won't be able to stop myself," Mordred growled, even as her voice betrayed hints of her true gender. I raised my hands quickly in surrender. Mash and Ritsuka stayed still, the former tensing her body to intervene while latter glances at a still-silent Olga Marie.
"Point received. Please forgive my slight of tongue, Sir Mordred," I said, trying to remain calm. Humble might work…right? Mordred glowers at me for a few more seconds before finally lowering the sword.
"Tch. That's better," Mordred grumbled Maybe we got off on the wrong foot, but hopefully I can salvage this moment…. right?
"Let's try this again," I laugh a bit awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. "I am Jacob Aronson. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said while offering my right hand. Mordred stared at the gesture for a moment before nodding her head. She then stares at Mash, and I notice her body tense slightly. However, the moment passed, and she takes in her surroundings.
"Looks like someone had one hell of a party here," Mordred muttered, shaking her head in distaste, maybe because of all the carnage.
"How much did the Grail fill you in on what has happened?" Director Animusphere asked. Mordred shrugged in response.
"That humanity is in danger," She said casually, as if she was talking about having gotten an undercooked steak instead of the apocalypse. The director began filling in the Saber-class servant as Ritsuka and Mash walked over to me.
"Looks like you're going to have your hands full," my fellow master commented. I sighed and turned to the duo. "Well, at least now I can pull my weight if we encounter anything stronger than those damn skeletons," I said dryly, trying to maintain a front of being in good spirits.
The clatter of bones causes my expression to change to one of frustration, and I ready my makeshift club. "Looks like you spoke too soon," Ritsuka remarked as Mash readied her shield. A clanging sound echoed in through the ruined city as my servant's helmet reforms itself around her head, and she readies her sword.
"These are mine," she said rather savagely for a knight, before throwing herself at the incoming skeletons. The reanimated soldiers quickly prove to be no match to the knight, and the fight is over in a matter of minutes.
"Well," Director Animusphere huffed, arms crossed. "At least you managed to summon a powerful servant to fight for us." I nodded in response, awed by the sheer power and ferocity being displayed before us. Then I heard the sound of bones clacking behind us, and I spin around, gripping my makeshift mace as I swing it over my head.
With a loud grunt, I swing the concrete-covered end of the rebar down onto the top of the grinning skull of the lone skeleton, smashing it. Without a head, the rest of the bones clatter limply to the ground.
"So, it seems my Master is willing to fight," Mordred remarked casually, her sword held in a rather casual grasp. I grunt as I lower my weapon.
"I'm not going to ever be the kind of person to lay down and let others do all the fighting, nor be defenseless," I replied as I relax my body. Mordred grunted her approval in response as she walked back over to my side.
"So, Master, what do you think of my skills as a warrior?" Mordred asked with a proud smirk, her helmet retracted once more. I want to comment that for a knight, she fought more like a berserker, but I have already made one mistake already. Can't afford another now, can I?
"That I am very lucky to have you as my Servant," I reply truthfully. It's irrelevant if she fights like a knight or a brute, so long as she can and will fight. It seems that I answered correctly, for her smirk becomes even wider.
"You got that damn right. I was second only to my father!" Mordred boasted.
"This is nice and all, but we should get back to finding out what has happened here," the director said to us.
"Well, with Mash and Mordred here, this should be easy," I said hopefully, being rewarded with a grunt of approval from the Knight of Rebellion and Treachery. Meanwhile, the Demi-Servant just blushes, further reinforcing me suspicion that she has had little if any interactions before today with people. The director rolls her eyes before she starts walk along the edge of the city.
We didn't encounter any more resurrected skeletons as we proceed along the waterside. As we continued walking in silence, I focus my gaze on a damaged, metal bridge. In front of us, Director Animusphere stopped, her hands on her hips as she turned around, gazing sternly at my fellow Master.
"Stop. Before we start exploring the city any further, Fujimaru, isn't there something you want to say to me?" Aminusphere. Really? Really? Are we really doing this right now? Apparently, we are, for God's sake.
"No, nothing in particular. Why are you asking?" Either Ritsuka is taking the piss out of our boss, or he is extremely dense. The director blinked once before her right eye began to twitch rather violently. Behind me, I hear my Servant snicker quietly.
"…You're not very smart, are you? Remember what happened during the briefing?" A sheepish expression slowly begins to form on Ritsuka's face as it seems that the light is finally turning on. Mash chimed in at this point.
"Senpai, it's probably about when you dozed off during the briefing."
"You didn't mention that most of your group were an aspiring comedy act," Mordred muttered as I shake my head. The director mentioned about how she was going on about how she was going to have to essentially redo the speech when I clear my throat.
"Director Amunisphere. With all due respect, ma'am, perhaps it would be best to just simply sum up what your speech was about," I say bluntly. Something feels wrong here.
"In this case, Aronson, you may be correct," Animusphere sighed before relying the essentials about how something that had happened here. About how something had happened here, the creation of a Singularity in time, that threatened the survival of humanity, and that it had to be fixed to ensure that survival.
"Now that we have that issue dealt with. Very well, Fujimaru, as punishment, I am ordering you to be my bodyguard. Along with you, Aronson." I fight down the urge to run a hand down my face in exasperation. Ritsuka does something else entirely.
"Aye-aye, oh great Director Marie!" Said director blinks a bit owlishly.
"W-what? Ta=hat's creepy. F-Flattery will get you nowhere, Fujimaru!"
"…Good to see you two getting along." Mash, I did not know you had it in you to make a joke like that. "Let's move before enemies show up." I turned to my servant, rolling my eyes in annoyance. Mordred merely shook her head. Then we resume walking.
Ritsuka, Mash, Mordred and I walk behind the fuming director. I turn to the blonde knight. "Hey, Mordred, do you mind keeping pace with the director?" The Knight of Rebellion gives me a queer look before grunting and increasing her pace.
"You ok, Ritsuka?" I asked the Japanese Magus.
"I just don't understand why she always seems to be so mad," he replied, frustrated. Before I could offer my own theory, Mash speaks up.
"Well, I can feel some sympathy for Director Animusphere's ill temper. I'm sorry, Ritsuka Senpai, but there's too much about Chaldea you don't know about."
"Ok, well, I do admit to being clueless here," Ritsuka said. I snort in amusement while Mash gives an expression that could almost be described as pity, shaking her head slightly.
"I really don't know what to do with you. It's like you're a lost kitty. Though, it's not like I'm any different. It's been about two years since I started working at Chaldea myself, and I still don't get it. I guess you could say I snuck in. Almost like an alligator." My lip twitches a bit at that last part, trying to fight down the urge to laugh. Ritsuka starts to reply, but I tuned it out, forming my own opinion about the director.
If I had to guess, she seems like a young woman who was thrown into a position that she wasn't truly prepared for. Thankfully, despite her words, her actions so far have indicated that she wants to do everything in her power to do what she sees to be the right thing.
"Master!"
I turn my head to look back at my Servant as several dozen more skeletons clatter forward.
"They're behind us too!" Mash called out, causing me to turn around to see the half-dozen enemies also closing in. What these undead lack in strength, they more than make up for that with their numbers.
"Mordred, protect the director! Turn those pests to dust!" I call out.
"Understood, Master!" Mordred replied before throwing herself forward, delivering a flying kick of sorts to the lead skeleton, destroying it and causing the pieces to take down another two. At that point, I turn back to my fellow master.
"Ritsuka, get over to the director. Mash and I can handle them," I said, raising my weapon as Mash braced herself behind her shield.
"Right!" Ritsuka agreed. Unlike Director Animusphere, it seems that my comrade understands that I am not the kind of person to just stand by and let others fight for me and not do anything. Well, either that, or he trusts that Mash will ensure that no harm comes to me. Regardless of which of those is the truth, I am thankful for the statement of implied trust.
"Ok Mash, you take the four on the right, I've got the two on the left." Mash gives me an uneasy look before nodding. Grinning slightly, I charge forward to the left, as Mash lunged forward, slamming the center of her shield into the head of the lead skeleton on the right.
I slam the improvised weapon into the center of the half-covered chest. The skeleton stumbles before lifting its rusty sword. Before it can swing, I swing my club again, breaking the spinal column. A whistling sound was the only warning I got before stepping hurriedly one step to the right, as the remaining skeleton's blade missed my body. It hits the concrete mass at the end of the rebar I am holding, and a decent-sized chunk crumbles off.
"Damn it!" I cursed as I clumsily swing it despite the close proximity of the reanimated body. However, this skeleton seemed to have at least some skill for an undead, as it parried the iron shaft with its sword. I raise my right hand, index finger extended as I focus on one of the few spells I know.
A weak Gandr bolt nails the skeleton between its empty eye sockets. For good measure, I fire a second Gandr curse at the same spot, blasting broken bone fragments away. "All enemies have been defeated here," Mash called out at that moment, having beaten the last one of her own foes. "Jacob Senpai, are you ok?" I grunt as I lower my arm. I make a fist with my hand as I try to stop the slight trembling. Three set of footsteps from behind cause me to turn around to see the director and Ritsuka approaching us, while slightly behind the Magi is my Servant, with a bored expression on her face.
"I'm tired of dealing with all these damn skeletons. I want a challenge, not some stupid workout routine," Mordred grumbled, her sword disappearing in a golden light as she de-summons the sword, deciding instead to cross her arms against her breastplate.
"Looks like this area is a bust. Nothing aside from skeletons and ruins. Maybe there will be something near the center of the city," Director Animusphere said before looking at Mash's left arm. "I see that you've been injured slightly," the director comments, extending her hands. "Here, let me see it so I can heal it for you." As she takes care of the flesh wound, I turned to Mordred.
"I am going to guess that none of those skeletons managed to even scratch your armor, huh?" I commented, wanting to break the awkward silence of the instant. The blonde knight snorts derisively.
"If that had happened, then I would be a poor excuse of a knight."
"So, what was it like-" Before I can finish my question, Director Animusphere speaks up.
"What do you mean, you don't know what your Noble Phantasm is?"
"Sadly, the Heroic Spirit that bonded with me didn't leave me with their identity. Therefore, I have no idea what kind it is, or if I even have one in the first place."
"Hmph. Perhaps it is also because you have an inexperienced Master," the director muttered as she gazes intently at my Servant and I. "What about your Servant?" That's a good question. I turn to the Knight of Treachery.
"Clarent Blood Arthur," was all she said. Even though I have only known her for a relatively short time, I have a feeling that she won't say anything else on the matter unless she wants to. Director Animusphere's expression relaxes ever so slightly, though not completely.
"That's a relief to hear," she muttered before turning to Ritsuka. "Fujimaru, once Chaldea's Rayshift capability is restored, we're going to shift a first-class Master to replace you. Newbies with no combat experience can spend their time terrified in some corner of Chaldea." Director Animusphere then turned back to me with narrowed eyes. "Aronson, you can keep your contract with your Servant for now. Once Singularity F has been dealt and we are all back in Chaldea, however, there is going to be a discussion about whether you will be allowed to continue partaking in this project. You may be skilled, but you have been reckless whenever we get attacked, even after you summoned a powerful Servant to fight for you. Do you both understand?"
I nod my head, tuning out everyone else. 'Great, even my boss doesn't believe in me.' Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mordred looking up at me with an expression I'm unable to figure out. She purses her lips as if to say something when Director Animusphere resumes ordering us around.
"Now that we have that settled, let's move on."
The following two hours or so were spent rather quietly. We didn't spot any skeletons as we moved deeper into the burning city. Early on we encountered only a small handful of skeleton enemies, though Mash and Mordred swept them aside with ease. Then we no longer saw any. Instead of putting me at ease, it bothers me greatly. While walking, Director Animusphere explained her theory of Singularity F being the result of an alteration of what she called the Fifth Holy Grail War, explaining the traditions of the event, and what was supposed to have happened. About how the Saber-class Servant had been the winner of the Grail, and that the city had not been destroyed in fire. At least that theory is one that both makes sense and gives us a better idea of what to possibly look for.
Finally, we stop near the remains of what might have been the remains of a church. The area seemed to have been subjected to less damage than the rest of the city. Beyond the burnt-out remains of the church seems to be the remains of some sort of cemetery, with broken tombstones.
The director stops in front of the church and turns around. "Ok, we should take a short break. Take this time to sit down and rest." Mash and Ritsuka do so gladly. While neither of them had made any sort of complaint during the journey, they had been through a lot during the past hours. As have I. Instead of sitting, however, I remain standing, my gaze drawn to the tombstones. I'm not sure why, but something about them feels wrong. Maybe a quick closeup will calm my nerves.
"I'm going to check out that cemetery, if that is ok, Director Animusphere?" I asked respectfully. The Magus thought about it for a few seconds before shrugging.
"Just be quick about it. We shouldn't spread ourselves out too far, or for too long if we have to do so. If you find anything, report back at once," Animusphere declared. I grunt a thank you before shooting my Servant a questioning look, curious to see if she wanted to follow. She shakes her head before answering.
"I'll have to pass. I've already had my fill with dead stuff for today." I nod in understanding before I walk off cautiously, my piece of rebar held loosely in my hands. I shiver slightly, the feeling of being watched returning. The sheer silence, without even the popping and crackling of fire like we had been surrounded by in the city, is unnerving, unnatural.
Soon I arrive at the site. My brow furrows slightly as my eyes narrow. These are certainly not normal tombstones. Maybe pieces of debris from the church? I take a few more steps, pausing when I feel my right foot land on stone. I lift my foot up before bending down to get a closer look. It looks like the remains of a carved hand. Looking ahead, I see what looks like a life-sized leg made from stone sticking up from the ground.
"What the hell?" I mutter, starting to feel creeped out. I look to my right, seeing what from a distance looks like large tombstone monument. Carved eyes reflecting terror stare back as I straighten back up, my weapon slipping from trembling hands.
Oh god…these aren't pieces of oddly shaped debris or tombstones. They're people who have been turned to stone somehow! The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Someone's here, watching us. That's why we haven't seen any skeletons. We must leave. Now.
"Guys, get up!" I hollered as I run back. I see Mordred jumping up to her feet, her large sword re-materializing in her hands as her helmet once more re-assembles over her head. The rest of the group look up, undoubtedly with expressions of either confusion or alarm. "There's something or someone here!"
"Jacob! Behind you!" Ritsuka called back just as I start to hear the sound of chains rattling towards me from behind. I turn around to see a tall woman with pale pink hair and yellow eyes staring at me, holding onto the end of a long chain, the other ending attached to the hilt of a dagger or some similar sort of blade, heading straight towards me. Looking back at the pale eyes filled with malice, my body suddenly freezes, as if I were frozen in a block of ice. 'Servant?' I thought dumbly as I stare ahead with wide eyes.
Everything seemed to slow down. Shouts became muffled, as the blade approaching my chest drew closer and closer. I try to move, but it feels like my limbs are made of lead, barely moving at all. 'I'm going to die,' I think with a soft whimper.
"Master!"
Then I feel something push me to the side, followed by a grunt of pain. Mordred yanks the blade out of her right shoulder, letting out a hiss of contempt as she raised her sword in a defensive stance. "Idiot," the knight snarled without turning her hidden head from me. I lower my gaze for a moment in shame, knowing she is right. "That's a pretty cowardly move for a Servant. I'm guessing you're an Assassin-class Servant," Mordred growled angrily. The Servant merely laughed, a sound devoid of warmth and dripping with cruelty.
"The only thing that matters is that you and your friends will be dead soon!" She grinned before lunging forward.
"Not happening!" Mordred shifted her stance to her typical attack one, red lightning sparking off of her armor and sword. The next few moments leave me struggling to follow the fight. One moment, Mordred and the enemy Servant are locked in battle, the next they vanish, only to reappear and then vanish again. Is this what a true battle between Servants looks like? How can I help Mordred out if she needs it?
No. I have to trust in the Saber-class Servant. Then the sounds of combat register in a different direction. More Servants?
I turn around to see a shadowy figure armed with some sort of polearm slamming their weapon against Mash's shield, causing the Demi-Servant to stumble backward. We're trapped. Surrounded.
A blow that must have slipped through Mordred's guard causes the knight to go skidding backwards. A few more cuts around the areas of her arms not protected by her plate armor have joined the injury she sustained earlier when she saved me. "Bastard's tougher than she looks," Mordred admitted grudgingly as her foe adjusts her stance, smirking at us. Behind us I can hear the sounds of the others shouting to one another, then another voice is heard, causing everyone to pause.
"I thought you were just some girl, but it looks like you've got some fight in you. Now there's no way that I can leave you like this!" A masculine voice boomed around us. The sadistic look of joy in the long-haired Servant's face fades away rapidly, replaced with a scowl.
"Caster?! You dare interfere in this?" The Servant demanded, lowering her guard unintentionally. A fatal mistake, even for a Heroic Spirit. Mordred charged forward, swinging her sword with all her might at the distracted Servant. The blade sliced the Servant in half before the remains crumbled into shadow, disappearing into the night.
"Are you ok?" I asked Mordred, stepping forward slowly. She turns her head to me, maintaining a ready stance.
"I'll be fine. Get to the others, I'll be right behind you," She said, pushing me forward a bit roughly to ensure that I did as she ordered. As I get closer, I notice the newcomer, who I assume was the one who had spoken up. He is dressed in sky-blue robs with white trimming and patterns, a cowl obscuring most of his head. A staff is held in his hands as he and Mash push forward against the remaining Servant. By the time Mordred and I return to the group, it is defeated. Mordred keeps both her helmet and her sword up.
"Who are you?" Ritsuka asked. The newcomer turns around as he used his free hand to lower his cowl, revealing bright blue hair in a ponytail, bright red eyes, and a casual smile on his face.
"I am the Servant summoned for the Caster-class for this Holy Grail War. I'm usually a Lancer, but I am Cú Chulainn. We ought to have a chat now, don't ya agree?"