Disclaimer: I don't own any Type-Moon work.
A/N: Third chapter is here. Hm. My pace has been unnaturally quick. But I'm just that excited. Enjoy.
Onward to Battle
Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi was not a happy man. As a man who was to be wed to a beautiful woman and a Master with a Servant as strong as the one he had summoned, he should have been very satisfied.
Unfortunately, it was due to his Servant that he was not a happy man.
"Have you no sense at all?" Kayneth said in a controlled voice, restraining himself from simply screaming at his Servant. "What you did at the airport… it was completely unacceptable!"
Iskander, Rider of the Fourth Holy Grail War, regarded his Master with annoyance and disinterest. His Master had done nothing but complain about his actions ever since he was summoned. The flight to Fuyuki City had been an enjoyable experience for him, and he made a mental note to acquire about a dozen of these "airplanes" when he was able. It was different than riding on his chariot. After they had arrived in Fuyuki he had done the only sensible thing a King like him would do by letting those who were listening know that Alexander the Great had returned to the world.
The reason why his Master seemed to be so angry about his announcement in the middle of the airport escaped Rider at the moment.
"I don't see the problem with my actions." Rider said, folding his arms in front of him, peering down at the smaller man. "I have been reborn, and the world must know of my return, and remember the name of its conqueror! It would only be fair to give our enemies a chance to prepare so that we may defeat them when they are at full strength!"
Kayneth was grinding his teeth together as he tried to make his grinning Servant see reason.
"The point of this War is to make sure other Masters and Servants do NOT know who you are and do NOT have time to prepare." Kayneth stressed. "We must strike quickly and decisively when our enemies least expect it in order to win. Tactics and deception will be our tools to victory, not announcing our presence where everyone can hear!"
"Strategy and tactics are all well and good, and certainly aid in battle." Rider nodded, agreeing with that point. "However, when I fight, I intend to emerge victorious. I will not deceive an enemy and I will seek a true victory! I leave a Master like you to attend to the smaller details of discerning who my opponents are, since you seem to be so bothered by details…"
"Y-You…"
Kayneth was near his breaking point. To have his opinions brushed aside in such a way, to be ignored by a Servant who should only think to obey him!
"Lord El-Melloi, there's no need to get so worked up over this."
Both men turned to the woman who had addressed them. Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, fiancé of Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, was seated comfortably on one of the couches in their luxurious hotel room listening in on the conversation. She gave her husband to be a light glare as she gestured to their Servant.
"You summoned Rider as your Servant, and he may very well be the most powerful of them all. This fact shouldn't be ignored." Sola-Ui said.
"I am well aware of my Servant's power, it is his disobedience that is the problem here!" Kayneth snapped. Sola-Ui's glare sharpened slightly before she continued.
"Look at him, Milord. Rider is obviously someone who favors full front assaults as opposed to waiting and sneaking around." The woman said it as though she were educating a child. "If you had wanted deception and cunning, you would have been better off summoning Assassin."
Kayneth's expression faltered at that. He glanced up at Rider. He certainly couldn't deny what she was saying…
"...Go on."
"All I'm saying is that you should adjust your plans so that they suit Rider's abilities. You shouldn't make him change himself based on your preferences." Sola-Ui said with a helpless shake of her head.
Both magi jumped when Rider's booming laugh echoed through the room.
"This woman is a smart one! It seems my Master has better tastes than I expected!" Rider laughed as he rounded on Kayneth. "Listen to her, Master, for this woman is wise! With the way you behave, I almost wish she had been my Master instead of you!"
Sola-Ui, surprised by the string of compliments, smiled at the Servant who nodded and grinned back.
"Such impudence…" Kayneth muttered under his breath.
Still, his fiancé did raise a few good points. He would have to adjust his plans slightly to compensate for his Servant's attitude, but so long as his plans were followed…
Kayneth's eyes widened when he saw his Servant head for the door.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To explore our field of battle of course, and greet any adversaries I may come across!" Rider grinned.
"You can't!" Kayneth ordered harshly. "We're lucky no Servants or Masters were around to hear you at the airport when you should have stayed in spirit form like I had asked! I am your Master! I will not tolerate any further disobedience from you!"
"I know you are my, Master. You summoned me, did you not?" Rider replied, waving his hand dismissively. "You can make your plans, if that is what you want. I'll get you the Holy Grail. You shouldn't needlessly worry over the trivial things. Why not join me in this exploration instead?"
Ignoring his orders, talking down to him… who did this lowly Servant think he was?!
Well, no matter. It was in these types of situations where it was necessary for Masters to show a Servant its proper place. They were given the means, after all…
Sola-Ui's eyes widened when she saw Kayneth raise his right hand, the one that bore his three Command Seals.
"By the power of my Command Seal…"
No, he wasn't already going to use one here, was he…?!
Rider for his part simply stared at his Master with a shocked expression. Kayneth sneered as he spoke the verse.
"I order you, King Iskander, to obey me and all my orders!"
As he finished reciting the command, one of the red marks on Kayneth's hand disappeared.
"Now, I order you to stay here until further notice. I can't have you running around the city for all the other competitors to see."
Kayneth smiled to himself, satisfied that his Servant would finally be forced to listen to him. While he would keep his fiancé's suggestions in mind, he was content knowing that he would have his Servant's obedience.
"…Hey, what kind of man do you take me for?"
Kayneth blinked in surprise when he caught the dangerous edge to Rider's voice.
"You think yourself above me, do you?" Rider began in a low tone. "I have agreed to this partnership, to stand on equal grounds and fight along side you in order to obtain the Holy Grail for you, and this is how I am repaid…?"
Kayneth's eyes widened in fear at the furious expression on the Servant's face. He backed away from the Heroic Spirit, only to be brought forward again when Rider's fist grabbed the collar of his cloak and lifted him up so they were face to face.
"I AM INSULTED!" Rider bellowed, the sheer volume of his voice made the room shake as Kayneth shook fearfully in his Servant's grasp.
For her part, Sola-Ui just watched the exchange with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Had they summoned a Servant so powerful that he was immune to the effects of a Command Seal?
"Such a carelessly broad, shallow order! And you expect me to follow it?" Rider continued to shout. "Yes, I have seen your true colors now! The flaws I had the tolerance to dismiss earlier appear much more glaring now! I am repulsed! Shamed! Disgusted! To think my Master is such a man!"
Kayneth was already sweating buckets as Rider brought him closer so that the Servant could look him in the eye, and forced Kayneth to do the same.
"Listen well so that you may humble yourself, Master." Rider spat the world like it was a curse. "I am no one's dog. Were I a lesser man I would strike you down for the disrespect you have shown me tonight. But I will not, for doing so would only add to the shame I feel now. I will forgive you for this grave insult this one time, but should you trample upon my pride again, to try and place me beneath yourself like you have done today, I will show no mercy."
Rider dropped Kayneth, who stumbled back into a chair behind him, his eyes wide and his chest heaving. Rider gazed upon him as though he were looking an insect.
"Even so, you are still my Master and I am your Servant." Rider admitted, albeit reluctantly. "Therefore I will honor the terms of our contract, even if you do not. As I said, when I fight I intend to emerge victorious. Though I'm sure there are many more deserving than you, I shall earn you the Grail. I will ride to battle, even alone. It is the only way for me to obtain victory in this war, after all."
Sola-Ui flinched when the Servant turned towards her, though his expression was far less severe than when he had faced Kayneth.
"Sola-san, I will go and explore the battlefield as I had intended. I shall return when I'm satisfied." Rider told her as his body started to fade. "Try and see if you can humble this fool in the meantime. Surely a sensible woman such as you will have a better chance than I…"
And with that, King Iskander went into spirit form and disappeared.
The two magus sat in silence for a few minutes, with Kayneth trying to regain his bearings and Sola-Ui trying to make sense of what she had just witnessed.
Finally, Sola brought a hand up to her mouth in order to hide her smile and stifle the laughter that suddenly bubbled up from her throat.
"You miscalculated, Lord El-Melloi. Making such a grave mistake so early in this War has cost you more than just one Command Seal." Sola-Ui said from behind her hand. "How can you hope to conquer the other Servants if you can't conquer your own? Well, I suppose that's what you get for summoning the King of Conquerors as your Servant…"
Kayneth was silent as the truth of the matter was hammered into his head. He had let his anger get the best of him. He had wasted a Command Seal trying to control a king. He had already made a terrible mistake, and they hadn't even started to fight in the War yet…
Yes, even with his beautiful fiancé and his summoning of a powerful Servant, Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi was most certainly not a happy man.
Outside their hotel room, thunder cracked once in the night sky.
Archer gazed out the window of the car he and Irisviel currently occupied. They were driving down the street towards the Einzbern manor where they would stay during the War. The man felt a small sense of nostalgia well up inside him as they passed by the streets and shops of his hometown. It felt familiar to be back in Fuyuki, but because this was a time before the fire he also felt his surroundings were foreign to him at the same time.
"So this is Kiritsugu's home country…"
Archer glanced over at the woman who shared the seat with him. Irisviel's head darted back and forth as she tried to take in everything they passed by as the car drove along. She was dressed in a white coat and hat even though it wasn't particularly chilly, but it just may be because the weather was different in Japan than where the Einzberns usually lived. He glanced down at himself. He had actually been provided with some of Kiritsugu's spare clothes to replace his normal attire that would have normally stood out in the city. Black pants and shoes with a black dress shirt that made the Servant look neat and casual at the same time. He thought the clothes were suitable and had accepted them when Kiritsugu and Irisviel had offered them.
"Hey, Archer, what did you think of the flight over here?" Irisviel asked excitedly, turning towards him with wonder and awe sparkling in her eyes.
"Well, it's not like it was anything special to me. It was a comfortable ride at least." Archer allowed with a careless shrug.
"Eh? Do you think travel by flight was possible in the era you came from?"
"Who knows?"
Archer gave a half-hearted reply as his thoughts began to drift. He thought back to his short time at the Einzbern house and who he had interacted with there. He had spent most of his time talking with Irisviel and hadn't really gotten a chance to speak with Kiritsugu since he was summoned. Well, no, there was the time just before Kiritsugu had left for Fuyuki…
"I'll be leaving for Japan now."
Archer watched the husband speak with his wife as they stood together in the snow. He was in spirit form, observing them silently like the ghost he was. It was early in the morning and Kiritsugu had already explained that he would be leaving before them to meet with his contact in Fuyuki and prepare for the War. Part of him wanted to materialize and see the man off himself, but Archer had noticed the looks he had received during the few times he and Kiritsugu had been in the same room together. That critical look in his eyes and the way he watched him… Archer didn't want to give his father any clues as to who he was. It's why Archer himself had taken care to limit his interactions with the man thus far. That would obviously change once he and Irisviel joined him in Fuyuki, but Archer wanted to prepare and plan so he could deal with the man without giving himself away.
"We'll be leaving later today." Irisviel stated, reciting the instructions Kiritsugu had given her. "A driver will arrive at the airport to pick us up and we will meet you at the Einzbern manor in Fuyuki."
Archer felt strange watching the two of them. Were they really husband and wife? Standing arm's length apart, Kiritsugu's emotionless face, and talking like they were associates at work instead of intimate partners. He already spoken plenty with Irisviel since his summoning, and she was acting nothing like the smiling woman he had seen before. And Kiritsugu… he wore a soldier's expression even in front of his own wife. He hadn't remembered Kiritsugu like this. No smiles were exchanged between the two, they just stood stiffly in the snow, discussing about what-
"Ki~ri~tsu~gu!"
Had he been in physical form, Archer would have blinked at the high pitched, frustrated shout that came from behind him. Archer watched as a small, familiar figure clad in a white dress dashed out of the manor and down the steps. Irisviel quickly met her daughter at the steps, picking her up before her bare feet hit the snow.
"Ilya! What are you doing out here? You should be in bed." Irisviel admonished her daughter.
Seemingly oblivious to the cold despite her state of dress, the small girl ignored her mother and turned over the woman's shoulder to shout at her father. The girl was pouting.
"You can't leave without saying goodbye!" Ilya insisted as she squirmed in her mother's arms.
And just like that, Kiritsugu's expression morphed from a hardened soldier to a loving father. The man approached his wife, taking his daughter in his arms and spoke to her softly enough that Archer had to reinforce his hearing to make out what they were saying. Ilyasviel was beaming as she talked animatedly with her father, while Irisviel finally closed the distance and smiled the smile Archer had seen when she was talking with him. Kiritsugu's expression was similar to how Archer remembered it now. Nothing was left of the cold, distant man from a few seconds ago. It was like two different people in one body. Standing close together, holding their daughter…
Now they looked like an actual family.
Archer continued to watch silently. He felt an amused smile rise to his face when he heard Kiritsugu promise Ilyasviel something about counting walnut sprouts with her when he returned. Kiritsugu handed a content Ilya back to a smiling Irisviel. It took everything Archer had to not burst out laughing when Ilyasviel suddenly demanded that Kiritsugu and Irisviel kiss "since they were mommy and daddy", as she put it. Irisviel's cheeks flushed for a moment before Kiritsugu leaned forward and their lips pecked.
Yep. In some ways it was a weird picture, but it was a family.
So Irisviel carried Ilyasviel back into mansion as the daughter waved goodbye to her father. As soon as the doors of the mansion closed, that cold mask was back on Kiritsugu's face. Archer only saw the transformation because he had stayed behind to watch the man go. As Kiritsugu turned and put his hand on the door of the car that would take him to the airport, he turned back to look at the Einzbern mansion.
Archer watched as an odd expression cracked the emotionless mask before it was repaired again.
He only went back inside the mansion after he watched Kiritsugu drive off.
Other than watched Kiritsugu play with Ilyasviel in the snow that other day, that was the only time Archer saw the Kiritsugu he knew as a child. It was annoying watching the man he had once looked up to behave like he did.
It annoyed Archer almost as much as Ilyasviel's presence had. Not because he had disliked the girl, but because he still couldn't remember why she seemed so familiar to him.
Maybe he should've talked with the girl at least once while he was there…
"What about cars?"
Irisviel's voice suddenly broke into his train of thought. Archer turned to address her.
"Sorry, I wasn't listening. What did you say?"
"You can't remember if you had planes but what about cars?" Irisviel asked. "Did you have anything for transportation on land?"
"I think there were more ways to travel than just using my feet." Archer smirked, seeing no harm in a truthfully vague answer to that. "But I can't say for sure."
"Hm… not being able to remember your past must be troubling…"
"Not as much as you'd think."
"You'll remember eventually, I'm sure." Irisviel beamed at him before turning her attention back outside the window. "But isn't it amazing? Everything is just so lively in the city…"
"You make it sound as though you've never been outside your house." Archer chuckled, amused by how amazed Irisviel seemed at every little thing she saw.
He had meant it as a joke though. He hadn't expected his words to be taken seriously.
"I haven't. This is my first time seeing the outside world."
Archer's eyes widened. He looked at the woman next to him, shocked by what she had said.
"Huh…?"
"I've spent my whole life inside the Einzbern castle back home. I was never allowed outside." Irisviel admitted softly, as she wrung her hands together. "I was just a puppet, crafted to fight in the Holy Grail War and nothing more."
"You never left the castle? You don't… I can't really see you as an ignorant shut in." Archer said. She was far too lively for that. She was too expressive and full of emotion. Same with her daughter. Was Ilyasviel the same…?
"I… I was really no different than a doll before I met Kiritsugu…" Irisviel explained quietly as she continued to fiddle with her fingers. "He educated me. Taught me about the world and showed me pictures and movies and books and other things that showed what was outside the manor. I learned about different places and current events and anything else he thought to teach me or I asked him to teach me. It's how I became who I am, and why I'm not ignorant of most things like you'd expect from a shut in like you mentioned."
Archer frowned at that. Looks like he'd been a bit rude unintentionally, but he felt his apology catch in his throat when Irisviel beamed happily at him.
"But to see all the things Kiritsugu showed me with my own eyes… it's wonderful!" Irisviel smiled. "Everything seems so different when you see it for the first time despite have read about it in books or seeing them in pictures. Ah! I'm sorry, I'm probably boring you with all this…"
Archer silently stared at her for a few moments before giving a defeated sigh. He glanced up towards the driver who had picked them up from the airport when they had arrived.
"Hey, pull the car over will you?"
"Archer…?"
After the car had pulled over to the curb Archer stepped out of the car, leaving a bewildered Irisviel inside and wondering what the Servant was up to. She blinked when he went around the vehicle and opened her door from the other side. The white haired man smirked at the woman as he extended his hand towards her.
"Well then, if it's the princess's first time out of her castle we should take the time to have a look around. We've got time before we have to meet up with Kiritsugu at the manor."
Irisviel blinked again, still lost.
"But… I don't know the city and neither do you. What if we get lost?"
"Don't worry about it. The Grail gives Servants enough basic knowledge to understand the era they're summoned in. I know enough to tell you that store across the street from us sells ice cream, and you've got some money Kiritsugu gave you we can spend." Archer smirked.
Though he had more than basic knowledge of the current era than Servants normally would due to his circumstances, but nobody needed to know that.
Irisviel looked hesitant, but he could see the excitement and hope in her eyes.
"Is it really okay?"
"You can trust your Servant to not get us lost. I can find my way around places pretty well." Archer smiled. "Now, would you like me to escort you through Fuyuki City, Lady Irisviel?"
The woman giggled at him. That polite tone and way of speaking just didn't suit him to her for some reason. She reached her pale hand out and took the hand he had offered her.
"Archer? Before we go, I have a request."
"What is it?"
"As funny as seeing you try to act all gentlemanly is, could you please just call me Iri?"
Archer's smile grew a bit.
"Alright then, Iri."
Hisau Maiya watched silently as Kiritsugu inspected and familiarized himself with his old tools she had brought with her. She presented them to him after they had rendezvoused in the hotel room they had agreed to meet up at. She had been sure to keep them in perfect condition after he had left them with her to go live with the Einzbern family so that they would be ready the day he needed them again. She had already reported to him that Irisviel and Archer had arrived in Fuyuki, and while they had decided to take a small detour, Kiritsugu hadn't seemed to mind that. He even commented that he had expected it, knowing that Irisviel would want to see things up close and had a feeling that Archer would oblige her. Kiritsugu said it was better that way, as it would appear to Masters who saw them that Iri was Archer's Master, and it would allow him to stay hidden. Irisviel would only be supplying Archer with prana, while Kiritsugu's identity as the Servant's true Master would remain a secret from the other competitors which would allow the two of them to pick off other Masters from the shadows. Maiya watched as Kiritsugu reloaded his Thompson Contender.
"Two seconds…" Maiya noted to herself as she watched him. "He's gotten rusty…"
Staying with the Einzbern and having a family had made the man a bit soft.
"Maiya, have there been any recent reports about the other Masters?" Kiritsugu asked as he put the gun that allowed him to use his Mystic Code back on the bed.
"Only one." Maiya said, handing him a couple of papers that contained information about the Masters they knew were taking part in the Holy Grail War. "We found out the identity of one of the Servants."
"Iskander… Kayneth summoned someone powerful…" Kiritsugu murmured as he read the report. His eyebrows rose slightly when he looked at the time and location of where their men had found this out. "Did he really announce himself in the middle of an airport?"
"Kayneth and his fiancé were detained shortly before being allowed to leave." Maiya replied. "In addition to the noise complaints they recieved, they were asked to not let their friend cosplay in a public area."
"I see."
Both could admit to being slightly amused at how Rider's true name and Master had been uncovered so early on in the war, but their tone and expressions wouldn't show it if anyone had been watching them.
"Anything else?"
"No. There has been no movement from the other Masters we know of or from their unknown Servants."
Kiritsugu nodded and reviewed the report. Other than Kayneth Archibald, they knew the identity of three other Masters. A young teenager who they had found out was a student of Archibald's had been spotted heading to the forest area with some chickens a day or two ago. Had the man who spotted him not noticed the Command Seals the boy had, he would have slipped under their radar. While it was surprising for a child to take part in a war like this, Kiritsugu wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating him. Next was Kariya Matou, who had been thought to have separated himself from his family. Why he would suddenly decide to fight in the War all of a sudden was currently unknown. And then finally, the last Master they had learned the identity of…
Kotomine Kirei.
The priest was the one Kiritsugu felt most threatened by. Everything about the man was a mystery to him. He was the son of the judge of the Holy Grail War, Risei Kotomine, and had apparently studied under Tokiomi Tohsaka in preparation for the War and the two were planning on working together since Tohsaka hadn't been chosen as a Master like he had expected. Kirei was a prodigy even at a young age, accomplishing much due to effort and hard work alone. But the man's way of living was erratic. In each field he studied, Kirei would stop and move onto something entirely different when he was just a step away from mastery. All previous effort was thrown away to learn something completely new, but there was no indication that Kirei found any problem in such a method. It was almost like he didn't care. The way he lived frightened Kiritsugu, as the strange priest didn't seem to hold a passion for anything. For what reason would a man with no aims seek the Holy Grail? And if all this wasn't enough, there was one other detail about the man that stood out to Kiritsugu.
He had a daughter.
Kotomine Kirei was a father. This tiny fact was what surprised Kiritsugu most. For a man who's actions seemed to have no purpose, knowing he had a daughter just added to the senselessness surrounding the priest.
It caused him such confusion that Kiritsugu Emiya had researched into this matter personally.
His daughter's name was Caren. In everything Kirei did, no matter where he went, his daughter was there with him. She was such a constant presence it was like the child was just another limb attached to the man's body. Why they hadn't found out about her the moment they found out Kirei was a Master shocked him. Apparently, his wife had committed suicide some three years ago for reasons that they couldn't find out, and had left Kirei as a single father. The girl had learned a little bit of magecraft alongside her father and had other talents based on what the man deigned to teach her. There had been a time where Kirei considered giving up custody of his daughter, but like everything else, this decision he had pursued changed as quickly as he had first decided it and kept the child for reasons unknown. It was even confirmed that while Tohsaka had sent his wife and daughter for reasons of safety while he helped his student with the War, Kirei felt no such need and would keep his daughter by his side, even while he fought in a War that could get her killed. Everything else he found out about the strange family just added to the confusion.
All this information… yet the Magus Killer didn't know what to make of the man. He felt Kirei was dangerous because of his "way of existence". Kiritsugu could see it. Kirei's existence was built off a life of anger and despair. He was a man constantly seeking answers, yet the man didn't seem to have a wish.
Yet, in spite of all that, was it possible for that void of a man to feel "affection"?
Despite being unable to understand the strange person known as Kotomine Kirei, Kiritsugu found he had one thing in common with the man.
They both had daughters.
Although the one difference in their families was that one had lost his wife while the other's was still alive.
...For now, anyway.
The thought made Kiritsugu think of Irisviel, of where the War would lead and her role in it. Her eventual fate… dying due to his dream…
Maiya watched as sadness clouded behind the man's eyes. Without a thought, she stepped forward and embraced the man who had saved her many years ago.
"It's painful…" Kiritsugu muttered.
"Ignore the pain." Maiya replied softly. "Focus on your task and not on what is to come."
Then Maiya brought her face up and pressed her lips against Kiritsugu's own.
Kiritsugu stood there, unresponsive to the kiss. There was no feeling, no emotions from this action. This was preparation. Practice in dealing with the pain of betraying the woman he loved with all his heart at the end of this War and having her die.
Maiya released him and gazed into the eyes that held no more sadness. Only resolution.
"Push everything else from your mind."
She repeated the action.
The woman knew there were no feelings doing things like this with Kiritsugu. It was purely physical, no emotions involved whatsoever.
At least for Kiritsugu Emiya.
For Maiya Hisau, these moments with the man were what she treasured most. She didn't know if what she felt for the man who had saved and taught her was love, but she imagined it was something close to it. If she could help him, if she was allowed serve him, if she could aid in accomplishing his dream…
...She'd be happy. It was Maiya's sincerest wish to help Emiya Kiritsugu in any way she could.
Kariya Matou pulled up his hood to shield his eyes from the setting sun. Keeping his head low he ducked past the people who walked by and snuck into an alleyway where he broke out into a fit of harsh coughs. At least in these areas he didn't have to care about his appearance and he could suffer without having anyone to witness it.
"…Hey, Master, aren't you kind of weak?"
The man grimaced as his Servant materialized in front of him. Berserker frowned and placed his hands on his hips, leaning forward to inspect his Master.
Kariya stared at the Servant as he was sized up. The Matou probably would have been more bothered by the scrutiny if he wasn't so focused on the details of his Servant. He was still amazed by how human-like Berserker was. Even with his well proportioned muscles and height, it wouldn't be strange to see the man in a regular crowd in the city. His shiny blonde hair and clothes may have stood out a bit, but no normal person would be able to tell that the man wasn't a human, but a Heroic Spirit.
That was another thing that bugged Kariya. His Servant didn't act very heroic at all, but he had expected that from a Berserker class Servant, who's class was only suited for madness and mindless destruction. Yet, that was the strange part. Kariya had quite a few conversations with his Servant after his summoning and it had already been proven that his Servant was sane and was capable of rational thought.
...To a certain degree anyway.
"This is boring…!" Berserker whined, turning away from his Master after becoming bored with looking at him. The blonde haired man grinned excitedly and bounced on his feet. "Hey, hey! Let's go find another Servant and see if we can play with them!"
...His Servant was rather childish for some reason.
"J-Just… give me a moment…" Kariya wheezed, breaking into another fit of coughs. The worms were finally starting to settle down, but they were still agitated.
He suspected that was partly due to how big of a headache dealing with his Servant caused.
"You're no fun!" Berserker yelled, voicing his dissatisfaction. "How am I supposed to stay golden if I can't even fight!"
Screaming again in frustration, Berserker pounded the alleyway with his fist and shattered the brick wall he struck.
Really, if it wasn't for his monstrous strength, you'd never know he was a Servant…
But that was the problem.
"Y-You idiot!" Kariya coughed as he looked at the hole in the building Berserker had made. "You can't just smash a building like that because you're angry!"
"Shut up! You're not my mom! You can't tell me what to do just because you're my Master!" Berserker shouted back. "Maybe if you let me FIGHT I would be willing to listen!"
Kariya quickly left the alleyway and went back out into streets. They were in a rather rundown area so there weren't a lot of people around, but it wasn't completely deserted. Still, it allowed Kariya to keep a low profile and let him hide easily when his Servant started to get uppity.
"Why are we even out here anyway?"
The man could feel the worms in his body react to his growing agitation. Berserker had followed him out of the alley and wasn't in spirit form.
"It's dark and gross 'n stuff out here! Why can't we go to the gold parts of the city?" Berserker complained.
"Because I don't want to be seen." Kariya replied curtly, holding his hood down until he found another alleyway to hide in. Berserker followed after him.
"Well, what about that house we were in before? The basement was dirty and smelled gross but the house was big and cool! It's where you live right? Why can't we stay there?"
"I am not staying in that house!" Kariya growled at his Servant. He bowed his head as a haze of anger clouded his mind. "Not as long as my old man is there…"
"Hm… yeah, I only saw him once but I hated that old geezer too." Berserker said, suddenly calm as he nodded to Kariya's words. "He's, like, the complete opposite of what I would call a golden guy."
Gold this, golden that, what was with this Servant's fixation on the word "gold"?
Kariya gasped and recoiled when he suddenly felt a finger poke one of the veins on his face where the crest worms often scuttled through, sending said worms in a frenzy when they felt foreign contact through the skin.
"Heheh, your reaction is funny." Berserker laughed with his finger extended.
"Dammit, don't DO that!" Kariya shouted. His eyes widened as he broke out into a fit of wrenching coughs as he tried to get the worms to calm down.
Berserker stared at his Master with blinking eyes as the man struggled with the colony of worm familiars that lived within his body.
"…Hey, Master. I'm starting to get the feeling that there's really something wrong with you. Are you sick?"
Kariya rolled his good eye at his Servant's words. Now he was concerned? And he hadn't already noticed from the dead left arm, coughing fits, and nearly unresponsive left leg that there was, in fact, something wrong with the man who was his Master?
He just couldn't make his Servant understand his condition though. He had tried, but failed. Perhaps if he had shown Berserker the horde of worms Zouken kept before they left he could've explained the reason for his weakness, but Kariya had left immediately after Berserker had been summoned without even saying goodbye to Sakura. He had already talked to her before he summoned Berserker anyway. He didn't want to stay in that wretched house longer than he had to.
"It's nothing…" Kariya sighed as his coughs died away and the worms settled.
Berserker looked unconvinced, but shrugged and smiled after a few moments as if forgetting the whole issue.
"Hey, can I go fight with a Servant now?"
Kariya opened his mouth to refuse his Servant again, but paused as he thought about it. Really, what was he waiting for? Part of him believed the only reason he was stalling was so he could have time to plan, but really, how much planning could he do with a Berserker, and one with an attitude that his Servant had? With his life due to expire in less than a month, he had to win the Holy Grail before his body timed out due to the worms and rescue Sakura from Zouken.
In order to do that, in order to win, they had to fight. Yes… they had to find and defeat other Servants and the Masters…
"...Alright. Let's go find a Servant for you to "play" with, Berserker."
"WOOHOO! That's what I'm talking about, Master!" Berserker cheered, pumping his fists happily. "Finally, I can have some fun in this War!"
Kariya smiled in spite of the pain he was feeling. Much to his disappointment, Zouken had told him that Tokiomi Tohsaka was not a Master in the War so he wouldn't get an opportunity to kill the man he hated. He wouldn't have minded fighting Tokiomi, the bastard, but fighting strangers? Kariya was a kind man, and would normally adamantly refuse such a thing under normal circumstances, but…
If it was to save Sakura, he'd kill as many as he had to.
Kariya glanced at Berserker, who was shadowboxing with himself in excitement, no doubt looking forward to his future fight.
...Maybe if Kariya had time he'd drop Berserker off in the Tohsaka manor after he made sure Tokiomi was the only one in it and call the rest collateral damage.
It made him giddy just thinking about it.
"Wait, Lancer! Get back here! Lancer!"
Waver moaned tiredly to himself and he chased after his Servant. Lancer seemingly ignored him as the Servant continued to hum to itself and continued down the river and deeper into the forest.
"Lancer…! Let's go back home!"
Lancer smiled and wagged a finger teasingly at him in response. "Ah, ah, Master. Remember our deal? I stayed in spirit form the whole day like you wanted and you agreed we could come back to the forest like I wanted. You're not the type to go back on your word, are you?"
"Ugh…" Waver turned away from the face that was suddenly far too accusing.
His Servant's words were the truth. Waver hadn't been quite prepared to introduce Lancer to Glen-san and Martha-san, or rather, hadn't had the time to modify the spell for them to accept the Servant's presence along with his. Lancer had complied and stayed in spirit form when they returned to the house for the night. However, earlier today, Waver decided to put off his spell modification in order to go to the library to see what he could find out about Enkidu's legend.
That was when his Servant decided to be difficult.
Waver tried to explain to Lancer that it couldn't go out wearing just its tunic until it had proper clothes to wear, so he had asked the Servant to stay in spiritual form. However, Lancer had insisted that it wanted to feel and touch a city of the modern era with its own hands and feet, and claimed that it wouldn't be able to do that while in spiritual form. So, after a long debate, Waver had agreed to take Lancer back to the forest where it had been summoned to explore after Waver was finished at the library. That was the condition set by Lancer that eventually made it agree to stay invisible for the entire day.
That's what made things all the more frustrating for Waver. Even after spending all day at the library he hadn't found anything on Lancer's legend. There was no legend or book about a hero named Enkidu, at least not one he could find. After searching all morning and afternoon, Waver had given up his fruitless search.
And as the moon rose above his head, Lancer reminded him that he had to take it to the forest.
Waver had tried to refuse at first, wanting to head home for the night and do something productive like prepare for their fight against other Masters and Servants, but Lancer had been adamant in its insistence. Waver had continued to refute the Servant, claiming that the reason he couldn't find anything about Lancer's legend was because it had lied about its true name.
The glare and intense expression of anger Waver had received in response to his claim had him taking back his words seconds after he had uttered them.
Waver had, with reluctance, taken Lancer to the forest like he had promised.
It didn't stop him from complaining about his situation though.
"Aaah…! What are we even doing out here?!" Waver said, clutching his head in frustration. "All we're doing is following a river because you want to see where it leads! It's obvious that it's going to lead to the ocean!"
"Maybe that's what I want to see." Lancer replied, smiling as they followed the river Lancer had found yesterday.
"Geez, we should be making plans, drawing maps, finding Servants!" Waver continued to whine. "This is completely unproductive!"
"We can do both." Lancer answered, making Waver stop his ranting.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"There's been a Servant following us for some time."
Waver's response to that was flat.
"What."
"Yes. Another is actually close to the ocean as well." Lancer continued.
"Eh… wha… huh?!"
"And a third is actually not far from here either, and I can also feel a fourth Servant all over the city, which I find rather curious." Lancer went on. "I don't think we have to worry about the other two though. One is staying still while the other is across the bridge in the other town."
Waver's jaw was on the ground.
Did… did his Servant sense the six other Servants and just place their locations?
Before Waver could organize and voice his thoughts, Lancer spoke again.
"Ah, we're here."
The forest broke off and the river water ended up near a ravine that connected to the ocean. Waver noticed they were close to the pier and could see cranes and large containers in the not too far away.
Lancer headed in that direction.
"W-Wait, Lancer! I don't think we're allowed over there!"
"It's fine. No one is around to see us, and it looks like I can get a good view of the ocean from there." Lancer replied in a careless tone as it wandered off again.
Waver hurried after it.
What was with this Servant of his? And what about the Servants Lancer said were close by?
"How beautiful…"
Irisviel's smile came about on its own as she gazed upon the ocean for the first time with her own eyes. It was truly a wonder to look at, stretching and extending into the night's horizon underneath the moon and the stars. The moon and night sky seemed like wavy reflections off of its service as the calm waves crashed down and crawled up the shore.
The woman turned her red eyes toward the man standing next to her.
"Hey, can I go take a closer look?"
"You don't need my permission." Archer replied with a smirk. "Be my guest."
Irisviel was off before he even finished the sentence.
Archer watched the woman run towards the shore, taking off her boots as she went. The man shook his head in bemusement as he watched her. She was mature and intelligent, yet childish at the same time. Despite himself, Archer couldn't help but feel happy being around her. He wondered why that was…
"Maybe I'm happy being with her because, if she had lived past the war, she might have been my mother."
He frowned as he quickly banished that thought. It wasn't like him to think something like that.
...But he couldn't help himself. Here he was, living in a time before Kiritsugu had found him amongst the flames of a burning city. The man had a wife, a family, before he had picked him up. What had happened to that? What had caused him to abandon such a thing? Archer had no doubt that the War played some part in it, and as a homunculi who's only purpose was to serve as a vessel for the Grail, he could see why Irisviel had not lived past the war because of how her body was made. But what about Ilyasviel?
Archer found his head hurting when he thought about the girl. No matter how much he thought about the girl he just couldn't remember how she had played into his life, or if she had at all. It wasn't something he needed to know, but thoughts he couldn't find answers to kept rising in his mind. It bothered him that he couldn't remember the little things, the bigger details and the faces that went along with them. Well, all that really mattered was that he remembered important things. Hopefully the other details would come to him in time.
All that really mattered to him was to survive the War until he found his younger self.
And kill him when he did.
Preferably before the War finished, or was close to.
Now that the competition had started he'd have to find time to do that. He couldn't remember where he used to live or even who he had been before the fire. What he remembered was defined by who had rescued him after the fire, how he had looked up to him, the ideals he had tried to copy, and the existence he knew that had followed in his afterlife.
Well, he would just have to wait until the rest came to him. Then through the paradox that would follow him killing his younger self, he could end his existence as a Counter Guardian.
"Archer!"
The Heroic Spirit broke away from his inner thoughts when he heard the white princess call out to him. The smile came back to his face as Irisviel waved at him.
"Come down here!"
Archer obliged, walking down the small rise towards her, stopping just before his shoes met the wet sand.
"You need something?" Archer asked.
"I wanted to thank you for today." Irisviel smiled. "I'm grateful for the experience you've given me. It was wonderful to walk around town with a new friend for the first time."
"I'm happy to hear that." Archer smiled. "Did I make a good escort?"
"Yes! Everyone should have a Servant like you to escort them around town!"
"Well, that brings another definition to what kind of "Servant" you think I am, in that case." Archer joked.
Irisviel smiled at him before turning her gaze backwards to look at the ocean.
"…Archer, do you like the ocean? Or rather, do you remember if you liked it?"
The Servant was silent for a few moments before deciding he could answer that.
"I remember that I could go to where I could see the ocean in my life, and if I had to answer whether I liked or hated it, I would say that I liked it." Archer replied. He looked from the ocean to the woman in front of him. "But didn't ever see it as something magnificent like you do, but that's because it was everyday scenery for me during my life. I could've seen it anytime I wanted, unlike you."
"Did you ever walk with someone along the shore with a friend, like what we're doing now?
"…No, I don't think I did."
"Well, why not now?"
"Eh?"
Archer's eyes widened when Irisviel suddenly walked up and tugged on his arm, trying to pull him forward.
"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Archer asked, narrowing his eyes at her actions.
"You're still my escort, yes?" Iri giggled. "So walk with me in the water."
"Geez, you're just like a kid, aren't you…"
"C'mon, the water doesn't hurt you."
"Can't I just stay on the shore? I'm fine with just watching."
"You don't have to worry about getting your clothes wet. Kiritsugu won't mind."
"With the length of your coat barely reaching your knees you wouldn't worry wet clothes, but damp pants can be quite uncomfortable."
"Mou, why are you being so difficult all of a sudden?" Irisviel pouted.
"I could say the same to you." Archer sighed in exasperation.
"And you were being such a gentleman earlier…" Irisviel said sadly. She clasped her hands in front of her and peered up at the Servant. "Please, Archer…?"
"Ugh… fine, fine." Archer sighed as his shoulders slumped. Best go along with it rather than continue arguing. "Just let me take off my shoes first…"
"Yes! Victory!"
"Celebrating over such a little thing…?"
A few minutes later Archer had discarded his socks and shoes and had rolled up his pant legs to his knees to help keep them from getting wet. He and Irisviel quietly walked side by side along the shore, their footsteps making small splashes in the shallow water. Other than the ocean waters, they themselves were relatively silent.
Archer stiffened in surprise when he suddenly felt Irisviel's hand wrap itself around his. If she felt his surprise, she either ignored it or didn't care as she held onto his hand.
"I'm glad though." Irisviel said suddenly. "That when I asked you about the ocean it sounded like something you could enjoy during your life. Even if you were a hero, if you wanted, you could have walked with someone like this when you wanted…"
"I don't know if that's true…" Archer replied quietly. He glanced off into the distance to hide his expression. "And I'm no hero…"
When Iri turned to him with a questioning look on her face, Archer realized he may have slipped up a bit. He opened his mouth before she could give voice to the questions on her lips.
"I'm probably not the best company though. I bet you'd rather be walking like this with Kiritsugu, huh?"
From their connected hands, Archer felt her stiffen. He frowned at that.
"Sorry. Maybe it wasn't right to tease you about that."
"No, it's fine." Irisviel said quickly, smiling to dismiss his worry. "It's not that I wouldn't want to or that I think you're bad company or anything."
Archer smirked a bit. She was stammering.
"But… I couldn't ask him to do that." Irisviel murmured quietly. "It would only be a painful memory for him. I've already given him too many. I wouldn't want to add to it."
Archer was silent for a few moments. There was a lot unsaid between them, and many questions about Kiritsugu were floating around in his head. Out of all the questions inside his head, one made it out of his mouth.
"But would you want to spend a day like this with him?"
She was silent for a moment.
"Yes… and I would wish for so many more…" Irisviel trailed off. She shook her head at her selfishness and smiled at him again. "But I'm happy walking with you too, Archer. It may not be my place to say, but… even if I haven't known you for very long, I feel you're someone I can trust…"
Archer smiled a bit at that. Hearing that from her was… it felt nice. Her words, her demeanor and how she treated him just added to that image of what might have been…
It made him happy to hear those words from Irisviel.
Not only that, but talking with her like this… he couldn't help but feel he did the same with another that Irisviel reminded him of…
"Thanks for saying so. I'm… its good that you're willing to trust me…" Archer said, turning away from her to hide his embarrassed expression.
After that, no more words were exchanged between them. Archer lost himself in his own thoughts about Kiritsugu and Irisviel while the homunculus splashed her bare feet in the water and enjoyed the feeling of sand in between her toes. They just continued to walk…
...Until Archer abruptly stopped as he felt a tug in the back of his mind. His body tensed up and Iri felt it.
"An enemy Servant?" Irisviel asked. A serious expression had overtaken her carefree one in the space of less than a second.
"Yeah. I can feel one not far from us." Archer answered. He turned his head towards where he felt the presence.
His gaze fell upon a pier a hundred or so meters away from them. Archer reinforced his eyesight and honed in on a figure that slowly became clear.
He saw a person standing near the edge of the pier. Long, teal colored hair flowed slightly in the ocean breeze at the figure gazed upon the ocean. Just from looking at its face, Archer could tell the Servant had an otherworldly air to it. It was the strangest feeling he had ever felt.
His eyes widened when it suddenly turned towards him, locking its eyes with his own. Even with the long distance between them, Archer felt like those eyes were peering into his body and invading his very soul.
And then the feeling disappeared when the figure suddenly smiled and waved at him.
"…" Archer wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"Have they challenged us?" Iri asked from next to him.
"I'm not exactly sure." Archer answered. His eyes narrowed as he felt another presence in the same area. He felt a smirk come onto his face as the tension before a battle seeped into him. "But I think someone else beat us to the punch…"
From the pier with iron crates surrounding them, Lancer and Waver stood. The Servant smiled at its Master when it felt their challenger come closer.
"Well, Master, I think we've found ourselves a Servant like you wanted." Lancer told Waver cheerfully as the boy's eyes widened.
So Lancer had been telling the truth. Waver began to frantically look around. If a Servant was here then where was…?
His eyes fell upon a shining figure whose aura seemed to spread and touch the area around them. Waver could feel the power radiating off the figure and shook nervously in place as the hooded Servant approached.
This Servant felt different from Lancer… this feeling of power, this regal air of nobility…
And yet Lancer was smiling calmly in the middle of such an overwhelming atmosphere. Waver tried to swallow his nervousness as he watched the enemy Servant approach. The hood was dropped, revealing a handsome face and a blond head of hair. Silver armor adorned his body as the Servant raised his hand towards them, the winds surrounding and swirling around an invisible object the man held.
"So you finally decided to introduce yourself." Lancer smiled, turning to greet the Servant's arrival. "You've been following us for quite some time."
Something akin to shock crossed the man's feature before his expression hardened.
"So you were aware of my presence this whole time…" The man muttered. "I apologize for keeping you waiting then."
"It's not really something to apologize for, but you have my forgiveness if you want it." Lancer replied. Its grin grew. "After all, my patience has rewarded me with a wide space in which I may fight a strong opponent."
Waver watched as the shining knight pointed the object he seemed to be holding at Lancer.
"A weapon…?" Waver muttered. He could make out a distinct shape of the object from the way the winds were concentrating around the weapon if he looked hard enough, but he couldn't tell what kind of weapon it was.
"So you accept my challenge then?" The Servant called out.
"Gladly." Lancer answered as it stepped forward.
Waver gulped. His first battle in the Holy Grail War… who was the Servant they faced and which between the two was stronger?
"It's a shame we cannot exchange names as customary for a duel." The knight lamented as he took a stance, holding his weapon in front of him.
"Our classes should suffice for introductions for now." Lancer smiled. "I am Servant Lancer. Care to tell me your class?"
The Servant was silent for a moment before answering. His proud voice carried through the air over to Lancer and Waver.
"I am Servant Saber of the Holy Grail War!" Saber proclaimed as he prepared himself. "Now, let us begin!"
A/N: And let the first battle begin. Next chapter, that is.
Well, we're finally getting things started as Enkidu VS Prototype Saber begins. You've all probably noticed the pacing so far is very similiar to canon bar the new Servants and characters, but I'll be breaking away from all that in a chapter or two once the fight is finished. This chapter turned out longer than I expected, but that's because I love character interaction and development way too much.
Personally, I've always wanted to see Archer interact with Irisviel. I always imagined it like Shirou and Ilya's relationship in a way, just more mature. Slightly. Interaction between Archer and Kiritsugu will come later on though, rest assured. Keep in mind Kiritsugu doesn't know a thing about Archer yet so expect a little distance at first. But I've got plans for the two. And everyone else. So many ideas...
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it and the next chapter will come soon. Feedback is much appreciated and it helps inspire me. Thanks for reading.
Kiiam