DISCLAIMER: I do not take credit from the Fate universe and its characters. The rights and credits go to the original authors.
Read the notes in the first chapter if you haven't done it already.
English is not my native language, so please bear with me. I'm confident in my grammar, but if there are any mistakes, then let me know and I'll try to figure out how to fix them as soon as I have time.
Hope you enjoy.
FATE/Break Dawn
-Chapter Five-
Fate to Zero
Planet: Earth
Timeline: [?]
Date: [?]
Location: Fuyuki City (Japan)
Miyama District – Mackenzie residence
(======)
Heroic Spirit Emiya was confused.
Ever since he and Artoria had agreed to follow Lord-El Melloi II into a safe place to discuss that so-called 'alliance' of his, he had prepared himself for the worse and steeled his mind to face every eventuality. He had expected many things, since this was a War, and no Servant could ever lower his guard during a War. However, he certainly hadn't expected to end up here, in such a place, and to witness such a strange scene.
Waver Velvet and his cheerful Rider had guided them inside a house built on the top of an isolated hill, located close to the Miyama District. Apparently, the house was owned by Glen and Martha Mackenzie, an elderly couple who had emigrated from Toronto to Fuyuki City over forty years before the Fourth Holy Grail War, and who – as Emiya and Artoria had just discovered – for some reason were quite close with Waver himself. In fact, they were so close with him that the couple was more than willing to let El-Melloi and his Servant stay at their house without complaining.
This had no sense, in Emiya's mind. It just had no sense whatsoever.
Archer sighed. He was still trying to wrap his mind round that fact, especially since the elderly couple had done nothing but pamper them as soon as they had set foot into their house. Even his young Master was overwhelmed by their excessive hospitality.
"Are you sure you don't want more tea, dear?" Martha Mackenzie asked to Artoria with a gentle smile, moving towards the table where the four of them were seated with a small coffeepot. "Or perhaps you prefer some coffee? You look so young, though."
"I-It's fine, madam. This tea is more than enough, thank you," she replied with an embarrassed smile, even as her hands were waving around in a fluster.
Martha giggled at her flushed face. "Ara ara~ how polite! What a well-mannered young lady!"
"Pardon me! Can I have more beer, Mr. Mackenzie?" Charlemagne declared in a cheerful tone, raising one arm like a child and flashing them a grin that was as radiant as the sun.
The 82-year-old elder man laughed and nodded with glee, despite his venerable age. "Hohoho, of course!" he complied, pouring more liquid in his giant mug with a smile. "It sure does an old man good to watch you drink, Charlie-chan!"
"Hahaha! You're too kind, Mr. Mackenzie!"
Emiya watched the interaction between the old man and Rider with silent bewilderment, seated at the table next to his young Master who looked as baffled as him. It was clear for both of them that the young man known as Charlemagne had already charmed both Glen and Martha with his compliments, earning their full trust and liking despite being a Servant. Heck, those two didn't even seem to mind Rider's armor. It just didn't make sense. Archer felt his eyebrow twitch a little as he fixed Waver's face with an inquisitive stare. The man remained completely unperturbed, though.
The older woman turned to the Lord as well. "Mouu, Waver. You and Charlie-chan should have told us you were going to bring some guests tonight," she said with a pedantic tone. "I would have cooked something for them!"
Artoria blushed even more. "N-No, no, don't trouble yourself, madam! It's our own fault for visiting… uninvited," she stated with a sweetly dangerous tone, fixing the Magus with a stare as well.
Waver Velvet merely smiled at them, unfazed. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you again; Grandma, Grandpa."
"It's fine, it's fine. This sure brings back some memories, though," Glen dismissed his worries with a chuckle, patting Charlemagne's shoulder as he shared a toast with him. "It's just as it was back then with Alex. You always bring some interesting people from Britain, Waver. Our house feels more lively when you're around."
The Lord of the Clock Tower smiled. "I'm glad," was all he said, as if this whole situation was something he was already used to.
Glen and Martha remained with the group in the kitchen for a couple of minutes. Until, seeing that it was quite late already, they both realized that they needed to sleep given their old age and began to excuse themselves from the table.
Martha moved to take away the tea and coffee with her trembling hands. Emiya couldn't stand it.
"Allow me, ma'am," he said, standing up with a swift movement and taking a tray in her stead. "Please."
"What a gentleman," the elderly woman smiled at him, leading him towards the kitchen sink. "You can leave them here and I'll wash them tomorrow."
"Nonsense. I'll do it for you right away," he offered, cutting off her protests with a charming smile. He couldn't care less that he was a guest in the house, he just had to do it. "I insist. I wouldn't be able to call myself a man if I didn't repay a kind lady such as yourself for her hospitality. Think nothing of it."
"Oh my, you're such a flatterer!" she giggled.
After saying goodnight to Waver and their guests – and after sharing a playful wave with Charlemagne who waved back at them like a child – the elderly couple finally went to bed, leaving the group alone in the kitchen. As soon as they were gone, both Emiya and Artoria turned to Waver with an expectant expression.
The Lord sighed. He didn't even need to watch them to know what they were about to ask. "I met them during the previous Holy Grail War," he explained slowly, taking a sip from his cup. "Back then I was barely nineteen, and I needed to use a fake identity to cover myself. Therefore, I sought out the couple after learning they lived alone in order to avoid having to spend money on a hotel. Getting information on them through hypnosis, I used a form of Suggestion Magecraft to deceive them and make them believe I was their relative through transfiguring the impression of their grandson onto my own image."
Artoria narrowed her eyes. "They didn't appear to be under the influence of a Spell," she noted.
Waver nodded. "You're right: they're not," he admitted without batting an eye. "I was discovered at some point. My spell was lifted, but contrary to my expectations, Glen was not angry at me, even if he knew I had deceived them. On the contrary, he was appreciative of the fact that my presence had brought a smile back to his wife's face. So, ever since that day, I kept in touch with them out of gratitude, and even came to visit from time to time. And when I was chosen as a Master for this War, I contacted them again, asking for a place to stay for a few weeks. And as you can see, they were more than happy to oblige."
Emiya read between the lines. "They know you're a Magus now," he deduced.
Again, the man merely nodded. "Indeed. I decided to tell them the truth at the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War. They didn't seem to mind, and as you can see, they never ask questions. You can trust them on this," he dismissed his worries with a shrug.
"Hehe! They're such a lovely couple, aren't they?" Charlemagne sighed with a wide smile, placing a hand under his chin.
Silence fell among the small group after that explanation.
Artoria exhaled a sigh after a minute. "And?" she demanded at that point, dropping the subject and crossing her arms with a solemn movement. "Now what? You said you have something to discuss with me."
Lord El-Melloi II returned serious in an instant. "I do," he spoke in all seriousness.
"We do!" Rider added with a pout. Waver ignored him.
Emiya and Artoria shared a glance. "We're listening," the girl said.
The young Lord exhaled a heavy breath.
"It's nothing too complicated," he began to say with a serious tone. "As I've mentioned before, I wish to form an alliance with you, Miss Pendragon. Your father contacted me a week ago, asking me to, I quote: 'keep an eye on that stubborn brat and make sure she comes back safe'," he stated, completely unfazed in front of Artoria's indignant blush. Next to him, Rider was openly snickering on the side. "As soon as I was informed of your status as a Master, I knew this was the best course of action. Thus, after a long while of pondering, I decided to approach you."
The girl with golden hair clenched her fists upon hearing that. Her emerald eyes glowered in rage. "I see," she stated though gritted teeth. Her arms and shoulders began to tremble slightly. "I should have known that my father would have kept messing with my life. He just can't leave me alone even during a War," she growled with irritation, glaring at the table.
None of the presents failed to see her obvious anger. However, before the situation could escalate, Emiya gently rested one hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Calm down, Master. Do not let your personal feelings cloud your mind," he spoke with a calm tone through their Master-Servant bond, his eyes still fixed on Waver and his Servant. Artoria glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Have you forgotten already? We're in this together. No matter what challenge awaits us, I will be with you to face them. You won't have to deal with this situation alone."
Artoria swallowed audibly, clenching her fists hard in order to quell her growing anger. After a couple of seconds, she nodded with a deep breath. "…thanks, Archer," she said sincerely.
Emiya just nodded his head. Then, he focused back on the duo. "You say that, but I'm sure that's not all there is to it." He kept his smirk to a minimum as the man with black hair turned to him with narrowed eyes. "Am I right, Lord El-Melloi?"
"The second," Waver added, sounding oddly stubborn about his title; almost fixated for some reason. Then, however, he exhaled a weary breath as he nodded. "But you're right. I didn't approach you because your father asked me to keep you safe, Miss Pendragon. On the contrary; if I have to be completely honest, that is not my intention at all."
The girl furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why do you wish to form an alliance with me, then?" she demanded, perplexed.
"It has to do with my personal goal, and my current objective," he explained with his serious voice. "In order to achieve them, I need your strength. The Pendragon lineage is one of the most powerful lineages of Mages in the world, and you're the most talented member of the family. I know this as a fact, since I've taught you myself when you were younger and I saw what you're capable of. Therefore, I wish to make use of your talents in order to accomplish my current mission."
Emiya narrowed his eyes. He just wanted to use her, in essence.
"Mission?" Artoria repeated, looking as suspicious as her Servant was.
Lord El-Melloi II nodded. "This may come to a shock to you, but I have been tasked with an arduous job," he stated with a strained smile, staring at the girl straight into the eyes. "The dismantlement of the Holy Grail."
Artoria stiffened visibly, widening her eyes out of human proportions. Next to her, Archer narrowed his gaze on the man but remained silent. Form his part, instead, Charlemagne crossed his arms and closed his eyes, assuming a solemn face.
"D-Dismantlement?!" the young Master repeated, incredulous. "What do you mean? Explain yourself, Lord El-Melloi II!"
He remained unfazed under her shocked face. "It is just as I've said. After more than two years of discussion, the Mage's Association has finally reached a decision regarding the Holy Grail War's future advancement. Hence, in accordance to the Lords' wishes, I've been sent here to completely dismantle the Greater Grail," he stated, deadly serious. "I've been chosen due to my previous experience in the Fourth Holy Grail War, and due to the fact that I'm the only survivor who has witnessed that conflict."
Emiya roused himself from his inner stupor and glanced at his Master. Artoria looked completely stunned by the news. He did not fault her one bit.
"I-I cannot believe that," she stammered, unable to understand. "The Holy Grail War is a ritual that has been ongoing for two hundred years! It was established by the Tohsaka, Matou, and Einzbern families! T-To completely dismantle it… it's not something the Three Founding Families would agree with!"
"Correct," Waver nodded, already expecting that answer. His face remained impassive in front of Artoria's disbelief. "The decision was unanimous within the Association, but the Three Founding Families did object to it. They said that it was preposterous, since the ritual's true purpose is to reach Akasha – the Root – and that dismantling it would leave all Mages unable to find a path to reach it." The man closed his eyes, reaching his pocket to grab a cigar with habitual movement. "However, I disagree."
Artoria was speechless. "You disagree?"
Lord El-Melloi II nodded. He placed his cigar on his lips, but he didn't lit it. "As I've said, the Ritual's true purpose is to reach Akasha by coalescing the energy of the fallen Servants into an energy source powerful enough to burn a hole to the Root," he explained. "However, given the intended purpose, the system has a serious flaw: reaching Akasha would require the energy of all seven Servants. At the same time, only a Servant – not a Master – is capable of grasping the Grail and completing the ritual. As such, the final Master, instead of killing their Servant and reaching the Root, must keep their Servant alive to claim an energy source that is much weaker, but can still grant extremely far-reaching wishes to the final Master and Servant pair. Thus, its true goal – allowing humans to directly reach the Root – is nothing but a farce. A shallow pretext used by the Founding Families to continue to fight over it for power."
The man continued after taking another sip of tea. Emiya and Artoria listened to him closely. "While we can all agree that the Grail can indeed grant a wish that would usually be considered impossible, as if, for example, create a new path to Akasha… there has yet to be even one true winner who actually claimed the Grail in all four Wars," he stated with his eyes closed, sounding like a teacher lecturing an audience. "The closest chance we had was during the previous War, when a certain Master hired by the Einzbern family managed to touch the Grail at the end of the conflict. However, in the end, even he failed. Do you know why, Miss Pendragon?"
Artoria lowered her eyes. Archer clenched his fists under the table.
Both of them knew what the man was about to say.
"Because the Grail is corrupted."
Sheer silence greeted his declaration. Master and Servant shared a silent glance.
Charlemagne raised a brow at them. "Hm? You guys don't look surprised by the news," he noted, surprising them both. He was clearly smarter than he looked.
Archer stood up from the table, moving to place himself near the wall of the kitchen with his arms crossed. "We're not," he grunted with an emotionless tone, speaking also for his Master who looked torn between being angry and resigned. "Because we already suspected as much."
That caught the Lord's attention immediately. Even Rider seemed taken aback for a moment. "Is that so?" Waver Velvet asked, looking at Artoria with an intrigued expression.
The girl sighed. "Yes," she admitted after a while, masking her inner disappointment behind a resolute frown. "When me and Archer went to the Church to register as participants, we questioned the priestess about the previous War. She said that the man who won the Grail died upon touching it. That didn't make sense to us, and we began to question the Grail's true efficiency right after learning the news. That's why we suspected that there might be something wrong with it."
Lord El-Melloi II smirked. "Hm. As expected from Artoria Pendragon. You truly are something else," he said with a hint of amusement.
Emerald eyes flared in irritation as she glowered at the man. "I have no use for your flattery, Lord El-Melloi II. Besides, it was Archer the one who warned me to keep that possibility in mind, so please refrain from treating me like some kind of genius." She ordered with a solemn face. "That's why I can't stand you Lords. Always treating me like some sort of idol."
Waver just shrugged without a care. "Hm… noted. My apologies, then."
However, he returned serious immediately. "But that is correct. The Grail really did kill the previous Master upon contact, which proves my point: the Grail is no longer the wish-granting artifact it was supposed to be. No one knows why it has become corrupted, but as I suspect – along with many others within the Association – it may be due to the events of the Third Holy Grail War; when the Einzbern family summoned a corrupted Avenger class Servant called Angra Mainyu, also known as All the World's Evil. If what I suspect is true, the Grail, which is normally "colorless", was corrupted by the Avenger's soul, and turned into a manifestation of his will; ultimately becoming unable to grant wishes without causing great destruction."
Artoria looked stunned by the news, perhaps even shocked. On the contrary, instead, Emiya did not react at all, silently musing to himself with a cynical frown. He already knew all of that, of course, thanks to the memories of his previous Wars. And yet, after hearing all of this again and listening to the Lord's statement, the longer he thought about it, the more he became convinced. The fact that he had kept his memories in this particular deployment could not be a coincidence. It could not be a simply fluke.
Is this perhaps the reason why I've kept my memories this time? In order to prevent the Grail from reaching completion in this world? Is this Alaya's doing? he mused inside his mind, trying to make sense of the situation. It could be a possibility. But, if the Grail is corrupted even in this world… why didn't the fire occur, then? Why did it simply kill Kiritsugu without spreading more damage?
That, he didn't know. That, he couldn't tell. There was no way for him to be certain of the Grail's corruption, nor to learn why it didn't cause any damage to the city. But he was determined to find out as soon as possible. He couldn't allow things to end up as they did in his previous Wars, after all. It was simply out of question.
Back then he couldn't anything to help Sakura, Rin and Illya because he hadn't been fully aware of the situation. But this… this was extremely different compared to those two 'Routes'. It was different compared to what he had seen, given that Artoria was not a King in this world but a simple girl. It was different even compared to his own experience as a boy. It couldn't be a mere fluke. He refused to believe that.
He needed more information.
Archer harrumphed. "There's one thing I'd like to ask," he said all of a sudden, grabbing everyone's attention. His back remained glued to the wall, but his grey eyes shot a suspicious stare at Waver Velvet. "Let's say the Grail is really corrupted. Even if it's true, why did you decide to get involved in this case? Surely, after barely surviving the previous War, a man such as yourself would have wanted to stay away from this mess. That is what a sane person would have done, at least."
Heroic Spirit Emiya kept his expression neutral as Lord El-Melloi II's face twitched. "Isn't that the case?"
The man tried to answer, but someone beat him to the punch.
"Oh, that's an easy one," Charlemagne declared, flashing an amused grin as he patted his Master on the shoulder. "All first-class Mages are wealthy except for Master. If everything works out, he can expect a generous reward. He's being forced to participate in order to put a dent in his family's debt," he explained casually, as if he was talking about the weather.
Emiya and Artoria stared with a sweat-drop as Waver's face fell in a mixture of shame, weariness and irritation. His cheeks were completely flushed in embarrassment after his Servant's casual explanation.
In the end, faced with their incredulous stare, he relented.
"…it's a pain in the neck, but I won't deny it," he finally admitted with a weary sigh. "Right now, the El-Melloi family is suffering from a crushing debt. The amount is equivalent to the budget of a Hollywood blockbuster. And ever since I've been asked to take the mantle of Lord, I was forced to take over that debt in order to take responsibility of my former teacher's death, who died in the previous conflict because of my foolishness."
Archer's eyes narrowed. "So you mean…"
"Exactly," he confirmed with a nod. His smile was strained at best as he spoke that word. "As soon as the Command Seals appeared on my hand, the future head of the El-Melloi family asked me to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War and to destroy the Greater Grail as payment for the debt. They gave me a new catalyst, and I was forced to summon Rider under the other Lords' influence. The rest, as some say, it's history."
"So you went through all of that because you felt responsible for your previous mentor's death," Artoria realized with narrowed eyes. "But I don't understand. I thought you hated him."
The Lord of the Clock Tower smiled wryly. "Personally I'm not fond of him, even now. But I respected him as a Mage, and despite her annoying temperament, I've grown fond of his niece." He lowered his face at that point, his gaze growing distant as he stared at his clenched fists. "Whether I like it or not, I am a Lord of the Clock Tower, and a representative of the Mage's Association. As such, I've been tasked with the mission of dismantling the Grail, and I shall do so no matter how I loathe it," he declared with utmost resolve, deadly serious in his statement.
Artoria stared in wonder at the man's resolve, shocked by the sudden shift in his tone and face. Even Emiya couldn't help but inwardly respect the man for his determination.
Next to the Lord, Charlemagne was openly grinning with excitement. "As expected of my Master! You are a person who stands firm on his feet, no matter the situation!" he praised him with approval and a pat on the shoulder. "People who are able to look forward are cool just by that fact!"
Waver Velvet smiled a little. "Well, I've learned a lot from my previous experience. And most of all, as a survivor of the Fourth Holy Grail War, I feel like this is my responsibility, as well. I must put an end to this mad Ritual. Even more so because there is… someone I must pursue."
His expression twitched at that point, his eyes steeped in memories.
Yes, he would have done the same. I'm sure of it. He wouldn't have backed down from this challenge.
And just like him, I must keep fighting to move forward, until I'll be able to reach the last ocean.
He clenched his fist, biting the cigar in his lips with a resolute smile.
The farthest ocean he wanted to see.
Waver Velvet fell silent, and spoke no more.
Emiya stared at him in silence, long and hard. He could already tell that the Lord was dead set on his mission, and that he honestly believed in what he said. It didn't take his Mind's Eye ability to see that he wasn't lying. Even Artoria could tell that much. No matter how long they searched, there was no trace of deceit in his face, and his eyes were burning with fiery decision as he held their gaze without backing down in the slightest.
Archer decided to take action. "If you are so convinced, then tell us more about the previous War," he said, looking at the other Master with narrowed eyes. "We get the gist of it, but we still lack information. How did the previous War unfold, and how can you be so sure that the Grail is corrupted? Tell us."
But instead, Lord El-Melloi II shook his head. "No," he said, unfazed by Emiya's glare. "I believe that I've said enough for now. If you want to know more, then I'll share what I know with you only after you agree to our alliance. I won't say anything else until you've reached a decision."
Despite his inner frustration, Emiya couldn't help but smirk. Clever little bastard. Waver Velvet was no fool.
"As I've said, my task is arduous, and one I cannot achieve on my own," the Lord of the Clock Tower stated evenly, staring at Artoria with a calm expression. "Even with Rider at my side, the risks are high and the chance of success low. That's why I need your assistance, Miss Pendragon. Among the other six Masters who have been chosen for this conflict, you are the only one I know the most and who I can respect. Even without taking into account your father's request, I still would have approached you of my own will. With you and your Archer at my side, the chance of success will increase significantly."
The girl narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying that you know who the other Masters are?" she asked him, suspicious.
The man merely smiled at her. "I know the identity of two other Masters, yes. But as I've said, I won't say more until I receive your answer. I can't fully trust you yet. Surely you can understand that."
Clearly, this was a standoff. Lord El-Melloi II had made his goal and intention clear, and he was determined to see this through no matter what. Archer could already tell that much. No amount of threats and words would have worked with him, especially since he had a powerful Servant at his side. There was no use in talking anymore.
Hence, he moved closer to his young Master, speaking to her through their shared bond. "Master, what do you intend to do?" he questioned her in all seriousness.
The girl didn't answer to him right away. Instead, she remained silent for a long while, with her head low and her eyes shadowed by her golden bangs.
Until, after a full minute, she finally opened her lips to speak. "Will you give me some time to think about it?" she asked, staring at the Lord with a serious gaze. "I must reflect and discuss with my Servant about this. An alliance between two Masters is a serious thing, and I cannot act brashly during a conflict."
Emiya inwardly approved her decision. At least she was smart enough to realize that it was best to reflect with a clear mind instead of jumping to rash conclusions. Well done, Master.
Waver Velvet nodded with a knowing smile. Apparently, he had expected no less from the 'perfect' Artoria Pendragon. Just like him, she was no fool. "Of course," he readily agreed. "How about this: I will give you a full day, and then we'll meet again tomorrow night, at the same park we've met today. I will hear your answer then."
Artoria Pendragon shared a glance with Archer, then nodded with sheer resolution. "That is reasonable."
"Then it's settled!" Charlemagne rose from the table with a grin, slamming a fist on his own hand in a resolute gesture of confidence. "Well, then! Let's make a toast as future allies! Let's strive together to conquer the peak of awesomeness!"
The others sweat-dropped after his bold and completely misplaced statement, unsure of how to react. To think that the legendary Holy Roman Emperor and founder of Western Europe was such a... carefree character. It was honestly shocking to witness. Even Lord El-Melloi II was openly fuming in irritation at his antics.
Archer raised a brow at Rider. "Are you an idiot?"
Charlemagne just blinked in confusion.
Waver sighed again. "Rider, they're not our allies yet," he said with a shake of the head, shooting him a stern glance. "And lower your voice. Do you want to wake up the entire district? Good grief…"
Charlemagne scratched his neck with a sheepish grin upon realizing his mistake. "Oops, my bad!" he exclaimed with a small laugh, ignoring the man's obvious annoyance and Artoria's bewilderment. Even Archer closed his eyes with a sigh.
"Honestly… why do I always end up summoning fools?" the Lord of the Clock Tower muttered, donning a hand over his face.
Charlemagne shrugged it off with a grin. "Come on, Master, there's no need to be so stiff and tense all the time! The least you can do is muster some enthusiasm for putting an end to this twisted ritual."
Lord El-Melloi II scoffed as he stood up. "I'm not an ally of justice. And I've never wanted to become one."
Archer crossed his arms, hiding a veiled smile.
And that's why you're smarter than you look.
. . .
A cold sunset lights this empty world. As far as my eyes can see, there's nothing around me.
Nothing but dust, and rocks, and blades.
Endless blades, embedded in the dirt.
"I am the bone of my Sword."
Only one frame can be seen amid this world of nothing.
A broken and twisted figure, walking in the distance.
A man.
"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."
Yes, a man is walking on a hill of blades, his head low and his legs faltering with each step.
He walks forward, his red coat billowing behind him.
A dozen swords shred his body and limbs. They originate from inside him. Yet, he does not bleed.
For him, this result is expected.
"I have created over a thousand blades."
He stops above the hill, staring at the sky.
His face is devoid of feels. Not a single tear drips from his eyes.
But his mouth is set into a sneer.
"Unknown to death, nor known to life."
He raises one hand, stretching towards the above.
An arrow strikes him in the heart. A spear pierces his back. A sword stabs him in the chest.
But he does not care, he does not move.
There is no future for the man who betrayed himself, wishing for something out of his reach.
"Have withstood pain to create many weapons."
He falls to his knees. Blood pours under his feet.
The crimes he has accumulated are judging him. The verdict is already obvious.
Guilty.
His face is utter regret.
"Yet, these hands will never hold anything."
He does not scream. He does not cry.
But his face slowly perks up again, staring at the endless sky.
And with horror I realize that there's no emotion in his gaze.
"So, as I pray―"
But the pain inside his eyes wounds my heart like a knife.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
I remain seated alone, staring at the world of dust and steel with an empty gaze.
A boy once said:
"I don't want to watch people die."
"If people can be saved, could it be possible to save every person that's suffering?"
I nearly scoff in disdain as my fists tremble in rage.
What the boy was trying to cut down was himself.
But even despite that, he kept going on and on, unable to stop.
Chasing a dream that was endless. Inexhaustible. Unending.
Unlimited.
He wielded his sword for what he came to believe in.
And so, he chased his misguided dream endlessly.
An infinitesimal part of me understands. Even after all this time, to pursue that dream, to chase that beautiful utopia…
There is no longer a path were his battle ends and he turns back.
Eventually, however, he did get his answer.
He has regrets.
And he doesn't know how many times he has wished to do it all over.
But this Fate is set in stone.
And he will always go on cursing it.
Slowly, I rise up from the rock, wind and dust billowing my hair and cape.
I clench a fist in rage.
"But even still…"
Utter regret shatters my heart of glass.
"…I was not wrong."
. . .
Location: Fuyuki City (Japan)
Kurokizaka District – Semina Apartments
(======)
Artoria jolted upright in a pool of sweat. Her heart pounded madly inside her chest. Dazed, confused, her eyes shifted to and fro to ascertain her surroundings, and a familiar sight greeted her vision. A bed. A room. A window to the right. And complete silence. Her breathing became less hectic as soon as she realized where she was, her heartbeat slowing down gradually as she took a deep breath. This was her bed, her bedroom; she was back in her apartment. She was fine, she was safe. No more voices, no more dreams.
No, that wasn't a dream. A vision.
A vision of Archer, the Servant of which she had just dreamed.
"W-What was that?" she muttered, her shoulders slumping. "Was that… Archer's past?"
Birds chirped outside the window. The morning sun shone bright in the sky. Artoria sighed, and pulled the sheets back. Once she was dressed and her face properly washed, she sat in front of a mirror and, out of habit, began brushing and tying her hair into a familiar bun. But no matter how long she tried to distract herself by fixing her hair, her previous dream and vision remained glued in her mind, those images and glimpses still flashing before her emerald eyes.
It was a widely known fact that Masters could sometimes see their Servant's memories during sleep. They could dream of their past, their memories, and their feelings. It wasn't a rule set in stone, but it was a well-known possibility. The longer a Servant remained by his Master's side and the more the bond between them grew, the greater the chances of dreaming his life and past were. And after two whole weeks spent alongside her nameless Archer, Artoria was now beginning to experience this peculiar side-effect of the summoning as well. And what she had seen in those visions… she didn't like it. She didn't know why, but she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.
For there was no color in those visions, only gray. There was no emotion in those dreams, only regret.
A gigantic, oppressive and heart-wrenching regret.
The girl gulped, a trickle of sweat running down her cheek. Words would be needed. Archer had some things to explain, and she was not going to settle for his half-truths and vague answers this time.
"Good morning, Master."
Her Servant greeted her as soon as she stepped inside the living room. He wore a small smile on his face, holding her breakfast on a silver tray: some tea, a few biscuits and a small pile of pancakes. His tall and muscular frame walked past her as he guided her towards the kitchen. "As requested, your breakfast is ready."
Artoria lowered her head as she followed him quietly. "Thank you," she muttered softly, scratching her arm a little due to nervousness.
She said nothing, did nothing, as she sat down at the table and began eating in silence. However, something must have betrayed her all the same, for Archer rounded on her with a swift motion out of the blue, immediately noticing her weird behavior and the shift in her tone. His eyes narrowed on her, concern clearly present inside those gray orbs of his.
"Master… is there something wrong?"
Despite her best efforts to hide it, a small blush of shame flared on her cheeks. Artoria mentally cursed her inability to hide her nervousness from him. She was used to hide her emotions in front of others, but for some reason that didn't seem to work with her Servant. No matter what, Archer always seemed to be able to read her completely like an open book, even with just a glance. It was both endearing and irritating at times.
But she supposed it didn't matter right now. Archer was not a simple man but a Servant, and an extremely attentive one at that. The girl was aware of the way he always kept his eyes on her to make sure she was safe. He was like a protective hawk, and she had grown quite fond of that peculiar side of his. Despite his gruff behavior, he was extremely protective in his own way, and she appreciated that in spite of everything.
Right now, however, it was just a tiny bit frustrating.
Artoria Pendragon swallowed, her food completely forgotten. She inhaled, and exhaled slowly. Then, she steeled herself. "I… had a dream," she admitted right off the bat, her gaze glued to the table.
She didn't miss the way her Servant tensed slightly at her words. She continued regardless.
"It was a dream about you. In my vision, you were walking on a hill made of swords. Blades and spears pierced your body completely; but you kept walking, unfazed. The world around you was empty, lashed by a wind of steel. It felt… like a lucid dream."
Her Servant stared at her. Artoria perked up at him. His face and stare betrayed nothing.
Once again, she lowered her eyes. "Archer… do you feel regret?" she asked in a quiet voice, after a long while of silence.
The red Archer just stared at her.
Good grief. What a loaded, uncomfortable question. Warranted, he supposed.
He waited for a few seconds, turning his head away from her even as he closed his eyes. "Why do you ask?"
Despite all her defects, Artoria Pedragon was not stupid, and her instinct was highly developed despite her young age. She knew what her Servant was doing right now. Answering an uncomfortable question with another question: a basic strategic move to take more time and formulate an answer. Clever, but useless against her. But even if she was aware of that, in the end she decided to play along. She knew that what she had seen in her dream couldn't be an easy subject for Archer, even if he had lost his memories.
"When I dreamt, I could feel what you were feeling," she said, joining her hands together on the table and intertwining her delicate fingers. She took a deep breath to steel herself as best as she could. "And the only thing I could feel was regret. No rage, no sorrow, no joy. Only regret."
Unbeknownst to her, Emiya clenched his fists slightly. Damn it all.
But Artoria said no more after that, remaining in a stubborn silence and waiting for an answer. Seeing the fire raging inside her emerald orbs, the tanned Servant sighed.
"I don't know what to say, Master," he finally spoke after a while. Artoria looked at him closely as he ran a hand through his white hair. "As you know, I still don't remember anything from my past. I have no idea of what you saw." He opened his eyes again, turning to stare outside the window with an unreadable face. "However…"
The girl with golden hair blinked. "However?" she pressed.
Archer kept his eyes towards the city outside, his gaze cold and distant for some unknown reason. "What you just described. It feels… strangely familiar," he admitted, unable to fully deny that image even in spite of his choice of keeping his identity a secret from her. And even if Artoria wasn't aware of his current facade, even if she didn't know that he was lying, she could feel that those words were perhaps the sincerest thing about himself he had said to her so far. They were true – more true than what she could possibly understand.
Thus, the effect was immediate. Artoria's shoulder visibly slumped in sadness after hearing his statement, and she mentally cursed herself with a flinch. Despite his best attempt to hide it, she could clearly see the glimmer of pain flashing inside her Servant's eyes as he pondered her question in silence. She could clearly see the frustration, and the pain, deep inside his gray orbs. And just like in the dream, she didn't like that sight. She didn't like it one bit.
Artoria cursed herself. She should have expected it. Even if Archer didn't remember his past, knowing that it was filled with regret must be painful for him all the same. She should have been more discreet about this subject. Curses.
"You… must have had a hard life, Archer," she said after an entire minute of tense silence, her voice dripping with sympathy. She pursed her lips in shame. "I-I'm sorry for bringing up sad memories. I… didn't wish to upset you."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he replied immediately – lying – crossing his arms with a sigh and shaking his head. "Whatever you saw was just a dream, and even if it really happened to me, I don't remember it. Don't let it bother you, Master."
He turned away from her as soon as he said those words, hiding his face. But Artoria knew better. Despite his stern and detached tone, the emotions inside his eyes were unmistakably true. It was as clear as day that he was hurting right now. The girl pursed her lips upon realizing that, and she could do nothing but lower her head in shame for her desire to know more about this nameless man despite his unfortunate condition.
The rest of the meal was spent in a tense silence.
Once she finished her breakfast, Archer took the tray from the table, walking away from her and heading towards the other room. "Call me when you'll be ready to talk about our future strategy," he said with a distant voice. "I'll be waiting for you."
Artoria's chest tightened painfully after hearing his tone. She didn't know what to say, but she wanted to do something. But in the end, unable to find the words to express her feelings, she decided not to answer to her Servant's words.
Instead, she did something unexpected.
With a sudden sprint and swift movement, Artoria dashed forward and wrapped both her hands around his arm, squeezing him so hard it almost hurt.
Emiya jolted and stiffened, caught by surprise by her gesture, and he slowly widened his eyes as he felt his Master's grip on his limb; a grip that had a considerable force for her age and stature. He blinked a few times, staring at her, stopping himself mid-step and hesitating for a moment.
In the end, he exhaled a heavy breath. "…Master? What's wrong?" he questioned.
Artoria didn't answer. She just tightened her grip on his arm, her eyes shadowed by her bangs. Archer sweat-dropped with a sigh.
"Stop it," she said. "Stop it, Archer. Please, don't you dare do this in front of me ever again."
He appeared to be stunned and confused by her reaction. What was she talking about? "What are you saying, Master? What did I do?"
Artoria didn't release him. She could feel her Servant shifting uncomfortably at the contact. "Stop it," she said again, her words sharp as she spoke. "Stop pretending to be fine. I saw the pain in your eyes when I asked you about your regret. I saw the way you tensed at the mention of my dream. There's no need to be stubborn with me, Archer. I know you're suffering right now… and I'm sorry I asked you about your past."
For a moment, Archer's mind shut off. Unbeknownst to the girl, her Servant was completely baffled by her words.
But she didn't notice that, nor did she care. "I don't know what your past was like, but if it was anything like what I've dreamed today… I know that you must be aware of it somehow," she said, gritting her teeth at the way his entire body stiffened at her words. She knew she had it the mark right there. "I saw the way you tensed when I mentioned my dream. You know what I saw, I know you do."
Archer turned to her. "Master―"
"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine," she cut him off abruptly, squeezing his arm again and cutting off whatever excuse he had prepared in order to claw himself away from that situation. "I trust you. I know you must have a reason… but don't you dare to pretend you're fine, Archer. I won't stand for it."
Her Servant was floored. Artoria could already feel that much through their mental bond, even if she didn't know why. And it was true. Archer really was floored right now. Why?
Because, unbeknownst to her, where a certain girl in armor who looked a lot like her used her skills for avoidance and to distance herself from others… this Artoria in front of him was now using them for interception. She was using them to connect with him. She was aiming her best efforts in attempt to close the gap between them and grow closer to him.
And that was something Archer had not expected to see, not even after having spent two weeks with her. Something he had never even dared to dream of, actually. Even in his wildest dreams.
Yet, Artoria continued her rant, still clinging to his arm with an iron grip. "You think I didn't see your hints? The way you avoid my eyes at the first sign of trouble? The way your body tenses when I touch you?" her head lowered more and more as she spoke, her entire body trembling slightly. "It's all too familiar to me, Archer; because I've felt it. I've felt your regret in my dream! I saw the expression on your face as you collapsed on that empty hill! I won't allow you to deny it in my face! Not when I just dreamed your pain, not when I just felt it on my skin!"
Indeed. This Artoria Pendragon was nothing like the girl in armor he remembered. She was far too different, far too emotionally aware, and far too caring. Far too human to be King. They were nothing alike on that regard.
A wry smile curved his lips.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Artoria finally released him from her grip, but she still kept her head lowered to the ground, unable to meet his gaze. Her whole body tensed and she inhaled deeply as she felt her Servant turn to face her fully. She waited a couple of seconds. Then, with a deep breath, she raised her head and finally allowed herself to stare at his face.
Teary, emerald eyes met a gaze of tempered steel.
"I know you're hurting, Archer," she whispered, trying and failing to stop her quivering lips. "Please don't hide your pain from me."
Archer swallowed, using countless half-remembered years of practice to avoid freezing. Neither Artoria nor him attempted to speak further, falling into a tense silence.
Seconds passed, followed by minutes.
Until, Artoria blinked, feeling her Servant's wide and rough hand pat her head. Her eyes perked up again, and her heart almost did a backflip when she saw him smiling at her.
"…thank you, Master," Archer said. For once, there was no trace of deceit in his voice, not even a hint of sarcasm or amusement. He was sincere, perhaps more than he had ever been in front of her, and that left her baffled. "As expected, I should have known that keeping it hidden from you would be useless. You're more attentive than I thought, and I was mistaken in looking down on you as a child."
Artoria's brow twitched. She didn't know if she was supposed to be flattered or irritated by his words. Her face still flared in a blush, though.
Her peculiar Servant exhaled a heavy breath, his hand still placed lazily on her head. "You are correct, I do feel regret," he said suddenly, before she could open her mouth to retort. "What you've dreamt feels familiar to me―" More than you could possibly know. "―and the feeling that you describe is one I'm very familiar with. But I'm not lying when I say that it doesn't matter now. Even if I remember a few things about my past, I'm still unable to recall the whole picture. The past doesn't affect me that much."
Sometimes, she could sound so small. "Truly?" she asked.
He sighed. "I do remember some bits and pieces, from time to time. Some small fragments, a few vivid images, but nothing too conspicuous to be defined as a real memory." He hadn't meant to admit anything; his mouth was moving without waiting for permission. "But that doesn't matter to me. Even without my name and memories, all I care about is focusing on my current task. And my current task is to be your Servant and fight at your side."
Artoria stared at him with sadness. She didn't know if he was lying or not – and he was, even if not entirely – but she could feel a bit of truth inside his words, much to her relief. Archer really did not remember everything about his past. Most of his memories had been washed away by countless years of slavery and deployments; completely wiped out by his personal hell and duty to clean up Humanity's mess, after all. But she didn't know that.
Yet.
"Whatever you saw, it doesn't change my duty and my oath to you. And I want to focus on that, instead of trying to remember who I was," Archer finished, moving his hand away from her and staring into her emerald eyes intently. "So don't let it bother you, Master. I am fine, I assure you."
The girl with golden hair held his gaze for a few seconds. There was something about the way he spoke those words that didn't really convince her. Something that made her question if he was being really honest or not. But despite all of that, she knew she couldn't force him to say more about this matter. Archer was her Servant, yes, but she still had no right to pry into someone else's past. She wasn't that petty. No matter what kind of past he had, if Archer didn't want to think about it, she had no right to meddle with his choice, no matter how hard she wanted to.
Despite her better judgment, however, she couldn't help but say something.
"Fine. I won't pry further, then. But in return, will you promise to be honest with me from now on? Completely honest?" she demanded, her eyes searching for his face.
Her Servant hesitated for a while, strangely unable to held her gaze. But in the end, after a few seconds, he nodded with a sigh. "Very well. I'll try to be more honest if that's what you wish."
She nodded as well after his statement, satisfied. "Then, from now on, please don't hesitate to talk to me if there's something bothering you. Even when you're suffering," she stated seriously, her gaze softening as she gently grabbed his arm again in a supportive gesture. "You're my Servant, Archer. I may know nothing about you, but I know pain when I see it. So, if you ever need it, please let me help you. I don't like to see you suffer, and I'll do my best to offer assistance, if I can. I want you to take care of yourself, is that clear?"
She made him feel like he was still that boy in the storeroom, in far over his head and paralyzed by the beauty in the moonlight. Every time.
His scowl turned to the faintest rueful smile.
...good grief, this is just too cruel, Emiya mused. This entire situation was all too familiar to him, but sickeningly reversed. It felt like a twisted déjà vu, where the girl was now the probing Master and he was the detached King instead. It was sickening; so much so that he honestly felt like punching himself in the face right now.
Instead, he opted for something more familiar in order to avoid this whole matter: his usual sarcasm.
"As you wish," he answered with a smirk. "Then, from now on, will you finally start to learn how to prepare a decent meal for yourself? It is quite tiring from me to cook for four all the time, and you just said that I need to take better care of myself…"
Her reaction was immediate, as well as predictable.
"F-F-Four?! I do NOT eat that much!" Artoria yelled in a fluster, her face now a deep crimson and her nostrils flaring in shame and embarrassment. She waved her hands frantically in front of her, both her face and tone completely overwhelmed by shame. "I-I just eat like an average person― okay, m-maybe a teensy bit more than average, but look at me! I'm fine!"
She made to grab at any loose belly fat to demonstrate that she didn't have any, but then realized what she was doing and immediately fell on her knees, her eyes swirling in shame and her ears steaming like a teapot.
All the while, Archer chuckled at her sorry state with mirth. As expected, his attempt to deflect had been successful. Then, when he realized that the poor girl was about to die from rapid blood flow, he decided to stop. "I was kidding, Master," he reassured her in the end, patting her head once again and meeting her teary eyes with an amused grin. "I won't stop cooking for you. So relax, will you? I'm glad that you enjoy my cooking so much, in all honesty."
He chuckled again, and Artoria only bristled further upon realizing that he had only been idly teasing her. Thus, once she was finally able to recollect herself from embarrassment, she let out a long breath and smoothed her dark blue uniform, placing her hands together. Then they dropped. They joined again. She took a quick glance at him, then looked away with a blush.
"…it is a vice of mine," she admitted.
"As vices go, it's not really a bad one," her Servant said as he turned away from her with a smile, heading towards the kitchen. "Besides, I enjoy cooking."
Artoria shook her head and pouted. "You are an enigma, Archer."
"I know. It's an annoying trait," he said with a sly smirk. "Now calm down. I still need to prepare your second serving. I'll make it double as an apology for making you worry, alright?"
The girl's pout grew at his nonchalant tone, but despite her inner irritation she couldn't help but drool a bit at the thought of his culinary skills. No matter what, his food always managed to brighten her mood somehow. Artoria simply couldn't understand it. Hmpf! Honestly, this man! It's a good thing he can cook! she inwardly fumed.
However, after a few seconds and an extremely long sigh, the girl shook her head and recollected herself, their previous discussion completely forgotten as she decided to relent and focus on the future (and her incoming meal).
She walked up to the tanned Archer, flashing him a smile in spite of her inner worries.
"I look forward to it… Archer."
The man stopped abruptly, widening his eyes.
I̴̢͆ ̴̪͗l̵̹̍o̸͖͝ȍ̸͍k̵̗̑ ̷̦͘f̵͔̚ọ̵́r̶̬̀w̵͉͋a̴̫͑r̸͎̾d̴̟̒ ̸̡̓ṱ̸͋o̵͖̿ ̵͙͆ị̸̆t̷̛̜…̶͊ͅ ̸̜̾S̵̺͒h̵̖͐ī̸̮r̸͜͝ǫ̴̈́u̷̲͘.̵̧̀
It happened in an instant.
For a moment, just for a split-moment, in front of Archer's eyes, Artoria's face and frame disappeared all of a sudden. He didn't know how it was possible; he didn't know why it happened; but it did. As soon as he heard that phrase, as soon as his head registered those words and that familiar – extremely familiar – smile, his Master's frame reappeared again. But this time, much to his shock, it was replaced by that of a certain girl from his memories, wearing a silver armor and a small grin on her face.
The tanned Servant gritted his teeth, shaking his head with a silent curse.
"Archer?"
Just like that, it disappeared. The girl in armor was gone, leaving once more his Master in front of him.
"Hm?"
Her green eyes drilled into him. "Are you ok?"
No. No, he really wasn't.
"Of course," he lied.
Heroic Spirit Emiya shrugged it off, resuming to walk with an empty smile.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
Rin and I are scanning the city furiously as I jump from roof to roof at maximum speed. While I hold the girl in my arms, I cannot fully contain my disapproval about this whole situation. "Good grief. This isn't your burden to bear," I say with narrowed eyes.
Once again, she refuses to see reason. Stubborn little brat. "After what it cost me to save him, I refuse to let him die again!"
Another quick leap, and I land above a railing. Rin points me towards a specific direction.
"There! I can feel it! The Lancer class Servant!"
I mentally curse with irritation, but obey her will nonetheless. I know extremely well what's in that direction. I could recognize the building even from miles away. Gods damn it, I'm going to regret this.
As soon as I land on solid ground again, Rin dashes forward on her own. She hasn't yet passed the crossroad when I feel something that makes my skin crawl all of a sudden. My eyes instantly widen.
"Wait, Rin!" I try to stop her. "I'm sensing more than one Servant!"
Too late. She hasn't even the time to turn. My legs move on instinct.
Less than a blink of an eye, and I'm already next to her. I toss Rin behind me and block the first blow with Kanshou. The enemy Servant tries another lunge, but my arm is already moving to intercept it. Sparks fly over my vision, and I force the enemy to retreat with a horizontal slash. A single jump backwards creates five meters of distance between us.
No, I won't allow it. I must pursue and attack now, while the enemy is retreating. That's when I truly have a chance of killing it.
One step forward, and I cross the distance with a dash. I raise Kanshou at my side, the enemy's face already turning to me. She raises her invisible weapon, her face set in a familiar scowl―
In a second, my eyes widen and the breath leaves my lungs all of a sudden.
I barely have time to recollect myself, stopping my chase with an audible gasp.
For the first time in a long while, I cannot believe my eyes.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
Location: Fuyuki City (Japan)
Miyama Town
(======)
Night had fallen once again. Archer walked through the streets of Miyama in spirit form, following his Master with an unreadable face.
Miyama Town was the suburban area of Fuyuki that contained the old houses and traditional buildings of the city. Even in this different world, it could be split into two main parts: the traditional Japanese houses district and the foreigners' houses district. It was a part of the city that Emiya knew extremely well despite his great distaste for it, because it was in this very same district that he had once lived when he was a boy.
Consequently, for this very same reason, it was a location that he sincerely wanted to avoid at all costs. After all, he could never forget the fact that the Matou and Tohsaka residences were located there, in the foreigners' district, while Fujimura's house and even his own house – the Emiya's residence – were in the traditional one. But no matter what, Heroic Spirit Emiya was determined not to set foot close to those locations unless it was strictly necessary. This place no longer held any emotions for him, but the Matou and Tohsaka residences could be extremely dangerous places to visit. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Fortunately for him, however, those locations were not their current destination right now.
"Are you sure about your decision, Master?" he asked for the second time, sparing a glance to the young girl walking next to him.
Artoria nodded resolutely. "I am. We've discussed it for a whole day, Archer. This is the best course of action," she whispered with a serious tone.
He couldn't help but agree with her. The two of them had spent the majority of the day inside their suite, talking about their previous encounter with Waver Velvet and Rider and pondering relentlessly about the so-called 'alliance' that the Lord of the Clock Tower had offered them. They had taken a lot of thoughts into consideration, and even tried to go through every scenario and hypothesis in order to be extremely certain of their choice. And after more than six hours of discussion, both of them had reached the conclusion that allying themselves with Lord El-Melloi II was the right choice. At least for now.
After all, both Master and Servant couldn't deny the fact that there was something fishy about this whole 'Holy Grail' situation. Regardless of whether it was corrupted or not, the fact that Emiya Kiritsugu, the previous winner of the Holy Grail War, had died upon making contact with the Grail was something they couldn't ignore no matter what. Hence, if they wanted to understand what was happening, they needed to get information and learn more about the previous conflict, and the only way to get those information was to play along with Waver Velvet, the only survivor of the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Not to mention, moreover, that this wasn't just about getting more intel. Both Emiya and Artoria were extremely familiar with Lord El-Melloi II thanks to their personal experiences, and they knew that it was best to keep such a renowned Magus at their side, even if only temporarily. Despite his frail body and weak Magic Circuits, that man was smart and cunning, and he had an extremely powerful Servant at his side. There was no doubt in Emiya's mind that the King of Franks was stronger than he seemed, even if his usual behavior would often make people believe otherwise. He was none other than the legendary Charlemagne, after all. Therefore, having a such a skilled Magus and a powerful Servant on their side could be a considerable advantage during the conflict. Joining forces with them was the best tactical option they had at the moment.
And besides… there was no rule that said an alliance should last long. Emiya hadn't said a word to Artoria about this, but he was familiar – extremely familiar – with the concept of betrayal, and he would not disregard the option of backstabbing his own allies for the sake of victory. He had already done it twice during a previous War (and he wasn't exactly proud of it) even if he had done it only for Rin's sake on the long run. But even now he would not hesitate to do it again if it meant that Artoria could achieve victory in the end. He could not and would not betray his new Master, obviously, but Lord El-Melloi II? That was another story entirely.
If that man proved himself to be useless and disloyal, Emiya wouldn't hesitate to do what was necessary, regardless of Rider's wrath.
Thus, it was with a resolute silence that the two of them walked through the silent streets of Fuyuki City, headed to the park built near the river where they had met the Lord and his Servant the night before.
But, alas, things weren't meant to go smoothly.
Just as Artoria and Archer were about to reach the end of the suburban area of the town and head towards the river, they stopped abruptly in the middle of an intersection leading towards the old district of Miyama. A chilling sensation descended upon them, and both Master and Servant remained completely still as soon as they realized that there was something wrong. Their bodies unmoving, they remained in an eerie silence as the air began to grow tense all around them for some reason.
Something was about to happen. There was no doubt about it.
"Master."
"Yeah. I can feel it too," Artoria swallowed with a nod, her eyes nervously glancing around in every direction, her hand already moving towards the sword strapped on her back. Emiya materialized in a dust of blue the very next moment, stepping next to the girl with a grim expression and narrowed eyes, his sharp senses already focused.
They waited. And waited. And waited.
Until, it happened.
There was no time for words. It happened in an instant.
A blurred silhouette wrapped in blue and silver suddenly descended from the heavens, crashing with a powerful explosion of wind behind the Master-Servant duo. The very next second, without a single warning, it was already moving forward with a lightning-fast leap, dashing directly towards Artoria's stunned and frightened frame, aiming to strike with a swing that was fast enough to be invisible. The poor girl barely had time to turn around and widen her eyes in shock, but the red Archer was not as slow. He reacted as swiftly as he could.
Faster than a man could blink, Emiya moved.
He took no chances. Grabbing the girl with one arm, he pulled her away from the attack and kicked the assailant away. Then, he lifted her up and leaped away as soon as she was safe in his grip, leaving the streets with a single but powerful jump. He didn't attack, he didn't retaliate. He didn't even try to defend himself from the assault. All that mattered right now was getting his Master to safety, moving away from the enemy at maximum speed. Next thing he knew, he was already leaping away a second time, jumping from building to building and running across rooftops, moving at breakneck speed.
Artoria squirmed in his arm, unable to move. Instead, her body hugged tightly her Servant's neck, clinging for dear life as Emiya accelerated like a bullet.
"A-Archer! Is that―?!"
"Yes, another Servant. Hold on tight!"
The surroundings became nothing more than an incomprehensible blur. Shockwaves of wind and prana slammed on Artoria's face with each leap taken by her Servant, battering her body already tense from fear. However, she steeled her heart and forced herself to look behind. Archer's arm didn't let her go no matter what.
Much to her horror, the enemy Servant was already giving chase behind them, his body nothing but a blur of speed as he jumped from building to building, unwilling to relent. He moved much faster than Archer – the girl realized it immediately – and he was already catching up to them. Next thing she knew, that blurred silhouette was barely a few meters behind them, running with an outstanding speed that was almost too frightening to believe. Her jewel-like eyes couldn't help but widen in fear.
But Emiya was not going to let his Master be hurt without a fight. Reacting on instinct once again, he swiftly turned around mid-air, Bakuya already grasped in his free hand and aiming a lightning-fast slash to intercept the enemy's blow. Sparks flew around his vision when his blade clashed against something that was too fast to be visible to the eye, and he grunted with a low growl as he was forced to jump away again in order to avoid a second invisible slash to his chest. As he leaped in the air, Artoria screamed in fear for her life.
Not even a second later, they were already on solid ground again, landing in the middle of an empty pitch close to the eastern border of Miyama Town. Archer tried to move, his mind set on reaching the meeting point with Lord El-Melloi II and Rider in order to use them to force the assailant Servant away and bring his Master to safety, but it was no use. Next thing next, the enemy was already on them again, unwilling to give them a moment of respite.
Emiya cursed with a silent hiss. Running away was useless, apparently.
Therefore, he had no choice but attack. He immediately released Artoria on the ground with inhuman speed, and then dashed against the enemy with his white shortsword already swung in a second slash, his face twisted into a scowl of rage and resolve. He slammed himself against the enemy with a shockwave of wind and energy, Bakuya clashing against something his eyes could not see, and Emiya hissed in frustration when he was forced to move his arm to parry a sudden blow aimed at his neck, fast enough to kill him with a single strike.
But Heroic Spirit Emiya wouldn't go down so easily. His strength was not impressive compared to the average Servants, but he was a master at defending himself. His countless experiences and battles had taught him a thing or two.
He managed to parry the invisible attack, but the sheer power behind the blow was overwhelming. Bakuya nearly broke under the opponent's slash, his entire arm trembling due to the enemy's superior strength. Archer grunted and snarled, deflecting yet another slash with a great effort and reciprocating the kindness with a fast side kick. The enemy Servant blocked it with an armored gauntlet, his body bending slightly under the blow, and moved his free arm to attack again.
Emiya saw the opening immediately. He twisted his body with a sudden jerk-like movement, barely dodging the invisible slash to the side, and then kicked the Servant again, slamming his foot on his armored chest with a considerable force. The enemy was forced to retreat, and Archer did the same accordingly, leaping away as well and placing himself in front of his Master to shield her, Bakuya still pointed at the opponent.
Then, perhaps for the first time ever since the summoning, Heroic Spirit Emiya gaped in absolute shock.
Taking advantage of the moment of respite, his gaze finally moved to study the other Servant, and he soon found himself widening his eyes in wonder. Behind him, Artoria was doing the same, her katana already in hand and her face morphed into a mask of tense nervousness.
A young man dressed in armor stood before them. He was tall, not nearly as tall as Emiya was, but with a solid frame and an imposing presence all the same. He wore the elegant armor of a knight, with the metal part made of silver steel and the tunic part made of royal blue fabric, adorned with golden trims. A dark hood attached to his armor covered his face, but Archer could clearly glimpse a handsome face under that hood, with eyes of emerald color and a few golden strands of hair. He possessed a beautiful form and appeared composed and solemn, like a holy warrior from ancient times, and in his hands he wielded something invisib―
Something invisible was grasped in his armored hands.
Emiya's entire body stiffened, unable to believe his own eyes. It cannot be…
He gulped in disbelief, his mind already moving to connect the dots inside his head despite his inner shock. Everything made sense now. It wasn't the enemy's attacks that were too fast to be seen… it was his very own weapon that was hidden from sight. It had been rendered invisible by some kind of Bounded Field similar to a spell, covering its frame entirely.
And no matter how hard Archer wished to deny what his eyes were seeing, the sight that stood in front of his gaze right now was as real as it could be.
And that could only mean one thing.
Emiya clenched his jaw shut, narrowing his eyes in silent disbelief as he glared at the enemy.
"Well done, Saber," a new voice spoke all of a sudden from the side. "You've cornered them just as promised."
Both Emiya and Artoria tensed immediately. Their heads snapped to the right when a second figure decided to make her presence known, stepping out of a small alley from the side and revealing herself without hesitation. A young girl with raven hair and aqua eyes entered the empty pitch with a firm step, placing herself next to the armored Servant with a confident smile on her beautiful face.
Archer's face twitched only for a second.
No matter how much he had prepared himself for this moment, upon seeing that face and hearing that familiar voice again, he felt his heart clenching in his chest all the same.
"Yes, my Master," the Servant of the Saber class spoke softly, removing the hood from his head and revealing the face of a young man in his twenties with green eyes and golden hair.
Tense and absolute silence fell amid the empty street of Fuyuki City.
Artoria Pendragon tightened the grip on her blade, moving closer to her Servant with a nervous expression.
And Heroic Spirit Emiya could do nothing but narrow his eyes and steel his resolve.
While Rin Tohsaka and the King of Knights himself stared down at them with a powerful glare.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
I stumble back with faltering step, my eyes not once leaving the girl's frame. Even now I can feel my mind going blank, my face twitching in sheer disbelief.
Despite my better judgment, I grit my teeth in front of the enemy. Behind me, Rin is watching with wide eyes.
And the King of Knights herself stares at me, challenging me with a powerful glare.
NOTES
Well, now we know why King Arthur didn't answer Artoria's summon. Big shame, that one.
Some people tend to believe that Artoria – and consequently, Arthur as well – would never do acts that are considered dishonorable. Hence: she would never sneak up on an enemy, trying to attack before revealing herself and/or challenging them, or generally fighting with dishonorable methods. Well, guess what: they're wrong.
Not only it is an intrinsic part of Artoria's character to fight with everything at her disposal, but Nasu has clearly stated in a written interview (which unfortunately I wasn't able to find again, I read it months ago in a discord channel) that she wouldn't always disdain to use drastic and unorthodox methods in order to achieve her goals and win the Grail. This unbending and drastic side of her persona can be glimpsed briefly in all 3 main Routes of FSN, when she attempted to attack Rin before she could even realize it, or even in UBW when she did the exact same thing with Souichirou Kuzuki after learning that he was a killer (she had literally planned to kill him with a sneak attack while Shirou and Rin were busy distracting Caster). She is indeed a character associated with honor, but Artoria Pendragon is NOT entirely honorable, nor righteous. Even her whole reign is another proof of that. Arthur and Archer are no different from her in that regard. As long as the enemy is a Servant or a Master, they will do what they must in order to kill it as quickly as possible.
This doesn't mean that she would kill freely or actively engage in dishonest and questionable acts. Her alignment is Lawful Good. Thus, it is undeniable that she is a good and righteous person. And while she does prefer to engage an enemy directly as a Knight should, during the Grail Wars – and even during her own reign – Artoria was fully aware that she could not be magnanimous and honorable all the time (Fate/Zero ruined this side of her, making her appear as a holy warrior who tried to be honorable and just in every occasion, but whatever). And don't let me get started on Heroic Spirit Emiya XD
As always, please forgive me for any eventual misspellings and grammar mistakes. If you point them out to me, I will gladly correct them as soon as I can.
See you next time.