Love works in a peculiar way with Emiya Shirou. Once he finds the woman he truly loves- i.e., Saber. He will love her more than he has ever loved himself. To the point that he was foolish enough to make a deal with Alaya to become a Hero to be closer in his goal of meeting Saber once more. At the cost of eternal servitude to the Will of Humanity.
But it was worth it right? Archer did save people. He did achieve his dream of becoming a hero. And Best of All, he did achieve his dream of meeting Saber again after what feels like hundreds of years. Surely everything he did to get where he was right now worth it right?
No. It wasn't
While he did achieve his dream of becoming a hero, he couldn't save everyone. That was his goal, wasn't it? To save everyone in the world? That's why he became a Counter Guardian. But instead, he became a weapon of Alaya. Killing tens to save hundreds. Hundreds to save thousands. Thousands to save millions. The blood he spilt could fill the Dead Sea with blood 5 times over.
And it turns out that while being a Counter Guardian does make him a hero, Saber was not in the Throne. His second reason to becoming a Guardian all for naught. The reason why he doesn't give up after hundreds of years of ceaseless culling. The reason why a portion of the boy who loves the King of Knights with all his being still exists within the hardened, blackened soul of the Wrought Iron Hero. The same reason why, as the door to the Round Table opened, he felt his heart beat faster and faster in anticipation to see his beloved. Even though he knew that he would be disappointed. Since he knew that the Arturia Pendragon he'll won't know him.
'I wonder if she's still the same after all these years.' Thought 'Archer'; this is name towards the people of Camelot at the moment. And he has every right to expect that she'll stay the same. Ever since Arturia drew Caliburn, she stopped aging. Her physical prime is that of a 15-year-old girl- the same girl that saved the redhead in that shed all those years ago. So surely, in her still-alive state Archer would see again the teenage girl that's always in his dreams, right?
As Fate would always have it whenever Archer expects something, he was wrong.
For in front of Archer, Mordred, and Bedivere is a much older Arturia Pendragon. One who has matured in years. The King of Knights that aged to her true physical prime. But the question remains.
'How?' Thought Archer. 'Excalibur is still her weapon. This shouldn't be possible.'
Indeed. The Sword of Promised Victory is still resting in its sheath at the hip of the King of Knights. Using his observation prowess, the usual battle dress that Archer remembers Arturia wearing has been replaced with a blue cloak as well as silver armor plating. The redhead noticed the distinct lack of armor from her hips to her thighs; she's also wearing greaves and silver shoes. 'Her armor has been altered to accommodate her well developed frame.' Archer concluded. While Archer did take his time mesmerizing at the sight that is a grown up Artoria, he nevertheless tried to find the reason why the King of Knights isn't a teenage girl as he expected.
'Nothing seems out of place.' Archer thought. 'The Armor is only enchanted to be durable; her sword is still the same so what caused her to age?'. As he was trying to find the answer, a voice interrupted his musings.
"It would not do you good to stare, Sir Archer." It was the regal voice of Arturia Pendragon herself, who obviously caught Archer intensely looking at her. Archer, now realizing he dug his own grave, immediately formed up a 'solid excuse'.
"…" Archer couldn't even come up with a viable reason to this. He obviously can't say that he was expecting her to be a teenage girl. That would arouse immediate suspicion that he couldn't dispel. So instead, Archer will do what he always does.
"…I heard stories of the Great High King Arthur. Some of them tell of the man in the body of a boy ever since he drew the Sword in Stone. I came here expecting a boy King. Clearly I was mistaken."
Which is not care about the suspicion this can arouse.
A snicker was heard from behind the two. Which soon turned into a quiet laughter. Which soon evolved into a bellowing howl disguised as laughter. As the King and the redhead looked at the source of the noise. They were greeted to Mordred, who was currently on her knees laughing. With Sir Bedivere beside her with a look of dismay and apparent disappointment. The King of Knights walked towards Archer and ended up in front of a still-laughing Mordred. And with a very stern voice she said, "Sir Mordred"
Those words alone stopped the laughter. Filling Mordred with fear as she got up from the floor and tried to look as unscared as possible. Seeing this, The King looked down at the Red Knight and continued.
"Was there something funny with what Sir Archer said?" She asked inquisitively.
"I, uhm, thought of something funny, Your Highness." Said Mordred, clearly trying to escape the situation before it gets more embarrassing.
But Arturia did not get the memo, because she then went on to ask. "Was this 'something funny related to what Sir Archer said not too long ago?" The King of Knights was obviously not pleased with Mordred's attitude.
Trying to change the subject, the Red Knight said. "You're Highness- "Only to be cut off by the High King.
"Sir Archer is clearly misinformed of my age, as it seems." She then glanced at the subject matter while saying this, "But it is not his fault." She continued.
"Currently however, I am most displeased that instead of assisting your friend over here in clearing away the misinformation he had, you instead laughed at him." She finished saying that with a tone of disappointment. "I hope that you will see the err in your ways and assist you friend in the future, correct?" She ended in a request that is more of a command if anything.
'If someone saw this, it would've looked like a parent scolding their child. But no one is obviously going to say that out loud, unless they want to meet the end of Mordred's blade.' Archer thought.
Mordred on the other hand was definitely feeling like a scolded child at the moment. She couldn't muster any retort since it's the King she'll be retorting. And she knew that saying something back would plunge her deeper into embarrassment. She replied with a, "As you wish, My liege." And stayed silent after that.
"Good." Arturia graced Mordred with a small smile after that. She then motioned the 3 of them to their seats in the Round Table. Archer sat beside Mordred since it was vacant. There are only 5 members of the Round present. With 7 of them being in missions outside Camelot and whatnot. The ones present are Sir Kay, Sir Mordred, Sir Bedivere, Sir Lancelot – who arrived earliest of them all after returning from a mission in Gaul- and finally, the King herself (or is it "himself"? Since only Archer and Kay knows her true gender).
The meeting went on as expected by Archer; it's nothing but a simple debriefing. Each Knight presented their reports with a simplicity that managed to get the whole idea across without it coming out as convoluted.
Sir Kay's report consists of the damage reports from the villages that were burned and destroyed by the tyrant Drecken; as well as the casualty reports that came from said villages. Overall, the number of villages affected were over 10, with the village where Mordred and Archer met being the most damaged.
Sir Lancelot reported about his mission which was about investigating a clue about this Drecken's real identity. Stating that he discovered that Drecken came from Gaul and so he left; only to find the tyrant's old home. Lancelot's findings from Drecken's house consisted of irrelevant letters to loved ones, letters of murder contracts, as well as a detailed map of a temple in Paris. He concluded before coming to Britannia, Drecken went to Paris and stole something within the temple. Whatever it was, it increased his fighting prowess.
Sir Bedivere's reports consisted of the accounts of the affected peoples that came from the villages Drecken destroyed. Sir Bedivere discovered that the first place that Drecken went to in every village except one was the house of the village elder. Forcing them to give their writings and books. Mostly about old tales. After the Tyrant got what he wanted, he'd kill the elders in each village he went to and razed the villages out of sheer spite. Once he went to the last village, he was encountered by Sir Mordred and then "a redheaded Scot took over the fight after Sir Mordred got thrown into the old temple near the outskirts of the village" -said a witness of the battle."
Archer and the rest of The Knights of the Round had differing thoughts and reactions at this.
'Great… there goes trying to hide Mordred's loss.' Archer though' I wonder what she's feeling right now.'
'FUCK! HOW THE HELL DID THOSE SONS OF BITCHES SEE THAT? I TOLD THEM TO LEAVE!' Thought a very angry Mordred. 'GREAT! NOW EVERYBODY KNOWS.' She saw Kay's smirk and she knew what was about to come. 'OH, FOR GOD SAKES DON'T YOU FUCKING TALK, KAY I SWEAR TO- '" Looks like you couldn't hide your failure, Mordred. And where does that lead you? Back to me." 'FUCK!'
'Oh my, it appears that everyone is taking the news very well. I suppose.' Thought Bedivere. With a grimace in his face
'This is quite unsettling.' Though the Knight of the Lake. 'Mordred is easily the third best swords man in the Table. His attitude being an enhancer and a weakness being accounted for as well' He glanced at Mordred, who was still having an argument with Kay. 'If he was bested in a fight against Drecken, then it would take more than 2 Knights of the Round to apprehend him. But there is one more thing that bothers me…' As he looked to the redhead who defeated Drecken Lancelot began to speak.
"Sir Archer, I've of you from Sir Kay before you came here, and now that I've heard Sir Bedivere of your deeds. I'd like to hear from you your personal account of the events that has transpired. What is Drecken like? Did you see for yourself what his goal is?"
But to his surprise his voice did not come out.
For it was Arturia herself who asked the question.
Naturally, everyone is surprised. Well, except for Archer, he devoted his attention solely on the King of Knights this entire time (definitely not checking her out). So, he had a simple, yet detailed answer to go with. He began to talk about his side of the events:
27 Hours ago…
"Well, that was something."
These were the only words Emiya Shirou could muster as he witnessed a silver-red blur fly towards an old temple. Breaking the area where it crashed into. As he headed towards the fallen object, he found that he was a knight within the temple under a now-broken-in tomb. With his 'trace on' he analyzed the downed knight. The armor of the knight doesn't seem to be that damaged. But the arms of the knight are littered with many wounds. Non-lethal but they were bleeding a lot. As he was analyzing the armor, he came to the realization that he couldn't figure out the identity of the knight.
'A knight that wears armor with a presence concealment charm that acts as a spell that hides one's identity. Either this is a high value target, or this Knight got caught up in a fight he shouldn't have been in.' He noticed a glint beside the Knight and saw a sword beside him; he didn't focus on it too much since he occupied at both the unconscious Knight and his apparent pursuer.
He turned around to see a fellow with a black spear. Using his analyzing skills, he concluded that the spear is enchanted with runes. The runes allow the spear to multiply the wounds of it has inflicted as it attacks an enemy. 'Guess that explains the many wounds' He thought as he glanced back to the knight behind him.
The stranger with the spear looks as deadly as his weapon. Etched on his face is a murderous look; his eyes are filled with not bloodlust alone, but a deathly anger that can kill a normal man when they see it.
Emiya Shirou is no normal man.
"You look lost their, friend." Emiya said. "It seems that you've lost the way to the main road. Allow me to show you the right dire-" "Cease your mockery, uncouth vermin!" Said the stranger. Now filled with indignation. "This is not your fight. I suggest that you return to whatever cess-pit you belong to." "Strong words for a blabbering fool." Said Emiya. "But this Knight behind is my ticket to civilization." He pointed his thumb towards the unconscious knight.
It was true, in a sense. Emiya concluded that the only way to get some answers as to his reason being…wherever he was, is this knight. The knight would have a lot of connections since he has that high-grade armor on him. Once he wakes up, Emiya'll fill him in on the details and implant the idea that the Knight owes him one. Simple right? Well, the only way for this to work is to beat this stranger.
As for the stranger, he was too busy looking at the sword beside the Knight; a detail that Shirou couldn't help but notice. Because as he saw the sword, the stranger mumbled something akin to "I've found it" and something related to a slan? Whatever it was, it suddenly agitated the stranger.
"You!" he said pointed to the sword. "Give me that sword." Archer knew what he wanted so he weighed his options. 1.) He could give the sword and make sure the stranger leaves the knight alone. 2.) He can just fight the guy and Shirou gets the sword. He decided to choose the former since he assumed that the Knight owned it.
"No can do, good sir" Archer replied in a false politeness, "That sword is out of the discussion." As he said that, the murderous aura the stranger intensified. He then went to a battle pose when he said this.
"Fine, but let it be known that it was I! Drecken the Scourge of God. Who took your life."
"There's only one Scourge of God" Shirou mocked "And since we are saying names now, I guess I'll tell mine."
Drecken held his guard up. Prepared for anything that the man will do-
Suddenly, the man, disappeared. Then the very second, he disappeared Drecken heard a voice from behind.
"I am your doom." The voice said.
Present time.
"And then I defeated him." Concluded Archer. "He wields a spear that can multiply the number of wounds it deals every time it hits an opponent. Looking back from our fight, it appears that the spear enhanced some aspects of his fighting style. I managed to leave the battle unscathed, but Sir Mordred was not as fortunate."
As Arturia digested Archer's story, she began to think about Archer himself. She knew he wasn't lying, and if he was, she can certainly tell. But being honest simply isn't enough to be trustworthy for her. The King of Knights isn't one to trust someone as easily as 1 2 3. She's much more experienced now. And much more grown up. After losing Avalon her aging process resumed. Giving her that maturity to think through everything she does. And right now, her maturity shows. And as a mature, and mentally sound King, she knows the ramifications of trusting a nobody that came out of nowhere.
'Then why is something telling me to forget everything and trust him?' She thought.
It was a weird feeling, meeting Archer. For her, as she saw those golden orbs, time stopped. She felt her heart skip a beat for some reason when she saw him. As if a long-forgotten memory just popped up and started flooding her conscience with feelings of nostalgia and…longing. Whatever this man has within, secrets or something else, she must put up her guard against him. Even though the voice in her head is saying the complete opposite. But for now, she has no reason to assume the worst of this Archer.
"I see… and you saw Drecken become agitated as you denied him the sword, correct?" She asked. "Yes, your Majest- ugh! Mordred, what're you-""It's 'Your, Highness' damn it!" Said Knight whisper-screamed at the redhead; she clearly learned her mistake from before. And now she's trying to correct Archer's blunder before he does it again. The King of Knights simply chuckled at the two, gaining the shocked looks of everyone in the room. Shock for the Knights since it was the first time in a while, they've seen their King express emotions. But for Archer, it felt like an arrow hit his heart as he saw her face- happy and all.
"It was a simple mistake, Sir Mordred." Said Arturia. "No harm, done. Although, I am quite delighted to see that you two are well acquainted. You better not lose him, Sir Archer." She looked at Archer before she says this. "Friends like Sir Mordred here are rare to find anywhere in Camelot."
"Frie-Friends?!" Mordred was clearly surprised by this, but she didn't continue talking because currently imagining herself with friends.
Archer couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the display. He's imagining how red Mordred's face is right now. But there is still Drecken to deal with, so he replied to the King's former question,
"To answer your question from earlier, Your Highness." He spoke. "The sword seemed to be important to him. I don't know why he wanted it. But since I assumed that it was Mordred's sword, I didn't give it to him." "Hmmm… I see… Do you have the sword by any chance?" Asked Arturia. With a glance at Mordred, who got the message, the Red Knight stood up and unsheathed the sword. Walking towards where Arturia was sitting and handed it to her.
"Interesting… the sword is of fine make. There are runes on both flats of the blade that I can't quite read. But I feel power resonating from within. With a fine warrior, its powers could compliment its wielder." As she finished her analysis, she noticed that Mordred was missing something. "Where is your greatsword, Sir, Mordred?" "It broke as I fought Drecken, your Highness." Said Knight replied. "I will buy a new one for myself after this meeting." "…That is unnecessary, Sir Mordred. This sword will do just fine for you." As she handed the sword to a happy-from-being-complimented- Mordred, she asks to no one in particular, "Does the sword have a Name?"
Names are important for humans; the same goes for weapons. The name of a weapon defines the weapon's history, strength, and what it stands for. Like The Sword of Promised Victory. And who would know this more than the Knights of the Round Table as well as their King. Each of them wielding the greatest weapons of the age.
Archer answered the open question, "Rhindon, your, Highness. The sword's name is Rhindon."
"Hmm… a great name, for a great sword. Although I've never heard of it before." Arturia looks to her closest, most loyal knight, "See to it that the villagers that were affected by Drecken be duly compensated, Sir Bedivere." "As you wish, my liege." Came the response. She the turned to her best friend, "Further investigate the origins of this Drecken, Sir Lancelot, anything of value must be reported to me." "It will be done, my King." After hearing the reply, she turned to her foster-brother, "Sir Kay, see to it that you uncover the importance of the sword through the archives; if you still cannot find the answer, make sure that Merlin will provide his aid."
"Yes, yes, it will be done Arthur." Said the somewhat bored knight. "Though I have a question." "Speak before we adjourn." "What become of Sir Archer over here?" He then pointed to the redhead. "He isn't someone who has a place in Camelot, that's for sure. And we all know that Sir Mordred won't share his room. For whatever reas-""Knock it off, asshole!" Came the interruption from the Red Knight. Who was then silenced by the icy glare of Arturia. The King of Knights continued. "Sir Archer will have lodgings of his own within the palace as thanks in assisting us against the tyrant Drecken" As she finished, she had a though pop up out of nowhere. "… that is if, you prove yourself once more." She said this while looking at the now confused redhead. Who totally never saw this development happen. 'Fate works in unique ways, I suppose' thought Archer. "Prove myself?" he asked. "of course, win in a bout against anyone I choose, and you get your room, if you win."
'It sounds like a good idea, coming from a King.' Thought Archer. 'Of course, nothing is free. It's just a simple test to prove my worth; so, no worrying about getting killed there. Well, here goes nothing'
"I accept your proposal, your Highness"
"Perfect! Then it is settled." She said with a small smile that surprises everyone but Archer, who was again love stricken but chose to cast it aside.
"Might I ask who I will fight, your Highness?" 'It's obviously going to be Mordred. Mordred has been with Archer throughout the day and yesterday, after all, so she's seen enough of Emiya fighting to have a little edge on me.' Thought a confident Archer.
As fate would always have it with Emiya Shirou. A cruel joke has been made. At the expense of the redhead.
"Your opponent." Said the King in a sagely look. "Would be me"
As the King of Knights finished, Jaws dropped on the floor.