Women were interesting creatures in that when they tell a man that nothing's wrong, it was akin to saying that there was something wrong. Of course, this didn't apply to all women, but many who were in relationships or were good friends with them should be able to relate to such situations when no matter who you are, you'd be on the losing end before the conversation even began.

For example, in terms of health, you'd be having a great start with a full bar and max confidence, but on the other hand, you'd be facing a boss monster with insta-kill, AOE clears, and bullshit mood-swing battle phases.

One slip up, and you were basically dead, and in this case, one slip up, and there was no reasoning back even with the power of God and logic on your side. (Maybe if they channeled God and anime there'd be a winning chance, but you're going against a monster here. Comrades, we salute you.)

Now elevate 'woman' to 'Goddess,' and the difficulty level is practically incomparable.

"Athena-"

"What?"

Shirou shut his mouth and sighed. Across from him was Athena, features carefully blank, and gaze aloof. Both of them stood over Fort Andromeda's ramparts overlooking the Sea of Japan. In view, the Yacht organized to cater to the arrival of the world's Campiones was basically sinking from the aura of Shirou and Voban's first meeting. With the Yacht sinking, Godou and those near him were ferried off on smaller sea-faring vessels while Voban merely headed towards dry land on his own.

This was as good of an outcome as it was going to get at the moment.

The fact that Fort Andromeda wasn't immediately under siege spoke of success, and that was clearly all well and good, but what mattered was the context.

Athena appeared utterly unaffected at the sequence of events, and one would be right to assume so. However, for Shirou who'd spent a good deal of time with her, and who was also linked to the same contractor, interpreting her mood was somewhat intuitive.

Her tone was more biting, her chin angled higher up, and her arms were constantly crossed in his presence. She was miffed, practically on the level of making faces at him when he wasn't paying attention. Any ordinary mortal may as well have been cursed by her already out of pettiness, but Shirou wasn't a mere mortal. He was a God of Steel, the hardest sort for Mother Earth Goddesses like Athena to deal with even on a good day. Moreover, after receiving the silent treatment for the better most part of an hour, he'd managed to infer what was irking Athena to no end.

"Athena," Shirou called out again, this time preventing Athena from cutting him off by staring her dead in the eyes. "Does wisdom dictate you loathe the council of others?"

Athena's brow twitched before knitting into a dark furrow. Slowly, she shut her mouth, snorting scathingly, as she grudgingly relented. However, her nose remained turned up on him in a clear sign of 'no matter what you say, you're still sleeping on the couch.'

"Listen, but sometimes plans are meant to be broken-"

"Not mine. Y-You've wronged me, made a mockery of me," she stammered from gnashing her teeth too hard. Her palms were balled, and evidently, she was sulking. "My plans, they're perfect. They account for everything- to the smallest detail."

Athena glared openly now, fire practically spewing from her mouth. If there was one way to piss off a God of Wisdom, it was to second-guess their stategmes, and worse…for someone to believe themself full enough to take matters into their own hands.

In Athena's eyes, Shirou qualified for both. Worse, he was a God of Steel, a class of Heretic-God that Mother Earth Goddesses generally abhorred.

Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew it. It was because of what he did after all. It was such a Rin sort of reaction too that it was almost nostalgic.

He shook his head and focused. "Do your plans really account for everything?" He asked.

"You dare doubt me now after all we've set up?" Athena asked instead.

Going straight to the point? Well Shirou could do that too.

"What about idiots?"

Athena visibly stiffened at the reply before regaining her confidence. Idiots and fools? She'd certainly dealt with her fair share. "O-Of course. If I say one, then I expect them to go two. This Goddess of Wisdom's predictive ability is unparalleled."

"Oh, is that so?" Shirou mused. Unfortunately for Athena, Shirou was also one of those idiots and knew exactly what to say when bickering logic with Rin.

"What if you expect 2 and they go 'C'?"

Silence.

"'C? C?'" Athena blinked incomprehensibly at the absurdity of it all. "That's not even a numb- oh you bastard."

Athena ground her teeth in mortifying realization.

"It's not logical right? What does wisdom say when arguing with idiots?"

That you don't. It takes a fool to beat a fool, let alone account for them fully.

"..."

Shirou dared not continue with "Pride comes before a fall." He felt like Athena would eat him alive if he did. As it stood, her features had twisted as if she'd tasted something exceedingly sour while curses were muttered under her breath.

"Pft."

A repressed chuckle echoed in the silence of the background, Athena's focus snapping to Arturia so fast that Arturia stopped laughing.

Arturia had been present since the discussion began, but had been keeping silent as her input wouldn't have helped here. This didn't mean that she wasn't listening and inwardly yelling 'karma's a bitch,' as Shirou delivered justice on her behalf and left Athena speechless.

Obviously, Athena was not amused.

"Something to add…Simba?"

"Y-You knew all along!" Arturia's features drained of color, her voice shifting into a choked whine of realization.

As for the particular child's cartoon, Athena had only really learned of it after listening to the words of the Committee members gossiping about it.

In any case, Athena neither agreed, nor disagreed to the accusation, but there was something about dragging others down to share in mutual misery that was particularly uplifting. In a way, Gods could feel emotions just like humans. So long as she wasn't the only one subjected to affliction, it was bearable. That kind of thing. Besides, Arturia had called Athena friend, and friends were supposed to help each other?

Athena winked.

What good friends they were.

Arturia was ashen.

Shirou understood that he was missing something here, but Arturia was more than unwilling to divulge anything to anyone let alone him about it.

Athena and Arturia traded glances and grudgingly nodded in agreement.

Bury the hatchet.

They would not speak of this, nor use it to climb over each other's heads.

"Arturia?" Shirou asked open-endedly.

Arturia turned away while Athena snorted, choosing to focus on present matters rather than stew at how Shirou had slighted her.

Initially, Athena had planned to stall the movement of the Campione through a method of ambiguity, but that went out the drain with Shirou's official challenge. Rather than guessing the exact number of Gods within the fort, Shirou's words had practically guaranteed seven already.

Don't underestimate this blunder.

Athena bit the nail of her thumb. In her plans, the ambiguity would limit how Campione would be able to react. The lack of information would force besiegers to act with an air of caution or overconfidence. Caution would take time, more than a week if Campione and the organizations behind them bickered, and overconfidence was easy. She'd sick Shirou on them, and trapped in For Andromeda, victory was assured. At this point, Athena had no doubts regarding the vastness and versatility of the Authorities that Shirou possessed. He was her UNO reverse card just as much as she was his Guiding Light, his North Star, the one and only-ahem.

Athena inwardly put a halt to her vanity. She was no Aphrodite. She was just getting too ahead of herself was all.

Still, the point of the matter was that through Shirou's arraignment, the Campione can now expect at least seven Gods in Fort Andromeda. This eliminates the need for bickering, and puts a leash on the overconfident Campirone from doing every God a favour and offing themselves.

No matter how Athena thought of it, she couldn't see what Shirou had been thinking when he made this proposal.

Then again…she hadn't actually been thinking on the topic more than she'd been annoyed by it. Left with no other choice, she'd have to shift her plans in this direction from here on.

She turned towards Shirou in all seriousness and asked him. "Are you prepared for what you've set up?"

"As much as I'll ever be." Rather than think over his reply, Shirou had the audacity to just shrug at her.

A tick mark formed on Athena's head.

'Do not criticize. He is a God of Steel, all of them are stubborn overpowered blockheads.' Athena nursed the migraine forming in her head, but didn't let anything show on her face.

"You will be fighting alone," Athena stated, uncrossing her arms and placing them to rest by her side where the tip of her scythe sheathed across her back jutted out. "I won't take the risk and step up as my Authority is what maintains Fort Andromeda. If I fall, everything comes apart."

"I figured as much before I issued the challenge."

Athena narrowed her eyes in warning. This was no simple matter.

"One loss, and it's all over. You cannot afford to lose a single battle. Moreover, if you're careless and they get lucky enough to somehow manage to slay you…"

How many Authorities would be usurped in that moment?

Athena shuddered at the mere prospect, not noticing the effect those words had on Arturia who was listening in.

"S-Slay?" Athena butted in from the side, as if to clarify when everyone knew what she was doing.

Shirou wouldn't point it out, but would Athena have such reservations?

"Come now, Praetor, you're just denying reality. As if deluding yourself on the matter would make it any easier to cope with. You already know how battles between Gods and Campione typically end, but you're just unprepared to risk more than you can bear." Athena rebuked.

A shiver traveled down Arturia's back, goosebumps forming over her skin. Her mouth locked shut, and her chest was tight as if she was suffocating. It was all true.

"That being said," Athena turned away from an anxious Arturia to address Shirou. "If the goal is to secure the Praetor's daily life, then you mustn't kill your opponents. Too many variables would change if you do, most of all, the ruse of the Eighth Campione. By not killing them, you demonstrate the Praetor's influence over you, thereby garnering confidence from Japan's Committee. On the other hand, killing Campione would have the opposite effect. Campione would not kill each other for no reason, especially if we, as Gods, are under the Praetor's 'Denial of Madness.'"

Athena's mind began to fill with various scenarios, imaginary inputs processed into outputs in literal seconds. To have the analytical ability of a God of Wisdom was a boon that few if any were privileged to, making Arturia lucky beyond compare.

Athena continued without batting an eye. "Of course, you could just slay them all, leaving no one able to threaten the Praetor, but Campione and Heretic Gods possess a tentative balance. In the absence of Campione, who will deal with Heretic Gods should they descend if not I, you, and the Praetor? Although unlikely, there's also Pandora's potential reaction to all her children dying at once."

Finished speaking, Athena closed her mouth and waited for whatever decisions or declaration of resolve Shirou had.

"I'll keep it all in mind then," he answered.

As expected. Athena inwardly clicked her tongue at the reply. What an anti-climatic reaction. Instead, the Praetor's reaction is far more interesting.

Arturia was hesitating, visibly distraught with the idea of the risk involved in all this, especially when it was for her sake alone. She'd never felt both so utterly helpless and unendingly grateful in all her life. Shifting her weight from foot to foot, she pursed her lips and called out once more. "S-Shirou, do you really have to do this?" She asked.

Shirou looked Arturia's way, her neck inexplicably tucking into her shoulders under the attentiveness of his stare.

He walked towards her, and without a single word, he placed a hand on her head, tousled her hair, and smiled meaningfully. The weight and sentiment of his actions were clearly felt and conveyed, her heart doing funny things.

Arturia swallowed and solemnly looked to her feet.

For her, Shirou's stance would always be clear.

Nothing else need be said.

Emotions and feelings were illogical things that may or may not have any certain basis, but all the same, could drive anyone to achieve things that they'd normally consider impossible. Alternatively, it could make one achieve less than what they are capable of when indecision and doubt mar judgment.

Did any of these two cases apply for Arturia? Well, if she had to choose, it was more of the latter than the former. As a proactive head-strong person of upright character and integrity, it was difficult for her to endure this stifling feeling of helplessness. While others were fighting and striving hard for her sake, she could do little more than offer moral support in her words of thanks.

Shirou assured her that her sentiments alone were enough, but if she was the type of woman to be satisfied with being side-lined, she wouldn't have been feeling this troubled. She furrowed her brows, crossed her arms, and began to pace back and forth with her head lowered in thought.

A day had passed since the conversation she'd had with Shirou and Athena about their plans moving forward in the challenges next week, and Arturia was more nervous than either of the two. It was to the point that practically skipping a week of school was not even in her considerations despite being a model student. She didn't even remember sending a text to Kay to let her family know that she'd be with a friend for a week, making up random excuses to justify her prolonged absence.

Arturia had taken residence in Fort Andromeda, and was practically treated like royalty by the members of the History Compilation Committee appointed to attend to her needs. Her bed was cleaned, gourmet food delivered on platters, and there were even maids and butlers specifically assigned to make her as comfortable as possible. The maids would try dressing her and doing her hair; all while recommending the best color of flats to compliment her appearance.

She'd never been treated with such attentiveness in her life. Worse, she had to put up with it, as Athena was practically always watching and reminding her to act as a Campione would.

Therefore, let herself be pampered.

"Your Wagyu, madam," a butler walked in with a steaming silver platter.

Arturia suddenly swallowed, wetting her lips.

Considering that she was already contributing too little, Arturia could only…endure so as to ease the burden on Shirou and Athena in their week of preparation.

Meanwhile, Japan's History Compilation Committee hadn't been idle after Arturia and Athena's success in consolidating its members under the banner of the Eighth Campion. Under the lead of Kaoru and her mother, the Sayanomiya clan reorganized the Committee's powerbase and priorities. They were now committed to investing in the growth and secrecy of the Eighth Campione whose future prospects could guarantee a high degree of stability in Japan if pushed in the right direction. Therefore, it was only right that they implement a plan to prevent young Arturia from getting corrupted by negative influences.

A quick background check revealed that Arturia was little more than a senior highschool student, the rest of her life rather normal aside from the reputation she'd built as the Lion of Fuyuki. What they were getting at here, was that beyond the Authority Arturia must have usurped by defeating Heretic God Solomon, she was in essence, a normal school girl.

She wasn't a tyrant, nor did she exhibit extreme personality quirks. In fact, her overall impression in the hearts of the senior members of the association was 'adorable,' or 'a lovable grandkid,' considering how Athena had presented her to them.

After further discussion and consideration, a plan was built and passed on to the younger generation to achieve with high hopes from their elders.

Kaoru was put in charge of it, the plan to be initiated in the week the Committee would use to evacuate Japan's people on the premise of an 'earthquake.' This was to prevent undue casualties at the clashing between Gods and Campione.

Regardless, evacuation plans weren't Kaoru Sayanomiya's main concern.

'You're all similar in age. Gain the Eighth's trust, and prevent negative influences from affecting her. We absolutely can't let her common sense become as destructive as the other Campione.'

Moreover, as Arturia's unique Authority stripped her of a Campione's superior physique, even an ordinary mage may be able to subdue her if she wasn't' fast enough to activate the Authority her contracted God had lent to her. In a darker sense, by earning her trust and getting close to her, if she ever goes down the wrong path, even a stray magic blast would likely put her down.

Kaoru scowled, the thought leaving a bitter taste in her mouth, as she vehemently wished that it would never come to that. She'd make sure of it, which was why she called in her own form of help when the Committee had completed reorganizing itself: Two more people who were similarly aged to the Eight Campione and may even be classmates in Jounan Academy.

/-/

Mariya Yuri and Ena Seishuun were rather stunned when they were invited back to the Committee building by Kaoru herself.

When Yuri had first received her friend's call, she was certainly unsure. What if Kaoru was being threatened to get them back to the organization? It could all just be a trap, especially when the fortress hanging over Japan showed no signs of fading whatsoever?

Kaoru tried to assure them, but her words were falling on deaf ears. Trying to reassure them was practically no different from revealing that there was something amiss. From what Ena had described, Kaoru had been rooted in place in grief at the sight of her mother being petrified. For her tone to suddenly be so carefree and insistent was too hard to believe.

Yuri was expectedly hesitant, but at the same time, she wasn't the sort to just abandon her friends. If Koaro was truly being forced into things, then what she could do as a friend was try her best to get her out of it, or at the very least, try to divine something to help her.

In both cases, she needed to return to the Committee building.

Ena would not let Yuri go alone, and this led to the two's current confusion.

The Committee building was directly connected to the origin point of Fort Andromeda, as the fort was deployed over it. However, the last time Ena had fled the building, the Compliation's men and women were in various states of terror and confusion.

Now, though?

"Just what is going on?" Yuri murmured in disbelief while peeking at the entrance of the building from the corner of the street.

Men and women that she knew and interacted with on a daily basis were openly joking with each other, and acting as if everything was perfectly normal. In fact, the only real difference was that the general area was evacuated of civilians in the same manner it would be under a Heretic God protocol.

But that didn't make sense? At the very least, why were Committee members still round?

"Curious?"

A voice startled Yuri and Ena out of their stupor, the both glancing behind them to stare at Kaoru who was giving them flat looks. She pinched the bridge of her nose, but was smiling wryly before putting a hand on their shoulders, one each.

"I knew that the two of you would be like this, but didn't I tell you that there was a misunderstanding?"

Yuri opened and closed her mouth, unable to reply, but Ena's words were sharper.

"We were attacked. I escaped only because I was allowed to," Ena rebuked, a hand moving to suppress the sheathed katana releasing an ominous purple aura around it.

Kaoru was unperturbed and shook her head. "Like I said, a misunderstanding."

Ena furrowed her brows, but couldn't say much more as Kaoru pushed the two into the open and into the Compilation building.

Yuri and Ena tensed the moment they were out in the open, but found that the others merely smiled and greeted them almost cheerfully.

"Bewitchment?" The word left Ena's mouth, but it was Yuri who denied it with a shake of her head.

"No, there's no such thing," Yuri pursed her lips, and then gradually glanced abc to Kaoru. "Y-You really weren't lying?"

Kaoru chuckled with equal parts amusement and self-ridicule before explaining Yuri and Ena the 'truth.'

"Remember, this is strictly confidential," Kaoru stressed as she finally led Yuri and Ena to a certain room, and knocked on its door. "It's Kaoru," she called before turning the door's knob.

Inside, Arturia could be seen making an awkward face when everyone's gazes were drawn to at least four empty family-sized silver platters beside her. She coughed, hurriedly grabbing a napkin and dabbing away the sauces on her lips and fingers, and failing to account that she'd changed into something less than suitable to host guests. She was in a comfy t-shirt, a soft skirt, and wearing knee-length stockings with one side half-rolled down. Off to the side were her flats which she'd kicked off to the foot of the couch she was resting on.

"Kaoru," Arturia greeted stiffly, only to trail off when Yuri and Ena walked in.

Kaoru didn't notice Arturia's reaction and continued as follows.

"Lady Pendragon. There are more members of the Committee that I'd like to introduce to you," Kaoru turned her body to the side and gestured to her two friends. "Ena Seishuuin, and Mariya Yu-."

"Ah, it's you! The one carrying around an Authority!" Yuri blurted out before covering her mouth.

Kaoru's mouth twitched, taking note of the sword strapped to Arturia's waist. She was indeed carrying an Authority, but it was more than likely an Authority of one of the Gods she'd contracted, Kaoru justified.

Meanwhile, the sheathed katana slung over Ena's shoulders seemed to pause as it sensed the Authority given to Arturia, creating an awkward sort of air.

Knitting her brows at the unexpected knowledge that Yuri and Arturia appeared familiar with each other, Kaoru pressed on. "I think we might have gotten started on the wrong foot. Yuri, Ena, do you remember what I was saying before?"

"N-No way, she's really…?"

"Hmm," Ena regarded Arturia with a critical eye.

Kaoru nodded strongly in response to the other two. "Indeed, this is Ms. Arturia Pendragon, The Lion Ki- ugh no, Simba-ah, dammit I meant the Eighth Campione."

Silence.

Clatter.

'Kill me. Kill me please.'

Arturia had pulled a pillow towards herself and buried her face in it, peeking out from the top as she sulked.

"Y-You, you all promised not to say anything. Everyone promised me…" Arturia cringed, pointing a finger accusingly at a sheepish Kaoru before thinking better of it and instantly focusing her face back into the pillow. Inwardly she was screaming in mortification at Yuri and Ena's confused stares directed at her.

Knowing that she'd obviously blundered, and started this assignment on the wrong foot, Kaoru grew flustered and tried to explain. "Sorry, it just slipped out of my mouth because that's what everyone who knows secretly calls y-"

"NOOOooooo!" Arturia whined, cradling her head while growing exceedingly demoralized.

The explanation only made things worse.

She'd never be able to live this humiliation down.

No matter where Arturia went, the old-timers and senior executives of the Compilation still looked at her funny. Butterflies constantly formed in her stomach, and she felt as if the whole world was against her. Worst of all, she couldn't even pretend to be unaffected by schooling her features into cold stone either, as it was the expression most memorable of that particular scene. Arturia no longer had the confidence to hold her head up high when every time she did so, there was always someone who couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Out!" Arturia began trying to drive the three away out of embarrassment made worse by Ena's bluntness.

"Did we miss something? Yuri, can you divine it?"

D-Divine it? Arturia registered the words, and almost immediately grew flustered, heat rushing to her ears.

"OOOUUUTTT!"

She stood up and directly began pushing them all out before Koaru could even get another word in.

After Kaoru, Yuri, and Ena left the room, the silence once more allowed Arturia's mind to wander back to Shirou and Athena after the embarrassment died down.

How could she not focus and be high-strung at the same time?

Tomorrow would be the day of confrontation, and her anxiety was making it so that she couldn't even enjoy her meals any longer. Moreover, it was the same for everyone in the Committee.

Arturia could only imagine the type of weight on Shirou's shoulders. What was he thinking about? Was he ready? Would he win? W-What would she do if he was killed? It would be all her fault.

Unknowingly, bags had formed under Arturia's eyes from the fourth night afterward.

Impulsively, she glanced at the 'Authority' that Shirou had given her for her own protection, and laid a hand over her chest. He really was always thinking about her, and putting her consideration with everything in mind.

No matter what, she wanted to be of help to him in her own way, but in the end, what could she do? She was too weak. Rather than be of aid, she might as well end up becoming a liability.

In the six days that have passed, she decided on a course of action. She'd focus on the things that she alone could do.

'You are the Eighth Campione.'

Athena's bold-faced lie surfaced within Arturia's mind again, and once she got over her own reservations on the matter, it dawned on her.

She was the Eighth Campione, she internalized strongly.

Just because Shirou and Athena didn't want her on the frontlines didn't mean that she had no way to help them, who were doing their best for her sake.

Everyone in the committee, if she asked…they'd surely listen to her.

They'd listen to her.

The words repeated within her. Four driving words.

"Remember who you are...ack- dammit!"

Realizing what she just did, she wordlessly started sobbing.

Not those words!

Thanks for reading! Not a lot of action at all this chapter, but it was done more to flesh things out between character interactions and foreshadowing future events and relationships. I couldn't just immediately begin a battle sequence either as if felt kind of forced and rushed if I did. The promised duels will be starting next chapter.

Next update: Vasto of White

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious

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