Revision Notes:
8/28/2022 - Minor errors/revisions
This chapter is set after the Camelot Singularity and all other events in between that so there may be some spoilers.
Furthermore, future events in FGO's story as well as other Fate franchises will also be referenced and/or hinted.
You have been warned.
Chapter 2 – The Two Most Ancient Kings
A fluke.
That was the overall evaluation of the first Servant Counselling Session manned by Humanity's Last Master, Hachiman Hikigaya.
Though it was indeed a success and the relationship between the Assassin Class Servant Kiritsugu Emiya and the Caster Class Servant Irisviel von Einzbern has significantly improved over the past few days, a large part of this accomplishment was the fact that both Servants were more than willing to talk with their Master to which, even Hachiman Hikigaya himself, concurred.
And yet, at this moment every single one of Chaldea's staff gathered in the Command Room while betting everything on this one singular fluke.
Even if the danger level was absurdly high compared to the previous case, it was the only thing they could rely on.
Unlike the first Servant Counselling Session however where they were more focused on evaluating the Master's performance, the air around the room was tense. It was very much similar to how they usually act when the Master is in combat in a Singularity.
It's sufficed to say that this was most likely Hachiman Hikigaya's toughest battle yet and that the fate of the world relies on this session going well.
After all, one wrong move here would result in the Master's death which would consequently end up snuffing out the last hope of Humanity.
In the middle of this stressful situation, one individual still managed to keep his calm enough to think about the well-being of his fellow colleagues.
It was hard to say whether he just had a lot of guts or he was just plain stupid.
"Worried?" a cup of tea was thrust to Da Vinci as those words of concern fell to her ears.
Turning around, she found out that the colleague who offered her that warm drink was none other than the man who held the highest position in this room.
Doctor Romani Archaman. Current Acting Director of Chaldea.
He had long orange hair that still looked a little messy even when he tied it into a ponytail to keep it in check. Green eyes filled with concern stared back at Da Vinci's own blue orbs. Though he is quite tall and seems to have a decent physique as implied by how he looks with his uniform on, because of his cowardly tendencies, it was hard for people to get a reliable impression out of him. Then again, it was that honesty of his that made people trust him enough for the temporary position that he held.
Since the current tenseness of the situation was really getting in on everybody's nerves, his act of preparing all those warm drinks for the staff was very much appreciated.
Respect has once again increased for Doctor Romani Archaman though it was completely unrelated to the position he tentatively held.
"While I am thankful for your thoughtfulness, is this really something the Acting Director of Chaldea should be doing?" Da Vinci criticized him in light-hearted fashion.
"Ahahaha. Where's the harm in it? I was free anyways." He answered while embarrassedly scratching the back of his head before taking his position on an elevated seat designated for this operation's main commander.
After doing so, he checked the profiles of the two Servants who were going to serve as the clients for today's counselling.
One of them was a Heroic Spirit who, despite being summoned rather early in Chaldea was someone who refused to properly cooperate with his Master, making their interactions few and far in between.
The other Servant is a very recent addition to the roster though one second of interacting with him would be enough to bring you to the conclusion that he is equally as troublesome as the former.
"The difficulty went up by quite a lot, huh?" he commented while wearing a strained expression in complete contrast to the one he had a few seconds ago.
"What choice do we have? This one is the most urgent case after all," Da Vinci had one sip of her tea before continuing. "I'd like nothing more than for Master to have to go through this in a more progressive manner as well," she sighed. "We'll just have to hope that his choice of personnel will be enough to bail him out in case things get dicey."
"Speaking of which, who did Hachiman-kun end up picking to assist him this time?"
Instead of saying it out loud, Da Vinci opted to display the information on her portable terminal and passed it over to Romani.
Once the Doctor saw Hachiman Hikigaya's choice, he couldn't stop himself from getting even more concerned than he already was.
"This doesn't look like it will end up with just a peaceful resolution like last time," Doctor Romani laughed awkwardly. "Or rather, doesn't he look like he's actively picking a fight with this choice? Furthermore, these two haven't worked together that often yet, right? What in the world could he be thinking?"
"Maybe he thinks that there is no other option remaining but to fight so he chose to sought out the personnel best equipped to handle the other party," at the end of her assumption, even Da Vinci herself shrugged. "Though I doubt that's the case because he would've reserved a large area like the Simulation Room instead."
"Will this really be alright?" it was now Romani who looked the most anxious in the entire room.
Seeing that the doctor's bad habit was acting up once again, Da Vinci made a move to reassure him.
"I'm sure Master is doing his best to prevent an entirely bad outcome," a rare serious expression graced the radiant features of Da Vinci. "We should be thinking of how to do the same from our side."
The Acting Director of Chaldea accepted those encouraging words with a smile.
"That's right. We can't just lose heart now when it hasn't even begun yet," after saying so, his body then jolted as if recalling something he was supposed to have mentioned all this time. "Ah, speaking of which, did Hachiman-kun mention something to you recently, Da-Vinci-san?"
"What do you mean by that Doctor?" Da Vinci became intrigued by the sudden tangent.
"Nothing in particular, really. Just a little worried for him."
"Please elaborate," Da Vinci decided not to devalue the doctor's words especially because it concerned the Last Master's well-being.
"You see, I happened to have shared a conversation with him before the accident that jeopardized the lives of the other Master candidates occurred and he didn't quite give me the impression of being the really hardworking type," Romani put his hand to his chin as he began to recall his thoughts on that day. "So I was wondering what changed in him that allowed him to be able to overcome hurdle after hurdle and even reach the point where we're now only down to one Singularity remaining before reaching Solomon."
The thoughts that the Acting Director of Chaldea made Da Vinci come into an epiphany.
How could she have missed something so obvious?
Perhaps, she too have also been blinded by the results that he's gotten so far that she forgot about one important fact.
Before the whole of humanity was incinerated…
Hachiman Hikigaya is just an ordinary boy with just enough magic power to barely qualify as a Magus.
Because of this Grand Order however, he ended up bearing the burden of the entire world on his shoulders.
She should not have only thought about the Servants but the Master himself.
And of course, as this was his original job in the first place, Romani Archaman was the first to notice that something was amiss.
Frustration with herself was not something Da Vinci is used to feeling because she is a genius who could do virtually anything, but when it does hit her, it hits her hard.
"Master is pushing himself too much, huh."
Romani sighed in agreement. "So we both came to the same conclusion after all."
"It's the natural thing to infer given the circumstances," Da Vinci took another sip of her tea at the end of her statement.
"Really, the fact that we had to force this burden on someone so young makes me realize how much we adults have failed on our own jobs."
The statement that Romani Archaman said out loud resonated with all the other staff members present on the room.
"It can't be helped. He is the only one to survive among the Master candidates after all," Da Vinci's blue eyes were inadvertently drawn to the young man in question displayed on the screen. "Though I can't in good faith say whether that classified him as lucky or not."
All the staff members on the same room sighed in chorus, making the atmosphere of the place even more depressing than it already was.
"Knowing Hachiman-kun, he's probably bottled it all up inside him so that we won't worry. I guess for now, we have no other choice but to wait for him to open up about it himself," Romani took a sip from his own teacup before turning to face Da Vinci. "When that time does come, please tell me if he decides to share anything with you, Da Vinci-san."
"Hmm? Why doesn't Doctor ask him yourself?" Da Vinci threw an inquiry towards Romani in curiosity.
"About that, it's a little bit embarrassing but things like these," Romani Archaman averted his gaze and scratched his cheek before continuing. "If you take into account his age, it's more likely that he'll open up to an Onee-san kind of character rather than a middle-aged man like me. Don't you think so too?"
Several men from the staff nodded in affirmation to support the Acting Director's statement.
"Eh? Hmm, I guess that's true. However," Da Vinci adopted a teasing smile. "Does Doctor also like that sort of thing?"
The gap that such an expression gave which differed greatly from the modest smile of the Mona Lisa immortalized in the painting was more than enough to instantly make the Acting Director of Chaldea's face become crimson.
"Da Vinci-san, please don't tease me like that!"
"You didn't answer my question at all," Da Vinci smiled impishly. "Oh well, I did get a nice reaction out of you so I'll let you get away with just this much for now."
"Doctor, the two Servants have arrived," the report from the other staff member cut the light-hearted conversation that the two shared.
"Is that so?" Upon hearing those words, the Doctor switched his gears and adopted a more solemn look. "Alright, everyone please get ready to support Hachiman-san to the best of your ability."
In rare moments like these, even Da Vinci would admit that it is rather fitting for Doctor Romani Archaman to be on the top of the chain-of-command.
But because there is a high chance it might get over his head if she said that out loud, she kept that thought to herself, though it was pretty likely that the other staff members were thinking of something similar.
"Roger!"
As everyone got into their respective battle stations, Da Vinci decided to put a dot on the topic she talked about with the Doctor earlier before they entirely forget everything because of what was about to happen next.
"Regarding your concern, Doctor, I'll be sure to think of something after the end of this session," as expected of a genius such as herself, numerous drafts were already popping up of her head after just a few seconds of pondering. "Should we ask help from the other Servants as well?"
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea. I'll leave the rest to you."
"Okay, I'll be sure not to disappoint."
The two then simultaneously looked at the young man they were talking about earlier with a similar prayer in their eyes.
Hachiman-kun/Master, we're counting on you.
…
Gold.
A special color that implies prestige, luxury or both.
It is also one of the few material things in this planet to have retained most of its value throughout the course of time.
Even in the 21st century, gold still held much significance, what with gold medals or trophies being awarded only for champions and golden accessories or items easily costing more than twice an average family's annual income.
However in the more ancient times where it was even used as currency, it carried a far more important meaning.
Power.
Hence at that time, the more gold you had the more powerful of a person you are, politically, financially, strategically and sometimes, all three at the same time.
It only follows that the ones who had the privilege to wear the color gold in the past are those that stand at the absolute pinnacle of mankind.
In other words, they could have only been the Kings of their era.
In Chaldea where Heroic Spirits hailing from different timelines are summoned for the sake of preserving humanity as a whole, the color gold which implied an abundance in both power and wealth is personified by one singular Servant, though there was actually one other Heroic Spirit in Chaldea whose very name is synonymous with the word Gold and could compete in the former category, he was leagues behind when it came to the latter.
"Hoh, to not only fail in properly sending a request for an audience with me in advance but also to dare to make me come here myself," a voice mixed with equal parts of anger, surprise and amusement rang out. "You must be very excited to die today, you faker of a Master! This insolence, even death is not enough as a punishment for you!"
Aside from his face and his red eyes that haughtily measured the world in his own standards, his entire figure was kitted out in golden plate armor. As if that wasn't enough, even his hair which is styled akin to a flame is also of a golden hue. The word luxury was probably coined for this Heroic Spirit but that was only natural as at one point during his lifetime, every single treasure in the world belonged to him after all. His visage and his arrogant airs implied one statement: There are none above me.
Despite wearing such heavy armor, it was impossible to hear the typical clang sound you normally would when metal made contact with the floor when you walk.
The reason for that was simple.
He was not walking.
When he went deeper inside the room, he made himself levitate a few centimeters off the ground and propelled himself forward as if saying that it was below him to walk like that of a commoner.
He was Humanity's Oldest Hero.
Archer Class Servant.
True Name: Gilgamesh.
Of course, since this was a counselling session that involved fixing the relationships between fellow Servants, not only one Heroic Spirit was invited to be a client.
"Hmph! I was curious how you would welcome someone like myself with the status of a Pharaoh so on a whim, I decided to accept today's invitation," a second voice chimed in, one whose pride and intensity didn't lose out to the former. "And then this is all I get? Not even a carriage or a seat of honor at minimum? This is lacking. Really lacking. Disappointment doesn't even describe what I'm feeling at the moment. Will killing you even dispel a fragment of this boredom, I wonder, Chaldea's Master?"
In contrast to the Golden-Armored Archer next to him, the amount of gold on this Heroic Spirit's getup was only limited to his gauntlets, girdle and a collar that went around his shoulders. The rest of his attire is composed of a pair of loose pants and a cloak weaved from the finest silk of the land, an adaptation to the climate that came with the country he ruled. He had black hair, slightly tanned skin, and a pair of golden eyes that reminded one of the Sun. Though he wasn't as flashy as the former, by no means could these garments of his lose out in terms of raw value. Given his place of origin and the timeline that he lived, one could even argue that their worth was around equal.
In the first place, he didn't need to adorn himself with so much gold in order to shine; his regular splendor was more than enough.
After all, literally and figuratively, he is the Sun.
Rider Class Servant.
True Name: Ozymandias.
That's right, today's counselling session involved none other than the King of Heroes whom he hasn't been able to cooperate with properly even now and one of the newly summoned Servants from the Sixth Singularity, the Sun King.
He was already having difficulty in interacting with one of them on their own but now that they're in one room, that became even more of a challenge.
Put it simply, Chaldea's Master was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
These two were apparently wise Kings in the past but why is it that all Hachiman could see in front of him was a pair of spoiled children throwing a tantrum?
Unlike ordinary children however, these two had more than enough power to extinguish his life with a single flick of their finger.
One wrong move could easily end his life.
Strangely enough, he didn't feel as scared as he originally thought.
Sure, he was afraid to lose his life but wasn't that true for every Singularity that he's been sent to fix so far?
The primal fear of dying was not something foreign to him anymore.
Like all other things, if you get exposed to it long enough, you'll eventually get used to it.
But it was not like he isn't completely scared of death anymore.
It's just that his greatest fears have now changed.
What happened at the end of the Fourth Singularity still brought him nightmares to this day.
After Solomon let him live, he couldn't help but start having some doubts about himself.
Was it really appropriate for him to keep playing the role as Humanity's Last Master?
No, he already knew the answer to such a question.
Of course he wasn't worthy.
In fact, he was only playing this role as a matter of circumstance and not by choice.
As Gilgamesh said, he was nothing more than a faker.
He never wanted to fight as the sole remaining representative of his race.
Humanity was simply unlucky to have to rely on someone as powerless as him.
He was well-aware that he was weak and that the power that he's currently using is not his own but rather, something he borrowed from all the Servants he met that were willing to cooperate with him.
Nevertheless, he was able to come this far, wasn't this good enough already?
In the first place, an ordinary human like him should not fight for something as important as the fate of the entire world or the survival of humanity as a race.
For the umpteenth time after their first encounter, the visage of Solomon appeared on his head.
Despair and hopelessness once again flooded his entire being as soon as he saw that mental image.
Aside from these two emotions however, he felt a different emotion every time he recalled that Grand Caster's face.
Without a doubt…
That Solomon…
Pisses him off.
Amidst all his fear and doubts, a clear desire manifested deep inside his heart.
I want to punch that bastard's face at least once.
As he affirmed that thought in his head, Hachiman felt like his entire body became lighter, like a burden has been lifted off of his shoulders.
All this time, he was really getting way too ahead of himself.
Why is he currently fighting to save the world?
To ensure the survival of his entire race?
No, every time he uttered such words, he felt like he was lying through the skin of his teeth.
In truth, his concern for humanity as a whole was very much limited to his own family and those from his hometown he would consider close enough to be his acquaintances.
For someone like him…
Something petty and personal would suffice.
At the very least, he wanted that King of Magecraft to regret the fact that he let him live after their first encounter.
Now that he thought about it, according to the stories about that Grand Caster, he was apparently a King attended to by multiple wives and concubines.
Furthermore, he was someone who received guidance from the God he worshipped, in other words, a chosen person, one favored by the heavens since birth.
And yet for some reason, it was that kind of person who wanted to destroy the world.
He felt that something about that part didn't quite make sense but those thoughts were easily overtaken by his malice.
Regardless, this Solomon was exactly the kind of person he hated the most.
Right now, he wanted nothing more than to spite that Grand Caster.
And if the world is saved as a by-product of that…
Then everybody wins.
Those who have any complaints…
Well, they should try surviving the Incineration of Humanity first before they say anything.
They can't? Too bad.
For this brand new goal of his, gaining the assistance of these two egocentric yet undeniably powerful Servants is just the beginning.
Riajuu… Go explode.
Those were not quite magic words.
But as soon as he began mentally chanting them on his head, Hachiman Hikigaya felt a newfound strength flowing through his veins.
Only a twisted cynic like him could ever be motivated in this manner.
Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that it was effective.
The death threats and overwhelming presence of these two haughty Kings did not fluster him that much anymore.
After all, relative to Solomon, they weren't as powerful, especially when he took into account the fact that he was able to still come up with countermeasures against them.
That's right.
It was exactly why he asked for that Servant's assistance for today.
"I'm going to have to stop the two of you there," a third voice joined the fray. Unlike the former two, it came from a woman who was positioned right next to Hachiman. She was today's guest counsellor. "Though I am unable to die, since I manifested as a Servant with this form, it will be quite troublesome even for me if I lost my Master. Well, the same rule should apply to you two, of course."
A blood-red spear appeared on the woman's right hand.
The revelation of such a weapon is tantamount to her saying her True Name out loud though the one in front of Hachiman Hikigaya is not quite the same spear that made its mark in the legends.
The spear wielder's body is clad in a black bodysuit that allowed her freedom to execute any kind of movement. Her long purple hair is kept untied and it fluttered behind her gracefully with every move she made. Her red eyes which complemented the color of her beloved spear could easily see through the latent potential of other warriors and with her guidance, have ended up becoming heroes.
In fact, she is partly responsible for the legend of the Celts' strongest hero, Cu Chulainn.
Lancer Class Servant.
True Name: Scáthach.
The spear called Gáe Bolg Alternative that Scáthach conjured was not extended forward to threaten the lives of the Servants on the opposing side rather; it was thrust horizontally in front of Hachiman Hikigaya as if forming a wall between him and the two Kings.
The message of that stance was clear as day.
If you want to kill him, you'll have to go through me.
Before things took an irreversible ugly turn however…
*clap* *clap*
Chaldea's Master decided to intervene.
He took everyone's attention in the room through clapping as loud as he could.
"It's been a rough start but I believe some introductions are in order," Hachiman forced a smile on his face and turned to Gilgamesh. "Archer, would you do the honors of talking about yourself first?"
On a side note, since the two Kings who were today's clients did not want to sit on a chair that wasn't as glorious as their throne, they chose to remain standing, an act which the three counsellors mirrored.
"Hmph, ridiculous," the King of Heroes spat. "Seeing this visage of mine should be more than enough for you to recognize who I am!" he crossed his arms in front of his chest in displeasure. "Anyone foolish enough to not know deserves nothing less than death!" Gilgamesh ended his statement as if he was giving a royal decree.
Hachiman didn't quite expect to be hitting such a roadblock right at the start but he didn't let it discourage him too much.
Without losing any heart just yet, he tried to reach out to his other client for today.
"Then, Rider, how about you?" the expression that the Sun King adopted was more than enough for Hachiman to tell that he wasn't going to receive a positive answer.
"While I would've considered playing along had you asked me to talk first but seeing as that was not the case, I can only say that it was such a big pity," Ozymandias scoffed. "I am a Pharaoh. There is no need for me to say anything else."
Another rejection came flying Hachiman's way.
There was in fact no real reason why he wanted Gilgamesh to introduce himself first over Ozymandias aside from taking into consideration their seniority.
Gilgamesh is the Oldest Hero after all and being born Japanese, Hachiman unconsciously prioritized him over Ozymandias following his upbringing.
Disregarding the part where they haven't been able to properly work out their Master-Servant relationship yet, there's also the fact that Gilgamesh joined Chaldea first over Ozymandias so he felt like it was only proper to let him go first.
That being said, since he felt like he would step on another landmine if he voiced out such reasons, he chose to keep them to himself.
At the moment, there was only one person who could salvage this entire atmosphere.
Hachiman redirected his gaze towards the woman whose spear was guarding him right now.
"Lancer." his voice became at least two steps softer than they were earlier. "Can I count on you?"
Seeing the pathetic expression of her so-called Master made Scáthach relent.
"I guess it can't be helped," Scáthach fixed the position of her spear before saying anything else. "I am known as the Queen of the Land of Shadows or the Witch of Dun Scaith but rather than those two titles, I much prefer being dubbed as the Teacher of Heroes. Lancer Class Servant, Scáthach. At the moment, I am serving as an assistant to today's session but unless things get absolutely messy, I doubt I'll do much."
At the end of Scáthach's introduction, the Sun King alternated his gaze between her and Hachiman.
"I initially had my suspicions when I saw her red spear but to think you would bring out the famed Godslayer in this gathering," Ozymandias chuckled briefly before continuing. "How bold of you to do so. Should I take this to mean that you'll use force against us if we decide not to cooperate with you?" the Pharaoh deliberately leaked a portion of his magic power. True to his name, the physical manifestation of his energy was very much as radiant, as majestic and as almighty as the Sun dwelling in the heavens. "I'm warning you now but even though that woman has killed something with divine nature in the past," his golden eyes glared. "You have no chance at victory."
Under normal conditions, the confident declaration and that absolute faith in his abilities would have made Hachiman's knees weak and perhaps he might even start prostrating on the ground and begging for his life.
This all-powerful stance too was taken by Solomon when he talked one-sidedly with him.
Compared to how powerless he was then, this time around, he had the means to fight against these two half-Divine monarchs in front of him.
"Supposing that is the case, shall I explain my battle plan to the Kings first before we begin combat? Hearing your insight would definitely allow me to brew up more comprehensive tactics in the future."
"Haha! Haha! Hahahahaha! You're asking this Pharaoh if what you've prepared is adequate enough to defeat him?! Hahahaha! There should be a limit to stupidity! Of course it will never be enough! Nothing you try to do will be!" Ozymandias' laughter died down as quickly as it manifested. "But you've earned my curiosity in the matter. Very well, I'll allow you to speak. Be mindful, however," the child of the Sun God's eyes sharpened. "Should this explanation of yours end up as boring for me then I'll be sure to instantly separate your head from your body on the spot."
"I regretfully don't have something too interesting prepared," Hachiman sighed. "As you already know, I am nothing but a Mage and even in that department I am rather lacking. If there is one thing I have though then it's my status as a Master. Regardless of whether I'm mediocre or not, the fact that I'm a Master is undeniable hence, aside from the other Servants, the only thing I have in hand that I could threaten you are these Command Spells…"
Before Hachiman could finish his explanation however, a displeased voice rang out.
"What rubbish." Gilgamesh uttered as the space behind him warped and the tips of countless weapons made their presence known. Gate of Babylon. It is the King of Uruk's treasure vault which contained an inexhaustible supply of weapons that he fires off like arrows. This is the Noble Phantasm that allowed him to be qualified in the Archer Class. At the moment, each blade looked like a predator baring its teeth in front of its prey as the entire pack completed its encirclement. The King of Heroes looked bored as he made his declaration. "I was originally intrigued because you seem to have decided to finally cast away that fake heroic mindset you adopted but I suppose a mongrel will always be a mongrel," he sighed in disappointment. "Are those your last words? For having the guts to waste my time on listening to your drivel, I'll be sure to give you a slow and painful death. Perhaps the sound of your screams might be more interesting to listen to."
"Senpai!" Mash, who kept her silence the entire time because of being overwhelmed from the pressure of the two Servants, was finally able to overcome her fear. She jumped in front of her Master while simultaneously changing into her Servant armaments. "Get behind me!"
Gone was her usual casual attire. In its place was a tight black suit supplemented with metal greaves and gauntlets that are highlighted with purple outlines, though it was a complete mystery why there was no armor on the chest part, the tentative explanation for now is that this setting will increase her mobility. Don't worry about it.
Her armor issues aside, Mash's overall defense was still largely attributed to the shield that manifested on her right-hand side, a huge gray cross with a circle in the middle.
It had the ability to provide ultimate protection by invoking the Round Table, a symbol of the Knights that protected Camelot. So long as the user's heart to protect others doesn't break, the shield will not crumble, giving it the capability to block virtually any attack.
Speaking purely of defensive capabilities then it was definitely within the top 5 of Chaldea but exactly how well was it going to fare against the onslaught of countless Noble Phantasms unleashed by the Gate of Babylon?
Before the situation led into a showdown between the strongest offense and the toughest defense however, help came from a completely unexpected source.
In front of Gilgamesh, a shepherd's crook, a symbol of Osiris which all Pharaohs of Egypt wielded in place of a scepter, was thrust at him very similar to what Scáthach did with Hachiman earlier.
The intent however was different as Scáthach wanted to protect while Ozymandias on the other hand, wanted to restrict.
"Child of the Sun God, what do you think you're doing?" without hiding his ferocity, Gilgamesh glared at the Heroic Spirit who dared to directly raise his hand against him.
"It is you who I should address that question to, King of Heroes," Ozymandias' golden irises glared back. "If you kill him here now, you will make me, the incarnation of Ra, a liar. I've already given him my word that I'll hear him out and I fully intend to keep my promise."
"What? Haven't you heard enough already?"
"You should've understood it too," the Pharaoh of Egypt's gaze landed back to Hachiman. "He's not finished talking yet."
With that as his prompt, Hachiman continued with his explanation after clearing his throat.
"Like I was trying to say earlier, I have nothing but these three Command Spells in my possession. That being said, I don't intend to bind either of you two with this. I plan to do something even simpler than that," Hachiman revealed the three red symbols engraved on the back of his left hand before declaring. "Should we fight, I will use all three Command Spells and have Scáthach-san here fire off her Noble Phantasm multiple times against you two."
Hachiman Hikigaya announced a declaration of war in a straightforward manner.
Despite the absurdity of the contents of what he said, neither Gilgamesh nor Ozymandias looked the least bit perturbed.
"So?" Ozymandias kept his stare at Hachiman's eyes and asked. "Do you think that's enough to beat either of us?"
"Probably not," Hachiman shrugged nonchalantly. "But it should prove to at least be an annoyance. Victory may be assured on your side but given what I just shared, it will be a troublesome battle so in order to save you Kings from the hassle, please listen to my proposal."
After saying all that, Hachiman removed himself from the cover of Mash's shield and took a step forward.
"Wait, Senpai!" Mash tried to leap in front of her Master once again but she was stopped by her fellow Servant which wields the red spear.
"Do not desecrate his resolve," Scáthach said powerfully. The commanding tone that the Queen of the Land of Shadows adopted froze Mash on her tracks.
During that brief interval, Hachiman turned towards the Servants behind him and left them a message.
"I'm counting on you."
After saying so, he maneuvered around the table separating the counsellors between the clients and shortened the distance between himself and the ancient monarchs.
"Please hear me out first. After doing so, you can decide if my words have any value or not," Hachiman looked straight towards the eyes of both Kings while doing his best not to waver from their gazes.
In response to his plea, Gilgamesh raised one of his brows judgingly. "And if we refuse?"
"Then we fight," Hachiman shot back decisively without breaking eye contact.
"You're shaking, mongrel," the King of Heroes sneered.
"You'll have to forgive such a shameful sight. I never said that I wasn't afraid," the Last Master from Chaldea brought his right hand to his heart and took one deep breath in order to make his body relax by just a little bit. "But that doesn't mean I'll hesitate."
"For a while now, you keep running that mouth of yours and saying everything you please," Gilgamesh began with a vexed tone. "Such insolence in front of a King such as I is only punishable by death," his expression relaxed a little in the next second. "But as a final act of mercy, I suppose I wouldn't mind listening to your last words," his red eyes then sharpened. "Be quick about it, mongrel."
"In that case, I will not beat around the bush then."
There are a lot of factors that must be taken into account in order for a group to effectively work towards a common goal.
You could literally make a whole book discussing all of them in detail but perhaps the most dangerous among them is most definitely…
A conflict of interest.
If said end goal just happened to be saving the whole of Humanity then such an issue could even prove to be fatal.
In that case, the best solution is simply…
"Let's forget about saving the world for a bit," Hachiman casually dropped a statement that made the spectating staff members of Chaldea open their mouths in surprise.
…To redefine the goal such that there was merit for both sides.
"Gilgamesh-san. Ozymandias-san," Hachiman took a deep breath before saying anything else. "You're free."
The two Kings exchanged mysterious looks after hearing the bomb that Hachiman dropped.
They didn't understand why but those two words that Hachiman said awakened something within their very core.
"What do you mean when you say that?" the Pharaoh of the Sun asked in an uncharacteristically cautious manner.
"It means what it exactly means." Hachiman nonchalantly shrugged but after doing so his lips twisted into the smile of a devil incarnate who brought human beings to their ruin through temptation. "There is no need to keep appearances as a King anymore. Your kingdom is no more and so are your people. Right now, both of you have the complete liberty to do whatever you want as individuals instead of as representatives of the nations you ruled respectively. Of course, provided that what you plan to do isn't anything morally wrong."
Unimaginable.
Incomprehensible.
Ridiculous.
The flabbergasted expressions of both ancient rulers said something along those words.
Given that they were still silent from shock, Hachiman chose to keep talking. He couldn't just stop now.
"Believe me when I say that I understand your confusion. Though, I may not have been blessed with the privilege to be born into royalty, I do however have more than enough experience when it comes to adapting into a place with customs and values far different from what I've been used to."
"The Rayshifts!" Mash supplemented from the back in realization.
"Exactly," Hachiman grinned. "During those times, it would have been much more difficult to proceed had I not decided to interact with the locals over there. That's why if you'd like, as someone who has at least a decade of experience with living in the modern world, I have a proposal of what you guys can do in the present based on your preferences. Though the Grail should have supplemented you with information of the current era, immersing in it yourself should be a different kind of experience."
He didn't wait for an answer.
Rather, he can't.
At this moment, all he needed was one more push and he didn't know when he'll get an opportunity like this ever again.
The curiosity on their faces was enough of a clue for Hachiman to know that they were willing to hear more from him.
Once again, unconsciously following the order of seniority, he chose to converse with Gilgamesh first.
"Gilgamesh-san, during the era you lived in, you've certainly collected each and every single treasure of human civilization," Hachiman paused for a short while in order to provide more emphasis on the next set of words that he was going to say next. "But is that really the case?"
"Are you saying that I've made a mistake in judging the value of my treasures during my time?" as if responding to the King of Uruk's indignation, the weapons summoned by Gate of Babylon inched a few centimeters closer.
"Of course not," Hachiman began to clarify. "What I'm trying to say is that the value of an item changes over the course of time," This time around, he chose not to say anything that will trigger a violent reaction from Gilgamesh's side. "This is not only true for treasures but also for items that were considered useless in the past as well."
"The value of useless items, you say?" Gilgamesh huffed in disbelief. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
"They were useless in your time, yes, but the same can't be said of them now," Hachiman pulled out his portable terminal from his pocket. "Take this item for example; some components of this machine were made from metals that were treated as trash in the past where the only precious metals where iron for weaponry and gold for currency. Nowadays, with the level of civilization having reached the capability to instantly transmit messages from one side of the world to the other, those trash have now become indispensable."
"I see. I understand your point now," Gilgamesh nodded in agreement before his expression shifted more towards the direction of irritation. "So are you suggesting that I flood my treasury with piles and piles of these so-called valuable metals?"
"Of course not. I merely said that in order for you to see how vastly different the standards are in the ages we respectively live in. Nowadays, the things that are considered to be treasure have also changed. Due to how much easier they are to manufacture, weapons have fallen off in terms of rarity though the cost of production would still keep their value high, I wouldn't necessarily classify them as treasures anymore," Hachiman booted up his terminal and let Gilgamesh see its contents. "With the advent of more advanced machinery, access to all kinds of materials and improvement in crafting techniques, humans have become more than capable enough to create one-of-a-kind treasures with their own two hands. Under normal circumstances these prized items ranging from clothes, paintings, sculptures, jewelry and sometimes, even the machine itself are sought after by many enthusiasts all over the world who have far too much time and money on their hands."
"Hoh…" the King of Uruk gazed upon such items with mild curiosity.
"I can see that Gilgamesh-san already has his eye on some of them, a testament of either the level of skill that the modern craftsmen possess that can earn the approval of a King such as yourself or just your natural ability at recognizing objects of high quality regardless, there is something I need to warn you about," Hachiman's expression tensed. "Unfortunately, the aesthetic sense of humans has been distorted because of their greed for money and it's spiralling towards a rather dangerous direction. I think as Mankind's First Ever Collector, I believe you will be able to create an absolute standard that will not be tainted by such worldly desires," Chaldea's Last Master bowed but by no means did it mean that he was done talking. "Once more, the name Gilgamesh shall be spread across generations to come as one who has established such a perfect criteria to separate those with truly supreme quality over the rest."
Since it looked like Gilgamesh was really trying to consider his suggestion, Hachiman moved on to his next client for now.
It was truly a race against not only time but the limit of the patience of both of these Heroic Spirits.
"Ozymandias-san, while I've heard lots of good things about the Ramesseum courtesy of other people, I unfortunately was not blessed with the opportunity to come there personally."
"Heh! I assume they only have good things to say," the Sun King smugly asked.
"Naturally," Hachiman nodded in affirmation before deliberately changing into a more serious tone. "But isn't it a pity that they weren't able to witness its beauty at its peak?"
"What are you getting at?" one of the Pharaoh's brows was raised in intrigue.
"Nothing too complicated," Hachiman smiled. "I'm just saying that since you were given a rare opportunity to manifest in this era, why not use it to rebuild your past life's greatest creation?" Hachiman did not miss the vague twitch that Ozymandias' body involuntarily made because of shock. "But why stop at there? How about making some renovations and while you're at it, incorporating the modern building techniques of not only Egypt but those from the West and the Orient as well?"
This suggestion of Hachiman caused a more significant reaction out of the King of Kings.
"Nonsense! Why would a Pharaoh need to borrow the techniques of other nations?" Ozymandias indignantly inquired.
However, that was nothing more than a lead-up statement from Hachiman's side.
"It is to show to them that their methods are so easily replicated and that yours are much more superior," a smile that could only be described as sinister manifested on Hachiman's expression. "Now wouldn't that be the best proof of a Pharaoh's greatness?"
This time it was now Ozymandias who was deep into thought.
After Hachiman Hikigaya has successfully appealed to Archer Gilgamesh's greed and Rider Ozymandias' pride, it was now time for him to deliver the finishing blow.
"Unfortunately, neither of you will be able to do those things that I've mentioned because of one particular obstacle," at that moment, all the other occupants of the room as well as the support staff listening in from a different room finally understood Hachiman's intentions. "Since we happen to have a common enemy, wouldn't it be beneficial for us to cooperate?"
Silence engulfed the room after Hachiman made his offer.
It reached the point where he felt like he could hear the sound of his sweat reverberate when it dropped to the ground.
Seconds that felt like hours passed by until finally…
"Kuhahahahahaha!" the King of Heroes' maniacal laughter echoed in the four corners of the counselling room. "You say some amusing things, mongrel! So this is the kind of person you really are! Insolent, yes, but at the very least, you're not boring! Hahahahaha!" the weapons from his Noble Phantasm, Gate of Babylon, then went back to its vault like wild animals that turned around to give up chasing their slippery prey. "I've changed my mind, until the day comes where all the treasures in the past, present and future are in my vault, I do not give you my permission to die. Though twisted, it cannot be denied that you have an amusing way with words, perhaps appointing you as a jester is appropriate."
A small light of hope manifested on Hachiman's usually lifeless eyes after hearing the Oldest King's reply.
"Does that mean?"
"You're a bit slow, aren't you? Well, nothing less to be expected from a mongrel, I suppose," Gilgamesh chuckled. "Rejoice, Chaldea's Master! You've convinced me. I allow you to use me in battle. Be sure not to disappoint me."
With that, Gilgamesh was about to turn his heel and leave when…
"Wait!" Hachiman took a few steps forward until he was around an arm's reach in front of the King of Heroes, much to the distress of one Mash Kyrielight.
"What?" Gilgamesh turned back to face Hachiman. "Surely you're not expecting me to bow to you or something? As I thought, your victories in the past few Singularities have really gotten over your head."
Hachiman instantly shook his head to deny his assumption.
"Though you're all called Servants, I've never once asked for you guys to be servile tome. Also, there's no way in hell that you're going to lower your head to someone like me, right? So, as a compromise," Hachiman raised his hand and extended it towards the King of Heroes. "Do you mind shaking hands?"
"You would dare to deem yourself my equal?" Gilgamesh rejected Hachiman's offer by swatting his hand away. "Don't push your luck. Like I said earlier, you are but a jester. In the past and in the present, I have but only one equal."
"In that case, if I ever get his approval would you shake my hand then?"
Another ferocious smile appeared on Gilgamesh's face but it did not carry with it the same aggressiveness he showed earlier. This one was purely out of amusement.
"Ha! As if that guy would answer the summons of someone like you!"
After dropping such a flag-raising statement, Gilgamesh finally left the room.
"I'll take that as a yes then," Hachiman one-sidedly declared like that even while taking into account the risk that Gilgamesh will hear his words.
Since his head was still attached to the rest of his body however, Hachiman concluded it was probably fine.
With that, the only client left in the room was Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh.
"Tell me, Chaldea's Master. Since we're talking about myself here, it's only natural that the moment that I decide to build a magnificent temple, it is already as good as finished," Ozymandias stared down at Hachiman and once again leaked just a little bit of his aura to apply pressure him. "Once I'm done rebuilding the Ramesseum in a manner that trumps all the other works of Man, what should I do next?"
To the King of Kings' surprise, Hachiman's answer came instantly. "Why stop at one? Just build another one that will surpass it. And when that's done too, build one more after that."
Ozymandias let those absurd words that Hachiman casually dropped to sink in for a couple of seconds.
Upon finally understanding that this young man did not say those words in jest but in complete and utter seriousness, he was unable to contain his laughter.
"Haha! Haha! Hahahahaha! Of course! The only one who can build a temple more magnificent than my own is myself!" after letting himself loose like that, Ozymandias then began to mentally entertain countless calculations on his head. "I seem to have a lot of work lined up for myself in the future but it's nothing this Pharaoh can't handle."
Seeing the renowned King of Kings acting in this manner, Hachiman decided to give his own input without being asked.
"If Ozymandias-san is interested, there should be a couple of books about Architecture and Engineering in the library," at the middle of his statement, Hachiman realized his blunder. "Correcting their mistakes should be more than enough for the purpose of killing time."
"Interesting," Ozymandias's golden eyes gleamed in amusement. "Since it will be a while before I can officially begin construction, I suppose perusing through a few of those books will serve as a good distraction," after nodding to himself, the Sun King's eyes became more stern. "As a show of my appreciation for giving me something to look forward to even with the fate of Humanity at stake, you are free to call upon the might of this Ozymandias here. Though I still do not recognize your caliber to be worthy to be my Master, I will be sure to lay waste upon all your enemies," he grinned. "After all, I won't be able to get started on this grand project of mine if you were to die so prematurely."
A sigh of relief escaped from Hachiman's mouth but he still did not allow himself the luxury to relax.
Not until this counselling session is officially over.
"I assume you would also be averse to shaking hands with me," despite the pessimism in his words, a faint glimmer of expectation was present on Hachiman's dead fish-like eyes.
In response, Ozymandias leaned closer to Hachiman's face and even peered at his eyes.
"Do you have the disposition of a ruler or perhaps the qualities of a saint?" he inquisitively asked such an unrelated question.
Despite being thrown something like that out-of-the-blue, Hachiman sincerely answered.
"I am neither proud nor ashamed to say that I come from a family of completely commoner heritage and my faith in the Gods above is too low to quantify so I can't see myself being a saint."
"Is that so? A pity," Ozymandias stood back up to his full height and left Hachiman's hand hanging. "No matter, it changes practically nothing," he turned to leave but before completely doing so, he decided to leave behind a few words without taking another step towards the door. "Be sure to stay alive long enough to witness and admire the magnificence of the temple I am about to build and also a word of advice," he casted a glare on the vacant space just behind Hachiman Hikigaya's seat. "If you're going to set up a trap then at least conceal it more skilfully."
In that intense fashion, Ozymandias finally exited the counselling room.
For a while, the room was pervaded with silence, the likes of which was deafening enough that you can hear the sound of a pin when it drops to the ground.
In that situation, the first to have somewhat regained his composure was Hachiman Hikigaya himself.
"They're both gone, right?" he asked his co-counsellors despite already knowing the answer.
"Yes, Senpai. Archer Servant Gilgamesh and Rider Servant Ozymandias have gone and left." Mash dispelled her Servant armor and walked over to her Master in order to briefly check his physical condition.
The instant he heard those words Hachiman Hikigaya collapsed to his knees.
"Haaaaa… I thought I was gonna die…"
To say he was relieved would be an understatement.
As if rebounding from keeping his nerves in check for far too long during his exchange with the two Kings earlier, Hachiman had to take in a couple of deep breaths to properly calm himself down.
"Good work, Senpai," the smile that his first Servant gave him was able to relief a good amount of his fatigue enough to allow him to stand up once again.
"Thank you, Mash. You were a reliable shield as always."
Despite receiving words of praise from her Master, Mash was instead shaking her head.
"That's not true. I didn't do much at all," the pink-haired kouhai then pouted. "Senpai even walked in front of my shield earlier. Seriously, why are you so reckless?"
"Ahahaha, sorry about that," Hachiman scratched his head awkwardly. "I instinctively felt that they wouldn't take me as seriously if I kept hiding behind your shield so I deliberately exposed myself instead."
"Promise me not to do something like that again, Senpai."
Hachiman's lips curled into an apologetic smile.
"I'll try my best," before Mash could catch on that he didn't technically promise her anything, Hachiman cast his gaze on an area of the wall right behind the chair he was supposed to be sitting on, the exact same place that Ozymandias glared at just before his exit. "Thank you for lending your assistance as well."
"It's no trouble at all, Master," the voice of a boy echoed out on the four corners of the room. Though it sounded young, it still carried with it the dignity of a ruler. "If it's to spite my adult self, then you can always count on my help though I wouldn't advise doing this often especially if you plan to use the same trick as that Sun King was able to see through my guise after all."
Throughout the entire exchange that happened, one other Servant listened in while concealing himself by way of a Noble Phantasm, specifically, Hades' Cap of Invisibility.
A young boy around half of Hachiman's height appeared. He wore a blue shirt underneath a white hoodie and complemented it with a loose pair of khaki shorts that was designed with overlapping squiggles of white, black and gray. He had golden hair and red eyes very much similar to the King of Uruk who was here earlier. Though the natural conclusion here would be to say that he is that King's son, this kid is actually the very King of Heroes, Gilgamesh himself, though summoned during his much younger days.
In this form, he much preferred to be called Gil.
"It's fine, I wouldn't want something like this to happen again anyways, Gil."
This was the other Servant that Hachiman prepared as a secondary trump card against the two Kings if their hand was forced.
Their general battle strategy was a blitz.
Scáthach will immediately use her Noble Phantasm and push towards Ozymandias and Mash will defend Hachiman behind her shield while Gil restricts Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon by using his own.
If everything went well, the latter two will have bought enough time for Scáthach to rush to Gilgamesh and hit him with her Noble Phantasm then.
It was a crude battle plan but this was the most effective one Hachiman could cook up that involved the least amount of Servants.
If he wanted to utilize too many then those two would catch on with their plan.
Besides, it's not like he wanted to fight them in the first place.
This was nothing more than a last resort.
"You really outdid yourself, Master, even I'm impressed. If I had to nitpick something then maybe I'm going to complain about the fact that I didn't even get a turn but I guess that's for the best, in more ways than one," a tone of mischief was then added to the young Gilgamesh's expression. "By the way Master, supposing I was as uncooperative with you as my older self, what would you say to bribe me?"
Hearing this, Hachiman leaned forward such that his eye level was very close to Gil and smiled.
He didn't even need to take up much time to cook something up that will grab the interest of this young King of Uruk here.
"Gil, have you heard of the paradise in Japan called Akihabara?"
Hachiman whispered a few things to Gil's ear which made the young King repeatedly nod in understanding.
"Alright, Master, I'm convinced. As expected of someone who persuaded my adult self, you've got quite the silver tongue."
"Your words are wasted on me."
Hachiman and Gil laughed together in good cheer to the point that they were even wiping the tears on their eyes and even exchanging high-fives. It stood in complete contrast to the chemistry that the Master had with the adult version of the same Servant.
"Master," a powerful voice in no way inferior to the two ancient monarchs earlier addressed Hachiman. "Is now an okay time for me to interrupt?"
"Ah, Scáthach-san, sorry about that," Hachiman inadvertently straightened his posture and adopted a more formal tone before speaking. "Thank you very much for lending your assistance for today."
"It's fine. I didn't even get to perform my actual role anyways. More importantly, I owe you an apology, Master."
"Eh? For what?" because of recency bias, he couldn't help but think of what just happened today. "If it's about being unable to fight those two Kings earlier then that actually works to our benefit so it's completely okay."
Scáthach shook her head in response.
"No, I don't mean that. What I wanted to apologize for was how I've misjudged you as a coward in the past. After today's events, I've completely revised my entire opinion of you."
"Ah, it was that sort of thing," Hachman laughed a little awkwardly. "Haha. Don't worry about it, Scáthach-san. After all, you're right on the money. I really am nothing but a coward."
The Queen of the Land of Shadows shook her head once again upon hearing her Master's self-deprecating comment.
"You use your dirty tricks and schemes to their outmost limit in the same way a spearman pushes their body to the edge while wielding their spear," Scáthach smiled proudly. "On that note, what makes you any different from a warrior who fights in the frontlines?"
That was most probably one of the highest words of praise one would receive from a Celt back in Scáthach's time, especially when it came from the Teacher of Heroes herself. Though it didn't quite resonate with Hachiman by virtue of a difference in culture or a generation gap, he was sure that it was not something he deserved.
"I am nowhere near as amazing as those words of yours imply."
"You are far too modest but I guess that is a better attitude to have rather than being arrogant," Gil found himself averting his eyes after hearing that comment. "At any rate, there is something that I want to ask you, Master."
"Sure, it's the least I can do as thanks for you showing up today, Scáthach-san."
"I'm sure there are other Servants here that are more loyal to you and would have an easier time in dealing with those two Kings than me," Scáthach's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Despite knowing this, why did you choose to entrust your life to me and my spear?"
As a show of his sincerity, Hachiman chose to answer the question immediately.
"Well, I wanted to let you hear what I said to them too."
"Huh? Which one?" Scáthach inquired in confusion.
"You know, the part about you being free."
There are a lot of other Heroic Spirits in Chaldea who are Kings or just have noble blood in general, the Blue Saber, the Red Saber and the Big Rider to name a few.
Despite being sovereigns of differing backgrounds, when they became Servants, a good majority of them had one thing in common.
They allowed themselves to indulge on the various things that this era had to offer for them.
Some of the Heroic Spirits who were part of the minority and stuck too much to their past responsibilities were Gilgamesh, Ozymandias and Scáthach herself.
"Scáthach-san, this is not Dun Scaith anymore. You're free to do as you wish." Scáthach's body shook after hearing those words. "You mentioned that you liked being called the Teacher of Heroes, right? When this is all over, maybe you can set up a training facility so you can pass down your techniques to other humans as well. Though the times have changed to not have much need in the way of heroes, you could help train them to become champions in their respective sport instead."
Scáthach took a moment to take in Hachiman's words.
And for the third time today…
"Hahahahaha!" Another Servant was sent into a laughing fit courtesy of Hachiman's words of temptation. "Listening in on this from the outside already sounded absurd enough but now that it is said to me directly, I can understand why those two Kings were swayed by your offer," Scáthach smiled in amusement. "Tell me Master; once you've cleaned all of this mess up, what do you plan to do in the future?"
"Now that you mention it, I haven't really thought about it too much," Hachiman scratched his head and began thinking on overdrive. "Hmm… Well, I don't wanna keep my hopes up but I think if I ever succeed in this endeavor that should be an achievement that will make my name well-known enough in the world of Magecraft, right?"
"Naturally, you would have saved not only the world but an entire race as well. Not only honor, you should also be showered with riches enough to last more than your lifetime," Scáthach supplemented.
"I really hope that would be the case because if it is," Humanity's Last Master smiled shamelessly. "Using that as a foundation should perhaps be enough to settle down and live the rest of my life as a househusband," he then shrugged pessimistically. "At least, that's what I'll do if everything goes according to plan."
After saying that much, Hachiman Hikigaya then came face-to-face with a young Gilgamesh holding his sides in from laughter, a disillusioned Mash Kyrielight and a disappointed Scáthach.
"Ahahahahaha! What can I really say but as expected of Master? Hahahahaha!"
"Well, if that is what Senpai really desires then who am I to judge?"
Amongst the three, it was Scáthach's reaction that was most dangerous, in more ways than one.
"Perhaps a little training will be enough to change your way of thinking," Scáthach smiled like a lioness that spotted her prey. "Master, I seem to have reawakened my passion of teaching, is it okay if I take in a student or two from here on out?"
Hachiman felt a chill on his spine but that wasn't enough to stop his curiosity.
"Good for you Scáthach-san but if you don't mind me asking, who is this individual lucky enough to be chosen as your new student?"
The nature of the Witch of Dun Scaith's smile changed to look both amiable and mischievous at the same time.
"I'm talking to them right now."
That one line was enough to make Hachiman speechless.
"Ah, you're out of luck, Master," the young King of Uruk teased. "Well, I guess training under Nee-san right here should be really helpful in boosting your survivability so it's not all that bad."
"I've also happened to decide on my second student as well," this time it was Gil's spine which tingled when Scáthach's eyes landed on his figure. "Perhaps if I train you while you're at such a tender age, you might not end up growing up into that adult self that you so loathed."
"Ahahaha, surely you jest, Nee-san…" Gil scratched his head and laughed deliberately to play the entire thing off as a joke but one look at the scarlet irises of the Celtic woman in front of him was enough for him to understand that she is absolutely serious with her intentions. From his side, Hachiman was able to deduce the exact same thing.
"Hmm? What merit do I have in lying?"
After saying thus, Scáthach took one step forward, making Gil involuntarily take one step back, directly opposite of her.
"Ahahaha..." the young King of Heroes averted his eyes and forced out the same awkward laugh. At that moment, Gil and his Master made eye contact and one message was silently exchanged in that single instant. "Master, we're running away! Back me up!"
Chains wrapped around both Hachiman and Gil before the two were catapulted to the exit in the next second.
Meanwhile, a surge of mana could be felt erupting from the back of Hachiman's left hand.
By the power of my Command Spell, I order you…
The young Gilgamesh made a ferocious grin very much reminiscent to his adult self as he felt a great portion of his Master's magic power be siphoned to him.
Get us out of here!
Even though the form he is on was that of a child, he was still Heroic Spirit Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.
Be it in power, speed, magic capacity and all other aspects, he was simply extraordinary.
Boosted by the power of the Command Spell, it was safe to assume that he could easily outrun any other Servant provided that he focused solely on escaping.
However…
"Wait, Master! How can she still keep up?!"
No matter how absurd Scáthach's physical ability was, it shouldn't be possible to keep pursuit of the young King of Heroes who was boosted with the power of a Command Spell.
Unless…
At this moment, Hachiman recalled the events of the previous day.
After knowing that the scheduled consultation involved those two haughty Kings with divinity coursing through their blood, he knew it would do well for him to be prepared.
The Guardian Heroic Spirit Summoning System FATE was in more ways than one, bizarre.
After all, this wasn't a Holy Grail War which had seven Masters. There was only one.
As such, the number of active Command Spells is only 3 instead of the usual 21.
Even so, because the maximum Command Spells a Master could hold under normal circumstances were three, Hachiman was stuck with that limit for now.
Thus, a surplus of magic is present.
FATE then made it so that this aggregate of magic power will manifest an extra Command Spell for the Master once per day provided that he has an extra slot to accommodate for it.
Taking advantage of this fact, Hachiman used one of his Command Spells on Scáthach yesterday so she can get the jump on one of the two Kings immediately if it ever came to that point that they needed to fight.
He didn't technically lie to Gilgamesh and Ozymandias earlier.
He only had three Command Spells but at that moment Scáthach had access to four Noble Phantasm usages.
Right now, it seems that Scáthach used her proficiency with runes to convert that mana which was supposed to be used for her Noble Phantasm to further enhance her already absurd physical ability instead.
Long story short…
Hachiman got punished for being the sneaky bastard that he was.
"I messed up!"
"What do you mean?!" the young Gilgamesh went against his own creed and used his usually sealed Clairvoyance only to find out the ugly truth of the matter. "Ahahaha! You sly Master, you've done it! Now we're really screwed!"
"I'm sorry, Gil. You can blame me later all you want but for the time being, please just focus on running away!"
"Ah, it will probably be futile," Gil bluntly admitted but did not stop running regardless. "But being cornered like this doesn't happen to me often so I'll play along for now, Master. Hold on tight, okay?"
A long chase that involved the entirety of Chaldea's base followed after that.
While the King of Heroes can be considered to be superhuman in a lot of aspects including strength and stamina, it paled in comparison to someone who dedicated herself to the absolute peak of martial arts.
As such, Scáthach, with a lot more room to spare, was able to eventually corner the two who were gasping for breath and sprawled on the ground.
Contrary to what you would normally expect, Scáthach wasn't angry.
In fact, she was smiling.
If Cu Chulainn were here, he would even say that she's smiling too much.
After all, running builds stamina and stamina allows people to endure more of her training.
In this manner, she can subject her students to a more difficult regimen from the get-go.
"To have already begun running before I even gave the instruction to do so, you two are a little bit too enthusiastic for training," Scáthach said jokingly while looking at the sprawled figures of her two new students. "But you two neglected things such as form and pacing so this is how you ended up. For our next training session tomorrow, I want you two to pay more attention to these details and also be sure to let me finish what I say before you get started," Ireland's Teacher of Heroes leaned her body lower such that it made a parallel line with the ground. "Do you understand?"
"Yes…"
Checkmated, Humanity's Last Master and the Young King of Heroes could only answer in unison.
…
The next day.
Two individuals were present early in the Training Room.
One of them was the Master himself, Hachiman Hikigaya donning not his usual Chaldea uniform but a tracksuit that was easy to move in and a pair of running shoes.
The other was a boy in middle school with blond hair that gave the airs of a monarch with his usual shirt, hoodie and khaki shorts attire, the young Gilgamesh.
"You actually came too, Gil," Hachiman teased.
"Ahahaha, there is nothing I can do about it, Master," Gil shrugged in resignation. "Though my adult self downplayed it, that Nee-san's spear is really troublesome for us, you know? I really don't want to make an enemy out of her, if I can help it."
Shortly after that conversation, a third person arrived on the Training Room.
She was none other than the woman who declared these two to be her brand new students, Scáthach. Upon her arrival, the two new students immediately straightened their postures and tried their best not to give off a sloppy impression.
However, in complete contrast to her attitude yesterday, Scáthach looked remorseful and apologetic to the point that she was even bowing her head slightly.
"Sorry, I might've gotten a little carried away yesterday."
Despite her body language and the humble tone the Witch of Dun Scaith adopted, the young King of Uruk did not let his guard down completely.
"So that means we can just go for today, right?" he asked cautiously.
"Yes," Scáthach smiled apologetically. "The two of you are free to go. Once again, I apologize."
"Heard that, Master? Let's bail out of here before she changes her mind," Gil immediately took the first opportunity he got and took a few steps towards the exit while whistling to himself and languidly putting both of his hands behind his back. That was until he noticed an anomaly. His Master wasn't following behind him. "Master, what's wrong?"
The Master in question was actually thinking of doing the exact opposite.
"Umm, Scáthach-san about that," Hachiman raised his hand slightly in order to get her attention. "If it's all the same to you, I really do want to take part of your training."
"What did you say?" Scáthach's scarlet eyes bulged in surprise.
"Hey, hey, hey, Master. This is no laughing matter," Gil tried his best to warn his Master. "You might die, you know?" when he furrowed his brows, his resemblance with his older self became more apparent.
"Then that means that's all I'll ever amount to be," Hachiman responded matter-of-factly. "I'm nothing special so at the very least, I'd like to be able to have enough physical ability to protect myself so the other Servants don't have to worry about me too much."
"Are you sure?" despite the flat tone that Scáthach adopted while asking, the sparkle in her eyes did not betray how happy she was of this unexpected outcome.
"Yes," Hachiman nodded resolutely. "In fact, I should be the one begging you to train me considering you are Ireland's Teacher of Heroes after all. It's not often you would lower your standards to the point where you would even begin to consider someone like me to be your student."
Try as she might to suppress it, Scáthach's lips were already curling into a smile.
"How about you, young King of Heroes?" the Queen of the Land of Shadows turned to Gil. "While Master has already made his decision, you still have the liberty to choose either option. Don't worry; neither Master nor I will hold it against you if you chose to back out now."
Gil grimaced after hearing her proposal.
After a few seconds of agonizing with himself while vigorously scratching his head in the process, the young King of Uruk finally made a difficult decision.
"Argh, seriously, what am I going to do with you, Master?!" Gil walked back to his position of being beside his Master. "I'll participate in the training too, if only to make sure that Master doesn't overdo it. I don't want Mashnee-chan and the others to blame me just in case something happens. Also…" he pouted. "It would be shameful conduct of a King to back down from a challenge that even Master accepted," Gil turned his gaze towards Hachiman's direction. "You owe me big time for this, Master."
"How does a tour with me as your guide in Akihabara sound?"
"You're absolutely forgiven if you can somehow remember that promise when the time comes."
Without a doubt, the true winner of this exchange was none other than Scáthach herself.
"Very well, I admire your resolve, you two!" at this point, Scáthach didn't bother hiding the smile on her face anymore. "From this day forth, you will address me as Shishou and I swear on my name as the Queen of the Land of Shadows that by the end of this training even you Master, should be able to hold your own against a Heroic Spirit," Scáthach's eyes gleamed with excitement. "And maybe if you're a little lucky, you might even end up vanquishing one with your own hands instead!"
Wait, isn't that just impossible?
Hachiman wanted to retort but the intense pressure that his Shishou was applying prevented him from doing so.
Somehow that sensei of his from Sobu who used to always beat him up in the next opportunity that she could did not seem as scary anymore.
"Are you lot ready for today's training course?"
"Yes, Shishou!"
"Good answer," Scáthach nodded. "In that case, start running! This time, be sure to keep in mind of your pace and form as you do!"
"Yes, Shishou!"
As the two students got on with their training, a melancholic expression surfaced on Scáthach's face as she looked back at what happened yesterday.
"Really, what is this new student of mine and those two Kings thinking?" she began massaging her temple as if nursing a headache. "Isn't it obvious that we Servants will all disappear once the task of saving humanity is completed? Unless…" an absurd thought popped out of Scáthach's head. "It can't be..!"
Author's Note:
I'll be honest. I didn't really expect for this series to do as well as it did and yet here we are now.
Thank you all very much for your support.
Because of that, what was just something that I wrote in order to clear my head is now something I'll regularly update along with my main series.
Since I recently did a back-to-back update of my other series, I might consider writing another chapter about this fic once again. In the end, it will all depend on whether I manage to cook up something nice or not.
As for when that time will come... Well, we'll just leave it all to Fate. (No, I am not going to stop making a joke about this.)
If the Fate franchise ever decides to make a spinoff of Gilgamesh participating in an auction or about Ozymandias building a new temple then you heard it here first. Hahahaha.
If you ever have any suggestions on which Servant/s you want to be featured next, feel free to write them on your review, I'll be sure to take that into consideration for the coming chapters.
Now with that out of the way, time to get on to the reviews from the previous chapter.
mardanTM: Here you go. Thank you very much for the support and being the first review. I'm hoping to see more from you in the future.
Coochies: What kind of person do you take me for? Hahaha. At any rate, I'm very happy that this chapter resonated with you.
mikaelemiya: While I can somewhat understand Spanish, I'd much prefer if you could write a review in English if you can. In any case, here's a fresh update from me. Please enjoy.
Chryshauzer: I really should've mentioned a line or two about him getting overworked, huh. What a total blunder on my part. Oh well, it is what it is, what can you do? On an unrelated note, here's a chapter about a pair of Servants that will attack him if they are provoked.
guiltyr2: Not quite Hans but here's a chapter where Hachiman interacts with a couple of the other Heroic Spirits. Bon appetit.
safirowilliam: Thank you very much for you kind words but like I mentioned earlier, if it's possible please write a review in English if you can.
IsekaiFanBoi: For now, I got you covered. Hahaha.
Lazy'sReader: Don't worry, I plan to do more and it's all thanks to you guys.
Saif Omar: While I would really love to put Gudako in here as I think she's the more interesting protagonist to write between Ritsuka and her (no offense Ritsuka fans) but if I did that it would ruin the premise of the title, Hachiman can't be Humanity's Last Master if Gudako is present and vice versa. As for your requests, I don't think I'll be able to grant them. I actually have not read either of the fics you mentioned so I don't think I'll be able to write about a character that I'm not even familiar with. Also, there's a lot of other canon Servants that I need to write first before I even consider writing a chapter about a hypothetical Servant. So yeah, I'm sorry but I don't think something like that is going to happen anytime soon.
Cloudy09: I'm glad you liked it. Thanks to your encouragement as well as from others, I've been able to write another chapter. Cheers.
Raijinmaru: An Artoria and Mordred session is definitely coming soon. In all honesty, that's pretty much a given. For reasons, I don't want to divulge yet because I might spoil something, it's honestly just a nightmare to conceptualize. I will write it soon but I just don't want to think about it at the moment. Hahaha.
BorderLand: Thank you very much for all the praise. I wholeheartedly agree. Hachiman has the sacrificial tendencies of Shirou and the logical mindset as well as the dead eyes of Kiritsugu. My only problem with this is that red just doesn't seem to be Hachiman's color at all.
A Reverse Weeb: You've been waiting for an Oregairu X F/GO crossover? Well, I can only pray that I've been able to satisfy your craving. It's good that you like my switch-up of the Master's identity because to be honest, I'm much more comfortable writing about Hachiman over Ritsuka.
Rinto: As a fan of both series myself, I'm happy that you guys liked this fic. It makes me feel like I was able to do both of them some justice.
ArtCore: I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the previous one. Regards.
DovahkiinGod: Oh, I'll keep writing this alright, so long as you guys keep coming back to read for more. Thank you for your positive response.
ENDDRAGON369: Unfortunately, I have not read about what you mentioned. Regardless, I hope you also like this brand new chapter that I just made.
memoryofvirtual: Believe me when I say I didn't expect this too.
Thank you all for these reviews. Your input is very much appreciated.
To everyone else who takes the time to read this fic, a huge thank you to all of you as well.
That's it for this chapter.
I hope we meet again in the next one or in another story of mine.
Reviews, follows and faves are all very much appreciated.
Until next time...
May everyone's good wishes and realities intersect.
Morii Hikikko