Artoria was tired and covered in sweat.
Several clashes between the two sides had taken place by this point. First, the battle at the gates, in which the Blue Faction had claimed Klingsor and Caster of Red's lives. Since then, only one larger battle had taken place.
In between, Gawain and Caster had battled Mordred and his Saber, neither side managing to claim a life, thanks to King Lot's army reinforcing Morgan's loyal child. To a point, Artoria was glad neither of the two siblings had been forced to kill the other. But Mordred was a traitor, and a willing one at that. And killing him would be far easier than eliminating his Servant.
Unfortunately, the second loss in the War was one of their own. In the second large battle, the Blue Faction had seen the loss of their Assassin, Semiramis. Her Master, Sir Tristan, had taken the loss rather harshly. He left Camelot to spend some time by himself. Artoria asked Sir Agravain to put together a platoon to accompany Tristan, just to be sure Morgan and her faction made no attempt on the now Servant-less knight's life.
This decision did not go over well with Tristan. He pushed back against it, declaring his need to be by himself to mourn the loss. But she was insistent, enforcing her position as his liege, to whom he had sworn fealty.
"The king does not understand the hearts of men."
Those were the words with which Sir Tristan departed Camelot, likely never to be seen by Artoria again. Agravain did put his team together and dispatched them to shadow Tristan, but they soon returned to report that he had eluded their pursuit.
Tristan's words shook Artoria. She inherently understood that these were not words used lightly, nor chosen on the spur of the moment. These were sentiments that had been bubbling beneath the surface for some time. But Artoria was able to keep their impact on her from showing. After the recent revelations from Saber, she doubted much of anything could truly rattle her these days. And, perhaps, that was entirely Tristan's point.
But theirs was not the only side to suffer losses. King Lot - Morgan's husband, father of most of her children, and Master of Lancer of Red - was struck down in the battle by Sir Gawain, with help from Sir Agravain, and Artoria's ally, King Pellinore. This slaying had many ramifications.
First, it dispelled any notion that the two knights were in league with Morgan, as their three siblings were. Second, it made King Pellinore and his family targets for Morgan's faction, leading Sirs Galahad, Percival and Bors to depart to reinforce King Pellinore's territory for fear of retribution, leaving Camelot without its Archer or Lancer. Third, Lancer of Red, wielder of the legendary Mac an Luin, was left Masterless and his whereabouts were currently unknown. Fourth, it left Morgan in deep mourning, granting the Blue Faction time to prepare for the next encounter.
With her free time, rather than relaxing or recovering, Artoria spent the day training with Sirs Bedivere and Gawain. Her muscles ached from both the performing and receiving of fierce sword strikes all day long. She absconded to her private bath to take a nice, long soak in the hot water. A luxurious sigh departed her lips as she settled into the water. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tub, stretching out her legs and allowing one foot to float up and break the surface. By God, she needed this.
Her relaxation was interrupted as a quiet knocking on the door filled the chamber. Such an interruption was a rare occurrence, typically only resulting from dire circumstances by either Sir Lancelot or Agravain. "Yes?" she called out.
"It's Saber," her Servant declared from the other side of the door. She doubted he knew what this room was used for, having rarely set foot in her bedchambers before. It was bold of him to so brazenly enter the king's private chambers like this, but after everything she had learned about his life so far - how she had been his Servant during his Grail War, subservient to his commands, and even how he had fallen in love with her - she supposed this history with her that he had experienced may be leaving him blind to his impropriety. She could forgive him for this mistake, so long as he never did it again once she had heard the full story and could decide where to set their boundaries.
"Do we have news of Morgan's movements?" she asked, realising she had been quiet for just a little too long.
"No, its nothing like that. I was just wondering if now was a good time to pick up where we left off our conversation last time."
Artoria sighed. Her frustration was not with him, but with herself for not being able to make a timeliy decision. She certainly wanted to know more, but she would also rather like to soak for a while yet. She almost found herself telling him to come in and explain now, seeing how he not only knew she was a woman, but had evidently also seen her fully nude in the past/future. But then she reminded herself that it was another her he had seen, not this her. However similar the two may be, they were not the same Artoria. And this was something she would need to impress upon Saber as well.
This was one of the primary causes for her consternation when it came to Saber. He knew far more about her than she did about him. And not because he was a particularly private individual. She imagined that the time he had spent with the future Artoria had led to his defences being low around her. But the gap in their knowledge about one other left her feeling uncomfortably vulnerable with him. So many years she had spent keeping her true gender and name a secret from even most of those closest to her, and then suddenly appeared a man who knew just about everything there was to know about her, right down to intimate aspects of her personality that she kept from even the likes of Kay and Gawain.
Again, she realised how slowly she was responding, caught up in her thoughts for the second time. "Just a moment," she sighed, opting to rise from the tub and dry off to get the discussion out of the way sooner.
It was as she leaned on her left arm on the side of the tub to bring her leg over the edge - at this precise moment - that a fierce strike she had received from Gawain to her left bicep chose to act up. The pain itself was not such a large issue for a warrior like herself. But the surprise it brought with it, combined with the wetness of her hand and how reliant upon these exact muscles her physical stability was in this moment, led to her slipping suddenly.
She hit her head, her elbow and the side of her knee on the rim or the tub all at once. The pain in her arm had been endurable enough for her to not make a sound. All of this at once, however, was not. Her involuntary cry of agony was followed in short order by the door slamming open and Saber rushing to her side. "Sa- Master!"
More than the pain, Artoria was overcome with concern over being found in such a compromising position. Despite how much of her true self Saber had evidently come to know in his time with her in his era, Artoria still felt anxious being so exposed; both as a fallible, human individual, and as a woman. She tried to convince herself that, if anyone should see her like this, Saber was the ideal person. He had made sure to help maintain the image his Master had so carefully crafted over the years, going out of his way to help her hide her sex and her insecurities. In theory, she couldn't ask for a better partner.
But any attempt of hers to set up boundaries, to distinguish between herself and his Artoria, to assert a relationship of king and retainer, would instantly crumble after he saw her in such a vulnerable, compromised position.
His hands reached for her head, looking her over for any signs of serious injury. He then did the same for her arm and her leg. His expression was focused, determined, even as he looked over and touched her nude form. The only change in his expression came when he made her wince by touching her arm a little too tightly. There was no blush, no awkward eye aversion; far from the nervous, blushing young man that had appeared in her latest vision.
"It looks like you just strained your arm a little," he concluded. Gently, he lowered her back into the tub, submerging her sore limbs back into the warm water. By the time she was resting in a comfortable position, the throbbing soreness was already dissipating.
"Is this... healing magic?" she asked, rolling her shoulder slightly.
Saber smiled reassuringly. "Even I can do this much. Besides, once I got started learning it, I turned out to have an aptitude for it. But then, that's not because of my own talent..." There was a story there, and she suspected it required some building up to.
"Last time, you said you fell in love with me?" Only now did his cheeks turn red, likely concerned she suspected some ulterior motive here. Artoria pushed onwards to keep their discussion from being derailed again. She held up her uninjured arm, clenching her fist to flex the muscles there. "That girl from your time... Tohsaka, was it? She looked slender and dainty. Is that not how girls are in your time?"
"G-Generally, yes."
"Then, even with a body like this...?"
Saber gently took her hand and ran his tender fingers down the inside of the forearm. "These muscles tell a story. The story of your strength. Not just your physical strength, but your strength of will. Women warriors are even less common in your time than they are in mine. It's almost unheard of here. But, even as a young woman, you had the courage to try to pull the sword from the stone; the determination to dedicate yourself, body and soul, to leading and protecting your nation." His fingers ran along the upper arm now. "Every swing of your sword, in training or in battle, has played a part in building these muscles. Each one is a part of your story, each building into... all of this.
"It's a tragedy that you need to keep your gender a secret - that no one else gets to see this record of your dedication to your cause. But I did. I was given the privilege of seeing the full extent of your strength of will." He looked her deep in the eyes and smiled. "How could I not fall in love with someone so incredible?"
Artoria blushed deeply, lowering her head to avoid his earnest gaze. Once again, the way this man understood her on such a deep, intimate level... She understood how, but it still felt strange for a man who was practically a stranger to know her so well. It also felt strange that this no longer bothered her. Until now, few had been in a position to know the truth beneath the mask of King Arthur. But none had been allowed to view quite so deep beneath. Not her brother, nor her wife, nor her closest companions and most trusted advisors. She felt... relieved; as if the weight of the nation she had been bearing alone for so many years was now being shared by this man who had only entered her life a few weeks ago.
She splashed some water on her face so that he wouldn't see her tears. But he raised her chin with a finger and wiped her eyes with the other. He knew. Of course, he knew. How could one who understood her so deeply not be able to instantly tell the difference? She laid back, letting him see her face as she smiled gratefully at her Servant.
"I can tell you more about my War, if you'd like," Saber offered after a few moments of silence.
Artoria nodded her ascent.
"Alright." Despite his smile, there was a clear reluctance there. But he pressed on. "Well, working together with you, training with you, and seeing your story in my dreams, I fell in love with you. You, uh... You felt the same way."
He averted his eyes for a moment, blushing deeply, as if expecting her to reject this notion. But Artoria felt only pure honesty radiating off of him. And knowing what she did of him now, she could imagine that being the case. She nodded for him to continue.
"Well... things went pretty well for a while. We managed to beat some of the other Servants. That was when we learned that Archer, the guy you saw me fighting in that other vision, was actually me from the future. ...But you don't seem surprised to hear that."
Artoria nodded. "I imagine my other self was. But, I already know that this version of Shirou Emiya has been summoned from a future time, and that you can qualify for the Archer class. I simply now have the final pieces to understand how you are aware of the latter fact, and how you came to know that time travel via the Grail Wars was possible."
Shirou chuckled. "Yeah. Even back then, you- uh, now, you've got that same analytical mind that helped me survive the other War."
"The Saber class is not meant for one simply skilled with a sword, after all," she boasted mildly. "Without other skills to offer, the class would not have its reputation as the strongest."
"That's true. I bet you could've beaten Archer no problem, even before the Magic Circuit transfer."
"I appreciate the confidence, Saber," Artoria smiled. This was one of the rare instances where she could be confident that such a positive appraisal of her abilities came from a place of personal experience, rather than a respectful platitude. That it came from one qualified for the Saber class also inflated her ego some. "Please, continue."
"Continue the story, or continue praising you?"
Artoria laughed out loud. Rarely could she do so - or be inspired to. She had almost forgotten that she could. It was nice to enjoy the simpler things for once.
"Well, Archer was me from a timeline where... well, he had a lot of regrets by the end of his life. He wanted to fix them by making me change my ideals before I could become him."
"But you didn't? That fight, it was a battle for your ideals and you emerged the victor with your copied Caliburn, correct?"
"Yes. You were there as well. You agreed to let me fight my own battle, and served as a witness to it. I wouldn't be the man I am today if you hadn't allowed that. So, thank you."
"I suppose, then, I have my other self to thank for me being able to summon you as my Servant?" she asked jokingly.
Saber chuckled. "I suppose so." The smile faded as he followed up with, "More than you could know."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Well... those dreams you've had of my life were backwards. First, we fell in love. Then, I fought Archer. And last..." This part, of the entire tale thus far, was clearly the most difficult for Saber to discuss. More so than even the discussion of their... relationship; physical aspects and all.
"Saber... I can tell this part is difficult for you to discuss. If you would like to skip past it, I will not mind. I take it, this is the part where I was killed, and we lost the Grail War?"
To her surprise, he shook his head. "Well, yes, but... I always wondered if Archer went through something similar in his timeline as well..." He took a deep breath, stared firmly into her eyes and pressed on. "There was this girl. A friend of mine, named Sakura. She was an underclassman in the Archery Club and we started spending time together as well. She was one of my closest friends at the time."
An unusual iciness gripped Artoria's heart as Saber began discussing another woman. She could tell it was not simple jealousy, but the wording combined with the close proximity to the discussion of Artoria's own fate. A quiet dread began to build, and she had the strange sense that it was not her own assumptions or fears driving this, but Saber's experiences bleeding over through their bond.
"She'd had feelings for me for a long time, but I didn't realise it until... until it was too late. Her grandfather was one of the most powerful magi in Japan, maybe the world. His family, the Matous, had been injecting themselves into Grail Wars for centuries. And he had big plans for Sakura. He even made her the Master of Avenger."
"Avenger?"
"It's one of the rarer classes. It was supposed to be a Rider, but the Servant they received was another version of the Rider Servant they were aiming for, I think. I don't know all the details. But, the point is, she was part of the War as well. You couldn't enter spirit form, so we made a cover story that you were an old friend of my father's, staying at my home for a while to check up on me."
"That seems an intelligent strategy to ward off suspicion during a time of heightened danger."
Some of that earlier smile returned to Saber's lips. "That's exactly what you said back then as well."
Artoria blushed slightly.
"Sakura could tell we were close, even before she found out we were... you know. She really took it hard. And Zouken, the bastard, knew exactly how to take advantage of that. And how to take advantage of the Grail."
Artoria's stomach sank. "Take advantage? Of the Grail? But... the Grail is a holy artefact dating back centuries, is it not? How...?"
"He had a millennium-and-a-half of further research to understand the Grail and how the Wars had affected it."
"How can the Wars affect the Grail? Is the Grail not actually a tool of God?"
"That... even in my time, we're still not sure what the Grail actually is. But we know how it changed. I think I should go back and explain the previous War. It's actually very important. Apparently, the Twentieth Grail War began in response to the large-scale suffering brought about by World War II."
"World War?" Artoria uttered before she could stop herself. Or realise the broader implication: "Two?"
Saber nodded solemnly. "By the Twentieth Century, the world was a lot less isolated. Open communication and worldwide trade made it easy for alliances to snowball from a few nations to most of the world being drawn into a war that resulted in millions of deaths. Both occurred before the century was even half over. And with the second resulting from the circumstances that followed the first, it can really be considered one massive conflict that cost a hundred million lives."
"One Hundred Million..." The number seemed... impossible to conceive of. That there could even be that many humans alive at one time was difficult enough to imagine, but for that many to perish and still have enough left for humanity to survive a further century before Saber perished in his time... it was unfathomable.
"The Grail started a Grail War to try and control the devastation, it's assumed. Each nation involved was given a team of the seven cardinal classes to fight on their behalf. Not that that stopped the fighting with regular people. Actually, it only made things worse."
"How can one hundred million deaths not be as bad as the situation could become?"
"Magi."
"Oh..."
"The Grail World War exposed magecraft to the world after centuries of being hidden. Now that the cat was out of the bag again, magecraft became a tool of war, alongside the Servants. I don't know much about the specifics, but I had a dream about the War from you."
"From me? I was summoned into this 'World War' as well?"
"Well, as Britain's most famous king, it's only natural you'd be summoned to fight alongside your peers. That's actually how I learned you were British. I honestly assumed you were French for a while."
"French? What an odd conclusion to come to."
"In fairness, there's going to be a pretty famous lady warrior from there in about five hundred years, and nobody in my time knows you're a woman."
"Those are valid reasons, then."
"Anyway, the Ruler in that War was an Avenger named Angra Mainyu. That specific Servant being active amidst such unfathomable loss of life made the entire Grail War system become corrupted. In his legend, he was essentially a man who was made to represent all the world's evils through horrific, lifelong torture. His sacrifice eased the minds of his people, though, which qualified him as a Heroic Spirit.
"But with legends influencing the forms of Heroic Spirits, Angra Mainyu became a true representation of mankind's evils. And being summoned during the Grail World War, a time of unprecedented bloodshed... those sins were too much for the Grail to handle, thanks to its connection to the Servants summoned. The Grail's corruption produced this... mud that corrupted whatever it touched.
"Zouken had already used a twisted procedure to turn Sakura into a vessel for him to merge with the Grail. Once he knew Sakura was heartbroken over the two of us, he exacerbated the issue; he emphasised her unrequited love to turn her into some sort of shadow creature that could control the mud. She... She used the mud, consumed you with it."
"...And this mud... That is what killed the other me?"
Saber shook his head. Tears were welling up in his eyes now, unable to maintain his composure in the face of the revelation he was about to unleash. "It corrupted you. It turned you into an 'Alter Servant'."
Artoria vaguely recalled Merlin discussing a concept by that name in the past. He had explained that it was a state of inversion into which a Heroic Spirit could transform or be summoned, wherein their personality and desires became warped and distorted. Of course, he had suggested that this was not a recorded phenomenon in the Grail Wars, and so would likely not be a concept she needed concern herself with.
But once the Grail became corrupted by this World War, it would become a very real threat to Artoria upon her summoning as a Servant. The thought of her will and desires being twisted to the whims of another made her entire body shudder horribly.
"Once it became clear that the Grail was corrupt, we decided to put an end to the Grail Wars," Saber continued, seemingly too caught up in his own emotional turmoil over the events he was recalling to notice the effect it was having on his Master. "We tried to destroy the Grail - Tohsaka and me - but you were there, standing in its defence. Even powered up by Archer's arm, I just barely managed to... to... kill you."
With these words, that very first dream came rushing back to Artoria in vivid detail, sucking her into a trance in which she relived the entire thing, now with full understanding of the context that led up to her fighting her former Master - with her standing on the wrong side of the conflict. Had she the ability to choose, knowing of the Grail's corruption, she would, of course, stand by Shirou's side and dispatch the Grail herself. But instead, it was she who was dispatched; by her Master, her lover.
As Shirou Emiya plunged one of his daggers into her chest, piercing her blackened armour and penetrating her flesh, she felt the skin and muscle tear away, the bones break, her heart rupture - broken by both his blade and her circumstance- their circumstance. For now, as she once again saw Shirou wail in anguish as the life drained from her form, she could at last feel her own turmoil - her regrets and fears.
She had failed her kingdom and her people in life. All those who had looked up to her, believed in her, and relied upon her. She had failed them all. The specifics eluded her, but the shame of that failure was as palpable in Artoria's heart as it was for her other self. She knew instinctively that this was what would one day drive her to become a Servant, to strive for that coveted wish on the Holy Grail.
She had been given this incredible opportunity to achieve a better outcome for her kingdom, and she had entirely bungled it. Not only had she lost the Grail War, she had allowed herself to be used as a tool against the man she had fallen in love with. Her first genuine love - true love, she knew - had likewise been reliant upon her. And she had failed him too.
The tears welled up in both Artorias' eyes, as they did in both Shirous', the four weeping in tandem, unified across time in their heartache. The Alter Servant begged her love to forgive her as he cried her name to the heavens she would soon ascent to. Or, perhaps, it was to the depths of Hell with her for her constant failure to fulfil her duty - to save anyone.
Artoria snapped back to reality, her nude body aching from her uncomfortably stiff poise in the small tub she had been stuck in long enough for the water to grow cold. Saber was sat beside the tub, facing away from her in shame. She sensed that he knew how much of their future encounter she was now aware of. She leaned over the side of the tub and wrapped her soaked arms around her Servant's shoulders from behind.
"Thank you, Shirou," she felt compelled to say, feeling the ramrod tenseness overtake his refined muscles. "What I became... it was a grave disgrace to my name and rank. Thank you for putting a stop to my dishonour. And for allowing me to know love before the end."
She meant every word. The strength of these feelings paled in comparison to the turmoil of knowing her own failures, of course, but Saber needed her acknowledgement. He needed to know that he had done the right thing. That his love could rest easy knowing that he would stop this wicked version of herself when her time came. These thoughts did not require words, however. He knew how she felt. She somehow knew he did. Instead, she pushed him onwards, urging him to complete his story so that his own emotional turmoil could finally be put to rest.
"What happened next? After you... absolved me?"
It took a moment, but Saber eventually found the strength to continue. "We-We tried to destroy the Grail. But we just weren't powerful enough. Even with all of Tohsaka's magecraft and my Unlimited Blade Works, we could only send the Grail out of this world until the next War. And being teenagers in 2004, neither of us lived to see the next one. And no one believed that the Grail was corrupted. Especially after the World War, everyone thought, like you did, that it was still some omnipotent holy artefact.
"Tohsaka was from a renowned magus family, so she wasn't branded a heretic like I was. I went underground and tried to be the hero I'd always dreamed of being. But even with a new name on the other side of the world, it wasn't an ideal that was easy to live up to. At a certain point, my killing to save others just felt like... killing. And eventually, it all caught up with me, and I was mortally wounded.
"I'd done enough good in the world to qualify to become a Heroic Spirit, but it wasn't enough. I was filled with so many regrets for my failure to save everyone. And that's when I saw your face in my mind. The you that was corrupted and died in front of me, begging to be forgiven for the same regrets. It was all I could think of - how you had gone through the same, both in life and as a Servant.
"So, I made my decision. I agreed to become a servant of the Counter Force. I did whatever task I was assigned for it in return for my chance to go back. I was determined to be summoned as a Servant in your War, just like the other me was summoned back into mine. Archer was summoned because he had a pendant Tohsaka used to save my life when Lancer attacked me, right up to his dying day. She had it on her when she performed the ritual, unwittingly having a catalyst to summon a special kind of Servant. Likewise, you already had the catalyst needed to summon me, so I knew it could work.
"Catalyst? We used Avalon for its potent healing abilities, but... you still had Avalon with you?"
"I was an idiot during the War. I was always leaping into the fray to keep you safe. At first, because I didn't like the idea of girls fighting. Then, because I cared about you, and I wanted you to still have a chance at having your wish fulfilled, even if you needed to contract with another Master to do it. I guess I thought that giving my life to help you save your kingdom would be enough."
"But why? Why would you value my dream over your life? Surely, it cannot simply be because you loved me."
"That was part of it. But I held little regard for my own life, in general, back then. I was the only survivor of that fire, and it was thanks to Avalon being implanted into my body. I thought, maybe it was destiny. Maybe the reason I survived - the reason I was given Avalon so I could live when everyone else died - was so I could help Avalon's owner to have her wish granted."
"Oh, Shirou..." Artoria squeezed her Servant tighter. She could feel his racing heartbeat as she pressed her cheek against the back of his head. "I wish you would hold yourself in higher regard than that. No one needs a reason to survive. A sole survivor needs no reason to be the only one fortunate enough to live. It is, perhaps, too late to say this now, but you should live your life to the fullest, embrace your opportunity the way those less fortunate were never able to."
Saber held onto Artoria's arms tightly. "The other you felt the same way. That's why she never took Avalon back. She knew I was so bullheaded that there was no way she could keep me out of the fight. That's why she trained me with a sword and had me keep the scabbard, even though she was weaker without it. I guess, that's the only reason I was able to beat her in the end. If she'd had Avalon, I'd never have won. But, maybe if she'd killed me, she might've-"
Artoria grabbed Saber by the hand and swiftly turned him to face her, with no regard for her exposed body. "You listen to me, Shirou Emiya. I cannot speak for how her experience may have changed her from the me I am now, bit I assure you that this Artoria Pendragon would be devastated to be made to end your life. The emotional shock may have been enough to break her free of the corruption, but perhaps not. And I, in her position, would not have found the strength to push onward as you did. Your life is worth so much more than you allow yourself to believe. I had hoped that your experiences in later life might have snapped you out of your deluded viewpoint, but it seems that you are as stubborn as you claim..."
Saber averted his eyes in shame. "I'm sorry."
Artoria softened her expression and pulled his chin up to look her in the eyes. "Please, promise me that you will place greater value on your life, in this War or any other. I am not commanding this of you as your Master. I am asking this of you as your friend, Shirou."
Saber nodded slowly, his expression displaying his surprise at her words. "O-Okay. I will. For you."
Artoria shook her head. "No. For you."
He smiled again, and Artoria got the sense that his many years of self-loathing were finally coming to an end. His smile radiated a certain... something that Artoria could not identify. But she could feel the respect, the love, the awe he felt as he stared into her eyes. And she felt the same way about him. For all his faults, he was worthy of the title of 'hero'. In a sense, he was the very heroic ideal that she had aspired to. And now, she knew the flaws in that ideal. Thanks to Shirou Emiya, Artoria Pendragon could change her ways. She could learn from his example and fulfil his wish to see her own wish fulfilled. Thanks to him, her kingdom was no longer destined to fall.
And that was why she kissed him.
Both Master and Servant, Servant and Master, Artoria and Shirou, reunited across time, submitted themselves fully to their passions. Her slippery arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer, pressing their lips more and more firmly against one another. He embraced her too, wrapping his warm arms tightly around her cold body. She pulled him into the bath, her legs wrapping around his waist as the water began to overflow and pour over the sides.
In some ways, this was wrong. In many ways, in fact, it made no sense. But what was perfectly clear to the two was that she wanted him and he wanted her. And to them, that was all that mattered.
But not everyone would see it that way. And unbeknownst to the two lovers, their secret rendezvous had not gone unobserved...
The title for this one was originally "Across Time". I thought of "Star-Crossed" as I was posting. I think it works better.
Originally, before I thought about how Kiritsugu would play a part in all this, I had it planned that Artoria gave Shirou Avalon because he stubbornly refused to stay out of fights.