0.3. The Claims of Absolute Obedience

"... Have you finished?"

No.

"Yes…" Artoria sniffs while wiping her puffy eyes with the red coat given to her, the one she thought had disappeared after her ex-executor transformed. "Thanks for the cloth, by the way… I'll," she blows her nose into the coat, "wash it then return it to you."

"Don't bother." The man lets out a long exhale. Folding his arms, he eyes her sideways. "So how long are you intending to lay there?"

"Excuse me for being the only one who got SLASHED across her chest." Artoria glares at him accusingly. "Do you know how much this hurts?"

"It isn't that severe if you still can work your mouth." The man points out offhandedly. "And thanks to that... ritual, your wounds closed their mouths. Now quit being a baby and get up."

"It doesn't mean they stop hurt–! Ouchie !"

Accidentally disturbing her wounds in the heat of the moment, Artoria cradles her chest with her uninjured arm. The man watches her whimpering on the ground for a few minutes before giving another sigh.

"Unbelievable… Just what would you do if I weren't here?"

"Probably didn't get my chest cut open, to begin with." Artoria sarcastically remarks through her gritted teeth while tears gather at the corners of her eyes.

"And became food for those scoundrels." The man retorts right away. Biting down her lips to suppress a pout, Artoria shoots him a dirty look. She really hates it when he can make a compelling argument as naturally as he breathes. Just remind her again how come she got herself this Servant in the first place.

Yes, you didn't read it wrong.

That man, in all his unbearableness and sarcasm, has become her Servant, like some bad prank the higher will played on Artoria.

Turning back a few minutes ago, the man explained, or theorized, to her, who still sprawled on the ground and had knowledge about magecraft equal to zero, what had happened to them. Apparently, there was an old magic circle left by the previous owner of this mansion, and somehow, they ended up stepping on it. Apparently, the magical energy inside the blood seeping out from Artoria was strong enough to re-activate it. Then bonused with some more unknown met hidden conditions, voilà, the two of them updated their status from about-to-be-killed and killer to Master-Servant in a heartbeat,

While only maniacs would believe in such a story, the fact that Artoria is still alive to talk and the solid link between them that sticks out like a sore thumb at the back of her head back up his words, and leaves her no choice but to become one of those maniacs.

And leads to their current situation.

To be frank, it's not like the pain preventing Artoria from getting up, it's the embarrassment that weighs her down. Because, let's face it, even if all the questionable babble she uttered back then were under the influence of hemorrhage, she practically proposed to a complete stranger who was going to kill her.

"Hey, If… possible, would you…would you… stay with me…? Forever?"

Artoria's cheeks become incredibly hot in an instant. She resists the urge to cover her face and kicks her feet while her inner screams. That was just cringe! Not to mention she also had bawled her eyes right afterward.

And what annoys her the most is it seems like she is the only one here affected by it.

Artoria shoots a look at the man looking oh so nonchalant. Due to the jumble back then, she isn't sure if the reply she heard was his, or merely a hallucination made up at the last moment of her life. Of course, there's no way she can go ahead and ask him. She will die (of mortification) before that.

Also, Artoria makes a note to watch where her blood will drop the next time she bleeds out. It feels like her troubles all started from there.

"Since you are such a baby, I guess there is no choice."

The man's– Berserker's, Artoria reminds herself, grunt voice cuts short her trance. After the incident in which the two of them mutually agreed to act as it is, he revealed to her his class was Berserker, and nothing more.

"Due to the forceful change in my Saint Graph, most of my memories are fuzzy. Sorry Master, but I can't quite recall my True Name at the moment. "

As much as she wanted to call it bullshit, Artoria had to hold herself back.

She watches Berserker crouching down next to her, and holding his palm up. When Artoria thinks it means for her to grab his hand so he can pull her up, a golden object suddenly takes shape until a shiny scabbard manifests between them.

Mouth dropping open, Artoria gapes at the luxurious piece of equipment. It appears to be made of gold with blue enamel decoration. Before the warm and soothing light radiating from it, somewhere deep inside her rises a flood of feelings. Recognition. Yearning. Wistfulness. Whether those emotions are hers or not, that beautiful scabbard is no doubt calling out for her.

Slowly, her hand treads toward it—

A gasp leaves Artoria's lips. The moment she brushes on the smooth surface, the golden dust emitting from the scabbard follows up to her arms and spreads over her body. Wherever it goes, the wounds mend until there isn't a single scar. More than that, the golden dust seems to energize her as it is absorbed into her.

Artoria sits up and stares dumbfounded at the smooth skin of her once-a-mess arm. She then feels the slash on her chest. The remains of dry blood and cuts on her shirt are the only evidence that it ever existed. Shakingly, her fingers touch her swollen eyelids, which were puffed up after all the crying.

"They disappeared!" Artoria exclaims in awe.

"Those are the first things you should be concerned about?"

At her genuinely confused look, Berserker just sighs. He shakes his head. "Anyway, I guess a scabbard would never fail to notice its owner, huh…"

With a flick of his wrist, the said object disappears in faded light. Berserker then pauses, looking at Artoria, who is staring dejectedly at the empty air. He pulls the red coat left abandoned on the ground and swiftly wraps it around her shoulders, securing it. Only then Atoria notices the tear on her shirt is rather… revealing. Immediately, a fierce blush finds its way on her face. She clutches the cloth closer to her body while there is hardly a change in Berserker's expression.

See what she meant? That man is just damn chill with everything!

"If you can stand now, then hurry up. We wasted enough time." Berserker props on his knees and stands up, oblivious to her turmoil. Accepting his offered hand, Artoria gets on her feet.

"Are we going somewh–"

"Myyyyy MASTERRRRR…! "

A blur of red and pink crashes into her with the force of a truck, almost knocking her over if not for a pair of arms quickly snarking around her neck and pushing her head into two soft mounds.

"My Master! I only took my eyes off you for merely a second and you already cheated on me!" The hug tightens up with each word. Even on the verge of suffocation, Artoria can recognize this whiny voice. "Lucky for you this cat is so, sooo generous! I don't mind polygamy, but you oughta keep it modest– woofie ?!"

Artoria gasps for the sweet air the moment Tamamo Cat is yanked off her. If it was one second later, she would be sent back to the deathbed again. Servants' strength is certainly something to fear.

"What is your problem?" Tamamo Cat snarls at the Servant who is still holding her by the belt of her kimono while Artoria is busy taking the oxygen back into her lungs.

"My problem is a vixen clinging to my Master and almost choking her." Berserker growls back. He tosses Tamamo Cat away when she attempts to scratch his face. Flipping her body in the midair, The fox-cat Servant lands on all four.

"That's just mean! I'm a CAT! Want me to claw off that obnoxious, facial muscle-dead face of yours?!" Tamamo Cat hisses, claws out and fur stands up on end. "There can be only one Berserker for my Master anyway!"

Unfazed by the intense murderous aura, Berserker simply sneers. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

"...Uh, guys? You aren't seriously going to fight right now, right?" Recovering enough, Artoria nervously asks.

-Yup, they are totally serious

Berserker has summoned a double voulge from nowhere and spins around his arm and… fire (?!) begins to flicker around Tamamo Cat's tail.

"I will show you real hell!"

"Is that all you could bark?"

"Hey, hey, cut it out!" Artoria tries to raise her voice above the commotion. "Can we please sit down and have a conversation where no one talks about killing anyone?"

Only a loud explosion that blasts through the basement answers her. Shockwaves, heat, and dust blow at Artoria's face.

On her forehead, a tick mark twitches.

"I. SAID. STOP!" She yells, stomping a foot down. Immediately, the two Servants drop to the ground altogether like fallen fruits, startling Artoria out of her frustration. From her inspection, none of them seems to suffer any injury although Tamamo Cat does whimper a bit. They also don't look like they would be able to get up any time soon, however. She wonders what caused this.

"You… idiot!" Spatting the dirt out of his mouth, Berserker scowls. "Look what you just wasted a Command Seal for?!"

At his remark, Artoria looks at the back of her hand. The wing-like mark on the right side of her Command Seals has faded away into a faint bruise without her knowing. Come to think of it, Artoira felt a faint throb on her hand at some point back then, but she was too irritated to care.

"... well, at least now we all can have a civilized conversation." She shrugs and takes a seat on the nearby concrete block, crossing her arms.

"Don't make light of the situation." The Servant continues to lash out. "A Master's Command Seals are both an emergency measure and method of governing the Servant. With powerful Berserkers or those who have the Independent Action skill, the Command Spells may be the only possible way to order them. For example, what will you do when your Servants choose to turn on you the moment all your Command Seals are used up?"

Artoria eyes the back of her hand again, and turns to him. "Are you going to betray me?"

"This cat would never, woof! So, my Master, let's tie this rat up and dump him in the river right here, right now!" Tamamo Cat speaks up before Berserker can. Stars twinkle in her eyes while the other Servant looks like he would have skinned her alive if they weren't paralyzed.

"What part of "for example" did you not understand? And don't take advantage of Master's naivety, you chimera."

"What did you just call me, huh, you punk?!" seethes Tamamo Cat. Artoria buries her face into her hands as a new round of bickering begins.

She feels so, so tired, all of a sudden.

"Okay, enough!" Artoria cuts them off, massaging her temples. "As I said, no one talks about killing anyone. And no more name-calling, either."

By now, the effect of the Command Seal has faded to some extent, allowing Tamamo Cat to shakingly scoot behind her. The fox lady hugs her again, with much more reasonable strength, and sticks her tongue at Berserker. The other Servant glares back. Although not as open with his feelings as her, Berserker does move closer to Artoria once he stands up.

While unable to fathom why these two dislike each other this much, Artoria's relieved to see they both are more willing to listen. She may not show it outside, but Berserker's warning struck home. The question she asked him before was half joking, and half serious. Artoria is just one feeble human who only has these strokes of Command Seals to hold over those Servants with inhuman strength. If she lost them all, it might be over for her.

She must take careful consideration of their usage. Like it or not, Artoria is a Master now.

She needs to get it together.

"Right now, I have so many questions and you will answer me only when I call your name." Her two Servants nod. "First, Tamamo— I mean, Cat. I'm glad to see you again. Are you okay?"

"My Master, I know you missed this Cat!" Tamamo Cat beams up and nudges her cheek with hers affectionately… Artoria decides it's best to mention she might or might not forget about the fox lady for a while. "Don't worry, a puny building wouldn't be enough to put me down, mraw! But when I woke up, there were those skeleton things that jumped on me! I managed to chase them away but my power was so down that I stopped by a nice spot and took a nap!"

There's a brief pause when the gears inside Artoria's head crash. She pushes the other woman's face away to gape at her

"...You are saying you didn't show up because you were taking a nap?" Incredulous, Artoria repeats. Tamamo Cat bounces her head enthusiastically.

"Yup!"

Another moment of silence passes. Artoria desperately reminds herself to be patient, because these people are capable of breaking her neck like snapping a toothpick. So punching them will lead to a consequence she certainly doesn't want to deal with, especially the moment her Command Seals all run out.

"I… guess as long as you are unharmed, it's fine." She deadpans, which Tamamo Cat doesn't seem to notice. In response, the Servant barks happily and embraces her again. Giving out a registered sigh, Artoria turns to the other Servant whose face is unreadable as he watches them.

"Berserker– no, the other Berserker, Cat, I just asked you and I would have called you "Cat", please explain to us why this Holy Grail war is so wrong."

"So you're aware of it then. Spares me the trouble." Berserker says satirically. Folding his arms, he leans on his back foot. Is it her or is he more moody than normal? "Loath to say but even I don't know why. One night, a fire suddenly broke out and engulfed the town, killing all the humans. Strangely, despite losing our Masters, we Servants kept remaining. In the midst of that, Saber restarted the War again…"

Berserker trails off, contemplating as though searching for something before shaking his head. "... Sorry, Master. My memories are a bit detached since I was killed at that point. But the chance was Saber had cut down all other Servants, saved for one. Caster, by his cowardly way, managed to escape. Letting the fallen get corrupted and continue to roam around, Saber then withdrew to guard the Grail herself. She didn't tell me why. However, since it was her, there must be a reason…"

The troubled look that Berserker tries to hide under his bang occurs to Artoria that he might not lie about his memories becoming fuzzy. She frowns at the information she just acquired. That explained a lot about how she always feels this town is too vacant to the point only she and the Servants are the only ones alive–

Wait. Artoria snaps her head back at Berserker.

Did you just say you were killed?!

"Are you a zombie ?!"

"Again, it's the first thing you should be concerned about?" Berserker narrows his eyes whilst Artoria adverts hers in embarrassment. The Servant scoffs. "Technologically, I used to be a dead body kept together by miasma. After that abnormality of a ritual you forced on me, I gained a sturdier vessel or whatnot. But I guarantee you, even as a walking corpse, I can finish the job just fine like any normal Servant."

Artoria can swear there is a thin layer of irritation beneath his grunt. She didn't mean to offend him, really. What she intended to ask got mixed with what she was thinking, again.

"Sorry. It wasn't like I doubted your ability…" She coughs into her hand and resumes before the atmosphere becomes more awkward. "Uh, so. To stop this Holy Grail war…?"

"We have to kill both Caster and Saber. The Holy Grail war will automatically end once all the Servants are defeated." Berserker finishes it.

Artoria groans inwardly. She can guess that much. While she doesn't want to think about killing anymore after today, they seem to have no other choice. Now for the preparation, she has two Servants to balance the number, not to mention the other candidates from Chaldea–!

"Right! There are people who return to the past like me! I need to find them first." Artoria snaps her fingers, remembering her original plan. But to her confusion, Berserker regards her and then tilts his head.

"Why would you want to find those castaways?"

"Because we came from the same organization?" Artoria answers him with another question. His lukewarm reaction is weirding her out. "I wasn't supposed to take part in this mission, actually. There was an incident in Chaldea and, well… let's just say I very much want to hear a clear instruction about this since I lost my comm."

Unconsciously, Artoria touches the burn on the ragged sleeve of her shirt. Thinking about it gives her the ghost feeling of the scorching heat back in the Command Room.

"If you meant those wearing the clothes that smell like yours, I think I caught them somewhere downtown while tracking you down." Tamamo Cat chimes in at that moment. "Though the huge guy was heading in that direction, too. So I went the other way, and found you!"

"The "huge guy"?"

"She might refer to the Berserker of this Holy Grail war, Heracles." Berserker interprets for her.

"Heracles… Oh, the greatest hero in Greek mythology?" Artoria bumps her fist on her palm. "The one with twelve laborers?"

The nods from her Servants confirm her answer. They stare among themselves for a few seconds before sweats begin to gather on Artoria's forehead.

"Sorry but where did you say he was heading again…?"

A legendary Greek hero paired with Berserker class? Doesn't that just scream trouble?!

:::::::

Artoria shuts her eyes tightly to fight back the primal fear when her body is pulled down by gravity. Her teeth are clenched together to keep herself from screaming and accidentally biting her tongue while currents of wind blast around her rigid body, roaring in her ears.

A moment later, a firm arm wraps around her midsection, pulling Artoria closer to a warm body. Instantly, she clutches on it for her dear life, hiding her face into the broad shoulder.

A low chuckle reaches her ears.

"This is why I said you were such a baby." Berserker's voice trickles with amusement.

"Anyone would be a baby if they were thrown frickin' hundreds of meters up in the air!" Artoria half shrieks, half sobs into his ear, only for Berserker to snort further at her poor attempt to deafen him.

"See, my Master! You should have let this cat carry you. I would have handled you much more gently." Somewhere to the left from behind them, Tamamo Cat huffs. Without looking, Artoria knows for sure the fox woman is having a large pout on her face. That way of wording seriously concerns her and also...

What choice did she have back then?!

::::::

"My gosh! They are in serious trouble! We need to hurry–" Artoria bolted up on her feet, and staggered to the side when a dizziness unexpectedly assaulted her. If not for Tamamo Cat steadying her by the shoulder, she would have tumbled headfirst to the ground.

"Woah, easily there. My Master, if you are still tired, I can carry–"

"Good grief. Just what you'd do without me." Berserker scooped her up in his arms before the other Servant could finish. Taken by surprise, Artoria's arms flailed around before inevitably circling his neck to anchor her body. A healthy red showed up on her face once she registered what kind of pose they were in.

Using all her willpower and control, Artoria managed not to freak out. Since when Berserker was this assertive? After their contract was formed, all this man would do was get a rise out of her first, anything else could come later. Her mind swam. She really couldn't understand him.

"Uhhh… Berserker?" Artoria peeked up at him from under her bang. "Aren't you acting a little too strange? You weren't like this before Tamamo Cat showed up."

...She should have known something was off the moment that brief silence appeared again.

Berserker simply gave her a smile, plastic to the point it sent a jolt down Artoria's spine. His face betrayed nothing as he ignored Tamamo Cat whose enraged glare was boring a hole in him.

"Master, don't bite your tongue."

"Wha—"

was all Artoria could say before he abruptly hurled her up to the sky.

:::::::

If there is anything Artoria has learned after that, it is Berserker could be very petty.

"Although white suits you, Master. you should bring pants next time."

And very obnoxious. A petty, obnoxious pervert.

A string of colorful words runs inside Artoria's head as she squirms in his arm, forcefully tugging down her flapping skirt. She can feel smoke coming out of her head despite the chill of the night wind. Just who on earth designed a skirt to be this short for a field mission?!

"Hold on… I'm wearing tights. How did you know I–" Artoria snaps her eyes open, only to catch Berserker's smug smirk. Blood rushes up to her face in both mortification and indignation. "You tricked me!"

"You're just too gullible." Under her dagger glare, the Servant chortles up without a single guilt, causing Artoria to seriously consider whether or not she should pinch his side and risk breaking her neck. The consequences be damned.

"The joke aside, you should open your eyes and look around, Master. Or else you would regret it later." Berserker chuckles for a last time and turns his head forward. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime view"

Throwing a last curse at him inside her head, Artoria follows his gaze. She squints a bit when the wind brushes against her eyes before a gasp instantly leaves her lips. At this height, the whole city, the mountain's outline, and even the harbor from far away fit inside her vision.

All are engulfed in eternal fire.

"Spectacular, isn't it? A crimson hell on Earth." Berserker's voice draws her eyes back to him. He isn't looking at Artoria when he hops from the roof of an abandoned building to another. His face may be a perfect picture of impassiveness, but somehow, she can sense an unnamed emotion buried beneath. Glancing over the flame-contaminated city, inside Artoria also stirs a vague feeling.

She wonders how this city had looked before this cruel catastrophe hit it.

Finally adapting more to the moment of falling and soaring up, and certain that Berserker won't drop her, Artoria feels comfortable enough for her stiff muscles to relax. Sweeping her hair aside, she looks at the other Servant and calls over the howl of the wind.

"Cat, where was the last time you saw them?!"

"Somewhere around there!" Tamamo Cat gestures in the direction they are heading. Raising her head, the Servant inhales deeply before her eyes snap open. She points toward the foot of the mountain. "Inside that building…! The huge guy is near there, too, woof! Only a few meters in fact!"

Artoria squints at the building in concern despite a part of her wondering how the fox lady got all that information just by sniffing the air from this distance. If what Tamamo Cat claimed was true, time isn't on their side right now.

"We won't be able to make it… if only there is something we could use to alert them…"

Suddenly, an idea comes to her.

"Berserker! Can you give them a warning shot?"

"I still don't see the point why we should go this far for them… but very well." Berserker sighs mockingly under her hard stare. "Hold on tight, Master."

Shifting her weight on his arm, a flash of red sparks on his other. Artoria watches in awe as a crimson spear materializes from the thin air to his waiting hand. Borrowing the strength of his next jump, Berserker pulls back his shoulder and with a perfect form although having to carry another person, throws the weapon. The spear sails like a crimson star across the sky into the building.

And blows it up.

Artoria's mouth drops. She thinks she distinctly heard Tamamo Cat "wow " behind them. From their falling point, she can see the roof, including a large corner of the building, falling apart behind a column of smoke and fire.

"There. That dog should appreciate it since I sent him his beloved stick." The corner of Berserker's lips lifts into a smirk, looking mighty pleased with the inside joke that only he understood.

Artoria for her part, keeps staring at the sight. Her head blanks out.

So it was too much to ask for a warning shot, wasn't it?

"...Down."

"Hm?"

Berserker glances at her from the corner of his eyes. Artoria pays him no mind and monotony repeats. "I said. Down."

"But–"

"Down. Right. Now !" She growls. This time, her Servant obeys without objection.

They land on a vacant street with Tamamo Cat following shortly. Without waiting for Berserker to set her down, Artoria jumps down from his arms as soon as his feet touch the ground and immediately paces. After a few minutes of watching her wearing grooves into the road, Berserker opens his mouth but she raises a hand.

"Don't. Just. Don't. I'm just so mad at you right now. So don't speak."

The Servant rolls his eyes while Tamamo Cat glances between them cluelessly. Artoria blesses whatever God out there that they both keep their mouths shut for once. She desperately needs some silence right now to gather her wit.

She is not freaking out, alright?

She goes downright crazy because she just abetted a murder!

All seventeen years of living in righteousness vanished with one shot. How will she be able to look her grandfather in the eyes when she gets back home—

A loud explosion up ahead makes Artoria jump. Glancing up, she sees a great giant made of wood rise above the ruins of Fuyuki. Its whole body is covered in raging flame. The cracking sound echoes all the way to where she stands.

"What the heck is that?!" Exclaiming, Artoria scrambles back until she hits a solid and warm wall.

"It's a Noble Phantasm." Berserker says from above her. "I thought you knew about it, Master?"

"I heard about it. This is the first time I saw a Noble Phantasm in real life!"

"Then you saw one." Her Servant shrugs. "Look like your friends are alive and kicking. Well, If that was enough to wipe them out, then it was because of their own incompetence."

Before Artoria can flip out, Berserker drops something heavy into her arms. "Hold this, Master."

Blinking down at the smooth black wooden surface, her annoyance is momentarily forgotten.

"What is this?" She draws the hilt out slightly to regard the silver metal.

"A katana. Based on your hit-and-run style, this is the most suitable one. You know how to wield it, right?"

"I know what a katana is and how to handle it. I'm asking why you gave me it?" Artoria frowns up at him as Tamamo Cat approaches and gives the said object a curious poke. The weight and the length of the blade are just right. It's almost like holding her own katana, which she regrettably left behind at Chaldea.

"A means to protect yourself in case a useless chimera fails to do so." The said chimera lets out an indignant "hey", and is promptly ignored. "Though all those twerps should have gone with Rider's death… better safe than sorry. I will scout out the situation first since my Master insists on giving a helping hand to the others regardless of knowing they are friends or foes."

With that, Berserker melts into the shadow of the collapsed building and vanishes. Artoria stares at the empty space in front of her at a loss until anger bubbles up inside her. She opens her mouth—

"No way! That bastard's about to hoard all the fun!" Tamamo Cat dashes off in a blur before her Master can say a word.

"Cat? Cat, wait…!" Artoria yells after her. However, the fox lady has disappeared from the corner. Hand still stretching out, Artoria, once again, finds herself standing alone in the middle of a vacant street.

"... Why did nobody listen to me for ONCE ?!"

The exasperated "once " echoes through the night, with no one answering it.

Handling two Berserkers at one has never been easy, hasn't it? Good luck, Master Artoria~

Also, the next chapters will be next week. See ya again!