Kaleidoscope Grand Order

by Zacchaeus the Cheater

His story ended early, only for it to start anew in a different world unlike his own. A world where secrets and mysteries are abound and plentiful. Unceremoniously thrust upon a position where humanity's fate solely lies on his shoulders, Sasuke Uchiha must once again fight to protect the world and secure humanity's future. This time, as Chaldea's sole Master.

3. Chapter 3 - Shield's Light

AN: Wow, this took a bit longer to write. Been busy with stuff.

Regarding Sasuke being a wee bit OOC, it's explained in chapter 1. This isn't the old Sasuke who was riddled with issues. This Sasuke is reformed, has learnt his lesson, and allows himself to have friends to adapt to the new world he's in.

This Chapter's just a bit of action here and there, and training stuff.

Anyway, here's chapter 3. Enjoy.

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Chapter 3 - Shield's Light

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Fate was a fickle concept. Ever changing and uncertain. Never really in any one track, always on the vague path. Even when one pushes their limits to change and manipulate it to their whims, no matter how one may manage to rise atop the world, fate just seemed unstoppable. It was an omnipresent, omnipotent, but uncertain concept that may choose to bless you on some given days, or curse for the rest of your life. It was fate that gave him a happy beginning, and it was fate that gave him a bitter ending. It gives, and it takes away.

He chuckled darkly. A pathetic, self-loathing sound.

He really should have seen this outcome coming.

Just because things turned out this way didn't mean he had to blame a cosmic, abstract concept. Ultimately, it was his choices and decisions that led to things turning out the way it did. There's no denying or hiding from that fact. He'd unwittingly been a willing prisoner for bloodlines long past. An incarnation of revenge so pitiful that a wet kitten would have been more menacing. He'd stomped on his connections, spat on his brother's convictions, and concocted an idea so divorced from the ideals he should have been fighting for that it honestly sounded so ridiculous now that he'd had time to think about it. All for a dream so selfish yet so selfless.

Even so… even if it was something that all people of the world disagreed with, his revolution… had always been something born from his genuine loyalty for the world. Out of a deep sense of duty towards the world that crafted his very being, that shaped his very nature. The world that gave him his family.

To root out the core problem of the world that's deeply entrenched within the ninja system.

Still, he wouldn't say he regretted it. But… he was glad Naruto was able to stop him.

…

…

…

"…Sorry, Naruto… Looks like… I won't be able to atone for my sins after all…"

"Bastard… Keep your eyes open! L-let's wait for Sakura-chan! Just… just hold on for a little while! Come on! This ain't how things should've turned ou- !?"

The boy stopped shouting when his dying friend summoned the very last remnants of his strength to lift his remaining hand and offering it to him. The blonde boy recognized the seal. It was the rat handseal, to dispel the Infinite Tsukuyomi that still imprisoned all but select few living beings in the whole planet.

"You're… too loud, idiot."

"Kh!"

The hero reciprocated, completing the handseal, thereby freeing the planet's populace from the infinite dreams.

That was it. It was the last of his chakra, his life force. Bit by bit, he could feel himself getting weaker. He was already blind, and he felt his sense of touch going numb as well. Finally, he felt his lungs bloat and pucker, as if to desperately and failingly provide him with air. Then, his mind had slowly gone blank.

"Heh… Looks like… it's finally time… Naruto. I'm… sorry. My… one and only… friend."

"Sasuke… SASUKE! Don't you die on me now, you bastard!" The blonde Ninja shouted, tears streaking down his bruised cheeks. Desperation and hopelessness reverberated in his voice.

The dying ninja's tired eyelids finally closed.

"Hey! SASUKE!"

His muscles relaxed, brain activity ceasing.

"SASUKE!"

…

…

…

Then oblivion.

'So, this is death…'

---

Singularity F – Fuyuki, 2004

"…And that's pretty where we are right now. Sasuke-kun there is the only qualified Master around for this field research." Romani told the Caster, recounting the recent events.

"Hmm." Cu Chullain hummed, digesting what he'd heard.

"I wanna confirm something. You're a Servant from this Holy Grail War, and the sole survivor, correct?" The Chaldean doctor asked.

"If by that you mean I haven't lost, sure. This Holy Grail War's changed into something else entirely about halfway through the war." The man briefly adopted a somewhat miffed expression, "I'm not so sure how it happened either. Everything was just suddenly engulfed into flames, and every human vanished. With us Servants the only things running around the damn place."

Mash widened her violet eyes as she heard him. "…Vanished? B-but how…?"

The Caster shrugged. "Wish I could tell you. But as it stands, I know about just as much as you do."

"So then, what happened after that?"

The Child of Light stared at the burning sky, keeping a brisk walking pace alongside the Master and the two Servants, "Well, after that, Saber was the first to resume the War. That chap… or should I say, King Arthur…" He spared a curious glance towards the mounted knight, seeing that she had remained idle at the mention of another version of her. "…started rampaging like a tiger released from a cage. Assassin, Lancer, Archer, Rider, and Berserker were all defeated by her, then turned into Shadow Servants, basically, by some black mud."

His watch pinged, materializing the screen and displaying the young Director on it. "The survival of the Seven Servants… That rule of the Holy Grail War was broken here."

"And in the end, you won, Caster. Or rather, you're the only one who survived?" Mash asked.

The blue-clad Caster nodded affirmatively, "Yep. If Saber defeated me, I'd have turned evil just like those guys. They, alongside the monsters that sprung up like maggots started looking for something together like some kind of a hivemind. The troublesome part is that I'm one of the things they're looking for. You see, the Holy Grail War won't end until I'm killed."

Romani emerged from the side of the screen, "So then… You and Saber are the only ones to survive. Then if you defeat Saber…"

"Yes, that would probably end the Holy Grail War here. But I don't know whether things will go back to normal."

The young Director's seemed to have realized something, "I see. So you helped Sasuke and Mash, but in the end, it was for your own goals. You can't beat Saber on your own, so you zeroed in on them, right?"

Cu Chullain's carefree smile never left his face the entire time, "That's right. But it's not particularly a bad deal, is it? I'm willing to help you solve whatever it is you want to look into here, but you'll have to beat Saber with me."

Olga Marie's expression remained self-assured, "That's a rational proposition. We'll have to fight this Saber sooner or later anyway. Besides…"

"I will fight her. Preferably alone." The silent and stoic King of Knights, who had been listening to the conversation in earnest, stated. Confidence oozed from her words. But yet, no trace of arrogance in it.

All present turned to look at her.

"…Hmph, yes of course. With our own King Arthur here, this Holy Grail War's Saber should be no problem." Olga Marie opined.

Sasuke stayed silent. This girl really has a penchant for tempting fate.

The Caster shook his head, amused. "Heh, of course you're going to say that. Can't say I didn't expect that."

The Master turned his head up to look at the mounted knight, "Are you sure about this, Artoria?"

"I am, Master. Worry not, I will vanquish her. That is for certain." The mounted knight calmly answered. "If it should ease your worries, I will call for aid when I require it."

Sasuke nodded. "Very well."

The former ninja was admittedly ignorant with how strong these Servants are. He didn't know what statistics or parameters to consider that makes up a Servant's strength. He didn't know magic, Magical Circuits, Mystic Codes, or other such terms. He was essentially as blind as a bat. He theorized though, that the 'popularity' of a Servant's legend must be one of the contributing factors for their strength, based on how revered King Arthur was. Still, if King Arthur had said she could handle another King Arthur, who was he to refute her? At any rate, a battle between two iterations of King Arthur should be a good learning experience, if nothing else.

The Child of Light hummed to himself, "Well, that takes care of that. That leaves one last thing; your goal. You said you folks are from Chaldea, right?" At the Shielder's nod, he continued, "Then what you're looking for is probably the Greater Grail." The Caster informed.

At the screen, Romani perked up upon hearing the unfamiliar object. "Greater Grail? What's that?"

"It's this land's true "heart". You said this place is a Singularity, right? If that's true, then it has to be the cause for the Singularity's materialization." Cu Chullain explained, although it was clear to the Uchiha that he was just making educational guesses on the subject. As far as he's concerned, that's enough information, given their circumstance. "However, Saber's currently guarding the Greater Grail, along with the other Shadow Servant, Archer."

Sasuke nodded, "I see. Then one thing's clear. We'll have to get this Greater Grail, at any cost. That should likely end this Singularity's manifestation."

The Caster eyed him, impressed, "Whew, glad our Master here has a good head on his shoulders. That's right, you'll need to acquire the Greater Grail. At least, that's the only thing where all of this is leading towards."

Sasuke continued, "Then here's the plan. I want you, Caster, alongside Mash to deal with Archer. While Lancer deals with Saber. I'll be monitoring Lancer, in the event that she needs assistance."

Caster nodded, a toothy smile plastered on his face. "Sure, Leave Archer to us."

The Shielder girl seemed like she wanted to refuse, "E-eh? B-but I can't protect you if that's the case, Senpai."

The Master looked at her, seeing her worry in plain sight, "Don't worry, Mash. Saber will be occupied with fighting Artoria. She'll have no opportunity to harm me."

The King of Knights of the Lance nodded her helmeted head, "That is correct. I swear on my name, title and accomplishments, that no harm shall befall on Master. You need not concern yourself with his safety, Mash."

Mash's expression eased up a bit, "Then I leave Master to you, Artoria."

"Of course. This fight will not last long." Artoria replied.

The Irate Director popped up animatedly, "H-hey, you might be the Master there, but don't just make any rash decisions without MY consent!"

Romani shook his head sheepishly, "Oh come on, Director. That was a perfectly good plan, all things considered. There should be no problem unless something unexpected comes up."

"And who told to voice your opinion, Romani!?"

"Eek, I'm sorry!" The Doctor retreated out of view.

With an exasperated sigh, the Chaldean Director turned to look at the Caster, "Well, since we're about to fight them, you might as well tell us about them. How strong are they?" She inquired, somewhat anxiously.

"Don't worry. Archer can be dealt with. Especially with Girlie here with me. Saber though…" The Caster, who had been keeping a carefree front, frowned at the thought. "Well, let's just say she could have flicked me like so much as a fly. So, I'll be entrusting Saber with your own Lancer there."

The mounted knight stayed idle, as though not acknowledging the conversation at all. But Sasuke could tell that she was keenly aware of what was being spoken.

After a moment of silence, the Director spoke. "Okay, I understand the situation now. I'm sure it's already been established, but Mash, Sasuke, team up with that Caster there and obtain the Greater Grail." Her eyes turned from the Master and Servant duo to the blue-clad Caster, "Now then, Caster, show us the way, will you?"

The Druid smirked at the Chaldean girl. She'd been acting very much like a strong and stern woman. A head honcho of Chaldea who has to keep acting like an indomitable leader to keep appearances. To keep what she really was inside a closed, tight-lidded secret; a girl who's emotionally distraught and utterly terrified. Forced to play the role of a pillar for Chaldea so the whole organization stayed intact. She impressed him, she had the will and the spirit. Few people possessed such qualities, even during his time. That said, he pitied her just as much, if not more.

"Fine. I'll take you there. It's Master's call when we'll make our move though. It's there, under that temple." The Caster pointed at a temple at the distance, situated on top of a hill. Its outline visible through the smoke and ash permeated by the burning city. "There should be a cave entrance under the it."

"Thank you. Now then, we're counting on you, Sasuke." Olga Marie said, before cutting the connection.

It was another 15 minutes of walking and fighting the undead when they arrived at the temple. The Ryuudou temple, as Sasuke had come to know thanks to a nearby street sign they passed by. It was by that time that Sasuke noticed Mash's emotional distress. She looked depressed, and it's clear there were a lot in her mind right now. Going into a battle like that often proved to be suicide in the ninja world. He doubted it would be much different here.

Sasuke slowed down, until Mash was beside him. "Is something the matter, Mash?"

Mash looked at him in surprise, before devolving into an expression of shame. "W-well, yes. I hate to be the one to say this, but… um, under your command, Senpai, I've gained enough experience. And yet… I'm still unable to unleash my Noble Phantasm. I don't even know how to unleash it." Sasuke's first ever Servant looked down dejectedly, "I'm like a defective Servant."

"Fou..." The small white animal sounded from her shoulders, as if to console her.

Chaldea's screen materialized, with Roman seemingly at the helm for the time being. "Oh, so that's what you're worried about. You have such a strong sense of responsibility, Mash." Romani stared at her, his expression oddly reminded the Uchiha of his mother, Mikoto. When she would admonish him over small things he did as a toddler. Fond memories, indeed. "But I don't think these things can be settled overnight. After all, It's a Noble Phantasm. If a Heroic Spirit's secret weapon can be mastered in a day or two…"

"Then Heroic Spirits wouldn't be special. They lose what makes them Heroic Spirits in the first place." Sasuke finished for him.

Romani smiled at him, delighted at Sasuke's understanding of things that should have been wholly unfamiliar to him. "Precisely. That's why you shouldn't be feeling too bad when you can't manifest you Noble Phantasm in literally just hours in in your Servanthood."

"I haven't entirely grasped the concept of Heroic Spirits and Noble Phantasms, but I do know that there's nothing wrong with taking these things one step at a time, Mash." The Master reassured.

The Shielder looked up at him with almost tearfully, before steeling herself and smiling. "I-I see. Thank you, Senpai, Doctor. I… I'll do my best!"

The Master's lips briefly displayed the smallest of smiles, something the Servant barely picked up on.

Caster joined in on the conversation, "Of course we can master something like that immediately. After all, we're a Servants. If the young lady here can fight as a Servant, she should be able use her Noble Phantasm at the very moment. After all, a Servant and a Noble Phantasm are essentially one and the same." He said.

The Shielder drooped down dejectedly at Caster's words, "And yet you can't, which means there's something wrong with you. Your Magical Energy is probably not circulating right. Let's see, enthusiasm? No, motivation, perhaps? Your emotions? Perhaps you've no will to fight? Whatever the case may be, you'll need to fix that if you want to be able to protect your Master."

"I-I see…" Mash muttered lowly.

"At any rate, you're not cut to fighting Archer the way you are now. Right now, you'd be sporting an arrow in between your eyes faster than you can lift your shield. Forget about protecting your Master."

Mash drooped down further.

"Caster." Sasuke warned.

"Ah, relax… I'm saying this because I don't want her to die, you know." He waved the Master off. "With that in mind, do you mind if we take a quick detour?"

Sasuke rose an eyebrow at his request, "For what?"

"Just a bit of a special training for girlie here. And don't worry about any injuries. I'm a Caster right now, so leave the healing to me." He answered.

The Master narrowed his eyes, "What sort of training do you have in mind?" He asked.

The Caster merely smiled, "Oh, you'll see. First, let's start off small." The man let go of his staff, which was now standing on its own without any support. The Caster then made a series of handsigns. Ones that were not too dissimilar with the handseals he was familiar with. Immediately after chanting a short incantation, a set of celtic runes materialized in front of him. "Here, let me inscribe some misfortune runes… and, we're done. That should do it." The blue-clad Caster eyes his handiwork with a smile.

Sasuke's suspicion only grew, however, when the runes the Servant conjured was promptly inscribing themselves onto his shirt. "…What are you doing?" The Uchiha asked apprehensively.

The Caster merely smiled at him, "Relax, and stay put will you. This is all for little missy's training." He turned to look at the King of Knights, whose head was turned towards the runic symbols on her Master's person. She was extremely vigilant of the dangers the Caster's stunt could potentially pose. And the Caster himself knows he was at risk at getting skewered by the Sacred Lance, based on the Lancer Servant's agitated aura. Still, he pushed through with his plan. "Behave will you. You have my word that Sasuke here'll be fine… now do me a favor and stop pointing your lance at me." Cu Chullain told the Knight, who didn't seem to acknowledge his words.

Shortly after, the Lancer relented and relaxed. Still, she was keenly observing the proceedings. At the ready should something goes awry.

"Be alert, missy. Trouble will be here any second now." The Caster said to her, before pointing towards a literal horde of skeleton warriors fast approaching their position. "Ah look, here they come."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the runes, studying them. This Caster was more troublesome than he thought. The guy inscribed what's basically a sort of bait spell on him to lure in the undead. He can only assume he wants Mash to fight them as a test.

The Child of Light scanned his form, before shaking his head, "Hmm, this isn't enough. The fact that you can fight means the stakes really aren't that high. So here…" The man conjured another batch of runes.

'What!?' Sasuke internally exclaimed in surprise.

From underneath the ground where he stood, a small, human-sized tree emerged. It wrapped itself into his body, thoroughly preventing him from moving beyond slightly wriggling his limbs. It was a tree conjured from sorcery, strong and sturdy enough to hinder his strength even with chakra amplification. No, it wasn't strong or sturdy, per se. It was actively draining his strength. Similar in concept to the First Hokage's chakra-draining Mokuton constructs.

'Troublesome.' Sasuke thought.

Understandably, the King of Knights was livid, "Caster, you…!"

"Didn't I tell you to relax, Lancer? And besides, this is an effective training methodology, and you know it. It's for the girly's sake." The Caster told her. And he was right for the most part. It was indeed a provably effective method to train oneself. After all, one can never truly get stronger unless faced with something beyond oneself - that is, her Master's safety. Truth be told, the King was also quite curious to see why Galahad has chosen this girl to be the bearer of his legend. She was interested in seeing what could come about from this. What miracle may rise when the girl is under genuine duress. Knowing the girl, the King didn't have any doubt that she will grow from this experience. Beyond that, unlocking Galahad's Noble Phantasm in itself is a huge boon in the fights to come.

The Caster smiled, "Seems you understand now. Great! Now be a good king and stand back, will you? Don't interfere if you can help it"

The mounted knight thought of driving her Holy Lance down the impertinent Caster's throat for daring to issue commands to her, but held back. She turned to her usual idle stance, and backed away from her Master's position. Though not so much a distance that Dun stallion cannot cross in one casual gallop. She was ever-ready, still, should her Master be faced with any real danger.

"W-what are you planning to do, Caster? You better not think of harming either of them in this little stunt of yours, you hear me!?" The Chaldean Director angrily shouted at him.

The blue-clad Caster was as carefree as ever, even as the Chaldean head honcho cursed at him, "Eh, relax, Miss Director. Believe me when I tell you this here'll only make little missy here stronger."

At the side of the screen, Romani sported an expression of worry. Though he was much calmer than the Director, "I trust that both Mash and Sasuke-kun will not be harmed with whatever your planning?"

"Of course. Just trust me, will you?"

"…"

"Okay, then…" Caster smiled, satisfied.

Mash, who had been worriedly observing her Master as he was bound by a druidic spell, was promptly reminded of the test she was currently undertaking when a rusty sword swept through the space where her head had been. Barely dodging the strike, before backpedalling and assuming a combat stance, her shield at the ready. With a mighty strike of her shield, the offending undead burst into pieces.

The Caster shook her head at her. "Better focus, missy." He pointed towards a batch of skeleton warriors heading towards her Master, "See there? Your Master's in a real pickle."

The skeleton warriors seem to mostly ignore her and go straight towards her Master. Most likely because of the misfortune runes inscribed on his shirt. They attacked her too, but only because she was in the way. This was going to be difficult. But she'll pull through. The Shielder could still feel her connection with her Master. The unknown energy coursing through her Circuits, like a flood of energy.

"Gh!" She leapt, crossing the distance between her and the skeletons aiming to harm her Master in a second. "Yaaah!" With a mighty yell, she swung the sharp end of her Shield, cleaving through several melee-ranged undead and preventing them from arriving at the Master's position. "Kh!" She grunted, as she moved to intercept a dozen arrows from ever touching her Master's skin. She stood there, in front of the Chaldean Master, like a guardian angel. Her shield a stalwart wall that prevented her enemies from going further in earnest. Every undead that dared to try their luck to pass through her was met with divine iron.

The Caster turned to face the struggling young Shielder, "To put it simply, a Noble Phantasm is part of a Heroic Spirit's instincts. It's hard to use it if you think too much. Therefore, you must first use up all of your Magical Energy, young missy!" He explained, before grinning toothily. "Man, I really am a genius!"

It was a harrowing seven minutes. The blunt face of her shield reduced dozens of undead into piles of inanimate bones like they should be. And the shield's sharp end cleaved, hacked and sliced her enemies, rivaling even the potency and power of legendary swords. She was exhausted, her arms and legs ached like they had been electrocute. And her bones protested underneath her strained muscles, like they had been subjected to intense pressure. But the girl pushed through, successfully destroying each and every one of the attacking undead. And most importantly of all, kept her Master safe.

She passed with flying colors, as far as the Child of Light was concerned, but… not yet

"I-I can't go on… Any more back-to-back battles – I'm sorry, Caster…" Mash said in between coughs and huffs of breath.

"Very good, missy! I'm impressed. Despite being basically just a newborn Servant, you're way stronger than I initially thought you'd be." His smile was genuine, even as he inspected her. "I wonder why that is. Are you possessed by a particularly high-ranking Heroic Spirit? No, it's not that. I sense some form of foreign energy in you. Something I'm sensing from your Master as well. How intriguing." His excitement turned to disappointment, however. "Though, did I miscalculate? You should have been able to use your Noble Phantasm by now… oh, well."

Leaning on her shield and struggling to even stand, the Shielder tried to speak her mind, "Huff… Rather than testing my will, please teach me some solid theories- "

Cu Chullain shook his head at her, "You just don't get it, do you… Meh, let's cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, I'm your opponent."

Mash widened her eyes, shocked and intimidated at the prospect of fighting a full-fledged Servant, "What!?"

Nonetheless, she steeled herself. Her resolve unchanged and unblemished.

The Caster smiled approvingly, "You better not hold back on me just because we're allies. After all, I won't be holding back when I kill Sasuke." Caster told the girl casually, as though he didn't just straight up told her that he was going to kill her Master, contradicting his oath to not harm him. He stood before her, his posture was completely relaxed and laidback. The girl could tell, from a glance, that this wasn't a serious battle at all. If it was, she was confident Caster would crush her as easily as a man would crush an ant.

"What!? Are you insane!?" A fuming Olga Marie voiced out, "See, this is what I've been telling you, Sasuke! You shouldn't be so quick to ally with unknown Servants. He's clearly one of those deranged Servants you fought earlier!"

The Caster only rolled his eyes, "Oh butt off, will you? I told you, didn't I? This is all for the sake of little missy's improvement." His eyes landed on the Shielder's, "Or perhaps you'd rather stay a hindrance and a burden to your Master? A Servant who can't even unleash her Noble Phantasm is a worthless Servant that needs to be thrown away, you know."

The Shielder stood resolutely, even faced with a superior, more powerful Servant. All that was in her mind was to protect her Master, nothing else. She wanted to be his shield, a shield that can protect him from every harm. And if that means defeating Caster, then she'll do it!

"I won't… I won't be a hindrance to Master!"

The Caster nodded, "That's what I like to hear! Alright, let's have a real Servant battle."

The Child of Light was the one to strike first. Firing a series of fireballs towards the Shielder. The girl was able to fend them off with no issue. Realizing the Caster would just keep throwing projectiles at her at long range, she opted to bring the fight at close range instead. She propelled herself towards the Caster, her shield at the front. The shield collided against a barrier of druidic bushes, strong enough to completely hinder a barreling Shielder's weight at sub-sonic speeds.

"That's it! Keep at it!" The Caster encouraged.

Mash slashed at the bushes, destroying the wooden wall. But before she could close their gap, the Caster had already finished chanting a spell. It was a particularly powerful energy blast comprised of earth energies. He fired it towards the Shielder with the intensity of localized bomb. Her shield flashed a bright light for moment, an intricate pattern of magics just in front of the shield. The blast landed, and immediately fizzled out the moment it did. Mash wasted no time, she was in front of the Caster in moments. Fortunately for the Shielder, Cu Chullain as a Caster wasn't as proficient in close quarters as his Lancer counterpart. That is, he lacked the physical gifts and aspects his Lancer incarnation possessed in droves. And so, she was able to land a few solid hits with her shield, even if most of her attacks were either dodged, or was unable to affect him at any significant extent. The last decisive blow was a kick to the midsection that sent the Caster flying backwards. Although he was able to recover shortly after.

*Pant* *Pant* *Pant*

Matching the Caster in combat had proven to be quite a challenging task for the Demi-Servant. She was teetering between being awake and unconsciousness by this point. Still, she pushed herself. She couldn't possibly fall now. She couldn't allow herself to fall! Not when she had someone to protect!

The Caster twirled his staff before slamming it on the ground, creating layers of fire on his person, "Good, good. I'm impressed, truly. But now it's time to finish this. Burn to the ground with your Master!" The Child of Light conjured another set of runes, likely in preparation for a powerful technique – a Noble Phantasm. "My spell is the coffin of flames, a giant of verdant thorn. Retribution, the forest that will purify human misery. Behold, as both evil and good bites the dust!"

"WICKER MAN!"

A gigantic humanoid-shaped golem made entirely of wood emerged from the ground. Its body was covered in blisteringly hot magical flames. Every step it took shook the very earth beneath them, creating a smoldering trail of fire and melted concrete. The construct was actively moving towards the Master. Waves of profound heat wafted through them every time the giant's foot collided with the ground. It was a truly powerful and magnificent magic. Something she shouldn't realistically be able to match.

And Mash, as weak as she was, was expected to protect her Master from it.

"Gh!" Mash gritted her teeth, covering herself and her Master with her shield from the golem's intense ambient heat. It wasn't long until the giant would flatten them into burnt smears on the ground if she didn't, or couldn't do anything to prevent it.

The Master looked on. His face looked unfalteringly stoic, but he'd been apprehensive since Mash's test began. Ever since she'd pushed herself to fight a literal horde of undead warriors. Even when she'd pushed herself to fight Caster and hold her own against him. The Shielder did everything she could to the best of her abilities. But it was as clear as day that she was drained and weak. And as admirable an effort she'd managed to showcase in the test so far, she couldn't possibly handle a full-fledged Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm. "Mash!"

At his call, she looked back towards him. Her expression was utterly defeated. Her weakness was plastered in plain sight. As though a helpless chick facing a predator. A face she strived to hide from her Master. However, upon seeing her Master's face, whose trust in her was absolute, and whose voice gave her existence meaning, she had changed dramatically. Her furrowed brows, her teeth gritted tight. The expression of utter helplessness and misery faded just as quickly as it came. Replaced by a hopeful and persevering smile, even as tears tugged at the corners of her eyes. An expression filled with courage and valor. A desire to protect someone. She nodded at him, before facing the construct yet again. This time, with the resolve of a Servant – nay, of a Knight.

'Ah… I must protect… I must unleash it, or Master will… even if it's fake, even if it's just for now… I must unleash it, or Master will…!'

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Mash shouted atop her lungs, just as the Wicker Man stomped on them with the intensity of a meteorite.

The impact did not connect with the ground, or the target, however.

Her shield emitted a light. A light so bright it could have blinded him. At the ninja's position, he could see that her shield had materialized some sort of magical pattern. A myriad of lines and circles, layers upon layers of barriers coalescing into a single surface. The magics the shield produced completely hindered the Wicker Man's stomp from flattening them into scorching meat pancakes, stopping its velocity and even blowing away the surrounding flames for good measure.

"Ah…" The Shielder muttered in surprise. "D… did I manage to unleash my Noble… Phantasm?"

The Child of Light smiled as he beheld her Noble Phantasm, like a proud teacher. A holy light that protects those precious to her. Shimmering with the user's hopes and ideals, just as much as her determination and strength. "Good. Guess that's enough." With a snap of a finger, the Wicker Man immediately vanished into motes of residual magical energy. And with it, the blisteringly hot atmosphere and the ambient heat.

Sasuke sighed in relief, as the comparably cool night's air washed over him. The wooden magics that restrained him had been lifted as well, allowing him free movement and mobility.

His Servant slumped down to the ground due to the excess exhaustion and pressure she was bottling up. Even still, she was smiling. She'd did it.

He walked over towards his first Servant, "I did it, Senpai. I… I really did it!" The former ninja heard his Servant's excited but tired voice, and he offered a hand to her head.

"Yeah, you did. Congratulations." The Master said to her, eliciting a teary-eyed, yet elated expression. A smile that symbolized her perseverance, hard work and endurance. He gently rubbed her head a few times, before retracting his hand.

The Caster slowly approached them. He looked no worse for wear, his carefree attitude at the front. "Whew, I knew you'd survive that. But I didn't expect you and your Master to not suffer so much as a single scratch on you. Great job! Well, little missy, I'm proud to declare that you are undoubtedly a first-rate Heroic Spirit."

"Fou, foouuu…" The small animal sounded, as if to congratulate her as well.

"That was surprising! I never expected her to unleash her Noble Phantasm that soon. Mash was never one with a strong will." Romani voiced out, still somewhat nervous from what he'd witnessed earlier.

"That's cause you simply got her all wrong. You may call the young missy here, a Protector. There's no point in teaching a bird how to swim. You need to teach a bird how to fly high." The Caster explained, "Although… she didn't get to obtain its True Name."

"True. Even though I can unleash it, I still don't know it's True Name, nor do I know the True Name of the Heroic Spirit I'm fused with." She said, slightly dejected.

"That matters not…" The clattering of hooves sounded behind them. Artoria's voice seemed satisfied… pleased, even. "That can come at a later time. For now, I offer my congratulations to you, Knight of the Shield."

Mash's violet eyes widened, before a happy smile set itself on her lips, "No way. A compliment from the King… Hehe, thank you."

The King nodded, "Of course, when my subjects achieve great feats, it's only natural for me to acknowledge them. It was not an easy undertaking. You deserve accolades for it."

"I-I see."

"Tsk! You'd do well not to repeat that stunt again, Caster. Or I'll make King Arthur there shove her Lance up your sorry rectum!" The Director snapped at the Child of Light. Huh. He certainly didn't peg her to have this much of a snarky side.

"Hmph, I would never subject my Sacred Lance to such a horrid fate and sully its divine light." The King spoke out.

Cu Chullain sighed, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Ouch. Can the both of you stop ganging up on little old me, please? I have feelings too, you know…"

A few moments of lighthearted banter later, Sasuke had determined that it was as good a time as any to rest up before the battles ahead. Especially with Mash's exhaustion in mind. "Let's rest here for now. Let's wait until Mash and I are fully rested. Is that fine with both of you?"

Caster nodded, "Yeah, sure. Besides, you can't be fighting Archer while exhausted like that."

"It is fine with me as well." The Lancer of the group said, as she dismounted from her mount and started brushing at Dun Stallion's mane.

With that, Sasuke sat down right beside his first Servant. The former ninja relaxed, allowing his chakra to regenerate, and his tiredness replenished. The smell of burning asphalt and concrete receded, replaced only by the slightly less unpleasant smell of burnish ash from the conflagrated city.

"Here, Senpai." He turned to look at Mash, who was extending a towel towards him. She'd taken it out of the shield's inner pocket, it seems.

"Thanks, Mash." He said, before wiping the sweat off of his forehead, cheeks and neck. He sighed, as a rare cold breeze washed over them, like an oasis on a dreary desert.

"On the subject of your Noble Phantasm, that was marvelous, Mash." Olga Marie told her, a rare smile settled on her face, "Even if you are inexperienced… Even if you are temporary… Your very wish unleashed your Noble Phantasm. You didn't have the slightest desire to obtain a True Name, to become one of the chosen – to become a true Heroic Spirit. Only the will to protect. That's why you unleashed your Noble Phantasm. Ahh, what an inspiring story. Just like a fairy tale."

Mash listened on, "Um… Director?"

The young heiress gave her a teasing look, "Don't worry about it. I was just teasing. I'm pleased that you're able to use your Noble Phantasm, is all."

"I-I see…"

"On that note… Since you still hadn't acquired its True Name, then there should be no problem in bestowing upon it a temporary name, right?. Using it without a True Name is inconvenient for you, after all. I'll think of a good spell for you."

That piqued Mash's interest, "A temporary name? Do you have something in mind, Director?"

The young Animusphere adopted a thinking pose, "Since it's a pseudo-deployment of a Noble Phantasm, Hmm, how about… Lord Chaldeas?"

Mash rose an eyebrow, "Lord… Chaldeas?"

The Chaldean Director looked quite proud of herself, "It's quite good, right? It's short, sweet, and rolls of the tongue. And it sounds quite gallant as well! And since Chaldea is a name that has meaning for you, activating your Spirit Origin with that name should be a good spell for you."

The Shielder smiled, nodding enthusiastically. "I agree. I think it sounds great! I suppose that's decided. Lord Chaldeas shall be its name… until I discover its True Name."

Sasuke left the girls to their own conversation as they gushed over the genius that is Olga Marie and her god-like ability of naming things.

"By the way, Senpai… Is it okay if I asked you something?" Mash asked shyly, a mix of hesitation and curiosity clouding her violet eyes.

Sasuke nodded lightly, "We're partners, Mash. Don't hesitant to ask me anything, so long as I can answer it." He told her, which prompted the girl to smile cutely.

"O-okay then, Senpai… Why do you… only use your right arm in combat?" Mash asked, recalling the previous fights where her Master had participated. He seemed to only use his right arm for his… magecraft(?). Transforming it into various futuristic weaponry, but his left arm seemed, almost absent… to a degree. Limp, even. It was like he fought like he had no left arm at all. But as far as she'd observed, his left arm was completely healthy and operational. It didn't seem like it had suffered a major injury recently, nor did it look like it was suffering from any notable muscle or bone illnesses she knew of. It almost felt like he was… intentionally handicapping himself.

She'd observed several instances in those fights earlier where he could have used his left arm to finish his battles more efficiently, such as against the crazed red-headed Berserker, or that lone skeleton warrior. But he didn't. She failed to understand why. He must have some important reason though, she was sure. After all, her Senpai was an extremely competent person who would never endanger himself (and humanity).

Caster joined in on the conversation, intrigued by the topic. Especially since he'd observed the same thing back when he was content on tailing them without revealing himself. The boy fought with one arm. And when his arm was occupied, he opted to use magecraft instead to conjure more limbs. It was a peculiar fighting style, to be sure. He didn't seem to recognize such form of magecraft either in his countless times being summoned, or in life, for that matter.

"I've had the same thought as well. What's up with that, kid? Why don't you use your left arm?" The Child of Light asked.

Olga Marie's screen popped up, "Wait, huh? He… he hasn't been using his left arm in combat!? What the hell were you thinking!? Wait, Roman. Do a full scan on Sasuke's physicals right now…"

"Doing it now! Yep, he's completely fine. There doesn't seem to be any notable injuries on his left arm at all. He's in tip top shape, so to say." Romani replied after a short pause. His response just served to piss the young Director off.

"You idiot! Why in the name of the Root are you fighting with only one arm!?" Olga Marie asked, which sounded more like loud screeching in his ears.

Her Master stared at Mash for a second, then moved his left arm about. "Oh that? It's just an old habit of mine. There's no particular reason for it." The Master answered casually, like it was no huge deal. It was like answering a casual question, with no particularly severe consequences attached to it whatsoever.

It was actually more of a punishment he'd enforced on himself. The logic was that since he'd lost his left arm, he shouldn't have it anymore. Having the arm was a luxury he was given, and one that he didn't deserve. It was part of the self-imposed restriction he'd put on himself. It was a conscious decision at first. He had to actively and consciously restrict his arm from moving. Over time, it became more like an unconscious thing. He wouldn't even notice it until other people would point it out. He guessed it developed into a habit in time.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

A peculiar silence reigned in, which the Master failed to notice.

"Oh… a habit…" The Shielder muttered beside him, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen between them.

Sasuke turned his head towards Mash, only to see her take on an expression of surprise and disappointment. Her eyes widened a bit, before an adorable pout took over.

"…You're fighting monsters and Servants, and endangering yourself because of a habit?" Mash muttered lowly. The disappointment in her voice was akin to a super fan who'd met her hero, only for that hero to turn out a helpless slob in person. Her face was a curious mix of upset, disappointed and worried. "Even though you were fighting against a Servant… someone who could have killed you easily then…"

"…Sasuke-kun, you're certainly… interesting, aren't you…" Romani commented offhandedly at the side of the screen.

"Hahahaha! This is great! A habit, he says!" Several paces from where he sat, Cu Chullain was guffawing his lungs off, clutching at his midsection. He personally failed to understand what was so humorous about his response.

"…" The Lancer remained quiet, still. But she'd been looking at her Master strangely.

"YOU. ABSOLUTE. IDIOT! You might as well tell us that you're actively trying to kill yourself! I swear, you better prepare for a proper scolding when you get back here!" The Director screamed at him, "Mash, do me a favor and pinch his cheek for me!"

His first Servant took on a determined, but stern look. An expression that positively says "you deserved this, Senpai" firmly displayed on her features. Her gloved hand made its way towards the side of his face, "Senpai… can I?"

"!?"

Before he could voice his refusal on the matter, her fingers had already pinched his cheek. Mash wasn't a normal girl by any means. She was a Servant, which made the act all the more painful. He allowed it. He most likely even deserved it. He could acknowledge his shortcomings, after all. The only thing to do about it is to recognize them and work himself to remedy such faults. It was foolish to only use one arm against an enemy he practically had no knowledge about, and one he was certain was stronger and faster than him. He could admit that much.

Still, it was an unconscious habit to not use his left arm. Like it was inherently wrong to use it, fundamentally speaking. It wasn't just a mere obligation. It was much more than that. Not using his left hand meant he was atoning for the sins he failed to atone in his past life. It was a personal cross he had to bear, so to say. He couldn't just simply let such things go, even being born in a new world shouldn't change that. Not while he had a conscience and a psyche.

Thankfully, Mash let go of his cheek, her face displaying clear signs of satisfaction. His cheek was red and bruised, but he let it be. They were worried, and it was foolish of him to fight like that on fights he was ill-familiar with. Still, if he could help it, he wouldn't use his left arm at all. He was sure Naruto would have told Sasuke that him dying was atonement enough, and that he'd paid the price in full. But he wasn't satisfied with that. Not even in the slightest.

The Demi-Servant looked at the Master's cheek and widened her eyes, realizing what she'd done, "A-ah! I'm sorry, Senpai! Let me put some ointment on that!" She scrambled to fetch a bottle of ointment that was stored inside the pocket of her shield.

"It's fine, Mash." Sasuke told her. "It doesn't hurt that much." He hovered a hand over it, wherein a soft emerald glow was invoked. It was the most elementary of medical ninjutsu. As a practitioner and inheritor of Orochimaru's ideals, at least formerly, he had mastered advanced medical ninjutsu, as was required. Immediately, the reddened bruise started going pale to match his skin. The lump vanishing just as quickly.

The whole action was keenly observed by all present Servants. The Caster seemed particularly interested in the young man's own brand of magecraft. He sure as hell hasn't seen anything like it.

Mash stared at her Master's healing magecraft in amazement, "Wha… you know healing magecraft too, Senpai?"

"Not magecraft. It's just simple medical ninjutsu." He responded, which was met with a questioning stare from the Shielder.

"Ninjutsu? I think I've heard of it before. Is that… the ninja arts that the ancient Fuuma clan practiced back then?" She surmised. Though of course, she guessed wrong. It wasn't time yet to tell her about his origins. He wasn't even sure if that time may pass at all.

"Yes. I suppose." Sasuke said, going along with Mash's inference.

The Caster clapped his hands loudly, attracting the attention of all that was present, "Alrighty then. Are the both of you rested up?"

Mash nodded, standing up from her seated position before dusting off her backside, "I feel pretty rested already." She turned to look at Sasuke, who was still seated down, "How about you, Senpai? If you're still tired, we can rest for a little longer."

"I'm rested as well." The former ninja said, standing up.

Caster nodded, "Good. Then before we go on to our final battle, there's one last thing I want do first…" He said, looking at the Master. His eyes probed at him like a curious scientist on a particularly interesting lab rat. Eyes glimmering in curiosity and interest.

With a confident smirk, the Caster pointed his Celtic rune staff towards the Master, "I want to test you as well." The Servant told the human, "Call it a spar. A practice before the fight, of sorts. Admittedly, I'm also interested in you, in general."

The blue screen popped up beside the former ninja, "Didn't I tell not to do this again, Caster!? What's with this all of a sudden?" Olga Marie questioned, unable to see the point of it.

The Caster waved her off, "Oh relax, will you. I promise I'll be gentle. Besides, I've got various healing and resuscitating spells should we need it."

A worried expression manifested on the Shielder's face. If her Master was to fight against a Servant on the level of Cu Chullain, even if it was a spar, her Master runs the risk of being seriously injured in the process. "W-wait! Does Senpai really have to do this? I do understand that he can fight, but against a Servant, he might get seriously hurt…"

The Caster merely smiled at the young girl, "Of course this is important, little missy. I want to gauge his fighting ability before we proceed. It's important to know your allies' abilities to supplement each other in a fight, after all." The Caster explained. While there is truth to what he's saying, it wasn't at all the reason for wanting to spar with the kid. Simply put, he's interested in his fighting abilities, and he wanted to see them first hand. That's all there is to it, really. In the innumerable times he's been summoned by countless mages for their own gain in various grail wars, he'd seen all kinds of magecraft that humanity had to offer. This kid possesses magecraft which he, curiously enough, hasn't seen before. Call it a Caster's curiosity.

"No! I absolutely forbid it! Don't you dare go ahead with this, Caster!" The Director practically shouted at him, which he all but ignored.

"I hold the same opinion with Mash and the Chaldean Director. There is no point in sparring against a Master is there, Caster?" The King of Knights said. Artoria willed Dun Stallion to walk towards them, until the King was at the Master's side. "Mash was one thing, but surely there is nothing to gain from doing this with a Master."

The Caster rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Oh, don't kid yourself. You know full well why I'm doing this. Your Master ain't exactly the type to stay put in the back lines, is he…" The Caster's gaze returned to the Master, who stood there calmly. "Let's just say I'm testing you if you're truly capable of fighting alongside your Servants or not…" He smirked, "And besides, aren't you two and the Chaldeans there interested in seeing what your Master is capable off?"

Mash, on her part, was on the fence. Seeing her Master fight might give her more insights on his capabilities in combat. She could then effectively develop her fighting style to complement her Master's own. Allowing her a deeper understanding on how he fights against Servant-level enemies, and how she could be of use to him in such events. They were partners after all. She was also, honestly speaking, curious as to what sort of magecraft he was using. But on the other hand, the risk of him receiving fatal injuries was too high for her to just accept Caster's proposal. He did say he's got some healing magic, but she didn't trust him enough for it.

The Shielder took on an agonized expression, unable to voice out her disapproval, yet unable to agree to Caster's plan as well.

The King at his side was silent, but her aura screamed 'I disagree' to the notion.

"I'll do it." Sasuke said, stepping forward.

"Wha? S-Senpai!?" Mash blurted out, surprised.

"Don't worry, Mash. It's just a spar." The Master told her, which did very little to ease her worries.

Cu Chullain grinned. "Good. Looks like you've got guts, after all. I like you a bit more now." He said as he observed the Master. The boy was a damn machine. He couldn't detect or feel any feelings or emotions of fear, nervousness or anxiety of any form from him, even as he was about to fight a Servant. It's almost like he's used to fighting. Then again… he should have been able to gather that much from observing his previous fights.

"Very well, I'll allow it. But do know that you'll face the wrath of my Sacred Lance should something decidedly unpleasant happens to our Master." The King of Knights threatened.

"Grrr… You better not do anything too excessive, you hear me!?" Olga Marie's voice was loud, stressed, and positively angry.

The Caster waved them off, "Yeah, yeah… I get it."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Sasuke assured them. It wasn't an empty statement, by any means. He knows his way in dealing with jutsu masters back in his world. He wasn't sure if he could apply the same tactics against sorcerers here, but it was worth a try. Keeping it up close and personal was usually the blueprint to fighting people like these.

When both were in place, the Caster twirled his staff in a battle stance, "You ready, kid?"

Sasuke merely nodded, activating the familiar pair of doujutsu.

The onlookers, two Servants, and the Chaldeans, looked on in bated breath and anticipation.

In response to the noticeable change in the Master's eyes and the strong oppressive aura he was suddenly exuding, the celtic Caster smiled. 'Mystic Eyes, huh. Wonder what they do.' He thought as he silently chanted some spells.

"Just a head's up, don't be so dumb as to only use one arm against." The Caster warned, his voice was deathly calm and cold. "You're probably gonna die if you do."

The Shielder's worry intensified at that, but remained calm on her position. She trusted her Master more than anyone. He wouldn't die here. She'll intervene if need be.

The Caster engaged, starting off by summoning thick magical roots from the ground which proceeded to target the Master. The human was nimble, however. Easily dodging and weaving through the magical roots as it chased him around. Another batch of roots emerged from the ground meters away from where he's heading, which forced him to jump in the air. The roots were relentless, as he weaved and pivoted to avoid the magics that were hot on his trail, even while in the air.

The former ninja was extraordinarily calm and stoic, even as a literal small forest chased him. This only served to impress the Caster, which motivated him to increase the speed by which the roots were moving.

Sasuke landed on the ground, and immediately had to jump away as a patch of shrubbery was summoned directly beneath were he landed. It would have made for a powerful binding technique had he failed to avoid it. Sasuke faced forward with narrowed eyes, as nature advanced on him like a multi-headed serpent aiming to devour him. The Master, seeing no point in running around for longer, opted to use his most familiar ninjutsu. His right hand rapidly went on a series of hand signs, an action that was observed keenly by all Servants in the field, including the Caster himself.

Mash mentally commented that the action vaguely resembled the ninja arts of old.

Cheeks puffed up, the former ninja's upper body leaned back. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The Master, akin to the winged phantasmal beasts of olden tales, released a highly potent ball of fire from his mouth. It was quite large, easily engulfing everything in its path, incinerating them to cinders and ash. The heat was such that the magical roots were instantly incinerated with no noticeable resistance.

Low and mid-level ninjutsu were actually some of the first things he'd managed to retain after discovering he still had his chakra system. Since then, he'd focused on practicing his chakra and ninjutsu when he had the time. It had been a comforting feeling to retain such abilities, if only as a reminder of the person he had been in the past. His fireball technique in particular was a memento of sorts. It was a symbol of his efforts in ninjutsu, and a symbol of the familial bond between him and Fugaku, his father.

Unhindered, the fireball easily dispatched of the earthen magics that the Caster had conjured and had to jump out of the way to avoid unnecessary injuries to his Graph. No human magecraft can harm him, but that was by no means regular human magecraft. Heck, it might actually be entirely separate from magecraft.

Suspended in the air, the Caster had to quickly materialize several defensive Celtic rune circles from all sides when dozens of ballistic heat-seeking missiles sought him out, encircling him like a pack of piranha. A second later, an explosion of pure energy engulfed the Celt's form, partially masking his presence and diluting the magical energy in the air with something foreign. Unsurprisingly, the Caster had successfully defended himself from the attack, defense runes taking all of the damage he would have otherwise sustained. Landing on the scorched ground softly like a feather, he wasted no time to return the favor by conjuring a series of Celtic fire runes and shooting them towards the Master. It sped towards the Master at speeds almost surpassing the speed of sound. It was a most casual attack, no effort behind it, no ill intentions other than to test the target's mettle. Still, it was most assuredly hotter and more intense than the Master's own fireball. It was as if the magics were fragments of the sun itself.

Sasuke reviewed the last few moments of their scuffle. As expected, long-ranged attacks didn't do much. By the time his attacks came remotely close to the Caster, he'd have already set up some form of defensive sorcery to quell his attacks. And its plainly clear that his magics were far stronger than his ninjutsu, fighting in ranged distances brings more risks than rewards. So, bringing the fight to him in melee range would be a preferable alternative, after all.

Towards the far side where the mock battle had taken place, at the Shielder's side, the King observed her Master with keen interest. The royal Lancer watched with fascination as her Master side-stepped, weaved and dodged the Caster's projectiles with swiftness she would have never associated with a human. Her Master avoided the Caster's magics as naturally as he walked down a park, like it had been second nature to him. It was plainly obvious to her right then, that her Master was exposed to such battles at an impressively young age. He fought as though he had faced such adversary innumerable times.

He moved with swiftness and fluidity, without any second thoughts. He didn't stumble or struggle through, as a human should when faced with the might of a Servant. He moved with calculated risk, every action taken with not a single hole or weakness to exploit. Possessing speed that would normally be impossible for a human. As Artoria watched, she could only admit one thing, that her Master was an exceptional fighter with endless potential.

The Lancer observed as Sasuke brought the fight to the Caster up close and personal. As soon as he was at the Servant's throat, he unleashed a series of blows. Artoria observed, that throughout the exchange, her Master's peculiar Mystic Eye had been glowing a bright red. Expectedly enough, her Master's blows had been either blocked or avoided entirely. The Child of Light, in his current incarnation, may be a Caster, but that didn't mean he'd suddenly forget his skills as a physical fighter who excels at melee combat. While his physical prowess had been significantly lowered in exchange for having more magical energy, a Servant's strength and speed are just inherently superior to that of a human, still. Not to mention he'd most certainly retained his instincts as a high-class fighter.

Her Master however did not relent. He did not show signs of frustration or weariness as the Caster avoided his blows with a haughty smirk, as though mocking his efforts. In fact, the Master's movement was slowly but surely keeping up with the Caster's defensive maneuvers, as though he was adapting with the Servants movements. No, it's not that he's adapting… although that could have easily been the case. It more so seemed like he was predicting the Caster's movement to some degree. In mere moments, the human's barrage of blows went from completely ineffective to effectively trouncing Caster's defense. All this, achieved with his left arm unused. He mainly relied on his right arm and kicks for his martial arts. Even so, it was a martial art discipline of which she was unfamiliar with. It seemed to rely more on snapping and overwhelming speed employed with precise accuracy, rather than bone-shattering blows. The sort of martial arts that would have been perfect with the use of a light single-edged sword.

Soon enough, the Caster's smile had melted as he kept up with the barrage of blows. While it was clear he wasn't struggling still, he'd certainly not expected for his opponent to have that kind of fighting prowess. Artoria managed a smile when a feinting punch to Caster's left side left his midsection open for a brief instance. Yet, that was enough for her Master to exploit, landing a ferocious kick to the Caster's stomach which sent the Servant flying back. The blow was such that it had created a gust of wind strong enough to send some rocks flying, and left the Caster with a slight frown of pain.

Landing ten or so meters back, the Caster soon regained his footing and assuming a stance, wielding his staff like a spearman would a spear. The Servant's synapses proved itself not inferior to the Master's speed, as immediately he'd perceived and blocked the young man's jumping axe kick by raising his staff and letting it absorb the blow. The Master performed a quick backflip just as the Caster waved his staff to push him off of it. Then the barrage continued, the Caster was simply content with blocking and dodging his attacks, sometimes with the use of minor defensive runic spells. Then it happened again. Artoria observed her Master as the trajectory of his blows simply changed course, away from where the Caster would have blocked them, even before Caster could do it. It was as though her Master would predict where the Caster would block his attacks, and simply adapt to that prediction. When he performs a kick, Caster would naturally block it in the direction where he thinks it would come. But even before he would perform the kick, the Master would already know where and in which body part his opponent would likely block to fend off the attack. This allowed her Master to effectively change the trajectory and the direction of his blows. Making his style erratic and supremely unpredictable to defend against, even to Servants. Even more than that, it's as if her Master was predicting his opponent based on the slightest muscle tension in his body to act accordingly. It was almost… precognitive of sorts.

As a result, the Caster would suffer blow after blow, slipping past his guard. Cu Chullain had already sustained several blows to the face and a handful of kicks to the stomach and chest area, as well as the ribs. He'd shrugged them off, of course. They weren't the kind of blows that normal humans should be able to do, but it would take stronger attacks than that to harm a Servant, especially a Servant of great renown. Even still, her Master had shown her a far better performance than she'd expected. He possessed great talents in combat, and possessed battle acumen few humans in this era could attain. Her Master was a diamond in the rough… no, he was a polished diamond that has become weary and brittle with time. To think there was a Master like this in this era. How fascinating, indeed.

Eventually, after taking the twenty-third punch to the face, the Caster had decided he had enough. He slammed the butt end of his staff to the ground, conjuring intense flames all around him. Effectively halting the Master's relentless attacks and forcing him to jump back to avoid the scorching flames. The Caster twirled his staff, summoning a wave of fire, conjured from a large runic circle. The stream of extreme heat sped towards the Master, like a river of lava. It was faster than it looked, having crossed the distance separating them in what seemed like a few seconds at most. The Caster observed as his mock battle opponent started performing a series of one-handed hand signs, like what he did before. This time however, the signs seemed to not match the order he performed earlier.

Cu Chullain watched in curiosity and fascination as the lad slammed his hand onto the ground, from which a thick wall of earth arose from. It was sufficiently sturdy, enough to completely mitigate and disperse his flames. The stream of magical fire lasted for several seconds, during which the wall of earth he'd conjured held strong. By the end of it, the ground was charred and melted. The earthen wall he'd conjured also showed some charring, but it wasn't nearly as much damage as the Caster expected. The wall then crumbled thereafter, as it served its purpose.

Expecting to see the young man behind the wall after it collapsed, the Caster widened his eyes when he saw that the Master was missing from his spot. As though he'd simply vanished from sight. He couldn't have moved from the sides, as he would have seen him attempting to do so. And his fire would have reached him had he tried doing that. The Child of Light looked up, inspecting the empty space above him for any trace of the kid. Maybe he'd missed him jumping up amidst the streaking fire. Nothing, still. Just more of the ash, smoke and the depressingly reddish skies.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet rumbled, until the surface had taken up webbings of cracks. The Caster had thought of jumping away, but it was too late. The Master burst out from the ground, just directly in front of him, fist travelling towards his exposed chin in an uppercut. Unimpeded and unhindered, the fist sailed upwards right towards his head. The hit clattered the Servant's mandible as his fist landed at the body part with the force of a baseball in full swing. The Caster's head snapped upwards, the hit pushing him of the ground.

"Urgh!" The Caster grunted, not so much because of the pain, which he felt little of, but the initial surprise itself. He'd not expected any sort of attacks employing the use of the ground beneath them, at all.

The attack forced him into the air, propelled by the force. The Caster attempted to regain focus, reclaiming his momentum. But as soon as he regained control over his head movements, he was struck yet again, in the same spot no less. The Master had performed a straight kick which effectively flung him further into the air. Following up the audacious move, the Master jumped after him, tracing the trajectory of his body whilst it was suspended in the air. Moments after, just as he'd gotten rid of the initial surprise from having been caught off guard, the Master's leg was already speeding towards his midsection.

"Oof!"

A kick to the abdomen sent the Caster hurtling towards the ground. Following the move, the Master spun, performing two more spinning kicks. Both of which landed squarely on the Caster's stomach area. The second kick slammed the Caster back towards the ground with a grunt of pain. Just when he thought it was over, the kid came at him with a final descending kick to the body as he laid there in the dirt.

"Lion's Barrage!" Cu Chullain heard his mock battle opponent as the last blow of the combo kicked up a sizable explosion of rubble and dirt.

With a small, but satisfied smirk, the former ninja jumped away from the impact point, waiting for the dust and smoke settle. Sasuke didn't expect for that kind of attack to have any effect on a Servant, especially one who's apparently quite strong in his own right. But that should be enough to test the waters. He'd applied huge quantities of chakra into those blows, but there was a massive gap of potency between his past self and his current incarnation who was born in this world. That's why he had no reservations to go all out on that one. If a normal human had been the recipient for such an attack, he would have already died to the blow that rendered his body flying in the air. By the last blow, his body would been horrifically mangled and disfigured. It was truly a testament to how durable these beings called 'Servants' are, that Caster's body was very likely whole and unbroken throughout the process.

"Ow, ow, ow…" The Caster muttered complainingly. When the dust and smoke finally settled, swept by the air, Sasuke saw his opponent. He was sitting there, and rubbing his midsection. As though his attacks gave him nothing more than mild bodily sores. The Servant shook his head for a little bit, then stood up as if nothing had happened. He was completely and utterly unaffected, and his form, clothing and all, was undamaged despite the dust and dirt that covered him.

Caster faced him, a smile of satisfaction graced his features, "Not bad… Not bad at all." He told him, as he casually walked out from the small crater created from the impact, before stretching his neck. "I'm impressed. Didn't think you'd be that good, honestly." Cu Chullain said as he walked towards the Master, his form and mannerisms denoted his unwillingness to continue the fight further. He'd gotten what he asked for, after all. "That's enough. We're done."

The last Uchiha relaxed himself and immediately deactivated his Doujutsu, turning red and purple eyes into their usual onyx color. Feeling the strain of using his Sharingan to that extent, Sasuke wobbled for a bit before Mash quickly held on to him.

"Ah, Senpai… Are you okay!?" Mash asked in concern, to which Sasuke nodded in response.

"I'm fine, don't worry." He told her reassuringly, even as she supported his entire body with an arm around his chest. "Just a bit dizzy, is all…"

Feeling the encroaching headache subside after a few seconds, Sasuke straightened himself with Mash's help.

"Still, that was amazing, Senpai!" Mash said to him, her voice brimming with excitement, "That martial arts and element-based magecraft, not to mention that final attack you did when kicked Caster's butt!"

"Hey, now…"

The girl wasn't listening, however, "You're really amazing, Senpai! You even made Mr. Cu Chullain acknowledge you!"

She'd thought her Master was amazing then, but she was seeing him at an even brighter light right now. To think he would give Caster a fight. As far as she'd read in Chaldea's database on Servants and Masters, the strongest human is far weaker than even the weakest of Servants. To be fair, Caster wasn't actively trying to kill him, as that was just sparring of some sort. But even that in and of itself was already quite impressive, surviving against a Servant, that is. Even Servants who were merely playing around could accidentally kill a human opponent in a mock fight. And from what she could sense of Caster's attacks, they definitely packed enough power to kill a human. Servants were simply too strong compared to humans. The gap between a human and a Servant was akin to an untraversable abyssal trench. But her Senpai was different, she'd known so since earlier. But now, she was convinced he was something special.

That combo he did during the final moments of the fight particularly stuck out in her mind. The 'Lion's Barrage', as her Master called it. The way her Master's movement fluidly and smoothly transitioned from one action to another, the way his blows were clearly measured and calculated, the way it ended the way it did. Everything about it was just marvelous to behold. It was clearly a technique that her Master had practiced countless times.

The way her Master employed those elemental magecraft to create a fireball, and to conjure a wall of earth as a defensive measure, she'd gotten the impression that he was a highly skilled magus. The way he conducted himself during that battle, the way he calmly assessed, observed, and acted accordingly made her think he was a distinguished fighter. And how there's an unexplained energy that linked between them, that empowered her beyond her normal capacity… All of these just makes her Master's ignorance towards magecraft in general all the more perplexing. Even more so when, based on Chaldeas measurements, her Master's Magic Circuits are not special. Simply put, even third-rate mages have far better Circuits than him. And yet he operates at an amazingly higher level than even veteran mages. At least, when it came to fighting.

And those eyes… She wasn't knowledgeable on them, per se. But she was pretty sure her Master possessed Mystic Eyes. In both eyes, at that. Her Master had so much going for him it's almost overwhelming.

Sasuke's lips curved up slightly in a small smile as his first Servant gushed at him, "It's nothing, really."

Mash vehemently shook her head at his words, "That's not true, Senpai! Not everyone can boast about being acknowledged by a Servant. Isn't that right, Artoria?"

The Lancer came up to them, the clattering of hooves lingering in his ears. "Indeed. It was a marvelous display of your competence as a fighter." The King complimented, "But do keep in mind that your competence as a commander is at many a times more important. Do not neglect your duty as a commander."

Sasuke nodded at the Royalty in acknowledgement, agreeing with her words.

The Caster shook his head, amused, "Well, don't get ahead of yourself, lad. I acknowledged you, but that didn't mean I couldn't have killed you anytime during that fight. I simply allowed you to do what you did out of curiosity. Hell, I barely felt your attacks!" He told him, expecting to get a rise out of him.

"…I know." Was the kid's response instead.

He'd have thought the kid was simply shy and humble, but that isn't the case. The kid had as much pride as anybody else. He's just open to accepting facts, and willing to recognize his faults and shortcomings. Truly, this kid impressed him more and more.

"Well that aside, you still did great. Way better than I expected." Caster told him, inspecting his form. "Although it seemed that Mystic Eyes of yours drains you, huh?" He took the kid's silence for confirmation. "And you're still only using your right hand… for that matter. If I was some other Servant, I'd have thought you were underestimating me and I would have killed you immediately."

Mash sent him a disconcerted look, "Ah, that's right. I noticed that too. You… really should stop doing that, Senpai. It could end up badly for you." His first Servant gently admonished.

Her worry and concern were warranted. It's a dangerous predicament he had found himself in. Filled to the brim with the unknown. But still…

"…" The Master sighed, "Let's just say that doing it like this is… important to me." He simply stated, "Let's leave it at that. For now."

"I see…" Mash muttered. Still deathly concerned for her Senpai's safety, but she could understand if it was something personal. It motivated her though, to train and get stronger so her Master wouldn't have to be on the frontlines as much. At the very least, it wasn't just some irresponsible reason like it being a habit, right? "So then… not using your arm is something important to you, and not just some habit?" She asked.

Sasuke stared at her for a good three seconds, "…Well honestly, it's a bit of both."

"..."

Caster shrugged his shoulders, "Fine. If it's important to you, then I'll lay off. Just know that some decisions could lead to disastrous consequences." He preached. "Well then, let's rest for now. Just until you've rested up a bit. The battle up ahead ain't a walk in the park, you know. Tiredness can and will get you killed."

"Fine." He said gruffly, before slowly sitting on the ground to rest up and closing his eyes to recharge. Mash followed suit, sitting beside him. And the King simply stayed on her mount, wordlessly awaiting until her Master had rested up. Awaiting the inevitable battle against the King Arthur of the Holy Sword.

It had been a good fifteen minutes of rest when his watch lighted up, the screen popping up in front of them. "Okay, we're good, Director." Romani's voice was heard, although static and laggy.

"Hah, finally!" Olga Marie exclaimed impatiently. She inspected those present, seeing the Master safe and unharmed, the young Director relaxed on her seat. "Good to see you in one piece…"

The Master was silent, deep in meditation.

"Ah, Senpai is resting right now, Director. It seemed he drained his energy a bit during Caster's sparring session. Caster suggested he rest up before proceeding ahead for the battle." Mash told her, to which the Director hummed in affirmation.

"I see… That's fine, then." The white-haired Animusphere nodded, "Romani, scan him for any injury, just in case."

"On it… He's fine physically. He just needs a bit of rest."

"Good." She looked at Mash, "I expect you to include the mock battle in your report, Mash. Do not leave any details. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Director." Mash responded resolutely.

"And you…" She turned to look at the resident Caster Servant, "So, did you get what you wanted out of that pointless mock battle of yours?"

Caster raised an eyebrow at her, "First off, it wasn't pointless. Secondly, yes. I did get what I wanted to see." He responded.

Curious, the Director leaned in, "Oh? And what was it that you wanted to see with regards to him?"

"Hmm." Caster mulled over for a moment, before a smirk stretched across his face, "That's a secret~"

The young Director fumed, "You–!?"

Suddenly, a sharp, shrill sound of a speeding projectile moving at supersonic speeds was heard, like the whisper of imminent death. All Servants in the area were instantly on guard, aware of the looming danger that sought to make them its prey. Mash was the first to act. Hoisting her large shield up, and jumping up to meet the wayward attack head on in an attempt to intercept it. The Caster had already set up a runic forcefield shield all around them, being the one who was most familiar with the projectile. And the King had assumed a combat stance, her predatory gaze scanned the area outside of their immediate vicinity, in search for the impertinent attacker.

The arrow of death streaked through space, warping the very air around it.

*CLANG!*

The loud, ear-piercing sound of metal meeting metal exploded in the area, reverberating throughout the vicinity. It had been so loud that Sasuke had been pushed out of his meditative trance.

"Guh!" The Shielder grunted in pain as the projectile made contact with the surface of her shield. The speed of which it had traveled produced enough force to rattle the magically-enhanced bones in her body as it bounced off harmlessly after the impact, or so she thought. It had been so strong that she'd been flung backwards, and the arm that held the shield had been rendered numb. Upon closer inspection, in that brief instance when it had bounced off from her shield, she saw the projectile clearly. It didn't look like the sort of projectile that an Archer would be able to fire from a bow. It was a sword… no, more like a drill of sorts. Reconditioned into the form of a slim arrow-like projectile.

The drill-like projectile emitted a glowing light.

Mash widened her eyes, recognizing the danger she was in. Luckily, a tree-like appendage went in and fetched her from the air, encircled itself around her waist and pulled her inside the shield which the Caster had set in.

BANG!

It exploded.

A blinding light washed over them, coupled with the ear-shattering sound of thunder. From a distance the explosion could be compared to a mini nuke. Taking up the form of a circular crimson energy of death and destruction. The energies being released utterly decimated every solid matter in its reach. Buildings, both collapsed and standing, were vaporized instantly. The sheer intensity of the blast had dug dozens of meters into the ground, as it vaporized the very earth beneath them to nothing.

To the former ninja, it almost seemed like being in the epicenter of a variation of the Tailed Beast Bomb.

The Child of Light had to reinforce his shield multiple times when many cracks had started to manifest on the runic force field. They waited for the explosion to die out, as it dominated anything and everything outside the magic shield. When the last remnants of the blast had gone down, only then did the Caster de-activated the spell.

"Wha-what just happened!?" Olga Marie blurted out, panicked. "A-are you under attack!?"

"That we are, indeed." The Irishman answered calmly.

"More importantly, is everyone alright? Answer me!"

It was Mash who responded, "Yes, everyone's safe and accounted for, Director. It's thanks to Caster's shield that we're still alive and well."

"I see. That's good…" The young Director slumped down on her seat and massaged her temples.

The Caster whistled, impressed at the power of the faux Noble Phantasm. They had discovered that their surrounding area had been reduced to a large circular crater, with the ground they were standing on remaining like a tall, thin pillar in the center of it.

"That Archer really doesn't mess around." Caster uselessly commented as he walked towards the edge of their make-shift platform, inspecting the depth of the recently created crater. He turned to face them, "This right here? This is a taste of what's to come." He told them, gesturing towards the destruction brought upon by the attack. "Now get ready. It's about time we paid them a visit."

Sasuke walked forward, willing to return the favor, "Mash, Artoria, let's go. Let's stick to the plan." He looked at his first Servant, Holy Shield at the ready. "I want you to protect Caster as much as you can. Make sure he doesn't take any fatal blows to his person."

Mash nodded, her face displaying unwavering determination even when faced with such display of power. "Yes, Master."

He turned to look at the King, "Artoria. Crush King Arthur of the sword." The command was short and simple, but it was received in full. The Master's tone betrayed none of the confidence reserved for the King of the Lance.

"It shall be done, Master." Lancer Artoria responded. Her voice was regal and true. It permeated with conviction and confidence, and the promise of victory. Her Master had asked for it, and so it shall be done. She shall bring victory to her Master, just as she had once brought victory to her kingdom and people against the Saxons. In that, there can be no doubt.

"Our mission is to defeat Archer and Saber, take the Greater Grail from Saber's keep. As well as to uncover the secrets behind this Singularity." The Master declared.

"Let's move."

---

AN: That should be it for now.

Next chapter should be the last chapter covering Singularity F.

Thanks for reading!

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