Summary: Arturia had long lost count of the battles she waged — both in her life as King Arthur and her "afterlife" as a Servant. But for saving a single Princess and the Proper Human History she lived in?

She'd do it all over again if it meant the Princess could smile.

Note: July 20, 2022 to January 2, 2024 — that's how long it took to get Art-san to Level 120. She was my first exposure to the Fate franchise through Fate/Zero and Today's Menu for the Emiya Family, and I haven't looked back since.

It's about time I write something for the first Saber I knew and still love to this day.

Content warning for spoilers regarding FGO's story up to Part 2's premise and the entire plot of Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night. Especially since we're going back to the Accel/Zero Order event. (Also, slight spoilers for the Tunguska Sanctuary Epilogue. Because I'm gonna beat the crap out of the Foreign God with this chapter's end from how much I hated seeing the eviction.)

The main theme for this chapter is Arcadia by Earthmind, the original opening for the Fate route from the original Fate/stay night visual novel. Because if we're going to cover the first Saber Fate as a franchise ever has known, I have to go back to the song that started her original route, right? For those of you looking for an alternative? Go to (1) the second opening to Shangri-La Frontier — Danger Danger by FZMZ; (2) the opening to Fate/Samurai Remnant — Zanya Gensou by Spiral Radder; and (3) purpleschala's piano cover of the track titled Unfulfilled from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Here we go.

Day 76: Oath of a Knight

Arturia Pendragon knew even with the existence of Avalon that the battles of humanity — no, Proper Human History — would continue after her death. That was how humanity was, even without war. Constantly in conflict with one another, just for one contrived reason to the next.

It was why the thought of otherworldly beings incinerating and bleaching the world without so much as a warning was so unfathomable to her. Yes, humanity could be foolish in finding whatever conflict there was and outright continuing it, but that didn't mean everyone deserved to die. No one truly deserved such a gruesome fate, but both Goetia and the Foreign God took a single look at the Earth and apparently made it their sole duty to spit in the face of it all. Just for their own desires as well, whatever they were.

Arturia would have been more disgusted if not for the single hand of mana that tugged her back into existence. Her fight as King Arthur had since ended with the Battle of Camlann and the fourth and fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail Wars once upon a time, but with the entire world crying out for help, the hand reaching out for hers was almost expected.

For said hand to be small, delicate, and frail when tugging on her own — well.

It appears my battle is not yet over.

The first line that came out of her mouth when being summoned sounded as natural as the Invisible Air that cloaked Excalibur, her voice strong as the mana keeping her tethered to the world as the light faded around her.

"Servant class, Saber, I ask of you. Are you my Master?"

Looking into teary brown eyes past rounded glasses that did nothing to hide the brilliance of the bright stars that reflected her image, Arturia felt herself smile once the young woman in front of her clasped both hands in front of her chest. The red markings of Command Seals — this time in the shape of a fully bloomed lotus flower against the back of the young woman's left hand — glowed brightly in contrast to the dark green shadow that stood stock still in the doorway threshold from afar. Another Servant?

"Y-Yes," Vy said softly, bringing Arturia's attention back to her. Even back in the original Chaldea, a single tilt of her head was enough for long brown strands of hair to frame her cheeks and illuminate the first tear sliding down to the floor between them. A soft giggle caught between relief and shock leaves her lips as she nods her head. "I-If you're alright with someone like me being your Master, Saber… then I am. Welcome to Chaldea."

Arturia Pendragon couldn't help but continue to smile while stepping down from the central dais, despite the shock that started coursing through her blood at the response. In another world, Kiritsugu Emiya turned his head away and stomped off without a word at her appearance. Ten years later, his adoptive son Shirou Emiya would merely repeat the title of "Master" in a stupefied voice, too caught up in the shock of seeing her manifest to even answer coherently.

But for her newest Master — for Proper Human History's last Master in Vy Duong to answer Arturia's question in that soft, thoughtful hesitance —

I must correct myself. It appears my new battle has only just begun.

"Incinerated…"

"Destroyed without any form of recognition afterwards, yes." From afar, Rider Medusa pointedly sipped at a cup of green tea, looking incredibly put off in spite of the book laying half-open in her lap in the library. Even with her mask removed and Mystic Eyes powered down, the Gorgon didn't appear particularly happy, merely nodding her head in response to Arturia's unspoken question. "The entire ordeal makes the cursed Holy Grail we both saw in Fuyuki appear small in comparison if that helps you believe it, Saber."

"I do not need that image in my mind to understand the situation, Rider." Even if Arturia knew of Medusa from another world, this Medusa, at least, shared the same revulsion starting to course through her mind at the thought of the blackened Fuyuki Holy Grail. "The records alone already make it a grave matter."

Chaldea's first Director committing suicide mid-assassination attempt, the second Director dragged kicking and screaming to her death, more than half of the staff mercilessly Incinerated with the rest of the world, all other Masters cryo-preserved just to survive—

No wonder Vy was close to tears when Arturia was summoned. Fighting a darkened version of her Excalibur must have already been a grueling test of her resolve as a volunteer Master back in that flaming Fuyuki City, but to handle seven total Singularities, each with their own Holy Grail, just for a chance to fight back? Without a fellow Master for support (like Shirou had with Rin)?

Arturia would've been tempted to vomit if not for one lingering question in the back of her mind.

"…Rider?"

Medusa hummed, barely keeping one thumb against the latest page in her book.

"I now understand enough of the gravity of the current situation that keeps you and the other Servants under Chaldea's employ, but I must ask you one last thing." Arturia swallowed, feeling the lump beginning to form in her throat at the thought of Fuyuki — of Taiga, Rin, Shirou — before marshaling herself into a stronger voice. "What made you personally want to stay with our Master?"

The line of questioning is enough to make Medusa pause, her fingers twitching against the book covers in her hands before she sighs. Placing a small card along the page she left off allows her to save her spot once she evidently gives up on reading, closing the covers with a quiet fwump noise. "…Outside of our Master summoning my sisters and letting me be with them again? That's a tricky question, Saber," she says in a lower tone, Mystic Eyes glowing ominously before she closes them with another sigh. "But if I'm truly honest…"

Arturia leaned in from her seat across the library table, unable to stop feeling uneasy in spite of her curiosity.

"…Vy reminds me of Sakura," was the last thing on Arturia's mind before Medusa waved a hand at her in a shoo shoo motion. Because when was the last time Rider was sentimental, considering how her previous Master unintentionally saddled her with Matou Shinji as a temporary Master once upon a time? Arturia nonetheless found herself baffled. "Even if they're not completely the same, they have a similar heart when it comes to the people they love. So if you are feeling so curious, why not ask the red Archer in the cafeteria at lunch today?" Medusa continued to absently wave a hand at her, reinforcing the shoo, shoo, go away, she wasn't actively voicing while pointing her nose back down to her closed book. "Go together with Master if you're feeling so nosy. He should be on service duty today."

Arturia took that as a sign the conversation was over and bowed her head courteously. "…Thank you for your time then, Rider. I will gladly take your suggestion in stride."

I have more to investigate then, I suppose.

"…Now this is a surprise." The red Archer from the Fuyuki Grail War didn't appear fazed even when wearing a teddy-bear-patterned apron, giving Arturia a face over Vy's head. Scooping a hefty serving of curry into the empty lunch tray in his hands didn't seem to bother him either. "I didn't expect you to be tagging along with our little Master now, Saber."

"With all of Humanity in crisis, I wanted to help, Archer," Arturia shot back, unable to stop herself from giving the other man a look of her own. Despite their difference in height, the one human standing between them didn't lessen the severity of her voice. The lingering green shadow in the corner of her vision didn't matter either. Instead— "Our Master just needed an escort after her daily nap and as the newest Chaldean Servant to arrive, I was more than happy to lend my assistance."

In the end, my answers shall come second in the face of her.

It was on the tip of her tongue, left unsaid to all, but from the look on EMIYA's face, Arturia knew he caught on. That was the kind of Servant he was.

"Which I'm thankful for, Saber, really," Vy interjected softly, the gentle tone making Arturia think, Irisviel, instead of Sakura, for the briefest of moments before she directed a smile towards Archer EMIYA. "But me nearly falling out of bed and over myself just isn't that big of a deal and lunch definitely tastes better in good company."

"Is that your way of trying to say my cooking doesn't taste good otherwise, Master?" A familiar sarcastic smirk surfaces on EMIYA's face, but unlike in Fuyuki, there was a warmth in his voice that was entirely new to his incarnation in Chaldea, his large hands reaching past the Dining Hall counter to push the newly filled tray in Vy's direction almost gentle in their reach. The subsequent snort of amusement didn't sound that clipped either as he said, "Because buttering up the chef with compliments mid-argument isn't going to get you anywhere. Especially when it distracts me from the story of you falling out of bed for the second time this week."

It should've been another bit of Archer's usual sarcastic banter.

But with the same soft smile on her face, Vy giggled and went on to say in a cheerier voice, "Butter still is rich when I mean it, Shirou!" Just like it was nothing, an everyday occurrence while accepting the offered tray from EMIYA's hands. "And besides! The fall wasn't that big and your cooking is always good, so there! And hey! Thankie for making lunch as always!"

…Shirou.

She just called him Shirou—!

Arturia knew the red Archer across from her as a darkened person — someone who once wanted to kill his past self who had yet to give up that name, just for condemning the wish that made him who he was — but the EMIYA in front of her merely tilted his head at their shared Master, his gray eyes swirling with something as a matching wry smile tugged at his lips. As if — as if he was no longer hating his old name. As if he was truly Emiya—

"...Alright, alright," he said in a lower tone, breaking Arturia out of her thoughts while sighing softly to himself. "You win. Go run along then, Be. You need to eat something and the curry will get cold the longer you talk with me."

"I wasn't trying to win, mind…" Still, Arturia doesn't even get to read the meaning in Vy's parting smile — was it innocent or actively planning something? — before the girl followed EMIYA's instructions with a one-handed salute and an equally eager, "But aye aye, Shirou!", in return. Her subsequent footsteps were scurried yet light (conscientious of the line behind her) when running off towards a nearby empty seat (where Mash coincidentally waited with a waving hand) in the cafeteria.

It was such a small thing, looking back at the whole conversation, and yet—

Once Saber turned her head back to look up at the Archer she knew as her Master — her sheath — once upon another time she barely could remember outside of their shared memories, though, EMIYA sighed again. It was a longer, tired kind of sigh. "…That Master," she could hear him mutter, a palm barely resting against the bottom half of his face as he tugged at one strap of his apron. His voice mirrored a younger man's tone once he grumbled under his breath, "Even more direct than Tohsaka and Fuji-nee combined. Still not used to it."

"Archer…" Arturia whispered softly. "That was… she just…"

EMIYA raised his hand to rake his fingers through his hair, subsequently covering up the hairline and making his silver strands look spiker — and almost human again, if Arturia could bear to say such a thing aloud — with each coarse brush of his scalp. "…I looked into her records," he says the words carefully, barely at eye level thanks to the line of Servants behind her, but the weight of them is all the more palpable thanks to the lowered volume. In any other circumstance, the whole effort would've been a diversion from her question. But any chatter outside of them seemed to be silent. Gone, even. EMIYA's factual statement of, "From before Chaldea," merely added to her growing suspicions. "Just in case, right after she started calling me by that name."

Arturia did her best to marshal her expression, the previously delectable smell of curry now coming across damp and far too spicy to her nose. "And they were about…?"

EMIYA shook his head. "The girl we know as Vy Duong has had no connection to the Einzbern Holy Grail War, or to Fuyuki City and any of the related people tied to the three Great Families, or, hell, the Emiya name. No obvious ties to Magecraft either, outside of some distant Vietnamese ancestors who died long ago." After a distinct pause, he shakes his head again. "...She even came to Chaldea to 'volunteer' for all of the possible reasons she could've picked." The low chuckle that subsequently leaves his lips is dark. "So for all intents and purposes, she shouldn't know that name. Shirou." But once he lowers his hand from his scalp, the crooked furrow of his eyebrows screams, Emiya Shirou, as he said in a softer, fonder voice, "But all it took was her looking at my hair and calling it 'white' with a giggle. Just coining it as a nickname without even knowing it before." His last, subsequent chuckle comes out just as disbelieving as his final remark of, "That's all it took. My hair."

Just to reclaim the human name I gave up.

"Then…"

The long breath EMIYA suddenly exhaled in response could've come from a storm from how it sounded — loaded with rain, storm clouds of something that laid beyond the Counter Force, beyond the ideal of a Hero of Justice — to leave Arturia Pendragon blinking. "...She's painfully human, Saber," he said at last, his subsequent smirk looking more like Shirou than Archer as he blinked slowly at her. "More so than Illya, you, and me. So why not look for her stars too? I already did."

Coming from Archer, it sounded like a challenge. And how could she call herself a "King" if she didn't answer?

"Lass, you gotta keep your hands steady! Too tight of a grip and then y'all feel every hit the opponent deals to you!"

"Uhhhhh, th-then how do I…"

From Arturia's vantage point of the doorway threshold, the first Knight of Fianna would have looked like a literal sun had dawned on him with the soft expression that had taken over his features, his smile nothing but accommodating as he lowered his own metal staff to the floor of the training facility. "If you'll excuse me, Lady Vy." His strides were purposeful when approaching their shared Master, muscles barely rippling past the sleeveless top of his final Ascension as his arms reached out towards the timid young woman. "You need to not tuck your thumbs between your palms and staff when taking a defensive stance. It adds unneeded pressure to your arms when preparing for a counterattack."

"O-Oh…" the flush that formed on Vy's face thankfully appeared to be out of genuine embarrassment rather than out of desire or lust — had something been done to Diarmuid's Love Spot? — her hands shaky against her bo staff even when Lancer holds them to correct her grip. "I-I didn't notice that…"

"In all fairness, you've never seen battle before Chaldea, Lady Vy," Diarmuid hummed patiently, carefully sliding his fingers between hers to readjust her posture. "You should not hold yourself to the idea that you should have known. The mere fact that you've been able to move at all in spite of the massive pressure to save Humanity is enough of a feat to be praised for in my eyes. Therefore, please don't be so hard on yourself."

Despite the kind words, Vy flushes a darker pink, her knees knocking against themselves past her sweatpants. "O-Okay, Dia… th-thankie…"

For such a small sentence filled with gratitude, Lancer beams. "Of course."

Arturia felt herself gulp unconsciously, not entirely meaning to hide but also not meaning to emerge into the room either. Making her presence clear felt like a diversion Vy didn't need with her apparent ongoing combat training. And…

She used one for Lancer. "Dia" — yet another nickname, without hesitation.

Just like with Archer—

"—ey, if ya still feeling nervous about moving about, lass, how 'bout another helper?" And well. It should've been expected that Cu Chulainn would notice her, Caster manifestation or not, but Arturia still felt herself jump once those red eyes glanced her way. "Looks like we got some company, anyways!"

Damn you, Child of Light, instinctually brushed the back of Arturia's mind before she shoved it to the side, stepping out of the doorway to offer her best attempt at a small smile to Vy and Diarmuid both. "...Hello, Master, Lancer, Caster," she said softly, giving Diarmuid and Cu both the closest thing to a respectful nod she could in spite of the growing guilt in her chest. Vy's quiet Eep didn't help her growing concern. "Pardon my intrusion — I was merely curious."

"It's alright, Saber," Diarmuid said, his answering grin making her think of Fuyuki — of their last battle before his accursed end by Kiritsugu — before he turned to their shared Master still standing next to him, raising a supportive hand to pat her shoulders. "You actually have good timing — our Master has been needing a new sparring partner outside of myself and Caster."

This time, Arturia felt herself lurch back from the shock and couldn't stop herself from doing so.

"W-W-Wait a minute, I do?" Vy squeaked, cheeks flushing red. "With Art-sa— wah, I-I mean, Arturia-san?! Are you sure, Dia?! I might mess up and bother her!"

With a smoothly offered smile, Diarmuid said softly, "I'm sure, milady. The King of Knights is an excellent combatant to learn from."

The red flush traveled up to the tips of Vy's ears past her ponytail. "Diaaaaaa… it's still Art-san…"

Cu Chulainn took one look at both Vy and Arturia before bursting out into hearty laughter. Arturia could do nothing but blink in response.

…Oh. So then…

Just like Lancer, I too have—

The warmth that suddenly spread out through the air at the barely stifled sound of her new nickname flooded her mouth and veins. The whole sensation was akin to tasting pink — pudding, cake, food-colored chocolate — as her lips twitched. Mana. Warmth. Acceptance. "…If you are meaning to gain more combat experience, Master," she said in a louder voice, "then I would be more than happy to spar with you. If you do not mind me using a metal staff like you? Perhaps even borrowing Lancer's?" After all, Shirou back in the Fifth Holy Grail War only had bokken swords for combat practice. At least in Chaldea, there was plenty more than wood for combat training. Not to mention Diarmuid's nod in her direction was more than enough encouragement. "We can be on equal grounds then."

Vy made a soft Uuu noise, glancing between Cu Chulainn Caster and Diarmuid (fast enough to nearly give herself whiplash) before meeting Arturia's eyes with two-three rapid blinks. Stars flickered in and out of view of those brown irises with each blink, matching her hesitant high-pitch voice of, "…If it's okay?" Her grip on her staff loosened a little. "I'm really not that good at this yet."

Arturia felt herself smile back for the first time since she was summoned back into the world. "Of course it is."

Teaching another student already had the blood happily roaring in the back of her ears from anticipation. Diarmuid and Cu Chulainn's triumphant looks just added to her own joy.

One messy Rayshift later, the city of Fuyuki hadn't changed from her memories. Even the "fancy hotel" the rogue Servant version of the apparent "Lord" El Melloi the Second — someone Arturia vaguely remembered having a shorter stature and a higher-pitched voice a long time ago — had reserved for them for their brief stay in the new Singularity was still the same as what she could briefly recall of Kiritsugu's accommodations with Maiya and Irisviel. With the identical door chain locks and yellow-lighted hallways, it was as if nothing changed. But compared to that Fourth Fuyuki Holy Grail War, a group of one Master, one Cath Palug, and five Servants — Rogue and Chaldean mixed — couldn't just fit into one room with two queen-sized beds. Even with Spirit Form as an option. Vy's previous pouting at the possibility all but confirmed Spirit Form was out of the question, what with herself, Achilles, and Robin Hood having already hidden for most of their first day with the advent of other Servants.

Hiding from Assassin, another version of herself, and then Iris—

Hence, as Dr. Roman adequately put it on the hotel request form via Vy's careful dry-erase-marker-penmanship: "Two rooms, please! And I insist you split them by gender!" The panicked, because who knows what could happen, wasn't said, but the look on the good Doctor's holographic face expressed it enough.

Not that the more… delicate parts of mana transfer are needed here.

Lord El-Melloi had sighed at the time, looking closer to getting a headache at the ribbing he was getting from Achilles (who seemed to be liking elbowing him with a greater-than-life grin), but judging by the supportive hand patting his shoulder from behind by Robin, he at least agreed with the stand-in Director's sentiment. "Master, Saber, and Mash shall be in one room then," he exhaled, holding his forehead in his palm. "I'll be with the other men trying to hold my drink, I suppose."

"D-Drink? You drink, Lord El-Melloi?" Mash said in surprise, although not rudely, what with Fou nestled in her arms. "Is that wise…?"

"That's Lord El-Melloi the Second, Mash," the Rogue Servant corrected, before nodding his head with another long-suffering sigh. "And as much as I can't match up to my predecessor or Reines, I can at least hold one drink. Which, considering our previous negotiations with my predecessor, I might need more than one drink tonight."

"Oi, listen here, 'Second,' who says we'll drink? We have two people here who aren't of drinking age. One of which is our Master. So put a sock on it." Robin still glances at Vy mid-pat to the disgruntled Magus-turned-Pseudo Servant, and even with his hood partially shadowing his face, there's no mistaking the concern flashing in his green eyes before his gaze turns on her.

Now Arturia was not unfamiliar with apprehension, what with Robin Hood's legend being all about his single campaign against corrupt British nobility. That wasn't even mentioning his longer tenure as a Chaldean Servant — longer than both hers and Achilles, combined — and how he was the first Servant Vy had chosen to Grail. But his narrowed green eyes in her direction all but spelled out, Don't you dare hurt her, and the trembling hint of mana around his right hand would've spelled out more if not for a tiny, pale palm reaching up to tug at his sleeve.

That was all it took for the tension to melt away into nothing. A simple, shaky tug by whitened knuckles as someone stepped in-between them.

All of time subsequently seemed to stop once the collective attention of their group focused in on their shared Master who made her presence clear by her tugging on Robin's sleeve. The lack of mana in the air from their bond was apparent enough, but the growing shadows lining her forehead didn't seem to put Vy off in the slightest as she raised a pink-backed whiteboard up to Robin, who immediately stepped away from his fellow men and ducked his head to read the scribbled contents. From her vantage point, Arturia knew she couldn't read what Vy had "said" to the taller Archer (nor could she remember exactly when Vy seized the chance to write out her thoughts), but she could at least read expressions. And the guarded look on Robin's face slowly disappeared the longer his eyes lingered on Vy's whiteboard, green irises scanning the contents before going back and rescanning them again and again.

"…You sure, Ma — sorry, Vy?" His voice was soft, barely toeing a whisper as his hood fell back to expose spiky ginger hair he proceeded to rake a hand through. A rare note of vulnerability leaked into his words as he said, although not unkindly, "You're really gonna be okay?"

A small nod is all Vy replies with at first, and while apparently ignoring Lord El-Melloi, Achilles, and the others in their party, she then lowers her whiteboard to tug on Robin's sleeve again, this time hard enough to make the man stumble for the briefest moment. And despite her petite height (barely enough to tower over Arturia thanks to Excalibur hindering her own physical growth), Vy somehow musters enough energy past her dwindling mana reserves to wrap her left arm around Archer's neck once he's close enough, standing up on her tiptoes to — to hug him.

"Vy—!" Archer immediately wraps an arm around her waist once she teeters into him, a crack of panic emerging in his voice. "Hey—!"

Arturia can see the young woman bump her cheek against his just to shakily whisper something into his reddening ear — perhaps, "Don't worry, you rest first," or even, "I'll be okay," — before she stops herself from stumbling by pulling back and letting Robin go. Even when her knees were shaking, she was still smiling just like she did when the whole situation started. A faint hum echoes in the back of her throat to spread throughout the hallway once she sways in place. Not even Robin's lingering arm on her waist stops her from hugging her whiteboard to her chest and rocking back and forth on her boots in front of him — her hums sounding nothing like buzzing insects or crawling worms — creating a warmer air as Arturia blinked.

Robin wasn't looking at her now. He was looking just at Vy with a hopelessly exasperated (yet fond) smile, and despite Achilles looming over him with a hand out in what looked like to be another eventual pass at ribbing, Arturia could understand one key thing.

Stars were flying between him and their shared (and currently tiredly mute) Master, similar flushes of pink dusting their cheeks as Robin suddenly smiled back. If Arturia did not know any better, the Archer would've been a simple man looking at his beloved rather than a Servant acquiescing to his Master's demands.

Just like Sir Lancelot and—

"…Alright, little sparrow," Robin whispered softly, unintentionally tearing Arturia out of her memories. "Alright. You got me. You win this time."

"Wasn't… trying to… win… but a-aye…!" Vy croaks with the same smile despite the considerable effort it took her to say the words, reaching out to tug at his sleeve again. Robin using his free hand to catch and hold hers only seemed to make the hallway feel warmer as she happily hummed, "Big Robin…!"

"…I'm too old for watching something like this," Lord El-Melloi commented slowly (and dryly) from his place in the background. "Zhuge Liang's already gone to sleep, so I may as well drink to that much sentiment."

"Spoilsport," Achilles quipped with a raised eyebrow. "With a mindset like that, you'll just ruin the alcohol."

"Shush, you guys!" Dr. Roman said scathingly over the comms, and that was that. "I'll handle drinks later!"

In the end, sleep was something that Servants didn't always need. It was helpful, yes, in recovering mana and driving home the illusion that once upon a time, they were just as much human as the Mages who summoned them. But at the same time, sleep took away valuable time that could've been used to investigate the area, or even try to gather information about the enemy.

(…Not that defense or investigation were apparently needed, with Lord El-Melloi setting up a defensive Bounded Field with his Noble Phantasm and his active knowledge of the Fourth Fuyuki Holy Grail War. For a Rogue Pseudo-Servant who had called Chaldea for help from within the Singularity, he certainly was… forthcoming about it.)

Not that Arturia would ever hold Vy to such standards, however. Or Mash. They were both still growing human girls, as much as Chaldea's records tried to say otherwise in regards to their mission. The records of Marisbury's experiments were enough to make Arturia want to tend to a drink of her own, but considering the shared hotel room she was currently in with both Mash and their Master, she had to refrain.

Staring up at the ceiling with its dimmed lights and nonmoving fan blades did nothing to ease her mind, however.

Demi-Servant experiments, human trafficking—

Just like with Sakura and Iris—

The faintest sound of rustling blankets was what snapped Arturia out of her wandering thoughts, and it didn't take long for her gaze to focus elsewhere. Even with Mash fast asleep with Fou nestled close by at her side, it was tellingly obvious someone was getting up, but Arturia still felt her heart come to a stop once her blinking cleared the dust out of the corners of her eyes.

"Quietly, quietly…" For a woman who was constantly seen with her glasses on, Vy seemed… surprisingly adept at moving about without them, her presence easily recognizable from the soft pitch of her words and the dainty falls of her footsteps against the carpet. The single bed that she had chosen out of the three in the room was barely messy once she had left its blankets, a tiny exhale of relief echoing in the air as Vy stood up to full height and stretched her arms. "Phew…"

Vy… What is she doing awake—

Arturia cut off her own train of thought once Vy carefully walked over to the nearby nightstand table, taking one of the many water bottles stationed there to open it and slowly drink the contents. The water sloshed against the plastic as Vy squeezed it, a soft Fwah being all that she had to say about the drink before she swallowed her mouthful and sat down in the accompanying chair. The soft pink blouse and matching shorts of her pajamas made her stand out against the dim moonlight, not to mention the half-drunk bottle almost sparkling from the angle she held it in her lap. "…If this wasn't a Singularity," she said, almost wistfully too while turning her head out to the window, "this would've been a nice hotel to take a vacation in. Good beds and service and all."

It was only when Vy reached into her pajama pockets that Arturia saw a glimpse of something metal hidden between the fabrics — a sight large enough (and worrying enough) to where she found herself getting up from bed out of sheer instinct.

Of course even Vy wouldn't miss that.

Flickers of everbright stars shined in those big brown irises once Vy turned her head and squinted in Arturia's direction, the metal spark from before now clutched between her fingers. "…Oh." A shy smile tugs at her lips to match the mix of feelings rushing through their bond — realization, embarrassment, joy — just before Vy waves at her. "H-Hi, Art-san. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"N-No," Arturia admitted, knowing it wasn't fully a lie, but still swallowing her pride from not speaking the whole truth nonetheless as she got up from her own blankets. As warm as the bedding arrangements were, the sight of Vy in her pajamas and tangled brown hair, clutching a half-full water bottle and something metal to herself while sitting towards the window, looked… almost lonely. Even when calling Arturia by her new nickname. "You didn't wake me. But what are you doing awake, Vy? Shouldn't you be resting?" Because that was the most concerning part in the end, wasn't it? As much as Lord El-Melloi was kind enough to reserve them all rooms for resting before their next inevitable bout with the remaining participants of this Singularity's Grail War, for their shared Master to be up and awake when the others weren't—

It felt like a bad omen. The glimpse of metal notwithstanding.

Vy's sheepish giggle took Arturia out of her paranoia, and walking closer revealed a pale pallor to her features that had Arturia's heart tighten in her chest. "I-I know that, my brain just woke me up and I couldn't fall back asleep once I opened my eyes." Her answering smile is weak at the edges.

Almost like Iris—

"It's not the first time for me, Art-san, waking up in the middle of the night, but I'll get back to bed soon. Just need to think about some things." Vy's fingers uncurl themselves as if for extra emphasis, Command Seals glowing faintly along the way, and it's at that moment Arturia can finally see what the previous metal spark was.

Sitting flat against Vy's half-open left palm is a simple metal medallion, with no sign of sharp or jagged edges that could cut someone. If anything, the medallion looks remarkably smooth even in the moonlight, as if carefully cut by a machine, and once Vy cradles it close to her chest, Arturia exhales slowly.

Why would she be holding onto that in the midst of what will become another battlefield? When the next fight could see direct contact? And…

"Princess…?" One of the words carved into that medallion that she was able to briefly glimpse was "Princess," so then…?

Another soft laugh echoes in the room, but unlike the sheepish giggle from before, this one sounded resigned and sad. "...Huh. I haven't heard that nickname in a long time." Vy's eyes briefly meet Arturia's for a moment, and the distinct lack of light in those brown irises causes a lump to form in Arturia's throat. "Thankie for using it, Art-san."

"That's…" She trailed off.

It wasn't my intention to interfere. To say something.

Arturia knew she didn't mean to say anything at all, but there was something about Vy's expression that made her slowly pull out the other chair to the nightstand and sit down. Instead of continuing her original sentence, she settled in at her Master's side and said in a softer voice, "Is that important to you, Vy? The name, and the medallion in your hands, I mean?" Because from the brief time she had since becoming the young woman's Servant, Vy was known for carrying just the bare essentials to a mission. Her whiteboard and dry-erase markers from Dr. Roman and Da Vinci, a hair tie to keep her long brown hair back, and a microfiber cleaning cloth for her glasses were all normal fare for her. But to carry something so small like that medallion — something that could arguably be called "useless" into a Singularity? This was serious. "Carrying that could weigh you down in future battles if you're caught off guard."

The statement, although not untrue, was enough to make Vy wilt a little, the bags under her eyes becoming glaringly obvious with the motion. "Th-That's true, I can't deny it." Yet to Arturia's surprise, Vy uncurls her fingers to reveal the medallion again, placing it on the table to push in Arturia's direction. "The medallion's just something important to me and, um… it might be better for you to read it for me to start explaining."

"Important…?" Out of politeness than anything else, Arturia gingerly picks up the medallion, internally grateful for her previous foresight in dispelling her armor for the night. The trinket is light in her hands (and remarkably warm from Vy previously holding onto it), and even without any strong source of light, her senses as a Servant lets her read what's apparently engraved on the medal's front side. "What would warrant—"

You are my Princess.

Daddy Hiep.

Vy Duong.

…Oh. Arturia feels the lump from before resurface back in her throat as her thumb absently brushes the intricately carved letters of "Princess" and "Daddy" in the metal. The darker part of her thoughts were already on the verge of calling her "fool" for her previous half-formed question — because of course. Vy wasn't a Mage like Rin, nor someone haunted like Shirou — she was just a regular human girl who loved her family and was unknowingly pulled into Magecraft for the sole purpose of saving the world. It was barely any help to her thoughts to know she hadn't called the trinket "useless" to Vy's face, because this—

"Was this… was this medallion from your father, Master?" Arturia delicately voiced instead.

"It was a gift he made during an exhibition of his workplace when I was in middle school, aye," Vy replied quietly, a painfully familiar note of wistfulness mixed with longing emerging in her voice. "Laser cutter printer programming and all, since he was a master machinist. He always…" she swallowed thickly, closing her eyes and rubbing at them with one sleeve. "Daddy always called me 'Princess' because I wanted to be like one of those Disney Princesses from the fairy tales when I grew up, y'know? It just…" Another sad laugh left her lips. "Life just didn't turn out like that. But he still saw me as his 'Princess' enough to make me this before I went into high school. Through a 6-day work week, overtime and all. Wishing me good luck to the end."

It was only thanks to Chaldea's FATE system and previous summonings that Arturia understood the fictional concept of a "Disney Princess," so she nodded, tracing the carved letters one more time before placing the medallion back onto the table. "I see. So then—"

"It is a bit silly, hanging onto a trinket in the middle of a battle, aye," Vy said, nodding slightly in return before reaching out to put away her half-full water bottle and take back the medal on the table, folding her fingers tightly over it. "But Chaldea's been nice in giving me lots of pockets to their standard Mystic Codes, so I can slip it in one and hold onto it. It's better than… than staring at a dead phone and waiting for a call that won't come. Carrying this makes me feel like… like I can at least hold onto some good luck he left behind and… and indulge in the idea that I can see him and Mommy again once this is all over." With one last sheepish laugh, Vy smiles at Arturia, the starlight flickering in and out of those brown irises as she says, "So thankie, Art-san, for hearing me out on my rambles and calling me 'Princess.' It helped me remember home before bed."

All the saliva dried out from the back of Arturia's mouth. The nearby water bottles didn't look all that helpful either, because the look on Vy's face had the back of her mind bring up one specific image of white hair and red eyes, forming that same sheepish smile at being caught exploring Fuyuki City before the Grail War's beginning.

Even if you're not Irisviel—

Arturia reached out with one hand to gently take one of Vy's own to squeeze. "…Even if you came from a civilian life, Master," she said with the best smile she could muster past her dry throat and tight heart, "I am still a knight, whose sole duty is to protect their liege. So if you would like it, I can keep calling you 'Princess.'"

Because then, I can at least protect you like I did for Shirou and Rin.

Because then, I would have a new reason to fight for.

Vy blinked. Once, twice, thrice. "…W-Wait, really?" The question sounds like it's coming out of a place of wonder rather than malice or discontent, and Arturia lets herself smile wider once she sees those stars return to those brown irises. (The stars that Archer EMIYA was so proud of, the stars that made Rider Medusa demure at the sight of Vy coming into the room, the stars that brought smiles to Caster Cu Chulainn and Lancer Diarmuid's faces like it was natural. They were so, so bright to the point of being blinding.) Even when Vy herself stutters, "I-I wasn't serious about making it a nickname…", joyful surprise starts spreading out through the mental link of their bond, making the room feel warm as Vy giggles again, this time shy and hesitant. "But it's not… it's not a problem?"

You'll help me keep Daddy alive?

Arturia tugs on Vy's hand to press a firm kiss to the girl's shaky knuckles. "Of course not, my Princess. Your actions, your orders, have always had a warmth to them beyond the righteous act of 'saving Humanity.' And if reuniting with the people most important to you is your ultimate goal, your wish is my command. As your Saber-class Servant, this knight will do her best to protect you to the very end."

To repay you for giving that honorable knight of a Lancer another sense of purpose — for giving that red Archer another chance at life.

To let you be happy in a way I could only be after the end.

It felt like a vow she couldn't afford to break this time. A wish that didn't need a Holy Grail's miracle when the pulse that skipped a beat under her grip was still moving. Raising her head to look into Vy's star-filled eyes and her growing pink face was more than enough confirmation of that fact.

"...O-Okay," Vy said shakily, right before extending her free hand to pull Arturia into a tight hug. Just like when she hugged Robin earlier in the hallway, a cheek bumps her own as Arturia took in the sensation. "Okay, Art-san. Hearing that is… is more than enough for me. I—" A sniffle echoes in her ear. "I'll do my best to be a good 'Princess' for a Knight like you to be proud of. I-I swear I will…"

Even with years of having gone without close human contact, Arturia knew instinctively to wrap an arm around Vy's waist to pull the girl closer. The muffled whimpers in her ear were enough for her to say confidently, "…I know you will."

After a few years, there were some things Arturia came to expect. Larger enemies, longer battles, and more biting snark and sarcasm.

"…She just keeps going on and on, doesn't she?" The "Space" version of Ishtar — the Primordial God that seemed to like wearing Rin's face alongside Ereshkigal didn't look happy as the crew of Nemos started to scatter from the alarms blaring up above them all. "Could easily fill up a whole TV show with her screaming." Arturia couldn't blame Astarte for saying it, or for her growing discontent. Especially when—

"YOUR PATHETIC LITTLE HIDEOUT IS A SECRET NO MORE! DO YOU SEE? ONCE I REALLY STARTED LOOKING, IT TOOK ME ALL BUT THREE SECONDS TO FIND!" The "Foreign God" that wore Olga-Marie's face spread her arms out wide above the Wandering Sea, gloating with that same glint in her orange eyes. "...Not that I've been harmed in the process, but I still need to punish you for having the temerity to defy your god. Hear me now, you fire-wielding insects—"

Arturia didn't even have to see Vy use a Command Seal over her shoulder. Space Ishtar was rising up into the air to face the larger "fake" God, black hole forming at her fingertips, and Invisible Air naturally dispelled itself from Excalibur to reveal the blade that had taken down Sefar.

Art-san, do you have a lock on her?

Of course, Princess. Because that "U-Olga-Marie" is not our sovereign god. She is just a monster like every other enemy we have defeated.

…Yeah. You got it. Can you take her out so that the Wandering Sea can run?

The "snark" that Achilles and Robin liked to use was still running rampant throughout all the Servant roster of Chaldea, even with Novum Chaldea facing potential destruction. Arturia embraced it, feeling the mana flow from Vy to herself, just as Excalibur glowed in her hands.

Your wish is my command, my beloved Princess.

U-Olga didn't even get a chance to blink before the Caster version of Leonardo da Vinci hit the acceleration button on the Wandering Sea's controls.

"Edin… Shugra… Quasar," Space Ishtar hissed.

Arturia raised her sword over her head and yelled out the name with confidence.

"Ex… calibur!"

The Foreign God would bleed before taking another home away from Arturia's Princess, and Saber would make sure she would take first blood first before her Grailed Avenger friend could.

Because that was what King Arthur would do. Stand up for the people.

Hearing the new monster of the former Director of Chaldea scream was enough.

Note (Feb 25, 2024) : For those of you wondering, two things:

(1) The Waver that shows up in the Accel/Zero Order segment is characterized as a Rogue Servant because in the 5 years I've been playing the game, I only played the rerun version and I didn't have Waver in my Chaldea at the time — hence his being a Rogue Servant the World summoned to bring Chaldea into the situation instead.

(2) Yes, Space Ishtar and Arturia at the end of the chapter did drive off U-Olga from destroying the Wandering Sea with their Noble Phantasms, nearly killing her in the process. Because fuck the Foreign God for using black holes and making Chaldea lose another home — I hated the entire Tunguska event for that (and Koyan's "happy" ending after all the shit she caused, there's a reason I killed her raid boss version 121 times — it was rage) and had to deal with things my way. So the next few chapters will see the Wandering Sea still present.

This is Vy signing off to sleep (and find herself). See you all next time.