Might dive into it more if people like the idea - Author. Also, today y'all are gonna be introduced to my Proofwriter, editor, and friend EliotSoul. He's done some work for my other fate fanfics. If y'all wanna holla at my boy, he's here at the comments reading everything. Please review and let me know if this is worth the whole story.
…..
Death has come… her sword lifted high.
Archer stood tall yet wounded. His defiant glare insignificant against the monstrosity before him. Rin is just behind him and she already fell into fear. Her eyes gaunt and lifeless as if accepting the fate set for her. He dare not stare at his master so as to disallow the enemy a clear opening to strike.
The woman before the bowman was one of taste. A thick black open coat held together by a silver chain rested on her shoulders. Underneath it is a cut-less dress as blue as the dark sea. A black tiara was on her head. It was holding the veil of which to cover the shaded mascara with gold linings. Only a part of her mouth was visible to the bowman.
But her eyes screamed for blood.
"A-archer." Rin squeaked out. Her jittering teeth caused hatred for herself to boil upwards. "We need to get out of here."
"Don't think that I don't know that, Master." Archer grunted as he raised his arms in a guard position so that he could protect Rin from the onslaught to come.
"Fufufu…" The servant before them chuckled. It caused bells of alarm to ring in their heads. What was that all about?
The woman's golden eyes turned red for a flicker of a second. Her haunting smile sends the teenage girl reeling back at the sight.
"I'm sorry." The servant unapologetically said. She held a palm to her cheek and explained, "It's just so funny that you would think that way… Why? Well,"
The last thing Rin saw was the vanishing woman appearing before the bowman. Her blackened sword now crimson from the blood that painted it. Rin could only gasp in shock as her trusted servant fell face first as it slid off the object of his demise. The last words she heard were…
You were dead the moment you saw me.
….
It has been one hellish, chaotic, and downright sadistic day. Well, that's exaggerating a bit too much. However nothing else could describe her experience yesterday. It simply is that terrible. Tohsaka Rin woke up with chills up her spine as her nightmare faded into oblivion. Her usually relaxed and healthy disposition is now stiff and on the verge of collapse. She was bad at waking up in the mornings and it didn't help because she developed a hard time sleeping at night. And it's because of this damned War.
"You're awake." a voice called out to her. She would not have reacted so violently had circumstances allowed for it. She just can't help jumping in surprise as she swiftly turned her head towards the man she only knew as Archer. Her servant.
"Archer, I told you not to do that anymore." Groaned Rin as she got up in a lackadaisical manner. She must have been so rattled by the shock as she found herself tripping on her own foot and falling face first on the floor. Well, almost.
"You need to ease yourself." Archer sighed as he caught his master by the elbow. He then lifted her up slowly so as to not trigger a malaise. Once he made sure her feet were planted on the ground, he then continued to scold her.
"What did I say about you staying up so late at night?" Archer demanded as he turned around to walk out the room. He did not need to tell Rin to follow suit. The pitter patter of her footsteps was enough of a sign that she was there.
"It's not my fault." Rin countered with a glare as they made their way down the stairs. "You left me behind to do your 'recon'. What did you expect me to do? Take a breather and sleep? You know better than to let our enemy have an advantage, Archer."
"You are given them one thing:". Archer said as he ushered Rin to the table and began serving the food. With a stern look whilst giving her the rice bowl, he continued, "The ineffectiveness of your mind to think properly due to fatigue."
"I have done my all nighters before." Rin stubbornly said as she carefully ate her food. "I know the risks." She then slammed her bowl down the table and shot an accusing glare toward her servant. "You, however, do not. What the hell have you been doing the whole night? What if a master found my secret and attacked me outright without you to save me?"
"And I told you it was reconnaissance." Archer sighed as he gave a small soup bowl with his special miso inside. "I have had it with being on the backfoot this entire time, as you may have noticed. Intel is as important as prowess in a Holy Grail War. And I wanted to know the possible locations the other masters would set up shop."
"Right…" Rin said as her gaze became hazy as the thought of the past day flooded the front of her mind. The miso soup was almost forgotten in her hands.
"We need to talk about what happened last night." the two of them blurted out unexpectedly at the same time. Their eyes meeting with a singular purpose in mind.
Yesterday…
Archer… is at amiss. Things aren't happening the way they are supposed tok. He noticed it the moment they went to school. Archer, as a ghostly spirit, waded through the city whilst following his master from the rear with a look of great contemplation. He knew how things truly went and noticed that in the previous day, Rin never stalked Sakura speaking to Gilgamesh (the leftover servant), never saw Emiya Shirou from the top of the skyscraper as they scouted the area, and they never went near the Fuyuki Central Park with the alternative location being the Riverside bridge.
But that's not the most glaring detail of them. A most infuriatingly simple, yet overlooked detail that he can only curse himself for not noticing sooner. A lot of this could have been avoided (maybe) if he had only the brain to realise…
He remembers everything.
Not simply one life, no. He remembers All of it. He remembers every single failure, every single success, every single ending and what happens after it. Honestly, it should have felt like an entire train's worth of weight crashing into his conscience as the flood of memories overwhelmed him. It should have destroyed his brain from the processing overload he should have experienced. He should have been rendered insane as he failed to decipher which memory belongs to which.
Somehow he doesn't experience any of that. The memories simply came to him like a player in normal time. Though they aren't just flashes or pictures, rather he can recognise what he felt and the rationale behind his decisions in each memory. That's how much he remembered them. It's as if he actually went through every single one before he found himself in this timeline. An inkling inside agrees with that assumption.
And it only brought him a bout of anxiety when absolutely none of the memories in his head recognised this timeline's series of events.
Forget the 'how?'. Forget the 'why?'. And forget the 'who?'. They will not and shall not help the bowman right now. The deviation is far too great now to be able to re-right the course. Something - or some things - way before his summoning happened in the way it did. Obviously he can do nothing to stop it. 'What' they are is the most pressing question in his mind. He will have to take a gander outside the Tohsaka Manor whilst Rin is well protected for that one. At the very least, Archer can live with the fact that he is a few steps ahead of the game with his memories. If he can take advantage of his information against the Servants and their masters, then all the power to him. For now, he will lay low and let things play out.
"Archer, just stay with me while I attend school." Rin said through their mental link. That brought the bowman out of his musings and forced him to focus on the matter at hand.
"Is it really wise to still be schooling during the Grail War?" Archer challenged with a hint of refrain. He did not want to influence Rin's thoughts too much. That would cause another deviation from the timeline should his words convince her to go home at this pivotal moment.
"Don't be absurd, Archer." Rin said haughtily as she made her way past the gate of her school, Homurahara high. "It would be foolish if I just stopped altogether for the Grail War. We don't know who the masters are yet, and it's very unlikely for one of them to be a highschooler like me."
"You cannot be too sure." Archer said in a cryptic voice. His mind returned to the very teenagers who took part in this War. "If you, a highschooler, are chosen as one of the masters, who's to say that the Grail would not pick someone your peer."
"I highly doubt that, Archer." Rin deadpanned as she gazed at the door she was planning to enter. Even whilst being at the centre of the entrance grounds, she was already figuring out the path that had the least students to encounter. It was here that Archer realised the point of which her senses are about to kick is nearing.
"And why is that?" Archer continued to press while counting the steps Rin took.
"Well, first of all the Grail is a fight only the best Mages can enter in. Non-magus entrees - your highschoolers if you're lost - are possible, though rarely find themselves in." Rin paused to let Archer voice out his opinions, but he stayed oddly silent. At this, Rin just continued.
"Let's not forget the fact that it's practically impossible for them to be a part of it since they don't even know that the Grail War even exists!" Rin then took a look around and with a shining light of confidence said to her servant,
"But moving back to the point. Even if there is a non-magus entree, they wouldn't dare attack a school. What're they going to do? Kill us all?" Rin chuckled to herself. She waited and waited for a snarky reply or a jeering comment. Yet she found nothing. Rin unconsciously stopped and looked ahead and wondered to herself.
"Archer? What's wrong?" Rin asked concernedly. She was supposed to feel happy that her opinion wasn't being questioned ruthlessly by the bowman. However, she felt odd when the moment of it actually happening came. What is going on with Archer?
"...It's nothing, Master." Archer sighed resignedly. His apathy was replaced with worry that could be felt in waves through their master-servant link. Though it was immediately shut out from Rin when she felt a cascade of imaginary walls blocking her link with the bowman. Seeing as she won't be getting an answer soon, she just continued her path down to the door she chose.
Meanwhile with Archer, all his feelings right now can be boiled down to panic. Nothing was lining up! Where was the bounded field that should have been noticed by Rin the very second she took her last step? All he got was nothing and that infuriated him. What changed for everything he thought he knew to turn upside down and wreck another set of his plans? Better yet, where was Rider? She was supposed to plant the bounded field ages ago. Did the timeline deviate that much for Shinji to not let her set up at the school? What the hell did Archer find himself in for things to go so wrong?
As Rin opened the door, Archer noticed a chatter coming from the stairs. That's another sign that things are different. He clearly remembers only Sakura being here since she's the one carrying the stack of papers about to fall… Or could have fallen. Because there is a second person with Sakura then and there helping her with half the load just bickering with her. The conversation is faint at first, but Archer can tell that the bickering is about… a what?
"I'm telling you, Sakura, that maid is nothing but cruel to me! Every day she makes me do all the chores, cook the food, and clean the house after forcing me to lift weights for hours. Worst of all, she makes me do these petty things like buying groceries, cleaning the outside of the house and - oh I will kill her for that - she makes me cut the lawn with thread cutters. Thread cutters!"
"I-i see… How terrible of her, nii-san."
Rin looked up to see the Matou siblings - both Shinji and Sakura - walking down the stairs with their stacks of paper in tow. She need not bother with them and simply walked past the stairwell they used. It's not like they'll notice her anyways. Better for her since she did not want any attention for now.
"A friend of yours, Master?" Archer asked with that same knowing tone he's been using for a while now.
"It's nothing. They are simply schoolmates." Rin answered offhandedly as she found another way to her classroom. Archer was frustrated that she didn't think twice to interact with the Matous but held it in. Nothing of the note happened on the way. They met some girls who knew Rin and even went out of their way to talk with her. Other than that, not much else.
Archer then found himself inside Rin's classroom, Class 2- A. Normally, he'd just leave. But this time, a strange feeling overcame him as his master entered the room. There is a presence here… a presence that does not belong. It wasn't familiar, no. He had never felt this anywhere at all… though he knew that if he looked into it too deep, it would know. He settled with subtly analysing the room for any sign of magic sigils. He got nothing. Then he went for the students because they're the only ones that are potentially a threat at this point.
He only remembers 4 names that aren't Rin belonging to this room. The trio - Himuro Kane, Makidera Kaede, Saegusa Yukika, and Mitsuzuri Ayako. Captain of the Archery club. None of the others had any significant details of note except for them simply because he knew them. Ayako was the first to speak to Rin with the trio butting in after pleasantries were exchanged between the duo. He can see the slight smile as his master enjoyed her time with her friends even if it was masked behind a facade of annoyance for their antics. It was endearing to watch.
No, no. Don't be distracted now, Archer thought. He needs to find the source. Since none of the students had the presence he felt, Archer decided to silently leave Rin's side. His spirit went through the walls and into the other classroom, Class 2-B. Nothing of note either. No one he knew was there. He wasted no time in switching to the next classroom. Class 2-C
Ah, his own room. It was here that he lived his life as a highschool student before he went on to follow his stupid dream. He remembers his teacher and the closest thing he had to an older sister, Fujimura Taiga. The memories of his days here almost overcame him had it not been for a conversation that piqued his attention.
"You look terrible lately, Matou." A boy with glasses curtly observed as he arranged his things on his table.
"Don't get me started, Ryuudou." Shinji whined as he practically deflated into his seat. "I just got a… maid."
"Oh? A new face in the Matou manor?" The boy known as Ryuudou perked up at the news. "I never thought that your grandfather would want a maid considering you already do the work in the house."
"Heh, yeah…" Shinji said noncommittally. Archer tilted his head and thought that the brat was truly a bastard no matter what timeline he's on. Both of them knew that it was Sakura doing all the heavy work while he acted all spoiled and cruel to her. Though considering the things he's heard and seen from him. The thing that Ryuudou said might not exactly be untrue.
"The bitch made me do so much work!" Shinji exclaimed out of nowhere as he laid out every single grievance he had to suffer in. It was mostly the same spiel that he said to Sakura but this time it was abbreviated. Even he gets tired of his own whining sometimes, huh?
"Well what about you, Issei?" Shinji asked out of the blue after he shared about the 20 pullups he was forced to do.
"Me?" Issei asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah, what about you?" Shinji repeated as he sat his chin onto the back of his hand facing towards the glasses boy. "Word is you've gotten yourself a new gal buddy up at the temple."
"Wh-what? No, I don't! And she's not my buddy." Issei vehemently rejected with flushed ears as he looked away. He crossed his arms before correcting Shinji. "She's just a guest who will be staying because she has been a great help to us lately."
"Oh? And why are you blushing?" Shinji sneakily challenged with a sleazy grin. "Is she hot?"
"Th-that is absurd to even ask!" Issei said as he avoided his classmate's gaze. It is clear that he cannot overcome the tension, so Issei answered. "She is simply of my age and nothing more."
"Aww, pity. You could've had your chance if you had the balls to man up." Shinji teased as he poked Issei's sides. Issei unconsciously elbowed Shinji's incredibly sore forearm and as a result, both of them were reeling from the pain they gave to one another.
Not that Archer cared. He stood there glaring at Issei while he tried to make sense of the information given to him. So Shinji has a servant - a maid to be exact. What the hell did Rider do (better yet, what happened to Rider) to want to become that? And where did she have the resolve to, in a likely assumption, set straight the bratty Shinji? It's the only plausible reason for Shinji 'suffering' this whole time.
Second of all… When did Issei get that necklace? It's the very thing that caught his attention. A sliver - no, pewter - lace that held an oddly shaped golden staff with a 4 pointed star at the end of it. Caster never used any medium to channel her magic save for Rule Breaker, so that bugged him. Is it a clue that maybe Caster's trying a new approach? No, that can't be. Caster is notoriously the same in most of the lives that he lived. Surely she can't be different now?
… Actually, maybe Archer's in a timeline where she's the first deviation. She was the earliest servant to be summoned after all. Maybe it's because Caster's journey to Ryuudou temple being slightly altered that caused Issei to have the necklace in the first place. If only he could figure out what type of staff that is so that Archer could assess Caster's strengths and possibly weaknesses to get an advantage. Unfortunately for him, he's got not much of a clue about staffs, much less the one Caster uses. He'll have to shelf that thought for a later date.
The bell rang and suddenly out of nowhere, in came a redheaded student. He was exhausted from the apparent race to his own classroom. A few minutes later, the very reason for him being almost late walked inside with all the prim and propriety expected of her position. She was wearing a teacher's uniform and a smile that spelled relief and apology to all her students for the inconvenience.
"I hope I didn't make you wait for so long." Said Teacher Fujimura Taiga. She was the first subject of the day it seems. And from the lack of make-up, the mismatched socks, the slightly frazzled hair… Archer wasn't alone in not knowing it.
"Emiya-dono." Issei whispered as the teacher continued her speech before class started. "What happened to you? You look winded."
"I-it's nothing, Issei." the boy known as Emiya Shirou said with a strained smile as he sat on his seat. "I broke something in my shed and I couldn't leave without fixing it."
Archer could feel the lie in the boy's words. He can only decipher the reply as A.) He summoned Saber early or B.) he was 'training' back there and just woke up late. The bowman could also add C.) Taiga Fujimura made him pick her up out of the blue. If any of the choices he gave himself were to be chosen, Archer would pick C for its reasonability. He silently prays that A is proven wrong. He doesn't know what to do if Saber had the luxury of being summoned early.
"Heh, your pitiful pain isn't compared to mine." Shinji boasted as he stretched his back but tweaked it wrong. He couldn't extrapolate any further as the brat was overcome with a seizing pain. Fortunately he held it in or else he would've had a notebook to the face from their teacher.
"Truly?" Issei persisted as he stared at the redhead unbelievingly. "You must have had quite the problem if you are here looking like you ran the marathon."
"W-well…" Shirou scratched his temple as he lacked the ability to lie to his friend. "It's not exactly far from the truth…"
"Oh? What could it be?" Issei pressed once more. Archer wanted to thank this kid. He's perfect in extracting the information he needs.
"I…" Shirou's eyes slid gradually away from his friend. His bangs covered the top of his face from Archer, but the bowman could still see the mixed emotions from what he was about to say.
"I've been hosting a guest lately." Shirou said sheepishly. Issei nodded as if understanding the stress. Shinji just shrugged his shoulders, apathetic to the situation.
Archer simply prayed that what he was thinking was wrong.
"She's a family friend." Shirou explained deeper. He kept his eyes towards the teacher so as to hide the fact that they were gossiping. "A friend of my dad, she said. She'll be staying around the house for a while because of something she was told of by Dad. Must be important, I guess."
"Interesting… What's her name?" Issei wondered innocently. Shirou didn't see anything wrong with the question and just went along with it.
"Her name is-"
Slide… click…
The attention of everyone in the room shifted towards the man that opened the door. It was a black suit and tie wearing man. His coal black eyes pierced the students who found themselves underneath his gaze. The man's unamused face unchanging even as he addressed his own peer. Everyone knows who this man is and found fear growing in the deepest pit of their chest. The object of his attention especially.
"Fujimura-sensei…" rumbled the black haired man. His apathy sent shivers to Taiga's spine.
"Y-yes? Kuzuki-sensei?" Taiga asked nervously. She must have done something very wrong if she had to have the Ethics teacher come to her room personally.
The man said nothing as he lifted the handbook on his right hand and addressed the issue at hand afterwards.
"You have the attendance for my class." He stated bluntly.
"Eh?" Taiga said surprisedly before quickly taking the book. She slapped her forehead and chuckled profusely out of sheer panic and at her foolishness.
It was at that point that Archer simply stopped caring about the happenings of the room. His mind closed off on him. He had heard what he needed to know and found it revolting. All he wants to do now is leave. And he did. He floated up towards the highest floor of the building and corporealized. Issei's question was unanswered, yet that did not stop Archer from figuring it out. After all…
He remembers everything.
But what the hell does that mean at this point? Nothing is lining up! His memories are rendered moot due to the many deviations. It is clear now that Emiya Shirou summoned Saber already. Would that mean that he wouldn't be able to stay here at the school tonight to witness his bout against Lancer? Would this mean that there won't be a battle at the school? Wait… wait… calm down, Archer thought. This is not the time to overthink things. Focus on the information at hand.
"Saber, Rider, Caster…" Archer spoke out loud. These are the three servants that Archer has an indirect link to through the boys at 2-C. He knows the situations of the trio of servants from the boys. Illya won't be here with Berserker (please be right) until later. Kirei - or is it the original? Bazett might as well still be alive for all he cares. Either way, they will hold Lancer back until at least tonight if things still went at least a bit similar to his memories. Assassin is a unique case all on himself. Being the only servant under another servant would do that to you. The bowman'll meet him once he wants to.
"That's all the servants…" Archer mused as he sat behind the fire exit door. What should he do now? He's got the information he needs here and it's still light out. What could he do to make the time he's given it's genuine worth? Should he try to scout ahead? See if the servants are all in the right place? It is a promising idea. That way he could make sense of everything going so wrong. But would Rin accept it?
"Rin." Archer called out to his master. "I will be doing some recon."
"No need for that, Archer." Rin said through their link. He can feel that Rin was determined with a hint of concern about something. "Go through my house library and find a way to fortify the defensive field around my manor."
That was an odd request. It never happened before in the past. "I understand the intent behind your order. But why now?" Archer asked curiously.
"Ayako was almost kidnapped last night by a group of thugs. A local woman helped her out and sent the crooks to the cops after. I listened and just wanted to strengthen the defences, that's all." Rin explained thoroughly.
"Am I supposed to know who this Ayako is?" Archer teased. But inside he took notes about the similarity between Rin's story and the actual attack Rider did on Ayako. Is that a sign that some things will stay the same?
"She's my classmate, Archer." Rin deadpanned. "Now would you please just go already? I need that house secured."
"Alright, alright. I'll go." Archer sighed as he got up from his seat. He need not wait for Rin's reply. He vanished into thin air and practically flew through the city.
But just because his master told him to prioritise her order, it did not mean he lost the ability to multitask. Archer used his Mind's Eye to scan the whole area. He flew through most of the districts of Fuyuki. The old district - where the Emiya and Fujimura Residence is. The new district - where the Matous and the Tohsakas are. The shopping district. The church. Even the Ryuudou temple can be seen with his skill. Practically almost every important part of the city.
Archer landed on the porch of the Tohsaka manor. He entered it and went to the library. It was a huge library. One befitting the ancient history of the powerful and knowledgeable Tohsaka Family. Rin uses this room the most out of all in the house - a testament to its importance. He found himself at the foot of the door to the room. Bowman opened it and saw it as a complete mess. He could count the books that were not on the shelves. This was going to take a while.
Dusk…
If he was to be seen doing this, it would land him in either a hot pool of embarrassment or jail time. Depending on who the person walking in on him is. Right now… Archer was stalking the Matous mansion up in the attic. A telescope is useless in the face of his skill, so all he's doing is just sitting down and patiently transcribing what he saw in the house. He already did this for the Emiya residence just a few hours ago and was despondent when he saw Saber walking around the open field of the Residence just taking in every single detail she can see. Fortunately none of the servants (save for Caster's witchery) can see him doing this kind of thing from this distance.
The reason for Archer doing this is simple: recon. He's already finished his primary objective in fortifying the defensive wards of the house to the point of near invulnerability, so why not go and do his secondary objective next? His journal entries filled a quarter of the notebook already at this point meaning he's made massive progress in gaining the information he needs. In regards to the Emiya Residence, he need not write much. The defensive wards put in place are primitive if not downright nonexistent due to the sheer incapability of Emiya Shirou. Saber is summoned early, sure. But due to, again, Emiya Shirou her power is limited at best. Would that mean that Rin would not wish to pursue an alliance with the boy? Based on the deviation of the timeline, Archer hopes so.
Though the Matou mansion is a different case. It's well defended and the wards in place are a tough nut to crack. Not that Archer couldn't pinpoint the exploitable weaknesses of the defences. He simply wanted to compliment his enemies' prowess. They made a house that stuck out like a sore thumb look like it belongs, after all. So, they get that. Moving back. The reason it is a different case from the Emiya Residence is because Rider rarely goes out in the day at the beginning of the Grail War. She is only outside at this time when Shinji needed her for the Bloodfort at the school. If Rin gets home and he still doesn't see any hints as to what Rider's doing, Archer's gonna quit. He's done enough at this point.
One hour later…
Two hours later…
"Archer, I'm home!"
"Damn it." Archer growled underneath his breath. He closed his book and kept it someplace secure. The bowman then vanished and found his way towards the main floor and sure enough, Rin was there taking her shoes off before entering.
"Nice work with the defences." Rin complimented as she took off her scarf and jacket. "It's better than I thought."
"Heh, it's nothing." Archer scoffed as he took Rin's bag from her. "I just did some basic enchantments and it was enough. You are the true mastermind behind the wards."
"Well, I am a first rate magus. It's to be expected." Rin preened from the compliment. Her confident smile shone even more as the afternoon sun blazed through the living room she now occupied.
"Tell me, Master." Archer asked as he took off of the kitchen to fetch the young girl some tea. "What is our next plan of action?"
"Well, first off we need to figure out where each master is currently. Then after that, we can start scouting them out in order to form alliances if possible." Rin explained as she basically dissolved into the comfy sofa below.
"A sound plan if I ever heard one." Archer said amusedly. He has every right to be happy at what he is hearing. This is one of the few things that stayed the same from the other lives he's led. Like all the timelines in his head, Rin's determination to win the Grail War supersedes any alterations.
"I want to start off with Saber." Rin expanded more as she patiently watched her servant approach her with some delicious red tea. "The strongest of all servants as an ally is clearly a boon to our efforts."
"But that boon has some caveats." Archer countered as he carefully sat beside his master on the other chair. "Should we ally ourselves to Saber's Master, we will have to fight them in the end."
"Better to keep your enemies closer than your friends, then." Rin coldly countered as she took the cup and saucer with grace. "By then we could exploit the relationship and overcome them in their surprise."
"Then I have no complaints." Said Archer who simply nodded with closed eyes. Inside however, he knew that Rin's compassion for the master would shine over the ruthlessness she said she would use. It's all bluster to the bowman.
"We'll start around 2 hours before midnight." Rin commanded before blushing furiously when her stomach growled like an angry lioness.
"...After dinner?" Archer quipped with a raised eyebrow. His smirk almost reached up into a smile.
"After dinner." replied Rin. Totally upset with her stomach as she clasped her stomach.
Night….
"Is this really the best you can think of, Master?" Archer groaned through their link. He was forced to stay in his spirit form during this venture. He loathed what he was forced to do.
"Just stay quiet and let me walk around. If the servants are what I think they are, they will take the bait outright." Rin said as she toured the streets of the old district.
"And what do you think they are?" Archer asked impatiently. He was then mildly surprised when Rin turned around to where he was invisibly standing and answered.
"That they're as big headed and full of their own selves to overlook your cunning." Rin smiled at the Bowman. She was filled to the brim with assurance in his skills. Or overconfidence.
"You are working on the assumption that they will strike first. And that we somehow have an edge when it comes to reacting to their move. And should we make a slip in our reply…" Archer blanched at the direction his thought process was going towards and just stopped there.
"No need to worry." Rin consoled off handedly as they made their way to Intersection road. "We are not just making ourselves free pickings. We need to think of this move as one with honour. That we will not use underhanded tactics to win the war."
"And in turn, garner slight favour amongst the knightly class." Archer completed for her. "They are obsessed with fair dealings."
"Hence why we are here in the first place." Rin added. She was about to speak again were it not for Archer taking physical form to force her into an alleyway.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as Rin turned around to watch her servant fall down on one knee to counter the onslaught of the attacker before him. It was… a strange foe. The servant bore a black oni mask with glowing blue highlights around the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. The servant wore what appears to be simple light armour underneath a black bodysuit and is draped by a blue cape. Chestplate, shoulder plates, vambraces, and greaves all had the same blue highlights as the mask. Two sheaths were built into the vambraces to accommodate the very weapons threatening to cleave Archer in twain while two dozen throwing knives were strapped on the thighs of the servant.
Archer did not need to think as he struck against the unknown servant. One slash from Kanshou was enough to get the attacker to retreat towards the wall of one of the residences. Archer was prepared to launch an offensive, but the real priority was Rin. As soon as his mind raced into action, the Bowman pumped as much prana as he could into his legs and carried his Master away from there. They were not far from the skyscraper they used to scout a few days back, so Archer chose to go there as it offered two significant advantages: limiting the enemy servant's range of movement and it being the perfect place to utilise every aspect of his class skills.
"Archer, what're you doing?! Why are you running away!?" Rin protested as she was put down from her servant's shoulder.
"Master, this is a servant we are talking about." Archer said as he summoned his bow. "When it comes to physical combat, I am at a disadvantage. Even more so against the class I'm guessing our enemy belongs to."
"And what class is that?" Rin asked apprehensively as she shivered at the mana coalescing towards their servant's hand. Out came a sword that swiftly warped into an arrow that fit into his bow.
"You need to hide, Master." Archer said as he patiently watched the building jumping enemy gradually getting closer and closer to his position. He flicked his eye towards the fire exit and said. "Barricade the doors that lead up to this floor and hide inside there. Get out once I give the signal or when it becomes compromised."
Rin couldn't just let her own servant boss her around, yet she failed to overpower the steely resolve Archer was in right now. With a quick nod, Rin left the scene. Preparing for and carrying out the orders given to her. Good for the Bowman, because as soon as Rin closed the exit, the servant took flight and started running up the glass side of the building.
"An odd choice of weapons for you, Lancer." Archer muttered under his breath as a flurry of arrows started raining down on his enemy. It was his assumption that this is the Irish Child of Light he was fighting against. He only saw the weapons for a fraction of a second earlier and is still depending on his memories to figure out who his enemy is currently. He let this train of thought occupy half of his mind while the other half continued to impede the enemy's ascent up the height of the skyscraper.
It's not doing too well. The shifty movements of the servant was a pain in the ass that could only be connected with Lancer's immunity against arrows. And it's not that Archer isn't trying. A hair's breadth was the only distance left between the enemy's mutilation and survival every single time. If he used a seeker arrow right then and there, would it work considering the servant's speed?
To hell with it, Archer supposes, and hastily summons a special arrow from his days alive. It was Hrunting, of Beowulf's legend. A devilish sword, capable of seeking out those it deems its target. It grew thinner, deadlier, as the Bowman nocked his bow. He waited patiently for the right moment when the enemy was most confident in themselves, thinking that his attack could be blocked. The mana circling around the arrow found life once the string was let go.
The arrow, true to Archer's conjecture, missed its target due to the enemy's quick reflexes. But it appears that Archer's guess in the servant's identity might be fallible due to the servant missing the arrow's second attempt as it pierced through the left shoulder blade. Leaving a nasty injury that couldn't be taken care of as the enemy servant lost the momentum needed to complete the climb. Archer simply reloaded his bow as a natural response. But the enemy grabbed his sheathed weapon and shattered the glass a couple of flights below. Archer widened his eyes at the servant's plan and growled in self loathing for his oversight. In his desire to lure the enemy into his high ground, he unintentionally forces himself on the backfoot by leaving Rin alone in the only place the servant can go up to meet his challenge.
"Rin, get out of there!" Archer shouted in the same moment the door flew wide open to reveal his master running outside to shout about something.
"Archer, he's coming!" Rin said as the spell she concocted to block the enemy shattered into a thousand pieces by a strong force of wind. Rin almost tripped because of it, she would have eaten concrete had Archer failed to catch her at the right time. The servant jumped out of the exit while Rin was cordoned off to one of the industrial exhaust fans at the corner of the highest floor.
The enemy lacked the arrow from before, the state of the wound being unknown to Archer. What is known is that the servant's blue face mask turned red quite some time ago. He must be pissed.
"To think that a servant of the Knight class would deal such underhanded tricks… you are the lowliest of the low." The servant growled. Rin couldn't help but flinch at the threatening tone. But Archer… oh boy… he's practically shot in the heart with this one.
Because that's not Lancer…
Truth be told, the servant before him had an androgynous voice. Probably masked like the face. So the identity isn't clear. But it did not stop him from looking slightly higher to see a blonde ahoge sticking out of the baseball cap the enemy was sporting. Which makes things all the more confusing for Archer.
"And you must be one of us 'knights' then?" Archer goaded as he calmly summoned Kanshou and Bakuya. "I assure you, if you meant to insult me about the escape towards this building and my ignoble attempt in ending your life, please believe that it was not an accident."
"All you servants are the same. You all lack honour and dignity." The masked enemy said as he took out his daggers. A roman pugio and a small sword with a red hilt. An odd choice for weapons, but he's seen worse.
Speaking of seeing worse, is that a hauberk in between the bodysuit and the chest armour? That's a very specific piece of armour right there. Not to mention the blue cape. He can't see it in the dark, but there is power to it that could be counted as one of the enemy's personal skills. If he could analyse his enemy's equipment more, he might just figure out who this servant is. Because clearly his guess as the enemy being Lancer was proven wrong just minutes ago.
"Truly. I am ashamed to admit that I agree with your words." Archer sarcastically replied. His faint smirk grew by the second as the enemy grew heated by his attitude. Without warning, the servant disappeared. Not out of speed, but genuinely vanishing before his eyes. Archer can still detect him, though it's very faint. Meaning the servant was still in his physical form. Wait… could this mean he is capable of invisibility!?
"Assassin." Archer growled as he whirled around to block the incoming attack. Of course the servants would be different this time. Why the hell did he hope they would be the same? Caster's slight changes in her origin must have impacted the timeline enough for Assassin's master to have properly received their command seals this time.
Assassin was relentless. He was filled with hatred for the bowman's underhanded tactics and used it as justification to go all out. Assassin was clever with it too. After dodging an attack, he quickly vanishes and reappears everywhere and anywhere to force the Bowman to lower his guard. Not that it was effective considering how Archer somehow always manages to counter everything.
Back with Archer. He is seemingly dumbfounded by how familiar his enemy's fighting style is. Even as he jumps in and out of his view with his invisibility skill, Archer noticed that the Assassin's got a code of honour. The enemy never goes for his back at all. A distinct trait in all those who think themselves above 'savagery'. Which is strange considering the fact that a hero with honour was summoned into the morally bankrupt servant class twice with different heroes. Moving back, who could this be that even the fighting style can make him pause in contemplation?
Assassin spun to dodge his counter attack. Archer glared at what he noticed and immediately stashed into his vault of memories. He has no time to analyse it considering Archer now has to run away from Assassin's throwing knives. One of them cut him as he did a barrel roll while the other shattered Bakuya. He immediately made a new one and used it to block the incoming hail. It appears that his enemy has a knack for aiming with precision. After a few seconds, Assassin was about to pounce on him once more before he paused and growled at the Bowman.
"My master is calling me. We shall end this battle for now." Assassin explained as he walked towards the edge of the building. His open hostility morphing into cold contempt.
"I can't wait." Archer dryly remarked. His weapons vanished into sparks of blue.
"Do not be complacent, Bowman." Assassin threatened a raised Pugio. "I loathe your lack of honour, but I shall not allow it to undermine my own. I am warning you: when we cross paths, you shall consider your life forfeit."
"Please, Assassin. We're not in a Shakespearean play." Archer chuckled as he crossed his arms. "Why don't you call me Archer, first? I do have a name, you know?"
"Then you shall address me not by that detestable class title." Assassin said as he turned his back towards the street below. "You are to call me… X."
"X…" Archer repeated with a thoughtful expression. Is that like the Roman numeral? Is he a king, just the tenth of his name? There are a handful of them around history. Louis X of France, being a prime example. He'll half to speak to run about that later, as he watched X fall off the building towards the street. When Archer ran towards where X fell, he found no trace of him.
"Archer, let's go home. We've gotten what we came for." Rin said as she got out of her hiding spot. The Bowman looked at her and nodded in agreement. He then grabbed Rin and jumped down from the building.
"We can't let any of the servants know where I live, Archer. Put me down somewhere walkable but not too close." Rin commanded. After a few minutes, they found themselves not far from the very street they encountered Assassin. Or, X, if you will.
"Assassin has a weak master." Archer blurted out of the blue as he put Rin down. He then vanished into spirit form to start the prana restoration process. Seemingly leaving Rin to just walk home in her lonesome.
"How so?" Rin asked curiously. Her pace quick,
"Earlier, I wounded him in his back." Archer explained as Rin took a turn. "When we fought each other, he spun to dodge my attack and exposed the wound. He cauterised it, Master."
Rin widened her eyes in surprise. That was news. A competent master would have the knowhow to not only channel their mana to heal their servant's wounds, they would be able to make it nonexistent. Erasing any trace of it being there. Some cases, even the clothing affected by the wound would be stitched up and rendered fixed. For the lesser kind of Master…. Scars would be left behind at best. At worst, the wound wouldn't heal at all.
"I guess that's why the master didn't show up." Rin said as she chuckled mirthlessly. She expected the masters of the grail war to be the pinnacle of excellence. She expected near legendary foes serving equally deadly magi who could give her a run for her money. It only occurred to her now that 'special cases' such as this one were possible.
"We have the edge over them, master." Archer reminded her. "That's one less servant alliance to worry about. If you want to have a better chance at winning, we need to ally with the stronger masters."
"Right… of course." Rin responded despondently. Her disappointment was immeasurable still. She walked further down the road until there was only 2 minutes worth of distance left from here to her house.
Clink.
A sweeping cold wind rushed towards Rin. Her body shivered as a result. She heard the sound beforehand and looked around to find where it belonged. A calloused hand on her shoulder guided her eyes to look towards her servant… subtly shaking in fear. Rin held her breath as she slowly followed Archer's gaze and jolted the moment she found what she was looking for.
It was a servant. Assassin was a cause for alarm, but this one made the master servant pair taste the malevolence in the air. Such powerful intimidation can only be the result of a high stat in charisma, or a servant specific skill. Not that these two would care to contemplate on it any time soon. The servant stood at the top of the hill with the wind swaying her outfit in the slightest of ways. Her gender was evident from the fact that they could see her slender frame from the foot of the hill. Only one thought rang in their minds as the servant started walking towards them.
She is strong…
"I commend your bravery to venture out in the middle of the night, Master of Archer." The servant's voice boomed from above. Her slightly heeled shoe pittering and patterning as she spoke.
"Such a display of confidence in your skills as a magus is worthy of recognition." She continued before staring down on the girl with eyes filled with battle-lust. "But it will not avail you tonight."
"She is glad that you think of her highly." Archer replied for his master while ensuring that she was safely behind his back. "However, she is not pleased with the idea of you being anywhere closer than you ought to be."
The enemy simply burned the Bowman with her glare. The malevolence around her turned into fiery indignation for the insult thrown her way. Archer's response was to summon his trusted weapons. The enemy servant simply scoffed at this pitiful display.
"If there is one fault in your conduct," the servant addressed Rin once more without even ending her glare. "It's that you allow dregs unfitting of their status as 'hero' to speak for you."
Rin blinked at that as she looked towards a suddenly freezing up Archer. What did she mean by that? And why does Archer look like he knows a thing or two about what she means?
"Do we know each other? That last part seems a bit too personal for my liking." Archer said with equal confusion and honesty that made the teenage girl realise that maybe she was wrong about her assumption.
"I have better Instincts than you could surmise." The servant said cryptically. Rin analysed this and thought that maybe she's the Saber class. As far as she knows, only the Saber class has the Instinct Skill.
"And what do they tell you about me?" Archer taunted the servant. His guard is relaxed but ever ready to act once she moves the wrong way. It's not like she's going to indulge him with that information, right? Or is she going to say it anyway to mess with him?
"That you are a broken man." The servant replied with such a tone that even an ice bath seemed tame in comparison. "A prideless, dishonourable man. Full of self loathing masked behind a facade of nonchalance. I know not your name, Archer. But I have eyes to see. And what I see in you is that you lack the power to even challenge me."
Rin looked towards Archer with shock. How could she say all that and mean it?! There is no way that everything she said is true. She could not believe it. She cannot believe it. None of what she said matched with the servant in question. She looked towards Archer with a strong desire to understand where the servant was coming from, but all she saw were slumped shoulders and a slackening grip before her servant regained himself.
"I will take that as an assumption. It would not do me well if I took such mockery to heart." Archer stubbornly said. His sardonic grin growing all the more infuriating to look at as he watched the servant grow heated with his complete disregard for her opinion.
"You share my brother's wit." The servant complimented before revealing her weapon of choice: a Greek sword made of silver and blackwood. Its length was as long as the enemy's arm while the crossguard was adorned with silver and rubies at the ends and the centre of the hilt. Archer's seen this weapon before. A fleeting memory, it was. But a memory all the same.
"Charming." The Bowman replied as he nudged his elbow to signal his master to take a couple of steps back. "Should I know him too?"
"You will meet him soon." The servant said as the legendary blade slowly became corrupted by the same black magic that radiated from her. "And if things go right, so will your Master."
And so the servant swung her blade. In just one swift movement, Archer's only defence against the onslaught shattered before the foe. Unconscious reflex being the thing that saves him from a hefty cleave. He summoned his weapons once more and participated in this overwhelmingly lopsided sword dance as the underdog with the lowest odds of surviving. A cut in the wrist here, a stab on the side there, and a thousand other slices everywhere was enough of a weakness for the servant to take a step back and kick him back to where his master was.
"Archer!" Rin said as she grabbed three gems and broke them all. As soon as she touched the Bowman, he was overcome by a flood of mana rejuvenating him just enough for his body to start healing.
The enemy just watched them. She was just standing there without a care of what they were doing. She was smiling at them with sadistic glee. They were nothing but insects to her. A bug not even worth the effort to kill. She was akin to a lion stalking her prey and she took it to heart. And it is here that Archer took a deep look into the woman herself.
The woman before the bowman was one of taste. A thick black open coat held together by a silver chain rested on her shoulders. Underneath it is a cut-less dress as blue as the dark sea. A black tiara was on her head. It was holding the veil of which to cover the shaded mascara with gold linings. Only a part of her mouth was visible to the bowman.
"You are weak." The servant continued as she pierced her sword on the ground. "Your skills with the sword are lacking. You leave yourself open due to your diminutive reactions. It is a shame to have even taken the time to fight you seriously."
"I'm an Archer. Sword fights are not exactly my best skill." The Bowman deadpanned. "You ought to be disappointed in yourself too. To have fought me for so long without winning is a disgrace on your part."
The only response he got then was the tightening grip on her sword. Looks like he struck a nerve.
"Archer, what are you doing?!" Rin squeaked out through their telepathic link. "We need to get out of here!"
"Don't think that I don't know that, Master." Archer grunted as he raised his arms in a guard position. Though at this point, it's unlikely that any hostility shall be forced onto him.
"I grow tired of this farce." The servant said as her sword vanished into particles. She turned around and started walking away from them as if nothing ever happened.
"Never knew you were a quitter." Archer exclaimed. The servant's piercing glare made his master's heart stop more than his own. He really needs to stop pushing it.
"Don't think you are not complicit in this, Archer. You know full well what the true meaning of this meeting is." The servant bit back before turning around to go off on her way.
"Well, that's settled." Archer sighed in relief.
"No, don't just relax. What was that all about?!" Rin asked as she watched Archer vanish into thin air.
"Her intimidation is a ploy, Master. It has been this entire time." Archer explained as Rin made her way towards her home. In her fear of meeting any more servants, she decided to just make a run for it.
"Well what the hell was doing that 'ploy' for then?" Rin said as she panted in exhaustion before making a full stop at the gate to her house.
"Information, master. She was acting that way for information." Archer answered as he corporealized to open the door for his tired master.
The conclusion he came up with was the clearest of all he thought of because it's what he's been doing with Assassin this entire time. Every single action and word was Intel that can and will be used against the enemy. And said enemy knew and tried it herself against the Bowman. The fight was more of a transaction than the genuine article. He's given her more than she needed whilst she did the same for him. It was enough for her apparently if she was to just stand there dawdling about in the middle of him regaining his strength.
"We will talk more about this tomorrow." Archer said as he guided Rin to her room.
"What? Why not now?" Rin asked as she tilted her head in confusion. She was hiding the door handle of her room at this point.
"I need to do more recon. More information is needed on the other servants before I can discuss it with you." Archer simply explained. He was about to vanish before he said.
"Go to sleep master. It would be a hassle for me if I can't wake you up."
And without even acknowledging the frustrated reply of Rin, he vanished into his spirit form.
Later… the next day…
List of servants
Saber - unknown
Archer - Archer
Rider - unknown
Lancer - unknown
Berserker - unknown
Assassin - 'X'
Caster - unknown
List of Masters
Saber - Unknown
Archer - Rin Tohsaka
Rider - Shinji Matou
Lancer - unknown
Berserker - unknown
Assassin - unknown
Caster - unknown
Rin closed the book that her servant gave to her and looked at him in dismay.
"This is all you wrote?" Rin asked disappointedly.
"I digress, it's not the finest of notes." Archer acknowledged as he sat down on the couch of the living room. "I was more invested in scouting the possible areas rather than identities."
"Well, let's start with the identities if that's the case." Rin said as she took a pen and flipped to an empty page. She then sat on the opposite couch.
"First of all, what did you realise when you fought Assassin." Rin asked.
"Other than what I told you last night, Assassin seems to be honourable. His nickname, 'X' seems to indicate that he was a King. Might be the tenth of his name." Archer said as he went into himself to remember more. "He fought like a man who wanted a fair fight and did not take advantage of his skills to strike underhandedly. His weapon seemed familiar too."
"His weapon?" Rin asked as she looked up from the notebook.
"Yes," Archer said as he summoned an imitation of Assassin's weapons. "I have a skill where I can instantly recognize the weapon of my enemy should they be a sword. The assassin used a short sword and a knife but fought like a swordsman. Hence, me being able to summon them. A copy, sure. But it is enough."
"Hmm…" Rin said as she rubbed her chin in thought. Suddenly, she leapt from the bed and ran towards her father's library. Archer just watched amusedly as she hauled a heavy book and slammed it on the living room table. She opened it and flipped a few pages.
"I read a lot when I was younger. My father would let me go around and see what he had on his shelves. I remember reading this book about King Arthur right after reading about Charlemagne. I wasn't exactly the best reader - I only skipped to find pictures. But seeing Assassin's weapons made me remember something." Rin flipped to the last page, flattened it and smiled in triumph as Archer went to where she was and sat beside her to get a closer look. What he saw surprised him.
"The weapon is a bit different in some aspects, but I can guarantee that it's the same one…" Archer then placed the knife on the other page to get a clear comparison between the article and the picture.
"It's the spitting image of Carwennan, King Arthur's dagger." Rin and Archer said in unison as they stared at each other with differing emotions.
Rin is happy that they finally have a lead as to one of the Servant's identities. This is a huge boost to their advantage in the war. They can use it as a means to exploit Assassin's weaknesses and defeat him. Archer thinks the same… however there is one problem.
There's already an Arthur Pendragon in this war.
Archer took this time to think. Arturia is summoned early. He can tell that she is who he thinks she is. If that is the case… who the hell is Assassin supposed to be? There is not a single legend, folktale, or historical account that states that Carwennan was lost to Camelot's king. And it's impossible to think that there are two of the same character. So that is out of the picture.
"Oh, the second weapon is the Sword of the Red Hilt." Rin said. Causing Archer to look towards the new page that states the description of the weapon in his master's hand. It is very detailed.
"...used bySir Balin, Sir Galahad, and Sir Lancelot. Any unworthy knight who wields it extensively is cursed to kill the man he loves most. With Balin unknowingly killing his brother with it." Archer said out loud. He shelved his previous train of thought for the future. He will get back to that soon.
"Do you think you can create a copy of the second servant's weapon?" Rin asked as she wrote half a page's worth of notes on the Servant of Skulduggery.
"Hmm… maybe we should focus on identifying her class first." Archer said as he leaned into Rin to take a glimpse of her notes. Rin nodded in agreement.
"I can guarantee that one of the Matous is a Master in this War." Rin said as she started writing on a separate page. "They are one of the three major families taking part after all. Since Sakura has no magic, Shinji is the best choice."
"I know. I saw the boy in the school." Archer said as he took the time to flip the pages of the heavy book. "He didn't seem like a magus. But I can see where you are coming from."
"Yeah." Rin said as her attention shifted towards the bowman's actions. "Wait, what are you doing?"
Archer looked up from the book to address his master. "I'm confirming a hunch." He said before continuing his search. Rin saw the book flip to a section of Rhongomyniad, the Holy Spear. The picture of the mythical spear being slightly different from what is told by her father, but it's the spear all the same.
"Moving back, Rin. We fought Assassin. So that class is out of the picture." Archer explained without leaving his eyes off the book. "I found the whereabouts of Saber during my recon mission, so we'll remove that too."
"You saw Saber?!" Rin asked with surprise. She then started scribbling in the notebook and said. "No wait, that's wrong. You saw Saber and didn't tell me?"
"Why do you think we're doing this meeting in the first place?" Archer innocently raised an eyebrow. "We're trying to share everything we know between us right now."
"Right…" Rin acquiesced as she sulked back into her notes. Her point was lost before the irrefutable logic of her servant.
"I was not able to make contact with Saber. But confirming Saber's existence is the most important thing for now." Archer said. "I did not meet Lancer or Berserker, and you know what weapons they use. Lancer uses a Lance while Berserker goes Berserk. So that's out of the equation. Caster is more of a magus rather than a warrior, so no swords."
"Which leaves us Rider." Rin concluded. Her pen furiously wrote about their newfound discovery. "But where's her… y'know? Ride?"
"Must be a noble phantasm, it seems." Archer guessed as his hands finally found the page he was looking for. His grim look looked even more morose as he absorbed the contents.
"Hm? What is it?" Rin asked as she noticed his sour look. She looked towards the page and saw a description about a Greek sword that came from the age of Hercules. Marmiadoise, it was called.
Archer did not answer. The cogs in his mind spinning faster and faster as conjectures, conclusions and consternation was forced into his brain. A few minutes of silence later, he had a theory. A working theory. A theory so indisputably stupid, yet had all the evidence to back it up. Naturally, he couldn't tell this to Rin. Not yet. If he did so prematurely, simply the knowledge of it would break her mind or just flat out call him crazy.
"Master." Archer said as he looked around to see a flinching teenage girl who took the time to shake him out of his reverie. "Can I see the notes you took?" He asked with a cryptic tone.
"Uhm… sure." Rin said as she handed the notebook and pen. She looked at her servant oddly while he took a bunch of free pages to doodle some sort of chart. It was too fast to catch his writing. But as soon as he finished, Archer got up and said,
"I'll be back for Lunch. Don't do anything while I'm gone. I will be leaving to… test a theory." Archer said as he raced for the door. Leaving his master in the dust. Her hand reaching out for him and her jaw ajar.
"...what the hell is up with him?" Rin asked in stupefaction as she retreated into her couch. She then decided to take a quick nap. Her lack of sleep finally gets to her on the eve of action.
Somewhere…
Looking into a very specific apartment of a very specific Irish Woman 3 kilometres out is not what Archer planned on doing today. But things forced him to do so and now he's here, sitting on a signal tower using binoculars. Even though he has no need for it.
He was watching out for the entrances, exits, and the window of a very specific apartment number to find any hints of a formally dressed agent of the mages association and her potential servant. Judging by the flow of this timeline and the things that stayed the same, he conjectured that this woman summoned Lancer. Though unfortunately not the Lancer he knew if he went by his current working theory.
This Theory needs to be discussed. How it's been made, what are the evidences, and the consequences should they be rendered true. The creation was based on Archer's escapades around the city either with Rin or alone. The evidence being the servants and their weapons. In order for this theory to be true, Archer needed 4 of the Seven Servants to fit in this theory. The theory?
Every single servant is Arturia Pendragon.
Stupid? Yes, very. Archer clearly thinks so. There are many, Many holes in this theory that could make it fall into pieces should one detail fall short. But it's the only theory that's been backed by hard evidence. Saber is obviously Arturia. No need to debate. Assassin has not one, not two, but Five artefacts (Goswhit - the Helm. Mantell - the Cape. Wygar the Hauberk.) belonging to the Arthurian legend with Carwennan and the Red Hilt - the Knives being the principal proof of them all. Rider has Marmiadoise - the weapon of Hercules that was passed down from father to son until it found itself in the hands of King Rions (who fell by King Arthur's hands). Caster could possibly be an Arturia Pendragon judging by the Merlin-esque motif on Issei's necklace, but that is not substantial enough for a solid claim. He'll have to go to the Temple for that one later.
Which brings him back to Lancer. Bazett, the real master, should be alive in this timeline. If she's dead, then shit. Kirei - and Gilgamesh in extension - have a Lancer Arturia in their disposal. But if not… well, then he would be able to see either her or her servant.
And as soon as he finished that thought, a shock of purple left the entrance of the apartment. He had eyes to see the presence of the ovoid earrings that could possibly have served as the catalyst for Chu Chulainn's summoning. Or maybe should have? Because if his theory is correct, then it would mean that the Irish hero is not present for this timeline.
He had to discard that thought, for as soon as they walked 3 kilometres into his Mind's Eye skill, Bazett froze and rushed towards the nearest alleyway. Archer grimaced at that. A servant, should they be physical in form, can and will be detected by another servant no matter what they do. Assassin's invisibility rendered his (her?(?)) body unseen to the naked eye, but noticeable to the sharpest of senses even if his (her?(?!)) signature was greatly diminished. In this case, Archer was actively using his Mind's Eye and while being in physical form. It is a natural reaction for Bazett's servant to warn her master of his presence. Though it doesn't warrant Archer's annoyance to disappear that quickly.
The reply to the bowman's recon was evident to him as soon as Bazett left the alley with another woman in tow. A blonde woman. A fashionable one at that. A grey turtleneck under a beige trench coat with boots to top it off. She was tall. About a few inches above Bazett, yet underwhelming against Archer's own. Her blonde hair akin to gold as it shimmered under the morning sun. Her face sculpted and refined; chiselled as if one of the greatest works during the Age of Heroes. Her emerald eyes blazing like stars to become an intimidating lime green. It is fortunate for Archer that these very same eyes failed to see where he exactly was. Just because a servant can sense another, it doesn't mean that distance is no longer accounted for.
Archer took this moment to return to spirit form and retreat back to the manor. He had seen enough. His theory is confirmed: there Are only Arturia Pendragons in this war. Such bullshit, yes. But the evidence is clear that this theory is now fact. He needs not search for Caster and Berserker, he already knew that they would not be the same servants from before. With that question off the list, Archer only had one left in his notebook.
What now?
Sure, this is a messed up war. But what will be done about it? What? You think all of these Artorias are going to question this development? Hell no. They'll just chalk it up to 'the Grail' and continue the fight outright. They would wonder why Archer of all servants is 'different' but that's the extent of it. If it's not obtrusive to their trajectory to the Grail, it's highly unlikely they would do anything to figure out what's wrong with the War. How can Archer deduce or assume such a thing, you ask? Well it's not really hard.
Arturia always was a stubborn girl.
"And she won't be changing anytime soon." Archer mused to himself as he made his way to the front door of the Tohsaka Manor.
"Archer! Where the hell have you been?" Rin's voice yelled as it failed to pierce through his reverie.
It is a good question, not going to lie. What will he do now that he knows this information? Archer's aware of the Grail's defect and the cursed thing that lies inside it. If by some miracle the Grail isn't infected and is working as intended, then by all means, let the battle royale commence. It's not like he wants the Grail or anything. Better let Rin have the glory she wants, he guessed.
"Archer, are you listening to me?!"
"Hm? What is it, master?" Archer asked as he finally acknowledged the teenage girl beside him. He found himself slumped on the couch with Rin sitting beside him trying to grab his attention.
"Finally!" Rin exclaimed in enthusiasm. Her arms waved about as if relieved. "I was asking about where you've been."
"Oh… that." Hmm… maybe he should start small first. Maybe explaining the situation to Rin.
"Here. Take the notes." Archer said as he grabbed the Arthurian book from the living room table. "You will need it for what I'm about to tell you."