(Author's Notes: Here's the new chapter guys! Sorry for not updating for a few days. Didn't have any motivation to write.)
Chapter 4: The Calm before the Storm
A day has passed since the announcement of the duel between Shirou and Arturia. Both were training diligently, hard, and perfecting each other's own skills to the limits. Neither wants to back down, and neither wants to lose to each other.
At this point of time in Chaldea, Arturia is training with her Knights. Needless to say, her knights didn't disappoint their king, but even they still couldn't be of strong match for her.
Sparks flew left and right where Arturia is at right now. Sword swings after sword swings were after her. Mordred being the most able to strike her body, followed by Lancelot, then by Gawain.
Mordred: "OOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAA!" She shouted loud as she struck her sword down at her Father.
Arturia responded with a block and parry of her own. "NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" She shouted as she threw Mordred to the side with the swing of her blade. "I know that Shirou has become extremely strong over the years, and that isn't an exaggeration! If you think that an attack like that would work on me, then think about what Shirou would do to me if we fought! He's not as bashful as that, Mordred!" She said loudly as she turned to Lancelot and clashed blades with him.
Lancelot: "Our Queen is that strong, my king?" He asked as he kept on clashing blades with Arturia. "I am not one to judge our Queen, but it seems that you've likely known that our Queen wouldn't act as brash as Mordred would."
Arturia only nodded her head as she struck again at Lancelot. "Of course I know. Shirou would use tactics to catch his opponents off guard, but he can also be full of surprises while in between combat. For some reason, no matter how much you throw at him; he is able to come back stronger." She said before clashing blades with Lancelot again. "With the way Mordred attacks, she isn't comparable to the way he fights." She spotted an opening in Lancelot's attack and took the strike, making Lancelot slide backwards on his feet. "And if he's even stronger now, then fast attacks like yours Lancelot, won't work on him either." She said before taking another different stance as Gawain struck her blade with an extreme amount of force.
Gawain: "If what you said is true, my king, then how about his strength in combat?!" He asked as he struck Arturia's side only to be blocked and pushed back.
Arturia: "Shirou is stronger when in the face of battle, more so when he doesn't need to hold back or is a completely focused state!" She thrusted her blade at Gawain's chest but got parried instead.
Gawain: "Our Queen must be quite an excellent fighter if he's gotten lots of praises like these from you, my king." Gawain struggled a bit as he blocked and parried another sword thrust from Arturia. "If he really is as good as you claim him to be, my king, I'll gladly challenge him to a battle myself!" He said loudly as he blocked another strike from Arturia.
Unbeknownst to them… In the crowd.
Mashu and Ritsuka watched as the Knight of Round Servants kept on doing their extreme combat training. Both in awe and amazement, especially Ritsuka since he is being trained by Shirou every single day to become stronger to fight with his Servants in the front lines and not just be a deadweight support.
Ritsuka: "Wow… They are really going at it." He said in amazement. "I have to become even stronger too!" He said with determination in his voice, making Mashu giggle a bit.
Mashu: "Yes Senpai, they really are going at it, and I know that you'll become even stronger too, Senpai." She said while leaning on to Ritsuka's shoulder, making him blush a bit.
Ritsuka felt his cheeks become hot as he blushed and looked at Mashu. "T-Thanks, Mashu. I'll do my best to not disappoint." He said and Mashu nodded her head.
Mashu smiled at him. "I know you will, Senpai…" She didn't notice, but she subconsciously leaned in closely towards Ritsuka.
Ritsuka: "Mashu…" Unbeknownst to him as well, he leaned in close as well until…
It seemed like a white flash came in to them, but when they soon noticed it, they were already linking lips. Oh how they felt embarrassed, but continued to kiss otherwise.
Mashu couldn't help but moan a little with their intimate kiss. She then wrapped her arms around Ritsuka, making him do the same around her. Both knew that if they continue like this, it wouldn't be that far or that surprising either if they ended up having sex right there. Just as they were about to take off each other's close…
"Um… You two should really get a room, you lovebirds~." Da Vinci's said with a teasing voice and a proud smirk on her face.
After hearing Da Vinci's voice, both Ritsuka and Mashu broke their kiss and let go of each other's embrace in a fast pace. Da Vinci just giggled at their little action, which made both of them blush hard.
"Oh please, don't mind me~. The love between you two are more important than just some outsider like me interrupting the both of you~. Please go ahead and continue~." Da Vinci said, teasing the couple even more.
Mashu couldn't help it anymore and let out a loud voice filled with embarrassment. "IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT, DA VINCI-SAN!"
Da Vinci then let out a loud laugh at to what Mashu just said. "HAHAHAHA! Mashu, it looks exactly like that~!" She laughed some more before finally calming down. "Ah… You two are so adorable. I'll see you soon~." With that, she left the both of them to their own thing.
Ritsuka just kept on blushing hard along with Mashu at that point, the only thing being heard was the loud battle cries of the Knight of Round Servants along with sword hitting another behind them in the training room.
The silence was soon broken as Mashu spoke. "Senpai…" She started with a blush on her face. "I'm sorry…" She spoke in a soft voice.
Ritsuka shook his head as he looked at Mashu in the eyes. "It's alright, Mashu." He said with a light blush and small smile on his face. "I kinda got into it as well too…"
They couldn't help it anymore and they soon held each other's hands and went to Ritsuka's room. What they did in that room you may wonder? Fufufu~. Well, it just so happens that a White Wizard passed by that specific room and couldn't help but be curious as to what he was hearing.
With a loud moan, Merlin knew what both Ritsuka and Mashu was doing inside Ritsuka's room and couldn't help but smirk and took out his phone and started recording their voices.
"OH! MASTER! THAT'S TOO MUCH! W-WAIT!" Mashu moaned hard as she kept feeling her pussy get pounded hard but Ritsuka's cock with lots of strong force.
"Yeah! You love that, don't you Mashu?" Ritsuka spanked Mashu's ass and she let out a loud moan again as he continued to fuck her pussy wildly. "You love it this hard, don't you~? You huge pervert kouhai of mine~!"
"YES! YES! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT WHEN SENPAI SPANKS MY ASS WHILE HE'S FUCKING MY PUSSY SO HARD WITH HIS COCK!" Mashu couldn't help but shout as she continue to moan hard as Ritsuka wasn't let her up as they both fucked hard with each other's own body.
Merlin just couldn't help but smirk even more as he kept on recording both Mashu and Ritsuka's voices through his phone. "Ah~… Young love is such an ecstasy to have~." He started saying quietly, making sure that the two couple wouldn't hear his voice outside their door. "These two are really going at it like wild beasts!" He couldn't help but giggle at that as he kept on recording their voices. "Oh wait until I tell the others about this! Oh how exciting this is!" And with that, the Mage of Flowers left the two lovebirds on their own agenda.
"AH! AH! AH! MASTER, HARDER PLEASE! HARDER MASTER! MAKE ME CUM!" Mashu begged her Senpai/Master as they continue to have sex and make love to each other.
"MASHU! MASHU! MASHU! I'M CUMMING!" Ritsuka let out a loud voice as he let out a strong climax, shooting his cum in loads and loads of stream deep inside his kouhai's pussy and womb.
And at that day, anybody who comes across Ritsuka's room, would hear loud moans of a girl inside along with a smell of love.
The day soon came to an end and the next day came.
Shirou was now inside the training room, training alone with training dummies with his swords and bow. He traced another sword and strapped in on the string of his bow and shot the sword like an arrow.
"Hey, did you see that?" He heard another Servant whisper to another.
"I know. He shot a sword like an arrow." Another Servant said.
"No way, is he related to that red archer?" Another said.
"No way, really?" And another Servant whispered.
Shirou just couldn't help but sigh to what he was hearing. "It seems like I can't even get a bit of privacy even in here." He thought to himself as he shot another sword with his bow.
About 50 shots, he stopped and was about to train with his swords, but he stopped when he heard a voice.
"Are you Shirou Emiya?" The voice sounded a lot like Merlin, but as Shirou turned to the person, or rather, servant, he was completely confused. Because the Servant he saw had the same blonde colored hair of Arturia along with her eyes, except he looked more masculine than her.
"A-Are you perhaps…?" He was about to ask but the Servant answered before he finished.
"Yes, I am Arthur Pendragon." He said as he gave out his hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Shirou Emiya." He let out a small smile that looked extremely familiar to Arturia's.
Shirou couldn't help but be blown in his mind. "Okay! Is this really THE King Arthur in history?! I thought Arturia was the real King Arthur?! Were the historians right all along?!" He thought to himself, before shaking his head out of his thoughts as he shook Arthur's hand. "Likewise, but please, just call me Shirou. I'm not a fan of any of those fancy ways of speaking." He said with a small smile on his face as well.
"I see. It seems like what my female versions were saying about you were true all along." Arthur nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I'm glad that can be arranged." He said before letting go of their shaken hands and continuing to speak. "I heard you were going to fight the Saber version of my female counterpart. I wanted to see who she was going to be fighting before the battle, and it seems I was lucky to have found you here."
"You were lucky indeed." Shirou nodded his head. "Still though, I can't help but ask, and I'm sorry if this may seem rude but; why does your voice sounds like Merlin's" He asked curiously.
Arthur sighed as he shook his head. "Yeah. I keep hearing that from everyone as well back then. I'm not really sure how to answer that question up until now though, so I deeply apologize for disappointing you with this answer." He said in an apologetic tone, but Shirou didn't took the answer as a disappointment.
"No need. I can understand that." Shirou shook his head to comfort Arthur's answer. "I was just curious, that's all. I really didn't expected to see a male version of King Arthur. It seems like the historians were all right at one point." He said with a slight chuckle.
Arthur couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Yeah, when I was summoned in Chaldea the first time as well, they all couldn't believe it either. Haha."
At the end of that conversation, silence took the place. Until Arthur broke the silence.
Arthur: "Hey Shirou…" He started. "Is it alright if we spar?" He asked so suddenly that Shirou looked a bit surprised.
Shirou: "Why do you ask?" He questioned.
Arthur shook his head as he smiled. "I just wanted to make sure that you are able to fight against my female version, and to also test what you've got." He said before adding. "I hope you don't take offense to this?"
Shirou just shook his head. "No. It's quite alright." He then let out a smile as he walked a bit further from Arthur. "If it's just a spar, then I'll gladly agree to it!" He said with a voice of excitement and eyes with determination.
Arthur couldn't help but smile and chuckle. "Then I'll gladly accept it as well!" He then unsheated his sword and getting into a battle stance before announcing himself. "Arthur Pendragon, King of Knights, and the of King Britain, and the wielder of Excalibur, I ask of thee to spar with me!"
Shirou couldn't help but play along. "Shirou Emiya, the vessel of Sengo Muramasa, the demonic blacksmith, and the Nameless Auburn Hero, gladly accepts Arthur Pendragon's challenge to spar!" He exclaimed as he unsheathed the katana on his hip and got into a samurai stance.
Silence came into the room again… 9:59 AM was on the clock… Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock… the hand that tells the seconds on the clock kept on turning… Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock… 3… 2… 1… the clock then struck at exactly 10:00 AM, then suddenly both fighters rushed at each other with their own sword in their hands.
Arthur struck first, slashing down at Shirou with his Excalibur, Shirou blocked the strike with his own Muramasa Blade as he swung upwards at Arthur. Sparks flew whenever their swords meet, neither backing down.
"So this is how Arthur fights…" Shirou thought. "He really is just like Arturia when he fights. Strong yet elegant, calm yet fierce." Shirou couldn't help but smile a bit. "He really is just like her!" He thought as he continued to clash blades with Arthur.
"So this is how Shirou fights…' Arthur thought. "I admit, he's quite a strong fighter. He's even able to keep up with me. No wonder my female version holds him in high regards." Arthur couldn't help but smile as well. "He really fights like an honorable warrior, but he lets out a lot of fake openings which keeps on catching me off guard. If I have met him back when he was alive, I wonder how things would've turned out!" He got out of his thoughts as Shirou struck his Excalibur with his Muramasa Blade.
The other servants that were watching them, couldn't help but be in awe. Both fighters were extremely skilled, never backing down from each other's strikes. If Arthur struck below, then Shirou struck above, making their blades clash again and again, almost as if Shirou could see or understand where Arthur was going to strike next.
Both fighters were giving their all in their clash and then Shirou broke their long clash as he managed to push Arthur away.
Shirou: "You really are like Arturia when you fight, Arthur." He said with a hint of nostalgia. "Despite the difference in strength and striking speeds, you two both fight like one and the same."
Arthur just chuckled at what Shirou said and raised his Excalibur again. "Why thank you, Shirou. I could say the same thing to you. It may not be that noticeable, but I can see some of the same strikes of the same sword style both me and my female version did. Were you perhaps trained by her when you were alive?" He couldn't help but ask.
Shirou then confirmed him. "Yeah. She trained me a bit back then when I was alive. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to fight properly and survive. I owe a lot to her, and I'm afraid to make her worried."
Arthur nodded his head. "I can tell that you're telling the truth. And I will say this on my female version's behalf; she is completely worried about you, Shirou. Ever since that incident she told me during your last Rayshift with Master, she told me that she was worried that you weren't fighting well enough. So she decided that this battle tomorrow would prove that you still need to be careful and train more diligently."
Shirou eyes widened a bit at what Arthur just said. "Is that so…" He looked down on the floor a bit before raising his head again. "I admit, that I was holding back during that final fight at that last Singularity. I was just trying to be careful because Master was there." He said in a soft tone. "Thank you, Arthur." He thanked him as he sheathed his Muramasa Blade into its sheathe and raised an arm forward. "I hope that I won't disappoint you too on this spar of ours. So I won't hold back a bit." He then traced a familiar blade, a blade that Arthur knows of, and a blade that some Servants and Staff that are watching them felt in complete shock at what they saw Shirou did.
He then gripped the newly traced sword in his hands and swung it down, golden light shun on the blade, making Arthur confirm his suspicions and doubt.
Arthur: "I-Is that truly…?" Arthur stuttered at the blade that he thought he lost forever.
Shirou nodded his head to confirm him. "Yes, Arthur. It truly is…" He then raised the Golden Blade over his shoulder as he got into a fighting stance that resembles that of a knight. "This is the Sword of Selection, Caliburn. It is right in front of you, glowing and radiating with light as it response to both me and you together!"
Without another word, Shirou rushed towards Arthur and clashed blades with him again.
Arthur couldn't help but smile and reminisce as he clashed with Shirou and Caliburn. "I see. So it seems like the Sword of Selection found another wielder that's worthy other than me or different versions of Arturia." He continued to clash blades with Shirou as they talk in between slashes. "I'm quite glad that I managed to find you here, Shirou!" He shouted. "I truly am glad! Both at the fact that I found someone other than me and the other versions of my female counterpart worthy of wielding Caliburn and the fact that I'm here facing you right now with Caliburn! This truly is such an honor!"
Shirou couldn't help but grin and chuckle a bit as he slashed at Arthur. "I'm quite glad that you find this extremely honorable, Arthur! For I find it quite an honorable and exciting too!" He struck downwards with Caliburn, hitting Arthur's Excalibur. "A battle between Holy Blades! I'm quite glad that I manage to fight you like this!"
Arthur grinned as well as he slashed back at Shirou. "As well as I!"
On that day, the training room was filled with lots of clashing and banging sounds of blades, a bright light was shining whenever someone looked inside as they walked pass by, and at that day as well; a bond between friendships of both warriors was formed. A bond of friends in peace time, but a bond like brothers in battle.
The next day was soon upon both Arturia and Shirou. As it the day then finally arrived, both were inside the training room, staring at each other in the eyes completely filled with focus, stoic faces, and fierce burning flames of determination to not lose to each other burning in their own pair of eyes.
The stands were filled with lots of different Servants and other Staff member of Chaldea as well. All the other versions of Arturia were staring at Shirou with worry yet also with excitement to see how much their Scabbard has truly improved over the years, the Ishtars and Ereshkigal were all nervous as to how this fight will go, Parvati, Kama, and BB along with her sisters were also worried but they were also feeling a little nervous, Kiritsugu, EMIYA, and EMIYA Alter, didn't say anything, but they can feel the pressure in the air, Illya, Sitonai, Kuro, Miyu, and along with Irisviel were also worried about their brother/son but also excited as this would be their first time seeing how much Shirou has improved, Heracles was also sitting next to Illya, the Knights of Round were also there, but they were both worried about their King and Queen, especially Mordred about her Mother, for she knows how strong her Father is, Arthur was also sitting with them, worried about his new friend but he also felt confident, for he knew how strong Shirou is after their fight yesterday, and Merlin was recording everything with the same smile on his face along with Da Vinci, Ritsuka and Mashu however, were both completely nervous. Sure they both know that Shirou is strong because of his stats, but high stats doesn't always mean that a Servant can't have a weakness, and they both know that Shirou and Arturia are their weaknesses at each other, for their love was strong.
Other servants were there as well, Waver was sitting with Alexander, along with Waver's student, Gray, and Reines. Nero and her counterparts were also there, curious as to how strong Shirou ever since the announcement of their duel two days ago, Cu and his other versions were just as curious to see how well Shirou has grown. Jeanne and Jalter along with Jalter Santa Lily was also there, but Jalter was mostly curious as to how well Shirou can fight since her rival, Arturia Alter, holds him quite in a high standard. The Japanese Servants were also there, curious as to how strong Shirou is as the newest Japanese Servant in Chaldea. Medea and Medusa, along with Sasaki were excited yet curious as to how the match will go. Amakusa was sitting with Semiramis as he heard from Arthur about this fight.
In conclusion; this fight is going to be intense.
(Author's Notes: And that's a wrap! Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys! But I need some rest and I also need to draw a sword. Won't say what the sword is for specifically, but I just hope it turns out great! The next chapter might be a while before I releases or something. But that's it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! Bye!)