Chapter 20 : Ormation

The boy was worn down in the blink of an eye.

Unconscious malice was eating away at the boy's heart.

Unattainable ideals were distorting the boy with the blunt instrument of reality.

Even a new stage did not change that.

The boy himself had already given up somewhere in his heart.

It was at that time

that he met the snow-like girl.

The only sound that can be heard is the ticking of the second hand.

Saber and I were alone in the tatami-floored guest room, sipping tea without exchanging a single word.

After the fight at school, we had nowhere to stay so we headed to the Emiya residence. Emiya Shirou was annoyed, but he didn't seem to have any intention of kicking us out.

Looking at Saber, he recalled the battle.

I really won.

That was the first thing that came to my mind after the decision was made. To be honest, I still can't believe it.

Of course, I did my best. Together with Hikigaya Hachiman, we came up with a plan, set traps, and tried to increase our chances of winning as much as possible.

Even so, the probability was probably around 20%. The fact that I was the first to pick it up was nothing short of lucky.

However, the reason I was able to take such a risky gamble was because I had insurance. If I had it, I could almost certainly escape if it was just once. I didn't have to use it this time, so I was grateful that I could carry it over to the next time.

(That being said...)

My head hurts when I think about the future.

Tactically, the previous battle was a victory, but strategically it was a major defeat. Of course, this was clear when the initial plan of hiding fell apart.

The first thing they discussed during their strategy meeting with Hikigaya Hachiman was whether to think ahead and save money, or to put in all their effort.

This was a simple decision, as everyone agreed that they did not have the luxury of being stingy.

In the end, that decision turned out to be correct, but it meant I used up almost all of the magical power I had accumulated over the two weeks since I was summoned.

In any case, it was necessary to prepare a "trap that would definitely be effective against Servants". The choice was made to use Mud of the End, but it was extremely costly.

The formula itself is simple, but the magic of all five attributes must be mixed together until it is saturated. Because they produced it in large quantities, their magic reserves quickly ran out.

Because of this, the only trap that could be considered surefire was the Swamp of Order, and in order to lure them in, Hachiman Hikigaya himself had to act as the bait.

Normally, I, as a Servant, should be the one to play the role of bait, but the insurance only applies to Hikigaya Hachiman, so I decided to focus on supporting him.

There were other traps prepared as well, but to be honest they were only useful for buying time to escape.

I was lucky to get Assassin's Poison. I can't be happy about it because I've had the same experience. It also helped that it was a type that penetrated the skin. I didn't have time to improve it, let alone just make a copy.

Just to be safe, if the preparations he had made beforehand had been enough, he should have been able to save up some supplies, but that was all gone with the final alchemy.

Hikigaya Hachiman spoke as if it was pre-planned, but it was something he carried out in a panic after Archer nearly broke the barrier.

It might have been different if he had taken the time to synthesize it, but because he had made a hasty decision and forced himself to do so, he ended up wasting more energy than usual.

The idea of gasoline had been floated beforehand, but it was meant to be a literal last resort, to blow up the enemy and halt pursuit in case they had to use insurance.

(But still)

Hikigaya Hachiman.

It's amazing how many sudden, nonsense things he can come up with. I must be pretty astonished. Of course, the plan was largely designed with that in mind.

I don't know if it's appropriate to call Hikigaya Hachiman's negotiations, but that argument was it.

Because the other person was silent in many instances, it might seem as if we were dominating the other person from start to finish, but that wasn't actually the case. After all, we didn't defeat him even once. We just said things that left him stumped for a response, and took that opportunity to change the topic and leave him confused.

Of course, normally, such a lame negotiation tactic wouldn't work on a Servant, let alone a Master.

First, the stage. Just being inside this workshop can put a certain amount of mental strain on you.

Furthermore, the field effect itself had the added effect of disrupting the enemy's composure.

Furthermore, Hikigaya Hachiman's words were magically endowed with the power known as Kotodama, which penetrates deep into the hearts of those who hear them.

This triple mental disruption was the key to this battle.

After all, we don't have any cards in our hand that can directly defeat enemy Servants. Therefore, our only options are to either target the Master directly, or to have the Servant use a Command Spell to destroy himself, but Hikigaya Hachiman clearly chose the latter option, which is much more difficult.

He said that he wouldn't be able to cope if he were attacked right after losing his hostage, Master, but the truth is that he just doesn't like killing people. But, well, there is some truth to his excuse. At least for now.

When it comes to magical words, one might think that they would be repelled by magical resistance, but there are certain rules regarding the magical resistance given to the Holy Grail.

The magic that can be blocked is determined not by its strength, but by the length of the spell's chant. This is why Saber is said to be invincible against magicians.

In fact, there are quite a few parts of spells that can be omitted.

However, if one does not understand it correctly, there is a risk that one may end up cutting out parts that are absolutely necessary, and because the omitted parts have support effects, the efficiency of magical energy consumption may decrease and the effectiveness of the magic may decrease.

To avoid them, deep knowledge and great magical power are required.

In short, the more skilled a magician is, the more powerful the magic can be in a shorter spell.

It goes without saying that the shorter the time it takes to cast a spell, or magic, the better, especially in combat.

However, the Magic Resistance A given to Saber's class "nullifies magic that requires the chanting of spells of three syllables or less."

In other words, to inflict damage on Saber with magic, a spell of four or more syllables would be required, but there's no way that a magician who is inferior in combat power to begin with could do that against a Heroic Spirit of the Sword. At best, two syllables would be the limit.

Furthermore, magic has become more efficient in this era, and almost all systematized magic can be performed with three syllables or less. The only magic that requires long chants is ritual magic. In other words, magicians of this era cannot harm Saber.

So how did they get the words through?

It's simple. Use at least four syllables to cast a spell. That's it. This is why advance preparation and research are so important.

Although there were words that could force the other person to submit unconditionally, they were limited to only shaking the other person's heart for two reasons.

One is simply a matter of cost.

It's one thing if you use it yourself, but it's far too inefficient to bestow it on someone else, especially someone who isn't a magical beginner. This is also important, but you can't be stingy with the Mud of the Apocalypse.

And the other reason is to increase certainty.

Powerful mental interference would likely be noticed by someone with magical resistance, not just an amateur. And this kind of magic is much less effective if the opponent is aware of it. It's highly unlikely to work against a magician.

The countless traps, including dummies meant only to create a sense of incongruity, that were set up throughout the school were also there to prevent the mental attacks from being noticed. Hikigaya Hachiman had once called it the "Desert Needle Ninjutsu."

It is said to be called that because a ninja captured by the enemy was disarmed, and when the enemy was stunned by the sheer number of weapons he took out, he took advantage of the opportunity and defeated him with a hidden needle. The source is... I forgot. I think it was probably a manga.

In short, it was a technique of stacking feints on top of feints to distract the opponent from their true aim. In fact, this seemed to work well, as even Archer, who hadn't been affected much by the distraction, didn't notice the mental interference until the very end.

That's why I was so upset when Emiya Shirou turned down the alliance.

No matter how you look at it, asking someone to become a companion would attract less resistance than ordering them to kill a Servant. Regardless of what would happen later, the change in policy should have greatly increased the success rate of the negotiations at that time.

Hikigaya Hachiman probably didn't expect to be turned down. And yet, he got a refusal. I honestly don't know what he was thinking.

(If you don't know...)

The same goes for Hikigaya Hachiman.

His goal was supposed to be a "safe retirement." The conditions offered at that time were almost ideal for him. When I heard that, I thought for sure he would be sold...

"Hey, wait up~"

Just as I was thinking that far, a disinterested voice rang out.

When I looked over, I saw Hikigaya Hachiman and Emiya Shirou coming out of the kitchen, each carrying two large plates. Since they hadn't eaten anything since lunch, they were preparing a midnight snack.

"Hikigaya can cook. That's surprising."

"That's surprising. I want to be a full-time househusband. I'd even be willing to take on the housework while you're taking care of me."

"No, that would be really bad. Isn't it fine to just take turns?"

The two men talked intimately about their future lives. I wonder if I should have joined in to help them. That way I could have seen them up close.

"...Caster, what are you looking at?"

"No, it's nothing."

Oops, no no.

"Tohsaka's here yet? I hope the food isn't getting cold."

That was when Emiya Shirou muttered that.

Rattle, clatter!* There was the sound of the front door being roughly opened and closed, and then the thud of rough footsteps approached.

SPAN! As she slammed the sliding door open, Hikigaya Hachiman called out to her with his usual light-heartedness.

"Yo, you're late."

"Oh... that's it...!"

Tohsaka Rin managed to squeeze out a trembling voice.

He heard the sound of something being crushed from his right hand. He raised his voice as he pointed the crushed lump at it.

"What are you doing in someone's house?! You've set up six hidden cameras!"

"Huh? Isn't there one missing?"

"W-well, there's still more!? When did you set up so many of them!?"

"Well, I'll be working hard with my familiar while you guys are at school."

"Don't brag! That should be Caster's achievement! And Archer! What about the anti-aircraft surveillance!?"

"There was no intrusion from the air. Even while I was away."

"Well, it was a rat that was used."

"Why?! A familiar is usually one that can fly, right?! It would be inconvenient if they weren't!"

"No matter how convenient it is, if you're going to be found 100% of the time, it's pointless. If the sky isn't an option, then we have no choice but to go by ground, even if it's a little inconvenient. But there are a lot of obstacles to overcome."

...It's noisy.

"It's surprisingly tasty. Not as good as mine though."

"Yes, it is. It's very tasty. Not as tasty as Shirou's though."

"... What the heck. If you're going to complain, don't bother. And if you think about it, both of them live alone. It's only natural that they have better housekeeping skills than me. Die, you idiot. Die, I was so confident two hours ago when I said I'd make dinner..."

"Hey..."

My master was sulking in the corner of the room after being completely defeated by Emiya Shirou in a cooking contest. I don't think he even competed.

Leaving that aside, we compiled the information we had shared during the meal.

Now that we've formed a team, sharing information is important. However, the information we have is only from these two groups, so we're just receiving information.

"The people you have contacted are Lancer, Berserker, and Rider. The true names of Lancer and Berserker are known, and the masters of Berserker and Rider are known. Is that correct?"

"Yes. Including the Assassin that Archer defeated, all seven Servants are now complete."

"But Heracles? He's really strong, isn't he? Even I know him."

Hikigaya Hachiman, who had somehow been revived, interjected.

"That's right. The power of a Heroic Spirit is basically proportional to how famous they are. Of course, it's also influenced by their abilities in life, so it's hard to generalize."

"However, for most Heroic Spirits, their bravery is equal to their fame, so in the end the more famous they are the stronger they are."

Tohsaka Rin added to my answer. Hikigaya Hachiman heard it and thought for a moment before speaking.

"...Hey, if that's the case, doesn't that mean there's no chance of winning? Heracles is the most orthodox of the orthodox, his name is known even by people who don't know much about myths and legends. He's already the strongest, and now he's been further strengthened by Berserker's class adjustment, there's nothing we can do about it."

"Well, he certainly is a very troublesome opponent. But in a battle, the stronger one doesn't always win. Depending on strategy and tactics, the situation can easily be turned around. I mean..."

In the middle of her line, Tohsaka Rin glares at Hikigaya Hachiman with a dirty look.

"You say that? You just proved it to yourself, to us."

"...I see. So you're setting up another camera."

"Who told you to say something funny?"

"Sorry, was it fun?"

Hikigaya Hachiman kneels down in front of Tohsaka Rin with lightning speed.

He must have been really fed up with the idea of taking secret photos, because he came at me with a ferocious expression on his face. I don't think he was joking around, he just said "camera" to gather information.

"Well, for now, let's start with Rider."

Hikigaya Hachiman said as he stood up.

"That's right. It would be more important to defeat Rider, whose whereabouts we know, than Lancer or Berserker, who we don't know when they'll appear."

"Oh, no, not exactly."

Everyone except the person who uttered the negative words had question marks on their faces.

"Instead of defeating him, can't you recruit him as your ally? He asked you out once, didn't he?"

The room fell silent at those words.

Somehow it was Emiya Shirou who spoke.

"So, I told Shinji that I can't team up with him anymore because I'm already teaming up with Tohsaka..."

"I don't really understand that logic. But it doesn't really matter if the three of us teamed up, right? You're already teaming up with me anyway, so if I explain the situation, I'm sure I can convince him somehow."

Emiya Shirou was deep in thought.

He is a man who tries to show his loyalty to those who have already become his enemies. Perhaps he thought that if the issue could be resolved through dialogue, it was worth considering.

As the conversation paused, Tohsaka Rin timidly raised her hand.

"Um... that might be a little difficult."

"why?"

"Umm, it's Matou Shinji-kun, and, well, he confessed something to me."

…………law.

"...I rejected him. Pretty harshly."

"Wow."

Hikigaya Hachiman clutches his temples.

"...Well, what's done can't be helped. Sorry, Emiya, but could you try and persuade him, even if it doesn't work? If the four of us work together to beat him up, we might be able to do something about Berserker."

"Okay, I'll give it a try. Maybe I won't have to fight Shinji either."

It looks like the next person to make contact will be the rider.

"Ah, that's right. May I add something to the contract?"

Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly said that.

"...I thought I said I wouldn't accept any further conditions?"

Archer's expression deepened. It was a natural reaction. However, Hikigaya Hachiman continued without paying any attention to it.

"Don't look so scared. It's not like this will have any negative effects on you guys."

"...For now, let's just listen."

"Yeah. If either Emiya or Tohsaka loses their Servant, would you be willing to become Caster's Master?"

!?

Everyone is left speechless.

"Hachiman-sama, what are you doing?!"

"I've been saying this from the beginning. My goal is to get down safely. But that's for my own convenience. You have your own reasons for seeking the Holy Grail, right?"

When I somehow managed to ask a question, he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. ...This man, really...!

As I was unable to say anything, Emiya Shirou hesitantly called out to Katsushi.

"...Do you really not care about the Holy Grail?"

"That's why I've been saying that since the beginning. It's fine. I'm used to being doubted."

"...No, I'm sorry."

For some reason he was apologizing.

This time it seemed the conversation had finally ended, and everyone headed off to their assigned rooms.