Yeah, this chapter took a bit longer to write than the previous two because of a fight scene, one of my glaring weaknesses in writing, haha...
One day, one day I'll write a fight scene that's not stiff and awkward to read through, at least from my point of view.
Ramblings aside, enjoy the chapter!
Sorasaki Hina sat by herself on her table, sighing as she leaned against her chair and looked at the stacks of paper, each with her signatures.
The debt sent to them by the Pandemonium Society had taken her by surprise, and she had to deal with all the paperwork that came with it.
Normally, something like this would've taken her weeks, or even months, to fully pay off and it would've added more stress to the already growing pile within her mind.
However, she knew that she had an unusual source that helped her pay off the debt within just a day or two.
"Why am I not relaxed about this…?"
She didn't know why she felt like this. The Pandemonium Society, especially Hanuma Makoto, had been a huge thorn in her side ever since she became the Head Prefect, so why was she feeling uneasy about the currency she used to pay their stupid debt?
After a few Pandemonium Society members came in to collect their payment, she believed that whatever happened from then on was their problem, so why…?
The girl closed her eyes shut and muttered, "Saber…"
In an instant, her servant materialized in front of her and then went down on one knee to show his courtesy.
Hina's cheeks were dusted pink and shook her head. Even now, she was still flattered that one person would display this much respect and obedience towards her.
She knew that it was because of his status as a knight and a legendary hero, but she didn't believe she deserved this level of devotion.
Clearing her throat, Hina found her voice and asked, "Saber, can you tell me the effects of Das Rheingold again?"
Saber blinked for a few seconds, before answering her, "Das Rheingold is a mountain of treasure that provides great wealth, yet curses those that possess it with great misfortune."
"I see…"
Hearing the effects of the treasure once more, Hina's already complicated feelings grew even more, especially with its implications.
The Pandemonium Society had done nothing to try and improve the chaotic state of Gehenna, to the point of actively encouraging the residing students to double down. Makoto especially loved to give her a hard time, no matter how much she often failed to deal any serious damage to the Prefect Team.
She should be happy that they would receive some punishment for the trouble they had caused her, and yet she can't even feel a sense of relief…
"Why…?"
Her purple eyes fell upon her servant, in which she began to recall the fateful night she had met him.
XXX (One Week Ago) XXX
It was nighttime at Gehenna, and most of its residents had fallen asleep in preparation for the next day.
Hina should've been one of them, but she opted to wander around in her pink and yellow nightwear, silently enjoying the peace it brought her.
She wished that the district could be more like this, but alas, she knew that it wouldn't take long until chaos would start again once morning came.
Feelings of frustration bubbled up inside her as her steps became slower and more tense, while balling her hands into fists.
"Why do I bother…?" She muttered under her breath.
Deep down, the Head Prefect knew that her methods of enforcing order didn't always have the desired effect. In some cases, troublemakers are inclined to cause more trouble instead of accepting discipline.
The worst part was that she's painfully aware what happens once she reaches the end of her third year and graduates.
What would happen to the Prefect Team once she steps down for good? Would there even be a suitable replacement in her place?
Ako? No, she was also a third-year like her and would also graduate. Even if she wasn't, her sheer paranoia and the incident at Abydos made her unfit for the responsibilities, especially when she lets her near-fanatical devotion dictate her actions at the worst of times.
Iori? She was too hot-tempered and abrasive in her duties for a role that requires absolute composure and a level of professionalism. While she tries her best to keep calm, her emotions cloud her judgment far too quickly for her liking.
Chinatsu? While she knew that she was kind and would do anything to help others, she wasn't sure if she had the assertiveness needed for the job. When it comes to purely her medical duties, she was completely fine, but the role of Head Prefect needed more than that.
Would there even be a Prefect Team once she graduates?
Hina let out a huge sigh as she came to a stop and decided to look up at the night sky, with the stars looking particularly beautiful at the moment.
She wished that Sensei would be here to give her some advice for her inner dilemma, but she knew that he had duties elsewhere and was focused on helping students from other schools, with the aforementioned Abydos as the greatest example.
The Head Prefect couldn't just confide in her fellow members, as she needed to keep up the image she made for herself to provide morale, especially for the younger ones.
Her eyes briefly caught what looked like a shooting star passing by the Gehenna district.
"I wish…"
Was it childish of her to put her hands together and act like it would do anything? Yes, but she didn't care and wanted any form of comfort.
"I wish I had someone that would stay by my side for a long time…" She whispered, closing her eyes.
…
After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and let out another sigh. Of course nothing would happen, it would be absurd to believe that a miracle could happen out of nowhere.
Deciding that she spent long enough outside, she turned around and walked in the direction of the Prefect Team building-
CRASH!
"What the-!?"
Suddenly, Hina felt a wave of what felt like great magic appearing behind her back, much to her great surprise.
That… wasn't possible… Magic wasn't real, so why-
"I apologize for the rough entrance."
Her eyes widened in shock, in which she slowly turned her body around to find out the source of the new voice that spoke.
She saw a tall man with long and messy silver-grey hair that reached his shoulder and kind blue eyes that stared directly at her, wearing silver woven plate armor with reddish accents, while his chest was exposed and showed off glowing light blue markings that shone in the currently dark streets of Gehenna.
The man gave off an aura of power that eclipsed hers by a lot, which caused her to shiver from where she was standing.
"Saber, Siegfried." He introduced himself, his voice deep yet had an undertone of warmth. "I have come in response to your wishes. Please give me the order, master."
He even went so far as to bow down on one knee and bowed his head down before the stunned girl.
"I…"
Hina was completely speechless as she stared at the man that actually answered her wish, even bowing down to her like she was royalty.
She opened her mouth to speak-
"Master."
XXX (The Present) XXX
Hina was snapped out of her memories as she heard her servant call out to her in a concerned tone of voice.
"Saber…?" She spoke up, blinking as she did.
"I sense something amiss." Saber said, narrowing his eyes.
This got the Head Prefect to lace her hands together, her mind already racing with the possibilities behind those words.
"Does it involve-"
Click. Creak.
Her line of thought was cut off when the doors to her office suddenly opened, revealing Natsume Iroha, a member of the Pandemonium Society.
However, as opposed to her usual cool and collected demeanor, the red-haired girl seemed tense and her expression was that of concern.
"What do you need, Iroha?" Hina asked.
While Iroha was a member of the faction that gave her a hard time, she knew that the girl wanted nothing to do with her leader's schemes and was content to leave her alone, only really following because of her own begrudging devotion, which gave her a somewhat positive impression of her.
"I need your help." Iroha requested, getting straight to the point. "Our club's tax collectors ran into trouble that none of them are equipped to deal with in the slightest."
"What is their location?" Saber inquired, frowning.
"Just outside the district," Iroha answered easily. "They were making their way to one of the safehouses when they got attacked."
"I see then," The servant nodded, and then turned to the girl on her desk. "Your orders, master?"
Normally, Hina would decline such a request when it was something far more mundane, especially if it was for the purpose of disrupting her work.
However, as much as she disliked Makoto, she didn't mind Iroha whatsoever, even when they were on opposing sides.
"Of course, as the Head Prefect, I will do whatever it takes to protect the students."
The answer came to her naturally.
ROOOAAAARRRRR!
"Ahhhhh!"
"Somebody please help us!"
"I don't want to die!"
Hina and Saber reached the source of the distressing screams on time, coming across several Pandemonium Society mobs taking cover and cowering in fear.
What shocked the Head Prefect was the physical states of the tax collectors that Iroha requested to rescue.
She had expected them to have minor scratches and bruises that would have them recover in a few days, but instead…
"Please!" One Pandemonium mob ran up to Hina and bowed before her. "Some of us are badly hurt, we need help!"
… What she saw instead was that at least three of the students were bleeding, with badly applied bandages, as well as serious-looking burn marks and deep cuts that required stitches.
The ones still standing weren't much better, as their clothes were singed and torn in places, and some of them were visibly limping in place, indicating that their bones were damaged in some places.
"… Who did this…?" Hina muttered in anger.
While the Pandemonium Society often pushed her patience to its limits, she wasn't going to stand for seeing fellow students in great distress, especially with the great injuries they sustained.
"… I believe I know what caused this." Saber spoke up, his expression looking grave.
Hina turned to her servant with a serious frown and asked, "What is-"
ROOOAAAARRRRR!
The initial roar came from a great distance, but the next one was so loud that the ground shook, which startled several of the Pandemonium mobs.
"Oh shit, it's back!"
"W-We need to get out of here!"
"But how!? We're too injured…"
Hearing the distressed voices of her fellow students was enough for Hina to pull out her MG42 machine gun, ready to open fire at whoever dares to come.
"Where is it?" She gripped her gun tightly, her eyes scanning her surroundings before she looked up. "Where is it so I can…"
Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when she saw the source of the loud roar that shook the Pandemonium mobs.
What she was looking at was a mix of a lizard and a serpent in-appearance, with several traits that caused her to freeze on the spot.
The body had a dominant green color scheme, with shades of olive and dark green across its scales, while its underbelly and inner wings are lighter beige or tan, providing contrast. On top of that, the body itself was both muscular and robust, with a heavily armored appearance due to overlapping, jagged scales.
It had a menacing head, with sharp, elongated horns and piercing red eyes. Its mouth was open, revealing rows of sharp, dagger-like teeth, while sporting large, bat-like wings stretched from its back. Its tail was long and whip-like, ending in a pointed tip, while its limbs were strong, with sharp claws that were built for both combat and mobility.
All in all, the large beast had an intimidating appearance that further scared the Pandemonium mobs, while Hina continued to stare at it with her eyes wide and her mouth agape.
"The dragon's back!"
"Come on, let's go!"
"Our guns are useless against it, so there's no point sticking around!"
The voices of the Pandemonium Society members snapped Hina out of her frozen state, before a determined look appeared on her features.
Dragon or not, she had a duty to fulfill and she wasn't going to take this new threat lying down.
BRRRRRRRRRTTT!
To her shock, the bullets from her machine gun had completely no effect on the dragon, which was only angry and let out another roar.
ROOOAAAARRRRR!
"It's pointless to shoot at it!" One Pandemonium mob yelled at her. "We tried everything we had and it wasn't scratched once!"
As if on cue, the dragon noticed the one responsible for shooting him, before it growled and flew down directly with its claws open and ready to attack.
CRASH!
Hina barely dodged on time as the dragon crashed onto the ground, which sent her and several Pandemonium mobs flying backwards.
Afterwards, the Head Prefect groaned and tried to stand up, using her gun to try and balance herself.
The dragon noticed this and let out a growl, before raising one of its claws with the intent of splattering her against the ground.
"Sorasaki-san!" One Pandemonium mob cried out in horror.
SLASH!
ROOOAAARRRRR!
Before it could dish out its attack, the dragon let out one last roar… as the upper half of its body fell down and landed before the surprised eyes of the surrounding students.
"Master, are you hurt?"
Hina looked up and saw Saber running towards her with an expression of complete concern, whilst holding onto a two-handed, golden greatsword with a blue jewel embedded in the hilt.
She remembered that he referred to his weapon as "Balmung".
"Saber…?" Hina muttered, her tone betraying her curiosity.
"Master, please step back and allow me to fight in your stead." Saber said, kneeling down and placing a hand on his master's shoulder. "Dragons are a specialty of mine, and I sense more of them coming to this location."
Hina frowned at this and said, "But we're supposed to be a team, I don't want to risk you getting seriously hurt."
"I'll be fine." Saber reassured her. "The students here would like your assistance more than anything."
In response, the Head Prefect briefly glanced at the scared Pandemonium Society, with a few having passed out from their injuries.
She didn't want to leave her servant alone to fight more of those beasts, but after the display that revealed them being invulnerable to bullets, she realized she had no choice but to comply.
"Fine…" Hina sighed and then looked up at him with a light glare. "But I will support you whenever I can, is that clear?"
ROOOOOOAAAARRRRR!
"Of course, master." Saber nodded and stood up. "I swear to return by your side once this is over."
Without saying anything else, the servant turned around and headed towards the direction where three more dragons had appeared.
Hina wasted no time rushing towards the panicking Pandemonium mobs, who were all frantically discussing their next course of action.
"This wouldn't have happened if not for this gold!"
"What else were we supposed to do!? Deny it!"
"We should just ditch it and run!"
"How is everyone here?" Hina asked, closely approaching them.
One Pandemonium mob cleared her throat and answered, "Some of us passed out and this place is too dangerous to move them around."
SLASH!
ROOOAAARRRRR!
The students turned their attention towards the Saber-class servant, who had effortlessly slain another dragon.
"Whoa…" Several of the Pandemonium mobs said in awe.
" … " Hina said nothing as she watched her servant in action.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
One dragon slashed their claws relentlessly at its enemy, only to have no effect as his skin showed little-to-no injuries.
Another dragon growled and attempted to use its tail against the swordsman-
SLASH!
ROOOAAARRRRR!
Only for Saber to quickly react and cut off the tail that was about to strike him, causing the dragon to roar out in pain.
SLASH!
The servant used the opportunity to dash forward and immediately sliced the injured dragon clean in half.
Seeing one of its own slain again, the last remaining dragon threw its head back and fire began to appear inside its mouth.
"Oh shit, we gotta get out here!" One of the Pandemonium mobs exclaimed.
"Yeah, I don't wanna get burst to a crisp for real!"
"Hey, why are you just standing there!?"
Hina ignored the voices calling out to her and continued to watch her servant in combat, not even paying any heed when she dropped her machine gun to the ground.
"Why isn't he moving…?" She thought.
Saber simply stood his ground, making no attempt to move as the dragon opened its red eyes.
FWOOOOSH!
"Saber!" She cried out with widened eyes.
From her point of view, her servant had been incinerated by the dragon as a result of remaining where he stood, as thoughts raced through mind but didn't have the heart to voice out any of them.
"Saber, why…?" Hina choked out.
Before she could process what she saw any further, one of the Pandemonium mobs spoke up from right behind her.
"Hey, he's okay!"
"What…?"
As if on cue, Saber leaped right out of the flames, completely unharmed and with Balmung raised over his head.
ROOOAAARRRRR!
SLASH!
The dragon lets out one last defiant roar before it gets sliced in half vertically, in which both halves of its body slowly fall down to the ground.
"Holy shit, he did it!"
"We're saved!"
"Finally…"
The Pandemonium Society mobs collectively cheered at the dragons being defeated by Hina's servant, with some even allowing themselves to sit down out of sheer relief.
Meanwhile, Hina had her eyes wide with awe, clearly taken back by the strength and durability displayed by Saber.
ROOOAAARRRRR!
However, their celebration was short-lived as a much larger dragon appeared in the sky.
Unlike the other ones, the color of its skin was red and its underbelly more a darker shade of beige, complete with larger wings and sharper claws.
"A great dragon." She heard her servant speak.
A great dragon? So this meant that there was a stronger one out there? It certainly explained its bigger size, which didn't go unnoticed by the Pandemonium mobs.
"Can someone carry me please!?"
"I'm outta here!"
"Hey, wait up!"
This time, several of the mobs actually turned around and began to run for their lives, even throwing away their guns in the process.
ROOAARRR!
The great dragon let out a ferocious roar and began to fly down to attack the servant, who was readying Balmung for when it got close enough.
Worried for her servant's well-being, Hina quickly picked up her machine gun and aimed it at the great dragon's face while it was focused somewhere else.
She knew that it would have no effect, but she didn't want to just stand there and be a bystander while her servant does all the fighting.
Before she could pull the trigger, she heard a new voice yell from behind her.
"Ascalon!"
SLASH!
ROOAAARRR!
The great dragon was sent back slightly when it received a slash across its chest, which was followed by a horse neighing and another voice giggling.
"That was so cool~!"
Hina turned her attention to the one responsible, and saw a man riding a white horse wearing a black cloak with red accents.
The man himself had long brown hair and wore bronze-colored armor with a dragon-shaped shoulder guard, along with a white cape held by a brown leather belt and white garments with a red stripe.
Sitting behind the man on the horse was Motomiya Chiaki, another notable member of the Pandemonium Society, who was giggling and taking pictures.
"Rider, that was awesome~!" The photographer said with a grin. "Think you can do it again so I can get a better shot?"
Hina's sharp eyes noticed the red markings on her fellow student's right hand, which meant that the man was her servant and she was another master.
"Chiaki-senpai!"
"Now we're really saved!"
"She even has a 'servant' like Makoto-senpai now!"
"Well, I would ask you to come down and just watch us, master." Rider said with a small chuckle.
Chiaki did what she was told and immediately climbed off the horse, before she made her way towards Hina and stood next to her.
"Rider, I appreciate the assistance." Saber said with a respectful nod.
"Indeed, my friend." Rider nodded and turned his gaze towards the great dragon. "Now shall we finish it off?"
"Of course."
"Ahhhhhh!" Chiaki was taking more pictures.
"You seem to be taking this quite well, Motomiya-san." Hina remarked.
"Are you kidding me!?" The Pandemonium photographer faced her with wide, sparkling eyes. "This is the most interesting thing that's happened this week, and I'm gonna capture every moment of it!"
ROOOOOAAAARRRRR!
FWOOOOSSSHHH!
Meanwhile, the two servants watched as the great dragon let out another roar and shot out a great amount of fire from its mouth.
Rider was quick to immediately leap towards the attack, before absorbing it with all his might, combined with his horse standing firmly.
"Now, Saber!"
Saber closed his eyes and chanted, "The evil dragon shall fall, and the world will reach its sunset,"
He raised Balmung over his head as the blade was covered in powerful blue flames that shot towards the sky, much stronger than the flames of the great dragon.
"I will bring you down– Balmung!"
SLAAAAASSSSHHH!
Saber brought down his sword and aimed it at the still-flying great dragon, with an overwhelming aura that was felt throughout the area.
The great dragon itself didn't get the chance to let out one last roar before it got wiped out of existence with nothing left behind.
"YES!" Chiaki was continuously clicking on her camera. "This is the kind of content I live for!"
Hina simply remained silent as she processed the two servants that easily defeated the larger dragon, especially the one contracted to her.
Just how strong were these 'Heroic Spirits' as a whole?
"Hey, can you walk?" Chiaki asked, having set aside her camera to tend to the injured Pandemonium mobs.
"I'll live, but she needs more help than I do." One of the mobs answered, pointing at one that was still passed out.
Once the battle had concluded, the Pandemonium Society photographer had managed to rally her fellow members into one area for the sake of checking on their injuries.
Hina watched as Chiaki was surrounded by the lower-ranked members of her faction, whilst sitting down near their truck with her knees over her chest.
Meanwhile, Saber approached Rider, who was tending to his horse.
"Rider, may I question you on something?"
In response, the saint servant smiled and said, "I'm fully aware of what you ask of me. Why would a saint like myself be summoned to a place inhabited by those with demonic traits, correct?"
Saber blinked and then nodded at him. "Yes, I am merely curious about your reasoning for accepting the call."
"Well, I too have no clue on how I ended up in such a place," Rider continued, before glancing at his master. "However, that girl was quite earnest in asking for help to save those under her, and as such, I have sworn loyalty to her and will respond to her every call."
"I see then," Saber accepted the explanation. "I was called by a similar request, and my master has quite the burden on her shoulder."
The horse neighed and decided to wander off somewhere, though not too far from its owner.
Rider turned his gaze towards the sky and said, "Should more of those beasts appear and threaten the children, I hope we collaborate next time for much longer."
"Of course," Saber nodded and turned his gaze towards his master. "My duties extend to my master's fellow students, and I will defend them to the best of my ability."
The master in question watched as her servant and the Pandemonium Society member's interacted with one another.
She wondered how connected these "Heroic Spirits" are, and how deep this connection reached, considering that the interaction she witnessed implied that they weren't strangers to fighting alongside each other.
Before she could linger on those thoughts any further, a cheerful voice reached her eyes.
"Hey, Head Prefect Sorasaki-san~!" Chiaki approached with a grin. "I'd like to thank you and your servant for saving our adorable juniors~."
"Motomiya-san," Hina addressed her with a small nod. "I don't recall sensing this amount of energy from you, so I assume that your servant is fairly recent?"
"That's right!" Chiaki smiled wider and nodded eagerly. "Rider was so cool when he decided to answer my wishes of saving my juniors~."
"I see…"
Hina cupped her chin thoughtfully and looked back at the interacting servants, attempting to get a clearer picture of how servants are summoned.
"Hina-senpai, we're here!"
"Where are the patients?"
The Head Prefect turned her gaze and saw Hinomiya Chinatsu and Himuro Sena of the Emergency Medical Club walking towards her and the injured Pandemonium mobs.
Standing beside Chinatsu was a man wearing a black hooded garment with various colored accents, especially with glowing cyan blue in the middle, which covered his head and his sleeves obscuring his arms. He was also wearing a black and gold beaked face mask and his silver hair was sticking out from the hood.
Standing beside Sena was a woman with silver braided hair and deep red eyes, wearing a red military coat, a black skirt, white gloves, and white boots with white stockings. She was carrying two olive green bags from her sides, with one of them carrying what looked like a revolver.
Hina recognized the man as Chinatsu's Caster-class servant, while the woman next to Sena was a Berserker-class servant.
"Oh my goodness!" Chinatsu gasped at the state of the mobs. "What happened?"
"It seems that they had the misfortune of running into a dragon." Caster stated calmly, approaching one of the mobs. "May I?"
"S-Sure…"
"I've never seen anyone like this before," Sena muttered, kneeling down next to an unconscious mob. "She even looks close to a corpse…"
"I believe corpses are in a far worse state than that." Berserker said, opening her bag as she pulled out supplies. "Considering the protection from their halos, I'm sure that they can withstand the treatment procedures."
Seeing that the Pandemonium mobs were being treated, Hina turned to Chiaki and said, "I believe my business here is finished, I will leave them to you now."
Chiaki nodded at her and then called out to her servant. "Rider, come look at the pictures I took~!"
"Saber, we are heading back." Hina stood up from her spot and began to walk away. "We need to talk."
"Of course, master." The servant replied and obediently followed her from behind.
Chinatsu watched her leader and her servant leave the area, her eyebrows furrowed in concern as she could only imagine what was going through the Head Prefect's mind.
As Hina and Siegfried returned to the Prefect Team headquarters, they noticed two figures standing near the entrance.
One of them was Shiromi Iori, who was currently leaning against the wall and holding onto a can of soda.
The other one was a tall and fairly muscular tanned woman, with silver hair and bright blue eyes, wearing what amounted to a black bikini that showed off her figure, with golden accessories, mainly chains and a headpiece, scraps of a white dress around her legs, and black stockings with no shoes.
She recognized the woman as Iori's Archer-class servant.
From what she was seeing, it looked like both were conversing with each other without much issue, though Iori occasionally looked away and shook her head with a small blush.
"Well, at least Iori is no longer fully ashamed to be around her because of her attire." Hina thought to herself.
Deciding to leave them alone, Hina wasted no time entering the building and making all the way to her room.
Click. Creak. Thud.
The Head Prefect let out a sigh as she sat on her bed, taking off her shoes as she did, while Saber stood in front of her.
Her mind was still reeling from the fact that dragons truly existed and that they somehow found their way into Kivotos, which came at the expense of the Pandemonium Society mobs.
She didn't want to jump to conclusions, as she knew that her servant's heroic nature was entirely genuine and wouldn't have done so much to save the day otherwise.
"Dragons are a specialty of mine, and I sense more of them coming to this location."
However, ever since she heard about the speciality in taking down dragons and the fact they attacked them, it had been on her mind throughout most of the rescue mission and she wanted answers right away.
"Saber…?"
"Yes, master?"
Hina looked up at him with a frown and asked, "You said you specialized in defeating dragons, correct?"
"That's right." Saber nodded. "Is there something you want to ask me?"
She took a deep breath and sighed, readying herself for what she needed to say next.
"Saber, no, Herr Siegfried," Hina started, looking her servant in the eyes. "Do you believe that your arrival in Kivotos is what brought the dragons here…?"
In response, Siegfried stared at her for a good while, before answering, "If this is truly the case, then I'm sorry."
"Huh?" She didn't expect him to apologize right away.
"My presence has brought danger to your home, so I take full responsibility for it." He continued, closing his eyes. "From my prior experiences, this won't be the last we would have to face them."
Hina grew silent at this, her mind scrambling to process his words and the obvious implications behind them.
The fact that there could be more of them out there sent chills down her spine. With how bullets are entirely useless against them, what hope could she and any other student would have in facing them…?
Furthermore, if this was only from Siegfried's legend and stories, she could only imagine what would come from the other Heroic Spirits and their respective backgrounds…
"Mmmmm…"
Nighttime fell upon the Gehenna district and most students and the residents all went back to their respective homes to settle down for the night.
However, Hina realized that she wouldn't be one of them, as she tried to shut her eyes and find a comfortable position on her bed, only to find herself staring at the ceiling of her bedroom.
"Perhaps… I should go back to that place…?"
With a new goal in mind, Hina slowly stood up and carefully got off her bed, not wanting to make any noise that could disturb everyone else in the building.
She needed to step outside and gather her thoughts.
…
It didn't take too long for Hina to return to a more familiar area, evidenced by the small crater on the ground.
She initially wanted the crater itself to be covered to fix a potential hazard, but right now, she was glad that it was still there.
In her mind, it served as a reminder of how much her life will change once he has entered the picture.
"Master."
As if on cue, she heard her servant's concerned voice speaking from behind her, and as such, she didn't need to turn around to see his worried expression.
Nonetheless, she knew it would be rude to not make eye contact, and turned around anyway to be greeted with the sight of the Saber-class servant standing right before her.
"Your bed was empty, and I was worried that something might have happened to you." Siegfried said, frowning slightly. "What brings you to this particular spot, master?"
" … "
For a while, Hina didn't say anything and even looked away from him, not wanting to make eye contact for what she was about to say next.
"… Do you regret swearing your loyalty to me…?"
This caught the servant by surprise, as he stared at her with slightly wide eyes.
Sensing that he would ask questions in response, Hina quickly followed up with, "I wasn't of any help against those dragons earlier, and the fact that you defeated them so easily made me wonder if my presence was even needed in the first place…"
Initially, she believed that she and Siegfried were equals, as she felt his strength through his aura and thought that they would make a great team.
However, the battle against the dragons earlier made her realize the sheer gap between the two of them. She even realized how much she was out of her league once she fully processed that the dragons could've torn into her easily, had it not been for her servant's intervention.
The last thing she wanted was to be a complete liability. Not to her fellow Prefect Team members, not to her dear Sensei, and especially not to the servant that decided to devote himself to her.
She didn't want to be a complete burden to someone that was much stronger than her in every way imaginable…
…
Hina could feel his gaze piercing into her very being, and kept her eyes away from him, nearly afraid of what he had to say.
" … "
After what felt like an eternity to her, she heard a response that would soon surprise her.
"I have no regrets answering your call and swearing myself to you, master."
This got her to widen her eyes in shock, in which she looked him straight on to see if he was being serious or not.
"I would never dare to abandon you for such a reason, nor do I blame you for it." He followed up.
She looked away from him once more, clearly in doubt over his words of reassuring.
"He's only saying that to make me feel better…"
Sensing this, Siegfried reached out and placed a gentle hand on his master's shoulder.
"S-Saber…?" Hina was taken back by the sudden physical contact, but made no attempt to push him away.
"In the full week that I have gotten to know you, I'm glad to be in service to a strong young lady like yourself." He continued, with a small smile appearing on his features. "I will continue to serve you for as long as you want, master."
His tone of complete sincerity struck something deep inside the girl, as a wave of emotions were about to decide her next action.
Closing her eyes tightly, she practically leaped forward and wrapped her arms around her servant's waist, burying her face as she did. She didn't care that he towered over her by quite a lot, as she wanted to hold onto him and never let go.
"Promise me…" She whispered, trying to tighten her embrace. "Promise me that you'll never leave my side…"
Without hesitation, he kneeled down and placed a hand on top of her head, allowing her to bury her face into his chest.
As she continued to embrace her servant, she realized that she was getting attached to him.
What started as a mutual contract between two parties was about to develop into something that she didn't realize she wanted in a long time.
A father figure.
She shook her head and allowed herself to be comforted by the man's presence.
From the back of her mind, she was already picturing a retired life away from her duties with Siegfried at her side once the Eden Treaty fell through.
Gehenna:
Prefect Team
Hina and Siegfried
Ako and Semiramis
Chinatsu and Asclepius
Iori and Zenobia
Pandemonium Society
Makoto and Gilgamesh
Iroha and Enkidu
Satsuki and Euryale
Chiaki and Saint Georgios
Ibuki and Quetzalcoatl
Gourmet Research Society
Haruna and Nero Claudius
Junko and Castoria
Izumi and Tamamo Cat
Akari and Artoria Pendragon Alter
Problem Solver 68
Aru and Elizabeth Bathory
Mutsuki and Wu Zetian
Haruka and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde
Kayoko and Hassan of the Serenity
School Lunch Club
Fuuka and Beni-enma
Juri and Boudica
Medical Emergency Club
Sena and Nightingale
Hot Spring Department
Kasumi and Oda Nobunaga
Megu and Oda Nobukatsu
Twinkle Twinkle Club
Kirara and Sei Shonagon
NEXT CHAPTER: Aris and Merlin (Millennium)
Well, that was a thing that I took clear enjoyment in writing.
As you can see, our Hiniature is growing attached to our apologetic dragon-slaying knight, hehe.
I'm not sure how well I've been pacing this story so far, especially with the anthology-esque format I set up for myself for now, so please tell me in the comments below!
On another note, I realize that the student-servant pairs list has been growing too long, and as such, I decided to only list down students from the same school, in which one student receives specific focus.
In this case, Hina is put in the spotlight and only Gehenna students and their servants are listed.
Anyways, look forward to Aris and Merlin next!