CHAPTER 20:

TEAM A, BRING YOUR A-GAME!

"Nervous?"

Kadoc sighed after hearing that from Hinako as they sat in the cafeteria. Team A, along with Ritsuka, Waver, Grey and Mash, were convening, with their Servants sitting at nearby tables. Iskandar was holding forth about some anecdote or other to most of them. Oddly enough, the King of Conquerors was getting along well with Mozart, Iskandar roaring with laughter over the composer's scatological jokes, while Marie Antoinette shook her head with a fondly exasperated expression. However, the first Servants of the Team A Masters were also sitting with them: Xiang Yu, Anastasia, and Sigurd, with Xu Fu and Gao Changgong also sitting close to Hinako and Xiang Yu.

"Once, I wouldn't have admitted that," Kadoc said. "But now…leaving aside that mess with EMIYA and Medea, to say nothing of Kukulkan…we're heading into a Singularity. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a warzone either. The Roman Empire was notorious for its aggressive expansion, after all."

"Good. It shows you're sane," Waver said. "Aside from Barghest and Melusine, Hinako is the Master with the most experience of warfare. As Yu Mei-ren, she and Xiang Yu witnessed one of the most turbulent periods of Chinese history, the Chu-Han Contention. And I wonder if you also witnessed the Warring States period in China?"

The vampire nodded. "I was wandering around Asia at the time, and arrived in China in time to see the dying days of the Warring States period, as well as the rise of Qin Shi Huang, the man considered to be the first Emperor of China."

Xu Fu scoffed quietly, even as she toyed with a glass of juice. "He sent me to find a means of becoming immortal. I only agreed because I wanted to also find a way to help Hinako find rest. It seems like a moot point now," the alchemist said with a sigh, before smiling gently. "Still, I can help my friend, and Lord Xiang Yu."

"The point Waver was trying to make is that the battlefield is bloody and dangerous," Hinako said. "Magi are supposed to walk hand in hand with death when performing magecraft, but the battlefield means that experience for all, ramped up. Fujimaru and Mash acquitted themselves well, though."

"It was still a shock to be on a real battlefield," Fujimaru said with a grimace. "I hope you don't have to smell burnt flesh the way we did in France. What Jeanne's Alter did to those people with her dragons…" He shuddered.

Ophelia nodded solemnly. "I know that smell myself. Someone tried to kidnap me for my Mystic Eye, shortly after it was completed. My father burned the would-be kidnapper alive with a spell. I am under no illusions of what he might have done to me, and burning alive was what he deserved, but that smell…" She shuddered.

"I hope we don't end up in Salem during the witch-trials, then," Ritsuka muttered. "I know none of the Singularities currently focus there, the American one is too late for Salem's witch-trials, but there might be a minor one there, and I don't want to be burned alive."

"Burning witches at the stake is a fallacy, partly perpetrated by writers of lurid fiction and schlocky horror films," Waver said. "While it happened in Europe, more often than not, especially in Britain, witches were hung from the gallows. Burning was more for heresy. Witness the executions carried out by Bloody Mary, burning Protestants, supposedly to save their souls, but she was a fanatical maniac who loved the smell of a barbeque, in my opinion. And in Salem, most of those convicted were hanged. The rest either died in jail of disease, or, in one case, was pressed to death in a form of peine forte et dure because he refused to enter a plea(1). And honestly, I'm not sure what would be worse, being hanged by incompetent or sadistic executioners and choking to death slowly, or being burned alive, nor do I particularly want to find out."

"The irony was, we encountered a maddened form of Charles-Henri Sanson in France," Mash pointed out. "But he was, in life, a man who was surprisingly humane. While Sanson was French and thus strengthened by being on his native soil, I daresay Jack Ketch might have been a better addition to Jeanne Alter's army, if only because of his reputation and character."

"Jack Ketch?" Sigurd asked.

"I know of him from a book I read when I was younger," Anastasia spoke up. "He was an executioner working in the 1600s in Britain, and a rather incompetent one at that, to say nothing of being a criminal himself. Despite being paid by at least two noble victims, Lord Russel and the Duke of Monmouth, he took multiple blows with an axe to execute them…and even then, with one of them, he needed to use a knife to finish the job, like an amateurish butcher." She shook her head. "Bóže mój, he was as bad if not worse than the Bolsheviks who murdered me and my family. Then again, I was kept alive by my contract with Viy, long enough to curse them, even as they poured acid all over my family's bodies. As an experience, it is very overrated."

"Too much information, Anastasia," Grey said with a shudder.

"My apologies, Grey," Anastasia said with a contrite smile towards the Pendragon descendent. "In many ways, I am a Heroic Spirit because of my demise, not because of my life. That is what I believe." She looked down at her tea. "But…I wish I could be with my family. My parents…my sisters and brother…did they reach the Throne of Heroes? Or is it just me? If the latter is true…it's a rather depressing thought."

"Unfortunately, Heroic Spirits tend not to reach the Throne of Heroes after gentle demises," Xiang Yu said gently. "For many warriors, death on the battlefield or treachery off it tend to be our ends. But you were no warrior, Grand Duchess. Your short life ended in tragedy due in part to the folly of your father and the savagery of the communists opposing him."

"Sorry for my beloved being so blunt," Hinako said hurriedly, only to be waved off by Anastasia.

"No, no need. I said before, being on the Throne of Heroes gave me perspective. I love my father and mother, and I always will. But that's as my parents. As rulers, as Tsar and Tsarina…they were wanting. It hurts me to know that, to admit that, and I hate it too. I keep thinking…if only we improved the lot of the people more, could things have been better? I've no idea if it was. But…I try not to dwell on what could have been, and what was. I am here now, and alive, for a given value of alive. I am fighting by the side of history and myth's greatest heroes to save the world. And while I fear I may be found lacking, to say nothing of seeing the horrors of war, I also must confess to being excited. It's like something out of a fairytale."

While still somewhat sad, Anastasia's smile was radiant. But then, shortly afterwards, they saw the two Arturias, along with Medusa, enter, and make a beeline for EMIYA and Medea. They didn't hear the exact words, but those from the Fifth Holy Grail War left the main group, and went to a table in the corner. Cú Chulainn made to go with them, but a gesture from Arturia Pendragon had him sit back down.

"…Well, they're at least talking," Grey observed.

"Better than fighting," Sigurd said. "I hope they work it out. Ophelia, would you like me to watch them discreetly in case it comes to blows?"

"From here, Sigurd," the German Magus said. "If things go wrong, you can make your way there. Ritsuka, Kadoc, have your Command Seals at the ready, just in case things go wrong. They shouldn't, the Fae version of Arturia seemed calm, as did Medusa, but…"

She left it up in the air, and for several nerve-wracking minutes, they watched. Thankfully, the conversation between the Servants of the Fifth Holy Grail War, while tense as hell, didn't seem as acrimonious as before. By the end of it, while tensions clearly remained, there was some sort of consensus reached, and the two Arturias came to the Masters. "My apologies, Masters," Arturia Pendragon said with a brief bow before sitting. "I needed to clear the air, to use a modern idiom. And I also wish to assure you I do not hold you summoning these Servants against you. I am well aware that FATE is considerably random in how it summons Servants."

"Well, Chaldea is not a smoking crater thanks to the use of Excalibur, so I consider that a plus," Waver remarked sardonically.

"Jeanne suggested this, and she was right," Arturia Pendragon said. "Unfortunately, the Holy Grail Wars I participated in were traumatic. The Fourth more so than the Fifth, admittedly, but…the Fifth had more than its fair share of unpleasant experiences. Those two were central to many of them. But we have come to an understanding, a détente as it were. I hope it is enough. For all of my issues with them, both Medea and EMIYA are capable Servants." Arturia Pendragon sighed gently to herself. "And it could have been worse. I shudder to think if you summoned my Alter self. Medusa spoke to me of the one she faced in her timeline, and there was of course my corrupted self in the first Singularity. She disturbs me because I can see all too readily how I can become like her, a driven tyrant."

Arturia Fae rubbed the back of her honorary sister. "It's okay, sister. You did very well. Believe me, I'm crap with diplomatic stuff. I can mediate, sure, but if I don't like someone, it takes a lot for me to suck it up and put up with them. You wouldn't know it to look at us now, but Barghest and I weren't on the best of terms in our Lostbelt. We're friends now, but…well, I'm not saying you should be friends with either EMIYA or Medea, just that you try to mend bridges with them. And if they burn them again, well, that's on them."

Waver frowned, rapping his fingers gently on the table in thought, before saying, "Arturia, I mean Arturia Pendragon. If I recall from your myth correctly, or at least one variation, you went overseas on pilgrimage to Rome shortly before Mordred's rebellion. Given the rough time period you lived in, about 500 CE, you would potentially have the most familiarity with Europe close to the time of the Roman Empire. Indeed, you were said to have Roman heritage yourself."

"While there was indeed Roman in my heritage, I did not undertake a pilgrimage to Rome at the time Mordred staged her coup," Arturia Pendragon explained. "I was at another battle, the one where Avalon, the sheathe to Excalibur, was stolen thanks to my half-sister's machinations, leaving me vulnerable during the final battle. My knowledge of Rome and its empire is mostly confined to what I was taught by Merlin and others. Though considering that my sister claims that Nero resembles me, perhaps she is a distant relation? Incidentally, Kadoc, Ophelia, how are you both holding up?"

"…As well as we can be, given that we're probably marching into a warzone," Kadoc muttered.

"Indeed. What is more, we do not know which Servants will be present, as either ally or foe," Ophelia pointed out. "Even the time period and location only influences which Servants show up, not restricting them, given the records of the French Singularity. I intend to ask Mozart and Marie for their recollections before long."

Medusa nodded approvingly. "You at least consult with your Servants. That is good. A boy who posed as my Master rather than my true Master was a loathsome brat and a rapist, and he never asked or considered my opinion. And Arturia's first Master was her timeline's version of Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer."

"A man who refused to consult with me or even listen to my opinions," Arturia Pendragon said with a scowl. "I understand them now, in hindsight, but if he bothered to communicate with me…I had thought the fault entirely my own, but now…I believe it to be mainly his, even if I could have done some things better. I could at least change myself to facilitate communication with my Master, but he was so antipathic towards the very idea of heroes that he could not bring himself to see me as anything but a tool. I cannot help but despise him even now. His love for his wife Irisviel, his daughter Illyasviel, and his adopted son Shirou were his sole redeeming features."

"Yeah, I don't envy you," Kadoc said. "Even in this timeline, he was something of a boogyman, and I was surprised Harry was trained by him. And came out halfway sane, anyway. Though honestly, I didn't expect King Arthur to be so…well, approachable."

"It's a lesson I learned during my time as a Servant," Arturia Pendragon said. "I am also a king no longer, in that Camelot no longer exists, and I have no desire to redo my reign, either through a wish on the Grail, or declaring myself in the modern day. As long as I am treated as a person, I care little about station, only moral character. Yes, I am well aware Magi tend towards being amoral for the most part, believe me. I am not expecting chivalry as far as knightly conduct. Just basic decency. I would call it 'common decency', but even in my time, that was something of an oxymoron."

At this dry snark from Arturia Pendragon, the Masters and some of the Servants snorted with stifled laughter. "I am glad that the King of Knights is humble," Sigurd said. "I will admit, I aspired to heroism to ensure my name was sung in song forevermore, as well as to avenge my father. However, while I knew my life would be short, I did not wish for it to have ended as it had, killed by my beloved. The experience helped me come to an epiphany. While I am, admittedly, a somewhat cold and rational person, my death and the events prior to it humbled me."

Xu Fu frowned, toying with her drink pensively. "I wonder…would Brynhildr's curse be considered a form of Madness Enhancement?"

"Possibly, but it could also be partly a curse inflicted by Lord Odin," Sigurd said. "Why do you ask, Lady Xu Fu?"

"I'm a master alchemist. I can't turn it off, but I can use potions to suppress it somewhat so that Brynhildr doesn't kill you, assuming we summon her."

"I seem to be summoning Germanic or Nordic Servants, possibly due to my own nationality, so it's a possibility," Ophelia mused. "Sigurd is from Scandinavia, while Mozart and Marie Antoinette are Austrian. Of course, there's the possibility of one of the other Masters summoning her."

"Hope it isn't me," Ritsuka said with a shiver. "I don't want to deal with yandere types. Kiyohime was bad enough. I mean, Medea probably qualifies, but she's at least rational."

"Brynhildr would not hurt you, Ritsuka," Sigurd said. "She would focus her madness on either myself, or on heroes who remind her of me. You should be safe."

Ritsuka nodded in thanks towards the Scandinavian Servant, before returning to his meal. "…I feel ambivalent about being benched. While the French Singularity was an adventure, I hated the warzone, worse than even Fuyuki. But…I want to be able to do something to help, and I don't like having Mash out there without me."

"You'll be able to communicate with me via comms, Senpai," Mash said. "I'll be honest, I'll feel better just talking to you, even if you're not physically with us. And Olga is right. We can't risk every Master on each individual Singularity if we have the option to swap members in and out. What's more, Kadoc and Ophelia still need field experience. I can't say the same for Pepe or Daybit, I know they've had actual combat experience, though Wodime, despite his leadership qualities, I'm not sure whether he has combat experience."

"I dunno about the experience, but Wodime certainly has the talent," Hinako said. "I wouldn't like to face him in combat. I get why Olga's got issues with him, but while Marisbury was an arse, he chose well in Wodime as an heir outside the Animusphere bloodline. Honestly, though, if Olga was able to join us in Rayshifting, she'd be more than capable."

"True, but leading from the front has its disadvantages," Arturia Pendragon pointed out. "I know that is odd coming from myself, as I often fought battles by leading from the front. But I also had Avalon to save me from wounds on top of my capability in combat. Olga has her faults, but she is still a capable commander, even from the rear. In any case, I look forward to fighting by your side."

The gathered members of Team A nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm. It said a lot that Arturia Pendragon, which was to say King Arthur, anticipated fighting by their side. She was one of the greatest heroes in the entire world, after all, renowned across the world, and inspiring other stories.

Still, soon, they would be venturing forth into a situation where they couldn't be certain what was happening. Only that the history of the Roman Empire was being disrupted by the machinations of Lev Lynor Flauros and his allies and master. The stakes were high, as were the dangers. And it was time for what remained of Team A to show its mettle…

CHAPTER 20 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Ritsuka and Mash have been socialising with what is left of Team A (for now), and Arturia Pendragon has started to mend bridges with EMIYA and Medea.

I actually considered Kadoc to be the one knowing what burning flesh smells like, due to a ritual held near Auschwitz-Birkenau, but I thought that'd be too tasteless. Plus, I'd think that even Kadoc's parents, who are pompous, abusive arseholes, know better than to do anything involving that place, out of some small respect to the victims.

I changed it to Ophelia because, if her Mystic Eye ever got leaked, there'd be more than a few Magi who'd covet it. And her parents didn't want to lose their guinea pig. Seriously, there's so many fucked up Magi parents in the Nasuverse, aren't there? One of Kiritsugu Emiya's few redeeming features is the genuine love he has for Illya and Shirou.

Anyway, while I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, it will focus on what the benched Masters, specifically Delphi, get up to during the Septem Singularity.

Review-answering time! nexusknight2: Ugh, if you bothered to pay attention, Beryl Gut has already been killed off. Having learned of his treachery in the British Lostbelt from Barghest, as well as his general reputation, Olga quietly arranged for his cryostasis to suffer from a 'failure'. The remaining Crypters, I've decided, will be revived in time to participate in the Okeanos Singularity.

The Disquieting One: I reckon that it is closer to his Ruler self's NP, or perhaps like Waver/Zhuge Liang's NP. I'm not absolutely sure.

1. Also known as being 'pressed to death'. Peine forte et dure was a torture process used to extract a plea from a defendant in court proceedings. And as Waver himself pointed out, being hanged is not quite as merciful compared to being burned as it seems: you need a competent executioner to kill someone swiftly with a noose, otherwise, those being hanged may die slowly of being throttled.