"That chariot, those lightning, and that reckless charge. It can't be anyone but Rider," Saber concluded. Then she dragged the edge of the blade against the side of my neck, enough to draw a drop of blood. "What are you planning?"
"To talk to the Einzbern faction about the potential Tainted Grail," I said.
"That's not all is it?"
"That is all. I've never seen nor spoken to that Servant which you called Rider."
Saber circled to my left, the blade was then against my throat, then she maneuvered to the front of me, the tip of the invisible sword was then poking the base of my throat.
The trees moaned and groaned as they fell, Rider's charge was getting closer, the lightning getting brighter and the thunders were getting sharper. Saber looked to the charge, and then gave me a scowl.
"Saber?" Irisviel asked.
Saber turned to Irisviel, "Irisviel, can you use these?" She offered Irisviel the 1911 and the Hi-power.
Irisviel took both.
"Keep your eyes on him; I wouldn't be able to when I do battle with Rider."
"Mmm," Irisviel nodded with determination.
"You," Saber said. "Turn around." I complied.
A strong force like a boxer's punch concentrated in a small rounded object hit me at the base of my skull. Saber had hit me with her sword's pommel.
I staggered forward, stopped, turned, and annoyed. "You're trying to knock me out?" I said, rubbing the spot. Pixie pouted and imitated me, even though she doesn't feel it.
"It seems that head of yours is a little bit thick. Well, we have to get to Rider and I don't want you to have any idea of running away. Come here and let me hit you in the head again."
"No."
"Um, Saber," Irisviel said. "He can just run ahead of us, he wouldn't be able to outrun you."
"That's true," Saber said. "But he's a magus, he may try for some magecraft we don't know he has."
"Well," I said, "I'm definitely not getting hit again. So do you want to waste time arguing?"
"He's right," Irisviel said. "We don't have much time to waste. Saber, it's all right. I have these with me. He wouldn't be able to hurt me." Irisviel showed off the pistols in each of her hands. She was cutesy looking with them, what with how big the pistols looked in her small hands; she would've been cuter looking if she wasn't waving them around with her fingers on the triggers.
With wariness in her eyes kept on me, Saber sighed. "You're right. We need to get to Rider. You," she said to me, "you'll run vanguard."
Meaning: I must run in front so they can keep an eye on me.
We rushed forward down the corridors, and finally reached the terrace. Rider was on his chariot pulled by two strong bulls of magical origin of some kind, shone by the moonlight from the skylight with his chest puffed out. He was two meters tall, full muscle body. His hair and beard were red, short and swept back, giving him something like a lion's mane. He was wearing a white shirt, with something or another printed on the chest area.
"Oi, Saber!" Rider roared cheerfully, "I'm glad you're here! What happened to the place anyway? It looks pretty gloomy around here."
"Rider..." Saber said, near quiet, almost in disbelief.
"Oh! Why aren't you in your fashionable suit? Shouldn't you be dressing in something more modern for tonight? And who's that guy and the little fairy on his shoulder? He has a nice suit, you should go get yours."
"Rider!" Saber said, she had enough. "Why are you here? Don't tell me it's for fashion!"
"Nah, nah, it's for no such thing. I am here," Rider reached with both arms, "for a banquet!" Rider heaved a casket up and on to his shoulder.
The night was quiet; none dare to break the silence. Everybody found his reveal to be most strange.
"A banquet?" Saber said.
"That's right! So lead the way, Saber! Is there any courtyard around here fitting for a banquet? This castle is way too dusty inside."
"Um, Irisviel?" Saber turned to Irisviel.
"Well, he's obviously not the sort to be setting traps, so... perhaps he really just want to have a drink."
"No... It's not something so simple. This is a challenge."
"A challenge?"
"Mmm," Saber nodded. "He's a king and so am I. If we can find a victor on the drinking table instead of the battlefield, then that is a victory without bloodshed."
"Hoho! It's good that you understand!" Said Rider with a booming voice. "Well then, King of Knights, lead the way to our 'battlefield'."
"Not so fast, Rider."
"Eh?"
"There are other matters that must be discussed first."
"And what would that be?"
"It's the matter of the tainted Grail."
"Eh?!" Out of the cover of the chariot was a thin boy. His hair was straight, cut at the length enough to cover both ears. For a moment there, I almost mistook him for a girl. The contrast between the Servant and Master was interesting.
"What-what do you mean tainted Grail?" The young Master asked, a little panicked.
"First, let's go to the courtyard," Saber said.
The central courtyard was surrounded by ornamental flower beds and we were in the middle of it. Rider manifested his black armor and red cape, he and Saber sat across each other, Irisviel and I stood behind Saber, and the young Master stood behind his Servant. While Pixie was dangling her legs off my shoulder, humming to a tune.
To Rider's right was the opened wine casket, which he was drinking with a bamboo ladle. He scooped up wine, passed it on to Saber, she accepted, drank and they began their little talk about the possibility of the Tainted Grail and the Einzbern's possible unintentional involvement in making it.
Once Rider and his Master was brought up to speed, there was the matter of how I've gotten it out of Matou Zouken's voice box.
"So..." Rider said, "This was brought about by that man there."
"Yes," Saber nodded.
"Oi, do you have a name?"
"Yuki Makoto," I said. It seemed my name was getting around.
"Hoo," Rider rubbed his beard in thought. "I am Iskandar - King of Conquerors, pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise."
"Come, come. Sit here, will you? Though I intended this to be a banquet of Kings, I guess I have to put it on hold for this new development."
I sat next to Saber, Rider offered his wine, I declined. "I'm sure you all have a lot of questions, and you all want them answered sooner rather than later. So ask away."
"Well then," Saber said, "you said that such speculation came out of Matou Zouken, and last we heard was that the Matou was attacked. So did you-"
"Of course he did," a new voice spoke in the air. The Servant manifested himself in golden brilliance, his gold armor and blonde hair glowed under the silver moon. While his red eyes and expression was holding us in contempt.
"A-archer?" Saber was cautious, she stood half way up, readying.
Then Rider said: "Ah, you're here!" With no worry at all. "You're late you know; now we have to bring you up to speed so you can understand our discussion. Oh, that's right! Saber, please sit down. I invited him while on my way here! He's not your enemy for tonight."
"For picking such a distasteful spot to hold a banquet, you might as well be my enemy already," Archer said. Then he approached us, and gave me a quick glance as if he had witnessed to something foul. "And why is this mongrel with a bug on his shoulder here in this banquet of Heroes? Whatever he has to say, he can say it outside of my sight."
"I like my spot just fine, Archer." I said, and Pixie stuck her tongue out at Archer.
"Now, now," Rider said. "Let's not get like that. Archer, please, sit down. And have a drink while you're at it. We're here for drinks and not battle tonight."
Archer made a hard spitting sound at the idea of it all, but he sat down next to Rider nonetheless. Rider offered him the wine-filled ladle and Archer took it then downed the wine in one gulp. Then the expression of repulsion was written on his face.
"What kind of wine is this? How can you hold a banquet with something so cheap?"
"Eh? But it's the most expensive one I can find on the market," Rider said.
"Then you obviously know nothing of wine. Let me-"
"Enough," Saber interrupted. "The taste of the wine is inconsequential to the matter at hand."
Archer scoffed, "When a king is having an important discussion, must he be served horse piss for the taste of his drinks matters not? Don't tell me that's what your court've been doing, Saber."
Saber's glare hardened on Archer.
"I thought as much. Here, let me show you what a true king drinks."
Archer held his hand out, opened palm, facing down, and beneath it was a ripple in the air. Materializing from the ripple was a large wine bottle made of heavy gold. It gently landed on the floor. Archer turned his hand over, a ripple appeared above it, and four golden cups dropped onto his hand.
Archer passed Rider the four cups. "Oh, thank you," Rider said, and then he began pouring wine into the four cups.
"None for the little lady?" Rider asked after he passed us the wine-filled cups.
"If she can make herself bigger and important, then I may consider giving her one," Archer said.
"Meanie!" Pixie had her hands on her hip thrust her face at the Servant.
"You can drink from mine, Pixie," I said. And that brightened her little face.
The wine was colorless and lucid; the first of us to drink it was Rider. He took a small sip and immediately gave a heartfelt praise: "Wow, this is delicious!"
Saber was next, she didn't loudly exclaim her praise, but her expression was evident.
I drank mine. The taste of it was fiery and invigorating, it was a good wine, but I hadn't let any of it shown on my expression. "It's good," was all I said.
"Let me try!" Pixie was excited.
I tilted the wine over my shoulder so she can reach it; Pixie took a very small sip per her body size. "Mmm! For a meanie like you, you sure have taste!"
Again, the hard spitting sound. "I don't need praises from likes of you," Archer said.
"This wine," Rider said, "is definitely not brewed by human. Is this the drink of gods?"
"Of course, only the finest of treasure are stored in my treasury. This should show you where I stand as a king."
"Ah, yes. That's what I invited you here for, and I still intend to have the conversation mind you, but we must first hear about this Tainted Grail theory."
"I already heard it," Archer stated.
"Eh? Since when?"
"Last night. After this one had dispose of Berserker." Archer looked at me, and all eyes followed.
"Now that's news to me, how did he do that? Hey, boy, where is your Servant?"
"He doesn't have a Servant. He has what he called 'familiars'." Archer's eyes hardened bore into mine, he studied me and I studied him.
"Servant of Tohsaka," I concluded. Unless there are more unknowns in the war, this is the obvious conclusion.
"That's right," Archer sneered. "Now where're the rest of your familiars? Don't tell me you only have this fairy on your shoulder."
"This fairy can kill you, you know," Pixie stood up.
"Easy, now," I said, and Pixie sat down. "You want to see them?"
"Well," Rider said. "I'd say you should show them to us, there's no reason to hide things in the dark. If you're honest with me, boy, then I will be the same for you."
"Eh?" The young Master in the back stepped forward, wanting to protest but stopped himself.
"You may not be a king," Archer said. "But you're in a banquet of heroes. So it's best for you to not hide any underhanded means you have in your sleeve. But then of course, you magi are known for your scheming and treachery, so you can decline the request if you want." He said it in a condescending manner.
"I wouldn't say any of that," Saber said. "But I am curious as well to how you managed what you did."
In a way, these three have challenged me. Pixie's voice spoke in my mind, telling me to not do anything, and that it'd be detrimental if I reveal my cards. Some parts of me agreed some disagreed. They say I should meet this invitation head on and that I should show them just what I was made of.
"So what do you say?" Rider said, hopeful. "Will you call him here? Oh, wait but if you're smart then your familiar is already nearby, right? Wouldn't want to have yourself surrounded by Servants and with no means of self-defense now, do you?"
"Yeah, he's here," I said.
"Eh?" Irisviel was confused. "But I only detected you and Pixie, or had the barrier gone weakened," the last part was mostly to herself.
"I don't know anything about that, but he's here."
"So?" Rider said, "What's he doing?"
"He's resting."
"He's resting," Rider repeated.
"Yeah, he's resting."
"Here, he's resting?"
"Yeah, he's resting."
"Oh... well, then... can you, uh... wake him up?"
"Sure."
I stood up, took a few steps back, and then concentrated on invigorating a fragment of my soul, channeling my mental power toward it. A connection between him and I was formed, his shape appeared in my mind, it only needed a trigger to fire. Being absent of an Evoker, I used pistols, and being absent of pistols, I must then work on materializing him through concentration alone.
What I did next was performative, it was unnecessary but I felt like doing it. I leveled my forefinger against my temple, my thumb acted as hammer; it came down as if firing a round. A soft "pow" escaped my lips.
The dimensional glass shattered, blue swirl surrounded me, from the Sea of Souls within me, he manifested: Siegfried.
Siegfried stood tall at one-ninety-five meters, his helm was of red leather, his blonde hair reached his nape, his eyes were blue and his skin was red bronze. On his body was red leather armor, at his left hip was a scabbard and in his right hand was the longsword Balmung.
"I am Siegfried," his voice was mighty, a declaration for the Heaven and Earth, "dragon slayer. It's a pleasure to be in a circle of fine warriors such as you all," he gave a courteous bow with his left fist on where his heart was supposed to be.
"That..." Irisviel said, her voice was quivering, "that can't be."
And the rest of them shared all or some of her disbelief.
"Hohoo!" Rider laughed. "Good, this is good! Though you are not king, you're most welcome to join us in our banquet like your master."
"You idiot," Archer's voice was tired. "I let you get away with calling this a banquet of kings while having that mongrel and his pet fairy in here. But I'm not going to get you another cup so we can have another drink with a magus' familiar."
"Familiar... How can somebody like that merely be a familiar?" Saber said.
"Anybody can introduce themselves as anybody. He said his name was Siegfried, but that doesn't mean he is Siegfried. He's a magus' creation, not a Heroic Spirit from the Throne of Heroes. He's no Servant, but a familiar."
Right, familiars... Tohsaka had told me what that means.
"Agh, look at him more closely Goldie," Rider said. "Does a mere familiar of a magus exude such aura? Don't you feel that there's something more to him? This power he exudes, he's a Heroic Spirit for sure, Archer. Might not be a Servant, but definitely not merely a magus' creation."
Archer looked at Siegfried, back to his wine, sipped it, then back to Siegfried again, scrutinizing, studying.
"Well?"
"I hate to say that you're right..." Archer admitted.
"Glad you're with me!"
"Well," I said. "I think we should get back to what's important," I sat down near Saber, and Siegfried was behind me. "This Tainted Grail theory, I'm sure we all have questions regarding it, so let's talk and no more stalling."
"I had wanted to ask you a question before I was interrupted," Saber's glare was on Archer. "But it seems that the question has been answered. So I will ask another one: What's your plan for the Holy Grail if it's proved to be corrupted and that it's not merely a theory."
"The same as when it's not: Hide it away or if possible, destroy it."
"That's... why? Do you have no wish for it?"
"No. I don't trust genies."
Rider laughed. "But, boy," he said, "the Holy Grail is more than just a genie. It's not like those stories you read."
"Maybe, maybe not. But the only reason I see to kill for a wish granting device is if this thing can make this entire world a better place. So the question is, how is the Holy Grail going to interpret this wish?"
"I'm sure that the Grail will be able to figure how on its own," Irisviel said. "The Holy Grail is an omnipotent, divine wish granter, it will surely know how to make about this wish come true."
"I've made up my mind. I don't, and will never trust genies."
"Well that will put you against us," Archer said. "This speculation on the Tainted Grail came out of a dead spiteful worm, this worm was a magus who knows his way, sure, but how can we be sure whether the Grail is really corrupted? And why did you even want to bring this out to everyone?"
"Just so that everybody knows, and weigh it on their mind."
"Oh, I've weighed it all right. And I say that the Grail is rightfully mine, it belongs in my vast treasury. None of you are worthy of it."
"Hmm, you see..." Rider was rubbing his chin. "This thing you've brought up concerns me, yes. But at the same time, I say that I will continue to fight to obtain the Holy Grail because, well, I can't honestly be sure if this theory holds weight. Maybe I will regret it when I get there but... damn it! This wish of mine is worth fighting for! I may have only been in this world for a short time, but I absolutely fell in love with this era and its war machines.
I Iskandar, King of Conquerors have conquered the world once, and I wish to have a real body in this era and time to conquer it once more. I want to travel to lands that I've failed to arrive in my previous life, meet their people, to see the beauties in their culture, and fight their finest warriors in the battlefield! I want to taste the taste of twentieth century warfare!
So whether this Holy Grail is corrupted or not, the worry of it cannot beat this strong desire in my heart, so I will take my chances, and after this banquet, I will join you all in the battlefield once more to compete for the Holy Grail!"
"Hahahah!" Archer laughed out those harsh syllables. "Rider, you amuse me. I will definitely kill you myself."
"Then you ought to be well prepared. I will plunder your treasury too; to let a King of Conquerors taste your wine is rather thoughtless of you."
"You have a warrior's spirit," Siegfried said. "But is conquest all that you want? The world has more to offer than bloodshed."
"Aye, that maybe. But conquest is my way of life. It has been so for a long time. Nothing will change it."
"If that's how it is, then if I may ask that you will meet this dragon slayer in combat someday."
"Sure! I'd be excited to test the might of the ones fabled such as you!"
Shouldn't've gave him the invite, I thought.
Don't tell me you don't feel the eagerness to battle him after all that, Siegfried replied.
Shouldn't've given it either way.
"Oi," Rider said, sitting down. "Saber, you should talk about your wish too."
Saber looked at the rest of us, steeled resolved. "Very well. If you want to know, then my wish is to save my homeland, to save England from destruction."
Whatever was weird about those words she had spoken then I didn't pick them up. But for the two other Servants, they gave her odd looks.
"King of Knights," Rider said. "I may've heard you wrong but... did you say that you want to change fate?"
"Correct," Saber nodded. "A miracle may not be possible to bring about it, but if the Grail is truly omnipotent, then surely my wish can come true."
"Er... Saber, I want to confirm this. The destruction of Britain was during your time, during your reign, correct?"
"Yes!" Saber's voice was firm. "That is why I cannot forgive myself. The destruction of my country was my fault, that's why I must reverse it."
A pitched laughter came out of Archer.
"I don't see what's so worthy of your mockery laugh," Siegfried said. "She wants to save her subject from destruction. It's simple as so."
"You're no king," Archer said. "Don't speak of kingly matters."
Siegfried frowned and said nothing.
"You're one to talk, Goldilocks," Pixie stood up and pointed at Archer. "I'm sure your subjects just love an arrogant ass like you!"
For the third time, the hard spitting sound again. "Shut your bug," Archer said, "or I'll do it for you."
Take it easy, Pixie, I thought.
Pixie was unsatisfied, but sat down and calmed herself.
Rider sighed. "Saber, tell me. So you want to erase the history in which you've created?"
"Correct. I don't know why that is such an odd wish that deserves a laughing. The country that I've sacrificed my life as king had been destroyed. Is there something wrong with my wanting to reverse the outcome?"
"Yes, you're wrong," Rider answered immediately. "You have it backwards. It is not the king who is supposed to sacrifice for the nation and people. But it is the people and the nation who is supposed to sacrifice their lives for the king."
I picked the little golden cup that I've barely drink wine out of and took a gulp. That was a lot of bullshit, a part of me had said and another part of me had said otherwise.
"Saber, listen to me. If a king is unsatisfied with his rule, then he is a weak ruler. Worse than any tyrants and madmen."
"Iskandar," Saber said. "Didn't your empire split into four warring factions and disappeared into the sands of time? Don't you regret such an ending? Don't you want to save your motherland?"
"No. I have no regrets for the actions of me and my generals that led to the demise of our nation. I will grieve and I will shed tears, but I will never regret what had happened!"
"The two of you should take it easy," I said. "Neither of you will change each other's mind like this. This banquet of kings is turning to a drunken bickering, and you two aren't even that drunk."
"Boy, why are you-"
"Listen, I'm here for a simple purpose: To brought to the Einzberns the possibility of a Tainted Grail and discuss on what to do with it. I see now that my original purpose is no longer interested."
"Well, it's the Grail's words against yours. When summoned, I was filled with information about the Holy Grail War by the Grail. Such a thing that can help bring us Heroic Spirits to the modern era and grant wishes... it's hard to doubt it."
"No you're wrong. No wishes were ever granted. We don't know if this thing is really omnipotent, and we're killing each other for it."
"So what's your suggestion?" Archer said. "The only way to know if it's really omnipotent or not is to kill each other for it, is that not so? And although no wishes were ever granted, the Grail still has power to access the Throne of Heroes to call forth us Heroic Spirits, such a device is worthy of trusting to be omnipotent."
"No. One has nothing to do with the other. I don't see why you all so content to being sacrificed. The Grail summoned you not to do this battle for any honor or ideals of any noble kind; it summoned you to be straw dogs. You're all worthless to it except for being a fresh source of magical energy. It demands the lives of six Heroes or Villains unleashed upon the modern era to slaughter each other, uncaring for the collateral damages."
"It's the nature of war," Rider said. "There are bound to be unwanted death. It is how things are. You can't fight a clean war."
Rider's nature was conquest; there was no talking him out of it. Saber had her wish, and Archer was himself. They will hold on to their belief and desires and there's nothing an outsider like I can do to snap them out of it.
"I shouldn't have come here," I said, downed the wine in my cup. Then I stood up, moving toward Irisviel. She looked at me with wariness, leveled the two pistols' muzzles at my chest.
"I'll need them back," I said to her.
"Why?"
"I'm leaving."
I reached for a pistol; Irisviel reluctantly gave the 1911 to me. I put it in the waistband at the small of my back. I reached again, she gave me the Hi-power and I holstered it in the waistband at the left front of my hip.
"You're leaving?" Rider said. "So soon?"
"There's nothing to be had from talking to you all," I said. "If we can't end this peacefully here and now then we can never resolve this without bloodshed. But it seems that we're all just too different."
"Stay a little while. Have a drink. Who knows, maybe if we're drunk enough, then we can figure something out," Rider gave a small chuckle.
I was no longer in the mood for humor.
Author's note: Mr. Haziq had asked whether Makoto can summon his Persona's weapons or not, and I'm honestly not oppose to the idea, but don't really see why he should be able to. So for now, I'll say that no, he cannot summon his Persona's weapons.
I had a great trouble in how to end this lengthy chapter of dialogues, so I had just settled for Makoto leaving the conversation. There are also a lot of other worries I have for this chapter, like is if this is too long, are there too many dialogues, perhaps the characterization is off, things like that. And I unfortunately don't have a lot of time to look over them as carefully as I could for the last chapters, so please, if you notice any errors just leave it in your review.
Apologies for not getting this out quicker, I had underestimated how busy I would be at the start of the year, and assumed that I have a lot more time than I did. I hope to finish this story before this year ends, because if I don't, you'll have to wait till I finish my mandatory military service before the story can be continued. So if this story somehow, some day, is in hiatus, then don't worry about it, I'll finish this story one way or another.