FIRST CIRCLE - SABERLESS LAND
I open my eyes to a land of gray earth without limits, spreading in all directions as far as the eye can see. The slight wind kicks up the dust and makes it hard to make out any details, and it most certainly isn’t the room where Chaldea’s only Master had been summoning their newest Servant. The last thing that I’d seen was a figure that resembled Saber Alter, the first enemy met in Fuyuki who had soon become an aloof ally, and then darkness. How could one go from there to…wherever here is?
An uncomfortable memory of a tower prison springs to mind, and the growing apprehension only heightens with the approach of a figure wearing a long scarf, most of their face obscured by the baseball cap that was solidly affixed to their head. Contrary to the initial worry, it isn’t Dantes, instead it appears to be…Mysterious Heroine X?!
“That’s right, Master. It’s been a while.” The Assassin dressed in blue looks the same as always, but I can tell there’s a strange air about her. “Although hero isn’t the right term today; please call me Mysterious Guide X.”
Mysterious Guide X? But you’re clearly-oh well, whatever. At least this isn’t Chateau d’If, if it’s Servant Universe, then that just means it’s time for another quirky interlude-
“I’m afraid not, Master.” Mysterious Guide X’s voice is as grim as death itself, barely piercing through the sound of the wind. “This isn’t the Servant Universe, you see. I don’t know how you got here, but this is the most dangerous place in all the dimensions. A land containing only the worst of the worst, a cancer devouring reality…you have wandered into the Nine Saber Circles, and must pass through each to find your way home.”
The words bring thunder to the desolate lands, as though reality itself acknowledged the dreadfulness of the situation.
And you’re here to act as a guide? …This really sounds suspiciously like Chateau d’If. Are we rehashing events?
“IT’S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!” The annoyed cry completely shattered the drama of the location, and the guide coughed embarrassedly. “Just let me continue, alright? You’ll get in how much trouble you are soon enough.”
Fine, fine.
“Ahem. As I was saying, there are nine circles created by the universe’s attempt to seal away the Saber menace by breaking it into different parts. As one travels deeper through these lands, they’ll come to know the true evil of the Saber, and only by overcoming each of them can you escape.”
That sounds like a lot of work. Can’t you just tell me the important lesson I’ll learn and skip to the end?
“No, please take this seriously, Master; if you fail, you’ll be consumed utterly. Fortunately, you don’t know much about the Saber, so you ended up here in the first circle. This is the place for the uninitiated, a blessed land representing the world before the blight began.”
Seems like kind of a barren wasteland for a blessed land.
“That may be true, but you’ll see that this is far better than the alternative in time. Since this is an unremarkable place, there isn’t any trial to pass, so I’ll send you along to the second circle. I can’t accompany you there, so you’ll have to handle things yourself. Ah well, if it’s you it should be okay…”
Wait, what?
A flash of light engulfs the devastated land, and space warps.
SECOND CIRCLE: ORIGINAL CLONE
The light gives way to a beautiful table, round as the moon and standing in the center of a beautifully decorated room. Twelve of the thirteen seats are empty, but sitting upon the last is a young woman in black armor. Her merciless yellow eyes pierce through me.
The first deadly opponent I’d ever faced smiles thinly.
“Welcome to my Camelot, Master. In this place, mettles are tested, and those who prove unworthy lose their head. Without any further ado, let us begin the judgment. You fail.”
Wait, isn’t this too fast?! For starters, I defeated you and-
Her angry fist smashes down upon the Round Table, almost sending splinters flying into me.
“And summoned me! This is unacceptable, Master! I am one of the damned, bearing All the World’s Evils! To summon me is to invite further catastrophe!”
That doesn’t sound like the Alter I know…she was always harsh, but she didn’t care about judging herself with morality. Ah, I get it, I think I’ve figured out this circle.
Alter, it’s true that you’ve carried out evil, but in the end you’re powerful.
“So what?” Her voice has become lower, almost a growl. “Are you saying you’ll approve of evil as long as it’s strong?! In that case, you should have lost to the Demon God!”
Ah, it’s true that Goetia was strong, but he wasn’t someone we could have worked with. Alter, you almost defeated us, and you answered my summons. Even if you do evil, you’re one of our comrades.
“Shallow, too shallow!” An angry smirk appears on her lips as she rises, the dreadful black sword that almost killed me what seems a lifetime ago appearing in her hands. “That’s just making use of people!”
She moves forward to slice me in half, but I already know her weakpoint. It’s true that you were just a tool at first, but Alter…it turns out you look pretty in a dress.
“What-“
And on Christmas, you were very cute. I’ve never seen anyone wear a Santa outfit like you do, and you sing so well. Even if it was clumsy and you put up a mean face, you gave it your all to give everyone presents, even to the dragon witch who’d fallen into hell. And in the end, you were right there besides us for the final battle.
You might have just been a tool, Alter, but your efforts truly made you one of us. What about All the World’s Evils? Something as insignificant as that can’t possibly stand up to what we went through!
“T-that’s unfair, Master…”
Sword still frozen in an upheld position, her armor vanishes, leaving behind the dress that revealed just enough to be alluring that she’d taken to wearing in Chaldea. And now, for the finishing blow!
Leaning in swiftly, I plant a small kiss on her cheek.
“Y-you idiot!”
Face as red as a tomato, Alter vanishes in golden lights, taking the throne room with her.
Hm? What’s going on, why is everything all gray again? Did I go back to the first circle?
“That’s not it, Master. You passed, this is the area between the second and third.” Looking a bit bothered, Mysterious Hero-Guide X appears again. “The one you just faced was Saber Alter, the beginning of the spread of Sabers. She was cool and aloof, but that was a bit too one-faceted so in the end she became like the one you know and obtained a sense of humor. If she’d been disliked things might have ended there, but like you the people loved her, and so the cancerous spread began.”
Well, it feels a bit unfair to blame Alter for those things. Besides, surely it couldn’t have been that bad?
“That’s what everyone thought at the time, but then…well, you’ll see. The third circle awaits you.”
With a moody gesture, my mysterious guide causes another blinding flash. Can’t she find a better transition than that?
THIRD CIRCLE: SAKURA PETALS
…What’s with this atmosphere? This is way too different!
Gray plains to a medieval castle, alright, but how in the world did it turn into a relaxing Japanese-style garden?!
“Why are you so surprised, Master?” Sitting calmly on her knees and sipping tea, Saber…ah, Okita-san, is looking at me in amusement. “I’m Japanese, so what’s weird about my place being in a style from Japan? We aren’t on the battlefield, so it’s fine to relax for now.”
But why are you here, Okita? You aren’t-oh, it’s true that there’s a lot of resemblance between her and the Sabers, and Mysterious Heroine X never liked her either. Could it be that Okita is…
“A Saber? Indeed, that is so, Master. I am a Saber in class and meaning. To be honest with you, I’m not sure if I was like this in life, but the form that I take as a Servant is definitely Saber-like.”
As she finishes her sentence, a violent cough seizes her and she’s forced to put the tea down. Normally I would rush to help, but…this is the third circle, after all. I must determine what the test is. At least Okita seems a lot more relaxed than Alter was.
“Kof. Ah, that’s normal, Master.” Recovering, she smiles serenely again. “Although I’m Saber, I’m Okita-san too! I can ward off the curse of this place with my name…well, in spirit at least. The fact that I’m a Saber won’t change as long as I have this face.”
When she puts it that way, it makes me feel a bit sad for her, so I go to sit on the other side of the rug that placed the tea set on and take her hand in mine. Since Okita is still Okita, maybe she can tell me what I have to do to pass through this third circle?
“Ah, I guess the guide was too vague? It’s not that you have to do anything in particular, Master. This place, the Nine Saber Circles, are a chronicle of its history. Alter-san was dangerous because she was Alter-san, not because of the curse. For this third circle, the only requirement was acknowledging that I exist. If you want to, you can leave right away.”
No, there’s no need to be in such a hurry. Since Okita went through the trouble of setting up this beautiful scenery, we can enjoy tea while watching the petals fall from the trees. Escaping this place can wait.
My decision brought a beautiful smile to her face, it was definitely the right one.
“...Thank you, Master.”
We sat there, drinking and holding hands for almost an hour before the scenery faded. Okita’s last request was that we stand together on the battlefield another time.
Hm, it’s the gray again. Mysterious Guide X definitely looks annoyed now.
“I’m not annoyed!” Even though she denies it, the truth is obvious. “That was the third circle, where someone completed unrelated became a Saber just because it would be funny. That was alright too, because she was her own person kind of and never played a big role, but then…”
You shouldn’t criticize Okita like that, she’s a good person.
“That’s not the point! Even if she’s a good person, she’s still part of the Saber cancer! By letting her exist, things became even worse, just look!”
I don’t even have the time to talk before I get sent away. Geez, she’s really annoyed about something.
FIFTH CIRCLE: SABER CANCER
“Good morning, Master!”
Oh? That cute and cheerful voice, there’s only one Saber it could be. Looking around, we seem to be in a shopping mall. It doesn’t take long for me to find the resident, and as expected it’s Saber Lily. With a radiant smile and a cute dress, she’s sitting at a large table filled with food. A-A little too much food - aren’t there half-a-dozen pigs there just as an entrée?! I know you like eating, but still!
“Hm? What are you talking about, Master? This is just a little snack.” Moving as a blur, she devoured two of the roasted pigs whole in a second. W-whoa, the food is practically disappearing! “I’m a growing girl after all, I need a lot of energy to fulfil my destiny!”
It’s a massacre that would make even a demon king gasp in horror. The food is being brought to her mouth, chewed and swallowed faster than my eyes can track. The table, that looks like it could hold a feast for dozens, won’t even last a minute at this rate!
Lily’s a refined young lady, even if she’s always eaten a lot; this is clearly a crazy exaggeration. Is it the circle’s curse? Well, at least she should be nice enough to let me in on it.
“Well, I was a bit hesitant at first.” All the food’s already disappeared in the time it took me to ask about it, and Lily lets out a cute little burp. “Pardon me. But then I realized that I’m Saber, so it only makes sense.”
She stands up and takes a step toward me. Hum, Lily, could you tell me what’s going on? Looking up at her, she looks kind of intimidating.
Looking up…?
“I’m Saber, Master, so it’s my destiny to become everything!” Her next step makes the ground shake. What’s going on?! “Everyone will be Saber, and then there’ll be nothing except Saber! Isn’t that such a wonderful idea?”
With an innocent smile, she finishes walking up to me, and I can only stare up and up. Why are her knees higher than me and getting higher?! She reaches down to grab a bench and plops it into her mouth as if it was made of candy.
“There’s no reason to be alarmed, Master.” Kneeling over me, she reaches down. “You’ll also be Saber too soon, and it’s something wonderful. I’ll spread and spread and be the entire world…”
Two pillar-like fingers reach out for me, I can feel her fresh breath washing over my entire body, and the world turns black.
Whew, I’m back in the gray, with the guide stopping me from falling on the ground. What in the world was that?!
“It was the Saber cancer. Or at least, what people made it out to be.” I can’t see her face, but I can tell that X is frowning. “Of course Lily’s completely innocent in this affair, and no Saber ever planned for everyone to become a Saber. But those who joked, those who propagated it, they were all enablers, and before long the Saber cancer threatened to overwhelm everything. Do you understand, Master? It must be eliminated. I’ve done my best, but since I’m a Saber myself I can only get so far. If you did your best too, as the hero who saved the world, then…”
I-it’s true, that was pretty scary. Could the Sabers really be a threat to everything, like Mysterious Heroine X had been saying all along?
“It’s Mysterious Guide X! But I’m glad you’re starting to see the truth. We can hurry up then.”
Hurry up?
“Ah, nevermind that. Let’s just move on to the next circle.”
SIXTH CIRCLE: Holy Saber?
“Good afternoon, Master. You appear to be in quite a predicament once again.”
The words make me jump in fear for a second, but it’s only Jeanne. An empty, but familiar village surrounds us. For some reason, I feel a lot more at ease than in the previous circles. I’ll tentatively take it to mean that everything is alright.
I’m surprised you’re here at all, Jeanne. I guess you’re considered a Saber, huh?
“Only by a technicality, but that is so.” With a gentle smile, she looks around at the site of Orléans. The last time we fought here seems so far away now. “It’s a fortunate technicality though, thanks to it I was able to appear in these Nine Saber Circles. Listen, Master, you mustn’t be deceived.”
Deceived?
“The culprit behind this incident is hiding the truth. Even now, the curse of this place is fighting against my telling you that truth, but you mustn’t be fooled!”
So there was someone behind this after all. I’d started to think that it was just another crazy coincidence. But who could do something as…pointlessly absurd as this? Kind of an empty question now that I think about it, given the theme and the subject, it could only be that guy from Avalon.
“I cannot tell who is responsible for this myself, perhaps your suspicions are correct. At any rate, I’ve delivered my warning. The original purpose of this circle was to show the spread of Saber to even those whose appearances were recorded in history, but that is pointless now and I’ll not indulge in such a curse. Master, you must realize the truth of this incident and return to the real world as soon as you can!”
I understand, thank you, Jeanne. Thinking about it, you’ve always been supporting me where you could ever since Orléans. Even the distorted you became a stalwart ally.
“Her actions are her own, but as for me it’s a joy to learn that I’ve been useful. I swear upon this flag, I’ll continue to support you as long as I can, Master.”
With a gracious smile, she plants her flag into the ground as the circle comes undone. Hm? Mysterious Guide X doesn’t seem to be here yet. Perhaps I need to go forward on my own?
I’ve barely taken a few steps that she comes running out of the mist that permeates this place.
“Whoa, you were quick, Master! I thought it would take you longer to shake off that holy woman’s advances, so I went for some snacks.”
Never mind that that’s very inconsiderate, what do you mean by that holy woman’s advances?
“Hum? You should have seen it, how badly even a pure figure like Jeanne d’Arc was warped by being infected by the Saber cancer!”
I see…yes, you’re right, Mysterious Guide X, that was indeed terrible. Will the seventh circle be as bad?
“Ah, that one.” She shakes as though chills are going through her. “I think it’s the worst of the lot! Even you might not be able to deal with it!”
Oh? Despite how dangerous she said this place was, she hasn’t been very concerned for me so far. I see, then this seventh circle might be the worst of the lot. Better take care of it quickly, then.
“Well, if you’re sure. Good luck, Master!”
SEVENTH CIRCLE: SQUEAKING SABER, HIDDEN DRAGON
The tragically familiar sight of a Roman coliseum filled my eyes, and standing away was the empress of Rome itself. Nero Claudius’ confident smile was almost as noticeable as her outrageous clothes. I suppose I should have expected to meet her sooner or later.
“Indeed you should have praetor, umu! For who else but me, Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, could so completely encapsulate what it means to be Saber? Umu!”
What in the world is this shrill nightmarish voice?!
“Umu! I am Saber Red, unlike Saber of Red! The empress of Rome, the great-“
No. No, we’re not doing this.
“Praetor what are you-”
Ignoring her squeaking, I run out of the coliseum at full speed. Who thought that this would be a good idea? This is the first time in quite a while that I’ve felt like strangling someone.
“I see it was too horrible even for you, Master.” Standing by my side as the grayness returned, Mysterious Guide X placed a hand on my shoulder in comfort. “No one can blame you. Can you imagine, an emperor of Rome, one of the anchors of human civilization, turned into such a hideous caricature? The sins of the Saber know no bounds or decency. The seventh circle, Nero Claudius, embodied that; a horror such that not even a gentle and understanding mind as yours could accept them.”
It’s true that that was horrible, but…
“But it’s alright, Master. Fortunately, your reaction here matches with history, so you won’t have to return to the seventh circle.”
Oh, thank you, whoever is responsible for these requirements. I’m not sure if I could have stood in the presence of someone who sounded like a dying mouse for any amount of time, let alone long enough to figure out what the test was.
“But before you go on to the eighth, I have a confession to make.”
A confession? You, Mysterious Guide X? But being mysterious is your trademark!
“That is true; however, the time has come. For you see, I am not merely a mysterious guide, my true identify is that of-”
With a single motion that I couldn’t understand, she flung her clothes and cap away, revealing the blue dress underneath, complete with silver armor, and on her head was now placed a golden crown, and in her hand the beautiful hilt of a sword whose blade I couldn’t see.
“-The Original Saber.”
EIGHTH CIRCLE: THE NAME OF SABER
Mysterious Hero-Guide X was the original Saber?!
“I understand that this is a shock and that you might feel betrayed, but-“
Well, I’m more wondering why you hid it when we’ve never met before.
“What.”
I mean I’ve met Saber Alter, and the Lancer Saber Alter, and Saber Red, and Saber of Red, a Lancer Saber, and Sakura Saber and many others, but I’ve never met you. There’s not point in having a secret identity is there?
“We-we’ve never met without my disguise? B-but that’s impossible! You’ve visited Camelot-“
That was the Lion King.
“The Holy Grail-“
Saber Alter.
“At the final battle-“
You were there as Mysterious Heroine X.
“I-I suppose you’re right.” Dejected, she tried to bury herself in her scarf, only to realize she’d thrown it away. “At any rate! Even I, the original, deem that this has gone too far! I could accept it when I was corrupted, I could even accept my younger self, but for alternate versions of me and completely unrelated people to appear and wear my face?! The screams of the masses must be answered, the spread of this abomination must be halted, and my visage reclaimed for only myself so that it is only a face like any other! You’ve seen how horrible it was, haven’t you Master, going through these Nine Saber Circles?”
Her hands joined, she makes an earnest plea that pulls at the strings of my heart.
“Even the universe has rejected these Sabers, that is how terrible they are! You must put them out of their misery, else they’ll be dragged here more and more, until we’re all trapped forever!”
I’m not sure if it’s the tone of her voice or the lonely sorrow in her eyes, but the pieces fall into place, and the truth finally illuminates my mind. Yes, I understand, Saber. I’m sorry, it was mean of me to rub in that we’d never met before like this.
“Then-“
I finally understand. You say this is a prison created by the world to hold back a plague, but actually…the Alters were playing a role against their wills, Okita and Jeanne resisted the circles’ influence, Lily was nothing more than an illusion, and the real Nero was nowhere near this annoying. They weren’t prisoners trapped by the world, they were strawmen set up to convince me that Sabers must be destroyed!
“What are you talking about?”
I remember now. Before I lost consciousness and ended up here, you were the one that I summoned, didn’t you? But you knew that there were many Servants who were also you, or who had similar traits, and you were afraid. You heard their reputations, but you never got to know them yourself.
“T-that may be true, but this place…”
Is nothing more than an oddity created by the fears that were born from those rumors. Your fears, the fear that you aren’t your own person. And the reason for those fears…is that we’ve never met face to face before, isn’t it? You were afraid that I’d only see you as a reflection of the others.
“How could you know?!”
There’s no need to make such a cute, shocked face. I should have realized the key sooner, Okita spelled it out for me.
“I can ward off the curse of this place with my name.”
That’s why the Nero I met was such a blatant caricature; it wasn’t the real Nero at all. Because Okita and Jeanne had resisted the curse and refused to play their role, the curse had no choice but to resort to a facsimile to try to convince me. The Alters have no need of their name, and they were unable to fight off its influence as a result.
“M-Master, wait…”
She reaches out for me, but it’s clear to both of us that I’ve already understood everything. She must have been able to see it in my eyes, because she doesn’t try to deny it anymore.
“I…I’ve lost.” Saber falls on her knees, her strength fading. “It’s true! I’ve lost so many things to them over the years! The me corrupted by All the World’s Evils was more powerful, my younger self was younger and more innocent, my Alters were more jaded and detached! How am I supposed to compete, when every aspect of my personality was magnified into its own person?!”
There was never a need for this farce, Saber. To begin with, why are you trying to compete with them? You’re your own person. It’s true that I’ve gone on adventures with many others already, but from now on we can go on our own adventures together, and this was only the first.
“Master…”
Let’s go home, Artoria.
Her hand takes hold of the one I offer with a grateful smile, and the gray expanse is banished for the last time.
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Originally Posted by Alternative Ice
