Apologies for the tardiness of this chapter. Draconic's computer was damaged and lost the document halfway through. He worked his butt off fixing it back up and did an absolutely stupendous job!
Please enjoy the chapter of June!
Beta-ed by Draconic
* * * * * * * * * *
The situation was a familiar one. Beings of ancient legend and unfathomable power pitted against them, with only Saber standing between them and complete annihilation. Shirou felt the same dread that he'd felt back in the burning Einzbern Manor, facing down Gilgamesh.
The most glaring difference was probably that Gordes guy's raucous laughter. Gilgamesh would have slaughtered him for doing that in his presence.
Shirou cocked an eyebrow. "Really? Periwinkle? That's it? What were you so embarrassed about Tohsaka? …Tohsaka?"
He turned to see Rin sagged and slumped over. She lamely raised her arm and pointed to the laughing Gordes.
Shirou scratched his head. "I still don't get it."
"Periwinkle? The Periwinkle Faction?!" Gordes chortled. "That may very well be the single most ridiculous thing I've heard in years! This… this has to be a joke. Periwinkle! Tohsaka!" he erupted into another boisterous fit of laughter.
Ruler cringed at the Master of Black's crude behavior. Still, she turned to Shirou, and shrugged. "It is certainly a more… unorthodox choice."
Saber scowled. "Unorthodox or not, it is my standard, and that of my Masters. I will not tolerate you disparaging their honor by mocking it."
"Well said," Lancer of Red declared. His voice was soft, mellow to the point of seeming disinterested. Yet Shioru felt a power in his words, a conviction, that he had not felt since Saber herself had first appeared before him in the moonlight. "Periwinkle is as fine a color as Red or Black, as worthy of being borne by the heroes of your faction. It is not as succinct to speak, true, but that matters little." He raised his spear, "In the end, the only thing that matters is that you prove yourself, and your faction, worthy of the color, however you choose to do so."
Saber of Black nodded in agreement. He looked like he wanted to do more, open his mouth and speak, but he paused just as he opened his lips. He glanced back at his still chortling master, and in the end held his silence.
Shirou surmised that he concurred with Lancer, but some previous order from his Master kept him silent. That was alright, but it seemed silly of the mage to keep his Servant from even speaking. He was the one with actual combat experience after all, his tactical input would be invaluable.
Saber smiled openly at Lancer. "I thank you, Hero of Charity. Your words do you credit, and I hope I can live up to them."
"I have little doubt you will," Karna assured her. "No hero who needs to hide their weapon to conceal their identity is likely to be lacking in worth. Indeed, if your sword is so recognizable, it is likely you rank among the greatest heroic spirits within the Throne. I look forward to our battle."
Saber blinked in surprise and then refocused herself on the Lancer. "As do I. The fact that you can discern the purpose of my Invisible Air speaks well of your combative intuition."
"It is merely common sense. Come now, let us begin."
Both Sabers nodded.
Shirou quickly analyzed the enemies' weapons, his Reality Marble easily processing Siegfried's massive greatsword and armor, as well as Karna's more subtle armaments. This only heightened the shock of the disparity between their powers.
'Saber,' he spoke through Rin's gem link. 'Siegfried's sword is Balmung, a Rank A+ Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, but it has a history of slaying dragons, so it might be even stronger against you. His armor, the Armor of Fafnir, can't be pierced by any attack with equal or less strength than Rank B, and it will take that much power away from any assault greater than that.'
"In other words, even my strongest blows will glance off as though they were mere scratches," Saber mentally lamented. "It sounds as though he's like Heracles but with the Dragon attribute. I can only hope that his skill with a sword isn't as masterful."
'Well, fortunately for you, unlike Heracles, you only have to kill this guy once, but you probably knew that already. And he does have a pretty glaring weakness,' Shirou encouraged her. 'There should be an oak leaf-shaped mark on his back. If you can land a strike there, he'll go down fast.'
"Excellent. This information will be most helpful, Shirou. Thank you," she praised him. "What of Lancer?"
Shirou hesitated, as he looked at Lancer of Red with growing anxiety. 'All of his equipment is comprised of divine constructs. I can barely analyze them, much less trace them. That golden armor is basically sunlight conceptualized as a defensive ability. It's virtually impenetrable, and is apparently fused with his body. Supposedly, it's so hard to penetrate that even a god would struggle with it.
'His spear though… it's just insane. It's called Vasavi Shakti. Basically, I can already feel its power from here, and it's sealed right now. Fortunately, it looks like the only way for him to unlock its true power is to permanently destroy his armor, and the attack that comes of that can only be used once, so it's unlikely that he'll use it at such an early stage in the war. If he does though, run. Its full strength isn't even on the same scale as anything I've ever seen."
"Hmm, troubling, but with Avalon inside me, I should able to handle him. Hopefully."
'I wouldn't count on that, Saber. If his armor vanishes, just retreat. There's no doubt that he's the cause of that heat wave a few minutes ago, and I can't imagine what would happen if that kind of attack was made even hotter. The air will probably catch fire. Honestly, there might not even be a safe distance we can get to within the time it takes him to make that attack.'
"Not reassuring… I suppose I'll just need to exercise caution."
'Be careful, Saber.'
"Thank you, Shirou. Rin, will you be alright?"
'Periwinkle. Why, master? They'll never stop laughing now…'
"…I will do you proud, Master."
Saber, Karna, and Siegfried all dashed towards each other, the pavement of the road quaking beneath their steps. When their weapons met, the shockwave of the clash was so great it was if a volcano had erupted right there. Shirou had to brace himself to avoid being blow away by the burning gale that cascaded outward from their duel. He caught sight of both Rin and Gordes doing the same, with only Ruler seeming unfazed by the blast.
None of the three Servants had any desire to sully their battle with the collateral death of a Master, so they quickly moved into the vast mountains to the side of the road. Of course, said mountains immediately exploded into complete chaos, centuries old rock faces casually being obliterated by the backlash of ferocious slashes with the power to decimate cities. Despite reinforcing his eyes, the distance and the Servants' incredible speed meant that Shirou could barely keep up with the action.
'So, this is what Saber can do at full power,' he thought in awe. She'd spent most of their war handicapped by having him as a Master or being captured by Caster, and even when Rin had been able to actually supply her with prana, she was still without Avalon and so unable to fight in the same league she was meant to. Now she was free of those restraints.
'Indeed,' Rin concurred mentally, seemingly having recovered from her breakdown. 'There's a reason why King Arthur is commonly considered the strongest sword wielding heroic spirit.'
"Master of Red!"
Shirou and Rin turned towards Gordes, who stared at them viciously, but also with a hint of pride in his eyes.
"Didn't we just go through the fact that we are not part of the Red Faction?" Rin sighed. "Seriously, Yggdmillenia, pay attention."
Gordes chuckled. "Oh, I did. I listened as you recited that little spiel of yours. And I also deduced that it is completely ridiculous! The Greater Grail is taxed as it is providing enough prana for the fourteen Servants plus the Ruler. It is beyond the realm of possibility that it could have the power remaining to allow a third faction to join. It would take a mage of unfathomable power just to get close!"
'Does it count as unfathomable if he uses it for just about everything?' Shirou wondered, recalling some of the stories Rin had told him about a few of her master's lessons.
'He's also used it to save the world on more than one occasion,' Rin added. 'So, unfortunately, yes.'
"Which leads me to the truth of the matter!" Gordes continued, oblivious to their silent exchange, raising his hand to point a sausage-like index finger at them: "You are actually members of the Red Faction!" he proclaimed with all his boisterous pride. "Likely Berserker or Rider, attempting to put Saber off guard so you can stab him in the back! Well, it won't work! Saber is stronger than you could possibly imagi—"
"You are mistaken, Master of Black," Ruler corrected. "They are indeed the Periwinkle Faction. I do not know how the Greater Grail was able to call their Servant, but they are indeed a separate entity from the Red Faction."
"Wha-What?" Gordes stuttered.
Rin sighed. "Don't you have a brain between those ears, Yggdmillenia? Seriously, why would a hero as sincere as Karna need such a convoluted tactic? Moreover, how would his honor even allow it?"
"Silence!" Gordes blustered, his face bright red, either from fury or embarrassment. "A Servant is nothing more than a tool! A weapon to be wielded by a mage! If his Master commanded it, he would throw aside his honor in an instant!"
Shirou narrowed his eyes at the obese man. The Servants weren't tools, they were heroes. People who had earned their place in history (granted, not always by the most admirable of means), who had earned the highest respect of all. To deride them so contemptuously… it was repulsive. He did have to admit though, Servants were bound to the wills of their Masters. Gordes was right about that much, if nothing else.
"Ugh, you are pitiful," Rin scoffed. "With that attitude, either you or your Servant will be dead soon enough."
A vein in Gordes forehead burst. "How dare you? I am a Master of Yggdmillenia! The greatest mage of the Musik family!"
Rin raised a cocky eyebrow, careful to hide any curiosity behind a veil of disinterest. "Who?"
"Argh!" Gordes raised his fists. Magic circuits glowed into being over them. "I tolerated it as a joke, but to actually take this idiocy seriously?! You disgust me! You dare ask me who I am after naming yourselves with the express intention of insulting the other Masters?"
"Yeeeeah, we didn't—"
"Come then, Master of Periwinkle," he interrupted, spitting the word out like he was allergic to it. "Let us battle as true mages should!"
Rin's eyebrow twitched at the mention of their color but in the end, she smirked. "Well, at least you're not a coward. Very well." She raised her arm and braced it for a level shot. Her finger started to glow with black and red energy. "I'll show you what a mage who's worked for their power looks like!"
Shirou raised his hand. "Tohsaka, wait!"
She glared at him. "What, Shirou?"
"Let me fight him."
"Seriously? Are you really playing the chivalry card now of all times?" She glared daggers at him. "Shirou, I can handle him."
"I know," he assured her. "But please let me take care of this."
'You have a limited number of gems,' he reminded her telepathically. 'If this guy is tougher than he looks, that'll cost us resources we need to conserve for the future. Let me handle him and then no one needs to lose anything.'
Rin did not soften her furious gaze, but she lowered her arm, convinced by his logic. "You better not mess this up, you idiot."
Shirou flashed her an apologetic smirk. "I'll do my best."
Rin sighed and took a step back.
Gordes glowered. "So, you won't even fight me yourself? You coward! How dare you! I didn't nearly die obtaining my catalyst so I could face some inexperienced boy!"
"You know, this just tilts the scales in your favor," Shirou said pointedly. "If anything, your odds of survival are much better against me."
Not that Rin wasn't just as capable a combatant as him but, despite her compassion, she had no issues killing a dangerous opponent at the first opportunity. While the argument he gave her was true, he also wanted to handle the fight himself so there was a better chance of claiming victory without killing Gordes. He had accepted that the Servants only existed for the war, and that killing them was an utterly dreadful necessity of carrying out the ritual, but he refused to allow a Master who still had his whole life—or… well, most of it—ahead of him to die. Not if he could help it. He suspected Rin understood that.
The Yggdmillenia mage apparently did not, and he charged at Shirou with a roar.
The man was an egotistical buffoon, not some evil mastermind. No need to start the death toll with him.
Shirou held out his hands in Archer's familiar stance. His expression clearly exhibiting his focus. "Trace on."
Kanshou and Bakuya flared to life in his grip and he met Gordes' attack. He could already tell that this was going to be far too easy.
* * * * * * * * * *
Razor wind sheared past Karna's face as he danced across the steadily crumbling mountainside.
He had thought it odd when the priest had informed him of his Master's command to eliminate Ruler, but he had obliged as their contract demanded. If the mage wished to remove the arbiter from the war, that was his plan to worry about. Karna's duty was merely to serve as the tool to carry it out.
He had anticipated a swift battle. Though Rulers received substantial boosts to their usual parameters, the Hero of Charity had possessed no doubt that he could still overwhelm whoever they were with the spear gifted to him by his brother's father, Indra, the King of Heaven and God of Thunder. Even Jeanne d'Arc's possession of Command Spells simply meant that he could not afford to hold back and give her the chance to use them.
Then the Sabers had arrived. The warriors with eyes like his brother's. True heroes.
No matter what factions they claimed in their titles, he knew that they would prove to be worthy foes.
He was not disappointed.
He was faster than them both, that much was obvious, but each possessed skill with their swords the likes of which he had never seen, enabling them to easily hold their own.
Saber of Black, Siegfried, focused mostly on offensive maneuvers, an opulent blue-green glow radiating from his sword with each ferocious strike. Each swing left him a bit open but delivered enough power that direct blocking would have been ill advised, forcing Karna to deflect the attack outwards or into the path of the other combatant. His armor could most likely take the attacks with ease, but there was no reason to be careless in a Grail War. His opponent's supposed invincibility was proof of that, as both he and their other foe had already dealt the man numerous light wounds, though one wouldn't know by the vitality of his sword work.
Really, he should have expected no less from a knight who had had the will to slay a dragon and then wear its near invulnerable essence as armor. Though, the fact that his wide swings left so little room to strike was testament that the knight's grand skill had not been diluted by his triumphs. And that could be one of the greatest trials in life, to not be defeated by your own victory. Siegfried's vigilance was truly a boon supporting his nature as a worthy hero.
The other, the Saber of Periwinkle, was a different sort of curiosity. No less magnificent, but almost contradictory.
Her skill with a blade was unmistakable, perhaps a bit less than Siegfried's, but only by the slimmest of margins if that. She was more balanced however, holding her defense close like a lion on the prowl. But when an opening presented itself, she pounced, unleashing a burst of prana that accelerated her movement by a fierce margin and gifting her with even greater strength than her already tremendous power allowed. Were she facing any other opponents, she likely would have obliterated them.
Unfortunately for her, Karna was far from an average opponent, possessing his own Prana Burst that enveloped his surroundings in a torrent of flames. That technique enabled him enough of a distraction to either divert her blow to be nullified by his armor, Kavacha and Kundala, or dodge altogether.
Siegfried seemed to be another matter. It was strange, but whenever his focus was on trading blows with the other Saber, it was if his strength and speed were boosted tremendously, to the extent that it almost appeared as though he had been fortified by a Command Seal. His enhancement was such that Saber of Periwinkle was continuously on the defensive when she could not put Karna between them. And when even that failed, she felt the sting of the other knight's blade.
Yet, no matter what wounds Siegfried or Karna himself scored on their foe, the moment after they struck, whatever damage they had caused would glow and then vanish completely. Saber of Periwinkle's skin would be unblemished, not even showing signs of being singed by Karna's flames.
It was not invulnerability like Saber of Black's defense, which was difficult to pierce and lessened the impact of the few attacks that did. No, the blows were landing with their full power, and they wounded with their full power. Saber of Periwinkle was simply healing so fast that the cuts didn't matter.
Hmm… Siegfried's increase in power did not seem to come from a Noble Phantasm, at least not an obvious one. It could have been a personal skill, but that still seemed unlikely.
Perhaps there was something in their legends? Heroic Spirits were often shaped just as much by the stories told of them as they were by the actual people they were in life. So, if there were something in each of the Sabers' backgrounds that interacted with each other by logical extension, it could theoretically increase Siegfried's strength circumstantially whenever they clashed. Karna was admittedly no expert on the Germanic knight's legend, but he knew enough to understand that there was only one aspect of the man that could possibly influence him so greatly without manifesting as a Noble Phantasm: his status as a dragon slayer.
Which suggested that Saber of Periwinkle possessed the Dragon attribute.
A strong connection with dragons.
The power to regenerate wounds almost instantaneously.
A sword recognizable enough on its own to require concealment.
And according to the insight his Discernment of the Poor skill granted to him during her master's earlier rant, a complex relationship with her child.
A child who was also worthy enough to be summoned from the Throne of Heroes.
Despite himself and the furious battle he was in the midst of, Karna couldn't help but smile.
Each of those factors on their own could apply to any number of heroes in The Throne. But together they, along with her knightly chivalry, painted quite the clear portrait of the mysterious Saber of Periwinkle.
Truly, he was blessed to be called to this Great Holy Grail War.
* * * * * * * * * *
Rin frowned as she observed the explosions from the Servants' battle. No matter how many wonders she saw, she'd never feel at ease when her friends battled Heroic Spirits. The titans of legend were more like forces of nature than mere familiars. And even if Saber stood near the top of them all, her opponents were hardly lacking in stature. Or the skill to back it up.
Siegfried, the Dragon Slaying Knight of the Netherlands. She'd expected the Einzberns to use him if they tried to get the Saber class. Other than the King of Knights, he was one of the most noteworthy sword wielding heroes in the world, with a sword bigger than most people were tall and nearly invulnerable to boot. Not to mention the dragon slaying aspects of his legends made him a poor match up for Saber in the first place. If they hadn't recovered Avalon, they'd be at a massive disadvantage.
Even still, the most serious problem was certainly Karna. In her research into the Throne of Heroes in preparation for her own war, she'd sifted through hundreds of myths and legends, trying to discern who the most powerful warriors would be as either allies or adversaries. Of all of them, the Hero of Charity was thought to be more powerful than almost all others. And by 'almost all', it meant only his eternal rival Arjuna and Gilgamesh, plus a handful of other ancient demigods, were thought to be able to fight him on even ground.
Though, every text she located advised against actually summoning him as a Servant. Apparently, the downside to his astronomical power was that it required an absolutely absurd amount of prana to power him. Any Master, even a first rate mage like herself, would be sucked dry if he fought at full power for even a minute.
That was good. That meant that even if Saber couldn't get past his armor, she could just keep the fight going and outlast his Master. After that, she only had to hold off Siegfried until Shirou dealt with Gordes.
Though, as the night—and the battle—dragged on, and Karna didn't seem to waver in the slightest, Rin's scowl could only deepen. Why wasn't he dropping? Maybe the Black Faction could conceivably have prepared some method of giving their Servants additional stores of prana, but the Red Faction had been thrown together in a matter of weeks. Who the hell was Karna's Master that they had such ridiculous stores of magical energy?
"Ah!"
Rin turned back to the duel on the road and smirked. At least something was going their way.
Shirou and Gordes stood a few feet apart from each other, the latter clutching his bleeding arm just above the elbow.
The Master of Black panted hard as sweat rained down his brow. "Lucky shot, bastard. You won't get another."
Rin rolled her eyes.
Honestly, he wasn't even that bad, at least compared to other arrogant snobs she'd encountered. Despite what little she knew of the Musik Family's lackluster reputation, it was clear he had talent. Transmuting his limbs into metal to amplify their reinforcement was actually quite the clever application of commonly non-combat alchemy. Add that to his unexpectedly respectable hand-to-hand display, and it seemed his boasts actually had some substance behind them, in contrast to say, Shinji.
The only issue was he up against Shirou, who was faster, stronger, younger, better suited to close combat, and frankly hadn't even broken a sweat the entire time.
Not only was her boyfriend wielding a pair potent Noble Phantasms, but during his confrontation with Archer, he had absorbed his future self's fighting skills. That meant every slash, every riposte, every technique that the Heroic Spirit EMIYA had developed and honed over his countless eons as a Counter Guardian, was at Shirou's command. Add in the drawn-out confrontation's strain on Gordes' limited endurance, and it was generous to call the encounter a fight. The only reason Shirou hadn't ended it already was that he hoped the Yggdmillenia mage would be easier to pacify if he was exhausted.
Rin doubted that would be the case, but at least maintaining his metal limbs would put a substantial strain on the obese man's prana reserves. The constant taxation had already made him slip long enough for Shirou to draw first blood. Keeping the defense up across his entire body would further expedite his defeat.
Shirou tossed Bakuya at Gordes, the Yggdmillenia mage barely moving in time to dodge, the black blade soaring past his large body.
"Getting reckless after a lucky blow? That's a foolish mistake, boy!" the Master of Black growled. He grinned as green light flooded his magic circuits with renewed vigor. "It will be your last."
Shirou shook his head. He lowered Kanshou to his hip. "Trust me, I've made more mistakes than you could possibly know. And if you don't stand down, I'll have to make another."
"Fearing for your life that much?" Gordes taunted.
"No. For yours," Shirou smirked, his confidence so firm that it made the atmosphere almost oppressive. "Because what I just did wasn't a mistake."
Gordes' eyebrow barely had time to rise in confusion before his face went wide with equal parts shock and pain. His crumpled to his knee as Bakuya flew into the back of his leg, drawn towards its mystical link with Kanshou.
Shirou traced another Bakuya and charged forward. A moment later, he held the married blades at Gordes' throat.
"Surrender," he commanded with a voice of stone. "I don't want to take this any further. If you do, you can go home after the Servants have finished their battle."
Gordes' eyes twitched madly, his throat unable to shake lest it be cut by the swords at his throat. "You… you… I could have Saber destroy you in an instant!"
Rin snorted. "Unless you use a Command Seal, I don't think he could get away from that mess without exposing his weak spot."
"What? How do you know about that?!"
"He told us who he is, you idiot," Rin rolled her eyes. "Only an idiot would go into a Grail War without studying up on the most well-known heroes in the world."
'But Rin, didn't we know because I analyzed—'
'Yes, you idiot! But he doesn't know that!'
'Point taken.'
"If you want to take an appallingly foolish risk to take out a mage that isn't even a Master, you can go right ahead," Rin lectured with a condescending grin. "At best, you'd waste a Command Seal. At worst, you'll lose your Servant altogether. I'm sure Darnic will be so pleased at that kind of buffoonery."
Gordes' eyes froze at the mention of his leader. Good to know Darnic's own faction was well aware of the danger he posed. It was a fifty-fifty shot from what Zelretch's letter had mentioned about his political skills that he might have hidden his sins from the rest of Yggdmillenia, but it seemed they either didn't care or had been cowed into obedience. For Gordes, it appeared to be the latter.
Sweat rolled down the large man's brow. "You… you'll kill me anyway. Or worse."
"If we wanted to do that, we would have already," Rin pointed out. "I mean, you're good. Perfectly competent as a mage really. But, well, put bluntly, you're just plain outgunned."
Gordes' face started falling back into his furious scowl, but a short glance at the swords at his throat, dipped that down. He steeled himself into a hard stare. "If you expect me to be your pawn, you can forget about it! I am a Master of Black. You will never turn me against Yggdmillenia."
"That's fine," Shirou told him flatly. "We can't ask you to betray your allies."
"Oh yes we can!" Rin protested. "We need all the information we can get!"
"You'll get nothing from me!" Gordes roared. "I am the head of the Musik Family! I will never stain my honor as a mage by betraying my faction to the likes of vulgar interlopers like you, Periwinkle!"
Rin's eye twitched unsettlingly. "Say Periwinkle one…more…time… dough boy…"
"Okaaaay, let's all keep our heads," Shirou interjected quickly, oblivious to the fact that he could take Gordes at any time. He fixed the Master of Black with a hard stare. "Yggdmillenia, if you swear not to attack us, and help us defeat Lancer of Red, we'll let you go home to fight another day."
Gordes raised an eyebrow. "Why would you trust an enemy just like that?"
"You just said you valued your honor? Was that a lie?"
The large man grumbled into his mustache. "How can I trust you to keep your word? Why wouldn't you attack me as soon as Lancer was dealt with?"
"Because I don't want to kill you."
From anyone else, that would have sounded utterly absurd. From the mouth of Shirou Emiya, it was like gospel itself. Even someone like Gordes, who didn't know him, would feel the conviction of fact behind those words.
Indeed, the Master of Black stared at him in shock for several seconds. He gulped in horror, before nodding slightly, as much as he could manage with the blades at his throat.
Shirou immediately removed his swords from his throat and backed away, though the fool was smart enough to keep them out. He did dissipate the Bakuya in Gordes' leg, letting the mage fall to the ground with a gasp. He clutched the back of his leg in agony, but the limb flared with the light of magic circuits, probably working double time to activate whatever healing magic Gordes' possessed.
'Tohsaka, is this arrangement okay with you?' Shirou inquired.
Rin thought about it for a moment but nodded in the end. Even with Avalon, Karna was not an enemy to take lightly. If they could redirect the sizable threat Siegfried posed towards him, then they might be able to eliminate the Indian demigod before he inevitably became a problem later on. After that, they'd figure out what to do with the Black Master. If he tried to have Siegfried attack them, Rin was confident that even if Saber couldn't beat him, she could hold him off while she and Shirou dealt with Gordes.
And there would be no second mercy.
'Saber,' she reached out telepathically, 'Change of plans.'
* * * * * * * * * *
'Shirou has convinced Saber of Black's master to help us. Defend yourself if Siegfried doesn't get the message in time, but focus on Karna.'
"Understood, master," Saber responded quickly, before barely deflecting a powerful thrust from Karna's spear, the strike's razor wind flashing by her to reduce a stone outcropping on the mountain behind her to sand.
Lancer of Red had proven himself to be just as great a challenge as his massive power level had telegraphed. If anything, the prior heat wave had been underselling him. Not that you could tell by looking at the man. Unlike Gilgamesh who had flaunted his power, Karna only exuded however much strength was needed for any given task, with an air of calm detachment surrounding him otherwise. To call his poker face perfect was a severe understatement. If a man's intent was in his eyes, this was a man who could skewer an opponent without showing the first sign of aggression. Problematic when he moved so fast that she could barely see him act. He'd landed far too many strikes against her already. If she didn't have Avalon healing her wounds, she didn't know how long she would have lasted against him.
Nevertheless, she needed to be careful. Her scabbard was powerful, but the divine construct was not without flaw. While it could surround her as an impenetrable fortress, that action would also prevent her from moving or counterattacking, creating a waiting game that she could not play. The regeneration was far more practical for active combat, revitalizing her each time an opponent landed a blow, regardless of its severity. Save for one glaring weak spot: Despite its miraculous abilities, the sheathe could not heal a wound dealt to her brain. Despite making her nearly invulnerable, she still possessed the most crucial weakness of any other living thing.
To prevent her adversaries from discovering this crucial fact, she employed her defensive maneuvers as usual, parrying every strike so they would not notice any special preference for her head. The tactic seemed to be working, both her foes launched attacks at her entire body. Unfortunately, that left her in a precarious position, dealing with onslaughts from both mighty heroes.
And while Karna was certainly a being to be viewed in the highest respect and gravest fear, it was Siegfried who terrified her most.
Even bloodied from the dozens of light wounds dealt to him by both her and Lancer, the Dragon-Blooded Knight stood as a towering presence on the mountainside battlefield. While the sheer size of his sword should have handicapped him, prevented him from using the complex maneuvers she herself favored, he had proven that notion completely false the moment they clashed. While his techniques were not as elaborate as those commonly found at the Round Table, they were far from the simple, yet powerful blows so often associated with greatswords. Power that should have required wide, sweeping arcs was found in quick, brutal slashes, all backed by a heavy and razor sharp blade that had pierced dragon scales.
Truly, it was swordsmanship that had long surpassed mankind. Only from Lancelot and Heracles had she ever seen a comparable display.
Still, she defeated them both. Or in the case of Heracles, just survived. But one had to remind oneself that not being reduced to bloody paste against one of the greatest heroes to ever live was basically the height of what anyone could hope to achieve against him. And she had one twelfth of a kill on him, that was more than most of his other opponents could claim. And if she could do that, then she could conquer her latest foe just as she had so many others.
At least, hopefully.
Unlike her old opponents, Siegfried was a Dragon Slayer, quite the problem for one with draconic blood such as herself. Lancelot had driven her to the brink with just Arondight, a dragon slaying sword in its own right. And Siegfried's name alone had practically become synonymous with the term 'dragon slayer.' Few dragons were more famous than Fafnir, after all. The difference between the strength of his blows against Karna and against her was immediately noticeable, even if the forms used were exactly the same. She couldn't rule out that a direct blow from Balmung at full power might even be able to kill her outright, despite Avalon's regeneration. She hoped she'd never need to test that theory.
Still, she was the King of Knights for a reason.
She parried Siegfried's next blow off to her side and followed through with a riposte, driving him back just far enough to allow her to attain a more advantageous position, with both her foes in sight.
ll three of them stood stalwart in the burning ruins of the mountainside, their weapons raised for the continuing fight. If the trio hadn't been Heroic Spirits of the highest caliber, they likely would have been panting from exhaustion. As things stood, they were barely warmed up.
Saber eyed her opponents evenly, though her eyes subtly drifted to Siegfried. According to Rin, the knight's Master had agreed to a temporary alliance. But had he been informed yet? He clearly hadn't been when he'd launched his last attack.
Soft green light began to dance across Siegfried's form, healing the various light scratches and shallow cuts he'd received, the only proof of the Rank A attacks she and Karna had fought to land through the Armor of Fafnir. Clearly, his master had recovered enough to heal those.
"It is unwise to concentrate on only one foe when there are others present."
Saber bolted back, Excalibur shifting to intercept Karna's strike, the tip of his spear already inches from her forehead. She'd dropped her guard for an instant, lost her focus for but a moment, and with the speed of the sun's rays, the Hero of Charity had made to end her. Perhaps her blade was fast enough to catch the attack before it landed, perhaps it was not.
She'd never have to find out.
Siegfried leapt out and smashed the golden spear into the ground, the stone beneath it crumpling like paper. Smiling at her newfound ally, Saber vaulted over the dragon slayer's back and raised her sword to bring down her blade on the Lancer of Red.
That's when Karna spoke.
"O', Agni…"
The power was like a match was struck and ignited a sun. Saber activated her own Prana Burst and dashed away as fast as she could, Siegfried right behind her.
Behind them, a conflagration of unparalleled brilliance erupted from the air around Karna's body, lighting up the night sky like an infant dawn, an ironic comparison considering the faint glow beginning to shine behind the hills.
When both Sabers turned around to face their common foe, the pale skinned man calmly emerged from the ashes of the mountainside he'd all but melted, the three now face to face on a smooth plain, the ground beneath him turned having been turned to glass.
Saber tightened her grip on her invisible sword. Even with an alliance and the element of surprise, he'd still fended them off so easily. Truly, the Hero of Charity was a hero in the same class of the King of Heroes.
Karna idly glanced between them both, a smile ghosting across his lips. "As impromptu alliances go, that was quite a marvelous first attempt. If you had used your Noble Phantasm in that moment, so close and without my spear to meet it, Saber of Periwinkle, you may have been able to injure me."
Saber seethed at his words. Not at their nature, no. She sensed they were meant in earnest praise, despite their apparent taunting attribute. No, what aggravated her was that he seemed to be confident he knew what her Noble Phantasm was.
How could he know? Was it a bluff? Or had he figured out her identity? No, she'd given no clues to her True Name.
Had she?
"Nonetheless…" Lancer continued. He raised his divine spear. "Whether you fight me united or divided, you shall not have the advantage in this battle."
Siegfried raised his shoulders, his massive blade ready for combat. A barely perceptible grin played at the corners of his mouth.
Despite herself, Saber could not help but mirror it. After all, as frustrating as her opponents may have been, they both fought with honor and respect. It was a knight's greatest joy to face such worthy foes, and even if she refused to fail for Shirou and Rin's sakes, she could not help but find exquisite pleasure in the battle. It reminded her of her first duel with Diarmuid in the Fourth Grail War, before she'd been crushed by the weight of her own foolishness.
To the east, the first rays of sunlight began to creep over the hills, slinking across the battlefield.
Saber raised her invisible sword. "Tell me, Lancer. Do you indeed to prattle on until the sun falls once again? Or shall we settle this matter with our steel?"
Karna chuckled. "Not steel, Saber of Periwinkle. Fire."
Riving crimson flames consumed his spear as he pulled it behind his shoulder.
O' Brahma, Curs—"Brahmastra Kundal—"
The flames extinguished as his words halted. The pale man sighed and lowered his weapon.
Saber raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Is there a problem?"
"No. My Master has simply ordered my return," Karna explained. "The Holy Grail War is supposed to be confined to the night after all, lest those outside the mage community become alerted to it."
Infuriating mage laws…
Still, it was a necessary precaution.
Saber lowered her weapon. Siegfried did the same.
"My only wish is that when next we all meet, we may fight to our hearts' content," Saber of Black decided.
Karna smirked. "Yes. That would be wonderful. I am deeply grateful that my first battle was against you, venerable Sabers. Whether separately or together once more, I hope to face you both again."
He said nothing else, and astralized, leaving nothing behind but a scattering of golden motes.
"Lancer of Red!" Ruler called out from the highway, "Do not leave yet!"
Her shout was too late. Karna was already gone.
Saber turned towards Siegfried. Her fellow Saber was at ease in her presence, likely expecting her to keep to the alliance until their masters said otherwise. The ghost of his soft smile still lingered on his face.
It was strange. From what Saber had observed, Siegfried was quite the stoic soul, maintaining his composure even in the heat of battle. Hell, the only times she had seen him speak were when he introduced himself to her and Karna and his proclamation at the end of their duel. Yet, it seemed the battle, in which he was the only one to have suffered any sort of wounds even briefly, had warmed his heart to contentment.
She smiled. She would look forward to their next battle as well.
Ruler and the masters walked towards the Servants.
"Marvelous. What a splendid battle," Ruler said, almost appraisingly. It was a little disconcerting how detached she seemed.
Saber looked at her Masters, who walked up behind the mage of Yggdmillenia. Gordes? Was that his name?
Shirou smiled at her. "Well done, Saber."
Saber grinned and nodded. She looked to Rin, but her official Master merely breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed they were both highly aware of just how poorly that battle could have gone.
Gordes approached Ruler, his body shaking in terror as he subtly approached his own Servant. "Now that Lancer of Red is finally gone, will you please come with us to Millenia Citadel, Ruler?"
Ruler shook her head. "Negative. I must remain impartial."
"Yes…" Gordes made to protest, "but our lord's castle is a prime location for observing the Great Holy Grail War! Please?"
"I appreciate your concern," Ruler thanked. "But my skills allow me to perceive all of Trifas. So you need not worry."
Gordes trembled with fury, but seemed to accept Ruler's decision. "If you insist," he hissed through his teeth, the words almost sounding strangled. He turned to Rin and Shirou, glowering at them as he moved to stand behind his Servant. It wasn't a very dignified display.
The next few seconds elapsed in tense silence as the Masters stared each other down. Eventually, it was Shirou who broke the standoff.
"You're headed back to your castle now, right?" he asked. "Er, I don't mean that as a challenge; I just want to know if you'd rather continue where we left off? I'm pretty sure Saber is up for it, right?"
The last part was directed towards her, so she nodded. She raised her invisible sword towards Siegfried, who did the same with Balmung. She didn't think she could defeat him one on one, not if his Master healed whatever slight wounds he'd received, but with Avalon protecting her, she didn't think he could defeat her in a timely matter either. Which meant that all she would have to do is hold out until Shirou and Rin felled Gordes, and that was unlikely to take very long.
Judging from the portly mage's expression, he had come to a similar conclusion. He huffed, storming off to a black car parked on the shoulder of the highway, presumably how he'd arrived here in the first place. "Saber, let's go."
Siegfried nodded and bowed to both Arturia and Ruler.
Saber smiled and bowed her head in turn. "You've demonstrated that you are a knight of exemplary honor, Saber of Black, and your skill with a sword does you much credit. I hope to face you again in this Great Holy Grail War."
Siegfried smiled. "And I you, Saber of Periwinkle."
He turned away and joined his Master before vanishing in a shower of blue particles.
Behind her, Saber heard Rin mutter, "Huh. Not so bad when he says it."
"Master of Periwinkle," Ruler called. "I must speak with you."
Rin sagged. "And… it's ridiculous again," She sighed and faced the arbiter. "What do you need, Ruler?"
"Tell me, how is it you have entered this war as a third faction?" Ruler inquired.
"Zelretch decided to mess around with the ritual," Rin stated.
Ruler's eyes went wide. "The Kaleidoscope? Ah. Yes. I suppose that would be possible." She scratched her chin in thought. "Could his interference be the cause of my summoning? Or is he merely responding to the same threat as the Grail?"
"Threat?" Shirou asked, earnest as ever. "Is there something wrong with the war?"
She gazed at the three of them warily. In the end though, she sighed under Shirou's honest gaze. "There are… irregularities… in this Great Holy Grail War. While some are to be expected with the increased scale, others have proven disturbing. For instance, my summoning could not be completed in the traditional manner. This forced me to request assistance from a young girl named Laeticia and possess her body to perform my duties."
"Possession?!" Shirou gasped, his disposition changing abruptly. "You mean to say you're controlling her? How can you justify—?!"
Ruler smiled, unfazed by the sudden outburst. "I assure you, I would not have chosen this course of action had any other alternative been available to me. And I have her express permission. Be at ease. Your concern is appreciated, but you need not worry. The Grail has ensured the process has gone smoothly, and even should I fall, my spirit core will absorb any and all damage done to my host's body. Laeticia shall be safeguarded."
"Oh…" Shirou nodded, expressing some measure of relief. "That's… good…? I guess?" He let some of the hostility fade from his tone, but it was obvious he was still rather wary of this situation.
Saber smiled at her former Master's concern for the innocent girl. Though it could be a disadvantage at times, it was still no less chivalrous and endearing a quality.
Rin scrunched her brow in contemplation. "And now the Red Faction wants to eliminate you for some reason."
"Do you believe your teacher sent us with an alternative objective, Master?" Saber inquired.
Rin sighed. "Maybe? With him, it's pretty difficult to say anything for certain. He might have sent us to win the war, or to help Ruler. Maybe it's just because he wants to see how we react to all the differences in this timeline. He can be serious when he wants to be, but even when he is, he's rarely upfront."
A letter with Rin's name in familiar cursive poofed out of thin air. Rin snatched it up before it could fall an inch and resignedly ripped it open.
"What does it say?" Shirou asked.
"'You know me so well, dear apprentice,'" Rin read off disinterestedly. "'But don't think this means you're getting spoilers. I'm playing my cards close to the chest on this one. But you should really give Ruler a ride to Trifas. There is someone there you all should meet.'"
Rin sighed. "A hint of who this someone is would helpful."
Ruler frowned. "I'm sorry. But I cannot travel with you any more that I could with the Black Faction. Despite the danger, I must remain impartial in this war."
Shirou nodded. "That makes sense. We can't ask you to betray your duty."
Another letter popped into existence, this one with the name 'Jeanne d'Arc' scribbled in neat cursive. Ruler gingerly snatched the paper and opened it.
"'I can,'" Ruler read off. "'However, I get the impression that I won't need to. You should be getting a revelation in three, two…'
"Wait, how would— Urgh…" Ruler, apparently Jeanne d'Arc, clutched her head in pain for a moment, a soft white light filling her eyes. Saber made to steady her, but she was fine after a moment.
"Are you alright?" Saber inquired.
Ruler nodded. "Yes. It's just…" she glanced worriedly at Shirou.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Ruler paused a moment. "As a class skill, Rulers sometimes receive visions of the future called revelations. We are never shown any without meaning and those who appear in them are often those to be watched carefully."
"And you had one just now?" Rin asked. "With Shirou in it?"
Ruler looked to the side awkwardly. "I believe. Initially, I saw two men, both with dark skin, silver hair, and red cloaks. They fought until one stabbed the other with a sword. The stabbed one then faded away and…"
She gazed at Shirou. "…you were there in his place."
Saber's eyes went wide, as did Rin's. Not only because of the news of Shirou's fate, but because the description of the men was frighteningly familiar.
Shirou's eyes narrowed. "Archer…"
Ruler plunged her flagpole into the dirt. She stood tall and noble in the light of the rising sun. "I do not know the meaning of this revelation, but for the time being, I believe that it may be best, for the sake of this war, that I keep a direct eye on you."
"Yes," Rin agreed immediately, her worried gaze locked on the pensive Shirou. "That would likely be for the best."
Saber agreed. Whatever Heroic Spirit EMIYA had to do with this war, it would be best if they had as many watchful eyes over Shirou as possible. And even if she would not help them against the other factions, Ruler's assistance would be monumentally helpful in keeping the outside circumstances from harming them, especially as they advanced towards Trifas and this mysterious person the Wizard Marshal wanted them to meet.
Jeanne D'Arc would be a wonderful, if temporary addition to their party.
…
…
…
Jeanne d'Arc…
She could be any Jeanne d'Arc…
…
Oh, who was she even trying to fool?
"Ruler?"
"Yes, Saber," the arbiter responded pleasantly.
The King of Knights hesitated. Surely, this pure, saintly figure (with a curiously familiar face) could not have known… him.
"It is nothing of great import," she began slowly. "But, during your life, did you ever come across someone named Gilles De Rais."
Ruler's eyes widened in joy and her face lit up like the new dawn. "You've met Gilles? Has he been summoned to this Great Holy Grail War? Wonderful! It shall be a delight to see him again."
"He-he has not been summoned here," Saber stuttered immediately. Seeing Ruler's look of confusion, she explained. "As far as I know, he is not present for this war. But I did encounter him during my time in a past war for the Holy Grail."
"Oh…" Jeanne muttered glumly. "I see. That makes more sense. With all the heroes represented in The Throne, it is unlikely that one I knew in life would be summoned."
Saber decided not to comment that as of last night, she herself was now two for three on that count.
"Perhaps this is for the best. Having him on one of the two factions would only cause me unnecessary stress and make it more difficult for me to remain impartial."
"I… I think I understand," nodded Saber.
"If I might ask, how was he?" Jeanne inquired. "When you saw him? Was he well?"
"I have come for you, my sweet and holy virgin!"
Saber suddenly found that she deeply regretted bringing up this topic of conversation.
"He was very… disappointed that you were not summoned as well," Saber answered as diplomatically as she possibly could.
"I swear Jeanne, I will not rest until I have freed your soul from the terrible prison of God's cruel curse!"
"But he remained…enthusiastic, at the very least."
Jeanne smiled like soft morning breeze. "Oh well. That does sound like Gilles. Always pushing through, no matter the situation. But," her smile fell away, "you have no need to tell half-truths. I know what became of him after my passing."
Saber stumbled, her cheeks reddening slightly with embarrassment.
"Oh, I… I apologize."
"There is no need for that either. I understand that you merely wanted to spare my feelings. But my retainer was always unstable. I could often see signs that he relied upon me more than I did upon him. I take it that a number of children died?"
Saber nodded, beginning to feel rather ill.
"Worry not. I've no doubt you did all that you could to save them. That's all anyone could have done. And I can see that you regret bringing up what must be a sordid topic for you. I'll not linger on it any longer." She turned back to the highway to collect her luggage. "Now then, we should be go—" Only to find that at the end of the battle between Servants, the loser was her suitcase.
It looked like someone or something had attempted to brutally murder it. And succeeded. Clothes were torn, scorched through, tattered beyond repair, and scattered all over the highway. Jeanne's shoulder's sagged. She looked profoundly disappointed with herself. The bag couldn't even be closed properly thanks to the gaping hole burned through its center. There were some undamaged articles, but not as many as would likely be preferable.
"Let me help with that," Shirou offered before Jeanne could even think to ask as his hospitality instincts kicked in.
As the two of them went off to reassemble the suitcases tossed about the highway, Rin walked up to the King of Knights.
"Saber, when did you meet Gilles de Rais?"
"The Fourth Holy Grail War, Master," she elaborated. "He was the Caster."
"Caster? I didn't think Gilles de Rais was a mage. I thought he was just… you know… a knight who became a murderous pedophile."
"Yes. To my immense regret, I can easily imagine that."
Rin frowned.
"You seemed a bit agitated when she asked you about him. What happened?"
All at once the memories came flooding back into Saber's mind. The grotesque sea demons. The screams of the dying children as they were ripped into bloody chunks from the inside out. The boisterous, mad proclamations of a new age of blasphemous worship.
And the tentacles.
So.
Many.
Tentacles.
She suddenly had a violent urge to commit squid-homicide. Wait… no, that wasn't a thing. It didn't even make sense, linguistically speaking. She found she didn't care: She just wanted to execute something with tentacles… and maybe eat it with some salt.
"Trust me, Master. The less you know about this particular subject, the happier your life will be."
"I'm going to be honest, you sound almost traumatized. Can Shirou or I do anything to help?"
Saber grimaced, but put some thought into the question for a moment at least as a token gesture. Just in case. To her surprise, she did think of something they could both do.
"Yes, actually."
"Name it, I guess."
"Never bring up this topic of conversation ever again!"
Okay, that was a miscalculation. If anything, her Master just looked more worried now.
That urge was getting worse.
* * * * * * * * * *
Ah, isn't it amazing when you run into someone that knows someone you know from somewhere else?
Draconic: Well, actually, I'm not exaggerating when I say that's basically what it means to be… actually, never mind, it might be considered insensitive.
Moving on, I expanded several scenes in this chapter, particularly the one after the fight, most things regarding OG Saber, and most of all, Shirou's analysis of the enemy Servants. I also made a lot of adjustments to the Periwinkle gag. I was really over-persistent in trying to change that, but I don't think my respect for Saber would have allowed me to leave it the way it was.
TheMaster4444: I really enjoyed writing everyone's perspectives of everyone else. It is intriguing to see who thinks what based on what information is available to them. Karna's deductions especially were a blast to write.
Everyone heads towards Trifas and this mysterious person Zelretch is interested in. I wonder who it could be and what he wants them to change?
Thank you for Reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next!
Go Forth and Conquer!