+1 to Sleepy
+1 to Sleepy
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+1 to Sleepy's
+1 to Sleepy
I don´t play DQ but Tifa is a true waifu of FF7
Hmmm, I'd have suggested hanging out more with Scylla, but this is good, too.Originally Posted by SleepMode
+1
Choice 1: ??? who are these people
Choice 2: Aerith
Choice 3: I say 1, but that's because I wanna get out of this Lostbelt and back to our own ASAP.
2. Nera
2. Aerith
5. Hang out with Scylla
Year: 2018
Location: Bianca’s Mansion, Fairyland
“Excuse me. Caster, can I come in?”
Today, I decided to spend my time talking with Caster a bit. Out of all the Servants here, it feels like I know about her the least, so it’s a good idea to gather as much info as I can on her.
After deciding that, though, I immediately remembered why I knew so little about her: I never see her around. Even after wandering around the mansion, I wasn’t able to find her even in her own room nor did it seem like she had left the house. The only place left to check was the library which I had only visited once during the first day house tour. On hindsight, I should’ve known that little one would be hiding out here.
“Caster? Are you in here? I’m coming in, okay?” I call out loudly as I enter the mansion library after a few customary knocks on the door.
There is no response nor do I see anyone when I look into the library. The library is the same as I remember it, a moderately-sized room lined with shelves containing all sorts of arcane literature, a sight far too impressive for a simple personal library. But for all the books inside, there were no people here at all.
Strange, I was certain she would be here.
I try to call out to her again, when I suddenly notice a half-opened book lying on one of the desks. The chair by the desk was turned diagonally from the desk, as if someone who had been sitting in it had gotten out of the chair and didn’t bother putting it back in place. Or perhaps, they didn’t have time to put it back in place…
At that moment, a voice abruptly interrupts my thoughts.
“HOHOHOHOHO!!!”
Echoing through the library, the voice contains a deep sense of power and mystery, as if buried under the sands of a 1000 years of time. Yet at the same time, there is a sense of theatrical playfulness to it, as if parading its own majestic might. It laughs at me as if I were naught but an ant before its presence.
“It seems that a lost lamb has stumbled upon my domain. How pitiful. How tragic. How comedic. Hohohoho, have you not realized that you’re standing at death’s door, foolish man?” The voice cackles powerfully.
“Huh…?” I utter blankly, completely taken aback by the mysterious voice. “Caster, is that you?”
“Indeed, it is I. None other than the greatest witch in history, summoned forth under the class of Caster.” The voice proudly announces. “This library is my atelier, the temple upon which my divine mysteries are crafted. For what reason then have you entered me domain?”
“Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to talk with you.” I answer casually. “You know, I’ve been here for a while, but I feel like I haven’t really had much chance to get to know you…”
“Nonsense. What mockery! You would trespass upon my atelier for such a foolish reason!?” The voice bellows with enough power to shake the room.
Somehow, the air in the room rumbles for a moment, threatening to knock books off shelves, and I feel shivers race through my body at the force of her voice. Was that magecraft or just the sheer ferocity of the girl’s yell?
“Oh, s-sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you…” I apologize without thinking.
Somehow, it seems I made her angry. It’s kinda hard to know how to gauge her reactions when I can’t see her.
I take another cursory look around the library, wondering where the voice could be coming from, but continue to find no trace of the white-haired girl from before.
Is she behind one of the shelves maybe?
“A Witch is a being wrapped in mystery and yet you would seek to unravel that power by getting to know me? Preposterous. That is nothing less than a complete affront to my legacy!” The voice roars.
Not really paying attention, I step forward towards the line of shelves and peek behind one—
“Oh, there you are.”
“Hyeeeh!?”
The white-haired girl squeaks as I find her hiding behind one of the shelves. As I thought, she was behind the closest shelf, clothing a book in her hands and peeking through the gap above the books on the shelf to peer at me.
“What are you doing hiding over here?” I ask, walking towards her.
“Wah— Ah, uh, aw, awawawawa…” Caster mumbles gibberish, clearly flustered by being found.
She flails her words and arms around for a few panicked seconds before suddenly turning away from me.
“Uwaaaahhh!” She shrieks as she runs off and quickly hides behind another shelf.
“What… was up with that?” I find myself wondering after the girl disappear from sight.
I begin to chase after her, but almost immediately, the booming voice from earlier returns.
“I will not repeat myself! Leave this place at once or know what fury a true Witch can unleash!” The voice demands, no less majestic than before.
Eh? She’s still putting on that act even after being found?
“Oi! What are you doing?” I call out the second I round the corner and find her again.
“Kyaa!” Caster immediately screams and dashes again.
“Are you serious?” I gasp, before clenching my fist and making up my mind. “Oh no, you don’t.”
I chase after her, keeping a close eye on her fleeing back so she can’t hide herself anymore.
Caster zips through the library shelves as if they were the walls of a labyrinth, doing everything she can to lose me, but I keep behind her every step of the way. She may be a Servant, but those puny legs can’t outrun me that easily.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, the chase comes to an end, as Caster makes a wrong turn and finds herself in one of the library corners.
I immediately capitalize on my chance and stand diagonally from her, cutting off both avenues of escape.
“Haaah… haah… haah… caught you now.” I pant, desperately trying to catch my breath after having caught my prey.
“Mmmmmnnnn…” Caster grumbles as she realizes her defeat.
As I look at her troubled expression, I suddenly feel the urge to gloat and rub in my victory. She put up a fight, but I finally managed to catch her!
So… now what?
… why was I chasing her again?
“Uh, um… right. Sorry, I didn’t mean to corner you or anything, but you kept running away from me.” I explain myself, scratching my head. “Do you not want to talk to me, Caster?”
“… mn.”
Caster doesn’t respond. She just fidgets nervously, seeming to fret over something in silence.
Then, as if coming to a revelation, she suddenly opens up the book in her hands and uses it to conceal her face.
“How many times must I repeat myself that I have no interest in speaking to you?” The voice from earlier echoes from behind the book. “I shall be merciful this once and let you go free if you swear to never trespass on my domain again!”
Eh? She’s actually still trying that with me standing right in front her?
“Hey, stop that!” I say as I swiftly grab the book out of her hands. “Look people in the eye when you talk to them.”
“Kya!” Caster squeaks as her face is revealed once more. “Awawawa, m-my book…”
“What’s going on, Caster? Can you really not talk to me if you aren’t hiding somehow?” I ask her, starting to feel concerned by her behavior. “You seemed to be talking just fine back at the lake the other day.”
“B-but…” Caster replies meekly, trying to hide part of her face with her hands. “R-right now, we’re alone and… you’re scary…”
“Eh? Scary, me?” I gasp, completely surprised by her answer.
She simply nods in response, confirming what I would’ve thought unthinkable. No one’s ever called me scary before; if anything, my harmlessness and general lack of intimidation is apparent.
Perhaps, rather than just me… is Caster not good with dealing with strangers in general?
“Um, is it because you don’t know me too well, yet?” I ask to confirm.
She hesitantly nods again.
Looks like Caster isn’t good with dealing with unfamiliar people. To be honest… I can kind of relate. Well, I’m an introvert-type too, so I can sort of understand where she’s coming from. I’m not that bad with dealing with strangers, but I can get not wanting someone you aren’t comfortable with intruding on your private space. As for the Great Powerful Witch act, I don’t really get that, but it’s probably tied into her shyness.
“I see. I’m sorry.” I apologize, having realized my mistake. “I didn’t mean to force you or anything, but it seems I’ve made you uncomfortable. My bad. You can have your book back, now.”
I hand her back the confiscated book and bow my head lightly.
It was a little harsh of me to have confronted her so aggressively after seeing that she clearly didn’t want to talk to me face-to-face. It seems that the long list of recent frustrations has made my patience a little thin. I should be careful to not blow up at random people just because my fuse has been short lately.
“Umm, well, again sorry about this. I’ll leave you alone then. Let’s try to get along better at another time.” I declare and take a few steps back towards the door.
I had come here today to try and get to learn more about Caster, so it’s a bit of a shame to retreat so early, but it can’t be helped. I think it’d be worse to push too hard and get on her bad side. Better to take the L and retreat for now…
“U-umm…” Caster abruptly speaks up, just as I’m about to reach the library exit.
“Huh?” I stop in my tracks and turn my head back to her. “Is there something else?”
When I look back, I find her still fidgeting anxiously and hiding her lower face behind the book. But this time, it does seem like she’s properly meeting my eyes.
“Umm… have you been having weird dreams lately?” She asks quietly.
“Huh? Weird dreams…?” I repeat in surprise.
The phrase immediately rings a bell in my head, but that can’t be—
“I, um… I’ve been sensing the presence of a demon around here recently and, um, it feels strongest around you, so…” She meekly explains.
Perhaps her anxiety is contagious as I also begin to get worried the more she speaks.
“A-a d-demon? Wh-what kind?” I stutter, clearly shaken by Caster’s announcement.
“Mn… most likely… a succubus.” She states confidently.
Immediately, the alarm in my head rings.
Shit! This is bad. This is really bad. I don’t know how but it seems that Caster can sense Merlin’s influence. That means she might be able to figure out about Merlin entering my dreams every night. I can’t risk that info leaking and spreading to Bianca!
“Um, if you want, I can strengthen the boundary field around the mansion so the demon can’t get in. Would that be okay?” Caster suggests.
Shit shit! That’s even worse! If Caster can really prevent Merlin from getting in, then I won’t be able to train in my dreams anymore!
“N-no! Don’t do that!!” I shout out desperately.
“Eh?” Caster gasps at my abrupt yell.
Uh oh. Was that too much? That definitely made me look suspicious.
“N-no, I mean, um… you know. I don’t think you need to go through all the trouble of strengthening the boundary field. E-even if there is a succubus, she doesn’t seem to be doing any harm, ahahaha…” I awkwardly try to explain, sweat pouring down my face like bullets.
“… ???”
Caster just looks confused. No doubt, she must be wondering why I’m reacting so strongly to her suggestion.
Dammit, did I blow it? I don’t want to look to suspicious trying to cover for Merlin, but I can’t let her raise that Boundary Field either. So what can I do to convince her to not do anything without revealing my true motives?
Just as I’m fretting over that impossible problem, a godsend appears, and Caster suddenly seems to have an epiphany.
“Ah, I see.” Caster utters and nods. “Mn… I guess you are a guy after all… you must like those kind of dreams…”
Eh? It seems that she’s come to some sort of understanding. I don’t really get it, but I should play along.
“Y-yeah. That’s it. So, y’know… please don’t do that boundary field thing… and um don’t tell Bianca… if you could.” I awkwardly request.
“I understand.” Caster agrees easily, before slightly blushing. “J-just try not to get sucked completely dry.”
“Eh? Uh… sure.” I find myself nodding.
I don’t really get it, but it seems that things sorted themselves out.
I bid my farewell to Caster one more time and leave the library, feeling slightly accomplished. Turns out, it was a good thing I checked up on her after all. If she had taken measures against Merlin, then everything could’ve come tumbling down.
However, who knows how long she’ll agree to turn a blind eye? I better train extra hard to make use of what dream time I have from now on.
Year: 2018
Location: ???
The day ends before I know it and I’m back in Merlin’s dreamscape, playing her silly but effective videogame.
“Fuuuu…”
I let out a quiet puff of air as a ready myself for the next fight.
Right now, I’m standing outside the door to a small house in the middle of the night. According to the info I got from the townsfolk, this place is actually the hideout of the bandits that I need to defeat for the story quest, so I’m now planning to raid it and defeat everyone inside.
Based on the shadows in the curtained window, I counted about 4 guys inside the house. Right now, they all seem to be downstairs in the midst of merry making. The drunker they get, the better my chances are at taking them all out on my own.
I’ve already stealthily set up a tipped over lamp on the upper balcony that should spread flames into the house soon enough. Hopefully, that should soon draw one or two of them away to go check out the fire, which will be the perfect chance to strike.
“… it’s time.”
I mutter to myself as I notice a shadow pass by the window, heading up the stairs. I take another deep breath to mentally steel myself and wait 10 more seconds. Then, when the moment is ripe, I strike without any hesitation.
“Haaaa!!”
I break the lock with my sword and kick down the door, barging into the hideout in one fell swoop.
I immediately find three guys inside – one at a table near the entrance, one on a stool by the counter, one standing in the corner, all with mugs of alcohol in hand. For ease of reference, let’s call them Bandits A, B, and C respectively. Their heads, which had been focused on each other moments before, turn to me instantly and widen their eyes in surprise.
Not losing my chance, I immediately pounce on the nearest – the one sitting at a table full of food, Bandit A – and slam the side of my sword into the back of his head. Unable to even pull out his own sword in time, the bandit I hit crumbles to the floor.
“H-hey! Who the hell are you!?” One of the other bandits, the one sitting by the counter, Bandit B, finally shouts out.
I mercilessly answer his question with violence. I grab the mug of ale the first guy was drinking from the table and throw it at the bandit by the counter.
It was a bit of a far throw, so the bandit had just enough time to react. He immediately crosses his arms to block his face, protecting him from the mug smashing against his head. Nevertheless, the frail wooden cup breaks upon collision, barraging the bandit with wood shards and beverage.
“Guah! My eyes!!” He screams as he topples over from his stool, whimpering as alcohol and splinters pierce his poor eyes.
Well, that went better than I expected.
After confirming his temporary incapacitation, I turn to the final guy in the room, Bandit C, just in time to catch him charging at me with sword in hand.
“Woah!” I cry out as I move to block the attack.
I barely manage to parry the strike at the last moment, but the force of his swing pushes me back a bit and he immediately readies another one.
Our swords meet and part over and over as the bandit rains down a fierce flurry of slashes at me. Now that I’m actually fighting one of them head-on, it’s painfully clear that these bandits aren’t to be trifled with; I’m slowly being overwhelmed from his endless strikes. If I had to fairly fight all four of them at once head-on, I would surely have already died.
Suddenly, the bandit stops his stream of slashes and locks swords with me. Did he decide that he couldn’t easily overwhelm me with speed and settle for overpowering me instead? As our swords lock, he pushes forward with the strength of a bull. I’m quickly forced on the backfoot as he bears down on me with tremendous force.
“Gnnnn…” I grunt sweatily as I struggle against the bandit’s might.
Bit by bit, I’m losing to his superior strength. I can’t keep this up much longer at this rate. Time for desperate measures.
“Ha!”
I swiftly stomp on the bandit’s foot with as much weight as I can muster from my defensive position.
“Un.” The bandit grunts from the slight pain, more surprised than hurt apparently.
It isn’t enough to do any real damage to him, but it does make him flinch for an instant – one which I’m all to happy to capitalize on as I retreat from the sword lock and immediately roll across the floor to gain some distance.
Phew. I barely managed to get out of that by a hair, but that’s all. No sooner do I make some distance does the bandit refocus and turn towards me again. Evidently, I can’t match his stats and I doubt a trick like that will work twice.
Which means…
“Bye.”
I abruptly turn tail and retreat, realizing the futility of fighting the bandit. Instead of the exit, though, I run for the stairs and dash up to the second floor. Once he realizes what I’m doing, the bandit immediately gives chase, quickly following me up the stairs.
I’m about two-thirds up the stairs when suddenly another person appears at the top of them.
“Hey, what’s going on down there? There’s a fire up here, guys—” The person announces from above. It’s the bandit who had left to go check on the fire upstairs, now reappearing after having missed the battle below, only to be met with a sudden enemy dashing towards him. “Eh? Wh-who are you—?”
I don’t give him a chance to process the situation and swing my sword while he’s still confused. The side of my sword smashes against the bandit’s temple, immediately disorienting him. I then grab his dizzy, unstable body and pull it behind me, effectively throwing him down the stairs and at the other bandit who was chasing me.
“!!”
The bandit on the stairs looks shocked for a second as his comrade is suddenly sent falling towards him. Without time to think, he instinctively catches the body with his arms, stopping the fall. But in that instant of distraction, I strike.
“HAAAAHH!!” I roar as I leap off the stairs and descend upon the enemies with my sword held high.
Putting all my strength into it, I swing down my sword as I fall and bash it on the crown of the Bandit C’s head. Still preoccupied with catching her ally in his arms, he’s unable to defend in time and takes the full-power swing straight to the head and is decidedly knocked out. He ends up collapsing and tumbling down the stairs, bringing his ally with him.
As for me, my reckless leap down the stairs ended with a little bad landing and a slightly sprained ankle, but it was better then the two guys who were now collapsed at the foot of the stairs. I climb back down the stairs to check on them and confirm that they’re both unconscious, but still breathing.
Good, they’re both out. Which leaves…
“HEY!”
A loud shout, alerting me of his presence. I turn towards it to find one of the bandits on the ground floor. He’s wielding a heavy mace in his hand and glaring angrily at me.
It’s the one I hit with the mug earlier, Bandit B. He must’ve recovered from that and gotten his weapon.
“I don’t know who you are, but you’ll pay for this!” He declares boldly, brandishing his dangerous looking mace with clearly hostile intent.
If I remember correctly, he was doused with alcohol so…
I calmly grab a candle from the nearby wall lamp and flick it at him.
“Huh?” He gasps confused as the harmless candle bounces off his shoulder, before slowly clueing in on what I was doing. “AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”
His shoulder is quickly set ablaze and flames race across the rest of his upper body. He immediately panics and starts trying to clap out the fire, forgetting both the enemy in front of him and the basics of stop, drop, and roll. At that point, it’s just easy pickings for me.
Bonk!
I deliver a swift finishing blow and knock him out.
“Phew… I did it.” I pant and laugh after taking out the last bandit.
Like everything in this damn game, it was yet another tough fight with every odd stacked against me, but I managed to prevail yet again. Now, I just need to get these guys out of here before the building burns down and interrogate them for the info to get to the fourth dungeon and—
Gasshink!
“Huh?”
—It happens so fast that I barely notice it.
By the time I register the pain, the bloody sword is already clean through my chest. It’s undoubtedly a fatal wound.
“Wh-what…?” I gasp in disbelief at the sudden attack and look behind me to find the culprit.
To my surprise, it’s one of the bandits: the one I knocked out at the very beginning, Bandit A. Did he recover from the attack and get back up to backstab me after I left my guard down?
Dammit, I forgot to check on his condition. How careless…
The sword is pulled out of my chest and I collapse to the ground, into a puddle of my own blood. Slowly but surely, I feel strength and warmth fade from my dying body, unable to even utter a single word of regret.
All I can do in my last moments is curse my own stupidity and feel the embrace of death gradually cover me.
And so, once more, I die yet again…
Game Over
“Aaaaaaaghhhhh, another Game Over! Dammit!!”
I scream out in frustration as I revive after yet another death.
“Puhuhuhuhu, what a lame death.” Merlin giggles from the peanut gallery. “You really messed up at the last moment, didn’t you?”
“I know, I know. You don’t have to say anything.” I groan as I brush off her heckling.
I’ve lost track of exactly how many Game Overs I’ve had so far, but I’ve started getting almost too used to them. Like always, I collapse onto my back and reflect on the circumstances of my latest death, contemplating what I can do better to avoid another one.
That felt like such a perfect run too; managing to split up the bandits and take them out one-by-one while they were disoriented, distracted, or disabled. Ahhh, why did that one guy have to get back up? If not for that, it would’ve been perfect!
“Hm, you’re still having trouble against human enemies.” Merlin remarks pleasantly as she looks down on my collapsed form. “That last battle would’ve gone a lot more smoothly if you got over it already.”
“Shut up. I already know that.” I grumble from the ground.
During that last battle, I took out all my enemies by knocking them out with the side of my sword, instead of cutting them down with the blade. If I had instead done the later, the bandit likely wouldn’t have been able to get back up and kill me. I only needed one bandit alive to interrogate, so it would’ve been a lot easier for me if I just killed most of them rather than knocking them all out.
But…
“No, I won’t. I’m not going to kill people.” I stubbornly state.
“Hm, what a strange policy.” Merlin remarks serenely. “I understand not wanting to kill real people, but you’re going to keep it up even though you know this is just a dream. You do know that the enemies aren’t real, right?”
“That’s not an excuse. Even if you think of them as NPCs, it’s wrong to kill people.” I firmly declare, clenching my fist tightly.
It doesn’t matter how much Merlin might disapprove. It doesn’t matter if it results in countless game overs. This is one thing I just can’t back down on.
“… I see. Well, have it your way. It just means that I get to see you die more often.” Merlin shrugs cheerfully.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I’ve heard it all before.” I sigh, pushing myself back to my feet. “If you have so much time to make fun of me, though, how about doing something useful and think up ways to make me more of a Hero?”
“Hmm, ways to make you more of a Hero? What do you have in mind?” Merlin asks.
“I dunno. Something that’ll make me more Hero-like.” I vaguely shrug. “I just think doing anything is better than just laughing at me from the back seat.”
Though I mainly meant it as a quip, Merlin seems to seriously consider it for a moment. She pleasantly cups her chin and contemplates the question.
“Hmmm… ways to make you more Hero-like…” She says to herself seriously, as if it were a philosophical quandary. “… maybe we could have a little wardrobe change?”
“Eh? Are you serious?” I cock a brow at her random idea.
“Well, y’know, your usual clothes don’t exactly scream Hero. I mean, sure they suit you, but maybe we should try for something more… traditional.” Merlin beams. “If you want people to treat you like a Hero, you need to look the part, don’t you think?”
“… what do you have in mind?” I cautiously ask, reflexively defending my precious signature tracksuit with my arms.
“Maybe something more knightly. Like some shiny armor. I’m thinking blue and silver… a hood would also be nice. But no capes, that’s too cliché. As for accessories…” Merlin thinks out loud, before abruptly having an epiphany. “Oh my god! I can design you a sword!”
“Huh? A sword?” I ask, surprised by her sudden outburst.
“That’s right, a sword! I can personally make a brand-new sword for you!” Merlin bubbles excitedly, like a giddy schoolgirl. “Ooohh, this is great. It’ll be the first sword I make in millennia!”
“Woah, millennia? It’s been that long?” I gasp at the implication.
“That’s right. You should understand; we rid the world of violence a long, long time ago, so naturally there was no longer any need for weapons. There hasn’t been a brand-new sword in Fairyland for over a 1000 years.” Merlin explains.
For a moment, I feel a little disoriented just hearing that. A world that hasn’t had weapons for over 1000 years… it’s such a large-scale that it’s difficult to fully comprehend. I already knew this is what we’re dealing with, but the grandness of Lostbelts still continue to boggle me.
Merlin, however, just seems to continue relishing in her idea.
“Ahhh, it’s been so long. I feel like I’ve forgotten how it feels to make a new sword.” She happily moans, blushing lightly and rubbing her thighs together. “I finally have a good excuse to make a new one again.”
“Couldn’t you have made one whenever you wanted to?” I point out, not truly understanding her excitement.
“There’d be no point to that, silly.” Merlin scoffs. “Swords are made to be used. If they aren’t, they’re not real swords; they’re just decorations.”
Huh, I guess that makes some sense. So basically, what she’s really been waiting for is for someone who would use a sword she made.
And that person is now… me?
“… say, Merlin. You’re the one who prepared Caliburn, right?” I ask her.
“Ara? That’s right. The one responsible for the Sword in the Stone is none other than I.” Merlin confirms.
“Then… would you be able to prepare another sword of the same caliber?” I question.
I try to ask it as emotionlessly as I can to hide my intentions, but they’re quickly seen through anyways.
“Ara ara, do you want one?” Merlin maliciously smirks.
Shit, her sadist mode is on.
“W-well, y’know… I wouldn’t say no to one. I mean, the more powerful a weapon, the better, right?” I stutter in response, scratching my head nervously. “Ahahaha, well I guess that’s too tall of an order. A Caliburn-tier weapon would be asking for too much, I guess. A regular magic sword would already be amazin—”
“I can make one for you.”
A simple statement. Said completely straightly, without any of the usual coyness.
I gulp without realizing it as I meet her gentle, mysterious eyes.
“… for what price?” I find myself asking.
“Uhuhuhu, I wonder.” Merlin beams. “Maybe if you beg hard enough, I’ll consider it.”
I unconsciously gulp again. The weight of the choice hits me like a truck. If I beg her hard enough, will I really be able to get a super-powerful weapon? Frankly, the possibility alone is making me dizzy.
Surely, I have to do it, right? But there’s no way it would be that easy right? Just what sort of humiliation and degradation would I have to through to get her approval. It would surely be no trivial amount.
But if it meant getting a Noble Phantasm-level weapon, wouldn’t it be super worth it? But still, to just give in to her demands…
Dammit. What should I do?
No, I have no choice. I have to be decisive here. No matter the risks, I just can’t back down.
I…
“Just kidding!!!”
Merlin announces at the last second and laughs heartily as she raises her hands in the air to a shower of petals and confetti.
At that moment, I felt my soul crack.
“Ara ara, did you actually take me seriously? Ufufu, how naïve of you. Did you really think I would actually give you a Noble Phantasm?” Merlin giggles. “I already told you I’ll only help you a little, didn’t I? Anything more than what we’re already doing is out-of-bounds.”
“Guh.” I grimace painfully and pout. “Damn you… whatever, it’s not like I actually cared.”
“Ara ara. Are you disappointed? Well? WELL??” Merlin bubbles at MAX power.
Damn this succubus bitch. How dare she play with my innocent heart. I’m never trusting anything she says ever again!!!
Year: 2018
Location: Bianca’s Mansion, Fairyland
And we’re back.
Once again, I wake back up in the same old bed, staring up at the ceiling with a sense of melancholy.
I managed to make more progress in Merlin Quest, but the return to reality always brings me back down to earth in the most solemn ways.
Today is my sixth day in Fairyland. It’ll soon be a full week.
Before all this, I never could’ve imagined being gone for an entire week, especially with how busy I was. Just thinking about that makes me depressed, not even touching on the people I haven’t seen in so long.
“… I wonder what Yingying’s doing right now…” I absentmindedly ponder as I drowsily lie in bed.
I know such thoughts have no benefit, but my mind can’t help but linger towards them. Maybe I’m just afraid that if I don’t think about everyone regularly, I’ll forget about them…
With such a somber mood, I flop out of bed and begin another brand-new day.
Choice!
5. Hang out with Scylla
5
The Act of dozing off in the afternoon is a luxury indeed.
Coffee would be nice, though.
[Collection of my Servant Sheets]
Now Revamped!
5.
5
Hmm 5
5
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4. Hang out with Caster
4
Doing five seems like the easiest way to achieve 1 but I also want to learn more about Big Face Caster.
Year: 2018
Location: Bianca’s Mansion, Fairyland
In the end, I decide to spend the day talking with Scylla once again and finally pull myself out of bed.
After freshening up, I lazily drag myself downstairs and surprisingly find Gwenllian in the living room, nursing a cup of tea on the parlor table.
“Oh, good morning, Ben. How are you?” She greets me chipperly.
“G-good morning.” I respond, a little surprised to run into her. “I, uh, I’m doing fine, I guess. What are you up to?”
“I was just taking a little break. I just got back from a little joy ride.” Gwenllian answers happily.
“Joy ride?” I repeat inquisitively, the image of Gwenllian tearing through the streets in a sports car somehow popping into my mind.
“Yes. It might be a little uncouth for a princess, but the truth is that I get a little… skittish if I don’t feel the wind on my face every once in a while.” She says in a slightly bashful tone. “I got up early this morning and rode past the hills and back. The racing greens and the rising sun on the plains… oh, it was phenomenal.”
Huh, I guess, Gwenllian really likes horse riding. Well, she is a Rider, so I guess that makes sense, but I’m not sure if it suits her image or not. She seems so majestic and graceful, so the thought of her wildly prancing around the plains is… actually, it’s rather well-fitting after all.
“What do you say, Ben? How about joining me sometime?” Gwenllian offers, flashing me an inviting smile.
“Oh, uh, I think I’ll have to pass…” I refuse as politely as I can. “Thanks for the offer though.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. Well, if you ever change your mind, just let me know.” She accepts readily, before then graciously motioning at the seat next to her. “But you can join me for a little morning tea, right?”
Ugh! Her kind gesture immediately pierces my shriveled-up heart. If she asks me like that, there’s no way I can refuse. Though I was planning to go to the lake again and see if Scylla was there, I suppose a quick cup of tea wouldn’t take that much time.
“Th-that’s… I guess I can.” I reluctantly agree and take a seat.
After I get settled in, Gwenllian pours me a cup of fragrant tea and quickly bombards me with all manners of small talk. How I’ve been doing lately, what I think of the tea, if there’s any activities I want to do and so forth. All I can do in response to her barrage of consideration is nod a few times and silently sip some tea whenever I don’t know what to say.
Not long after I sit down, another person abruptly enters the living room.
“Your Majesty. Lord Bengshan. Good morning.” Tom greets politely as he walks in. He’s acting as prim and noble as usual, a sharp difference from the jovial and casual self he showed me that one night. Judging from where he walked in from, it seems that he came from the art studio on the first floor; there’s a couple of canvases and a number of paints tucked under his arms.
“A good morning to you as well, Saber.” Gwenllian responds in kind. “Might I ask what you have there?”
“Oh, these are just art supplies that milady requested be brought to her room.” Tom reveals casually.
The mention of a certain someone immediately catches my attention and I narrow my eyes at the said supplies. I instantly wonder what on earth Bianca’s doing asking for art supplies.
“… so, how’s she doing?” I ask hesitantly, not sure if I want to know the answer or not.
“Well, milady still hasn’t left her room once the past few days. But she’s been having me bring her more and more things from the art studio.” Saber states in a concerned tone.
Well, that certainly is strange. What the hell is Bianca up to?
I know she became a shut-in after our argument, but I haven’t seen her since. Even if I did, I wouldn’t know what’s going on in that twisted mind of hers. With her near limitless power, that girl is a total wild card. For all I know, she could be doing anything from preparing some grand magic ritual to getting high off sniffing paint.
“Oh, I see!” Gwenllian abruptly says in a cheery tone. “Bianca must be working super hard on her next masterpiece. That’s why she hasn’t left her room recently. You know, like how some artists like to lock themselves in so they concentrate. I bet once she’s done, it’ll be her greatest work yet. Oh, I can’t wait to see it.”
“Yes, that would be nice…” Saber uneasily responds. Perhaps he knew what exactly Bianca was doing but refrained from telling us out of tact. For some reason though, he glances at me for a quick second.
Whatever the meaning of that glance was, I’m honestly tempted to glare back. I can’t say it out loud, but frankly I couldn’t care less about Bianca staying shut up in her room. In fact, her miserable state makes me quite pleased. The last thing I want to see right now is Bianca being happy…
As pathetic as it was, such a petty hatred was blossoming in my heart.
“… thanks for the tea, Gwenllian.” I suddenly spit out after hastily downing the rest of my beverage in one gulp and standing up.
“Oh, leaving so soon, Ben?” Gwenllian remarks. “Is there somewhere you need to be?”
“Not really, I just…” I half-heartedly mutter and turn away. “I feel like taking a dip.”
Trying my best to hide the fiery hostility in my heart, I retreat to the ever-calming lake and its hopefully refreshing waters.
Year: 2018
Location: Hallow Lake, Fairyland
“Ugggggggghhhhhhhhh…”
I groan garrulously as I lean back lazily on the edge of a boat on the lake, my head nearly touching the water surface.
“What’s up with you? You’re the one who said you wanted to try going for a boat ride.” Scylla remarks coldly. “Is this how you act after I graciously accepted your suggestion?”
“Sorry. I’m just kind of tired…” I explain with a yawn.
“Is that so? I thought you’d been nothing but lazing around every day, but you do seem exhausted.” Scylla notices.
“It’s nothing much… I just haven’t been getting a restful sleep lately…” I yawn once more.
Thanks to Merlin’s insanity, I’ve been going through a nonstop gauntlet of stressful challenges at night. Ironically, the most restful period of the day has become my most strenuous and active. I haven’t kept track of how many hours, days, or even weeks I’ve spent inside those dreams, but the toll must be catching up to me.
Perhaps picking up on that, Scylla makes no further quips. She folds her arms, closes her eyes, and sits in complete tranquility, as if becoming a beautiful statue.
The serene sky and the rhythmic rocking of the waves lull us into a light siesta – not so much a nap as a simple respite from reality. I’ve never been a very lazy person, but times like these make me want to forget all my problems and just count the clouds. Maybe this luxurious world really is rubbing off on me. If I stay here for a long time, will I become someone who can casually spend entire days indulging in meaningless, effortless pleasures like Bianca…?
Dammit. Even when I’m relaxing, I turn to dark thoughts. Am I just that bitter of a person or is this situation that messed up that I can never get any peace of mind? I want to believe the latter, but…
“Hey, Scylla.” I suddenly call out, not bothering to sit up to face her. “Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?” She responds serenely.
“Have you ever hated anyone? Like really, really despised someone?” I ask.
“Hm, that is a very tasteless question for this atmosphere.” Scylla points out.
“Oh. Sorry, you’re right…” I realize.
Feeling apologetic, I clam up and let silence return to the lake. It hangs awkwardly in the air for a few, tranquil moments before Scylla speaks up again.
“… yes, I have.” She admits quietly.
“Huh?” I respond, pulling myself up this time to look at her.
“It would be an ugly lie if I said that I have never felt a strong hatred towards someone. Indeed, it is shameful but there is someone that I harshly despise.” She announces coolly.
As her arms remained folded tightly around her chest, her beautiful face seems to contort ever so slightly at the mention of her hated person.
“It is of course none other than the witch who imposed that hideous form on me.” Scylla explains with a light frown.
“I see. Circe, right?” I nod.
“That would be her name, yes.” Scylla confirms. “I can’t say much about her since I never actually met her in life but looking at my own legend in hindsight tells me all I need to know of her repulsive nature.”
Indeed, as I’m also somewhat familiar with the legend, I understand why Scylla would feel such hatred towards the witch Circe. It is said that the witch was jealous of Scylla’s beauty and so concocted a magical potion that would turn Scylla into a hideous monster. Because of the witch’s envy, Scylla was forcibly stripped of all her sanity and turned into a horrible, bloodthirsty creature. It’s only natural that she would be pissed.
“Then… then, if you could do anything to that witch, without any consequences, what would you want to do?” I hesitantly question.
“Wow, you are just full of penetrating questions today, aren’t you?” Scylla remarks coldly. “Do you enjoy poking around other people’s brains that much?”
“S-sorry…” I apologize again.
Nevertheless, Scylla doesn’t seem to actually mind and quickly answers anyways.
“Well, there isn’t really anything I want to do to her, so I don’t have anything to tell you.” Scylla shrugs.
“Eh? Really?” I gasp. “There really isn’t anything you want to do to her? Not even like a little punch?”
“Hmph, of course not. Taking out your anger on another is a horribly ugly action. I would never dirty myself in such a way.” She scoffs, haughtily flipping her hair.
I’m amazed. After all that she went through, all that horror and pain, she doesn’t even want any form of revenge on her assailant?
“Why are you asking this anyways?” Scylla questions, returning a sharp glare at me.
“Oh, uh… well, now I’m embarrassed to say after what you just said.” I answer anxiously.
“I can guess as much. Basically, there’s someone you hate, right?” Scylla remarks keenly.
“Th-that’s…” I stutter, wondering how to deny her accusation without seeming suspicious.
Shit, did I reveal my cards too quickly? If she finds out how much I hate Bianca, I’ll lose the innocent act that I’ve been painstakingly trying to maintain.
Luckily, though, after a few brief moments of me panicking, Scylla just shrugs and turns away from me.
“… if you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to.” She says coldly.
“Oh, um… thanks.” I find myself thanking her.
Thanks to her kind gesture, I’m able to take a quick sigh of relief. It would’ve all been over if my secret animosity had been revealed right there…
… wait, is that really true?
If I had revealed the truth about everything to Scylla, would she really deem me an enemy? If she knew everything about Bianca, would the Servant in front of me truly continue to take her side?
… such thoughts flood my head and I begin to think about what I’ve learned about the Berserker Servant over the past couple of days.
The Scylla recorded in legend is a terrifying harbinger of death and destruction who tormented many a hero and innocent. But the woman in front of me is nothing like that at all. Certainly, she’s cold and dismissive, but I’ve come to find that she can be rather tactful and helpful. She saved me back when I was drowning and she answers any questions I ask her, no matter how ridiculous or personal. I think she’s actually a pretty receptive person.
More than anything, the thing I’ve learned the most about her in these past few days is her particular code of ethics. Rather than judging thing in good or bad, she determines everything in terms of beautiful or ugly. And the more I listen to her, the more I find myself accepting that strange sense of aesthetics, even almost admiring parts of it.
But at same time, she’s made it clear that she’s grateful to Bianca and one of her allies. Furthermore, my theory that she’s immune to Reading Rainbow due to her monstrous nature is still just a theory and nothing more. For all I know, she may truly just be another one of Bianca’s pawns…
So, what do I do? Can I trust her or not?
“… say, Scylla. Can I ask you one more question?” I suddenly ask with a hanged head.
“Another one? Sure, whatever. Go ahead.” Scylla sighs dramatically.
“If… if there was someone you really liked and that person was going to do something horrible or you discover that they were going to do something bad, what would you do?” I ask her seriously.
“…”
Scylla doesn’t answer immediately. She creases her brow and gazes deeply into my eyes as if trying to extract some deeper truth from them. Then, perhaps coming to a satisfactory discovery, she raises a chin and bellows forth with a proud chest.
“Even if it were someone I liked— no, even more so if it was someone I liked, then I would stop that person from being ugly as much as I can.” She declares with absolute conviction.
Hearing that finally convinces me. The woman in front of me is someone I can trust.
It may be naïve and optimistic, but I want to believe that Scylla is someone who can help me.
Which is why—
“Scylla, there’s something I need to tell you.”
I tell her everything.
Bianca’s true nature, the details of her ability, and how I’m trapped in this Lostbelt against my will. Alone in this boat, isolated from the faraway lakeshore, I reveal it all to her without sparing any details.
“…”
She doesn’t say anything as I speak. She only listens to me with a cool head, barely reacting to even the most shocking of details. Then, when I finally finish, she simply nods.
“I see. I understand.” She says apathetically. “Basically, you are being imprisoned here by Bianca’s affections and wish to escape.”
“That’s right.” I affirm.
I’m not sure if I would agree with the use of the word affections, but that’s beside the point.
“… so? Why did you want to tell me all of this?” Scylla asks blankly.
Once again, I’m shocked by her response. Does she really feel nothing after being told all that? Not even a flinch at the fact that Bianca is mind controlling everyone and possibly even Scylla herself?
“Well, basically, I want to escape but it looks near impossible to do so. At least, it is if I try to do so alone.” I explain. “I was thinking that I need some help if I want to get out of here.”
“So then, you’re asking me for my assistance.”
“That’s right.” I confirm strongly and then formally bow. “Please help me, Scylla. I really need your help.”
At this point, it was a desperate plea. After being continually beaten down for the past several days, the amount of hope I had left was only enough for that one meager request. A part of me was certain that I would once more be disappointed and face the cruelty of the world.
But instead—
“Okay, sure.”
That horrid streak of disappointment is broken in two simple words.
“Eh? R-really?” I gasp in actual disbelief.
“Yeah. I just have to help you out however I can, right? Then, that’s fine. I’ll help you out.” Scylla shrugs coolly.
“A-are you sure? You’re okay with going against Bianca and the others? Really, truly?” I ramble incredulously.
“Yes, geez. I agreed to be your ally so why am I being badgered?” Scylla pouts.
With a sigh, she crosses her legs and refolds her arms, facing me with a now serious look.
“I had thought that Bianca had a wonderful sense of beauty, but the actions you have spoken of are undoubtedly ugly. I cannot stand seeing such an otherwise gorgeous specimen dirty herself in such a way. That’s why, if assisting you will help beautify her ugly soul, then I’ll gladly lend you my strength.” Scylla declares boldly.
I’m at a loss for words. Elation, disbelief, relief and triumph all flood me like a whirlpool at sea. The only thing I can muster between my haggard breaths is just two words.
“Thank you.”
I thank her from the bottom of my heart. I thank the one person who finally, completely agreed to become my ally after this long and strenuous stay.
I’m unable to see the face she makes in response, but her soft and gentle voice speaks volumes more.
“Hmph. Don’t mention it.”
At last, I’m no longer alone.
Wise-up! Servant Sheet acquired:
Berserker - Scylla
Year: 2018
Location: Hallow Lake, Fairyland
“So, what now?”
After Scylla and I sealed the deal on our alliance, we remained on the boat to talk in the middle of the lake, where no one else could overhear us.
“I’ve agreed to help you, but I’m not sure what you need me to do. Do you have a plan in mind?” Scylla asks me with a serious expression.
“W-well… I was kind of hoping we could come up with something together.” I painfully admit.
“So basically, you have no plans. Good grief.” Scylla sighs.
It can’t be helped, okay? I wasn’t even sure if she would agree to be my ally, so how could I make a plan before I know what I’m working with? It’s not my fault okay!
“Okay, okay, look. It’s not that complicated. The main goal is finding a way to escape this Lostbelt. Once I’m out and back home, that’s basically victory.” I state, gripping my head to try and squeeze out some ideas.
“That’s fine and all, but how are you going to leave? Isn’t it near impossible to pass through the Storm Wall or whatever you people call it?” Scylla points out.
“Yeah, normally. Though some Servants have abilities that can bypass that, like Tom.” I confirm. “I don’t suppose you happen to also…”
“No.” She promptly denies.
“Figures.” I sigh.
Well, obviously, it can’t be that easy.
“Besides that, then, I think my best bet is to get back my Communicator Device.” I declare, focusing in on our objective. “If I can contact the other Crypters, I can call for help and one of them might have a Servant or other ability that can save me.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Scylla nods along. “So, where’s the communicator now?”
“I… don’t know.” I regretfully admit. “The last time I saw it, Bianca had it, but I haven’t seen it since. She might’ve hidden it away somewhere or she might be keeping it on her body. I don’t know and I can’t risk looking for it too blatantly.”
Right now, Bianca and co. still don’t know that I’m planning my grand escape; she thinks that I’ve meekly accepted my torture and am harmless. Because of that I’m able to move a lot more freely without constant supervision. But if I start asking questions about where the communicator is, Bianca might catch on and quickly restrict my movements. If that happens, my chances of victory will go drastically down.
“Well, that’s a pain.” Scylla sighs. “Then how are you going to get it back? I don’t suppose you have some convenient dowsing magic to sniff it out, do you?”
“No… there’s only one course of action I can think of…” I hesitantly declare. “… I have to beat up Bianca and make her give me my communicator back!”
Scylla immediately cocks a brow at my violent conclusion.
“… you just want an excuse to beat up Bianca, don’t you?”
“Yup!”
My desire to beat some humility into Bianca’s smug, little face is unabashed. I can already feel the satisfaction of getting retribution for everything she’s put me through. Muahahaha!
“Geez, what an ugly motivation.” Scylla sighs dreadfully.
Bit by bit, she must be starting to understand how ugly my heart really is. I hope that doesn’t make her start rethinking her decision to help me.
“Also, if you are able to make her give you the communicator through force, couldn’t you also have her just order Saber to teleport you home?” Scylla points out keenly.
“Oh, you’re right. That could work too.” I gasp, understandingly, before aggressively pumping my fist. “All right, so basically, I just have to beat Bianca up extra hard!”
“How did we get to this?” Scylla wonders, gloomily looking out at the clear, blue waters. “Oh, well. I suppose there is some beauty to a straightforward, head-on confrontation. I’d say it’s overall preferable to manipulation and subterfuge.”
For one reason or another, it seems Scylla is on-board my “kick Bianca’s ass” plan. How heart-warming to have such a steadfast ally.
That leaves only one question left: how the hell am I supposed to defeat Bianca in a fight?
“Umm, this might be asking much, but I don’t suppose that you’re secretly an overpowered, god-tier Servant who can defeat three other Servants on your own, are you?” I ask Scylla meekly.
“Of course not.” Scylla immediately scoffs. “In fact, in my current state, I’m on the weaker side as far as Servants go.”
“Figures. It won’t be that easy, huh?” I lament.
A battle between Masters ultimately means a battle between Servants. On Bianca’s side, she has Tom, Gwenllian, and that Caster. On mine, I have Scylla. It’s obvious that my team is hopelessly outgunned.
In a battle of Servants, we clearly can’t win, which means…
“Our best bet is probably setting up a situation where I can 1v1 Bianca.” I conclude after some serious thought.
“… well, certainly that would be preferable to an all-out battle. But how would one even orchestrate such a situation? No, before that, would you even be able to win a 1v1?” Scylla questions.
“Well… probably not.” I painfully admit. “I’d say my chances of winning are maybe… 5% at most. Optimistically, speaking.”
“Oi.”
Uwaaah, Scylla’s glaring at me with dead, hopeless eyes as if saying she’s lost all faith in me.
“L-look, it’s not my fault, okay? It’s Bianca’s fault for being so overpowered. If it were a normal magus, the chances would be higher!” I explain hastily.
Of course, the chances wouldn’t be that much higher – far from even – but hey, Scylla doesn’t need to know that.
“Is Bianca really that powerful?” She asks, tugging her little frown further down.
“Shouldn’t you know? You’re the one in her Lostbelt.” I rebut.
“Yes, but I’ve never actually seen her fight, though.” Scylla explains. “She settles almost every conflict diplomatically and the few rare battles are left to the Servants.”
Oh, that does make sense. Bianca’s not the type to dirty her own hands after all.
“Well, I witnessed it a few times during combat training and she gave me a brief explanation, so I have a vague idea of her abilities. Frankly speaking, her magecraft is on a completely different level from someone like me.” I recount grimly.
“What kind of magic is it?” Scylla asks, sounding quite curious.
“Color Magic.” I answer.
Immediately, Scylla raises a brow at the term, so I promptly continue explaining.
“If I remember correctly, it’s apparently magecraft based around using colors to magically invoke associated concepts. Y’know, like how Fire is Red, and Water is Blue, and that kind of stuff. Or even stuff like how Red can represent Passion or Blue can represent Wisdom. Basically, by drawing upon those associations, one can give direction to their magecraft.” I lecture in an ambiguous manner.
Naturally my explanation was far from perfect, but I didn’t need to go too deep into the details for Scylla’s sake. Also, cause I’m not too familiar with the finer details myself.
The usage of color in magecraft is hardly rare; many rituals require certain ritual items to be specific colors in order to enhance the effect or even just succeed entirely. In Bianca’s case, however, colors aren’t just supplemental elements added on for extra oomph but are the core of her magecraft. Apparently, by arranging very specific colors in very specific manners, she can effectively complete a magical ritual using nothing but paint. In a sense, it’s like drawing a magic circle, but instead of letters and symbols, she’s constructing hers with colors.
“So what? She casts her spells by painting pictures?” Scylla questions, listening attentively to my lecture.
Being far more familiar with the magics from the Age of Gods, such magical techniques must seem alien to her, so I suppose she’s a little interested, for once.
“Basically, yeah. It doesn’t necessarily have to be paint, but Bianca does craft her spells by creating art.” I confirm and explain further. “However, it’d be pretty impractical for her to have to pull out a canvas and palette every time she wanted to cast a spell, right? So, that’s why she instead fights by using her Mystic Codes.”
To emphasize my point, I dramatically hold out my hand and show the back of it to Scylla, gesturing specifically to the tops of my fingers.
“Bianca’s main Mystic Codes are her nails.” I inform Scylla. “You’ve noticed it before, right? Bianca has painted nails.”
“Well, yeah, I noticed, but I figured that all modern girls like to paint their nails and what not.” Scylla shrugs. “Bianca and the others once dragged me to a Girls’ Slumber Party thing where they did my nails. What do you modern folks call it again? Manicures? Pedicures? Pretty Cures? Man, your traditions are weird.”
“Yeah, but Bianca’s nail art is her Mystic Code. Apparently, each one is meticulously painted to invoke a specific power. Then, by channeling magical energy through them and moving her fingers in certain patterns, Bianca can combine the powers to cast her spells. That is how she fights.” I say dreadfully.
I’ve had the opportunity to witness it only a few times, but each time I was captivated. It was like she was playing the piano or conducting an orchestra. The movements she made when casting her spells were so elegant and graceful that she might as well have been dancing with her hands. But instead of wondrous music, those fingers produced overwhelming firepower.
“It’s like having a magic circle on each finger. Or maybe it’s like having 5 magic wands strapped to each hand. The variety and strength of the spells she can cast using just her fingers are astonishing.” I lament. “Frankly, she could easily kill a man just by snapping her fingers.”
“So, basically, you don’t stand a chance.” Scylla finally concludes.
“Well… yeah, that’s what I was explaining.” I sigh regretfully.
No matter how you look at it, I’m hopelessly outmatched in every single category.
“If that’s case, what’s the point of trying to 1v1 her? Won’t you just get instantly stomped?” Scylla points out incredulously.
Certainly, she makes a logical point, but I shake my head, nevertheless.
“No, that’s a mistake, Scylla. Bianca may indeed be overwhelmingly stronger than me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t defeat her.” I rebut firmly. “It’s incredibly slim, but there’s still a chance that I can defeat her. I already have a few ideas of my own on how to counter her magic. Under the right circumstances, I can potentially win. And that’s the best chance we can hope for.”
For some reason, I’m able to say that confidently, despite knowing how low the actual chance of my victory is. Perhaps it’s because of all the training I did with Merlin; now, I feel like I’m able to analyze such situations a lot more calmly and objectively.
“Hmm…” Scylla mumbles, not seeming convinced by my topic but not arguing against it either. “Very well, if that’s what you think is best, I don’t mind going along with it.”
“Thanks.” I respond with a small smile. “I appreciate it…”
While all that I had just said was indeed logical and simple sense, it’s also true that I want to face Bianca alone for my own personal sentiments as well. For certain reasons, I feel like I alone have to be the one to settle this…
“Anyways, putting that aside, we’re back at the original problem. How are we going to get you in a situation where you can fight Bianca alone?” Scylla submits.
Indeed, that’s the real question, isn’t it? As nice as it is to imagine a scenario where I can fight Bianca in an honorable duel, the chances of that happening are slim. I can’t imagine any of the other Servants standing by as I kick Bianca’s butt. In order to get to her, we have to find a way to get past the other 3 Servants.
“Would it be possible to somehow separate Bianca from the Servants?” I wonder, just spit balling ideas.
“That doesn’t seem too likely. For one, Bianca rarely ever goes anywhere without Saber being 3 feet behind.” Scylla points out.
That’s true. Putting aside, Gwenllian and Caster, Tom is always by Bianca’s side and at her beck and call. Even when he’s training at night, he specifically makes sure to be close to the mansion so he can always respond at a moment’s notice to his master’s distress. Furthermore, even if he were a far distance away, he can teleport and get to her instantly. It would be nigh impossible to completely get him away from her for a long period of time.
“Hmm… say, Scylla, if you were to fight Tom alone, how well would you do?” I question.
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t win. But I suppose I could buy a bit of time.” Scylla answers.
“Hmmmmm…..”
One by one, pieces begin connecting in my brain as a scheme slowly forms.
But even so, it’s still not enough. That’s only talking about Tom; there’s still 2 other Servants to deal with and Scylla definitely can’t 1v3. Luckily, those two don’t seem as loyal and clingy as Tom, but they’re still a force to be reckoned with.
I don’t have time for an elaborate and complex plan, either. Every day counts for me. I need an idea that I can execute as soon as possible.
So, what can I do? How can I overcome this situation? How do I offset my giant disadvantage?
Think. Think think think!
How do I kick Bianca’s ass!?!?
Choice!
1 I think the most accurate question is who
1
Although uncertain if others would agree, best to have as many on our side as possible.
And while a good call, uncertain much of the more subterfuge-based abilities would fly by Scylla's idea of "Beauty."
The Act of dozing off in the afternoon is a luxury indeed.
Coffee would be nice, though.
[Collection of my Servant Sheets]
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