I Serve To The Very End
Courage of the Black Prince - Shield for Peace
C
Type: Barrier
Range: 1 - 5
Maximum Targets: 1+
In the aftermath of his first true battle at Crécy, where he had fought with courageous valor and earned his spurs as a knight, Edward the Black Prince was asked by his father what he thought of going into battle now. The prince did not reply until he and his father came across the body of Jean of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia. Once a famed warrior but now nearly blind, he had come to the battlefield one last time regardless, he and his followers tethering their horses together and riding to certain death against the English forces. Moved by the fallen king's utmost bravery, the Black Prince took up his emblem of ostrich plumes as a tribute to him. He is commonly thought to have carried forth a motto from him at this time as well, though in truth he would devise it later. 'Ich dien', meaning 'I serve', and 'Houmont', meaning 'High courage'. His taking up of the badge of ostrich plumes and his motto, to serve devotedly in accordance with high courage, would all the same be inextricably intertwined. The ostrich plumes would become the coat of sable for his 'shield for peace', the one he would use for chivalrous jousting in tournaments, and both the ermine badge and his motto would eventually be passed down together to future Princes of Wales.
The Black Prince would spend the rest of his life living up to the ideals contained within his badge, that comprised his motto. He served devotedly and with unflinching resolve through countless battles, never backing down against superior numbers or dire odds. His faith in God never wavered, and he would dedicate all that he did to the Lord, never once forgetting to credit God for his own successes. Chronicler Thomas Walsingham would write that he was the very 'hope of the English', for during his life 'they feared no invasion of the enemy, no onslaught of the battle'. He never once feared death, and if anything embraced it. The Black Prince would make the arrangements for his funeral achievements fourteen years in advance of his death, just married and at the height of his success. As with Jean of Luxembourg, he was ever prepared to face his end head on, no matter the time or place.
Saber's first Noble Phantasm is his 'shield for peace' with badge of ostrich plumes, now the physical manifestation of the honor and ideals he had taken up from Jean of Luxembourg, of his life serving with high courage. It is the embodiment of his sheer resolve and devotion, his faithful life as a chivalric knight in service to king, country, and God. It is a sable greatshield, a defensive Noble Phantasm wielded by its owner to protect not only himself but everyone he can. Far larger than it was in life, its coverage is capable of covering the entirety of Saber's front, or to even protect at certain angles multiple individuals at once. Its defensive attributes are significant despite its relatively low Rank as a Noble Phantasm; it can weather well attacks delivered even with
STR at Rank A, and it will not be so much as scratched by virtually any weapon that does not reach the level of a Noble Phantasm. It can even readily defend against offensive Noble Phantasms Rank E or Rank D, and as the exemplification of the faithful devotion of a Christian knight, is endowed with Rank A
Magic Resistance higher than that of its owner. Though not its primary purpose, being extraordinarily durable and with considerable heft, it can be used as well to deliver significant blunt damage via shield bashing and the like.
Its physical attributes are not its only qualities, however. For both Saber himself and any fighting alongside him, the shield bestows a significant plus correction to mental resistance. The hope the shield represents will not permit anyone to fall to fear or despair, greatly reducing the success of mental interference. Finally, the shield serves to help alleviate the effects of Saber's
Innocent Monster. So long as the shield is in active use, the chance of Saber's
Weak Constitution activating is reasonably lowered, and the stability of
Flower of Chivalry is somewhat increased. Though
Innocent Monster cannot be removed, while Saber bears the shield that is his chivalry itself, its effects cannot be as pronounced.
However, it is not without weaknesses. While its defensive attributes are significant, it is no true artifact, and it begins to take damage from Noble Phantasms Rank C and above. In particular, it will not last long at all against a Rank A offensive Noble Phantasm, and a Rank A Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm will especially pierce right through it. Though Saber's resolve will never waver, and dependent on the situation can even strengthen the shield's defensive attributes to allow it to hold out against a Rank A Noble Phantasm for a short time, it is not invulnerable. Furthermore, unlike many other defensive Noble Phantasms, the shield's defense is limited to its physical surface area. Chivalrously facing forward, it will not defend against any attack that does not land on it, and in that regard Saber's back will always be vulnerable. Finally, the shield must be cast aside in order for Saber to utilize his second Noble Phantasm. Though this is not permanent, Saber will be fundamentally unable to make use of his shield again in the same battle he has cast it aside. Once it is gone, Saber's only options are to win with his second Noble Phantasm or to perish.
I Serve Bearing Every Sin
Wrath of the Black Prince - Blade of Massacre
B
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1 - 10
Maximum Targets: 1+
Edward the Black Prince was one of the greatest warriors of his era, not only as a leader of armies but also in individual prowess upon the battlefield. At his first true battle at Crécy and only 16, he held the most pressured area of the entire English army, holding back wave after wave of French cavalry. Geoffrey le Baker would write that he stood 'in the front line against the enemy, running through horses, felling knights, crushing helmets under his blows.' At the legendary battle of Poitiers, fighting against an army three times the size of his own, the Black Prince was 'everywhere, hewing at the enemy, lifting up his fallen comrades', and would capture the French king himself. At the Siege of Nájera, the Black Prince led the vanguard against an army again severely outnumbering his own, breaking through the division of the famed Bertrand du Guesclin. A Latin poem called 'Gloria' spoke of the occasion, that 'yet again the Prince shone forth: his enemies scattered, dead, or lying bleeding on the field. He is Samson-like in war.' The poet John Gower would go on to say that 'his feats of arms surpass even those of Hector', praise echoed by John of Malvern and Thomas Walsingham. However, neither his prowess as a warrior nor his noble reputation would forever last.
In the last decade of his life he was afflicted by crippling illness, one known to have left him ill-tempered and with disquiet. And as time went on, black propaganda would stain his name. His raid across the French countryside would later be characterized as inhumanely cruel, brutality that 'sacked and burnt to ashes' many places and left the French people 'fleeing in sheer terror.' This accusation too was not without basis, for though his actions were accepted as within chivalry by the people of his time and he received little contemporary criticism, they certainly would indeed be inhumanely cruel by modern standards. The greatest sin to his name, however, would rise from the final battle of his career, at the Siege of Limoges. The chronicler John Froissart would embellish the truth of the matter to create the compelling narrative of a fallen hero who had succumbed to rage, and massacred 3,000 French citizens. 'It was a most melancholy business: all ranks, ages, and sexes cast themselves on their knees before the Prince, begging for mercy, but he was so inflamed with passion and hatred that he listened to none, and all were put to the sword, wherever they could be found.' Thus was the Black Prince's legend stained by evil even to this day, to the extent it is not uncommon belief that his very title of Black Prince is derived from his cruelty. Though his sins were objectively few by the time's standards, it would seem that he accepted many all the same. He chose to be buried at Canterbury Cathedral, traditionally associated with pilgrimage and penance, rather than Westminster Abbey, the traditional resting place for the English royal family. Historian Paul Booth believes this choice to be indicative that the Black Prince 'felt he had many sins to repent for.'
Saber's second Noble Phantasm is the embodiment of the Black Prince's martial prowess in battle, the strength of arms that personally cut down hundreds of enemy soldiers and broke through entire armies, the peerless swordplay that knew no quarter and lost no fight. At the same time it is the manifestation of his black reputation, of each and every sin to his name true or false, of every grudge, terror, falsehood, hatred, darkness and lost life born of his actions. No matter the veracity, no matter the judgement at the time or now, he has resolved to accept it all and serve all the same.
His second Noble Phantasm may only be activated when he has cast aside his 'shield for peace', when he has discarded his chivalric fame as protector of king, country, and faith. Only then will he be fully able to accept his warrior prowess, that which all the same took countless lives and sowed endless despair. Upon its activation Saber's STR and AGI parameters receive a Rank-Up to Rank A and Rank B respectively, allowing him to demonstrate yet further the power which cut down countless foes and the speed that allowed him to be wherever he was needed on the battlefield. At the same time, Saber will now possess a certain pressure that acts as a modest form of mental interference. It is the intimidating presence of the one who had France's people flee in sheer terror before him, that led countless soldiers to surrender, and that had citizens futilely beg for mercy. Those without mental resistance will be afflicted with fear and hesitation, if not sufficient to make any Servant flee the battlefield, at least enough to slow reaction time and dispel morale.
This Noble Phantasm's true value is centered around Saber's nameless blade, a bastard sword designed with thrusting and piercing through armor in mind. Its size, durability, and sharpness are enhanced to the level of a Rank C offensive Noble Phantasm, despite it not being worthy of Noble Phantasm status in its default state. Even bereft of a name, it is the sword that has felled thousands of soldiers and knights. The most prominent change to the blade upon Noble Phantasm activation, however, occurs in regards to its weight. With each and every second the Noble Phantasm is active, with each and every blow the sword delivers, it grows heavier. What weighs it down is the burden that Saber has decided to bear, the full weight of every sin committed and life lost at his hands, the full weight of every grudge and hatred and falsehood. He carries within his instrument of murder the full existential weight of his black reputation, of his every action in life and as a Servant, whether true or false. The blade of massacre said to have reaped 3,000 lives in one day holds the weight of each and every one, progressively growing heavier over the course of battle.
In terms of sheer power then, if exerted solely via weight, it can reach a level well beyond its theoretical rank, potentially even proving capable of reaching the equivalent of STR at Rank EX. The sheer gravity it exerts can send an enemy flying with a single good hit, or pin them down with a barrage of blows too heavy to properly counter. Even if the material quality of the blade doesn't change, it can inflict damage through enemy defenses and higher quality weapons through pure heaviness, the sheer force of its blows making it difficult for an opponent to even maintain their grip on a greater weapon. Only cancellation of its force can truly negate the damage the blade can inflict; its heaviness can even force an opponent that cannot be injured by its cutting ability at all through the ground, or throw them through a building. And though the blade's weight does naturally decrease the speed of Saber's attacks, it does not do so properly proportionally. Resolved to fully utilize it regardless of the damage to his body, Saber remains well capable of swinging it with fairly considerable speed. His prowess with the sword is if anything only enhanced by bearing the full weight of his sin, and remains thoroughly skillful. Though its power concentrated in a single weapon makes it seem more an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm, it is of course especially useful for sweeping and crushing many foes at once, and at its peak the power of enough of its blows can certainly equal the wide scale destructive potential of an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm.
This Noble Phantasm does regardless bear significant drawbacks. In casting aside his shield to utilize it, Saber forfeits his defense utterly in favor of pure offense, leaving him thoroughly vulnerable. The blade's weight has no value if its blows do not connect, rendering it all but useless against those fast enough to avoid it. The possibility of his
Weak Constitution activating becomes inevitability, making any battle against this Noble Phantasm eminently winnable simply by holding out long enough for it to cripple him. And finally, nothing at all actually helps Saber to bear the weight. As time goes on, the weight will damage Saber perhaps even potentially more than his opponent, though he will never show it on the surface. He has resolved to take full and sole responsibility for all of it. Even as his muscles tire, his fingers break, the bones of his arms splinter, the bones of his legs are crushed, and the weight makes him unable to move where from he is standing, he will never let go of it. Even having cast aside his heroic reputation, he will never cast aside his devotion, even unto the very moment of his death. No matter what he has done, what he must do, he shall serve with high courage.
Originally Posted by Cursed by Fortuna
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