Chapter 9: Masters & Servants
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He lay amidst soft grass moistened with water and his own blood, the life fading from his once beautiful eyes.
She felt her entire self of being fade away, like a cloud in the sky floating apart in a hundred different directions.
The hall was filled with food and drinks of the finest sorts, candles blazing to illuminate the many folks gathered for a most auspicious occasion. Goblets and kegs clanged against one another, the sounds mixing with laughter and cheers. No brawling or drinking contests, though. This was a night of formal merriment.
The man sitting before the hall rose, the light showing his luxurious robes and regal disposition. He gestured to his left while beginning to speak. "Fionn Mac Cumhaill, hero of Aillen, warrior of the healing waters, leader of the Knights of Fianna," the grown man straightened in his seat while the king's right arm rose, "is officially betrothed to my daughter, Gráinne." The beautiful young woman straightened as well, her eyes gazing along her father's hall.
They fixed on one particular subject even as Cormac mac Airt continued to speak. "Celebrate, laugh and enjoys yourselves tonight, friends!" A hearty cheer of many followed this proclamation. Among the audience were the Knights of Fianna, of course. Fionn's loyal subordinates and trusted friends.
As the celebration continued, Fionn's gaze travelled periodically to his right, yet Gráinne never ceased to glance towards one particular man sitting some tables away from her. He was among the Knights, smiling and chatting happily with them. Little surprise there, they had all fought beside each other in sworn loyalty and life to the man that would become her husband. All utterly dedicated to the chivalrous ideals of a true knight.
But this one… green armor framing his well-built body, untamed black hair that curled atop his head, alluring eyes somehow pronounced by a little black spot underneath his right one…
Finally, she asked her seating companion, "That man there," the princess inclined her chin, "what is his name?"
"He is first warrior of the Knights of Fianna," the lady replied. "Diarmuid Ua Duibhne."
"Diarmuid…" Gráinne repeated the name as something stirred inside her heart. A smile began to play along her lips…
The massive ship RT-636, though others knew it better as the "Mother of Intervention," glided elegantly through the vacuum of space. Inside, the soldiers, scientists and other personnel of the research program, Project Freelancer went about their business. There was always much to be done even on a regular day.
Though this day would prove to be far from regular…
Two Freelancers, specially trained combat agents, were chatting amiably as they walked through the halls when a couple of regular troopers rushed past them. One accidentally brushed past their superior. "Sorry sir!" He hastily called back but didn't slow his pace.
"Hey," Agent Washington asked more confused than insulted, "what's going on? Soldier, where's everybody running?"
The addressed stopped briefly and pointed down the hall. "New agent squaring off against Maine, Wyoming, and York on the training room floor. We're going to watch!" He then continued after the others. "Hey guys, wait up!"
Washington traded a look with his friend. "Three-on-one?" He laughed. "I've gotta see this."
"Yeah, right behind you." Agent North Dakota nodded as they walked down the halls.
They would not be disappointed. Down on the training floor, Agents York, Wyoming and even burly Maine were sent tumbling back with one swing from their black-armored opponent's pugil stick. As more of an audience gathered, including those ranked highest among the Freelancers, the newly found agent continued to batter all three across the room. Finally, the ship's artificial intelligence F.I.L.S.S. announced, "Round One: over. Pugil stick training, complete. Point awarded to Texas. The current score is: Team One: 0. Texas: 1."
Then came Round Two, hand-to-hand combat. Agent Texas decimated the trio again, one by one (though to be fair, they showed appallingly little teamwork for supposed professionals). Her moves were swift, powerful and dangerously efficient. Eventually, F.I.L.S.S.'s voice rang out again. "Round over. Point Texas. Hand-to-hand combat complete." Sections of the floor began to rise as the combatants readied themselves. "Now resetting the floor for Lockdown Paint Scenario."
All four collected pistols with specially prepared ammunition: anything struck by the paintballs would find itself trapped in hardened paint. Not to mention it stung a bit.
Needless to say, Team One founds themselves thoroughly pummeled, encased in paint and humiliated. Repeatedly. No matter what any of them tried, Texas proved to be two steps ahead of them. Six rounds passed by without York, Maine or Wyoming managing to get so much as a drop of paint on her.
Then came the ninth round, where Wyoming and Maine slipped live ammunition into their equipment. Ignoring York's protests, they did slightly better at cornering the newcomer. One shot at her shoulder caused blue sparks to emit.
Ultimately, though, Texas triumphed over all three yet again, even chiding York when he attempted to help her. She still made time to save his life from a grenade going off right next to him, though it cost him his eye.
All in all, a fitting demonstration of the new top agent of the Director. And a sign of things to come…
Diarmuid sprinted through the rain, spears at the ready. All around him, knights followed. His training helped him keep track of all of them even while on the move. When the first lunged, he was already spinning in place to counter the oncoming sword.
Yet, even as the spearman engaged in battle with his pursuers, his thoughts couldn't help but travel to the sudden, passionate kiss the princess had planted upon his lips…
And the furious expression Fionn, his lord, his friend, had cast upon him. Just before sending his fellow knights after Diarmuid. "Traitor…" he spat out the word like poison. "I promise you will suffer for this, Diarmuid." Then the knight had no other choice but face his comrades.
Texas roared across the street on her motorcycle, firing her rocket launcher one-handed at enemy vehicles. Slowly, the road cleared ahead for her objective.
She blasted down the airship that carried the prize, then she was sprinting down the road, neck-and-neck with Agent Carolina. The teal-armored Freelancer ignored her orders to fall back as she raced desperately for the briefcase.
Ultimately, though, she lay exhausted on the ground, helmet knocked off to reveal her scarlet hair and green eyes that glared up at the "victor". "Better luck next time, Carolina," was all Texas had to say as she radioed for pickup, the briefcase secure in her grip.
Gráinne gripped his hand tightly. "As you accept my love, so too accept this geis." Her hands glowed as her eyes sparkled with desire. "If there is any way possible, please stop this marriage." Diarmuid found he couldn't bring himself to look away.
And something inside him knew it wasn't because of the lady's magic. "Please come with me…" she begged. "Let's run away… across the world."
The knight pulled her into a loving hug. He knew what this could mean, the dangers that awaited both of them. Yet in that moment, with this beautiful woman in his arms, none of that mattered to him. "Very well." He was in love.
Texas stood beside Carolina, both aiming their weapons at the leader of the Insurrectionists… and Agent Connecticut. The traitor. She let the pair ramble on about their crap, about how the Freelancers were the ones operating outside the law, about how the Director was pulling all of their strings. Finally, she got sick of listening. "You need to stop talking, C.T!"
"No," her ex-colleague shot back. "I know what you are, Tex, and I'm not taking orders from a shadow."
That word sparked something inside her. "What did you just call me?" The #1 Freelancer growled.
The next moments were a bit of a blur, violence and blood and fury, but they ended with her planting one axe into C.T.'s shoulder and another into her abdomen. Carolina's intervention though allowed the traitor to escape with her fucking boyfriend.
Even as she seethed at the mission failure, she could still hear Carolina's parting shot. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Texas, but you better figure out the difference between your enemies and your friends."
He cut down one enemy after the other. The giant Serban, the nine Garbs, even Fionn's nanny, the dreaded "Witch of the Milstone." And of course his former comrades. His honor, the most precious thing to a knight, was blackened by betrayal. Even when his heart ached at how both of his roses, gold and red, became stained in the blood of men he had fought, laughed and cried beside, he steeled himself with the thought of his beloved. The two of them, hoping that their bond could transcend Fionn's hatred. So, he fought.
Even as he felt his world split in half.
She sat at the computer terminal, watching the final recording of someone she'd have never expected to hear from again. "I leave this copy for you not because you are the best soldier in the squad," C.T. was saying, "but because I know I can trust you the most. After reading these files, you will understand why. Good luck. Your friend, Connie."
And as she delved into the files and found one designated as "Beta", she felt her world shatter into a million pieces.
Diarmuid bounded across the fields, heart beating with relief and excitement. He cleared the distance to the small hut in an instant and flung the door open. Gráinne sprang up from where she'd been seated, hands clasping together in joy at his return.
Said joy grew with his next words. "It's happened, dear Gráinne," he whispered fervently what he had been fighting for so long. "Fionn has consented to our love!"
The pair wrapped their arms around each other in sheer happiness. Before long, they stood together before Diarmuid's old leader. Bitterness still glimmered in the older man's eyes, but he pushed it away and gave a gentle smile to his once betrothed and her devoted lover. The three then headed together to their homeland.
Hope burned inside the heart of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne brighter than ever.
Tex staggered exhausted through the snow. Number 1 on the scoreboard? Best soldier in the squad? If all that were true, then how could she have failed so miserably? How is it that even after gaining the aid of York and North Dakota, storming the Mother of Intervention, fighting her way through just about everything the Director could've thrown at her, even… Carolina, it hadn't been enough? She'd failed to save the Alpha, she'd failed to save Carolina, she'd… failed.
Of course, she had. That was what she'd always do. That was what she'd been modeled after. Failure. Loss.
As Allison, no, Beta continued to trudge through the snow, she remembered one of the last things Alpha- Church had said: "Huh, I don't know why, but… I hate goodbyes." She did, too. But she'd still had to say it.
That was the last time the AI Beta, known far and wide as Agent Texas of Project Freelancer, would ever allow herself to hope again.
Diarmuid of the Love Spot lay amidst the moist grass, blood flowing from his mouth and where his stomach had been gouged open. A simple hunting trip with Fionn, a chance for them to renew their friendship, had gone awry by an assault from a demon boar. The beast had inflicted a mortal wound before running off, but the knight didn't worry. He knew Fionn was a master of healing magics. A little spring water in his hands could become a miraculous healing potion for any injury. And a clean spring was only nine steps away.
Even as he lay dying, Diarmuid thought he could hear something spoken. "Did you actually believe I would allow you to walk away with Gráinne?"
Twice Fionn cupped his hands in the flowing water and made to bring it to his friend, only to spill the precious liquid. On the third time, the First Knight of Fianna had ceased to breathe.
Perhaps it had been a (sentient?) explosive going off in the ship she'd been piloting.
Perhaps it was due to a massive electromagnetic pulse.
Perhaps it was a former colleague jamming a sharp probe into her head to extract her core AI part.
Perhaps… she had simply been encouraged to rest by a familiar face. Heh… she still hated goodbyes.
Either way, Agent Texas faded into nothing with one driving desire amidst her final moments…
Kayneth's eyes snapped open only to close briefly again from the light. He slowly opened them again while panting, sweat gathering on his face from the multitude of scenes he'd just witnessed. "A dream…" he breathed out. "Or… dreams?"
He squirmed about where he lay, trying to comprehend. "Lancer's tale… Archer X's armor… could it be? Did I just experience their memories?" Yes… His connection to them via his Command Seals. He'd learned upon reading of the Holy Grail War that Masters would tend to see the lives of the Servants contracted to them. But reading about this was one thing. The actual sensations were something else entirely. To actually witness the tragic love tale of Diarmuid and Gráinne…
And then the circumstances around Archer X's… life.
Once his eyes had adjusted to the brightness, Kayneth's mind began to catch up as well, and the first thing he noticed was that he was currently inside his bedroom at the Hyatt. An IV stand was affixed next to him, the tube connected to his left arm. His body lay heavily bandaged on the soft sheets.
Yet he had difficulty feeling the softness on his bare skin. And he could barely move his fingers to stroke the fabric, let alone move the rest of his body. A glance downward revealed straps, but only around his waist. He should've been able to shift his limbs. So, why couldn't he? "Wh-what is this…?" His whisper carried a trace of fear amidst his rising confusion.
Why couldn't he feel his Magic Circuits?
"Ah, you've awakened." Kayneth's eyes shifted to the doorway. Sola-Ui walked casually into the room with a basin and a fresh towel. Something in her voice sounded off to her fiancé, but he couldn't make out what. Panic gripped him.
"Sola…" Lord El-Melloi attempted to rise, but once again, his arms and legs failed to respond. "What has happened? Why am I here?"
"Lancer saved your life. He and Archer X brought you back here." The beautiful woman had set down her utensils on the nightstand and was rinsing the cloth with a cold face. "Don't you remember?"
"I was…" Kayneth strained his memories through the events he'd witnessed, the pain and mounting horror. Then it all came flooding back to him. The Einzbern castle. His golem. Volumen Hydrargyrum. Some pathetic mercenary with odd tricks and… guns. "I was shot."
But… something was still off. "No… I stopped his attack. I intercepted the bullet with Volumen Hydrargyrum. It never touched me." But another flash of pain swept through him, drawing a wince from the once great magus. Kayneth saw his fiancée place a comforting hand onto his bare right arm, but he couldn't feel the touch he yearned for. "…What's happened to my body?"
Sola-Ui began to dab at his appendage with the moist cloth and continued even as the sensations continued to elude him. "I'm not sure what this man did to you, but initial analysis indicates that every single Magic Circuit inside your body has been dismantled. It's a miracle you're still breathing and coherent."
Kayneth stared up at the ceiling in utter horror. His Magic Circuits, the source behind his Thaumaturgy, dismantled? Sola-Ui continued her dispassionate report. "Your muscles and organs were severely damaged in the process, though. Healing your internal organs was the best I could do for now. Getting you on your feet again will take time and a fair bit of effort." She was fairly proficient in healing magecraft, and Lancer's soft plea to save Kayneth had been strong… motivation. But this level of internal had been nothing like she'd never encountered.
And Kayneth could certainly understand what the final part of her diagnosis would be. Though he wished he didn't. "Your Magic Circuits, though, are beyond repair, I'm afraid." Sola-Ui admitted with no emotion as she continued his treatment. "You will never be able to perform magecraft again."
There it was. The words that pierced the last of his strength and made a tear trickle down the once great scholar. Never perform magecraft again… was there any worse fate imaginable for a pioneer of the magical arts? All the studying, the research, the breakthroughs in his life, and now reduced to this? A cripple who couldn't even cast a beginner's spell? Despair grew within his soul. What did I do to deserve this?
"Don't cry, Kayneth," Sola-Ui attempted to soothe him while moving her cloth to his face. "You mustn't give up yet. We can still win this war."
Kayneth opened his eyes to see her gentle smile. A ray of light amidst the darkness. "Sola…"
"If the Holy Grail can truly grant any wish made upon it, then completely restoring your body, Magic Circuits and all, shouldn't be impossible, right?" She continued to smile at him. "All you have to do is keep fighting and win. Then everything will be back to normal."
All true, Kayneth knew. The legends around the Holy Grail… it could be his salvation. He hadn't joined the War because he actually needed the cup, it had simply been a matter of martial entertainment for him. So, he could use the wish to restore him to his prime again. And with the Einzbern Master still active, Kayneth had ample opportunity to make that treacherous blackguard that had caused him such agony pay dearly. And to think Sola-Ui was encouraging him so; her words should've been the sweetest honey to him right now.
So, why did a cold feeling curl along his spine?
Then the member of the Sophia-Ri family continued. "Then here's my plan, Kayneth." Her delicately manicured fingers traveled to the back of his right hand. "Give me the Command Seals for Lancer. Let me be his new Master." Her smile never waned even as his blood began to freeze. "And I'll bring you the Holy Grail."
"N-no!" Kayneth gasped out instinctively. The Command Seals, they were his last weapon, the final piece of dignity he retained as a Master.
"Why don't you trust me?" Sola-Ui's tone grew more saccharine. Her fingers traced the intricate markings binding the Servant of the Spear to her fiancé. "Even without a Magic Crest, I am still a member of the Sophia-Ri family. Soon to be of the Archibald family with our wedding." She tilted her head. "Besides, Lancer would suffice for me to fight with. You'd still retain full control of Archer X, Kayneth. She has her uses as well."
If that had been meant to calm him down and accede to her plan, it had the completely opposite effect. "Well, but…" It hadn't been lost on Kayneth that she was particularly specific on him making her Lancer's Master. He could see it in her eyes, the way her hands drifted over the Seals again and again… Even if the revelations behind Archer X weren't utterly revolting to the former proud magus, he knew he couldn't relinquish control over his last reliable asset.
But he knew where he'd seen that bewitched gleam in his love's eyes. Gráinne had displayed ones just like them. "Sola… do you think Lancer will just cast me aside and swear allegiance to you?"
"But of course." The cloth rubbed over the magical markings again and again. "He's a Heroic Spirit that answered the Holy Grail's call. It's only natural that he wishes for something, just like us. The same with Archer X. Either one of them would change Masters if it meant fulfilling their goals." Simple logic in her eyes.
Yet her husband-to-be wouldn't accept this. "Lancer is not as miraculous as you think, Sola-Ui!" He yelled out in desperation.
That chilling smile remained. "Whatever could make you say that?"
"I asked him." Kayneth snarled his answer. A wise Master always made sure to know what his Servant's wish was. It was a necessity for strategy and a way to discern whether or not the two wishes may fall into conflict later. Archer X had stubbornly refused to answer, but her partner had been a different story. "His answer was, 'I have no wish for the Grail. If I can fulfill my duties as a knight, that is reward enough.'" The crippled scholar scoffed in frustration. Anger was giving him strength again, allowing him to push past the pain. "No Servant can be summoned that has no wish for the Holy Grail! He's hiding it from us.
"And the same goes for Archer X." An ugly scowl stretched across Kayneth's face as he went on. "She is a treacherous opportunist, no different from the rat that put me in thisstate!" He jerked his chin to the rest of his body. There was little else he could do. "Aside from my Command Seals, the only thing keeping her in line is Lancer, and barely at that." He suspected that the black-armored brute was susceptible to the knight's fabled Love Spot but judging how she had regularly pummeled her "boyfriend" in "life," Kayneth had little hope that anything good would come out of that. "All the more reason for me to keep the Command Seals. They're a separate system from my Magic Circuits, I can still use them and I will use them! Both sets! As long as I have, they have to follow my will!"
"Kayneth-"
"No!" He cut her off. "I shall remain the Master of Archer X and Lancer!"
Too late did he realize that Sola-Ui had long ceased to smile.
"Kayneth…" the cloth fell limply from her fingers as she sighed, "I'm not sure you understand the situation." Her fingers still gripped his right hand tightly. "We have to win, no matter what. And you don't have to stop being a Master. All you need to do is relinquish Lancer's Seals. Archer X can remain at your disposal." She repeated patiently, like a teacher with a dim child. All while she continued to grip him tightly.
Too tightly, Kayneth noted with fresh sweat beginning to form. Her dainty fingers closed around his right pinky, slowly adding more pressure with each passing second. He squirmed under her ice-cold gaze, tried to do something, anything, but what could he-
Crack!
The poor finger had been bent so out of shape it was a miracle the digit hadn't snapped off. Kayneth felt no pain from it, but that only increased his fear. He was completely at her mercy.
And Sola-Ui knew it too. "Surely you know, Kayneth," she spoke ever so sweetly, "with my current abilities in Spiritual Healing, I couldn't hope to remove these Command Seals forcibly." She drummed her fingers against the crimson signs. "I can only acquire these with your consent. No fuss there." She remained unchanged in expression or tone, but the man felt like he was trapped in a block of ice.
"If you continue to refuse… well, I suppose my only alternative would be to chop off your hand." Sola-Ui tilted her head to the side. "It's your choice."
Kayneth El-Melloi, ninth patriarch of the Archibald family, would have liked to claim that he remained steadfast even under the pressure. That he retained his dignity even in his fragile state. That he would not succumb to such bullying, even from the woman meant to be his wife.
But the truth was, he slumped back against his pillow as Sola-Ui practically skipped out of the room, admiring her prize now on her right hand. Tears began to gather again at the multiple humiliations he had suffered since entering this blasted contest.
And just when he thought his humiliation couldn't go any further…
"Wow." Archer X shimmered into view next to his bed. Kayneth didn't know if she'd been in spirit mode or used that cloaking technology of hers. And frankly he didn't care. The Servant crossed her arms while looking towards the doorway. "Guess we both know who's wearing the pants in this relationship."
Kayneth ground his teeth together and shifted his head as much as he could so he didn't have to look at her. He heard a tired huff from her. "Okay, bad joke on my part. I'm not here to pick a fight."
Archer X shifted a bit. "You can save your energy about scolding me for not going after Caster, Lancer's already given me the third degree about that." Truth be told, she had actually felt a little chastened by her partner, more than when anyone else had scolded her before. The disappointed glint in those beauti-stupid eyes almost made the Freelancer forget her own anger at him not backing her up. Almost. I'll deal with that later. "And he sent me in here to… apologize."
A silence drifted through the room. "…Well?"
Archer X's fist clenched at his tone, but she drew in a calming breath. "I shouldn't have tried to kill Assassin X. At least not until Caster was dead. I should've followed your orders and cooperated with Lancer. I'll try to be more respectful to your authority," her stomach nearly rebelled with the next word, but she plowed on, "Master." As long as Lancer's happy.
…Oh, God, I'm turning into that- "And?"
The Servant's eyes blinked behind her visor. "And what?"
Kayneth still refused to look at her, glaring right at the side. "Was that supposed to be it? You attempt to simply worm your way into my good graces after doing absolutely nothing to stop Sola-Ui from stealing Lancer's Command Seals? After letting me be crippled like this?"
"Excuse me?" Archer X growled back. "You went off on your own to raid the castle and got your ass handed to you! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be breathing right now! Hell, Lancer and I were fighting for our lives out there, we didn't have time to keep your sorry ass safe. This wouldn't have happened if you'd just listened to something other than your ego!"
"Oh, so I should have trusted your advice, then?" The professor's head finally swiveled back to scowl at her. "Please remind me just how successful you've been in this campaign, familiar." His words dripped with contemptuous sarcasm. "You've disregarded my authority not once, not twice, but consistently, despite that, you've repeatedly failed to defeat Assassin X, other Servants have eluded their deaths at your hands, Rider nearly crushed you to pulp, and you only manage to come to my side when I've nearly lost everything!" Kayneth gave a derisive snort before concluding. "Thus far, you've done appallingly little to prove yourself worth the mana keeping you in this world."
"Oh, you mean the mana that your fiancée's providing?" The soldier jabbed her thumb towards the doorway. "Real chivalrous of you, letting her foot the bill. And for the record, judging by how you're a big slab of paralyzed meat right now, I think it's safe to say that you've been a failure of a Master, Milord."
Something inside the Archibald patriarch's mind snapped at that sentence. The numb pain throughout his body, the despair at the thought that he might never use magecraft again, the recent humiliation at the hands of the woman he sought to wed, the thought of Lancer taking her from him…
Coupled with the many aggravations this particular Servant had caused him… all this had chipped away at his restraint until the full extent of his rage bubbled to the surface. "Well, you ought to be the leading expert on failure, wouldn't you agree…" he growled quietly out the Servant's actual True Name, "Beta?"
Much to his delight, she stiffened at that. A cold sneer stretched across the Master's mouth. "Yes… I've had a recent look at your past. You've had quite the violent life, haven't you?"
A shaky black finger lifted towards him. "You're treading on real thin ice now."
That warning only served to spur him on. A familiar talking back to her Master? "Oh, should I bow my head in deference to the very best among, what were you called, 'Freelancers,' yes?" He still retained her Command Seals. "A ridiculous name for a motley group of gullible killers. Easily led along by a shining scoreboard. As though being number 1 of that rabble would have any significance to an actual person."
"I'm warning you-"
"But then you never really were a person, were you, Agent Texas?" Even with her looming over him like an agitated bear, Kayneth refused to falter. "Or should I call you 'Allison'?" He scoffed into her fixed visor. "That wasn't even your real name. Just another thing to string you along and make you play soldier to a broken man fancying himself a genius.
"All you ever truly were was 'Beta.' Not even Alpha, but merely a fragment of it. A tiny piece broken off a little science experiment designed to emulate human intellect. A copy of your creator's lost love… and her death." He spat it out in defiance.
Archer X slowly pulled away from him, fists clenched.
His furious mind emboldened by this sign of submission, Kayneth continued. "That was all the Director could truly remember of her, after all. His perceived failure to save his precious Allison. And he implanted that upon you." He scoffed in disgusted anger. "I shouldn't be surprised you've bungled every last task in this War. It's your entire sense of being, after all! No matter what you try to accomplish, no matter how hard you fight, you will always fail in the end. Fail your allies, fail your Master, fail your 'loved ones,' fail yourself."
Kayneth fell back in his head, closing his eyes at the unfairness of it all. "Of all the Servants, I had to be cursed with an utter failure. A shadow of a shadow." He breathed in, much more relaxed after that tirade, then opened his eyes to see her reaction. He found it to be… disappointing.
For the longest time, the Heroic Spirit didn't say or do anything. She merely stood there, still as a statue. Kayneth could see his exhausted, broken reflection in that ridiculous visor. Then as her Master began to think she'd fallen asleep or some such nonsense, a cold whisper came from that black helmet. "Thanks, Master."
Kayneth sneered warily. "For what?"
"I've got to admit, I had one or two doubts when I came in here. Seeing you in this messed-up state, thinking about that doofus of a partner I've got…" his brow twitched; was there a sliver of affection inside that last part? That damnable Love Spot…
But Archer X continued to speak. "But thanks to you, I know exactly what I've got to do."
Only then did Kayneth realize that she had been holding a knife for a while now.
Next thing he knew, blood was flowing like a river onto the bed even as Archer X held a severed left hand closer to the lights, blood trickling from the stump.
Kayneth went still, knowing both belonged to him. Including the Command Seals that held dominion over the one admiring them. He couldn't even scream, the shock was so great. "This partnership really isn't working out," Archer X said in an infuriatingly conversational tone, "so I think I'll take a page out of that spikey-haired psycho's book."
Kayneth Archibald, Lord of the Department of Mineralogy and El-Melloi of the Clock Tower, could only futilely writhe about as his precious highborn blood spilled from the open hole at the end of his left arm. "You… disgusting… bitch!" He spat out in outrage. An attempt to regain one last shred of dignity.
That visor shifted towards him. "Here's the thing about bitches, genius." The knife in her hand disappeared, and a handgun took its place. "Kick them around enough, and they'll bite out your throat."
Lancer gazed into the elated, delighted eyes of his lord's future wife and found himself thinking, It's those eyes again.For a second, Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri's image was replaced by that of one he'd known and loved long ago. Gráinne always looked at me just like that.
He suppressed a tired sigh. The former knight of Fianna had barely managed to come to some form of agreement with this lady after she walked up to him sporting his Command Seals. She had then declared herself his new Master due to Lord Kayneth being severely incapacitated, and even when he repeatedly stated that he couldn't simply switch Masters whenever it became convenient, she insisted that he fight with her.
Still remembering the shame he had wrought in his old life, Diarmuid had reluctantly acquiesced to her wishes, under the provision that their objective be winning the Grail for Lord Kayneth's sake. And even then, he had a hunch that her betrothed's fate was of lesser interest to her.
It was telling that Lady Sola-Ui neither carried Archer X's Command Seals nor brought up his partner so much as once.
Trepidation crept inside the Celtic spearman's heart at the thought that his tragic tale was beginning to repeat itself.
Then a loud Bang! sounded through the penthouse, and the trepidation shifted color.
Sola-Ui spun around from her spot near the bathroom and instinctively moved back to near her new Servant, eyes darting about. Lancer's ears could've pinpointed the buzzing of a fly's wings across a street. He therefore quickly gauged where the sound had come from: the bedroom. Where Archer X was casually striding out of while stowing something away in a compartment of her armor. "Now that's one goodbye I didn't hate…" she mumbled.
She didn't even bother slowing her pace to the table ahead as he leapt across the room and to the doorway she'd exited. She had just reached the collection of Mystic Codes their ex-Master had left laid out when she heard him demand, "What have you done?!"
Tex's arm froze in mid-lift, but she didn't turn around. "I did us all a favor, Lancer. He was dead weight like that. Killing him was a mercy."
"Mercy?!" Diarmuid stormed angrily away from the room with the bloodstained bed and its lifeless occupant. Sola-Ui ventured a glance past him. Her eyes widened at what she saw.
Her Servant quickly shifted place so as to cover the sight, which she appreciated (though not because of the gore, she'd been raised as a magus, after all). Lancer continued to glare right at the one he'd believed he could trust. "I implored you to apologize to our lord, to bury your animosity with him, not murder him in cold blood!"
"I tried, okay?!" The helmet briefly shifted towards him, but she kept her back to him. "But he just couldn't keep his damn mouth shut." Rummaging could be heard where she stood. "Besides, you look like you've traded up from that prick."
"That was not my choice," Lancer refuted her indirect accusation. "And even if he was crippled, he remained both my Master and yours." He strode towards her, crossing the distance in less than two seconds. "How dare you stain your vows to him and mine with this treachery?! We are Servants!" His left hand grabbed hold of her right shoulder (not noticing how Sola-Ui grimaced at his touching her). "Our duty is to protect our Master and claim victory in his name, not simply put him down like a dog whenever it suits-"
Archer X whirled around, smacking away his hand. "I don't give a rat's ass about what you think a Servant should be, Lancer. And I thought I told you, just because you're satisfied playing the good little bootlicker doesn't mean I'm on board with that." She shoved him away one-handed. "I'm in this Grail War because I've got a wish, a real one, and if it means I gotta get my hands dirty to win that damn cup, then I'm fine with that."
Lancer glared right into her visor. "But you didn't soil just your hands now, Archer X." She made to say something, but he cut her off. "Because I do nothing to stop you, I too am complicit in the death of our lord! I failed my responsibility to him in failing to prevent his… his assassination!"
Archer X scoffed. "Oh, get over yourself, there's a lot more at stake than your stupid honor-"
"My honor may be stupid to you, but it means everything to me!" The sheer rage in his voice took both females in the penthouse aback. Sola-Ui glanced between the two Heroic Spirits with growing concern (for Lancer).
"…I tried to believe in honor a couple of times," Archer X said quietly while glancing to the side. "Back when I was… alive." She looked back at him. "Now look where I am."
The first knight of Fianna breathed to calm himself before speaking again. "Regardless of what your wish may be, I cannot abide such disgraceful actions, Archer X." His words remained laced with tight anger. He stepped in front of the only human present. "And though it pains me, I cannot allow you to contract yourself to Lady Sola-Ui. For her sake."
The Freelancer hid a sneer inside her helmet at how the redhead's eyes lit up like suns. God, she's pathetic.
Not that it dampened the hurt inside her from Lancer's indirect declaration that they were partners no longer.
Still, old habits reasserted themselves, and aggression overtook sorrow. "Fine by me," Archer X replied. "She's not my type. Plus I've picked me up a little insurance." She hefted her left hand to show what it had been holding this entire time.
Lancer's eyes narrowed at the Prismatrix Reactor in her grip. "That belongs to our lord, the same man you just killed. You have no right to touch it."
"Depends on who you talk to. Way I hear it, there are some cultures out there that dictate you keep what you kill." She dropped the Reactor by her side and made to leave. She couldn't disperse into spirit form carrying something this heavy. "And a girl on her own's gotta take care of herself."
Then Lancer stepped between her and the door. "I can't just let you leave, Archer X. Not after what you've done."
A shotgun materialized in Archer X's free hand. She pumped it one-handed before grabbing hold of the trigger and pointing it at him. "What makes you think you can stop me?"
His hands opened to clutch his summoned Noble Phantasms. Spears red and gold spun nimbly between his fingers as the tips aimed towards her. "Do you really need to ask?"
Archer X's grip tightened on her weapon. "You don't have a clue what kinds of bastards are out there, Lancer. The things they'll do to win this Grail War. Just look at what one of them did to the genius back there." She nodded sharply back to the bedroom. "If you keep letting your knightly crap or Little Miss Red over there tell you what to do, you're gonna die in a gutter with a hole in your back. No heroic fairy tale ending, just another casualty."
Lancer didn't flinch. "Even if that is my fate, I'll accept it knowing I stood true to my principles."
Principles. Of course. Archer X had known there wasn't any point in talking to him. She could've told him about the Mage Killer and the Assassin contracted to him, about how they'd have almost blown this whole hotel off the map last night if it hadn't been for her. She could've told him about Rider X and his offer. She could've told him everything… and it wouldn't have made a difference. Just a waste of breath. Mister Handsome Spear-Chucker was too interested in playing Sunday Knightly Tournament with that tiny blueberry of a Saber. Just like with Kayneth just now, she'd be doing him a favor by putting him out of his misery.
So why was her hand shaking? Why did her finger keep shifting away from the damn trigger?
…Dammit.
"If you know what's good for you and that doll, Lancer…" Lancer braced himself as the gun disappeared in a flash of mana and a dark-grey cylinder with a ring took its place.
Archer X's thumb popped the pin loose. "…You'll stay the hell out of my way." The flashbang dropped out of her grip.
Blinding light erupted just before it hit the ground. A heavy banging sound accompanied it, further disorienting Lancer as he moved forward. His left hand shielded his eyes while his right thrust his red spear forward. But he only hit air.
Glass shattered to his right, and he could just make out a black blur springing through where the window was. He made to follow her, but his instincts called out a warning. Lancer's eyes slowly regained their focus, just in time to see something rather big clattering in front of a shape with red at the top.
Blinded and deafened by the assault of that brute, Sola-Ui only realized something was wrong when she felt Lancer's presence in front of her. Quickly applying Spiritual Healing to herself, she opened her eyes to see Lancer's Gáe Daergpiercing some black contraption at her feet. A red display with numbers on top, plus some television shows she'd watched, made her realize Bomb!
Her brown eyes travelled to the tense form of her wonderful savior, her Servant. He had saved her life.
Once the device vanished, Lancer withdrew his spear and made for the broken window. He reached it to find Archer X on a smaller building across the street, a slight crater in the roof indicating where she'd landed. Either of his spears hurled would've surely reached her, but she was the Archer. Distance attacks were her specialty.
The black-armored Freelancer returned his glare from where she stood. She hadn't expected her bomb to go off; in truth, she'd hoped it wouldn't. But she brushed aside any sentiment, adjusted her grip on the undamaged Reactor, and activated her cloaking device. Idiot was the final thought on Texas' mind before she disappeared.
Inside the Hyatt penthouse, Sola-Ui glanced to the only other remaining (living) occupant in the room. "Lancer…"
"Lady Sola-Ui." The soft but firm mention of her name made her stop. He hadn't turned around yet. "Forgive me, but I must ask of your aid."
"Yes?" For a tiny moment, her heart leaped at the idea of him wanting something of her. She even began to imagine all sorts of things before he continued.
"Help me fight in this War."
"Lancer?"
"Archer X's actions cannot be excused or ignored." He finally turned around to gaze at her, and she knew she would never refuse him. "I ask of you; would you be willing to stand temporarily as my Master? At least until Archer X has answered for her crimes?"
Sola-Ui put on a stoic smile while nodding. "Of course." Honestly, she couldn't have been happier despite the circumstances. Kayneth's passing was regrettable, she wouldn't have gone so far, but now he was there to interfere in her time with Lancer. And Archer X, her only direct rival for Lancer's eye, had gone and made herself his hated enemy with her actions. No one left to stop Sola-Ui from being with Lancer. It was almost like a fairy tale.
She'd have been significantly less elated if she'd known romance was presently the furthest thing from the Servant of the Spear's mind.
All Lancer had wanted with this second life was another chance. A chance to be a faithful knight of chivalry, a chance to battle with worthy, noble adversaries, a chance to serve his new lord well and restore his honor.
He held no grudge towards his friend Fionn or Gráinne, the lady that he had loved. Fate had been merciless to him, but such was life. Nor did he feel any resentment towards Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, the man who had called him into this time and place. He didn't even begrudge Lady Sola-Ui for her recent actions; she was simply captivated by the cursed mark on his face.
But Archer X?
Lancer glared out into the night shifting to day, the rising sun bathing the cloudy horizon in red. Lord Kayneth, I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, vow on my honor that you shall be avenged.
Close by, the Hassan designated as Macour the Quick observed the recent events, his mask hiding his smirk. Rider X was right about one thing, he mused while slipping after the elusive Servant. His partner Tekesh would remain to keep an eye on the Hyatt. This Grail War is anything but boring.
-121:48:34
Maiya tapped the side of her stomach and winced at some leftover soreness, but that was the worst of it. She'd now fully recovered from the earlier battle with Kirei Kotomine. Good thing, too; enough time had passed since then, and she needed to get back to work.
The woman proceeded to recheck the gear she'd be taking with her into the city. Once she was strong enough, Kiritsugu had instructed her to proceed as originally discussed before Caster had appeared. The only change to the plan was that a clone of Assassin X would be shadowing her, but that was a condition neither had any objections to whatsoever.
The Mage Killer himself was standing at a different table than at last night's conference (that one had been reduced to sawdust by Kayneth's golem). Much as he'd wanted to pursue the weakened Master and his Servants, Assassin X had persuaded him to remain here for the time being. The Einzbern castle had been compromised, and the entire team needed to recover and stay together lest fresh enemies arrived to finish them off.
The light flickering above him made him briefly glance up. The castle was no longer in peak condition after his clash with the enemy Master. Fortunately, it was still mostly intact, and Assassin X had checked the power grid to find it remained serviceable. A good number of traps had been expended due to Kayneth chasing him, but Kiritsugu chose not to replace them. They'd be changing bases soon anyhow.
Iri walked in with Saber following. "The Bounded Field is still working as before," his wife reported. "No signs of any interference or the like."
"And there haven't been any Servants returning to the forest," the King of Knights continued. "Saber X must have left when Archer X abandoned their battle, and I detected no signs of either of his partners having ever been present." Saber was the first to admit she wasn't Assassin X, but she still knew a thing or two about tracking.
Her partner nodded at the assessment. "Even the Assassin network has been keeping their distance. And with the sun coming up, none of the others will be willing to blatantly attack this place, even if the truce wasn't in play." Perhaps he'd been a little too paranoid in advising Kiritsugu to stay put. Still, better safe than sorry.
Kiritsugu folded up his map and stepped away from the table. He looked to Maiya and his foreign Servant. "Then we had best get moving. Kayneth's Servants will be on high alert to protect their Master, but I have a few ideas on how to infiltrate the Hyatt."
At the word, "ideas," Assassin X made to say something, but Saber stepped up first. "Master, now that we have seen the level of Caster's depravity for ourselves, I implore you again-"
"You want to go after him and finish the job, right?" Kiritsugu interrupted without glancing at her.
It rankled the Servant a bit, but she pressed on in a stoic manner. "Failing to act on our part will put more children's lives at risk. We succeeded in saving ten of them last night," she briefly glanced to her partner in gratitude for his contribution, earning a humble eye-smile in return, before continuing, "but even more are in danger. Perhaps all children in this city."
"Protecting all the children in one single city isn't our main goal," Kiritsugu replied without a hint of emotion. "Eliminating the other Servants and Masters is. Winning the Holy Grail is." He walked towards the doorway even as Iri glanced to him in concern. "Have you forgotten that?"
Kakashi winced, looking between the duo. Looks like he's still a bit bitter about Saber letting Lancer run off with El-Melloi. In truth, the shinobi had been just as complicit in their inaction, but Kiritsugu was giving his partner more of a hard time than him. They might be more cooperative, but their personalities can't help but clash. Maybe I've been too passive.
Righteous anger flared up in Saber, and she made to protest his cold calculations, his lack of empathy, but then Irisviel stepped into her husband's path with a pleading look. Whether Kiritsugu was meant to be the recipient or Saber, or both, it was unclear. Nevertheless, even he stopped in his tracks, returning her gaze.
Those red eyes glimmering with kindness and hope made Saber think back to the tender scene of the couple she'd witnessed. She remembered her Master's state back then, his fears laid bare, his desperation…
And swallowed her temper. Then the Once-And-Future King spoke in a calm tone as she had been addressed. "I have forgotten nothing, Kiritsugu. The Holy Grail remains my main mission." She noticed Assassin X silently encouraging her. In a flash of inspiration, Saber added some logic to her argument. "And Caster's death means one less Servant to contend. The death of his Master means one less candidate for the Grail. By ending them, we not only protect the children of Fuyuki City but also take closer steps to winning the War."
It was easy to forget, but being a king meant knowing not only how to fight well, but also how to speak well. How to convince.
And Kiritsugu Emiya found himself pausing to consider her words. Part of her argument was still laced with that honorable chivalry of a knight, but he couldn't deny the practical side of dispatching two opposing factors in the War. He also detected something familiar in her word choice, her relaxed tone. 'You've been rubbing off on your partner, haven't you, Assassin X?'
'I have no idea what you're implying, my good Master.' The innocence dripping inside his reply made the corner of the Master's mouth twitch. 'Doesn't make anything she's said any less true, though.' He sighed quietly; no argument there.
Maiya stood silently to the side, offering no opinion towards the current debate. She noticed the telepathic exchange between Kiritsugu and Assassin X by minute shifting of their body language and guessed what the Servant was saying. It perplexed her a bit that she could make sense of what the masked familiar could be thinking even without him speaking, but the woman deemed that irrelevant at the moment. Whatever Kiritsugu decided, she would follow.
"Kiritsugu…" That beautiful voice uttering his name made him finally stare at Iri standing before him. She wasn't really blocking his path, one step to the side and he could proceed. But those vermillion orbs looked into his with hopeful pleading. No words needed to be said for him to understand what she was asking: Could you try to trust her? Can you take that risk for our dream?
The Mage Killer considered all of these opinions, weighed them against his own plans… and finally turned around. Saber almost took a step back in surprise to find him locking gazes with her but caught herself. She would stand by her ideals as a king, a knight and a hero.
Kiritsugu returned her look without any sort of emotion and spoke. "Assassin X." The other Servant took a step closer to them. "I imagine that your hounds all ought to be familiar with Caster's scent after taking a bite out of him."
"Yes, and judging by the growls I've heard from Pakkun, they won't be losing it any time soon. Not that they're happy about it."
"Then summon one of them. Saber and Iri will work with that one to hunt down Caster." Behind him, the homunculus smiled in happiness upon processing his words. "Saber." The Mage Killer fixed his cold, dull eyes onto the emerald ones of his Servant. "Make it work."
She nodded once. "Yes, Master."
The mask over Assassin X's face prevented anyone from seeing the bright smile beginning to spread there. It's so reassuring to see them in agreement about something that isn't murderous disapproval over my taste in literature.Then as he pricked his thumb and made the handsigns for the Summoning Jutsu, the idea from before popped into his head again.
The Copy Ninja slapped his palm against the ground, a circular series of markings surrounding it briefly before smoke erupted with a Poof! When it faded, Bull and Urushi were standing to attention.
Kiritsugu cocked an eyebrow at the pair, but it was Irisviel who asked. "I thought we only need one to track Caster, Assassin X."
"That's what Urushi here is going to do." He ruffled the spiky light-brown tufts of the grumbling dog; Urushi would never go against his trainer's commands, but he could still taste that bastard's slimy flesh midst his fangs. Eh, at least I'll be with Iri. "But I've also got something else in mind involving you, Irisviel, your husband and Maiya."
The woman in black voiced their curiosity. "A new jutsu?"
"Exactly." He patted the bigger canine's head. "Bull, the scroll, please." The bulldog rumbled a bark before hunching over, his cheeks bulging. Then to the slight disgust of the non-ninjas present, he regurgitated a Japanese-style scroll only slightly smaller than his open mouth, bearing the same Heno-heno-moheji marking all hounds carried. Assassin X brought it to the table, casually brushing away some saliva, before unrolling it for all to see its contents.