Capítulo 1700: 14
Chapter 14: Chapter 10 Day 4 (cont)Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
As Mordred nods and accepts my outstretched hand, I let out an internal sigh of relief. Not at the outcome of the duel, but more that Mordred seems to have been pacified by it.
'Well, you weren't lying about your strength. I'll accept you for now, but I'll be watching!'
'Thanks.'
Sensing the fight has concluded, both Atalanta and Artoria step forward from the wall they had been resting on and Mordred, after glancing briefly at Artoria, steps back and away, turning towards the doors and giving a wave of her hand.
"I'm gonna head over and catch up on the information you have about our foes. If you need me, I'll be in the study."
I nod, not that she could see it. "Sure."
And then there are three.
"Thank you for humoring him, Master."
I wave it away. "No thanks needed. I would have had to prove to Mordred that I could do this much anyways to get her to go along with our plan against Black. She isn't irresponsible enough to let her Master just run off by themselves without knowing they could handle themselves."
"That might be the case, but that was not Mordred's motive."
Atalanta's voice cuts in. "I heard. It does not surprise me to see that romance still encourages foolishness in any age."
I shrug my shoulder. "I mean, you might be right, but it isn't going to change things."
"I didn't expect it to, but I'll still call out such foolishness when I see it."
As this exchange happens, we begin to move as a group towards to dojo exit, and from there to the living room. Artoria sits next to me, while Atalanta seats herself opposite us. Right, so what's next.
"So, what do we want to do next?" I nod at Atalanta "We could discuss your Wish more, but without more expertise we might hit a wall fairly quickly. We could do some more gaming out the attack on Black, or try to work out how and when Red will respond, or…"
"Actually Master. I had hoped to talk to Atalanta about something myself."
Oh? What did Artoria want? Atalanta seems similarly intrigued but plays it off with a shrug.
"Now would be as good a time as any, I suppose."
Artoria pauses, and I can sense her struggling with some dilemma for a moment before she responds.
"As a renowned hunter, I had hoped to discuss the sport with you. I have experience as a hunter myself, but I believe you might have a different viewpoint from myself or my knights."
Atalanta gives a…smirk? as she responds. "To begin with, I did not hunt for sport. Hunting for me was as breathing for most. To begin with, what is the most impressive beast you hunted?"
Artoria pauses to consider before replying. "While I fought numerous fantastical beasts, from dragons to vorpal rabbits, the one I would most consider a hunt would be the subjugation of Twrch Trwyth, the great demon boar of Ireland."
Now that draws Atalanta's attention. "You also hunted a demonic boar?"
"Nine demonic boars, to be accurate; the seven children of Twrch Trwyth and the great beast itself, as well as another demonic boar we encountered. The beast had been tormenting the land around its lair, killing and despoiling and stealing. A distant relative approached me for assistance in defeating the beast and retrieving the treasures it had stolen and so I accepted. I gathered Kay, Bedievere and Gawain, as well as numerous other knights and allies from all over the lands and begun the hunt."
"Maybe you are not such an amateur hunter! Tell me more!"
Artoria preens at Atalanta's interest, and so storytime begins. "The first boar we encountered was a great beast named Yskithyrwyn Benbaedd. Sir Kay, myself, my mare Llamrei and my beloved hound Cavall fought it ourselves- Cavall tore open it's throat with his teeth and then Kay split it's skull with an axe. With the beast dead, we moved to properly hunt Twrch Trwyth. A knight of mine, named Sir Menw, had a gift for magic. He transformed himself into a bird in order to scout out the boar's lair and steal back the treasures before fighting would begin. Unfortunately, this failed, and he was severely poisoned by the boar's venom."
Atalanta grimaces and shakes her head. "What a fool. Did he survive? A number of hunters were struck dead on the spot by the froth of the Calydonian boar; those who have been on only standard boar hunts completely underestimate the dangers posed by demonic boars."
"He survived but was bedridden for the rest of his life. Still, I am glad he managed to escape and live. I should have been clearer about the threat posed by such beasts- likely our party's early success with the first boar made us overconfident. In any case, Twrch Trwyth must have sensed something was wrong afterwards because he led his family away from his den and across the Irish sea. Once we discovered this, we crossed on Prydwen but found that the boars had devastated the land they had arrived on, killing man and beast alike. Seeing the destruction, a number of our hunting party split off to engage the boars themselves, unable to stomach the idea of delaying to ensure victory, but all were killed."
"Overconfidence again. Were these all youths on their first hunt, or just idiots? With beasts like demonic boars or dragons, you have to fight them with overwhelming force, enough to keep them pinned and stop them retreating when injured to lick their wounds."
"Not just youths. The boars slew four of my own knights who could not bear to wait and gather strength, as well as the kings of France and Armorica. Twrch Trwyth launched hit and run raids on the smaller isolated camps that had refused to travel together. It was only when we cut him off from Cornwall and drew him to us that we met our first success- in that fight, I managed to defeat three of the lesser boars, and then we ran down two more. From there, we pursued him across the country, my knights accounting for the last two lesser boars."
Atalanta and I are entranced by Artoria's tale. The Huntress' tail is flipping back and forth as she leans forwards. "And the beast itself?"
"Twrch Trwyth, even alone, was formidable. He had placed the treasures we were seeking in his fur, and we were bound to leave them unharmed. It came down to Bedievere and Kay- Gawain and I fought it head on while Bedievere and Kay retrieved the treasures from between its poisoned bristles. Then, as night was falling, I lured it to a cliff and tackled it into the ocean. The blessing of the Lady of the Lake let me stand on the ocean, but the great boar sank down, and I believe it to have drowned beneath my feet."
"And after the hunt? Did you all part ways amicably?"
"Amicably enough. A feast was held, but as Twrch Trwyth drowned in the deep ocean, it was somewhat lacking in meat. And as Gawain was there…" Artoria trails off, eyes suddenly dead.
There's silence as the two of us process Artoria's story. Atalanta eventually leans back, a strange look on her face.
"As a fellow vanquisher of such a monster, I salute you. However, you seem to describe more a series of pitched battles than a typical hunt. How did you track the beast, traverse the woods? Your story paints…Twrach Tirewithe as if he were a general or king and the hunt as a military campaign."
"Oh, I suppose he was."
"Pardon?"
"He was a tyrant, cursed into beasthood because as a human he acted just the same as he did as a demonic boar- pillaging, despoiling and killing without care."
Atalanta pauses.
"Maybe that explains it. The Calydonian Boar was pure brute force; a demonic boar the size of a mountain, covered in fire, every drop of liquid from its body a deadly poison, and able to exhale gouts of lightning that scorched grassy fields and hunters. It could tear through city walls and wipe villages off the map. But there was no intelligence behind it, no army of smaller boars it commanded. It was a large, impossibly dangerous beast."
There's a moment where Atalanta takes a breath before she continues. "I wonder if…I wonder if the camaraderie from such a campaign is different from a hunt. Despite the boar's strength, most of the deaths in the hunt came afterwards, as greedy men attacked other hunters over the spoils."
There's silence after Atalanta's dark ending to the previously enjoyable tale of adventure Artoria had provided. Thankfully, it doesn't last long as Atalanta shakes herself away from her brooding about the death of Meleager and engages Artoria with a more detailed discussion of how the hunts progressed, talking about specific minutiae regarding demon boar physiology that I could technically follow but still felt I was lacking context. Reinhard had never fought demonic boars of this sort before, the Demon Beasts of Lugunica being an entirely different matter.
Eventually though, that peters out.
"One thing I don't understand is why would you be interested in my experience as a hunter. For you, it seems like a war to crush dangerous foes. Did you also hunt traditionally? From what our Master has said of your reign, I didn't think you the type to do something for the enjoyment of it."
"Of course I hunted! Hunting is a knight's hobby, and it can be a way to demonstrate skill in times of peace, build an understanding with your companions and acquire fresh food to be eaten."
"I…suppose I agree that one can learn the measure of a man in a hunt. Mostly from negative experience, but still. Very well, King Artoria. Tell me how you hunt; how is your skill at tracking and forestry, to begin with?"
"...I am sorry?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
I'm silent, watching as confusion bounces between the two Servants. There's a moment as everyone pauses, realizing they need to start over. Atalanta speaks first, tilts her head. "I am asking how you hunt animals in forests? Surely that is a fair starting point."
"No, it is just that animals in a dense forest is the easiest to hunt. I was confused as to why such skills would be necessary."
That statement causes even more visible confusion from the pair of us, while Artoria seems confused at our confusion. It's then that a new voice enters the conversation, to clear things up.
"My liege is saying that he…she hunts using Excalibur."
What. Everyone turns to face Mordred, who is standing near us with a smirk on her face. Artoria replies, casually.
"Of course? If the beast you're hunting is relatively stationary, hiding in the lee of a mountain or in a forest, then the best and most efficient way to hunt is to eradicate it and the surroundings in one swoop."
I can both see and feel Atalanta's mind crash at Artoria's casual admittance, and I'm not much better. Artoria senses the shift in mood from the two of us, as well as the triumphant look on Mordred's face, who seems pleased at having accomplished her minor act of treachery. Artoria's gaze darts between all of us, seemingly worried at how visibly badly her answer went down with THE huntress.
"Agravain complemented my hunting skill! He called it impressive and was happy I gave it my all and completed the hunting so efficiently! I cannot believe he would mislead me on such a matter."
Atalanta's still silent, in shock, and Mordred is having to stop herself physically laughing herself to death, so I guess it's up to me.
"I don't think Agravain was lying, but if he thought the best use of a hunt was to demonstrate your might…"
"That sounds like Agravain. He was always talking about how a King should be on a level above her subjects, how 'ordinary people' shouldn't impose their values on someone with the power of the King."
Even as Artoria struggles to find something to respond to Mordred's casual pushing of her brother under the bus, Atalanta's brain has rebooted and she surges forward, grabbing Artoria's face between her hands. Atalanta's head is brought close and the huntress whispers.
"I'll teach you how to hunt." Artoria begins to speak, but Atalanta continues, overruling her on this. "No, no, shush. I'll teach you. If it's the last thing I'll do, I'll teach you to hunt properly."
I sense a spark of indignation withing Artoria flare up, but then feel her stamp it out immediately. There's a pause, as both Artoria and Atalanta hold that position, and then Artoria lets out a sigh and agrees.
"You are the experienced huntress, and this is what I had asked for. I will leave my education on the subject in your hands."
And just like that I feel a burst of satisfaction from…from Mordred. Hold on.
'Mordred, did you try and plan this out so Artoria would…what, make a friend? Learn something? Bond over something you thought she might like? You didn't just do this to embarrass her?'
'Hey Master I'm gonna take you up on that offer you gave before of going out into Trifas alright see you bye!'
Rather than stick around to respond properly, Moedred turns and books it down the corridor towards the front door of the house, armour disappearing as she changes into her casual outfit mid-sprint. By the time Artoria manages to wiggle free of Atalanta's grasp and turn to glare at where the Knight of Treachery had been standing, she's already in the front lawn. I leave her standing on the lawn for a second before opening the portal, which she dives through the instant it's big enough. As Mordred disappears across the threshold, Artoria's gaze falls on me and she raises an eyebrow pointedly. I guess she worked out that Mordred must have left with my blessing.
Meanwhile, Atalanta manages to collect herself after her outburst and takes her seat again. As she does so, she seems to remember my presence.
"Do you have any experience hunting, Master?"
I shake my head.
"None myself. My mantled experience does cover some stuff about culling demonic beasts, but my demonic beasts aren't the same as the phantasmal species of this world, and I have no experience at all with mundane hunting."
"Then you may come along as well. It's a skill all should learn, after all."
I'm…not so sure it's a must-learn skill, not anymore anyways, but honestly it certainly couldn't hurt, and Reinhard has abilities that make him guaranteed to pick up new things quickly.
"Thanks. I'll take you up on that."
The three of us pause in silence again, as the conversation well of hunting seems to have basically dried up for now. Though I can still feel Artoria wrestling with a dilemma. I thought that that was asking for hunting help from Atlanta, so…
'What's up, Artoria?'
'...you believe I should be more willing to act on my desires, Master?'
I mean… 'Yeeees?'
Artoria takes a deep breath, straightens herself and looks Atalanta dead in the eyes.
"I do have one more favour to ask of you. MightItouchyourears?"
"...Why?"
Not receiving a total, off-hand rejection seems to let Artoria speak slower and clearer.
"When I was younger, I once took in and raised a lion cub, though eventually we were forced to part ways. Since then, I have had a bond with lions and so…"
"...In exchange for your tale and your assistance in this war, you may. Just the once, though; I am not to be your tamed pet."
Saying that, Atalanta leans her head forward, bringing her ears and pate of her head forward. Artoria seems to teleport from her seat, gauntlets dissolving into magic so she can run her bare fingers through Atalanta's hair and ruffle her ears. Despite her expression staying as blank as can be, I can feel the moment when Atalanta relaxes and enjoys Artoria's petting, especially towards the base of her ears. The sight if tempting, and I can't deny I hadn't thought of it. I move to rise from my chair, but…
'That did not apply to you, Master. My service is your recompense for my wish. If you want more from me, you will have to prove yourself.'
I'm about to offer Atalanta a chance to race, but before I can there's a short cough behind me, and the two Servants freeze in place while I turn. Kairi's standing in the hallways, very pointedly looking at the wall opposite and not into the living room where we all are. Without turning to face anyone, once he knows he has our attention he speaks.
"I...was wondering if Archer could spare some time. Hina has been asking if she could see the 'pretty cat fairy' again, so…"
"'Pretty cat fairy'…" Atalanta's voice is soft and wistful. "Of course I can make the time to see her. Please excuse me, Master. Saber."
I respond with a quick "Take all the time you need.", but Artoria doesn't speak, which causes Atalanta to stop. When Artoria does speak, it isn't to Atalanta as I expected but rather…
"Master, would you mind if I gave Atalanta a gift to deliver to Hina?"
"Of course not, but why are you ask-" oh. Of course. Artoria doesn't have much she could give as a gift right now, so…
"I gave it to you, and as long as you're ok with that you can do as you will with it."
A smile graces her features in response, and she departs for her room, returning bearing a certain stuffed lion toy, which she hands over to Atalanta. Both Kairi and Atalanta seem to quickly work out what's going on. Atalanta gives a quiet nod, while Kairi speaks up.
"Thank you, both. I appreciate it."
"It is no trouble." / "You shouldn't thank me."
As the two finally leave, Artoria turns her back to me slightly, and speaks to me telepathically.
'You are not going to chide me for sacrificing my own happiness for the happiness of others?'
'What? No! Is this a test? You're absolutely the sort of person who takes more happiness helping people than from material possessions. You might like the toy, but you'd prefer the smile of an innocent to a dozen of them. This and that are different things.'
I can feel Artoria's smile again surface in response to my reply.
'I am sorry. It was indeed a test of sorts, both of your understanding of me as well as my own understanding of your character.'
'Glad I passed it, then.'
And now it's just the two of us. I draw closer to where Artoria is, and she turns around as she hears my approach. I reach for her hand as I continue to communicate with her.
'Do you wish to continue our…practice?'
There's a thrill in her, but she slowly shakes her head and then speaks.
"I would, but later. I would not wish you distracted when we have much to accomplish today- our lives will be on the line tonight, after all. Though…before then, I have…something I wish to talk with you about."
I nod, and we move to the couch where we had both been sitting before.
"It is about Mordred. I am trying to be open to him, but despite my attempts it has been somewhat…difficult stopping myself lashing out, all the more now that I am trying to act on my emotions."
"I noticed."
"You did?" Artoria tilts her head, a mild expression of displeasure crossing her face for an instant. "And here I thought I kept it under control."
"Oh, you're doing pretty good considering…everything about your situation, but you do snap at Mordred more than anyone else. You're ok with me making mistakes like with Shirou or Sieg, you're willing to accept Atalanta's criticism, you don't seem to have a problem with Jeanne at all, but Mordred…doesn't have much leeway. I get why though, and it's more human to have problems forgiving betrayals of that magnitude than not."
"I would have thought you would speak in Mordred's defence. Tell me mitigating factors that I do not know yet but should consider before passing judgement."
"I mean, I could try. Do you think that'd help?"
Artoria's index finger raps softly on her upper leg.
"I do not know. I do understand that Mordred was more a weapon of the true culprit than the culprit himself, but he alone made the decision to rebel and inflict death on my people, whom I had sworn to safeguard."
I…guess that's Artoria giving me some space to defend Mordred.
"The biggest point for me is that Mordred was probably around 10 years old when she revealed her heritage to you. Sure, she was accelerated physically and intellectually by Morgana, but Morgana didn't care one jot about Mordred's emotional state, except as far as it would make her a weapon. Emotionally, Mordred should probably be considered a child."
"...That is…something, at least. But it is hard to reconcile that with my Knight of the Round Table, where Mordred acted loyally; a model of a Knight up until he suddenly was not."
"As long as you're trying, I think that's good enough. No-one expects forgiveness in a day, and I don't think Mordred would accept that kind of turnaround. I'm fairly positive she sees herself as in the wrong and wants to make amends, not be granted instant clemency as though her actions meant nothing to you; that'd probably be worse for her, honestly. Though Mordred's also trying, you know?"
Artoria snorts softly.
"I realized his motive part way through your duel, amusing as it was. Mordred should know better than most that I hardly need a knight to guard my honor."
"That, and the Atalanta thing. She managed to get you to agree to bond with someone, to suborned yourself and learn from another in a topic that you're interested in."
That causes Artoria to pause. "He was not merely trying to find a petty chink in my armour?"
"I mean, she's the Knight of Treachery and part of her will probably always take some pride in that, but my intuition tells me she wasn't just messing with you just to get a rise out of you. It looked to me like she's decided to use her 'treachery' to 'tarnish your perfection' so that you have people you should lean on."
"Turning even loyalty into disloyalty. I suppose that, for now, this is the best that can be expected of him."
With nothing more to say about this topic, I pause to see if Artoria wishes to continue. When it becomes clear she does not, I rise from my seat and stretch.
"Do you have anything to do immediately, Master?"
"Not right now. Lunch is a ways away, and with Atalanta busy it isn't like we can talk tactics- her input would be too useful. I guess I could do some prep work for that, though. Draw up maps and give more details about what we'd be facing."
"If you are doing that, I will accompany you. I have the most experience with military campaigns in our faction, and that might prove useful."
"Right. Let's do that then."
--The Two Factions--
Caules sat at his desk, looking at his powered down computer, and once again wondered what on earth he was doing fighting in this War. Even from the start, he had had his reservations, but he had eventually been convinced by his sister to join, with Fiore even supplying him the catalyst he could use. But now, once again, doubts were emerging, especially after the display of power from last night. It wasn't as if he was worried about the Black Faction losing- after all, with Vlad III leading them on his home territory, victory was assured.
It was just…where did he fall into this. The Noble Phantasm that had cut the sky, that furious beam of red, had contained more power within it that anything his Servant, currently sitting outside in the garden beneath his window, could output, even at the cost of her life. And yet despite the power on display the Spirit Board had not registered the death of any Servant. The unspoken hope of all the Masters of Black is that the Noble Phantasm had spelled the end of the White Faction, that unnecessary complication that did not register on the Spirit Board, but once again Darnic had made clear that his own private sources said that no Servant had died.
Which left two possibilities- one more likely, but the other far more dangerous. The first would be that the Noble Phantasm had forced a disengagement, with both sides retreating. The second, more dangerous possibility is that somehow one of the sides had not only won but had captured and turned the opposition to their cause, like Yggdmillennia had with Red's Berserker.
Caules is jolted from his musings as he hears the familiar sounds of wheels squeaking across the floor outside his door. Seconds later, there's a knock and he opens the door to find, as expected, his sister being pushed by her Servant, Chiron. His greeting towards her is cut off as she speaks the instant she sees him.
"Brother, we're all meeting in the hall."
Everyone was meeting? Since Gordes had been attacked by Rider of Black, Darnic had cancelled such meetings to allow tensions to lower. To break that now-
"That sounds serious; do you know what it's about?"
Fiore glances at her Servant, who gives a smile and nods. She turns back to him and, with a solemn air, nods as she replies.
"Yes. One is a communication from Ruler- it seems White has finally, officially entered the War. There are no more details, but we have to assume they found a Servant to work with. She's arriving shortly to discuss this in detail with us, but she passed this message along to us through our homunculi so we would know as soon as possible."
Seeing her brother's grimace at the new, Fiore assuages him. "It's not all bad, honestly. White formally joining with Red would have been the worst, but Ruler made it clear that White was its own faction. They must have pulled a Servant from Red, which might allow us to defeat both factions in detail."
Caules' mind flashes back to his second possibility and winces.
"And the second message?"
Here Fiore shakes her head.
"I don't know what was in it; it came addressed to grandfather specifically and was officially sealed."
A sealed message for Darnic personally…
"Did you recognize the seal?"
"No. It was blank, but whomever sealed it knew what they were doing. Just touching it made that clear."
"You think it has something to do with Ruler's enquiry?"
"That would be my guess. In any case, we should head to the main hall- we wouldn't want to keep grandfather waiting."
-
As the Queen of her territory, it is a simple matter for Semiramis to track the location of every person on her Garden, which is why she can feel her Master seek out Lancer. Still, there is nothing to be concerned about; it was likely he was just getting a report on last night. At least, that is her thoughts at first, but then the meeting does not end. It is an hour later when Lancer emerges, only to find him face to face with Assassin.
"Lancer. What took you so long? Did you need that time to explain your and Rider's failures?"
"No, Assassin. Your Master was most understanding on that matter. Instead, he asked me to give more details on Saber of Black."
Saber of Black? Of all the Servants, why on earth- But it would be against Lancer's nature to deceive. Still…
"Was he interested in anything in particular?"
"Not that I could tell. Now, if you'll excuse me."
Absentmindedly, Semiramis waves her hand to dismiss Karna, who vanishes into spirit form. Taking a breath, she centers herself for a moment and then enters the room Lancer had just left and there her Master is, sitting in contemplation. Hearing the door open, he looks up.
"Oh, Assassin. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting- did you need something?"
"I was going to tell you that the Gardens are ready to be launched. I finished them earlier than I had expected, even after having to put up all the wardings and that other modification you wanted."
This news at least causes her Master's face to light up.
"Thank you, Assassin. At least this much is going to plan, and I can't wait to fly again. Might you take me on a tour of the grounds?"
"Of course, my Master. Will we be launching immediately, or holding back for our opponents to exhaust themselves on each other before sweeping in and crushing the hopes of the victor of their petty squabble?"
The question causes a wince to cross her Master's face.
"Before I can answer that, do you know where White is located?"
"The last I saw them was two days ago- I caught a glimpse of the Master and Saber of White walking in Trifas seemingly without a care in the world. Other than that, I've had no luck locating them. It's as if they can just drop off the face of the world at will."
"Yes, both Rider and Lancer said something similar- they could feel the presence of the two Sabers just disappear into nothingness. It seems that thief has more tricks than we anticipated."
By now, Semiramis has gotten accustomed to her Master's new epithet for his rival, though it still feels…unnatural from what she knew of him before he met White.
"Speaking of tricks, Master, do you have any revelation as to how the Master is supporting three Servants directly?"
"No. Do you have some insight?"
"I can think of three possibilities. The first is that the Master has the reserves to support three Servants. This would be impossible for a human, but White's Master is already an abnormality. Could he be an incarnated Servant from one of the lesser Grail Wars, or some kind of transformed phantasmal beast like a dragon-"
"He's no Dragon!" Shirou visibly catches himself and continues before Semiramis can say anything. "And I can't believe he's a Servant; when I met him, my True Name Discernment told me nothing. Not that he was an unknown Servant like Saber of Red; it didn't register at all."
But why are you so sure he's no Dragon? Seeing her Master's agitation at the suggestion, she lets the matter pass by her.
"The second, then. White has more than one Master-capable candidate, and our Archer and Saber became their Servants."
"It's…possible, but why would the Grail only warn us of the one Master specifically if there were a host of Masters hiding in the wings? What's your third possibility?"
"That he isn't having to magically support three Servants."
This causes her Master to look at her with a raised eyebrow. It seems she'll need to elaborate.
"Who provides you with magic, Master? You're a Servant, the same as us, after all."
"...You think he has the means to repeatedly incarnate Servants?"
"That would be the third possibility."
There's silence, as the possibilities are mulled over.
"...of the three, the second seems most likely, but the third is most dangerous and would explain how he tempts away my Servants. In any case, to return to your previous question about our next steps, it depends on White. White is the most dangerous force to us at present, even more than Ruler. If we could attack them directly, that would be our next step but as things stand, the only possible target for us to attack would be the Black Faction…"
"Which would leave White free to sweep in afterwards. And holding back?"
"Depends on the character of Black's Servants. If they are willing to join with White, we would face the worst-case scenario possible. However, this feels unlikely- if White and Black were to ally entirely through, this would have already happened. No, it seems likely they will fight and weaken each other before any new alliances are made, and so if we move fast enough, we could take advantage of the conflict to emerge victorious."
"So, the plan is to hold our ground, keeping an eye out for either White's location or conflict between White and Black and swoop in on that immediately? I assume we'll be ignoring the rules of the Grail War in doing this, attacking even in the day?"
Shirou gives a sardonic smile.
"Of course. What do the rules of this war matter in comparison to what stands to be gained by all of humanity should we succeed?"
Semiramis responds with a smile of her own, which is why Shirou's eyes widen in shock when, out of nowhere, chains burst from the floor of the room without warning and bind him. An instant later, the smile falls from Semiramis' face and her eyes narrow.
"And now, Master, you will explain your recent changes in character."
Shirou shuffles a bit but doesn't futilely try and break the chains and instead just adjusts himself to be more comfortable.
"Could you explain what you mean, Assassin?"
"I could understand your hatred of White's Master, but you call him a thief as if that is his greatest flaw. You talk about how all the Servants of Red are yours; you reminisce about flying, and somehow your magic energy has grown by orders of magnitude over the past two days."
Her Master looks at her with a small, sad smile.
"Oh, well I'm glad you care enough to notice."
"Enough jokes, explain yourself!"
Shirou's gaze becomes distant and voice almost wistful as he falls into memory.
"Last night I had a…dreams of some sort. The first in years that was not of that bloody, brutal massacre. I can't entirely remember exactly what happened, but it involved a black dragon, and afterwards there's been a pull towards the Grail, towar-"
"You were always after the Grail, though. That has nothing to do with-"
"No!" Shirou shakes his head strongly. "No. I feel myself being drawn to the Grail, not for my Wish but for the Grail itself. As if there's something within the Grail pulling at me from beneath Yggdmillennia's castle. And there's a similar pull towards Saber of Black."
"...you believe this dragon is somehow influencing and changing you, and the link with Saber of Black is why you spent so long talking with Lancer- He's the Servant who best knows that Servant."
A nod.
"Have you, outside of the link with Saber of Black, discovered the cause?"
A shake of the head.
"Can you…can you stop it or reverse these changes."
Another shake, and then her Master speaks.
"The best I can do is try and control it, to remind myself every moment of my real Wish and force myself to keep moving forwards. It seems to respond to desire, so I'm having to keep that at the front of my mind at all times. Though in my defence I will say that I've actually done a pretty good job holding it back."
"And what if you can't control it? What then, Master?"
"I must have faith; Faith in my own will, and faith that God would not abandon me when the Salvation of all mankind is so close at hand."
Silence fills the room, and Semiramis lets her chains disperse. Shirou rises, hands rubbing places where the chains had pulled tight on his body, and as he rises Semiramis sinks into one of the deep, cushioned chairs in the room. Eventually, she speaks in an uncharacteristically soft and concerned tone.
"...Might you not talk to White again? As much as you discount his vision, he did know more than would be possible, and was sympathetic to your Wish. He could know something about this change."
Shirou takes a seat opposite her as he responds.
"I can't. If we do meet again, knowing that he stands in the way of the Gr- of my wish, it will certainly devolve to violence. A dragon, even one kept half stifled and asleep, would never bear to peacefully meet with competitors and thieves."
Semiramis remains silent, and after seeing Semiramis has nothing more to add, he gives her a light, if tight smile.
"Well, it isn't all bad; with the mana seemingly supplied by the dragon you must be feeling better than ever, and the increased supply has also let me regain most of my capabilities. As long as I can keep it under control it might even be more a blessing than a curse, as if the Lord is tilting the scales in my favor as long as I can overcome the accompanying challenges without losing faith."
-
It's several hours later when Atalanta opens the door to the study, and her eyes are drawn to the map of the Trifas region that I've created and pinned to the whiteboard.
"Master. Saber."
"Atalanta. You free now? We're about ready to go into more detail."
Atalanta has a light smile on her face as she replies. "I'm free. It seems that my visit appeased Hina for now."
"…If we are to strategize, you might wish to recall Mordred. He does have some talent at warfare, after all."
At this, I give Artoria a small nod.
'Thank you.'
'Whatever for, Master?'
'Never mind then.'
"You ok with that, Atalanta?"
"Of course, Master."
Perfect. It takes all of five seconds to leave the pocket house and reach out for Mordred and only a few more seconds for Mordred to return, at considerable speed, the instant I explained how Artoria had requested her presence in our planning.
With all members of White present, I will a pointer into existence and hand it, and the reigns of the presentation, over to Artoria.
"The objective of tonight's attack is to eliminate the Black Faction from the War, as well-"
Mordred's hand rises immediately, and Artoria pauses her presentation and nods at her knight.
"Right, so. We have infinite mana, and we know where they are, so why bother with tactics- we can just rain down Noble Phantasms all night on Black. Even Siegfried and Vlad couldn't stand against our combined power."
"That is a fair enough point. However, the Greater Grail is located beneath the Black Faction's castle and damaging that would render this whole war pointless. In addition, we will be aiming to take the castle as intact as possible, to allow us to best defend against Red's inevitable counterattack and attempt to claim the Greater Grail themselves."
A round of nods. This is easy enough to understand. Here, Artoria turns to me.
"Finally, my Master would prefer if we limited outright casualties- in giving us unlimited mana he has placed himself into debt that would be best regained from non-lethally defeating our opposition and their Masters. However, it should be made clear that this is only a preference, and lethal force is entirely permitted should the situation require it."
Mordred's face twists a bit in confusion, and I remember only Artoria and Atalanta got a full infodump on the Loan and it's requirements, Mordred signing on later. Before she can interject again, I contact her telepathically.
'I'll explain afterwards. Just take us at our word on it for now.'
Mordred doesn't reply directly but does give a nod towards me.
Artoria continues on, not having heard that small exchange, raising her pointer to the map and gesturing with it.
"In any case, direct your attention to this map. We are currently based in the park to the south-west. Ruler's church is found the center of the city, though that should not be relevant. The precise location of the Red Faction is unknown; after the first night they broke up to hide; all we know is that they are somewhere north of Trifas."
After having gestured across the whole of the northern border of the map, her pointer returns to the middle.
"Black's location, thankfully, is easy enough to determine. They are defending their fortress on the north-eastern outskirts of the city, heavily warded against Servants. We could break through such defences but doing so would damage the defences we aim to use ourselves."
Here, Atalanta speaks.
"Drawing out the Black Faction's Servants won't be easy; they might have been drawn out by us earlier, but after Spartacus and our attempted counter-ambush they'll probably be wary. Even if one of us acted as bait they'd probably see through it this time."
Here, I smile slightly and Artoria's pointer moves towards the lake near the Fortress of Millennia.
"Thankfully we have another way to draw out Black, the chance to present them a challenge they cannot back down from, not if they want to retrain one of their trump cards."
Artoria naturally stops, and I take over here.
"No matter how Black responds they've lost. Either they abandon their in-progress superweapon, one of the whole reasons why Avicebron was summoned, and we can still assault directly after dealing with it, or they send part of their force to answer our challenge, or they send their whole force and can lose their base and Masters to a sneak attack. They've forked themselves in their defensiveness."
Seamlessly, Artoria takes over after my conclusion.
"Now, I will outline what we know of the Black Faction's Servants we expect to face tonight, followed by an overview of the Red Faction in case they intervene. If either of you know more on that topic, feel free to speak. Now, to begin with the two Black Faction Servants of most concern are Lancer Vlad III and Saber Siegfried…"
-
Eventually the planning ends, and all that's left is a quick lunch, and then a few hours of last-minute practice. The lunch I throw together is a simple affair; a light pesto pasta, chosen mostly for its simplicity and ease than anything else. Kairi opts out of the pasta for his daughter, Mordred volunteering to head out and pick up snacks from a café she saw on her walk for both of them, but other than that all the Servants enjoy the pasta. It clearly isn't anyone's new favorite; not enough meat for Mordred or Artoria, and not enough apples for Atalanta, but it'll do for now.
From there, we once again assembles in the dojo for some actual combat practice, so we get use to fighting alongside one another and give Atalanta a chance to practice with her new mana supply. Without mana burst the change is not as dramatic for her as with Mordred or Artoria, but compared to our first encounter she seems to move smoother and a little faster. As for fighting alongside one another, perhaps unsurprising, the pairing that needs the least work is Mordred and Artoria, who seem to know what the other will do before it happens while completely silent both vocally and telepathically. Artoria and I come in second place; we still need some communication to work best, but our raw stats can compensate for that.
In a way, this burst of last-minute prep beforehand reminds me of the hours prior to end-of-course exams, though here it's rather more serious. Eventually, though, evening begins to fall and everyone exits the pocket house. Kairi has decided to step out of the house for the evening, just in case we fail and there's no-one left to open the portal for him to get out. As I leave the portal, I catch a glimpse of Kairi's back, heading towards Ruler's church with a gift of pasta and a note I've written, letting Jeanne know White is going to be doing something big this night.
'You ready, Master?'
Mordred's telepathic voice reaches me first, and I nod in response.
"Ready as I ever will be. See you all soon, I suppose."
And with that I kick off the ground, high up into the clouds, and as I begin to walk across the clouds the War enters its next stage.
Notes:
Artoria's account of Twrch Trwyth's hunt comes from Kilhwch and Olwen as translated by Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Guest (the hunt begins around "And after Yskithyrwyn Penbaedd was killed") with some personally added Fate flourishes like Artoria's water-walking being how she drops the boar in the ocean, or how her "I'm going to sacrifice for victory" way of dealing with the boars sets off some of the knights (who charge off and get themselves killed). I would encourage anyone interested to read it, if they can survive the very Welsh names like Gwrhyr Gwalstawt Ieithoedd, as it's a wild story; the boars seem to murder a very significant portion of the nobles of Britain (and other countries) as well as maybe a third of King Arthur's extended family during the rampage. A large portion of that part of the story is basically "and then the boar murdered a king and a dozen of his knights, all named, and then slipped away before King Arthur could properly face it". Other than her Twrch Trwyth hunt/campaign, Artoria's normal hunting technique is directly from FGO, though there Atalanta isn't around to react in horror.
As for Black, they're still trying to play catchup and understand what's going on this War, though they mightn't have long to get a handle on things. And Red…well, I'm sure nothing major is going on with Red. What are some random dragon dreams and an increased mana output when Salvation is right over the horizon?
The planning scene and practice scenes are acting as setup and prep work for the next chapter, which is certainly going to be the most action I've ever written and is probably going to take a bit to get right.
Status de energia semanal
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