Chương 990: 4
003 - From another's eyes
Medea of Colchis.
It was raining.
I had just killed my Master, doomed my one chance at having granted my heart's desire and would soon leave this world, again.
And everything I can think of, is that it is raining.
I hate rain.
Every droplet of cold scorn fallen from the sky soaking me in its uncaring embrace, reminding me of how little I matter. Making me feel small, weak and miserable. Alone and unmissed.
Why did it have to be raining?
Then again, when was the last time things went my way? I can't even remember.
That was before the gods decided to use me as a toy for their game, before my fate laid in their capricious hands.
I hate gods even more than I hate rain.
Witch of Betrayal, they call me. But in truth, I'm the one betrayed again and again. That's the joke of my title.
A goddess any young maiden would admire, destroying my life just to advance a sick plot she wasn't even all that invested in, in the first place.
The man I was made to love, abandoned me as soon as I stopped being useful. Having the nerve to chastise me for the things I did to save his life.
The Master who summoned me to this War, an insecure fool who was more worried about sparing his pride than actually putting my skills to use. Too dumb to realize what would happen when he overused his leash on me.
Frustration mounts, and I let out a scream.
"Unworthy, Unworthy, Unworthy! All of them! Don't I deserve a chance to happiness too?" The damn rain pours down my weakening body, and I can't even cry out anymore. My voice comes out as a whisper. "All the Witch of Betrayal ever wanted… was to love and be loved. The gods truly love irony."
"Few gods actually deserve their position, when it comes down to it." A male voice surprises me, coming from somewhere behind. But I'm too weak to turn and look. "If Gilgamesh did something right, it was giving them the finger… And I just realized humanity owes the golden bastard. Man that's disturbing."
The voice keeps getting closer, until the owner finally comes into my field of vision. It's a young man who doesn't quite look native. Then again, I come from the other side of the globe and almost three thousand years into the past, so who am I to point fingers?
"Please…" I mutter, before realizing what I'm doing. "Help…"
Have I really fallen so low I'll beg for my life? Even knowing it'll all be lies and disappointments once again?
… Yes, even so, I want to live. I want to be happy, and I'll grab any chance, no matter how small or unsightly. Even if it's pathetic, even if I'm too weak to even fake dignity, I want to live.
At my words, the young man kneels in front of me, unfathomable eyes peering into my own. A shiver goes down my spine, and I'm only half-sure it's because of the cold rain. A woman could get lost in that gaze.
"You don't need to beg, princess." He smiles, and I know I'm as lost as I was back then. "We all deserve a chance to be happy, don't we?"
"I need–" My teeth click together as soon as I realize what I was about to ask for. Somehow, compared with the perspective of explaining to this handsome stranger that I need his cum inside of me as soon as possible to avoid dying, just keeping quiet until I fades away doesn't look so bad anymore. But it's just a momentary hesitation. Feeling my cheeks heat up in mortification, I do my best to explain the situation without stammering. "I mean, prana transfer is..."
Admittedly, my best isn't very good.
"Way ahead of you, princess." With a snap of his fingers, a bounded field takes shape around us. One for privacy that will keep mundane observation away and do a passable job at blocking modern magecraft.
Still, old habits die hard, and a spike of distrust flares within my mind. One I'm almost ashamed to voice out loud in front of my savior, but that I force myself to anyway.
"You are awfully prepared for this." Suspicion is an ugly thing, but that doesn't make it any less necessary. I'm not an idealist and innocent fool anymore.
"This isn't exactly my first rodeo." He answers sheepishly but still full of confidence as he walks even closer. "I'll explain everything once you're safe. I hope you can trust me for now."
"Do I have a choice in that?" I huff, looking away to avoid blushing at the close distance between our faces.
He doesn't let me, his hand cupping my chin and gently but firmly turning my face back towards him. All my doubts and hesitation are washed away when he pounces on my lips with a toe-curling kiss. His lips are warm against mine, and his tongue feels like fire against them as he playfully traces their shape. Before I can really react to his actions though, he pulls back again, leaving me gaping like a fish and wanting for more.
"The first one should be fast, right?" He asks, looking a bit put-upon, and I can only nod numbly, lost into his eyes again. "I'm not a fan of skipping foreplay, but needs must." Then he smiles again. "We'll make up for it later."
Hours later, after we're done sealing our pact under the rain and then some, I can't help but think I don't hate it that much, anymore. I swear, if Aphrodite manages to ruin this for me too, I'll find a way to carve her heart out of her divine chest.
Sakura Matou.
"Leaving already, Sakura?" Senpai's voice coming from the yard made me stop and hesitate for a moment, I had completely forgotten he would be practising his martial arts today. "Got talked into opening up the club in the morning again?"
"Ah, senpai!" In the end though, I turn to answer his greeting, anything else would've been rude. So I put on my best smile and turn towards him. "Someone has to do it and it's not like I min—"
My mind comes to an abrupt stop as I catch full sight of him. He's practicing shokutsu today, judging by the bamboo spear in his hands. The morning is apparently hot enough for him to have forgone his shirt during the training and…
It's not the first time I've seen senpai shirtless, but it's the first time I'm not peeking through a door I shouldn't to do it. He's facing towards me, doing nothing to hide his chiseled muscles, glistening under a thin sheet of sweat. Senpai is not a burly man, he's rather thin, actually, but he owns a set of taut and well-defined muscles that would put steel wire to shame.
It's all I can do to not lick my lips at the sight, focusing on gulping down the knot in my throat.
"Something the matter, Sakura?" There's some amusement in his voice, making it clear he's caught me staring. My face heats up, and I curse the way my pale complexion makes my blushes so blatant. At least he doesn't seem angry. "You're looking a bit red, maybe you should call sick today? You know you can borrow a futon here anytime you need it."
The moment gets ruined when something crawls under my skin, the crest worms growing restless at my excitement and reminding me why I can't have normal things like real people.
"I-it's nothing, senpai." I manage to choke out, feeling like the feeble smile in my lips won't deceive anyone. "I'll get some fresh air in my walk to school and it'll go away!"
"Well, if you're sure..." Senpai's amusement turns into a concerned scowl, and I hate myself a bit more for making him worry. "Will see you later then, be careful on your way."
As I flee the house, I can feel a damp spot between my legs. Looks like I'll need a change of panties once I reach the Club.
Truly, I would kill to have a normal body.
Medea of Colchis.
Master's frown grows deeper as the girl flees the scene. He's probably worrying himself about going too far on his teasing, but there was a good reason for it this time. This was the only way I could get a clear idea of what I'd have to work with, barring invasive methods.
"So what do you think, princess?"
"Those worms are a nasty piece of work." I materialize behind him, close enough to feel his body heat. And an appreciative hum leaves my lips as I allow myself to enjoy the sensation before elaborating. "But I'm afraid you give me too much credit, Master. As simplistic as modern magecraft is in comparison with my age, I still can't properly study it like this. I can't even tell how he keeps the soul corrosion at bay with this little immortality system of his."
"Oh, that's because he doesn't."
"Because he d—?" The words fail to parse for an embarrassingly long moment as I try to wrap my head around his meaning. In my defense, yes, he's just told me that that maggot has been running around without a method to safeguard his soul for five hundred years. "Excuse my Trojan, Master, but what the fuck is that idiot thinking?"
"Well, I can't read minds, but I assume he couldn't find anything better and was desperate enough to settle for that. My point stands, though. Can you take it out?"
"Using my Noble Phantasm it would be trivial." I dismiss his worries, before wincing a bit. "But without extensive preparations the process would kill her."
"I thought your severance prevented harmful side effects?"
"When they come from the severed magic itself, it does." No problem and no exceptions, [Rule Breaker] cancels any magical bond or contract without harm falling to any of the parties. "The problem here is the countless worms mingling with her internal organs, suddenly mindless and without direction. Some of them are in her brain. Without extensive measures she'll be dead before they are done thrashing in their own death throes."
It's Master's turn to wince, no doubt envisioning my very graphic explanation.
"How soon can you get something ready? I'd really like to do this before his psycho brother sicks her servant on an innocent girl just because she refused his advances."
"Three days at the earliest, Master." I let a bit of curiosity filter into my voice. That's a suspiciously specific theoretical scenario.
"That doesn't sound that bad..." He trails off without acknowledging my unsaid question.
"But that process will likely leave her bedridden for days. It'll take longer to prepare a perfectly safe ritual without side effects."
"Okay, that's worse, but let's go with quick and dirty anyway." He decides, finally turning to face me. "Her Servant will be busy elsewhere, but that's no reason to get complacent. The sooner we act, the lower the chances Medusa comes sniffing around here and catches us with our pants down. What about the other issue?"
I can't help a pang of frustration as I shake my head in denial, having failed to meet his expectations.
"I can see the rough outlines of what's been done to her, but there's simply too much I don't know yet about the process." Redirecting the cost of maintaining multiple active Servants should be a child's play, but… I shake my head again. "Your special order will take me to first study them in detail, both the girl and the Greater Grail."
"Oh well, we still have some time. Once we set ourselves in the temple you should have access to everything you need. I know you can do it."
I bite my lip at his words, feeling unworthy of the utter trust in his eyes as he declares that. I know I'm powerful and knowledgeable, especially compared with current magi, but cracking something as complex as the Heaven's Feel ritual is a task that's more easily measured in centuries.
"Master, I'm overjoyed by your trust in me and I don't want to question your intelligence, but..."
"You're not sure you'll be able to live up to my expectations?" I nod with a pained expression. "Now, nothing of that. Where has the proud and confident Witch of Colchis gone? I happen to know for a fact you managed to hijack the entire ritual in another timeline, and that was without me helping around."
I feel my chest warm up at his praise, but my expression must remain unconvinced, because his own demeanor shifts to complete seriousness as he takes a step back. There's a moment of perfect stillness that has me holding my breath before…
"If you can't believe in yourself, then believe in me who believes in you!" He declares loudly, smiling like a loon as he points to the skies. "There's nothing to worry about!"
"Master… That was..." I can't help a slight blush heating my cheeks as I hide my lips behind a fist, failing to contain a very unladylike sound from escaping them. "A bit too corny, even for you."
He growls at me, causing my privates to heat up in anticipation. That's a sound I've quickly learnt to associate with good things
"Let me finish one last set and I'll show you what I can do, beyond being corny."
"Oh my, Master is an insatiable beast!" I bemoan with a delighted gasp. "Am I going to be ravaged?"
"I have an hour until I leave for school, let's see if I can make you into a puddle of blissed-out goop in that time."
Haku Emiya
"Thanks guys, you really saved me there!" I gush at the blushing boys in front of me while inspecting the goods they've acquired for me. "I'm completely hopeless when it comes to this sort of thing!"
It's even true. No matter how convenient the geeks from the Western Film Appreciation Club are for my plans, I did need their help navigating around the online shop and I am grateful for it. The main goal was to avoid being ruthlessly teased by nii-san about my technological illiteracy again. That going this route allows me to leave no trace of my purchases is only a plus.
"I- It wasn't a problem, Emiya-san!" The club president stammers back. Credit where it's due, he's the only one who has the guts to actually talk to a girl. There really should be a limit to how shy a group of teenagers can be, but it's not my place to judge. "I mean, you paid for everything, we didn't do much!"
"Nonsense, I would've never been able to do it for myself, so you did me a big favor." They're nice people, after all the layers of hormones and awkward. "Just let me know if you need help with anything, okay? I'll do my best to show my gratitude!"
'And nii-san will skin you alive if you try anything funny' goes unsaid, they're smart people after all. Not that I think they'd try to trick me into something but, well… they'd totally get ahead of themselves and try to trick me into something.
Later that day, in the shed that would've been my workshop had history gone differently, I examine my acquisitions. The bar of chestnut jelly was easy to come by. The double lightsaber replica required patience and planning.
Poor catalysts no matter how you look at them, but it worked for Flat Escardos, so it's not absolutely hopeless. They're not the actual catalyst either, but rather… modifiers. The catalyst proper will still be that excessively powerful sheath currently residing within me.
Nii-san once mentioned he didn't really like Artoria nor most of her alternates. There was one iteration though, that he loved dearly…
Now the question is whether she can be summoned as Saber or not. I'm not too worried anyway. Worst case scenario, my attempts fail and we get the standard version.
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