Chương 49: Train, Train, Train
Move.
That was all that she could do at the moment.
*CLAK*
Harriet's feet slid across the ground, living a small indent in the dirt as she was pushed back from Emiya's blow. Her arms shook from the force as sweat dropped from her brow, her face neutral as she side stepped a vetcal slash and moved into his guard.
Despite knowing that he could and would counter everything she could do, she pressed forward, against the man that had taught her everything she knew about swords. Her wooden English Broadsword sailed through the air at his waist, his other sword already on a path to intercept.
*CLAK*
She bounced off his blade with her own, using the force and momentum to launch herself, she spun through the air, landing away from Emiya. Her wooden sword dragged in the ground, leaving another indent.
He was on her just slow enough that she could barely react to him, already her sword raised to meet his.
*CLACK CLAK CLACK*
Three quick strikes in rapid succession, her arms felt weak from the force of each clash, but she pressed forward, her eyes never leaving the battle as she moved again, her heel drawing another indent in the ground.
*CLACK CLAK-CLAK CLACK*
She swung, intentionally letting the force of her swing push her forward and past him. Already spinning around as fast she could, she blocked with the flat of her blade, entering a stalemate as her applied pressure onto her until she was down to a knee.
"Better." His words word short and her breath cut from her lips as he launched a kick to her stomach, only her active reinforcement allowing her to stay still while breathless. "If you think I didn't notice and allow the magic circle, you are quite mistaken."
His voice wasn't mocking, yet still belated his disappointed tone as his foot shifted, breaking the line next to him. She smirked as chains shot from the ground, attempting to capture him with a zealous fervour as he backed away.
His blades batted away chain after chain with contemptuous ease, his eyes never left her own as she stood, using her wooden blade as a crutch to take a breath. He moved, momentarily exceeding the speed of the chains, he appeared in front of her. His swords positioned in an X against her neck.
"Checkmate." He waited for her to concede, only to feel the dull edge of her own against his neck. He glanced to his left, seeing her standing there with a smile. He clicked his tongue and let go of his wooden swords as the image before him joined the wind as red petals. "Cleaver Girl."
He smirked, ruffling her hair as she let her arms drop from exhaustion, her eyes became droopy for a mere moment before she passed out and fell into his arms. "She's ready… I truly hope you know what she's in for, Merlin." Her glared at the smile on said man's face, the wind perfectly framing his face with his long hair.
…
Harriet opened her, waking up to the smell of fresh chrysanthemums, she was standing in an open field. The wind was warm as the sun kissed her skin.
"Where… Am I?" She questioned the open air, looking around, finding nothing she took a step forwar- She felt a pull and turned around, ready to fight whatever was in front of her. There, Merlin sat, his eyes closed, and his hood pulled over his head.
"Uncle?" She called, confusion on her face as he opened an eye, staring at her silently. Her eyes wandered to the sword behind him, already she was enamoured with it. She took a step and reached for it, deep with in her soul she knew… The blade itself called for her.
"If you take that sword, you'll no longer be human." She snapped out of her trance, merlin now standing beside her, hand firmly but gently wrapped around her wrist and stopping her from grabbing the blade.
"What do you mean?" She questioned, his hand having left her wrist and a small feeling of loss bubbling within her gut as she denied herself from taking the sword. He looked back to the blade, and her eyes were once more drawn to its silver edge, rich gold and blue adorning its hand and cross guard.
"It was the sword of selection, 'Whosoe'er pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise king of all England' is engraved upon it." He glared at the blade, as if it was something to be scorned rather than loved. "It is a cursed blade that brought nothing but pain to Artoria… One I wish she never had to pull…"
He turned to her, lips thinned and brows furrowed… "But you? You have a choice, with all that's happened to you, would you cast away your humanity? Would you pull that sword and condemn yourself to be a martyr?" He gestured to the blade with an open hand, the shadows of his hood now hiding everything but his eyes.
She glanced back at the object, a war beginning in her, one of both longing and rejection.
"Would you cast off that, of Harriet Potter?"
…
"Are you sure this will be safe?" Emiya asked, a scowl on his face as he watched Harriet in her deep slumber.
"Quite, I took some inspiration from another world, the sword will function like her own Noble Phantasm despite not being one…" Fou spoke, siting on a string of thin blue light, a sword slowly forming in the air above the bed, scabbard and all.
"Her soul, will it be untouched?" Artoria asked, equally unhappy with the predicament.
The room was silent, Fou not answering her question.
…
"I would." It was short and simple, something required almost no thought for her. "Is that truly what you wish for." Merlin frowned, the shadows around his face receding as she stared at the blade.
"All of my waking life as Harriet potter was hell, waking up and breathing hurt, my very existence hurt so… So much." Her voice cracked, tears flowing down her eyes, she stared at the blade with that sense of longing pulling at her growing more.
"Then all you have to do, is pull the sword." Like a devil, he offered her salvation, honeyed words that would push her right along with a smile. "Can I just sit here, staring at it for while longer?" She asked, siting on the ground.
"Very well." He sat down beside her, his hood falling from his head in the breeze… They sat there in companionable silence for what felt like hours. The slow breeze, slightly moving their hair in its embrace as she stared at the sword.
…
"The blade's memory's of its existence will be her power." Fou said, the blade now finished and floating in the air, tendrils of it's magic snaking out and twirling upon her wrists. How she releases that power is up to her.
…
"I'm ready." She said. Ready to cast off her previous self and emerge someone else, someone who could move forward and past what had happened to them. Someone who had survived, day in and day out.
She stood, taking a step forward and waiting for a second. With no warning given, she walked up to the beautiful blade, grabbed the handle with both her hands and pulled.
It resisted, it stayed where it was, hungering for memories. How she knew that, she couldn't tell, but she could just… Tell what she needed to say.
"A weapon stolen and shattered, a bridge between Assured Victory and Promised Victory." She chanted lowly, the blade drinking in the memories of her broken form under the stars, and the form she now held with confidence in their New Avalon.
"Reforged, it is the weapon of our family, stronger than ever it's light will shine." She chanted louder this time, with each word her voice grew louder as she strained to pull the slowly sliding sword from its stone.
New Avalon, her family; Fou, Emiya, Artoria, Merlin. All of their faces smiling at her as she summoned her first flower. Her face hardened as she gulped down air, her body yelling at her to scream.
"Enhance Armament!" She released, the blade pointed upward and unleashing a blast of silvery golden light. Flowers started to bloom around her, red like the blood she had lost, they sprouted from the ground, covering the entire field.
"My name is Lycoris Radiata." She announced to the world. "I am no king, I am no queen, I just am." She rejected the notion of being a king, the sword humming in consideration of her words. "It is on my blade that I swear, family is what I uphold, Victory is what I shall obtain, Harriet Potter I cast off."
It accepted her words after a moment of deliberation, the light disappearing and causing her to drop into Merlin waiting arms, exhaustion plaguing her entire body once more. "You've done well, Little Flower, now it's time to rest." His hand combed through her hair, easing her into the sea of unconsciousness.
"I only hope, that you do not come to regret this path you've chosen."
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