Beta read by Paragon of Awesomeness, GamerCrusher55 and Shigiya
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-???-
Life always had a strange way of putting one on a path that they had never intended to take.
Born with divine blood coursing through her veins, yet such a gift barely mattered to one so young, and foolish, as the embrace of the mother who gave birth to her was the only thing that mattered.
But it would not last.
For a union between mortal and the divine was itself imperfect; calling it a blessing, sin, or a bad omen was an interchangeable facet, but perhaps plain disregard or a lack of expectations were a more accurate answer. That goddess may have foreseen something she never understood, or even wished to spare her a more difficult path in life.
In the end, they were nothing more than just speculations drawn from the mind of one filled with endless curiosity. One who began her life wrapped in soft linen and left on a lonely shore to fend for herself, purely innocent and ignorant of the world around her — such a small life would never have survived for long if left alone.
Had this also been planned by the goddess?
She wished she knew.
For someone with divine blood, said outcome really reminded her of humans as a whole. Selfish and blind to their actions, unwilling to face the consequences of their own decisions… Then again, that trait was not exclusive to them alone.
Life proved to be a merciful thing on that day, for that infant. Doves flocked around the newly birthed soul who gazed upon them with happiness. She was nestled within white wings to provide warmth and protection while another dove delivered milk to her lips; the doves raised the little one as if her care were a natural part of their lives.
The birds were her very first source of affection, that which had been denied by a loveless mother, and a chance to continue on and eventually be found and taken in by a passing shepherd.
The child had both luck and misfortune by her side from the very beginning. A beginning that Kalawarna wouldn't wish upon anyone. Even as one who had lost the favor of Heaven and been cast down for her sin, the actions of the goddess disgusted her, for that child's only sin had been existing. What was she thinking? It would seem that no matter the world, gods always had strange ways of handling their embarrassing affairs, even at the cost of others.
Humans, despite their similarities, ended up being more merciful to this child. The green hills and grasslands extended as far as the eye could see. Lone trees where leaves rustled from the faint gust of wind, clear skies, and a humble small wooden shack. A peaceful life that followed what was a bleak beginning, an innocent soul growing alongside humans and doves, given the chance to bloom into a rare flower whose beauty already began to eclipse all others even at an early age.
She smiled, laughed, and loved her caretakers and friends. She lived, learned, and diligently practiced everything the old shepherd had to offer, walking alongside him as if he were her father by birth, and he saw his own blood in the small child.
She… was happy.
Seeing this was enough to even make one who had fallen from the grace of God feel the desire to protect this girl. To dredge up old instincts that she had believe to long have discarded. Delicate beyond belief and with a bright future ahead of her, with a smile to match.
Just how did such a delicate and beautiful flower grow such deadly and cruel thorns? Was this truly the same person? An orchid that had turned into a nightshade, left to watch the doves fly in the sky while she was bound to walk the blood-soaked ground, stained by her own hands.
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"Bwah…?"
Waking up in the morning after a night of strange dreams was not an unfamiliar experience for Kalawarna. She had lost count of the number of times she had slept with strange, almost nightmarish, dreams or dreams that was a mess after a long night of drinking or partying throughout the centuries. While Fallen Angels were beings that could and had lived for millennia, with some being as old as the biblical factions themselves, that did not mean they were immune to the passage of time and the scars that came from all the wars and the many stresses that life had to offer. So drinking alcohol was a common vice many fell into.
That and falling into bed with any mortal that catched their eyes.
But Kalawarna felt that this time, her dreams were a bit strange. Rather than dreaming of being in a relationship with the Governor General or being reborn with white wings or other fantasies she would be too embarrassed to repeat out loud, this time, her dreams were not on herself, and was being far too specific to be normal.
She rose, the blanket sliding off her body and revealing that not a stitch of clothing was on her to hide the abundant curves of her body. Her hips flared wide, which led to a sharp contrast to the narrow scoop of her waist. Large breasts, heavy and rounded with bright pink nipples capped the vast plain, already stiff from the morning chill, rising high and unashamed as she breathed in deeply before letting it out, her jiggling mountains falling from the action. Morning light slid along the flat, smooth plane of her stomach, playing over the length of her thick, toned thighs as she slid them off the bed. Each detail stood out as the morning slowly filtered through her window and illuminated the room.
"Damn it…" Kalawarna muttered, rubbing her temple as she sat on the edge of the bed, not bothered to cover herself or even crossing her legs to hide her woman hood. "Who even was that?"
Fragments of the dream continued drifting through her mind but they kept slipping away. The only thing she could recall with any clarity was the blurry image of a young girl. Her face remained frustratingly out of reach, hidden behind a haze that made it impossible for Kalawarna to clear up. Every attempt to remember only made the memory feel more distant.
"It must've happened ages ago." She let out a quiet sigh, staring absently at the floor while trying to piece together the scattered fragments.
The buildings she had seen, the clothes people wore, even the weapons carried into battle had looked nothing like the modern world, being nothing more than blades and spears and hard leather armor. Everything resembled a civilization from thousands of years in the past.
"What was I even doing back then that I'd suddenly remembered someone that long ago?"
Sadly, the answer never came. Beyond vague recollections of surviving one battlefield after another, nothing really came to mind. Yet the more she lingered on the mysterious girl who'd been at the center of it all, the stronger that lingering sense of familiarity became.
It was infuriating, like it should be on the tip of her tongue but it just won't come.
Movement at the edge of the bed tugged at her attention, pulling her up out of her thoughts. Turning to the other occupant on the bed, she found Raynare flopped shamelessly across the mattress, not an inch more clothed than herself, clutching an oversized wine bottle like it was some kind of plush toy. The bottle was nestled right between her bare, glorious tits, the same ones she'd had the pleasure of enjoying time and time again. Raynare's cheeks were tinged a cute shade of pink, and even with her eyes closed, she kept mumbling incoherent nonsense.
"Don't stop pouring… Another bottle… C'mon…Don't… Be… a pussy…"
A loud, un-sexy snore followed, enough to ruin her already bleak morning with how irritating it sounded. The Fallen Angel stared at her roommate for several long seconds before annoyance spread across her face.
"Seriously?"
The pillow flew straight into Raynare's head with a muffled thump.
"Ow…"
That was the only response she received. The Fallen Angel lazily rolled onto her other side, tightened her grip around the bottle, and continued snoring as though nothing had happened while trying her best to bury her face in the pillow to block out the sun.
"This drunken idiot," she grumbled under her breath.
Giving up entirely, she climbed out of bed and wandered toward the kitchen. Still distracted by the lingering dream, she never even considered putting any clothes on. Ground coffee beans were measured almost absentmindedly before the familiar aroma gradually filled the apartment. It was only after pouring herself a fresh cup that another voice broke the silence.
"It is rather embarrassing to find that my Master is apparently a nudist. I had hoped for at least a little modesty outside of her bedchamber, but I had placed too much hope."
"Aah! Jesus Christ!"
Kalawarna nearly threw the mug into the ceiling. Hot coffee sloshed over the rim, barely missing her hand as she spun around so quickly that her chair scraped loudly across the floor.
There, seated far too comfortably at the dining table, was Assassin.
The Servant appeared completely at ease, one leg crossed over the other while calmly reading a thick book, as she wasn't intruding in someone else's home. Her eyes remained fixed on the page, turning it with practiced patience as though the startled scream behind her had been nothing more than background noise.
"W-What are you doing here?" Kalawarna stammered, hurriedly pointing an accusing, shaky finger in her direction.
Without lifting her gaze from the book, Assassin calmly turned another page.
"So you do scream Jesus's name despite being a fallen, how peculiar. Then again, you fell not from dismissal but lust from what I gathered. Also, It would appear my Master is also suffering from short-term memory loss." A faint sigh escaped her lips. "Have you already forgotten that I am your Servant? Naturally, I would be here in your place of residence. By the way, I would prefer you tone down the consumption of cheap alcohol while leaving the windows closed; I am not a fan of the stench lingering in this apartment."
She wanted to argue that the stench was mostly Raynare's fault rather than herself, but was still reeling at seeing Assassin in her kitchen. Only then did she finally glance up, her expression remaining perfectly composed.
"Although," she added after a brief pause, "I did not expect to begin my morning by discovering that clothing is apparently optional in this household."
Only after hearing that did some of the alcohol finally leave Kalawarna's system. She remembered everything that happened, along with all the events that had occurred in these past few weeks. She let out an audible groan upon remembering that she was indeed the current Master of Assassin. Upon touching the metal collar around her neck, she said out loud, "It really doesn't feel like I'm the Master in this situation." She said this with resignation,.
Assassin merely looked at her. "It's for your own good. As long as you have that on, I can protect you more easily."
Kalawarna gave no outward response. But her thoughts were another story.
'As if I'd ever believe that, you witch!'
Suppressing the irritation threatening to show on her face, the Fallen Angel quietly returned to her room and hurriedly got dressed. Ordinarily, being seen without clothes would not have bothered her in the slightest. Living among Fallen Angels had long since stripped away that sort of modesty.
Around Assassin, however, it felt entirely different. Standing before that woman while naked carried an irrational sense of trepidation, as though exposing too much skin alone was enough to warrant punishment. It was an absurd thought, yet her instincts refused to dismiss it. By the time she had finished fastening the last piece of clothing, a small sigh escaped her lips before she made her way back into the kitchen.
Trying to restore some semblance of normality, she gestured toward the cupboards. "Would you like something to drink? Or maybe something to eat before we start the day?"
"While I appreciate the offer, I'll decline. Your skills in the kitchen leave a lot to be desired. And I made some coffee for myself already, which you need to restock, especially before you even think of buying more swill that you call wine," Assassin replied without looking up from her book. "Be prepared. We'll be leaving on a short trip very soon."
The statement caught Kalawarna completely off guard. For several seconds she simply stared, wondering whether she had misheard. Once the words finally registered, the relaxed atmosphere vanished from her posture.
"…A trip?"
A dozen unpleasant possibilities immediately raced through her head.
"Where are we going?"
'Please, Father have mercy, not Romania.'
The memory alone was enough to make her stomach churn in dread. Ever since hearing the details from Raynare, who somehow always managed to learn far more than anyone reasonably should about everything, every new piece of information had only made the entire coming conflict seem more horrifying. Servants capable of leveling battlefields, Masters dragged into conflicts they barely understood, and factions powerful enough to challenge these monsters! It all sounded less like a war and more like a slow march toward inevitable disaster.
Looking back on the previous night, another realization hit her like a truck.
'…That's why I got completely shit-faced,' she remembered while rubbing her forehead. 'I was trying to drink away the stress… and that led to getting shit-faced drunk to forget about it.'
Unable to hear her Master's inner thoughts, or perhaps not caring enough to notice them, Assassin continued. "We'll be traveling to a region within Italy."
That answer stopped the spiraling thoughts almost instantly.
"…Italy?"
There was genuine confusion in her voice now. Of all the places she had expected to hear for their destination, that country had not even crossed her mind.
The powerful and dangerous woman finally turned toward her. "Our destination isn't the important part. We're just accompanying a certain boy while he searches for clues related to his objective. My own reason for going is different."
"And that would be?"
"Observation."
The single word lingered in the room long enough for Kalawarna to frown.
"…Observation of whom?"
"That little Archer, of course."
Kalawarna's confusion only deepened.
"You want to observe him?" She folded her arms, unable to hide the skepticism in her voice. "I thought you already knew enough about him? Besides, he's our ally now, so there shouldn't be any need to do that."
"I know enough to acknowledge that he is dangerous," Assassin admitted. "That is precisely why I intend to watch him more closely, and… let's just say I have a few suspicions that I want to confirm."
Kalawarna remained silent for several moments, trying to absorb the explanation, but failing due to how ridiculous it sounded!
Feeling overwhelmed, Kalawarna quickly shook her head. "A-Assassin, let's take a few steps back here. I can barely keep up."
Assassin let out a quiet sigh before setting her book down on the table. "We'll be accompanying Kiba Yuuto, the Knight of the Gremory group. He intends to investigate one of the facilities where he and several other children were experimented on during their time as subjects for the Holy Sword Project. That laboratory is only one of several hideouts connected to Valper Galilei, the man who ran the project before his expulsion from the Church, and Archer will be accompanying him."
A chill ran down her spine at the realization that she'd soon be directly in Archer's presence for what may be longer than she is comfortable with. The dream from earlier was forgotten almost instantly. She did not even question why they were investigating the laboratories in the first place. Instead, the only thing that came out of her mouth was, "Is Archer's presence really necessary? A single Servant should be more than enough to handle something like that."
A sugar cube suddenly shot across the room.
Crack.
It struck her squarely in the forehead with enough force to shatter into fine white powder and leaving sticky residue on her skin.
"Ow!"
Kalawarna immediately crouched down, both hands covering the sore spot while glaring at the woman responsible.
"What was that for!?"
Assassin calmly reached for another sugar cube, dropping it into her coffee before answering as though nothing unusual had happened.
"My Master truly is an idiot." She stirred the cup once before lifting it to her lips. "No sensible person would allow a precious ally to travel into unknown territory accompanied only by an enemy Servant. Regardless of whether trust has been established, there is always the possibility that circumstances may change out in the field. Sending someone along as backup is only common sense."
She took a slow sip before continuing.
"And whatever that Kiba Yuuto may believe, our primary objective is not the laboratory."
Kalawarna blinked. "It's not?"
"No."
The answer came without the slightest hesitation.
"That boy's only concern is the facility. Mine is Archer."
That only left her even more confused.
"Why?" she asked, rubbing the fading ache on her forehead. "Did Archer do something?"
Outwardly, the question sounded innocent enough. Internally, however, an entirely different thought crossed her mind. 'Whatever he did, I hope the two of you kill each other. Either one works for me.'
The memory of nearly losing her head at his hands in their first encounter still lingered vividly enough to make her neck tense on reflex. Even Raynare occasionally woke in the middle of the night after dreaming about that same twin blades separating her head from her shoulders.
If anyone deserved some misfortune, it was that man.
Assassin slowly closed her eyes before setting the cup back onto the table.
"No. It has nothing to do with anything he did." Assassin's fingers lightly tapped against the porcelain of her cup, seeming to be collecting her thoughts. "Well, not entirely. Rather, my issue with that man stems from how he faced me when we first encountered one another. Heroic Spirits, when summoned, do not necessarily have information given to them by the system about their opponents. So before the battle even starts, we are already scouting out our adversaries, trying to be the first to figure out who our opponent is and what they are capable of. The moment we know the rival Heroic Spirit's name, figuring out their strengths and weakness becomes an easy task, as do the ways to counter them."
So far, Kalawarna could keep up. Rather than saying anything, she just kept her mouth shut and listened carefully. All the while, she ignored the faint snoring in the background, wondering how the woman in front of her hadn't sewn Raynare's mouth shut.
"But when Archer faced me," Assassin continued, "it became evident rather quickly that he knew me somehow. Or at least, knew how I fought."
"How so?" Kalawarna asked.
"He knew my moves before I even revealed them. He calculated my next moves, and he had a depth of knowledge about my way of fighting, even the way I use my chains and poisons."
She explained everything patiently, but the longer Kalawarna listened, the more confused she became. That… did not sound odd. At least, not enough to make one suspect that the other side personally knew them.
"Couldn't it just have been his skills? Lord Azazel has mentioned that Archer is a skilled combatant who can predict his opponent's next move almost perfectly."
"It might be due to his Mind's Eye," Assassin acknowledged, making the Fallen Angel wonder just how the hell this woman knew about that man's skill. Wasn't that stuff supposed to be a secret? "Just looking at your face, I reckon you aren't aware of the ability possessed by Masters to see other Servants' stats. Going back to what I said, it could also be a skill that grants him a type of precognition."
"Mind's Eye?" This was not the first time Kalawarna had heard the term, but she figured that it would have a very different definition from the one she was familiar with from this world.
"Oh, it's just a little trick that allows one to basically calculate each action of their opponents in a battle through a culmination of vast combat experience. In times, manifesting in its true form via a well of information or a fake one that acts via instinct based on ingrained or inherited knowledge. Honestly, the effects differ greatly depending on the rank, but those at the highest realm can technically glimpse into the likely future, then calculate and act accordingly."
Wasn't… wasn't that not just different from genuine clairvoyance?
"That sounds scary," Kalawarna muttered. How did one even defeat an opponent that could basically predict everything? It only cemented her belief of how terrifying these Servants were in the first place.
"But Mind's Eye is not absolute. Even the ones at the highest realm won't save you from an overwhelmingly stronger opponent. But I digress; it's not even the way he fought me, but the way he just talks to me. There is a hidden layer of familiarity. Just think of it as a personal intuition of mine. That man knows me somehow and is hiding it. I do not like being kept in the dark, so my goal will be to uncover the truth."
"Then why am I going as well?" Kalawarna asked, more than happy to just stay behind and enjoy the rest of her day drinking again.
"Because you are my Master and should come along. I do not have Independent Action. Now stop messing around and be prepared. Even if I find out there will be any danger, we wouldn't want you to get devoured or be blown away by one of the many traps in that facility set up by my former Master. And if you try anything funny, just remember that I have placed a slow-acting poison within you that will take effect if you betray me. It will liquify all your flesh in slow, agonizing seconds until there's nothing left but your bones."
"Understood."
Yep, this woman was frightening. At first, when talking to her, the familiar face of the little girl from her dreams emerged in Kalawarna's mind. But after a few seconds of conversing with her, she became certain that they had nothing to do with one another. One was an angel, and the other was a demon in human form.
{Break}
-Kuoh Academy-
"Yosha!"
In the dojo hall usually reserved for the kendo club, a certain brunet boy rushed ahead with far more enthusiasm than any form of technique, one hand firmly holding a crimson blade as he charged ahead. He raised the weapon over his head before bringing it down with every ounce of strength he could muster.
"Oof!"
Unfortunately for him, the strike never came close.
His only reward was a swift kick right in the stomach, folding the boy and sending him spiraling backwards until his body struck a wooden pillar. The sheer pain and possibly a concussion momentarily stunned the boy. Yet he proved himself to be resilient; in less than a second he was already back on his feet, though swaying left and right ever so slightly.
"Urgh, good thing I did not have breakfast this morning," he said to himself. "Damn it, it's hard using this with one hand rather than both."
The gauntlet on his left arm started to glow with the familiar voice of Ddraig speaking boldly. "What the hell was that?! I told you, you should have taken a more defensive approach! Come on, you can't expect to hit a target who is faster than you by just shouting and screaming while you attack them head-on! Oh dear Great Red, why am I stuck with such a fool!?"
"Shut up, Ddraig! I'm trying my best here!" Issei retorted. "And I even tried your tactic last time, and I have a bump on my head to prove it! And I don't want to lose this sword for the third time!" he said while holding Ascalon closely, looking at the sword with awe, and a rarely seen tenderness within him. "Now I understand why all of those swordsmen in anime and movies are always so focused on the sword. I have come to see this as my own friend."
"This is bad. All those strikes to the head have turned you into an idiot. I wonder if it isn't too late to find someone to break our bond and hand me over to Saber instead?"
"What the fuck, Ddraig?! I thought we were bros! Partners for life and all that! You seriously think I suck that bad you'd just ditch me for a girl who doesn't even have real boobs?!"
"Ha! No, of course not. After all, you and I are partners of the soul, as you say. You may not be that strong, but that only means you need to be whipped into shape!"
"Now you're talking! Wait, but I'm not a masochist!"
"You know that's not what I meant, fool!"
While Issei was having his moment with his Sacred Gear spirit, Yuuto stood there awkwardly. Having just kicked Issei to the stomach, he did not follow up with any attack, for this was not exactly a sparring match and more a beginner's introduction to swordsmanship for the young boy.
"Maybe this is a bit too advanced for him," Yuuto said, looking a bit guilty. "He's forced to use the sword only with the gauntlet on, which is a disadvantage already; we should start off with him just swinging the sword and getting familiar with its weight. Why don't we start with that?" he asked the man who stood to the side and was acting as the overseer of the match, observing it with his arms crossed the entire time.
"Blame Issei for that," Archer said with a simple shrug. Given the sword was holy in nature, using one's bare hand as a devil was no different from burning oneself or poisoning. "He is the one who came to me requesting to learn swordsmanship in the first place, and saying he wanted to get right into the thick of it."
There were plenty of thoughts when it came to this matter. He did not necessarily reject the idea of the boy wanting to expand his skill set and try to learn something else. The Welsh Dragon even offered to fuse the blade with the gear and explained how that was possible if Issei wanted to, but the latter denied and insisted on a more traditional approach first.
The timing itself was not exactly odd either, given Issei had seen the aftermath of the battle in Romania that showcased what a Servant was truly capable of. As were many of their enemies, including his own destined rival, the White Dragon Emperor. He could imagine that many, after seeing that, would want to get stronger, and quickly. Rias herself was going through something similar.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Issei arrived in front of him, using the sword like a support for his body. He looked up with great expectation.
"So… how did I do?"
"Better, surprisingly," the white-haired Servant said to him honestly. "What I taught you from before, during the time I trained you for the Rating Game, still remains firmly ingrained in you. So that's a plus. But you should listen to Ddraig and not rush your opponent so carelessly. You may be wielding a part of Ddraig's body, but it is not the Boosted Gear that benefits from your head-first approach."
"Don't people with swords attack others just like I did? You did it yourself lots of times!"
Well, Issei was not exactly wrong, but… "I do try to sneak attack whenever I can if my bow is not an option. But choosing to fight a Heroic Spirit head-on one-on-one with my sword is genuinely my last option. I try to avoid that if I can. And you should too. Your main weapon is your Sacred Gear, and the draconic power it grants you. The sword is in case you are facing an opponent that is beyond your level. You may even use it along with your Sacred Gear to develop new battle tactics that suit you, or if you have nothing else left to fall back on, It gives you a distinct advantage against certain enemies due to its holy and dragon-slaying attributes. Still, for now, just focus on the basic moves I showed you. Without the groundwork established, you won't be able to adapt properly in battle."
As soon as he said that, Issei wore an expression of frustration. "Will swinging a sword a thousand times really help me?"
Archer rolled his eyes at that statement, having an idea of where it might have come from. "You've been watching too many anime. It's not that simple. You don't always suddenly become a master swordsman by just swinging a sword a thousand times. You need actual experience, both in genuine combat and also learning to sharpen your mind to find a way out of any trial that comes your way. Half of the battle is who can figure out their opponent's first move and take advantage of their weaknesses. It's not all brute force. Think of it like a chess match."
"I'm not used to all this thinking in a fight, and it's kinda hard to not rely on brute force when your only power is increasing it. But fine, I'll take your advice," Issei said, surprisingly not being confrontational or even trying to argue back. Ever since they came back, he had become more agreeable and easy to work with. While still audibly complaining about everything, he never stopped and continued to press onward with whatever task he had been given.
Something really did happen to him to change his mind that much.
"I'm happy that you're taking this seriously, but also know that the third major aspect of becoming a good swordsman is almost never just jumping into life-threatening combat without a way to win, or pushing yourself to the limit constantly without a goal in mind."
"Really?" Issei looked at him skeptically, sounding unconvinced.
Archer continued with a nod. "Yes. The best companion you will have in your journey is actually rest and self-reflection. Make sure to rest your mind, your soul, and your body in the present, thinking through your past actions and how you should approach those similar scenarios in the future. I told you all this a long time ago, didn't I?"
"You may have said that, but you definitely were doing a good job at pushing us beyond our limits also," the boy grumbled, but he was not wrong. They were very short on time back then, and resting was genuinely not an option. He had fully relied on a devil's physiology and recovery to quicken their training as much as possible, even if he gave them all a day of rest prior to the match itself.
If he were to be given as much time as possible, he would have preferred at least a few months, not just ten days.
After the conversation, both Archer and Yuuto stood at the side, watching the brown-haired boy continue doing basic exercises — crunches this time. Surprisingly, he had good form and could do a respectable number without pause. The question came whether this was naturally from all the work he'd done, or due to his devil body.
"Hey, Archer, when do you suppose we will…" Whatever Yuuto was about to say came to a halt as the ground in the middle of the dojo began to glow with a familiar purple light. The Servant of the Bow raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
"Speak of the devil, and he shall arrive. Well, that idiom does not work particularly well in this case."
As he finished saying that, two individuals appeared in the middle, with the sound of chains rattling filling the room. Having teleported so close to him as he raised his head from another crunch, Issei could only gape in awe, momentarily stunned by the newest arrival as he got a full view that would forever be ingrained in his mind.
"Wow… I think they are bigger than Rider's—mmph!"
His words came to a halt as soon as a black high heel pressed against his neck and stomped whatever words were about to come out in an instant as she cut off his airflow.
"My oh my, you definitely have a lot of guts to be willing to say that to my face, 'little boy'," Assassin mentioned, hiding half of her face behind an imperiously raised hand. "I was made aware that you possessed an eccentric personality, but your boldness definitely exceeds even my expectations."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you can't entirely fault him for this one, Assassin," Archer decided that letting this conversation go on could lead to the boy's death or a case of extreme poisoning, and thus intervened. Assassin gave him a deadly glare that lasted for several seconds until she relented with a sigh and removed her foot a few seconds later, leaving behind a high heel mark on Issei's neck. He began coughing and hacking in freedom.
Archer approached and immediately picked up Issei.
"Are you still alive?"
"Ugh… Somehow."
"Good enough. Let's end our training early. You can continue these exercises at your house, and try to not skip it or be half hearted about it if you want any kind of result. But don't try to go overboard either, otherwise, you'll just hurt yourself in the long run."
With that said, the boy nodded before quickly leaving, practically running as if at any point Assassin would change her mind and stab him in the back.
After Kalawarna stepped away to prepare the teleportation circle, Archer shifted his attention toward Assassin. "Are you ready?"
Golden eyes met his. "Are you? I will warn that despite Valper being dead, his hidden lair may still hold certain surprises." A moment later, her gaze drifted past him, settling on someone standing a short distance away. "Although it seems not everyone shares your enthusiasm for this little excursion."
Following her line of sight, he found that rather than Yuuto she was looking at, it was Rias standing with her arms folded across her chest, her attention fixed entirely on the other Servant. Before Archer could say anything, the crimson-haired devil addressed the concern herself. "No, I already gave my permission and I'll be joining as well." Her expression remained composed, though her eyes stayed locked on Assassin. "What concerns me isn't this trip. It's whether you'll actually honor your promise and refrain from trying anything behind our backs."
A faint smile touched Assassin's lips. "I may be an Assassin by virtue of my summoning, but I have no interest in pulling childish tricks on those I understand to be my allies, well, at least when we have other enemies nipping at our ankles. Had revenge truly been my objective, Archer would have paid for his actions long before today. Trust me when I say the opportunities were never in short supply."
"You don't need to worry," Archer assured his Master. "She isn't the sort of person who breaks her word so easily. From what I've seen of her, she is clearly royalty, so her pride will demand as such."
Rias raised a brow, and really looked at Assassin. "Now that you mention it, she does give me the impression of being a royal, maybe even similar to Lancer. Still, if any royal were to be considered untrustworthy, wouldn't it be her?"
"True, but that's especially why I feel she means it. If she had meant to poison us or lure us into a trap, then why sacrifice the element of surprise? There must have been other ways besides asking us to go to an obviously dangerous and isolated location."
The woman behind him folded her arms, Assassin frowning as she stared at Archer as he defended her. "You say all that with remarkable confidence." There was genuine curiosity in her voice rather than offense. "What makes you so certain I wasn't lying from the very beginning then?"
"You seem to be contradicting yourself, you know," Rias remarked with a small sigh.
Ignoring Rias' comment entirely, Assassin continued watching Archer, clearly waiting for an explanation.
He merely shrugged. "You haven't exactly made much of an effort to hide your royal status before, and you don't strike me as someone who throws around promises lightly. Most people of noble standing who uphold themselves the way you do rarely are the type to break them. You're proud, disciplined, and you place value in your own words. Someone like that doesn't gain anything by making meaningless vows. I admit that having the title of history's first poisoner definitely doesn't help your case, but everyone's got a past. Unfortunately, I've decided to see who you are through your actions rather than just hearsay; after all, we are allies now." A small smile appeared on his face. "Besides, attacking me now would accomplish nothing. It would create more problems for you than it would solve, what with all the current alliances and mysteries around. Logically speaking, it simply isn't worth it."
"So your faith in me comes down to such logic?" she murmured, not at all sounding convinced and giving him the urge to sigh. What answer was she expecting from him at this rate?
"Mostly, yes." He nodded. "You've formed a rather inaccurate impression of me over the short time we've been acquainted, but beyond the circumstances that led to our initial conflict, there's no reason for either of us to be at each other's throats."
"Hmph." She dismissed the topic with a flick of her wrist. "Very well. Time will reveal whether your judgment is justified or if this is truly a matter of relying on logic and not familiarity. In any event, we should leave. If I understand things correctly, it is still fairly early in Italy."
A nod was all Archer gave in response. Nearby, Kalawarna quietly completed the final adjustments to the teleportation spell.
Ever since Assassin's arrival, the Fallen Angel had remained unusually silent, almost whenever she was in her Servant's presence, as though wanting to draw as little attention to herself as possible. Once the magic formation stabilized beneath their feet, Archer turned away from it and approached Rias instead, Yuuto naturally falling into step beside him.
"Everything will be alright," Archer said softly. "I know you have your reservations about Assassin, but she will not betray us, at least, not any time soon."
"I'll make sure we don't create any unnecessary trouble," Yuuto added.
The devil heiress smiled faintly before shaking her head. "That isn't what worries me." Reaching forward, she gently clasped the blond Knight's hand between both of hers. "This journey may not give you the answers you've been hoping for. You could find something painful instead, or perhaps nothing at all. Whatever awaits you over there, don't lose sight of what's always ready for you to come home to right here. You already have a family. Every member of this peerage will stand beside you no matter what happens."
Warmth spread across Yuuto's face as he lowered his head slightly toward his King. "I know. Everything you've all done for me… I could never forget it. I'm grateful, and I don't intend to disappoint any of you."
"You will not," Rias replied, a teasing smile finally replacing the seriousness from before. "Otherwise I'll have myself, Archer, and everyone else coming after you, and we'll make absolutely certain that lesson stays with you. Even if we each have to give you a thousand spankings."
A quiet laugh escaped the swordsman. "That sounds much more like a threat than encouragement." He smiled nonetheless. "I'll make sure it never comes to that."
With one final nod, he stepped toward the teleportation circle while Rias turned her attention to her Servant.
"I can't believe you've initially tried to have me stay behind. Are you genuinely looking for trouble?" Rias asked. "Masters are supposed to stay close to their Servants."
"I was just looking after you, but I understand your concern," he acknowledged. "But this wouldn't have taken that long. Our contract allows us to know whether the other is dead or alive regardless of the distance. If something unexpected happens, I'll call you, and you can swoop in and save me. Still, even if I leave you here, it would still have been much safer. I know she's not your Servant, but we both know Rider would protect you."
If there was one thing he learnt in Romania, it was that the people here had a much easier time using spells that allowed teleportation basically everywhere. They were not as constrained by their magic system, and such a thing could be used against anyone. He could easily see Rias getting taken captive if he wasn't careful.
The biggest advantage of being a Master to an Archer-class Servant meant that they did not always need to be near their Servant as they fought thanks to the Independent Action skill. And at least here in Kuoh, she was protected by practically dozens of capable individuals. One of whom was a Servant he had the rare luxury of being able to trust utterly.
"And should things truly become dangerous, you can always recall me immediately back through our bond, even if I'm a continent away."
"But that would cost another Command Seal." Her eyes drifted toward the marks on the back of her hand. "I only have two remaining."
"I'd rather you spend another Command Seal bringing me back alive than preserve both and lose your Servant altogether."
While he agreed with her sentiment that keeping as many Command Seals available as possible was very important, at the end of the day, they were still tools that were meant to be used in a truly dire scenario.
"I understand, still, I will keep with my decision." Rather than argue any further, Rias stepped forward and wrapped both arms around him, which he returned. After a brief embrace, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss against his lips, lasting longer than normal that Yuuto coughing and looking away in embarrassment, before taking a single step back, but still within Archer's arms. "Too bad for you, you have yourself a stubborn Master who won't let you go that easily, not when the safest place is by her precious Servant's side."
"..."
"Also, I mentioned to you yesterday that I promised myself to get better not just as a Master but as a devil. Everyone around me is doing their best, so I have to keep up."
"…Fine."
Satisfied with that answer, she pulled back, allowing herself no opportunity to hesitate.
Moments later, the teleportation circle activated. Brilliant light swallowed the group whole before vanishing almost instantly.
The journey lasted less than a heartbeat.
The next breath they drew carried the cool scent of pine trees and damp earth. Thick woodland stretched in every direction, towering branches filtering the morning sunlight into narrow shafts that reached the forest floor. Assassin barely took a second to study the surroundings before speaking.
"We're close."
Without answering immediately, Archer crouched before springing upward. Landing effortlessly atop one of the tallest trees, he surveyed the forest canopy and the distant hills before dropping back down beside the others.
"We're in the Foresta Umbra."
For the first time since the sun had risen, Assassin looked genuinely surprised. "You recognized it immediately?" Her eyes swept across the ancient woodland surrounding them. "Most people would think they're standing somewhere completely indistinguishable from any other forest in Europe."
"I've been here before," Archer replied while quietly studying the landscape around them. "A very long time ago."
The memory surfaced where, in his world, a faction of rogue magi eventually abandoned any pretense of coexisting with the mundane members of humanity. They had chosen this forest as the location for one of their hidden laboratories, believing its geographical isolation would keep them beyond the reach of both the Church and the Association. Local villagers were kidnapped and used as experimental material until they succeeded in creating artificial Dead Apostles in large numbers.
Their intention was simple enough: unleash the entire force simultaneously across multiple countries and create a disaster too large for conventional organizations to contain.
Of course, such an outcome never came to pass, and the calamity that humanity was about to face was erased in its entirety due to the Counter Force intervening, sending him to clean up the mess.
While he was thinking that over, the man felt the ever-present gaze of Assassin increase upon him, the latter observing him quietly. Her eyes had not left him ever since she had let go of Issei at the dojo. There was no hidden secret as to what was going through her mind. He genuinely didn't know if she was just curious about something related to his own history or was curious about the ways in which one could retrieve their memories from past experiences and summonings.
"I remember visiting this place with my brother not that long ago actually for a camping trip…" Rias mentioned with an unsettled expression. "To think we were close to possibly discovering Valper's lair. Hold on, did my brother know something? Is that why we came here?"
"I would not put it past him, Master." That man was no fool, but then again, the late researcher made sure to hide his tracks well from everyone. It could have been a coincidence.
"Let's go. Valper's hideout is a short distance ahead, right?"
"...Indeed."
After saying that, the group ventured deeper within the forest. It definitely earned its name as the Foresta Umbra, given the sheer sense of dread it could give to a regular person with how eerie the atmosphere was and how quiet it got at times. Though as they got deeper, something caught his attention.
"No animals?"
Assassin nodded. "Valper was not a fan of having local wildlife disturb his work, or accidentally lead any hunters or nature enthusiasts to this location. So there is something similar to a bounded field around the area keeping them and, of course, regular humans away."
He should have figured as much. A person like Valper would definitely value his privacy to the extreme so he could focus on his work.
Soon, they came upon a clearing that consisted of a small pond that had a few boulders found at its edge, with some sunlight managing to peek through the gaps.
"This is it," Assassin mentioned with a small smile on her face upon noticing the others' reactions.
"There is nothing here," Yuuto pointed out. But rather than accusing Assassin of leading them nowhere, he looked towards Archer. "Is there some kind of illusion or other spell hiding the entrance?"
Well, it was a good thing he did not jump to conclusions on the fly. Archer nodded. "I can't quite discern its nature, but there's definitely some sort of bounded field here layered within the one keeping people and wildlife out." As he said that, the man turned his attention to Assassin. "I don't suppose you would be kind enough to open the entrance for us?"
She shrugged. "Unfortunately, my former Master was not that trusting of me."
"Gee, I wonder why," the red-headed devil muttered under her breath quietly, but Assassin made no comment on it aside from shooting Rias a quick smile.
"Regardless, due to his distrust in me, he did try his best to restrict my access to the many areas where he did his work, even though it was a wasted endeavor, given I did not in fact really care."
Walking forward and crouching down to observe the surroundings, it soon came to his attention that the pond itself felt real, and so did everything around here. Were it not for the fact that there was nothing alive roaming this place, it would be hard for anyone to pinpoint this location, for it did not even exude any traces of energy. But that alone was not enough to stop him. Closing his eyes, a burst of magical energy left his palm as he crouched down, touching the ground and spreading across the area. Mapping the entire place, instantly.
And then he raised an eyebrow. "This is quite some advanced concealment."
Even though Structural Analysis could map out the entire area, after he used that spell, it showed that there was nothing in front of him. But he doubted Assassin had messed up the location. He figured it must have been because of Valper's doing. Rule Breaker should be enough. But he had a feeling this was exactly what she wanted him to do, saying that it was okay that he came.
But at the end, he did not need to do much, as in the very next moment, Yuuto walked forward with a sword in hand.
"Let me handle this."
It was the familiar great sword that was as big as a person and looked more like a slab of iron.
"Isn't that…?" Archer started to ask.
"Destruction? I could not recreate something like that even if I wanted to, but this is similar enough." It was indeed a blade that resembled Excalibur Destruction. As Yuuto pierced the ground, an influx of demonic energy rushed into the sword itself until it released in a single impact and shattered the ground with a loud boom. Dirt and rocks were sent flying away while Archer stood in front of Rias to protect her from any stray pieces of debris, while Assassin formed a shield out of magic to do the same.
As the smoke eventually started to clear up, the Knight took several steps back before showcasing the results of his work, which happened to be a set of stairs leading underground. The spell had dissipated entirely, leaving behind nothing but a few ashes and rubble of the destroyed area.
"It's not exactly at the same level as Excalibur Destruction, but it has a similar ability," said the blond as he rejoined them. Assassin observed the blade with a look of curiosity.
"What an interesting ability. I have done some research on these Sacred Gears that old crow is so invested in. Divine Constructs of incredible power unique to this world alone. And this Sword Birth is definitely quite a useful Sacred Gear, even without the Balance Breaker that amplifies its power enough to overturn the natural laws of the world. Can you create any kind of sword using it with any kind of ability?"
Yuuto shook his head. "There is a limit, of course, and it takes some experimenting to get a proper, usable sword that doesn't break easily. Also, any sword I make has to have the demonic trait, and I can't really create any holy swords."
"You are quite open with giving me such information. I was expecting more resistance and secrecy."
Hearing that, Yuuto just chuckled as they got ready to enter the hideout. "I already mentioned the capabilities of my Sacred Gear to many other people before. It is a Sacred Gear whose capabilities were noted and recorded plenty of times with previous users. I don't really have anything to hide even if I wanted to."
"But from my understanding of Sacred Gears, variant powers and unique forms can be developed according to the specific user." She gave him a side glance. "I wouldn't suppose you can fill me in on the details about that part?"
Once again, he merely shook his head. "I'm afraid you are overestimating my capabilities far too much, Assassin. I may be good with the sword, but unlike other people, I haven't yet developed my Balance Breaker."
"...I see. Yes, I heard each one was unique to its user."
"You are being awfully talkative, Assassin," Rias finally asked, taking her attention away from Yuuto. The woman just hummed in agreement. "I know we are technically allies, but is there a reason why you are asking so many questions of my precious Knight?"
She did not get seem offended by the redhead's intervention and accusation. "It's not every day I get to have a conversation with a group so unique like this, so you can just say that curiosity got the better of me. Archer here should understand that."
Then, feeling a pull from his Master, Archer slowed his pace slightly and fell to the back of the group beside Rias.
"I really don't trust her," Rias whispered, having kept her silence the entire time. "Her Master looks absolutely terrified of her. Can't even call her a Master at this rate, more like a walking battery."
"Well, you can't blame her for fearing Assassin. You're talking about the person who had planned on killing her prior Master for insults she felt were performed against her… well, at least until circumstances saw to it for her. Even if I can't imagine anyone would shed a tear for the likes of Valper. She can easily do it again if the Fallen proves to be not up to her standards or a liability."
After that, no words were shared between the group as they went deeper into the hideout, already encountering their first obstacle: the mostly ruined state of Valper's laboratory.
"What happened here?" Yuuto asked with a worried tone, his hands clenching, most likely worried his search would end here.
"Either an earthquake hit this place and caused the walls to crumble, or Valper tried to blow it up in order to hide his research," Rias mentioned, only for Assassin to shake her head.
"That man had plans to continue working on his projects here even after reforming Excalibur in its entirety. At no point did he ever truly account for his own death, far to prideful for such things to worry him."
Not wanting to give up, Yuuto was the first one to venture ahead and try to clear a path, with Rias helping him by using her Power of Destruction to remove all obstacles with ease. As more of the area got cleared, the more the expression on Yuuto's face began to change. Looking around, he momentarily became lost in his own thoughts and stepped into the middle of a large room filled with files and records with a large glass pane overlooking an empty, sealed-off room. His fists clenched, and a second later took a deep breath.
"I recognize this design," he muttered under his breath. "It's not the same, but he made it similar to the one I was kept in before."
"Valper was very attached to his old laboratory, apparently, before the Church raided it and seized all that they could find upon excommunicating him," Assassin spoke again. "This place has many secrets that even I do not know the full depth of. You can go on ahead, try to find anything that might be of use to you, boy. My familiars will keep an eye out for any surprises in the facility, and you can use them to make your way back here if you get lost."
With a wave of a hand, several doves fluttered around her, one flying and landing on Yuuto's shoulder and another one on Rias, with the third one perched on top of Assassin's fingers as she stroked the bird gently.
…
While Rias and Yuuto moved deeper into the abandoned structure to inspect the surrounding corridors, Archer rested a hand against the weathered stone wall. Thin streams of magical energy spread beneath his palm before silently dispersing through the building. Structural Analysis unfolded the area layer by layer inside his mind, reconstructing the entire complex into a detailed mental map. Rooms, passageways, staircases, hidden chambers, and even subtle imperfections in the masonry revealed themselves one after another. The further his spell reached, however, the stranger the place became.
"Interesting." Several sections seemed almost deliberately isolated from the rest of the structure. Thick walls reinforced with countless magical formulas disrupted the flow of his magecraft, making those areas stand out like blank spaces carved into an otherwise complete blueprint. Whoever had built this place had anticipated intrusion from magi long before their arrival.
The spell faded as quietly as it had begun.
Rather than continuing to examine the fortress, the Servant of the Bow slowly withdrew his hand from the wall. For several minutes he had been feeling the same pair of eyes studying him without interruption. At first he chose to ignore it, for she had been going at it for quite a while. But the silence had stretched long enough that pretending otherwise no longer served any purpose.
Turning toward the dark-haired Servant, he met her gaze dryly. "If you have something to ask, then ask. At this rate I'm starting to question if you're not contemplating eliminating me after all, likely with one of those many poisons you are famous for."
"Harsh words, but not wrong. Very well." Assassin shifted the dove onto her shoulder and folded her arms without looking away. "I'll ask directly. How do you retain your memories?"
He raised an eyebrow. So she knew that part… No, it could have been just a suspicion that she worded in a way to dig a confirmation out of him.
"That's quite a specific accusation." There wasn't even the slightest hint of surprise in his expression. "But I am afraid that you have lost me. What exactly do you mean by retaining my memories?"
"Oh please." A quiet scoff escaped her as she rolled her eyes. "Don't insult either of us by pretending you don't understand the question. During my lifetime, I dealt with enough liars, politicians, schemers, and smiling vipers to recognize deception the moment it appears. You're exceptionally skilled… ironically more so than even the one who calls himself Lucifer, I'll give you that. You rarely tell outright lies. Instead, you bury them beneath truths, leave out only the pieces that truly matter, or answer questions in ways that naturally lead people toward the conclusion you want them to reach. It's a far more refined form of dishonesty."
"Someone has clearly been spying on me for a while. Aside from that, I don't recall ever lying to you," Archer answered evenly. "Though choosing not to reveal information that would expose my identity as a Heroic Spirit isn't the same thing. I believe that's called common knowledge for those summoned to fight in a war where information is just as powerful as a Noble Phantasm."
Despite his answer, she did not back away a bit and pushed forth. "It is when the omissions become too convenient yet fit so perfectly without knowing what they are that concerns me. You have done so from the moment I first met you, and I don't like waking into something I don't know."
"…"
This was going to be a problem, wasn't it?
Silence lingered between them before Assassin continued. "We both know the system responsible for bringing Heroic Spirits into this world is imperfect. It tries to impose rules, yet those rules constantly reveal cracks when examined closely enough. That is enough of a mystery by itself, but now we have you, who possess knowledge that should be impossible for you to have regardless of your origins. It conflicts too much, possessing elements from far-away regions, not to mention your familiarity with the modern world and ancient past. Even I had not known that Mordred inherited a portion of the True Dragon Albion's power."
"..."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "At first I assumed you possessed some variation of future sight or were just that wise, but while it seems you do possess a measure of clairvoyance that pairs well with your Mind's Eye it isn't the kind to grant you such deep insight. If anything, it's better suited for your combat and is most likely why you are capable of surviving against such powerful adversaries like Berserker. I searched through every Heroic Spirit I could think of who might possess such an ability, yet I found no one who possesses such a high level that matches your description. Plus, there are no mages so skilled in twin blade combat. I was at a complete loss to who you were, but then I observed Rider, who also knows a lot about you, coincidentally.
She slowly began walking around him, speaking as though laying out evidence after evidence before a court while continuing to gently stroke the dove's feathers.
"The two of you have interacted with a level of familiarity that couldn't be explained. Initially I believed you had just grown fond of each other in your time here, or perhaps even when both of you were alive. That theory disappeared the moment I discovered her true identity. No matter who you were, the Gorgon's legend should have allowed for no such meaningful interaction with any man besides two, and one can't be summoned while the other would be killed. That leaves only one remaining possibility."
She stopped in front of him, leaning against a discarded work table.
"You instead know each other from a previous summoning."
Archer remained silent.
"And if that hypothesis is correct, and you've both retained your memories," she continued, "then it also explains the familiarity I feel, as it becomes increasingly likely that you've encountered me before as well."
…The title of Wise Queen of Assyria was not misplaced one bit with her. In fact, he was starting to believe that it did not do justice to truly encompass what this woman was capable of. Even Sona did not catch on to so many details from mere observation in such a short timeframe.
A faint smile appeared on his face, though it gave away nothing.
"You've also displayed similar behavior toward every Servant you've encountered," Assassin observed. "Never enough for anyone else to notice, but there were fragments of a picture being scattered for someone paying close enough attention to pick up. Rider. Lancer. Even Saber. Your interactions, especially your battles with them, carried an unusual familiarity. The way you reacted to certain techniques, the decisions you made without hesitation, the lack of surprise whenever they revealed abilities that should have been unknown to you… none of it looked like improvisation."
She paused briefly before adding, "One could argue that a skill similar to Mind's Eye explains your behavior. Exceptional instincts can imitate foresight. But instincts don't account for everything. They don't explain why you can seemingly respond to people before they've gone through their patterns, or why you seem to understand personalities you've only just met."
Her gaze remained fixed on him, refusing to let a single detail escape her.
"Something about you refuses to fit the framework we're all supposed to operate under. Every explanation I arrive at answers one question while creating two more." The corners of her eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't know how you've done it, Archer, but I'm convinced of one thing — you remember far more than you should."
He was momentarily taken aback by just how much she had figured out. From so little, she managed to connect the dots with so little information that it made him reevaluate just how perceptive this woman really was. But rather than playing ignorant once more, he faced her calmly.
The man hummed while holding his chin. There were several ways to approach this matter. Lying would do him no good since he genuinely believed she would sniff it out. Best to be careful with his words.
"Even if, let's say, I had old memories of my past summonings, what makes you say there is a method to unlock them in the first place? It could have easily been a mistake from the system that you've already admitted is faulty. And even if I did have a method for that, why would I share it with you? We may be allies for now, but at the end of the day, we are Servants with different Masters. If in the future the unexpected were to happen and my Master gains a dangerous enemy that was formerly an ally who knew our greatest vulnerabilities, I would be shooting myself in the foot."
"There you go again with that approach," she said with a frustrated tone. "You have this habit of worming your way around a conversation, trying to avoid certain topics while using them as a shield at the same time or deflecting subtly. I want to say you remind me of someone, but I have the strange feeling that it might just be my imagination."
Oh? He had no recollection of having a meaningful conversation with this woman in any prior summoning. At the very most, enough to give her a vague sensation of familiarity. At least, so far as he knew.
Regardless, he pushed that matter to the side and shook his head. "What exactly is going on with you, Assassin? I doubt you have done all of this just because you want to keep things equal by remembering your past summons. Someone like you would have most likely tried to figure that out on your own before even attempting to get the answers from someone else. The majority of us wouldn't be able to deal with the information overload."
The longer this conversation went on, the more certain he became that there had to be more to this than she let on. Yet once more, the woman did not even give him enough time to plan out his next words before handing out her answer directly.
"Because I already am." She said dryly, "While I do not need to sleep, I do have moments where I enjoy just letting myself relax. And strangely enough, something odd has recently come up during those periods of relaxation. I have dreams and visions of moments in my life that were not from the time I was alive. Those were not dream cycles linked to my Master either; I checked."
That caught him off guard, and also cemented that the system put in place for the Servants had even more flaws than he first suspected. At this rate, many Servants, if not all of them, would end up eventually remembering their past summons. Whether that was a good thing or not was hard to say, since aside from Rider, no one so far was exactly familiar with Heroic Spirit EMIYA.
"Is that so? Then you have your answer."
"Perhaps, but the reason I'm asking you is that there is a roadblock presenting itself to me. No matter how I try, no matter how much I think about it, it feels like there is a thin film separating me from those memories. The system's doing most likely. Perhaps you and Rider must have experienced something similar but found a way around it… a catalyst that broke it. As for me, I am not sure what this catalyst is. But if you are familiar with me, and there is a possibility that we encountered each other before, then you might end up being the catalyst I seek."
Now it was his turn to scoff. "Great, then I'm no different from a tool to you? This entire trip was just so you can see if the more you interact with me, the greater the possibility there might be of you remembering anything?"
She shrugged, not looking the least bit guilty. "Do not take this the wrong way. We do what we must to not be left in the dark. I am not left with many cards in my hand, and unfortunately, my Master is not exactly a particularly useful one, so I must take risks in many situations. The Governor General is an interesting person, but I know those kinds of men are not so easy to control and often end up being more trouble than they are worth.
"Heh, I am beginning to pity the enemies who had to deal with you and your own subjects as well."
"Why thank you, I tried my best as their queen," answered the former Assyrian Queen with a genuine smile on her face. "But now I may have been mistaken. This entire time we have had this conversation, I've been gaining a growing feeling that perhaps you might not be the one I had this sensation of familiarity with… you merely resemble him in some manner."
…Of course he was not; unlike Rider, with whom he genuinely had enough interactions in the past to justify a sense of familiarity, the same could not be said for this woman. It would make way more sense if it was someone else, and if not, then even he was missing pieces of his memories.
For a brief moment, he genuinely hoped that rather than meeting him, this woman didn't just end up interacting with Emiya Shirou. Had that boy even summoned an Assassin before? He had no recollection of that.
"Then you already have your second answer and are most likely mistaking me for someone else. If I am not that person, then there is no point in trying to push this matter any further."
"We shall see. Still, if you remind me of him so much, then perhaps that alone can stir my memories." Those words slipped out of her mouth, with her still observing him with narrowed eyes before walking past him — though her footsteps halted at the last second. "Entertain me a bit more, if you would. Just like the Sitri Devil, I have taken upon myself a hobby to figure out who I am facing so far. Rider was easy to figure out; Lancer did not even try to hide it. Saber, I have already figured out; that helmet does her no good when she's shouting the name of her Noble Phantasm constantly. And I have even gotten a fair idea of who Caster truly is."
"Hoh, you have been busy."
Her doves. Those were the only things he imagined that could have gotten her information on who Caster was. No one expected that a simple bird in the sky could pose such a threat.
"But you… I cannot for the life of me figure it out. Even after seeing so much of your abilities and even some of the weapons you carry that shouldn't be in your possession. For a brief moment, I wondered if I might be facing the King of Heroes."
That nearly made him laugh on the spot, being compared to that man. But clearly, she did not reach that conclusion herself.
"But clearly you are not. But there must have been some reason why you had so many Noble Phantasms. It doesn't make sense otherwise. Heroic Spirits do not normally possess the Noble Phantasms of others, much less those from such distant lands like China, Greece, and the British Isles. Of course, that's when it hit me: what if your Noble Phantasm enabled you to do as such, and thus I asked myself a question… Are those swords you wield truly yours? Or is it similar to when you pierced through my barrier with Gae Dearg, or that spiral sword you used against Kokabiel and most recently Saber, the crimson blade you unleashed against the Phenex scion, to name some?"
So she even found out the spear's name, after seeing it only once. Even if that weapon did come close to killing her back during their brief skirmish, it must have left quite an impression on her.
"Which leaves me with only a handful of conjectures. One, all of them are part of your Noble Phantasm somehow, or you have the ability to fool people with fake constructs. Second, you are a hero who collected them. Third, your Noble Phantasm lets you acquire the Noble Phantasms of others, somehow. Or fourth — and perhaps the reason why I cannot find anything about you — you simply don't have a legend from the Throne to draw any information from in the first place."
"..."
Frightening did not do justice when seeking to describe this woman. He questioned if the summoning system gave her an extra skill that allowed such astute deductions.
Archer said nothing, walking away to where Yuuto had gone. "We should focus on our current matter rather than trying to guess my origins."
Thankfully, she did not pursue the matter any further and followed at her own pace. Whether or not she believed him did not matter.
Crash!
Not a second later, the sound of harsh impacts reached his ears, and Archer wasted no time rushing ahead, soon arriving in a completely different area where he found Yuuto cutting through several pieces of equipment with enraged eyes. Each swing carried no technique or grace, just pure hatred compelling him to crush and slice through everything.
"What happened?" Archer immediately asked urgently of Rias, who looked completely flabbergasted.
"I-I'm not sure; we were just going through the records and out of the blue, he started to destroy everything around him."
Archer reached towards Yuuto and grabbed his shoulder. A firm grip proved to be enough to stop him as he pulled him back. "Breathe. You're worrying our Master."
"Hah… hah… hah…"
The boy did everything he could to follow his teacher's advice, taking moment after moment to calm his nerves until a few words came out of his mouth. "He… Valper, h-he used more kids… more of them died because of… that bastard! So… So many."
Yuuto didn't seem to care about the pain he received from calling God's name and just stared blankly the mess he made. Archer came to learn the entire story and how Valper had gotten himself more test subjects to turn into candidate holy sword users. If not that, then sacrifices for such if they didn't make the cut. Records showed a newer batch was acquired after Yuuto's group and better hidden, but this one had no survivors. Nor the next. Or the next. Or the many more after. Video records of their experiments continued to exist inside the computers, leading Yuuto to catch a glimpse of it all and relieve the nightmares he had escaped so many years ago.
Now sitting on the ground, he looked so fragile and exhausted. Rias reached forth and pulled him into her embrace, a gesture he accepted and even seemed to calm him down further.
"I… failed again, Buchou."
"No, you haven't," she whispered gently. "Do not blame yourself for this. You couldn't have known about this."
"Just how many needed to die for this damn project? If I had intervened earlier, if I had come back… If I had made my focus finding Valper rather than destroying those stupid swords, they… they would have…"
No more words needed to be said for Archer to understand his meaning as he saw the tears fall off Yuuto's eyes in mourning. "She is right; there was nothing you could have done. Valper managed to stay hidden from every major faction, including his own superiors, and you couldn't have known about any of this." A few words would do little to soothe him, but he hoped it would be enough to make him see reason down the line.
But as one of the computers remained intact, with the names of those who had been part of the project appearing on the screen. The Servant took the opportunity to take a look himself, wanting to see if he could find anything useful that Yuuto could have missed in his emotional state.
One caught Archer's attention, for that particular name had been labeled as 'Indeterminate' rather than 'Failure' like the rest.
'Tosca?'
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.