What de fuq y'all? Why was him putting his glasses back on even matter? It was supposed to be something like the first time he decides that maybe fighting everyone isnt the answer and starts backing down, that shit gets shut down. It was symbolic. The Eye Killers didn't matter. He was STILL getting hit, no matter what. Nothing he has would let him avoid Gae Bolg more than he did even without his eyes. It re-writes reality to blow through your heart.
-
Gae Bolg.
There was a rather poetic way to pronounce the name of the noble phantasm Lancer had struck me with when I was simply trying to disarm the situation for the first time in my life but, for now, I refrained from voicing the exact words. It took most of the strength I had, but I did manage to keep quiet.
No, instead, I stared at the rising Sun like a kicked puppy. High above, the few clouds watched in trepid silence, scattered in tiny herds, trying to make themselves as small as possible.
It'd be a good, warm day today.
With a groan, I rested my chin atop my palm.
"That Irish gobshite really hit me with an instant-kill..."
And I was so nice to his master too.
Gae Bolg. A spear fashioned from the skull of some mook from legend with the unique ability to always hit its target, no matter what. It sounded like a load of bull, but it was true. My defenses had never mattered. The mystery never even clashed. His spear rewrote reality to make rough love to my chest.
If that weren't enough, then there was the curse that prevented me from healing the injury for as long as the spear remained in the world. Life was rough without a beating heart, but my blood was what kept me alive. Hearts were overrated anyway. They just pumped blood.
Who even needed them?
Pshhh, not me, of course.
A few more seconds and surely I'd have-
"Shouldn't sure-kill be the right word?" Nobunaga craned her neck, holding up a finger. "I mean, if it were instant-kill, I wouldn't have been able to save you, you pathetic master."
"Shut up, nerd. I was about to get up. You just wanted an excuse to crash-out, drama queen."
She let out a boisterous laugh, hands over her stomach as she leaned back against the bench. "If that helps you sleep better, my princess."
"Excuse me-" Rin's indignant words interrupted our little spat. Before I could bite back, she pressed a hot can against my cheek with a deadpan. "-can we not take almost dying so lightly? Or, at least, not make fun of it?"
Nobunaga looked at the woman strangely. "He's a man."
"And?"
After saying words that would make any liberal-minded person do a double take, the Sengoku-era warlord threw up her hands in surrender and got up before walking off with her hands behind her back.
Me personally, I agreed with her. Joking about pain was the best way to deal with it, in my experience.
Rin stared at the servant's retreating back for a while longer, then plopped down right where she'd been sitting, taking extra care to tuck her skirt beneath her thighs.
"You alright?" She spoke after a somewhat awkward pause.
I glanced at her, "Define alright."
Of course, I wasn't particularly incensed about nearly dying. From the moment I'd woken up in that alleyway, drenched in rain and my own warm blood, I had charged headfirst into rightly suicidal encounters, with not a concern for any consequences. That notion softened somewhat due to my family and Luvia, but it still was the core of my belief.
A bland, unexciting life was no life at all. At least, it wasn't one worth living after dying twice and being forced to realise just how short it actually tended to be.
A light breeze rustled Rin's hair.
I did not want to go to sleep thinking 'I'll do this tomorrow', because tomorrow wasn't as guaranteed as I'd formerly thought.
"I guess you wouldn't be." She tucked a stray bang behind her ear, "I don't think anyone would even survive having their heart torn out."
Hearing words, I wondered what she'd think of my newest spell. A variation of the spell I used to jerk my body to compete with the speed of servants... meant to control my blood... to ensure that it would continue to flow if such a situation ever came to pass again.
"I did."
"Henry, your servant saved your life." She said seriously, before chuckling, "I don't think my servant would have reacted so strongly, so I'm a bit jealous."
Well... Nobunaga tweaking so hard was a bit out of my expectations as well.
"Hey, I don't think a lady should be slandering people behind their back." Archer formed behind us, arms already crossed.
"I knew you were there, Archer."
"Yes, because I am most certainly not bound to you, master."
"Whatever."
"I'm going to say that back to you one day, mark my words."
I stared at their exchange, tugging on the lid of the strange can Rin had shoved in my hands. There was no way to tell what it really was, since I couldn't read Japanese, and refused to learn it. The smell that came from it was odd.
"I did learn something." I said, suddenly.
"Hm?"
"I should never have ever doubted myself."
"W...Well, confidence is always a good thing-"
"Negotiation isn't for me. I should've pulled out a nuke like usual and smacked him over the head with it."
Of course, I was right. I was always right. The moment I had gone against my better nature, and tried to talk things out with someone, he took advantage of my reluctance and came a hair away from cutting my run short.
Making myself a problem for the world was the right decision.
I stared at my hands.
"These really were meant for all ages, and all genders."
"What?" Rin tilted her head, visibly befuddled, "Archer, why are you trying not to laugh?"
Clenching my fist, I held it aloft. "My mother was wrong. I should always hit first."
From the corner of my eye, I managed to catch Rin's jaw going slack. She really shouldn't have been that surprised, honestly. This was the only natural conclusion to draw from such an incident.
"I guess all magus are mad." She shook her head from side to side. "...How are you so..."
I grinned, "Powerful? Strong? Handsome? Hot? Because I'm all those things."
"I was going to say, good?"
"Isn't the whole point of a Sealing Designation to preserve an achievement that can't be replicated with any talent, time or resource? The Mage's Association accepts how good I am. You should too."
From her face, she definitely wasn't all that enthused about my countless achievements but that was definitely a load of bull. Rin was totally losing her mind on the inside, I was certain, more than certain. This was definitely NOT a delusion of mine.
Suddenly, the young lady of the Tohsaka facepalmed.
"Why was I ever worried for you?"
"You were worried for me? Hey now, that's kind of adorable."
Her face heated up. "S-Shut up-"
I cackled.
With a huff, Rin rose to her feet. She stared at me, then turned her head away again before stomping off to the side.
"I'm going to see Sakura."
Ah... right... there was that. The whole reason I was caught off-guard to begin with.
"Well... good luck."
Quietly, I watched her disappear into the distance. When she was gone, I put the can against my mouth, taking a slow slip-
"What the fuck-"
-only to spill the dark contents all over the path in front of me. The drink was disgusting, genuinely disgusting. It was coffee. Cheap swill for the plebs. Ew. I expected better from Rin. She knew I was a proper British gentleman.
My eyes caught a piece of paper lying where she'd been sitting.
A poorly drawn round face with a little tongue stuck out.
"...Heh."
"That was worth sticking around for."
Archer formed again, this time he was leaning against the railing right beyond the path, built to prevent people from testing Darwin's theory by approaching a river as sizeable as the Mion without proper preparation.
His arms were still crossed.
I raised a brow, "Shouldn't you be with your master, servant?"
"Oh? A servant, eh?" He smiled slightly, "Look, kid, for what it's worth, don't feel too bad about getting rocked so hard."
My brow went higher.
Was he... was he trying to console me right now?
"Cu Chulainn is like an Irish Heracles. I don't think anyone would come off any lighter. Besides me, of course-" He grinned, a nostalgic glint flashing through his amused eyes, "-I'm the strongest, after all."
"What?"
He shook his head, chuckling, like he'd just said a joke only he really understood. Behind him, the Sun shone bright, casting a long shadow on me. "You're telling me you wouldn't stare down an Alien, or a Demon God, and say those same words?"
What was that even supposed to mean?
Yeah, sure as hell, that was definitely something I'd say.
Archer raised his hands to either side, "Like so?"
"How do you know this?"
Suddenly, he stood beside me, a hand patting my shoulder.
"I really wonder how. Figure it out, aren't you supposed to be a genius?"
Then, he was gone. Gone with the wind. I was no longer able to sense his presence nearby, but his words left my brain working on overtime. He knew me. He certainly knew me. That was why he'd been acting the way he was since day one of the Holy Grail War, constantly taunting and joining in.
Yet, he was a servant, there was no way for us to possibly know each other.
The cold breeze rasped along my skin.
"Unless..."
The Holy Grail was capable of summoning heroic spirits from the future. In the world I lived in, I wouldn't put that past the realm of possibility.
Then, assuming that was the case, who was he?
Would I meet him later?
No, that couldn't be. He felt oddly memorable... like I'd seen someone like him somewhere.
Huh.
Shaking my head, I got up to leave as well.
For the briefest moment, my body refused to answer. A sour taste lingered on my tongue. Rin had her own troubles but tried to help me. Archer offered words of his own. But... something still didn't quite feel right.
The image of Gae Bolg blowing through my chest flashed through my head.
I lowered my aviators to stare at the sky unfiltered. The cold was driven away and in its place came a dull detachment from the course of the world.
God... maybe I was a bit incensed after all.
Bazett Fraga McRemitz.
She really should have listened.
-
Hope you enjoyed.