Bone of my Bow

Chapter 2

  "Are you sure you should leave her with him?" Archer questioned as we were walking down the sidewalk under the street lamps.

  'She'll be fine. It's complicated to explain, but Rin will be okay.' I signed, and Archer gave me a skeptical look. 'Those two aren't exactly friends as far as I know, but they know each other. And the priest they're going to talk to was Rin's teacher after her father died.'

  "And the Servant with them?"

  'Rin's not a Master, and that kid wouldn't dare hurt her.'

  "If you say so." Archer said but suddenly stopped in his tracks as his brows furrowed. He held out his hand to stop me, and I followed his gaze to see a little girl and a beast standing in the foggy street.

  I felt myself tense because the beast was a giant Berserker, and I couldn't fathom why the little girl was not only his Master but even a part of this war. She looked so young to be in this deadly situation.

  "Good evening." The little girl smiled while tilting her head. She took a few steps forward before grabbing the long sides of her coat and curtsying. "It's nice to meet you, Yumiko. I'm Illya. Illyasviel von Einzbern. The Einzbern- You know the name, don't you?"

  Neither Archer nor I moved a muscle or said a word. It wasn't that the little girl was dangerous per se, but her Servant most definitely was.

  "I was under the impression that Rin was to be a Master, but I'm not disappointed that it's you instead. I've heard many good things about you, Yumiko." She giggled. "Some bad things, too."

  "It's incredible. That one Servant could face the other six alone." Archer muttered, and his words confirmed my own suspicions. "I won't be able to win with brute force. We have to play this smart." He glanced at me, his brows still deeply furrowed as he was trying to figure this out. "If I go long-range, you won't be able to stop him if he charges. Short-range, he's certain to win."

  Gently touching his arm, I got him to look at me again. I gestured with my head for him to back up.

  "You'll be defenseless."

  'I can still cast. You said yourself, we have to be smart about this.'

  "Are you done talking?" The little girl questioned. "Can I get started?" Her voice sounded so innocent despite her intentions. "Okay, I'm gonna kill you now. Get them, Berserker." Illya swayed while smiling, and her Servant roared as Archer quickly ran to get distance between him and the other Servant.

  Berserker's skin turned crimson as his eyes glowed in the night, and he leapt into the air with his weapon raised. I used a spell to increase my speed to dodge, but before Berserker could even get halfway, red lights streaked across the sky and crashed into the Servant. Blue explosions lit the dark street from the shots landing on the massive Servant.

  When the dust cleared, it looked like the attack had little to no effect on Berserker. It was also as if he had gotten faster because I blinked and he was right in front of me. He swung his sword, and I leapt back with the speed increase barely getting me out of range before his sword crashed into the concrete.

  He roared again, coming after me with agility he should not possess as a Berserker. I was barely dodging, his sword coming so close to hitting me over and over again despite magic making me faster. Was I even a barely weaker mage I'd no doubt be dead already.

  Archer shot again, but like before, there was no damage when the smoke cleared. I tried a binding spell, but Berserker broke through it within a second- I'd either need more time to build more mana for a stronger binding spell, or I'd need to use gems.