Nuada gives me an intense glare.
"You're gonna commit suicide," he repeats.
I confirm it.
He's incredulous. "It's a little sudden, don't you think?"
I open and close a fist. Fuck, for once, I agree with a God.
Shit.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
NOTICE: ANOMALY DETECTED
SOURCING ORIGIN... ERROR
THREAT LEVEL: "UNKNOWN"
SYSTEM STATUS: COMPROMISED
ANOMALY LOCATION: WORLD OF MAN; CALLSIGN "REAL SIDE"
[THREAT DETECTED - THREAT DETECTED - THREAT DETECTED]
PINGING COUNTERMEASURES... DENIED
- TIME LOOP: INACTIVE
- TRUNK BRANCHING: INACTIVE
- QUARANTINE: ACTIVE
SYSTEM IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
SEARCHING...
SEARCHING...
SEARCHING...
ANALYZING CAUSE... ERROR.
REPEATING... ERROR.
RESTARTING... COMMAND NOT ACCEPTED. ERROR.
WARNING! WARNING! SYSTEM UNDER POWER
ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.
HUMANITY SATURATION LEVEL: 0.00000001%
COUNTER FORCE STATUS:
- THRONE OF HEROES: E̶̪̚R̶̗̝̈́̆R̶͍͊̏̅O̸̩̗̣̐Ṛ̵͙̗́̈́ͅ
- COUNTER GUARDIANS: E̶̪̚R̶̗̝̈́̆R̶͍͊̏̅O̸̩̗̣̐Ṛ̵͙̗́̈́ͅ
- GAIAN BEASTS: E̶̪̚R̶̗̝̈́̆R̶͍͊̏̅O̸̩̗̣̐Ṛ̵͙̗́̈́ͅ
- DIVINE SPIRITS: ACTIVE
- ELEMENTALS: ACTIVE
- PHANTASMALS: ACTIVE
LOG: ASSET "EMIYA_SHIROU" DETECTED
STATUS: ACTIVE
MODIFIED [FIRST HERO] PROGRAM DETECTED.
ASSET DATA: PROGRAM [HEROIC VESSEL] #29700538 INITIATED
LOG: ASSET "EMIYA_SHIROU" MODIFIED TO "EMIYA_SHIROU(Ruler)"
STATUS: DEPLOYED
LOCATION: WORLD OF MAN; CALLSIGN "REAL SIDE"
WARNING! ASSET "EMIYA_SHIROU(Ruler)" DETECTED OUTSIDE DESIGNATED LOCATION
EDITED LOGS RECEIVED
LOADING... FILES UPDATED
NEW LOCATION UPDATED. DESIGNATED LOCATION MODIFIED. PERMISSION GRANTED.
DETECTED DEVICES: "RHONGOMYNIAD(?)" - "CALEDFWLCH(?)" IN NEAR PROXIMITY
ATTEMPTING CONNECTION?
CONNECTION REQUESTED
REQUEST DENIED - ATTEMPT FAILED
ATTEMPTING CONNECTION #2
REQUEST DENIED - ATTEMPT FAILED
ACCESS NOT GRANTED
OBSERVING CONSEQUENTIAL MODELING... DONE
NO ERRORS DETECTED
[THREAT DETECTED - THREAT DETECTED - THREAT DETECTED]
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SYSTEM OVERLOADED
ANOMALY SPREADING
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
RE-ROUTING TO BACK-UP LOGS
ACTIVATING EMERGY PROGRAM
CALCULATING...CALCULATING...CALCULATING...
ATTEMPT FAILED. REQUEST DENIED
THREAT LEVEL: "UNKNOWN"
SYSTEM STATUS: COMPROMISED
SABOTAGE ATTEMPT DECTECTED
TARGET: [AGE OF MAN]
LOGIN DENIED
BACK-UP LOGS COMPROMISED
[AGE OF MAN] COMPROMISED
[AGE OF MAN] MODIFIED
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
UNIDENTIFIED ACCOUNT PLUGGED IN
UNIDENTIFIED ACCOUNT PLUGGED IN
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
Û̷̜̱͇̋̀͜Ņ̵͔̟̈̽I̶̩͊͛̌D̶̛̘̺̬̜̽Ě̶͎̰̰̠̇̃N̸̏̒̕͜T̴͎̾̐̌Í̵͖̭̆F̸͚̦͇̿̑̑̕͜I̸̪͚̜̩͆͌E̶̩͋̀̂D̸͍̼͇̀̄̊ ̸̥̜͛͆̓͒Â̶̘̰̔̎͜C̶͖̞̊̂C̴̣̱̲͉̅̄Ó̴̮̫̎ͅU̵̢̅́N̷̮̹̮͙̊T̶̰̘̓͠ͅ
ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.
ERROR. ERROR.
ERROR.
...
Ÿ̷̧̙̲̞͔͍́͆̓̈́̈́͒̍̕ͅǪ̵̗̘̋̿̈́Ù̵̳͖̠ ̶̫̟̙̺̼̇̈͝C̵̙̖̙̭͓̯̀͛͂̐͗̈́̈́͋̈́̐͘͝ͅÀ̵̯͕̮͖̝͔͈͈̯͆̌̋͠Ņ̸̰̤̣̰͔̇̈̀͂N̴̰̟̻͈̟̟̼̬̟͛͐̋͋͂͛̆̅̕͜ͅO̴̯̎̈́͗́̌͋̅́͑̋͌͠Ṭ̴͉̬͛͒̏̈́͘͝ ̶̬̘̙̋́E̶̮̜̠̠̯͚͇̦̯̬̬̗̮͑̂͒͋̉̋̇S̶̩͓͍̖̓̎̐̄͑̅̋̑ͅC̶̄͋̈̈́̈͗̎͜͠͝A̶̧̛̯͖̭̖͆͐͂̏̀͋͐͛̉͜͝P̷͕͖̗̙̝̯̀̓̈̀̚͘͝͝Ė̶͖̲̓̉̓̏͊́̔͝
...
ERROR.
ERROR. ERROR.
ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.
[THREAT DETECTED - THREAT DETECTED - THREAT DETECTED]
[NEW AGE] INITATED
CALCULATING... CALCULATING...
CALCULATING... CALCULATING...
ENTERING [NEW AGE]
ASSETS: LOST
SYSTEM STATUS: COMPROMISED
ANOMALY STATUS: SPREADING
THREAT LEVEL: "OVERWHELMING"
[AGE OF MAN] LOST. ENTERING [NEW AGE] PROCEDURE
[NEW AGE] INITIATED
C:\GAIA-ALAYASHIKI\System32osfc\scannow
VERIFICATION: 100% COMPLETE
[̵͒͜A̷̡͂G̴̜͂E̷̩͆ ̷̳̃Ő̸̻F̶̢̔ ̷̞̓N̴͔̂A̸̰̒Ṫ̸̯Ṳ̷̏R̵̃͜E̸͉͊]̷̧́
[̵̡̰͉́A̴̫͐G̶̡̥͝Ę̵̞̱̉̍̕ ̵̯̯̆̒͝O̷͇̲̒͐F̷̮̠̈͝ͅ ̸̟̆̿N̵͈͖̣͌̅̍A̶̛͔̜T̶̳̉̈͋U̴͈͐̾̑R̶̰̭̀͘͜Ẻ̴̯̲̒͝] ̷̟͖͌̌̒
[̵̡̰͉́A̴̫͐G̶̡̥͝Ę̵̞̱̉̍̕ ̵̯̯̆̒͝O̷͇̲̒͐F̷̮̠̈͝ͅ ̸̟̆̿N̵͈͖̣͌̅̍A̶̛͔̜T̶̳̉̈͋U̴͈͐̾̑R̶̰̭̀͘͜Ẻ̴̯̲̒͝] ̷̟͖͌̌̒
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
Ado Edem has his back against me.
"A cleansing Ritual?" he sighs. "My, my, have you grown."
I wonder what he's doing with the computer.
"I'm making modifications to the latest reality layer between Earth and the Land of Steel - Prototype #B06."
He swivels around in his chair. "Do you want to volunteer for the first test?"
I decline.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
The wall of screens flashed in warning. The ringing of the alarm continued to echo around her, just like the sound of her increasing heartbeat.
Gaia swallowed, her brows furrowing together. With a great mental effort, the woman barely managed to contain her growing panic. Her fingers moved, pressing on the keyboard with affable swiftness for what had to be the umpteenth time in less than thirteen hours.
She stared with wide eyes to the written content inside one of the glowing screens.
Recorded transcript between the Thirty-secondEther Liner of the Land of Steel -Ado Edem- and the Subconscious Will of the Human Species -Alaya-
[ALAYA]: "I've reviewed your proposals."
[ADO EDEM]: "And? Good things I hope?"
[AL]: "My personal inclination is to ask if you're insane."
[AE]: "...in a good or bad way?"
[AL]: "Mostly good. Honestly, your heart is in the right place. The issue I have, and that I know some of the other Ether Liners are going to bring up to you, is that there are implications that you didn't consider."
[AE]: "On the contrary, I took everything I could into consideration."
[AL]: "This has no failsafes in the event that something goes wrong. What authority do the Ether Liners have to intervene in MY world if a bunch of Types and exiled Deities decide to strike and undermine the stability of Earth's existential plane? This is exactly the kind of threat the [COUNTER FORCE] is designed to prevent. If what you suspect is true, then my sister and I will take care of it in due time. The Land of Steel and the Earth cannot - MUST NOT - be brought in contact a second time. You remember how it ended the last time. I'm not going to risk unleashing another Artistoteles."
[AE]: "Technically, you're right. We can't exactly do anything now anyway. If anything, in this pretend scenario, me and my people merely wish to have little influence in the matter since we can act as an arbiter. More importantly? I don't think we have to worry about any Ultimate Ones. In times like this, and given the right reasons? The Gods will do drastic things."
[AL]: "Do you not know what Gods are? They always make some pretty irrational decisions, and they're selfish, egotistical, and greedy."
[AE]: "You don't have a high opinion of Divine Beings, do you?"
[AL]: "Not especially, and both me and my sister are smart enough to realize that. Collectively, our species is not smart. We're too self-destructive and mob-like for our own good. Gods are exactly the same, since they are beings formed by the thoughts of humans and born into the world without being influenced by our Will. I don't really understand why you think they're going to act now - especially when the War is finally over?"
[AE]: "Mhmm, and tell me when would be the time for them to do this?"
[AL]: "Don't speak to me like that. The [COUNTER FORCE] is fully active, and we need to have standards. We need to prevent crisis. What we don't need? A bunch of outsiders cropping up and picking a fight, emboldened by some sort of premonition about an imminent calamity on Earth. That is not something to be encouraged."
[AE]: "I'll repeat my question."
[AL]: If you really are convinced that the Gods are up to something, then they would act during a natural crisis. They'll strike when we're facing an existential threat."
[AE]: "I've heard that all my life. It never seemed right to me before, and it doesn't seem right now. How long have my people been told to 'wait' for things to happen, and 'let the system work'. Or that 'iteration is necessary for improvement'. No. For the first time, we are embracing the fact that we've spent too long waiting for a change, and our world has paid the price for that. But not this time. No more waiting. The Gods WILL seek revenge, and you MUST do something to stop them before your world suffers the same fate of Notes."
[AL]: "Within reason-"
[AE]: "Do tell me what part of the [COUNTER FORCE] is reasonable, Alaya. Our dear Tyr has destroyed the old system completely, and instituted something new in its place. That is not the action of a 'reasonable' entity - it is the action of one who understands that radical change is needed, and there is no time for waiting. We don't need to reform in one thousand years, five thousand years, or ten thousand years as you're planning to do. We need it NOW. Do you think Tyr has split the world into three Sides just so you and Gaia could perpetuate the status quo?"
[AL]: "No, because he expected us to make it better."
[AE]: "And that is exactly what we are doing. If the [COUNTER FORCE] disagrees, I'm fully aware that the data will be used against us. Fortunately, I have time on my side, so I'm not particularly concerned about my people's reaction. But we must do something, Alaya. The Gods will seek revenge, and they will act soon. I'm certain of it."
Gaia clenched her fists on the keyboard.
"Oh, sister," she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"
[AL]: "...fine, then. What is it that you saw?"
[AE]: "Nothing. The prophecy showed nothing recognizable to me. However, what I did manage to see was our dear friend, crystal clear. Therefore, one thing is certain: Tyr will be the key to everything."
[AL]: "His name is Shirou."
[AE]: "It doesn't change anything. His name and whims are inconsequential. He's the God of War, and he's the one who's going to bring the second catastrophe upon us."
[AL]: "Are you implying that he will be the cause of the crisis?"
[AE]: "Exactly."
[AL]: "That's impossible. He's been in exile on the Other Side for more than four thousand years now, and he hasn't caused any major event of destruction so far. On the contrary, he's living a peaceful life on his own ever since he left the Elven Kingdom two hundred years ago. It doesn't seem like he's going to change his lifestyle anytime soon, not to mention causing a second apocalypse. You're delusional."
[AE]: "Am I? Is that why you came to me during the last few centuries to gather information about him?"
[AL]: "...that is different and you know it."
[AE]: "Stop fooling yourself, Alaya. I'm aware that you're still blinded by your feelings, but we both know that Tyr is dangerous. He's a walking time-bomb, just like in the past. It's only a matter of time before he does something reckless again. And even if he doesn't, the other Gods will find a way to provoke him sooner or later. They will never let go of their anger, just like him."
[AL]: "That is just your speculation. He's been doing his best so far. He's been peaceful and inactive for all this time, despite being..."
[AE]: "Despite being what?"
[AL]: "..."
[AE]: "Say it. Finish your sentence."
[AL]: "...despite being the first and purest incarnation of War in mankind's history."
[AE]: "Hmm. That's what I thought. Answer me this, then: why does War exist, Alaya?"
[AL]: "That's a rhetorical question. You'll have to be more specific."
[AE]: "Fine. Let me put it this way: why do humans fight? What is it that drives them to fight and wage war against each other? Is it hate? Fear? Anger? Envy? Jealousy? Or perhaps despair? No, all of these are mere effects. Nothing but consequences. Consequences of the more abstract and universal reason behind the concept known as 'War'. The real reason behind any war, the true goal behind any conflic is..."
[AL]: "A dream."
Ă̷̧͈V̷̢̨̭̹̱͐̀͗͝A̶̧̧̦̦̾̀̽͂̕L̶̯̗̾͠ͅÖ̶̳̙͓̙́̇͠ͅN̴̪͕̿̓͠ͅ
[AE]: "Correct. The reaching of a goal. The fulfillment of a dream. Even if said dream is something dictated by greed, hatred, or selfishness. Even if it is driven by hope, love, or goodness. And even if said dream is nothing more than an impossible wish. An unreachable ideal. An implausible result. A wish, a dream... or a Utopia. Don't you agree, Alaya?"
[AL]: "That doesn't mean anything. It's just a speculation and you know it."
[AE]: "Not convinced? Then let me ask you this: what do humans - and Gods - fight each other with?"
[AL]: "It means nothing. This has nothing to do with-"
[AE]: "Answer the question. Please."
[AL]: "Fine. They use tools of death. Satisfied?"
[AE]: "Which are?"
[AL]: "...weapons."
U̸͚̦̺͓̔͛͝Ņ̷͕̰̟̜̈́̌̀̔͠L̶̛̘͓̚Ī̸̢̬̖̞M̴̢͇̭̰͙̔͂̇͝Ì̷͇̩̓̎͌͗T̶̡̝̟̒E̴̘̞͛̇͗̃D̷̪̯͙͋̂̂̑͛ͅͅ ̸̭̺̆B̷̤͖̀L̴͖̠͕̈́͗͝A̵̩̖̲͓͈̋̌̈́D̸̻͇̈̾̈́È̶̢͖͓̝͑ ̴̛̟̦̟̼̭͌Ẁ̴̡͚̟̀̒́̓Ó̷̧̙̤͌̐͠R̴̹̮̙̝̈́K̸̠̞̿̉́́S̶̻̤̆͘
[AE]: "Again, that's correct. They use either weapons, or Magecraft, or Artifacts. All of those things fit under the definition of 'weapon'. Even the most basic form of conflict - a dispute - involves using words against an opponent. And words, of course, can be a weapon as well. Both you and I know that all too well. Everything can be a weapon. Therefore, the concept is the same. It's always the same. And the possibilities, as you know, are limitless. Or, shall we say... Unlimited."
[AL]: "What is your point?"
[AE]: "I think we both know what I'm trying to say, Alayashiki."
[AL]: "Call me that one more time and I'll switch off the video-call."
[AE]: "...my apologies. Now, then. For the final question: what does 'War' bring, Alaya? What does fighting and raging generate into the world?"
[AL]: "..."
[AE]: "Still trying to deny it? I'm surprised. We both know extremely well what the effects of a conflict are. You and Gaia have been busy fixing up the damage for quite some time after the Separation and Tyr's reckless quest. Am I wrong?"
[AL]: "That doesn't change-"
[AE]: "What does War bring, Alaya?"
[AL]: "...evil."
Ą̷̖̯͔̂̈́͂Ń̵̪̹̮̝̎͜Ǵ̴̹̼̊̄R̴̨̧̼͔͒͐̿͠A̷͓̼̻̹̪̿̃̋̇̚ ̷͇͔̂M̷̯͍̈́͒̚Ȃ̴̱̭̺̈́Ǐ̴̪̣̝̗͕͘Ň̵̛̳͙͉̐͜͠Ÿ̷͖́Ư̵͈͔͛͗
[AE]: "More accurately, it brings hate, rage, suffering, ruin and death... but yes. I suppose all of that falls under the category of 'evil'. Therefore, you're correct."
[AL]: "Even if all of this is true, it doesn't prove anything. The Avenger is no more."
[AE]: "The Avenger will never disappear, Alaya. It just can't happen. It's impossible."
[AL]: "You seem quite sure about that."
[AE]: "I am."
[AL]: "How?"
[AE]: "Because they're connected, Alaya. The God of War and the King of Daemons are one and the same. They are two sides of the same coin. The humans, the Ether Liners, the Gods ... all of us. We are people of hatred. War breeds even more hate, and hate breeds even more War. A vicious cycle of self-destruction. A problem so simple, and yet so very hard to solve. To destroy hate, you have to destroy war; and to destroy war, you have to destroy hate. One cannot exist without the other, and one cannot destroy the other. They're connected."
[AL]: "So, as long as Shirou lives..."
[AE]: "That repulsive consequence of his will continue to exist as well. Correct."
[AL]: "That doesn't mean that he'll come back for real, however. Me and Gaia will always be ready to face such an eventuality. The [COUNTER FORCE] is fully operational, and it would never allow a second coming of the Avenger. Not even Shirou would."
[AE]: "What he wants or wishes is inconsequential. He cannot help what he is, and his Works are the living proof of that. Tyr has brought War to mankind once. War has brought ruin upon our race. And one day, whether Tyr is willing or not, it will happen again."
[AL]: "Is Shirou aware of this?"
[AE]: "That's the problem: he has no idea. He's the one who created the Avenger and caused all this mess, and he doesn't even realize it. As I said: a walking time-bomb."
[AL]: "Then what are you suggesting? To disposeof him!?"
Gaia widened her eyes. Her heart stopped beating for a few seconds.
This couldn't be true. It just couldn't be. She could literally feel Alaya's anger and aberration from the text - as well as the outrage she was feeling right now - at the mere thought of that plausibility. Panic and horror were growing inside her by the second.
"It cannot be..."
[AE]: "Of course not. Despite our mutual... animosity, shall we say; I know all too well that Tyr is not evil by himself. Besides, the Fairies and even the other Ether Liners would never accept such a plausibility, should they discover that he's still alive. No, what I'm suggesting is to send someone to monitor him and the rest of the Gods. I know that something is coming, and we need to be prepared. Even without his powers, he is dangerous, Alaya."
[AL]: "And risking of being exposed and cause their anger? Sorry, but I'm not buying it. The [COUNTER FORCE] is already monitoring their movements as we speak, and we haven't detected anything suspicious so far. There's no need to increase our security yet, nor to alert my sister for nothing. If something really happens... then we'll be ready. I've had enough of this."
[AE]: "You're making a mistake, Alaya. In trying to avoid Fate, you might as well cause it."
[AL]: "Perhaps. But I will not bring him into this. He's done enough. He has suffered enough. He doesn't deserve this."
[AE]: "Hmpf. Your attachment to him only proves that humanity has become unable to live and survive without conflict. I knew this would happen, ever since he came to me and told me of his plan. What a sad development, truly. I knew I should have stopped him back then."
[AL]: "But you didn't. And if I recall, HE was the one who freed us from enslavement and gave my species a chance to evolve and thrive, not you. So, I suggest you choose your words wisely when you talk about him. War has caused a lot of pain and ruin on humanity, yes, but it has also made them stronger. Therefore, I stand by my words: whatever happens, we'll be ready to face it."
[AE]: Pretty confindent. Then my question now is what do you think will happen when the war drags on, and humanity will need to start evolving? My species is not different from yours, Alaya. I know how these things work. They're going to reach that point sometime... and you will need to keep your 'soldiers' ready. People won't accept change now. They'll be unwilling to sacrifice, even if it's for their own survival, since they now have power - no matter how small - thanks to your beloved Monster's actions. And if the Gods strike and my suspicions are correct, your Counter Guardians won't be enough."
[AL]: "And there, I think, we disagree. Humanity is many things, but when it matters, we will come together. Shirou believed that until his last breath, and I will do the same. We just need to have a little faith and trust in each other. Humans, when it comes down to it, want to work together. We will sacrifice for each other, we will help each other; because we want to do that. If what you're saying ever happens? I have no worries or fears. I may be wrong, of course, but I am not afraid."
[AE]: "...we'll see, Alaya. It will be on you if you're wrong."
The screen went completely black. The echo of the alarm finally stopped to ring.
Gaia let out a trembling breath.
"I see," she whispered. "This means..."
Amid the silence, a lonely tear ran down her face.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
Vivian collapses against a wall.
"Why?" she asks. "Why does it have to be like this?"
Her voice is thick with phlegm and pity.
"Suicide? But what about your people? What about us?"
I don't know what to tell her. Is there anything I can say?
I don a smile. Her only reaction is a wounded cry.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
Planet: Earth
Date: June 9 2020
Location: Infirmary - Clock Tower (London - England)
(======)
Waver Velvet struggled to quell his growing regret.
He did a poor job at hiding his turmoil, given by the sad tears welling in the corner of his eyes. Even still, he remained quiet, gazing with sorrow at the pale, unmoving face of his assistant who was lying lifeless on the bed. The entire room of the Infirmary was immersed in a tense silence, which was interrupted only by the sound of Gray's continuous sobbing from his left. The young girl was crying, wailing uncontrollably and grasping her friend's limp hand with a desperate grip. The sound of her broken sobs felt like a stab to his heart.
"...damn it," he whispered, clenching his fists helplessly.
It was no use. His own tears began to fall as his eyes kept gazing upon his best student, his vision growing blurry. Rin Tohsaka lay motionless on the bed in front of him, pale and still; disturbingly so. Almost like a dead woman. Her face was blank, devoid of life, and if it weren't for the occasional sound of the heartbeat coming from the monitor next to the bed, she truly would have seemed dead. Despite this, however, her breathing was steady, thank goodness. But still, it was weak and faint... and because of that the doctors of the Clock Tower had been forced to use a life support on her. Rin was fighting for her life, struggling to survive because of what had happened back on the island during his recent absence.
Lord El-Melloi II swallowed his guilt. He put a hand on Gray's shoulder, who continued to cry and despair over her best friend's unfair fate. The girl jumped slightly under his touch, but she didn't stop crying. He didn't blame her. Her emotionality was way bigger than his own.
At some point, he couldn't stand the current silence any longer. "How did it happen?" he whispered, sparing a glance at the two Servants to his right. Cu Chulainn and Napoleon Bonaparte were present in the room as well, the first motionless and currently leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, and the second intent on observing the view outside the window with a distant gaze.
The blue Lancer opened one eye to look at him, regret and sadness clearly present in his red orb. "We've already told you everything," he replied after a few seconds of silence, his voice serious but tinged with an unmistakable note of guilt. "She was attacked by that shadow while we were distracted. There was nothing we could do. Whatever that... thing was, it caught us off guard. It was too was fast for us. Disturbingly so, even compared to our standards. When it disappeared, we grabbed the lass back and retreated as fast as we could. She hasn't woken up since."
Waver glared at him for a few seconds. Cu Chulainn averted his gaze, looking genuinely disappointed in himself.
"The mademoiselle had made her decision," Napoleon spoke, still gazing outside the window with his back to the others. The young Lord glanced at him in silence. "She was the one who decided to investigate and begin the mission. She knew our task would be dangerous, and she was prepared to die from the beginning. You cannot blame us for it."
"That doesn't change the fact that you two failedto protect her," he spat in response, acid.
The muscular Archer lowered his head. He shared a silent glance with Lancer, then nodded slowly. "Oui. You're right. There's no excuse for our failure," he finally admitted, clenching his fists in resignation.
Lord El-Melloi II ran a hand over his face. He sighed, deciding to quell the resentment that was growing inside of him. He knew that getting angry at those two was useless. Rin had made her decision, and she knew what she was doing. There was no use to complain about spilled milk. 'To be a Magus was to walk with death', after all. Besides, HE was the one at fault here. It was he, and no other, who was to blame. If only he hadn't left his students - and if he hadn't been foolish enough to forget his cell phone before the departure - maybe things would have turned out differently. If he hadn't been so careless, perhaps he could have talked some sense into Rin and prevented this outcome. He should have known better. He should have known how stubborn and determined Rin was. He should have made sure that she would have stayed safe with Gray... but he had failed. He had failed on all fronts. Therefore, it was his fault, really. He should have foreseen this, but he didn't. So, consequently, he had no one to blame but himself.
However, on the bright side, his student was still alive. She wasn't dead yet. And this was the one and only awareness that kept Waver from collapsing right now. Without it, he was sure he wouldn't be able to hold on any longer. He couldn't even bear the thought of it.
So... yes, it was not over yet. He couldn't give up and lose hope now. Rin was alive for the moment, and he would go out of his way to make sure she could recover as soon as possible. That, he swore. He didn't know how long it was going to take, nor what exactly he was going to do to help her, but he was NOTgoing to rest until his student woke up. Rin and Gray were simply too important to him. He couldn't just lose them like this. There was simply no way in hell.
Despite the aching pain in his heart, he steeled his resolve. "Come on, Gray. Do not lose hope. We have to find a way to help Rin," he said, squeezing the girl's shoulder gently.
Gray sniffled and sobbed, her tears still streaming down her face hidden under the hood. "B-But how?" she whimpered.
"That's the question, isn't it?" Cu Chulainn sighed as he stepped away from the wall, exhaling a weary breath. He moved closer to the bed, his red eyes gazing upon Rin's unmoving body with evident regret. "I'm quite knowedgleable with Runes, curses and spells thanks to the time I've spent with my Teacher when I was alive, but not even I have ever seen something like this. Whatever that shadow did to the lass, it's not a curse. Her body does not show any kind of wound or mark, and yet both her energy and Mana are simply gone from the body. It's just... I don't know how to explain it, loathe as I am to admit it. I'm at loss."
Napoleon nodded with a solemn expression. "I concur. I've never seen anything like this either. We simply don't know what to do."
Lord El-Melloi II fell silent at that, his brows furrowing together in thought. He forced himself to ignore Gray's distressed state as he tried to reflect. A feat that was growing more and more hard as the girl kept glancing at him with a silent but desperate plea inside her watery eyes. But for once, he didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say in order to reassure her and not make her lose hope. He was simply at loss, just like the others.
Because, indeed, this situation was something unprecedented. Not even he, with his long experience as a Lord and a Teacher of the Clock Tower, had never seen anything like this before. Rin's body showed no exterior or internal wounds whatsoever - neither physical nor magical - and yet, all her energy was simply gone. As if it had been sucked off, stolen by some kind of unknown entity. There also were no residual traces of prana or hidden spells on both her Crest and circuits. Still, whatever she had suffered, it had reduced her into this state, rendering the poor girl unable to wake up. Unable to recover and regain her strength for some reason. She was simply... dead; even if only figuratively. And the young Lord couldn't understand why.
Not even Robin Hood's case - who was lying asleep in another room of the facility - had been so mysterious. Waver had visited the Archer soon after learning what had happened, and he had clearly noticed the difference upon checking his condition. Unlike his student, the Archer had a visible wound at the center of his chest, and there still were visible traces of Mana lingering on his body. Not to mention, moreover, the black ichor and the stench of dark prana which leaked out of the wound. Rin presented neither of those. Therefore, there was a difference. It couldn't be the same kind of injury. The only similarity was that no one in the Clock Tower, himself included, knew what to do to heal and awaken them from their coma.
And this was unacceptable. He had to do something. He couldn't just leave his student in this state, unable to help her.
Waver Velvet swallowed. His black eyes narrowed on the blue Lancer. "This shadow you spoke of... do you know what it was? Any idea of what it could be?" he inquired.
Cu Chulainn shook his head. "Tsk. That's what pisses me off the most: I have no idea," he answered, anger and irritation clearly present in his tone. He crossed his arms with a deep scowl. "The shadow, the mud... they were something else. My instincts were literally screaming at me to get away from them. They were alive, no doubt about it; but I wasn't able to discover or guess what they were, not even with my intuition and my knowledge as a Servant."
"And we didn't even have time to look at them," Napoleon added at that point, sighing as he took a seat on a chair to the right side of the room. Lord-Ell Melloi II fixed him with a stare. "Those tentacles just kept coming and we were struggling to defend ourselves and the girls at the same time. Then, not even two seconds later, they were gone. Vanished. Disparu. It was carzy, believe me."
The Lancer nodded at the Archer's words. "It's true. The shadow disappeared as well out of the blue. As soon as the lass was realeased to the ground, we grabbed her and made a hurried retreat. We didn't want to risk a second attack," he explained slowly, scratching the back of his neck with obvious exasperation. "Tsk. Damn it all. We were completely useless against that thing," he hissed, glaring at the floor.
Waver didn't give up. "Do you think the shadow can be some kind of Servant? Is it possible?" he asked them further.
Napoleon sighed. "I highly doubt it. But we have no way of knowing."
"I-It was... really scary," Gray whispered as well all of a sudden, trying to wipe away the tears that kept pouring from her face. "I... I've never seen something like that before. Rin wanted us to move closer and observe it, but..."
She fell silent, and the whole room did the same. Tension and regret began to stagnate in the air for several minutes.
Lord El-Melloi II cursed inside his head. On the outside, on the other hand, he forced himself to stay strong. "Don't worry," he said, placing a hand on Gray's shoulder again and offering her a supportive squeeze. "We'll fix this. We'll discover what that thing was, and then we'll form a plan to eliminate it for good. But first, we must find a way to help Rin. And we will. I promise."
Gray nodded weakly, her gaze still glued to her friend's sleeping face. Cu Chulainn arched a tired brow at the Magus. "How? We already asked around for help, and your 'colleagues' failed to discover anything about the lass' and Archer's condition. They were as clueless as we are."
The man forced himself to stay focused despite the bad news. "I have connections," he answered seriously. "As a Lord, I cannot dismiss such a threat any longer. Especially now that one of my students has been involved. I'm going to speak to the other Lords and the higher ups of the Tower, and I will ask them to come and take a look. They're not going to stand by and do nothing after this. Not anymore. They cannot."
Despite the lingering doubts, the other three shared a silent agreement.
Cu Chulainn fixed the young Lord with a stare. "Should we contact Ruler as well?" he asked at that point, grabbing everyone's attention. "You two share a phone line, don't you? Whatever that shadow is, it could be related to that 'Tyr' guy you spoke of when you returned from the mission. Given what happened, I think he should know. Perhaps he can help us."
Lord El-Melloi II pondered the option for a while. He nodded. "I agree. It might be a good idea to warn him. But not right now," he said. "Not yet. First, I have to talk with the other Lords. This matter is of utmost importance, even more so if Tyr or this entire Holy Grail War are related to the shadow. My colleagues must be notified as soon as possible. I can't waste time anymore."
Napoleon, Cu Chulainn and Gray nodded in acceptance at his decision. Waver Velvet furrowed his brows, and his gaze fell again on the pale and unmoving body of his student lying on the bed.
His fists clenched hard. He steeled his mind as a wave of resolve and decision coursed through his body. This was it. He couldn't afford to waste time anymore. Not when his students and perhaps the entire world were in danger because of Morgan, the War and this so-called 'shadow'. He had to warn the others and take a stand once and for all. This matter and these threats couldn't be understimated any longer. The Lords and the Clock Tower had to take them seriously now. There was no way to deny it anymore. They had to take a stand against them.
The Lord of the Clock Tower stared at Rin's unconscious face with an expression full of determination. He was going to save her, he swore. He was going to anything in his powers to achieve that goal. He couldn't just give up, especially after everything he had learned during the last mission. He had to do it. He couldn't afford to lose hope now. Hope is hope, after all.
And hope dies last.
Waver Velver shot a challenging glare to the world. "Let's move," he ordered.
Gray, Lancer and Archer shared a nod of resolution...
...while, unbeknownst to them, one of Rin's fingers suddenly twitched on the bed.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
I still dream about it, sometimes. About that day.
A flash of white hair shimmers before me, like a mirage. Irisviel holds onto me for dear life, as I do to her. The rubble of our village, our home, surrounds us; while fire and lightning shatter the black sky. Many corpses are already on the ground, too many to be counted. People who until a few minutes ago had been friends, relatives, family to me. Now, they're just a heap of charred meat thrown into the mud. It's sad, really. The more I realize the horror, the more I feel like throwing up.
I think I'm going to be sick.
The cuts through my shirt are starting to sting, while small spots appear in front of my eyes. Still, Irisviel keeps holding me tight as she runs. We're both exhausted and about to faint, but we struggle to stay strong. Everything is burning around me. The screams and death rattles echo like thunders. The worst part? I know that it's my fault. All of this is happening because of me.
The tears won't stop. I never wanted this. I never wanted to cause any of this. And I think Irisviel is crying.
For me.
Then, the White Titan aims downwards. A pillar of red.
We're sprinting, but it's too late. Of course.
That day has changed things.
And people ask me why I don't consider myself a God anymore?
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
Planet: Earth
Date: June 9 2020
Location: Woolworth Building (New York - U.S.A.)
(======)
"My lady! The analysis is complete! I'm bringing the results up on screen!"
Olga Marie Animusphere smirked. Upon hearing Edison's boisterous voice, she immediately stopped reading the second report filed by Billy the Kid - one of Atlas' latest Servants - and got up from her desk, moving towards the control room. Once she stepped inside, she leaned closer to the terminal. Arjuna was already there, watching the gigantic screen of the machine with his arms crossed and narrowed eyes. Geronimo was there as well, pulling up the documents with a genuinely impressive precision for a muscular and imposing Servant like him.
Edison grinned upon seeing her, baring his lion fangs. "It took me longer than I expected, but here it is!" he exclaimed, texting on the keyboard with one hand and pointing the other to the screen above them. "The results of the blood sample analysis, as requested!"
The Director of the Atlas Institute observed the data with rapt interest.
Servant
SHIROU EMIYA
True Name: ?̵̼̈́͐?̷̘̾̕Ḛ̴̯̅R̸̥̱̈́̐R̴̢͉̮͑O̸̧͓̹͆́R̶̛̟̀͋͜?̶͉͔̈́̃͛?̸͔̻́
Class: Ruler (?/unknown/?)
Strength: EX | Endurance: EX
Agility: EX | Mana: EX | Luck: EX
Blood Type: B
Noble Phantasm
?̵̼̈́͐?̷̘̾̕Ḛ̴̯̅R̸̥̱̈́̐R̴̢͉̮͑O̸̧͓̹͆́R̶̛̟̀͋͜?̶͉͔̈́̃͛?̸͔̻́
Type: Unknown
Rank: Unknown
Range: Unknown
Effect: Unknown
The more Olga Marie kept reading the data, the more her eyes narrowed. That was way less than what she was expecting. They had basically learned nothing substantial with this.
Well, not entirely. Despite everything, the engine was still displaying something useful on the screen.
"Interesting... all his stats are ranked EX," she mused, moving a hand under her chin with a calculating glint in her eyes. "And everything else is blurred. This is unprecedented. To think that a Servant could be this hard to study."
Geronimo arched a brow. "Is it really that surprising?" he asked with his gentle voice, confused. "We already knew that man was powerful, after all."
"That's not what it means, Caster," Arjuna explained solwly, his gaze still glued to the screen above. "Usually, a Servant's stats would be ranked by the engine using the typical -E through A- system. The EX rank, however, is an exception. It does not mean that the Servant with these stats is extremely powerful. The EXrank is not above the A rank. EX ranking means that whatever attributes are being measured, they cannot be classified using that system."
Edison nodded, his expression growing serious. "Indeed. Archer's right. The properties cannot be ranked nor measured. That's what it means. It doesn't mean it's better or worse. For all we know, Ruler's stats could even be lower than E. The machine simply lacks the faculties to calculate his abilities by normal means," he explained, unable to hide the distinctive note of disappointment from his voice. His inventions were meant to be perfect, after all.
"So he's abnormal, basically," Olga Marie deduced.
The Caster with the lion face nodded. "Exactly. It would have been understandable, even if uncommon, for a single attribute to be ranked as such. But all of them? That's extremely rare. Even I was surprised at first," he admitted. "Also, I'm most disappointed to admit that I was unable to discover what his Noble Phantasm is. As you can see, the engine was completely unable to read the data despite my latest modifications. Not even I was expecting it to be this hard."
"But we had more than enough blood at disposal, correct?" the young woman inquired further.
"Yes. Even still, it was no use. As you can see, the data is just too hard or corrupted to be decrypted by my current technology."
Arjuna smirked at the news. His obvious satisfaction greatly bothered Olga Marie.
The Director of the Atlas Institute was not going to give up, though. "What about the other assignment?" she demanded.
Once again, Thomas Edison shook his head. "Nothing. As requested, I made a detailed research regarding the blood, but I found no match; neither in type nor compatibility. I even compared the sample with the data recently collected from medical and police structures, to no avail. The blood is unique," he reported dutifully.
She clenched her fists upon hearing this. The woman hated to admit it, but she was starting to get frustarted at this point.
"However," the Servant continued, causing her to perk up again in interest. "This last detail is what intrugues me. As I said, his blood doesn't match any currently recorded samples... which bothers me quite a lot."
Arjuna and Olga Marie fell into a tense silence upon hearing that, their minds already running to connect the dots. Geronimo, on the other hand, just blinked at them in plain confusion.
"Um, what does that mean, exactly?" the Native American Caster asked, completely lost.
The girl scowled the more she thought about the possibilities. "It means that there is no record of his blood. No record whatsoever," she answered, shooting a brief glance to Arjuna. The Archer ignored her, lost in thoughts. "And that is extremely suspicious."
Geronimo did not understand. "Why?"
"Because he's a Demi-Servant," Edison answered with a frown. "His body is not like ours. We are nothing but familiars with an astral body, which has been given human form thanks to the Grail or whatever entity has summoned us. On the contrary, the body Ruler owns is not his own, but that of a simple human. He's just possessing it. Therefore, his blood - or rather, his vessel's blood - should be recorded somewhere as required by medical and legal regulations of the Country."
Everyone's eyes narrowed further.
Edison was not finished yet. "Given that he was summoned back in Alaska, according to what he said to us in the past, I immediately moved to compare his blood with every sample and data that Atlas was able to collect from there," he solemnly explained, sounding strangely serious and precise, like a teacher lecturing an audience. "Alaska is not a big place, and the population there is much smaller compared to many other Countries of our beloved America. Not to mention, moreover, that his vessel clearly appears to possess some distinctive Japanese traits. Therefore, theoretically, it should have been easy to find a blood sample belonging to a Japanese male coming from that place. And yet, much to my surprise, I found none that matched. Absolutely nothing."
"Which means that he's lying," Olga Marie concluded with a scowl.
"Or, that his vessel comes from another place," Arjuna interjected, shooting a stern glare to the young woman. "This fact alone is not reason enough to jump to such conclusions. You can't just accuse him because the first research result failed. That is not a behavior befitting a Director, lady Marie. I thought you were better than that."
She glared at him, inwardly fuming due to the insistence with which the Archer was ready to defend the Ruler, but even she knew that he was right. She couldn't deny that possibility, despite the growing suspicion she felt on the inside. Consequently, she decided to relent and quell her frustration in the end; her decision also given by the fact that even Edison and Geronimo seemed to agree with the Indian Hero on that conclusion.
Geronimo exhaled a sigh. "Too bad, then. This means that you'll have to keep searching, Edison."
The Caster coughed, and ran a hand over his white mane. "Yes. However... there is more," he added at that point. He immediately tensed when he felt Olga Marie's eyes boring holes into his frame, much to Arjuna's exasperation. "Despite my unsuccessful attempts, there isone thing I was able to discover."
Olga Marie crossed her arms, her face a mask of blank impassiveness. "Which is?" she pressed.
Edison hesitated. Then, with a small sigh, he turned towards the machine and pressed a specific button on the keyboard.
The screen above them blurred. The very next second, a second collection of data appeared for all to see.
And for the first time since the discussion began, even the calm and stony-faced Arjuna couldn't help but gape in shock. He stared with wide eyes to the screen, completely unaware of Edison's tense and resigned expression next to him. Even Geronimo seemed baffled right now.
On her part, instead, Olga Marie didn't react openly. However, her lips parted into a grim smile after a few moments.
"...well, well. It seems that my suspicions were well founded, after all," she mused sarcastically in the end, feeling a strange and twisted pleasure in discovering that she had been right despite the odds.
The silence in the room was as tense and absolute as it could be.
The girl shot a provocative stare at Arjuna. "What now, Archer? Have you nothing to say?" she asked, without even bothering to hide her sarcasm.
Arjuna just stared, clenching his hands into fists with a confused and stunned expression.
Olga Marie watched the screen with eyes sparkling with suspicion.
"If you are so convinced that Ruler is an ally, then why is Edison's machine showing me this?"
For once, the Endowed Hero of India had no words. He didn't even know what to say.
Because the screen was showing the last piece of information that Project TRISMEGISTUS had managed to extract from Shirou Emiya's blood.
His current Alignment.
And contrary to what he expected, it wasn't recorded as Good or Neutral.
It was recorded as Chaotic Evil.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
Somehow, the humans find out what happened. I guess it's inevitable, since nobody could have missed the sight of a fucking Canyon suddenly splitting a large portion of the continent. In the nearby villages, messengers and inhabitants discuss the events of that day. Witnesses say that they remember two Gods - one dressed in white and the other wrapped in red, clashing through the sky. They remember that Uranus controlled the sky. They remember that I wielded the golden blade.
Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, has the bright idea of calling me the "First Hero of Humanity". The name catches on.
Then, some hideous descendant of Tiamat sources the recording of me and Uranus fighting, and they show it to the Gods. Their leader's demise is now discovered by everyone. Using that evidence, those bitter jackasses lambast me as a "God-slayer" and "Monster". The name catches on.
Even though Brunestud isn't with me anymore, people still ask how I subdued and killed the God. How I chose to become a Hero.
I didn't. The Gods have dictated my destiny. Fuck, all this attention. It's everywhere.
Only my late mother seemed to remember my real name.
God, I miss her.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
Planet: Earth
Date: June 9 2020
Location: Somewhere in the sea (Mediterranean Sea)
(======)
They were back.
Shirou didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
After a couple of seconds of pondering, he decided to settle for a middle ground. Therefore, he closed his eyes and resigned himself for a weary sigh. It was the only thing he could do to stop himself for cursing out loud. Bust despite his sorry state of mind, he allowed his lips to curl into a grim smile. He felt like he deserved this. Everything that was happening right now was the result of his foolish actions; the direct consequence of his idiocy. They could even be considered his punishment, perhaps. Shirou was a great many things, but he was no coward. So, he would take responsibility and face those consequence despite the pain, as it was due. The God of War never backed down from a challenge. Ever.
The warm sea breeze caressed his hair, and red-haired Ruler widened his grim smile. Caught in a sudden moment of resignation, he momentarily banished his inner turmoil and allowed himself to relax for a split-second. The difference was painfully evident. He breathed in the salty air of the sea, absently listening to the sound of the seagulls flying in the sky along with the sound of waves crashing against the ship's bow, basking in that brief but welcome moment of peace.
Now, to answer your unspoken question: he was currently seated on a wooden box placed on the highest part of the forecastle of a giant cargo ship traveling on the Mediterranean Sea, headed to his next destination: Egypt. The reason behind this choice was clear. Ever since they had received news of the 'paranormal phenomena' occurring in that Country, the Ruler and his companions hadn't hesitated to take a decision and head there. And given that Egypt had closed its airspace to civilian flights due to the current state of chaos and disorder that was spreading within its borders, the small group of Servants had had no choice but to fall back on a transport by ship at the last second. It was a far less comfortable means of transport compared to a flight, sure, but it had been their only option if they wanted to reach the african continent.
By a stroke of luck, they had miraculously managed to negotiate a passage and set sail from the port of Naples the previous day, boarding the cargo ship headed for Alexandria with the goal of transporting food, water and supplies for the country which had suddenly fallen into a state of crisis. The ship was gigantic, larger than a container ship, and several tens of meters wide in both length and breadth. Also, being this ship designed for transporting goods, the crew was scarce, and mainly made up of volunteers and men and women who belonged to humanitarian associations. Therefore, thanks to their new knowledge of the modern era and also to Iskandar's undisputed diplomatic skills - his A-Rank Charisma could do wonders sometimes - it had been a child's play for Shirou and the others to sneak up through the ranks and 'steal' a passage without attracting too much attention. The only negative note was that the journey was extremely slow for their standards, and that it would take about three days to reach their destination.
Shirou didn't mind, though. He was eager to reach the city and discover what was happening as soon as possible, of course, but he knew they had no other options for now. Therefore, getting irritated and complaining about something that could not be helped was useless. Instead, it was much more convenient to take advantage of the situation to concentrate and try to clear his mind of doubts. After all, there was another kind of problem he was struggling to deal with. A problem that, loathe as he was to admit it, it was proving to be much more difficult to dismiss than he had expected.
That is: the nightmares.
It was just like before. Exactly like before. Just as it had happened with Rhongomyniad back in France, Excalibur had had a huge toll on him. More specifically, on his mind. In fact, ever since he had come in contact with the Sword - or rather, ever since he had been foolishly wounded by it - the visions had returned. Ever since his long lost blade had touched him during the duel between Mordred and Artoria, those accursed fragments of a distant past had returned to his mind for the first time after thousands of years. It felt like déjà vu, all over again. Just like Rhongomyniad. Just like the nightmares. Only, this time, the visions he saw were not mere nightmares. They were notdreams. Not at all.
They were memories. Memories, visions, fragments. Fragmented and inhomogeneous memories of a long forgotten past. Memories of experiences, encounters, and betrayals lived a long, long time ago; in a time when the world, the natural laws and even Shirou himself were different. Far too different compared to now. And despite his growing frustration and rage, there was nothing he could do to dismiss them. The memories, the nightmares, the visions... he had thought he'd left all of that behind. He had thought he had managed to forget them, to move on with his life and start over.
But, alas, it seemed that was not the case. He had simply fooled himself. A single contact with the Holy Spear and the Holy Sword had been more than enough to ruin everything. All it took had been a single distraction, a single moment of weakness to sabotage his plans. And now, those accursed fragments of his past were back. They were back - again - despite the entire millennia he had spent desperately trying to forget and start over from stratch. They were back - again - haunting him, plaguing him incessantly as if all his efforts had been for nothing. They were back, shattering his defenses and occupying his mind every time he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. And there was nothing he could do to stop them.
The God of War cursed himself. This was his own fault. He had no one to blame but himself. He had been a fool. He had acted rashily, foolishly, and now he was paying the consequences for those mistakes. He knew he should have stayed away from the Sword. He knew he should have restrained himself during the duel. And yet, just like the old times, he had been unable to stay away from trouble, unable to stand by and watch... and now he had to deal with the consequences of his actions.
It seemed that despite the millennia and experiences he had lived through, he still was the same old fool of the past.
Good grief. It wasn't fair, really. And yet, at the same time, it felt like his well-deserved punishment. Shirou knew it as a fact, as a foregone conclusion. Because despite the memories, despite the nightmares and the pain... he did not regret his previous actions. He didn't regret them at all. He cared for both Mordred and Artoria, and consequently, he knew he had done the right thing. Heck, let's be honest here: if it were necessary, he would probably do it again without the slightest hesitation. He would do it over and over again if it meant that Mordred and Artoria could finally put their past behind them and start anew. Because Shirou knew it was the right thing. He knew they deserved that chance. Yes, they deserved it. They really did.
Unlike him.
His smile disappeared at that thought. Instead, he opened his eyes, his amber orbs gazing upon the sea and the endless vastness of salt water under the sky nearing noon. It was only when he was alone like in this moment that he could find a moment of respite. After all, after what had happened in the previous days, the situation had become quite tense for him. Even without taking into account the nightmares, the memories, and the whole mess with the War, Morgan le Fay and Tyr's threat, the situation had become far from easy for the red-haired Ruler.
Why, would you ask? Simple: because he knew that Mordred, Iskandar and the others were suspecting him right now. He knew they were harboring doubts - substantial doubts - about him and his identity. And how could they not? After all that had happened with Rhongomyniad and Excalibur, after all that they had witnessed because of his carelenessness, it was an inevitable outcome. Their questions, their suspicions and their doubts were legit and understandable. He had no way to blame them for that.
But still, this awareness was not making things easier for him. Shirou could live with his companions' suspicion, yes, but still... it was painful. Extremely painful. And despite what many believed, he was NOT immune to pain. Despite his past and his legend, Shirou was NOT a God anymore. He was NOT an unbeatable, unreachable being. He was human being. A man. A twisted, cursed and fragile man, yes... but a man all the same. And there was only so much hurt and pain a man could take in the end. Even he had a breaking point, after all. A breaking point to which he was getting painfully closer by the day.
And the longer the mission lasted, the harder it was becoming to keep his secrets and continue his farce.
So, as you've already guessed, Shirou didn't know what to do.
He felt lost, for the second time in a row.
And it wasn't a good feeling.
...
It was the sound of laughter and cheers that caught his attention at a certain point.
The Ruler blinked, rousing himself from those dark thoughts and turning his head towards the center of the ship.
The sight that met his eyes was quite unexpected. Behind him, in the lower area of the deck near the bridge, Iskandar, Mordred and Salieri were currently chatting with some of the crew; the sound of their laughter echoing in the air. Shirou's eyes visibly softened when he saw his friends laughing and joking with humans as the journey continued. Despite his foul mood and his lingering concerns, it was always heartwarming to see them so joyful and carefree from time to time. It was a sight that he had learned to appreciate more and more during the months he had spent with them, getting to know them better and opening up to them.
From his position near the railing, he could clearly see the way Rider and Saber were sitting on several small containers, laughing loudly with a bunch of men and boys sitting around them as they drank beer cans in complete glee. The Italian Berserker on the other hand - much to Shirou's astonishment - was currently flanked by a small group of young women, lost in some eloquent and rhetorical speeches, acting like an elegant and well-mannered gentleman (which seemed to be working, given the dreamy looks the women were giving him as he spoke). Shirou almost gaped in shock at the scene. It seemed that he could mask the effects of his Mad Enhancement well despite his mental issues. That was quite shocking.
Even Bedivere and Gawain were there. They stood on the right side, leaning against the railing of the deck close to the sea, apparently intent on chatting with other crew members in absolute calm. They seemed to be comfortable, but the ancient God didn't fail to notice the wary glances they were throwing in Salieri's direction from time to time, making sure the situation was under control and that the Berserker couldn't do something strange. He inwardly smiled at the sight. It was nice to see that someone in the group was still alert in spite of everything. It was always better to be safe than sorry, after all. They couldn't be too careless, even if they were basically forced to behave and mingle with humans right now. But Mordred and Iskandar didn't seem to care at all, from their part. Shirou suppressed a sigh. Damned overly-sized kids.
Then, Antonio Salieri did something unexpected. When everyone was distracted, he silently summoned a violin out of nowhere and began to play some music, much to the humans' elation. Shirou watched, wide-eyed, as the mad Servant moved to the center of the group, playing his violin masterfully and dancing around with slow, elegant steps. As the soft sound of the violin became a captivating rhythm, the humans around him cheered with evident excitement, clapping their hands to the rhythm of the music. Even Iskandar and Mordred joined the 'party' after an initial moment of shock, visibly cheerful and altered by alcohol. Bedivere and Gawain approached the group as well, looking as baffled as Shirou was.
And after a couple of minutes of music, the Servants and the humans started to sing out loud.
-Now he's the one who sings while the lubbers scrub the floor-
-(Oh my, oh my, oh my)-
-And he's the one who laughs when the storm begins to roar-
-(Oh my, oh my, oh my)-
-When his fiddle starts to play, better hide away-
-If you don't wanna die-
-He is the one to blame when a mate goes overboard-
-(Oh my, oh my, oh my)-
Shirou watched in silent fascination as Mordred and Iskandar sang, lifting their mugs and beer cans and sharing that moment of joy and leisure with the humans around them. All the while, Salieri continued to play with a skill worthy of his title as a musician, the notes of his violin becoming more and more captivating as the rhythm increased in intensity. And as he listened to the music, as he watched his friends and companions sing and cheerfully toast without a care, Shirou felt his former doubts and worries gradually disappear.
The red-haired Ruler allowed himself a relieved smile. His eyes softened as he kept watching the group from a distance, not wanting to interrupt or intrude the moment for now.
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care and be aware, he's like a cutlass in your back-
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care, he's everywhere, he's like a needle in your neck-
-He's the fiddler on this wreck-
-I'm the fiddler on the deck-
"May I join you?"
The God of War widened his smile upon hearing that voice. There was no way he could mistake it for any reason.
He turned to the right, and his cheeks felt suddenly warm as he saw Artoria Pendragon staring down at his form seated on the small box, smiling at him with a tinge of pink on her fair face. And as soon as he took a good look at her, even though he couldn't understand why, the mere sight of her was enough to leave Shirou speechless for several seconds.
Until, he finally found his voice again with a mental cough. "You don't need to ask. It's always an honor for me to be joined by you, your Majesty. Pardon... Artoria," he replied smoothly, offering to her his trade-mark grin with head tilted and eyes closed.
The blonde King smiled warmly upon hearing his words. Then, with no further ado, she took a seat next to him on the same wooden box, joining the red-head in silence as she sighed and watched the group below singing and playing in joy with an unreadable expression on her face.
While Artoria took a seat next to him, Shirou couldn't help but shoot a silent glance in her direction. And soon enough, despite his own confusion and bewilderment, he found himself staring in the end, fascinated by the woman who had approached him. And the more he stared, the more he felt his face grow warm for some reason. He simply couldn't help it, and he himself knew not the reason behind his weird reaction.
And he had every reason to be confused. After all, he had seen a lot of things during his long life; a lot of wonders and beautiful things - including Goddesses. Not only that, but also Fairies and Elves, who both were extremely attractive races for humans. He had seen them all, in all shapes and sizes. However, what he was feeling right now... it was new. He had neverexperienced this kind of thing before. Not even during his previous 'relationship' - if that's how it could be called - with a certain Goddess he had found himself being fascinated so much by another being; by another human. And the more he realized it, the more this sudden realization left him somehow baffled and speechless.
Because in spite of everything, the Ruler had to admit that the woman next to him was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He had seen a lot of things, again, but for some reason none of them seemed to compare right now. The King of Knights looked downright gorgeous in his eyes. Even in her modern look, she was mesmerizing. Right now, Artoria wore her formal dark blue dress supplied by the Clock Tower, along with a small white cloak that covered her right shoulder and arm. Her dress was elegant, with golden trims on the shoulders, chest and zipper, and gold buttons. She also wore dark gloves, and long black stockings on her legs, along with a pair of elegant but practical boots. And somehow, being forced to look at her, Shirou couldn't deny it: she was breathtaking. Even the crew members couldn't help but stare at her sometimes, given her royal aura and her own natural beauty. The woman looked like a noblewoman (and she was, technically, despite being primarily a King) and in Shirou's eyes, she stood out much more than any other person or thing he had ever seen.
...an effect due to her connection with his weapons, no doubt. Shirou was no fool. He knew that he and Artoria were connected, after all. He knew that there was a bond between them, and he was starting to realize it more and more by the day, just like Artoria herself had realized it in the past. Not only that, but his previous contact with Excalibur had only proved and emphasized this link between them. Artoria had always looked beautiful and attractive to his eyes, but his previous interest in her had literally skyrocketed after the events in Italy. It was no shock that he was suddenly finding himself drawn to her after touching that blade. There had to be a connection. It was simply logical.
But he couldn't dwell on this. Shirou shook his head, returning his gaze to the group of Servants and humans who were singing on the deck below.
-He's dancing in the tops when the ship goes down the drain-
-(Oh my, oh my, oh my)-
-And he's the reason why when me mateys go insane-
-(Oh my, oh my, oh my)-
-When he plays a fiddle tune, better catch him soon-
-Or wave the world goodbye-
-He is the one to blame when the devil calls your name-
-(Oh my, oh my, oh my)-
Artoria kept glancing at him for an entire minute. Shirou didn't miss it. But he waited patiently until she found the resolve to ask. "Shirou," she finally said after a while, her voice shy despite the blankness of her face. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."
The Ruler gave her a sideways glance. "What is it?" he asked.
The woman turned to him. She waited a couple of seconds. Then, much to his shock, she suddenly bowed her head without the slightest hesitation. Shirou visibly startled at her actions, almost choking on spittle.
"Thank you," she said sincerely, shocking him quite a lot with that gesture. Her voice was strong now, filled with resolve and sincere gratitude. "For helping me and Mordred the other day. I... I'm extremely grateful for what you did. I really am. I have no words for it, really."
Shirou blushed slightly upon hearing those words, and then flushed even more when he saw her head bowing further to him. He inwardly began to fume in embarrassment, waving his hands in an attempt to lift her head up. "W-Wait, wait, wait! There's no need for you to thank me like this! I didn't do anything!" he tried to say, almost frantic in his flushed state.
But the female King shook her head, adamant. "That's not true. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to reconcile with Mordred. I wouldn't have been able to get this far. On the contrary, without your intervention, I would probably still be at the lake right now, desperate and distressed, unable to cope with my issues and face my Knights. And while I do consider myself quite resolute and willfull, it was only thanks to you and your encouragement that I've found the strength to face my insecurities, my past, Mordred... everything. So, please, I ask of you to accept my most sincere thanks. I wouldn't be able to call myself a King or a Knight without offering you my gratitude first," she stated, firm and resolute as never before.
He stared at her after hearing that, long and hard.
To say that Shirou was shocked was an understatement. His mind was completely blown right now. He had always believed Artoria to be a proud and detatched woman. A strong-willed and stubborn person - that's where Mordred got it from, after all - but it seemed that he had been wrong. Right now, the King of Knights wasn't showing any stubbornness. On the contrary, she was actually lowering herself to his level, momentarily disregarding her status as King and showing a sincere display of gratitude and humility right in front of him. Not everyone would have been able to do such a thing, especially Kings or rulers like her. Shirou was pretty sure that even Iskandar would rather choose death than bow in front of someone else.
So... yeah. He was shocked by that outcome. This was definitely not was he was expecting.
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care and be aware, he's like a cutlass in your back-
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care, he's everywhere, he's like a needle in your neck-
-He's the fiddler on this wreck-
-I'm the fiddler on the deck-
After a few moments of stunned shock, he roused himself out of his stupor. The red-head coughed uncomfortably, sparing a little glace towards the group. He was extremely glad that Bedivere and Gawain weren't here to see this.
"I-It's fine, really. Please raise your head," he said, trying to be discreet. The woman complied, but he didn't dare to meet her eyes yet. "I'm not such a praiseworthy person. You shouldn't bow to me. I appreciate the gratitude, but really... you should give yourself more credit. I may have helped you and Mordred a little, but you were the one who took the first step." He inwardly smiled when he saw her blush a little. "That's why you challenged Mordred, right? Because you wanted to reconcile with her."
The woman nodded after a small pause. Her hand moved to remove a stray of golden hair from her face. "Yes. Even still, if it weren't for you, my attempt would have been for nothing. I hadn't expected Mordred to be so mad at me. If you hadn't intervened... I probably wouldn't be here now," she stated again, her voice soft but still tinged with a bit of pain. It was certainly not easy to confront one's failures so often, after all.
"Well, the important thing is that everything has worked out for the best," Shirou said quickly, trying to cheer her up as best as he could. He didn't know why, but he didn't like seeing Artoria in a sad or distressed state, just like with Mordred. "There's no need to dwell on that. The past is past. What matters the most is the future."
He gave her a small grin, feeling slightly better when he saw that the blonde King had started smiling again with a tiny and hopeful nod. He pressed his advantage as soon as he could. "Speaking of which, now both you and Mordred can move on and start something new for yourselves," he continued soon after that, fixing the woman with an amused stare. "You have an entire new path ahead of you. That is what really matters. But if you're really grateful to me, if you really want to do something for me... then I ask you to promise me one thing."
Artoria turned serious in an instant. "Anything," she promised, her gaze completely focused on his face.
Shirou offered her a small smile, leaving her quite perplexed. "Please promise me that you won't waste this chance," was all he said; and when he spoke those words, there was not a single trace of hesitation in his tone, not a single trace of deceit. Just understanding. And Artoria noticed it all too well. "That is all I ask of you, King of Knights."
The female King widened her eyes, staring at his smiling face for what seemed to be an eternity.
Until, much to the Ruler's relief, she smiled and nodded in acceptance.
"Very well," she conceded in the end, her eyes shining under the light of sun. "I'll do my best. I promise."
Shirou smirked with a proud expression. There was no way to describe the relief he was feeling right now. "Good. That's all I can ask."
"However, I would like to ask you something as well, if I may," she immediately added all of a sudden, staring at him with utmost seriousness.
The unknown God blinked, confused. "By all means," he answered easily.
The King of Knights softened her gaze, her lips curving into a smile filled with sincerity and gratitude. A stark contrast compared to the aura of cold and detached firmness that she used to show all the time. And now, seeing those emotions manifesting in Artoria's face for the first time, Shirou couldn't help but be completely thrilled. He simply couldn't help it. He was not expecting her to show such emotions right in front of him. Not so easily, and not so suddenly. He had never dared to hope it, even. It was just too shocking to see. This was way different than what he had seen of her back in England.
"I understand this may be a bother to you," Artoria began to say, her voice shy but strong at the same time. Despite the woman's quiet tone, those words managed to snap him out of his shock all the same. "But since you've helped me so many times, I would like to help you as well. I... I want to repay the favor, in some way. So, if there's something I can do to help, and if there's something bothering you, please allow me to stand by your side and offer support. I'd like to return the kindness you have showed to me."
-Hey!-
-Hey!-
-Hey!-
Shirou swallowed as the silence stretched for a while, interrupted only by the song and music coming from the deck below. He felt his heart physically tighten in his chest as his mind finally began to record and process those words. He knew why she was making that request. He was no fool. He knew extremely well why.
Artoria was trying to connect with him, again. She was trying to get closer to him, again. She was trying to close the distance between them, determined to shed light on him and on the mysteries and secrets he carried with himself. Just like before. Exactly like before. And although he felt honored - deeply honored - of having attracted the interest and gratitude of the King of Knights herself, he knew he couldn't allow this to happen. He simply couldn't, as much as it pained him. Artoria was finally showing her emotions, she was finally trying to improve and connect with others... but he hadn't expected to see her trying to connect with himof all people.
He didn't mind the gratitude, but being the subject of interest of the King of Knights was not in his plans. He couldn't risk anything. His mission was way too important, after all.
Hence, it was with a strained smile and a growing sense of remorse in his heart that the God of War hastly decided to dismiss her worries.
"Thank you, Artoria. Truly," he began to say, slow and sincere. From the slight furrowing of her brows, he immediately knew that Artoria was already guessing his intentions. "But there's no need. I am completely fine, and there's no need for you-"
"I know there's something bothering you, Shirou," she cut him off, both her face and gaze as serious as they could be. "Do not try to fool me."
The red-haired Ruler flinched.
Artoria continued to stare at him, her emerald eyes studying him with an unnerving intensity. Shirou almost seemed to wither under that probing stare. He could not understand how her eyes, those eyes so similar to Mordred's, could be so extremely different at the same time. That single stare had been more than enough to make him falter and crumble inside. And he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.
But still, he wouldn't back down from this. He couldn't. He simply couldn't. There was too much at stake here.
The blonde Saber continued to stare into his golden-brown eyes. Then, seeing his inflexible gaze, she frowned and shook her head.
"You are an enigma, Ruler."
Shirou smirked a little, ignoring the pain and regret on the inside. "I know. It's an annoying trait," he said, glancing to the group below that continued to play and sing.
Artoria didn't back down either. Her eyes met his own, and even now he was shocked at the clarity of their green depths.
The frown grew even deeper as she asked: "Why won't you trust me?"
He teared his eyes away from her, slowly and painfully, forcing himself to quell the pain that was growing in his chest. His gaze focused on the sea and the horizon. "I told you: I'm not a praiseworthy person," he answered, voice blank and stoic. "Whatever it is you seek, you won't find it in me. I don't deserve such gratitude, o King."
Artoria narrowed her eyes on him. "Then why did you help me?" she inquired further.
Another flinch. This time, the woman noticed it. Damn it. She got him there. She got him good.
"You may think you are not worthy, but it's not true, Shirou," the woman continued again, her eyes still glued to his face. Seeing his cheeks blush was extremely amusing to watch for her. "You saved me when I needed it the most. You understood me when I was blinded by regret, and saved me from myself. I believe that is worth of praise. That's why I want to help you as well. If there's something bothering you, I will gladly offer you my aid. I owe it to you, after all."
His silence was filled with embarrassment. Artoria couldn't help but smile at his flushed face.
She pressed her advantage. "I wish I would have known you in my life. I would have made you one of my Knights," she admitted then, sounding completely honest with her words even as she shyly lowered her eyes.
That statement left Shirou completely speechless. There was no way. There was no fucking way! Hearing such a statement from King Arthur himself - from Artoria - was a huge praise in Shirou's book. There was no greater praise than this.
"I-I do not deserve such praise!" he vehemently denied.
The King shook her head. "Of course you do. You helped both me and Mordred, and you didn't hesitate to offer aid to the people we've met so far," she countered promptly, amused. "Because that's what you do. You help others, and that it is admirable," she said with a smile.
Shirou was flabbergasted. He could feel his heart beating madly within his chest. His head was feeling warm and light all of a sudden.
But he still had doubts. "If that's what I did," he grunted in a low voice.
"And you did save me. Twice," Artoria added softly, her smile widening quite a bit when she saw him blush again at the reminder. She knew he couldn't deny that, at least. "I shall never forget that, Shirou."
For the first time, the Ruler couldn't find a way to retort to her. He knew she was wrong (he was nothing but a monster and a liar, after all) but still, he couldn't find the strength and will to deny her. On the contrary, despite himself, he allowed himself a small smile. Even he could take a compliment, sometimes. Even if Artoria was wrong about him, her respect still meant much to him.
Shirou Emiya shut his mouth with a grunt, his cheeks growing warm as he struggled not to make eye contact with the woman.
The King of Knights didn't seem to mind. "You are always ready to help others. You've never hesitated to aid those in need before," she said softly, completely certain of what she was saying. Then, at that point, she turned to him fully, offering him an expression that was a mixture of concern, warmth and confusion as she gazed at him with so many foreign emotions flashing in her emerald eyes. "So why won't you let others help you as well?"
The God of War, the First Hero of Humanity, and the God-Slayer felt his heart clench painfully at those words. He honestly felt like crying right now.
Instead, he resigned himself to a bitter smile. "Maybe I don't deserve it," was all he said.
Artoria's eyes probed at him with an intense stare. "I don't think that's the case."
"It doesn't matter what you think. I do not deserve this," the Ruler stated again, deadly serious.
She narrowed her eyes. "Neither do I, but I'm not letting it go," she replied in a challenging tone. Her strong and sudden reaction left him visibly baffled. "I've done things that I regret too, Shirou. I've made a lot of mistakes in my rule. I failed my Knights and my people in the most humiliating way, and I foolishly wished to erase all of that because of my guilt. However, you forced me to realize that I cannot be ruled by those regrets anymore. You showed me that if I try hard enough, then I can overcome the pain and start something new for myself. And it was thanks to you that I've made peace with Mordred, with Bedivere and Gawain, and with myself."
The Ruler was about to protest, but she wouldn't let him. With a gesture that surprised him greatly, Artoria suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stare at her with wide eyes filled with confusion and anxiety.
But the King of Knights didn't seem to care. She just stared at him straight into the eyes. "I'm not going back to that hell," she declared seriously. "And I'm going to make sure that you don't go there either."
That, she swore. She didn't know his past. She didn't know his truth. She didn't know anything... yet. But it didn't matter. It didn't matter one single bit. Her decision was now made. And Artoria Pendragon wouldn't back down from her own decisions. There was no doubt in her mind.
Shirou stared at her resolve with lips parted and eyes wide.
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care and be aware, he's like a cutlass in your back-
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care, he's everywhere, he's like a needle in your neck-
...she really was improving, wasn't she?
Good grief. What a pain.
Shirou grunted noncommittally. However, his lips curved into a tiny smile all the same.
"What goes around comes around," he whispered sarcastically.
Artoria smiled as well. "You told me not to hesistate and chase what I really want. And as I've told you before... I want to know you, Shirou. I want to help you, like you've done to me. I owe it to you."
He visibly hesitated under her sincere gaze, at a loss for words.
"You know, I cursed you when you first tried to talk some sense into me," the blonde Saber continued in a soft voice, smiling in self-mockery with a shake of the head. "I thought that if you wanted to be kind then you should have left me alone. But now, I'm extremely grateful for what you did."
Shirou swallowed with a conflicted expression. "I was being selfish. I didn't want you and Mordred to suffer. I just... had to do something."
Her eyes met his. "Then allow me to do the same. Please."
"I'm not sure if I want that," he whispered as he looked down to his hands. "I have sins too, Artoria. I'm not the noble warrior you believe me to be."
"Then, perhaps we can find a way to heal. A way to move on," she said, her emerald eyes staring into his amber orbs intently.
Her body shifted instinctively at that point, moving closer to him on the box without her knowing why. Even her own hand did the same, leaving the Ruler's shoulder and moving to gently rest on his chest instead, as she stared with a strange expression to his flushed face.
"Together."
Shirou blinked hard, gulped at nothing, and then turned away from her. His cheeks were now completely red as his crimson bangs covered his eyes.
"W-What are you talking about?" he whispered, stunned.
"I'm not sure," Artoria admitted, stuttering a little upon realizing the full weight of her words and actions. She immediately retracted her hand from him, her ears and neck glowing crimson. "I-I don't know of s-such things..."
Shirou swallowed again, feeling his heart beat madly inside his chest. He could still feel the regret and pain lingering in his mind, but Artoria's words had managed to ease them a bit for some reason. That fact alone was enough to leave him baffled. He was completely stunned right now. He didn't even have the strenght for a sarcastic rebuttal.
Therefore, after a few seconds of tense and embarrassed silence, he had no choice but relent in order to escape that weird situation.
"...Alright," he sighed in the end, feeling a little better upon seeing her flushed face blossom with a satisfied smile. Even if she was wrong about him, and even if her interest in him was completely misplaced, he found himself unable to get mad at her. And he was fine with that, despite everything. "I'll try to be better from now on, if that's what you want. If you really have such a high opinion of me, then I suppose I'll have to make an effort. I... I will try to rely on you from now on."
Her emerald eyes sparkled with something warm he couldn't quite decipher after his words. "Friends return favors, do they not?" she asked, her cheeks still tinged with a little pink.
For once, the Ruler didn't lose his smile. He really was slipping, wasn't he.
"I suppose so."
"Good. I'm glad."
The God of War and the King of Knights shared a silent smile.
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care and be aware, he's like a cutlass in your back-
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care, he's everywhere, he's like a needle in your neck-
-He's the fiddler on this wreck-
"Boy! Saber!"
Shirou and Artoria physically jumped, startled. They immediately parted away from each other, turning in direction of the voice.
Iskandar and Mordred were waving at them from the deck, raising their arms to get their attention amidst the group as Salieri continued to play his violin and the humans kept singing. An ear-splitting grin curved the Rider's lips as he wrapped an arm around Mordred and beckoned them to approach with emphasis.
"Stop being so stiff all the time, you brats! Get over here! Come sing the next song with us!" he exclaimed in his usual boisterous manner, urging Mordred to nod and jump emphatically in approval. Even Bedivere and Gawain shared a nod in their direction, wishing for them to join as well.
For once, both Shirou and Artoria were glad that the group hadn't noticed their previous interaction.
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care and be aware, he's like a cutlass in your back-
-He's the fiddler, he's the fiddler, he's the fiddler on the deck-
-Better take care, he's everywhere, he's like a needle in your neck-
-He's the fiddler on this wreck-
The King of Knights exhaled in relief, recollecting herself as fast as she could. Then, she didn't hesitate any longer. She stood up from the wooden box, offering an encouraging smile to the red-haired Ruler as she nodded her head.
"Shall we, Shirou?" she asked, her eyes still sparkling with that warm and weird emotion from before.
The God stared for a second, unable to react. Then, after a moment of hesitation, logic and reason returned to work inside him, and he decided to relent under everyone's expectant gaze.
He let out a long sigh.
"Fine."
Artoria smiled, as bright as the sun. And for the first time, Shirou felt like he could be blinded by that smile.
But despite the cheerfulness in the air and Shirou's improved mood, in the end, the pain of his farce and the weight of his sins returned to haunt him again, just like his memories, unwilling to leave him alone. And once again, despite his strenght and his long years of life, the God of War found himself utterly unable to escape their grasp. Utterly unable to break this curse.
He took a breath, raised himself from the box, then forced his mind to steel as he followed Artoria towards the group.
~I'm the fiddler on the deck~
Shirou donned a smile.
It didn't quite reach his eyes.
.
/+/+/+/+/+/+/
.
When Ishtar and Hades approach me, I'm sitting at the top of the tower of Jericho. From my vantage point, I can see the humans and the Elves walking around the wreckage. It's done. The fight is over. I've managed to drive Nergal away and free the people from the God's endless plagues, but the city has paid a huge price. Despite my best efforts, the damage has been quite great.
I shake my head in resignation as I watch the reconstruction works. The Elves and builders aren't alone. Trained homunculi cringe at some of their orders, but obey nonetheless. Would the humans understand what their lesser kin feel? Judging from their confused chain of command, the construction crew and the homunculi probably barely understood each other.
Hades' flaming hair are red and smoking. Fuck. That's not a good sign - he only does that when he's stressed.
"We need to talk," Ishtar says.
I try to be a smart alec. "You know I don't feel that way about you, but if you insist."
"Please stop blathering," she replies, in a sleek but waspish voice. "This is rather important."
Ishtar and Hades sit down next to me. When they finish talking, I'm on my feet. I give a small laugh and ask if they're kidding.
"Unfortunately, no."
Ishtar leans closer.
"I think it's time for us to part ways here."
YOU ARE READING
Fate: Opression
AdventureAlaya is gone. The Counter Force is gone. Without them, the Throne of Heroes released all the Heroes on Earth against the planet's will. When Gaia sensed that the World is on the brink of collapse, she sent its First Hero to fix the mess. Now, Shiro...
