FGO Specter of Glass

India Ch4

Abhimanyu held his father's bow as he cleaned it, he was told not to let people see it in public, but Chaldea and the rebels already knew who he was. He felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders when he was revealed, his keeping that a secret put him in a spot where he barely spoke to people unless it was about work. He stretched his arms, taking a small break from weapon maintenance, he watched Chaldea sit by a campfire to discuss what they were going to do next. Vrishasena suggested that they take out the gods first, without their protection, the entire kingdom would be vulnerable and the king in turn. Fighting him made Vrishasena realize how weak they were in comparison. 

One hit was enough to take them down before most of them were able to raise their weapons. If it weren't for him discovering that Ali was Abhimanyu, there was no way they'd survive. Then there was the man with black hair and red highlights, someone he had seen before at Duryodhana's court. Shakuni was his name, an assassin who was Duryodhana's right-hand man and uncle. He disappeared after his nephew's death and was said to be killed after trying to escape the dungeons. To see him again meant the council of India was lying about who was dead, making Vrishasena wonder if there was anyone else who could take the throne from Shrutakarma. 

Carmen yawned, the evening was coming, and they needed to get to sleep if they were going to see the god temples. She patted the sheets and fell asleep quickly.

Shrutakarma was limping, blood on his shirt and his left arm was cut deeply. He collapsed in front of Arjuna, holding his father's cloak as he cried. "Father... help me..."

"What happened to you?" Arjuna kneeled to him.

"It hurts... it hurts so much..."

"Did someone attack you?"

"Kill me..." he looked at his father, his eyes beginning to glow. 

"What are you talking about?!" Arjuna held his son on his lap. "Shru, what happened?"

"Father... I ask of you one thing... please... kill me... before... it's too late." Shrutakarma coughed, blood pouring from his mouth.

"He tried to kill himself," Kashvi said, showing Arjuna the knife.

"Take him to the emergency room," Arjuna then got distracted when Shakuni presented him with a report. He wasn't watching Kashvi and didn't see when she stabbed him in the stomach. Shakuni came from the other side and slashed his back. "What are you two doing?!"

"Do you know how hard it is to catch you off guard? I've been waiting for years to get rid of you."

"You... what did you do to Shrutakarma?!"

"He's the chosen king, given power by the goddess that he's been trying to suppress." She kicked Shrutakarma, "I can't believe how annoying your family is."

Kashvi healed Shrutakarma's wounds and picked him up by his collar, she told him to finish the job: kill Arjuna and take the throne. He conjured his lance, the scars on his left arm filling with energy that made it glow blue. He didn't hear a single word Arjuna said, advancing with his lance raised to fight. Arjuna dodged attacks, careful not to be pierced by the lance while he tried to reason with his son. He caught the weapon, pushing it back, he was focused on defending himself, he didn't want to fight if it meant killing his son. Although, there wasn't much of a choice. He saw Kashvi's grin; things were going how she wanted them to.

One of them had to die to fulfill her plan, and he wasn't going to let that happen. He pushed Shrutakarma to the side and took away the lance, hoping that was enough to stop the attacks. He summoned his orbs and had them explode; Kashvi was thrown against the wall, knocked out from the impact. Though that wasn't the end, Shrutakarma had pierced his chest, the boy's hand cutting through like a blade. He fell, holding his wound as he tried to speak to his son. His words meant nothing to someone who couldn't hear him, Shrutakarma's face was blank with glowing eyes.