Fate/ Grand Crypter

Chapter 38 (Septem)

"Given the nature of that trial, we should probably assume the next will be something similar, right?"

Oberon walked a step behind Leo as they descended deeper into the cave system. Leo had just finished explaining what he had experienced during the Trial of Despair, avoiding grisly details where possible. Oberon was, unfortunately, a talkative listener.

"Perhaps," Leo commented noncommittally.

In the game, the trials had been nothing more than pure combat challenges. Leo was still expecting these trials to involve combat, but his experience with the Despair Trial had shaken both his assumptions about this place and his confidence in what was to come. It was clearer than ever that he could not rely on his experience to ensure his success, and if he continued to blindly assume it would be the same, he would suffer accordingly.

"More importantly, how were you not deceived by the illusion? It wasn't even something you needed to see through, you were just not affected?" Leo turned to Oberon, curious.

"Ah, yes." Oberon smiled slightly. "I have a natural resistance to curses instead of standard magic resistance. It appears this Goddess trial more closely resembles a curse than anything else."

"... I see."

Leo did recall a similar skill in Oberon's in-game version. It was the only option that made sense anyway. That Trial being something close to a curse... wasn't really a surprise when he thought about it.

"Does this mean you can influence these trials somewhat? If you can resist their magic, try and stop them if they attempt to break into my mind again. I would rather not have to deal with this a second time."
"Perhaps," Oberon conceded. "But being immune myself and extending that protection to you are two very different things. I cannot be sure if it is even possible."

"Fair enough," Leo muttered.

As their conversation dwindled off, the tunnel opened up, revealing a large vaulted ceiling of another cavern, pools of water dotting its surface. Leo instinctively glanced at the ceiling, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw no corpses there. The pair slowly moved through the cavern, avoiding the many clear pools. Leo glanced into one as he passed, his reflection returning the look from the perfect surface. Every single pool was a mirror, reflecting the surface of the cavern and the two visitors.

"Well, it's definitely not normal water," Leo muttered.

"Master, ahead," Oberon warned, coming to a stop.

Ahead of them, a figure was emerging from within the darkness. A young woman, nearly identical to Stheno, smiled as she stepped into the light.

"Greetings, challengers," she curtsied. "I am your guide to this trial, the Trial of Delight."

Leo recognised the figure, another divine Servant. She was the twin sister of Stheno, the goddess Euryale. She was not a Servant that should have been summoned to this Singularity, so the being before them was most likely another manifestation of Stheno's trials. Leo's frown deepened slightly. It was unlikely that the goddess had randomly chosen the forms of the guides when creating the trials; otherwise, they would have all been reflections of Stheno herself. Euryale being here was significant, and it likely indicated the form this trial would take.

"The Trial of Delight?" Leo rolled the name around on his tongue before letting it go with a sigh. "This sounds like it is going to be even worse than the previous trial."

"It is a test of your character, like everything else in this place," Euryale said serenely. "If they were easy to pass, there would be no point administering them."

"Right," Leo said, glancing around the cavern again. "What do we need to do?"

Euryale gestured to one of the mirror-like pools beside them with a graceful hand, her actions repeated several times over in their reflective surfaces.

"To pass the Trial of Delight, you must immerse yourselves in these pools," she explained. "Once you have completed the trial, the exit will be revealed."

Beside Leo, Oberon knelt down, putting his hand into the pools and lifting a cup of the water to his face. He examined it closely, and his face scrunched into an unpleasant expression as he glanced up at Leo.

"Master, I don't think it needs explaining, but I will say it anyway. There is something foul mixed into these waters."

"The name alone made that clear." Leo looked at the pools, working through the possibilities in his head.

They likely could not brute force the trial. The water probably held some trick, another spell that affected the mind, and the guide was a manifestation of the spell. Fighting her would result in a situation like the previous trial, where Leo had to face it anyway. If they wanted to proceed, they would need to enter the water, as much as Leo hated the idea.

"Just to be sure," Leo said. "I had a companion come through here recently. Silver hair, accompanied by a Servant? Can you confirm for me that he passed through here?"

"Kadoc Zempulus has descended below," Euryale said, still wearing the same smile. "If you wish to pursue him, you will need to follow in his footsteps."
"As expected," Leo muttered, glancing at Oberon. "We don't have much choice."

The Servant shrugged, looking down at the water.

"You're the one who will bear the brunt of this Master, not me. If you wish to proceed, I will follow."

Leo nodded and looked down at the mirror pool closest to him. He gritted his teeth and slowly sat down by the edge, lowering first his feet, then his waist, into the water. There was no resistance, nothing on which to place his legs for support, so Leo had to hold himself in place using the side of the pool. The water was cold, almost icy, as Leo lowered himself in, but he gritted his teeth and kept going. He was sure the worst was yet to come. Across from him, Oberon was doing the same, watching his moves and following along.

Leo took a deep breath and steadied himself, reminding himself to be calm. He knew what to expect, thanks to the previous trial. No matter what he saw, he would just have to remember that it was all an illusion and push past it. Slowly, inexorably, he lowered the rest of his body into the water, letting go of the edge and plunging his head into the icy liquid. His eyes burned against the water, and he shut them quickly, doing his best to ignore the cold that was spreading from his skin into his bones as he sank into the pool. Eventually, the cold began to abate. Leo shifted his limbs slightly, struggling without his eyes. He would need to open them, he realised, to make sure he didn't hit the wall. He slowly opened his eyes, then stopped. He closed them again and opened them, but the scene before him remained unchanged, despite the absurdity of what he was seeing.

The water and cave were gone, replaced by a familiar red wall, paint peeling off slightly. The wall was illuminated by the warm afternoon sun, shining through a window behind Leo. The song of crickets echoed from outside, along with the cries of a couple of wild birds. Leo was sitting on a low bed, the rusty springs creaking as he stood up slowly, taking in the room. In the far corner was a wooden desk, with an old laptop humming away on it. A long mirror sat against the wall, with a crack running down its face. Leo looked around the room, taking it in slowly. Despite the strange change in scenery, this was a place Leo knew well. That was why his movements were done slowly, as he stepped over to the mirror and looked at his reflection.
The man reflected back at him had long black hair that ran down his back. His eyes were a deep blue, and there was rough bristle on his chin. The shirt he wore hung loosely around his frame, making him look more gaunt than he was. Combined with the loose pants, the reflection looked like a child in clothing that was too big for him. The shocked eyes met Leo's own as he looked, the young man, slowly making sense of what he was seeing.

"... Goddammit."

Leo Valualeta looked at Aaron Kismet reflected in the mirror and let out a long, shaky breath. He was going to hate this.