The Thirsty Girl's Guide To Summoning (Fate/Isekai)

Chapter 9

Cú Chulainn blew out his breath as his mistress vanished into the depths of the shattered keep, Ritsu following behind. Ren's mouth had been sweet and warm and her blush adorable, but she'd kissed him like a child emulating a fairy tale, for all that she was eminently not a child in body. And yet he'd responded to her all the same. He almost—but not quite—regretted that she hadn't meant it.

"My goodness," said Merlin lightly. "Were you as surprised by that as I was? Such a rash girl."

Cú gave the mage a narrow look. "I'm not interested in being a pawn in her flirtation with you."

Amusement flickered on Merlin's face. "Do you think that's what it was?"

"Oh yeah. I've been used by enough women to recognize that when I see it."

"Hmm," said Merlin, looking at where Ren had vanished into the keep. "I could say the same, and yet what I see is that she simply can't keep her eyes—or hands—off you."

The Lancer stared off into the distance, remembering. Cú had never been averse to dalliance, even in his Servant afterlife. But dalliance was the opposite of attachment, and he couldn't help but be attached to whomever he'd sworn to serve.

Even if he knew nothing about her beyond her fierce gaze and hot mouth.

In any case, it was harder to obey orders when you were fucking the person you were fighting for. Sometimes in his life it had been... unavoidable. But this time, with this near-child...

He realized abruptly that Merlin was grinning at him and sighed. "Hey. Listen up, you. Don't make things complicated, or else I'll get annoyed. I'm usually a pretty easygoing guy. Let's keep it that way."

"Now, now, that's not really fair, is it? Sometimes things get complicated all on their own. I don't want to be blamed if that happens. Well. At least I don't want to be stabbed, you know?"

Cú squinted at Merlin and then pivoted, taking a few steps closer to the broken fortress wall. "Then maybe you should work on helping things stay simple instead."

Merlin drifted after him. "Are you really the Hound of Ulster? I never heard he was such a stick in the mud."

"Yeah, that's another reason I hate you—" Something dark flashed near them, something Cú had been waiting for, and he and Merlin both instantly leapt back from ground zero as a beam of black light exploded through where they'd been. The very air sizzled, and even though Cú had been prepared, even inviting the attack, he was still taken aback by its intensity.

The black beam had destroyed another section of fortress wall before exiting through the previously-existing hole, scattering some rubble but simply silently slagging most of it.

"There she is," said Merlin happily, but flung a taut hand toward the entrance to the fortress where the girls were. A barrier of light traced itself over the opening. It wouldn't stop the Servant known as Artoria Alter for more than a few heartbeats, but it would at least keep their reckless Master from charging into the middle of a battle.

Cú bounded over to the dark beam's entry point, climbing over some rubble to look down the path of blasted trees into the forest, whistling at the devastation. Far away, the blackened King of Knights stalked toward them, the distant clang of her ebony armor a grim music.

Merlin called, "Do you still think leading her here was a good idea?"

"Eh. As soon as she transformed from that dragon I knew she'd find the fortress. You were still here, after all." Cú watched the Saber advance, a grin widening. Then he darted toward her, only halting a few yards away as she swung her sword to point at him.