Jayr POV - Nasuverse, Moon, SE.RA.PH, Tsukumihara Academy - 2030 AD
Once again, the light that streams through the digital curtains that mark the start of a new morning is warm, unreal in its perfection, a simulation of sunlight that almost makes me forget we are trapped on the Moon inside SE.RA.PH's artificial shell, almost.
I get up and stretch, feeling the soft weight of the Primary Trigger still resting in my possession while thinking, 'One piece of the puzzle is already secured. Only the Secondary Trigger is left. Then we are fully ready for the upcoming Elimination Match.'
While thinking that, I take a look at my Servant, Nero, who sits at the edge of the ornate bed, humming tunelessly, running her fingers over the hilt of Aestus Estus, making sure that her weapon is in perfect condition.
She looks as radiant as ever, her golden hair gleaming even in this synthetic dawn.
Suddenly, she turns her head in my direction, looking at me with a sly smile as she says, "My Praetor, shall we march out at once to claim more glory? Or perhaps storm the Arena again to crush a few more of those flimsy Enemy Programs?"
I shake my head, amused at her restless energy, before I reply, "Not today. We've done what we needed. The Primary Trigger is now in our hands, and we already know more than enough about our first opponents. Run Ru and Elizabeth Báthory aren't mysteries anymore. Diving into the Arena at this point is almost pointless. We will only run into the risk of needlessly revealing more information about us to our enemies."
In response to my answer, Nero tilts her head, frowning slightly, and asks, "So you suggest… leisure?" Making me nod and further expand, "Observation. Relaxation. There's no need to wear ourselves down to the bone before the Secondary Trigger appears and the second floor of the Arena opens."
Her frown instantly transforms into a grin as she exclaims, "Umu! Then today shall be one of indulgence and art! Let the others toil like ants while Rome enjoys the finer things."
I can't help but smile while thinking, 'A day of peace sounds almost alien in the middle of a Holy Grail War, but perhaps that is exactly why we need it. Without any doubt, I do need it... as this last period was an especially tense one. First, learning about the Champion of Power's invasion, which is followed by me running all over the place to gather allies and prepare for the eventual war. Then the war itself forced me to fight against one of the strongest entities in the Omniverse. Finally, when the war ended in our favor, just when I thought it was over, I found myself pulled into this merciless Holy Grail War, forced to fight against people, some good, some bad, while also constantly watching my back, careful not expose too much about myself to avoid the attention from the other Champions hiding in this competition. All of it has been stressful, and I do need to relax a bit.'
After agreeing on our plans for the day, we step out onto the campus together. Nero is naturally invisible in her Spirit Form, after all, even if we want to relax, we can't lower our guard too much.
The air carries the same crisp chill as always, the artificial sky arcing above in a flawless blue dome.
In the halls of the campus, early riser Masters move in pairs or alone, Servants invisible but unmistakably close to their sides.
Everyone tries to act casual, but the weight of the upcoming matches presses down on the atmosphere.
Nero struts proudly at my side, chin lifted, her very gait daring anyone to challenge her while more than a few Masters glance in my way, then quickly look elsewhere.
Making Nero say in a stage whisper, "See how they avert their eyes? They recognize greatness, even if they lack the courage to admit it. Hah! They may hide their Servants and put on a confident mask, but they cannot hide their fear."
Hearing that, I smirk and dryly reply, "Or maybe they just don't want to pick a fight with the tall and muscular man walking like he may break their spine with his bare hands. Not that I would do so... unless provoked, that is."
She laughs, unbothered by others hearing her as she exclaims, "Hahahaha! As well they should not!"
We pass a group of Masters clustered on the steps of the central building, whispering heatedly about tactics. I catch fragments of it, guesses about Servant identities, rumors about the more famous and high-profile Masters, speculation about who has already secured a Trigger.
All this makes Nero sniff dismissively while muttering, "Blind men arguing about the color of the sky."
Further along, we notice a familiar Master walking alone, his Servant naturally invisible in its Spirit Form, but the air around him tight, heavy, the aura of a powerful servant, making me smile wryly while thinking, 'As expected from the "protagonist" of this reality...'
Indeed, the Master in question is Hakuno Kishinami, who is clumsily sneaking through the hallway before hiding behind a nearby corner, trying to eavesdrop on a conversation happening a few meters away between Rin Tohsaka and Shinji Matou, who is very likely his next opponent in the upcoming Elimination Match.
I also focus on them and hear Shinji talk in his usual arrogant and confident tone, "Have you been inside the Arena yet? Interesting place, isn't it? I thought it was amazing at first, but it's really pretty primitive. It's like an ocean pulled from a story. I even saw a Master who managed to summon Armstrong. Sorry, I was just messing with you. I dig the sea theme. Overall, the game's pretty well done."
In response, Rin says in a mocking tone, hinting at the fact that the two know each other, "What's this? You actually managed to summon a decent Servant, then. Asia's premiere hacker, Shinji Matou?"
Her words upset the child hidden behind the teen avatar as he says, "You know, I may have had to take crap from you in the past, but this time the winner is me! With her armada to back me up, I'm invincible. Nothing you can do will be able to even touch me."
At this point, I have to forcibly hold myself back from groaning out loud and facepalming while thinking, 'What the holy heck...! The boy just gave away a critical piece of information, just like that!'
Meanwhile, hearing that, Rin smirks and comments, "Oho, you must be pretty confident to give out information about your Servant to an enemy, Matou."
In an instant, Shinji's face goes bright red as he suddenly realizes how big of a mistake he just made as he stutters, "Err... Y-Yeah. Yeah, that's right! One-sided fights bore me, so think of this as a gift! B-But is it really!? I might just be lying. You might want to forget what I said."
I can see Rin barely holding herself from snorting out loud before she says, "That is true. A single word would never expose a Servant's true name, after all. However, a class that controls an armada and is tied to a ship will thin out some of the candidates."
At this point, Rin takes a thinking pose, holding her chin with her right hand as she mutters out loud, "How will the Servant attack? Bombardment, or a frontal assault? It'll definitely be physical in nature." Which makes Shinji grunt in panic, "Gah...!"
Then Rin smiles and says, "Well, I guess the only thing left for me to do is prepare a great many physical barriers."
Hearing what Rin just said, Shinji's face goes from bright red to a terrifying shade of blue right before my eyes, while Rin shows perfectly how, once you learn something about an enemy Servant, you can begin to make plans to defeat them.
If both sides are equally strong, but only one side plans, the result of the battle would be obvious; this is what the words "knowledge is power" truly mean, even more so in a setting like this Holy Grail War.
In the end, Rin smirks a little before she gives Shinji the killing blow, "Oh, one more thing. I wonder if the Invincible Armada might be relevant to anything... I mean, others will start making references to that, right? Won't that just piss off your Servant?"
Once again, Shinji tries to defend himself with faux bravado, "W-Well... Whatever. Knowledge means nothing if you can't do anything with it. There's a good chance that you and I will never have to face each other."
With that final pathetic attempt at a comeback, Shinji turns around and starts walking away, and of course, he is heading in Hakuno Kishinami's direction, who is still "hiding" in plain sight behind the corner.
As expected, Shinji sees him right off and exclaims with clear panic on his face, "You...! You weren't there the entire time, were you? WERE YOU!? H-Heh... Well, it's not like you can stop the Invincible Arm- Err... I mean my Servant... Whatever... My victory is all but assured. Catch you later. Oh, and try not to disappoint me."
Watching Shinji's retreating figure, Rin sighs and comments, "It seems that there are a great many Masters who don't understand the stakes involved."
Shortly after that, I hear Nero's voice right beside me as she comments, "I hate agreeing with that woman, but she's right. That guy doesn't grasp the power of information. That's why so many Masters are scouring the Arena and the campus for valuable information on their opponents. Naturally, none of them can compare to you, my Praetor. Your brilliance and vast knowledge allowed youto quickly deduce our opponent's true identity and abilities with one single encounter."
At this point, Rin leaves and heads toward the stairs, likely heading toward the Arena, while Hakuno stands still for a few moments, likely listening to his Servant's advice, before he quickly heads toward the library to likely search for some information about the Invincible Armada, and thus gets close to finding out the true name of Shinji's Servant.
With such a huge hint, it is natural to guess that the true identity of Shinji's Servant is that of Francis Drake.
She was a ship's captain who made her name as both an adventurer and fleet commander.
He was a man in historical fact, but Drake appears in this universe as a woman; this is caused by the fact that nobody in her surroundings saw Drake as a woman.
She was the renowned explorer who successfully became the second person alive to circumnavigate the globe. The first person known to have attempted this feat was Ferdinand Magellan, but he died halfway through his voyage, and so Sebastian Elcano took the lead of the expedition and became the actual first one to circumnavigate the earth.
She paved the way for England to become the dominant superpower in the Age of Discovery through its substantial earnings, which in turn earned her a spot in the Throne of Heroes.
After witnessing that small episode, Nero and I continued to casually wander around the campus. From time to time, I focused on and took note of a few interesting Masters I've observed, trying to identify another Champion among them, but unfortunately, I haven't seen any suspicious behaviour or found any concrete proof to confirm that at the moment.
By the time the simulated sun has dimmed toward evening, I find myself in the library.
The endless rows of books seem to hum faintly, storing more information than any human mind can ever hold, and there I take notice of a friendly face, Aletha.
She sits hunched over a table, surrounded by stacks of digital tomes, her short brown hair is mussed, her expression tight with frustration, she doesn't even notice me until I step closer, stop in front of her, and casually greet, "Hello there."
Aletha looks up, relief flickering across her face before she smiles and says, "Jayr. Good timing. I've been at this for hours, and I'm no closer to figuring out who my opponent's Servant is."
She then gestures at the notes she'd scrawled and adds, "I've seen glimpses, and fragments in the Arena... Their silhouette, the way they fought against an Enemy Program, and certain quirks in their movements. But none of it makes much sense to me."
Hearing that, I don't hesitate and pull up the closest chair before I sit on it and say, "Tell me everything you can."
Aletha hesitates for a few moments, then she lets out a sigh and says, "Well... While investigating my opponent, I was very careful in both the Arena and the campus. I have always kept my distance from them, trying to avoid direct confrontation... I will start with the Master. He looks like a young, lanky teen... Quite a plain one, black messy hair, black eyes... his name is Caleb Marshall. Does the name ring any bells?"
In response to her last question, I shake my head and reply, "Nope... there is no notable individual with that name in the Nasuverse. The good news is that your opponent is very likely a nobody, a complete pushover that you'll easily overcome... The bad news is that there is a slight possibility that he may be one of the remaining Champions, and thus the upcoming Elimination Match may turn into a very difficult one."
Aletha immediately stares at me as her expression turns into a deadpan one and dryly says, "Thanks, Jayr. That surely helps me a lot. I now see the light. I don't know what I would have done without you."
I raise my hands in mock surrender and say, "Hey, hey, hey. I am doing what I can to help you, but I also have limits. I may know a lot, but I'm not omniscient... not yet at least."
After a few moments of staring at one another, we both snort lightly before Aletha says, "Since the Master is a dud, then let's focus on the Servant. Maybe this time the Jayrpedia will be more useful."
Shortly after saying that, Aletha quickly moves on and, with careful precision, she describes what she'd seen, "I have only caught a few glimpses from a distance, but my opponent Servants looks like a tall, busty blonde woman who uses some kind of rifle as her main weapon. From what I've seen and the Enemy Programs I've faced, the Servant seems to mostly be an acrobatic fighter, which helps her outmaneuver her enemies while firing her gun or throwing grenades. She also seems to have some means to fight at close range, as some of the Enemy Programs did attack us with some form of bladed weapon, but I'm not so sure of that, as those kinds of attacks were quite rare and few. They may simply be some random attacks added for variation or, even worse, misdirection."
The more she spoke, the more my mind ticked through the various possibilities, taking into consideration everything, legends, possible Classes, fragments of lore.
Several names surface, faces from the vast tapestry of the Throne of Heroes, but the more details she adds, the more the list of possibilities shrinks and when she finished telling me everything she has learned about her opponent, I have an answer ready for my friend, "I can't give you certainty, but based on that description, there aren't a lot of candidates as there aren't many gun wielder Servants. A few of the most famous ones are Francis Drake, Billy the Kid, or Oda Nobunaga... But of these, only one is a busty woman..."
At this point, Aletha interrupts me, "Wait! Wait! Wait! What do you mean, one of them is a busty woman!? All three of them are male historical figures!"
This time it is my turn to look at her with a deadpan expression before I dryly explain, "Aletha... This is Fate... having a genderbent historical figure is the norm here." Which makes Aletha groan and mutter, "Urg... Of course..."
Shortly after saying that, I focus back on the main topic, "Anyway, among the three I've just nominated no one actually fits your description... Francis Drake is a busty woman who can also use a blade as a short range weapon, but she has long wavy crimson pink hair, and on top of that, I know for certain that another Master who isn't your opponent has summoned her. Oda Nobunaga is also a woman who can use both blades and guns, but she isn't busty, and she has long black hair. If the short-range bladed attacks are actually a misdirection, then Billy the Kid's fighting style does fit a bit, and he has blonde hair, but he is actually a male, so he is also out..."
At this point, I conclude by saying, "This leaves only a very few that fit your description, and one of the most likely among them is Florence Nightingale."
Shortly after saying that, I gave her some more information about that Servant, "Florence Nightingale is a woman of the British Empire from the 18th-19th century. Revered as the strongest maiden of her time, Florence Nightingale unconditionally believed in saving people, opposing the cruel era she lived in with nursing and healthcare. As a soldier, she is capable of hand-to-hand combat as well as the use of a rotary pistol she has holstered at her hip and grenades. She is a Berserker Class Servant and is a quite powerful one as she is not only able to fight really well but also able to heal thanks to her medical skills. She is also known for weaponizing her medical techniques, such as impacting an opponent's chest with rapid chest compressions used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), striking at the face with a chloroform rag, and going so far as to weaponize a medical bed by throwing it or slamming it on her enemies."
I take a brief moment to let her digest all that before I say, "However, her fighting style doesn't match what you've told me. This makes me personally lean more toward the next one. Calamity Jane, an Archer Class Servant. True name Martha Jane Cannary. Historically, a gunman and scout from the American West Pioneering era. Although not a so-called outlaw, there were many exaggerated claims of achievements of uncertain authenticity, and during her lifetime, she lived a life full of praise and honor. She was a person from Western America who lived in the same period as Billy the Kid, reputed as a calamity. She is a master of the gun, an excellent scout, a lover of 'King of the Plains', Wild Bill Hickok, and was named 'Queen of the Plains' as a comrade in arms who ran together through many predicaments. The name of Calamity originates from the legend of rescuing the cavalry from an assault by the indigenous people, and was rumored to have been called the 'Savior of Disaster' and a 'woman who brought calamity' who always lost her lover in battle. There is a theory that both rumors are true."
After the brief introduction, I continue, "From what I remember, Jane is also an acrobatic fighter, which helps her outmaneuver her enemies while firing her pistol or throwing grenades. While her pistol can fire regular bullets, it can be charged to fire an array of energy blasts or an explosive ball of energy."
Aletha's eyes light up as she exclaims, "This may be the right one! I'd very much prefer fighting against this one than the medical bed-throwing Berserker with guns and grenades. But even if my opponent Servant is indeed Nightingale, then I'm still pretty confident that my Servant and I would still be able to defeat her by working together. Our teamwork will surely be able to overcome all."
In an instant, it is like a bomb exploded in my head in response to what Aletha just said, and suddenly my mind accelerates, instantly analyzing everything I know and all the information that Aletha gave, making new connections, and soon another possible option comes to my mind.
Without any hesitation, I look at my friend and exclaim, "Wait! After hearing you talking about 'teamwork', another possible Servant came to my mind. This new one matches perfectly with every single characteristic you have described, even the ones we thought were a misdirection."
Seeing the curiosity on Aletha's face, I don't waste any more time and reveal what I've just realized, "If what I think is true, then your opponent was very lucky because it is very likely that he has summoned Anne Bonny and Mary Read."
Hearing that, Aletha's eyes open wide before she exclaims, "Excuse me! I may have heard something wrong because it seemed to me that you just said two names instead of one! Just what is going on here!?"
In response to that, I calmly explain, "Anne Bonny and Mary Read are a quite rare kind of Servant, a single set Servant. Basically, two Servants that are considered one. A pair of female pirates who existed during the Golden Age of Piracy. They are some of the most famous pirates in history and were a rare instance of female pirates. They served on the pirate ship Calico Jack, led by a man named John Rackham."
After saying that, I give Aletha a brief introduction of their biography, "Anne Bonny was the daughter of a wealthy person, born into a prosperous household, but was a natural hooligan. In the end, she eloped with a small-time punk, but she would later separate from said punk and join with John Rackham and his pirate group on the Calico Jack. On the other hand, Mary Read was raised as a man by her mother and would eventually work on a Dutch ship disguised as a man. As she was working one day, she was captured by Rackham's pirate group and forced to become one of their crew members, and it was there that Anne and Mary met. Being the only women on board, the pair became close friends and comrades in arms, with Anne keeping Mary's true gender a close secret. In time, they forged a powerful bond that even surpassed romantic love. And thanks to that bond, now the two can be summoned as a singular Servant."
Then I move on by telling her what I know about their abilities, "Despite being two different people, Anne Bonny and Mary Read were summoned as a single set Servant. There are no penalties for their statuses, but if one gets knocked out or killed, the other will also become unable to fight as well, no matter the circumstances. Since they are regarded as a single Servant, Parameter abilities are determined by picking up the best values among the two of them. Fighting as a duo, Mary attacks the enemy up close with her cutlass, while Anne provides her covering fire with her long-barreled musket. This is why the Enemy Programs you faced showed you a long-range fighting style and a close-range one."
Hearing that, Aletha finally realizes what happened; her eyes immediately become sharp as she comments, "So my opponent tried to trick me. He only showed me Anne's figure fighting in the Arena while Mary was hidden in her Spirit Form... I have to admit that I understated him. He is truly cunning. He truly took advantage of his Servant's unique characteristics."
Shortly after saying that, Aletha leans back on the chair and exhales, "That… actually helped a lot. I won't be taken by surprise now. Thank you."
I smile faintly and reply, "Glad to help. We may be rivals, but that doesn't mean I want you stumbling blind. You are still my friend." Her lips quirk in the faintest smile as she says, "I'll remember that."
For a moment, the war receded, and we were just two friends sitting in a library, helping each other puzzle out a mystery.
Later, with the day's puzzles solved and the library's hum still echoing in my mind, we return to our quarters, and as soon as we step inside, Nero sprawls across the couch, looking around with regal boredom while I mark a few things I noticed in my notes.
After doing that, I decide that we need some more break from the Holy Grail War, so I suddenly pull out some sketching materials from my Soulbound Territory and say, "Nero. Sit still a moment."
Her eyes immediately lit up as she said, "Oh? An artist's whim? Very well, Praetor. Behold your model!"
She strikes a dramatic pose, one hand on her hip, chin raised, the very image of imperial grace.
I chuckle and begin to work, my hand moves easily, guided by memory and affection and a lot of technique that I've polished in all these years preparing for a possible drawing competition, and after a while, I'm done.
When I show her the finished painting, she gasps, "Marvelous! You have captured my splendor perfectly. The flames of Rome blaze in every stroke!"
She basks in the praise of her own image for a moment before her eyes gleam with mischief, "But! I cannot allow my Praetor to outshine me. If you can paint, then so can I! And I will do it even better!"
Before I can protest, she summons a canvas, seizes a brush, and, invoking her skill, Imperial Privilege, she set to work.
To my surprise, her hand is steady, her strokes are confident, she is painting me with regal dignity, emphasizing strength I didn't even know I carried. It is good, too good, but then I remember that Nero had a historically immense passion for the art.
But just as she neared completion, she suddenly staggered, her hand trembles with eyes squeezed shut in pain, making me rush by her side instantly while calling out, "Nero!"
Nero then hisses, "Ugh… Curse this head of mine. A migraine, at such a time!"
Hearing that, I remember her debuff skill Migraine (B Rank), a curse that was inherited from her place of birth during her mortal life.
Without hesitation, I press my hand to her temple, channeling my Spiral Cosmo while also making use of my vast medical knowledge to help her suppress the cursed skill, and slowly, her breathing steadies.
When the pain finally ebbs, she finishes the last strokes of the painting, she looks at it, then at me, uncertain.
I study it honestly, and a smile tugs at my lips as I genuinely praise her, "It's wonderful, Nero. You've got real talent."
Her face lits up like dawn, she tries to hide her delight behind a proud laugh, but the blush betrays her, "Of course! Rome excels in all things. Still…" she glances at me and mutters, "Thank you."
We then place our paintings side by side, two reflections of ourselves, imperfect but true, and wait for the dawn of the new day to arrive.