"Archer…" Saber tightened her grip on the invisible sword and took a stance to meet him.
From the man, she sensed an unusual aura, not the upright, honorable spirit befitting an ancient hero, but something steeped in a worn, world-weary sense of reality.
"Whose Servant are you?"
"Archer?"
Inside the warehouse, Rin froze the moment she heard the title.
She'd… summoned the wrong one?
She'd prepared the strongest Holy Relic, poured in nearly all her magic, and the result… what she'd summoned wasn't a Saber, but an Archer?
And this Archer had gone off on his own, without her knowing a thing, and killed Lancer?!
"Hey! You! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Rin stormed out of the warehouse, livid, and shouted up at the man on the wall. "Get back here! Who gave you permission to act on your own?"
The red-clad Archer glanced back at her, a complicated, hard-to-read flicker of emotion in his eyes, nostalgia, helplessness, and a barely perceptible tenderness.
"Master, now isn't the time to be throwing a fit." He spoke flatly. "Dealing with the enemy in front of us first is what matters."
"Enemy?" Only then did Rin notice that, in the courtyard, besides the Saber who'd appeared out of nowhere, there was also a dazed-looking red-haired boy.
And the Command Spells on that boy's arm proved his status as a "Master."
"The Holy Grail War… has it already begun?" she murmured.
…
"A chaotic opening, isn't it."
On the roof of Tohsaka Manor, Seiji took it all in.
A smile of keen interest sat on his face.
"Because of my pollution, Rin's summoning went off course and called up a Heroic Spirit EMIYA who shouldn't have appeared at this point in time."
"And Saber, by the inertia of destiny, was delivered to Shirou Emiya's side."
"How… utterly perfect."
This chaotic opening was, for him, the most favorable situation of all.
Shirou Emiya, a naive half-baked magus brimming with unrealistic ideals.
Rin Tohsaka, a proud genius thrown onto the back foot by a botched summoning.
These two, because of this "accident," were caught from the very start in an awkward position, eyeing each other with hostility yet forced into temporary cooperation. And their Servants were wrapped in even more mystery.
A "fracture" like this was exactly where he could most easily strike.
"But before that…"
His gaze fell on the golden-haired King of Knights.
[System Command: Conduct a deep data analysis on the target Saber (Artoria Pendragon).]
[Analysis beginning…]
[True Name: Artoria Pendragon]
[Class: Saber]
[Alignment: Lawful Good]
[Strength: A]
[Endurance: B]
[Agility: B]
[Mana: A]
[Luck: A+]
[Noble Phantasm: A++]
[Skills: Instinct A, Mana Burst A, Charisma B…]
[Noble Phantasms: Invisible Air, Excalibur…]
A string of appallingly detailed data streamed across Seiji's retinas.
He looked at the maiden knight bathed in moonlight, upright in bearing, resolute in gaze, like a collector admiring the collectible he'd dreamed of.
Noble.
Beautiful.
Powerful.
Filled with that… inviolable sense of the sacred.
And it was precisely for that reason that, when such a being was dragged down from her pedestal, stained with filth, and turned into the private possession of one man alone, the thrill of conquest would reach its peak.
"Artoria…"
Seiji reached out a hand, as if to grasp that small, distant figure in his palm.
On his face was the smile of a hunter sighting his marked prey, heartfelt and brimming with the urge to possess.
"Welcome… to my hunting ground."
…
…
Early the next morning.
In the living room of Tohsaka Manor, the atmosphere was awkward and heavy.
Rin sat on the sofa looking thoroughly displeased, arms folded across her chest, shooting the occasional glare at the red-haired boy who'd decided all on his own that they'd formed a "temporary alliance."
Even now she couldn't accept that the Holy Grail War she'd spent ten years meticulously preparing for had opened so disgracefully.
Shirou sat across from her, ill at ease, with no idea how to deal with this legendary "school idol" before him.
Saber and Archer stood like a pair of door gods, one on each side, behind their respective Masters, on guard against each other. Saber's stance was flawless, her eyes sharp as a blade, while Archer leaned against the wall, posture lazy, those hawk-like eyes never once leaving Saber.
And Waver, in his role as "Overseer," sat at the head of the room, trying to mediate the chaos. He felt less like he'd come to supervise a war and more like he'd come to be homeroom teacher to a pack of problem children.
"…In short, that's the situation." Waver rubbed his temples wearily. "Since the Holy Grail War has already begun and Lancer is out of the picture, then by the rules, the most prudent choice for the two of you right now is to form a temporary alliance until you find new enemies."
"I refuse!" Rin shot back at once. "I'm not working with some half-baked amateur! He can't even control his own Servant! He doesn't even understand that he's a Master!"
"Hey! Saber, she…" Shirou started to defend his Servant, only for a single look from Saber to stop him.
"Master, please mind your words." Saber spoke calmly. "This lady's judgment is not wrong. You are indeed… not yet mature enough."
"Ugh…" Shirou wilted, mortified beyond words at being lectured to his face by his own Servant.
In that tense, swords-drawn moment.
Seiji walked out of the kitchen carrying freshly brewed black tea.
"Teacher, everyone, please have some tea."
A gentle smile on his face, he set a cup before each of them, one by one.
His calm presence eased the strained mood in the living room by a few degrees.
"Fujiwara, what's your take?" Waver asked him, like a man who'd found his savior.
"Me?" Seiji blinked, then put on a humble expression. "I'm only an observer. I wouldn't presume to speak on such great strategic matters."
"It's fine, tell us what you think." Waver insisted. He'd grown used to seeking out this "theoretical genius" whenever he ran into a difficult problem.
"…Very well, then I'll overstep."
Seiji pondered for a moment, then walked to the center of the living room, where a map of Fuyuki City lay.
He picked up a pen and drew several circles on the map.
"Einzbern Castle, Matou Manor, Ryuudou Temple…"
"Right now, the known forces certain to take part in this war, besides ourselves, number at least these three houses."
His voice was low but clear, carrying a persuasive logic.
"Of them, the Einzbern family, according to the materials Teacher gave me, is very likely to have summoned a Berserker this time. And not just any, but the greatest hero of Greek myth, Heracles. With the Noble Phantasm God Hand, he's practically an immortal existence."
"The Matou family, a sorcerous house entrenched in Fuyuki City for centuries, with bizarre methods. Their magecraft system centers on bio-magecraft, and it's vicious in the extreme. And while their Master, Shinji Matou, is himself a worthless cur, the Zouken Matou standing behind him is by no means to be underestimated."
"Ryuudou Temple is the very site of the Greater Grail and holds the terrain advantage. And according to records from past wars, there's a strong chance the Caster Class will choose it as a Workshop. A Caster holding that terrain advantage poses a threat no less than any top-tier Servant."
With each point he made, Rin's and Waver's faces grew a shade heavier. They knew all of this intelligence. But no one had ever laid it out as clearly and plainly as Seiji.
"So…" Seiji set down the pen and looked at them.
"As I see it, the question now isn't whether or not to ally. It's that, faced with this many powerful, unknown enemies, if we don't ally, then the two of our groups will be the first to be eliminated."
"To be picked off one by one, or to huddle together and last to the end. That's a multiple-choice question that, I think… isn't hard to answer."
He finished speaking.
Silence filled the living room. Even Rin, who'd thought little of him, had to admit now that this frail-looking assistant had a mind that was frighteningly clear.
He hadn't tried to mediate who was right or wrong. He'd laid the cruelest "reality" out before them all.
"…I understand."
In the end, it was Rin who spoke first. She drew a deep breath, as if steeling herself to some resolve.
"An alliance, fine. But I have one condition."
She looked at Shirou.
"For the duration of the alliance, command of the fighting goes to me."
"…I have no problem with that." Shirou hesitated, then nodded. He knew full well that he understood nothing about combat.
"Good."
Rin stood and held out a hand to Shirou.
"Then, here's to a good partnership, Emiya."
A fragile alliance, full of distrust, was formed.
And the man who'd brought it all about, Seiji, refilled everyone's tea with a smile, as though nothing had happened.
His first step had succeeded.
In the guise of a "harmless observer," he'd successfully inserted himself into the heart of this alliance.
What he had to do next was use that role to dismantle their trust from within, bit by bit, and corrupt their convictions.
Until… he'd turned every one of them into his own chess piece.
…
…
The first night after the alliance was formed was not a peaceful one.
Shirou, having burned through too much magic during the day and taken a heavy psychological shock, turned in early. Rin stayed at her own manor, studying that disobedient Archer.
And Saber, like the most dutiful of guards, stood watch alone in the courtyard of the Emiya Residence.
Moonlight poured like water over her silver armor, reflecting back a cold, clear light. She stood there quietly, her small frame somehow seeming able to hold up the entire sky.
But her mind was anything but calm.
She was still worried over her Master's "immaturity."
The boy, kind-hearted as he was, knew nothing of the cruelty of the magus's world. What troubled her more was that strange familiarity about him, and the "scabbard" within his body that shared so deep an origin with her own.
Just then.
A footstep came from behind her.
Saber whirled around, gripping her sword hilt, the magic surging through her whole body in an instant.
"Good evening, Saber."
The newcomer was Seiji.
He carried a tray bearing a pot of hot tea and two cups.
"It's so late, and you haven't rested?" A gentle smile on his face. "I brewed some hot tea. If you don't mind, would you share a cup with me?"
Saber looked at him, the wariness in her eyes unrelaxed. This man carried no sense of threat, yet that frighteningly composed analysis of his in the living room earlier had left a deep impression on her.
"What did you come here for?"
"Only… I couldn't quite sleep." Seiji set the tray on the stone table in the courtyard and poured two cups of tea for himself. "I thought I'd come and chat with the legendary King of Knights."
He made a gesture of invitation.
Saber hesitated, then walked over after all, though she didn't sit, only stood by the table.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Let's talk about… ideals."
Seiji took a sip of tea and looked into Saber's emerald eyes. "Teacher told me your wish in entering the Holy Grail War is to return to the past and choose a different king for Britain."
"…And what if it is?" Saber's tone turned cold. This was the obsession buried deepest in her heart, and no outsider had any right to comment on it.
"I'm only a little curious." Seiji's tone was that of a pure scholar carrying out an inquiry. "A king who devoted her entire life to her country… why would she believe her own choice was a mistake?"
"It wasn't a mistake!"
Saber's voice rose a few notches. "It's only… that there was a better choice! If the one who had drawn the sword from the stone back then had not been me, but someone more worthy, someone who could have brought Britain greater happiness…"
"Is that so?"
Seiji cut her off. "But history can't be subjected to hypotheticals. By denying yourself, you deny the entire age of Camelot, you deny the convictions of all the Knights of the Round Table who followed you. Lancelot's loyalty, Gawain's valor, Bedivere's devotion… in your eyes, have they all become a joke?"
"This re-choosing of yours, is it truly for the people of Britain?"
His voice was low, but each word fell like a heavy hammer, striking hard against Saber's heart.
"Or… is it merely to make up for the regret and resentment in your own heart?"
"You simply… can't accept the fact that you failed."
"Be silent!"
Saber whipped the sword from her grip, its invisible point leveled straight at Seiji's throat.
A fierce sword-pressure burst out in an instant, shattering the teacup in his hand to powder. The very air around them seemed to freeze over.
But there wasn't the slightest fear on Seiji's face.
He went on sitting there calmly, not so much as blinking.
He looked at Saber's pupils, contracting violently with rage, and smiled as he spoke his final line.
"You see, once I've laid bare the hypocrisy of this so-called kingly path of yours, all that remains is anger resorting to violence."
"A you like this, do you truly have the right to save a country?"
Saber's body went still.
She looked at this unarmed man before her, at those fathomless eyes that seemed able to see through everything.
Her steel-like conviction had, against all expectation, wavered the faintest bit.
And in that very instant of wavering.
She didn't notice.
Deep within the Saint Graph inside her body, the "spiritual sigil" that Seiji had quietly implanted flickered, ever so slightly.
The first dose of poison had been planted.
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