“Hey. You alright there?”
Sora’s could barely make out the armor clad servant before his eyes, his eyes were bleary and he was struggling to recover from Assassin’s ambush. The moonlight of entered the silts of the shed, illuminating the inside. There, he saw clearly the servant before him, covered from head to toe in silver and red armor, with some parts shaped like a dragon’s spiky scaled skin. The figure wore a helmet with two large horns that concealed their face, yet held an intimidating presence. He felt like he was in a state of trance, with the beautiful armor shining in the blue moonlight, and the ancient medieval knight that stood before him, with an intimidating presence yet one that was somewhat open and welcoming to him.
The servant spoke casually through her helmet. “You look horrible ya know? Judging from the mess you’re making on the floor, if I wasn’t here to save your sorry ass, then that enemy servant would’ve probably killed you before you could even participate.”
Sora let out a weak groan, the Saber class servant was right. If she wasn’t there for him, Assassin would’ve shot him right then and there, and everything would’ve been over. He was thankful, truly thankful that he was able to summon her just before his time was up.
With his breathing weak, he stifled out his words, barely managing to choke a reply “Yeah Saber...I am your master. Thank you for...saving me...”
Saber crouched down to look at him. Sora’s weak eyes met the iron cold helmet. “Yeah? Well do your best to stay alive. If you die here it’ll all be over, and I ain’t finishing my fight so soon after it starts.”
Sora let out a ragged chuckle. “I can probably manage...I do know a rune...that’ll keep me alive...do you think you can handle Assassin?”
Saber acknowledged her command and got up. “Alright, if you say so. If it’s just Assassin, he’ll be a easy pick. I’ll be back in no time Master, do your best not to kick the bucket.”
And with that, Saber readied her sword and charged out of the shed and into the backyard, ready to face Assassin head on. While Sora brought himself up and leaned on the wall, activating the rune and beginning to relax despite the pain surging through his arm. During which, he recalled the moment that might’ve been his death. He felt as if time had slowed, as if Assassin and the world around him began to grey out. In that moment, he was only able to focus his eyes and mind on one thing, one peculiar thing that somehow grabbed his attention during that time of near-death.
That bullet…
Meanwhile, outside of the shed, the wind blew with a light force as the large expanse of the backyard was illuminated by the soft blue moonlight. The servant clad in armor, Saber stood in the middle, looking around her surroundings, Assassin was nowhere to be seen.
“Tch, did he run off? Coward.”
But, unbeknownst to her, the masked assassin was merely taking advantage of his class’s skill, subtly peering over the shed’s roof. Scoffing at his new opponent’s remark, he took out his machine gun, carefully aiming the crosshairs at the knight’s head.
“You think I’m a coward? That will be your downfall.” Pulling the trigger, Assassin shot rapid bullets at Saber, the bullets sparking on her helmet with constant resounding clangs.
Saber didn’t even have time to react before she was pelted by Assassin’s rapid firing, should she had not of worn a helmet, the injury would’ve been grave. But instead, her ears and heads were merely ringing intensely.
“Gah...son of a-!”
She dashed to the side, holding her sword in front of her to shield a few of the bullets using the side of her blade, letting her armor deal with the remaining shots that would get past the thin defense. The submachine gun clip eventually began to click and the weapon stopped firing, Assassin had to reload, which was the moment Saber was waiting for.
“Got ya!” In that brief opening, Saber unleashed a powerful Mana Burst, dashing upward hard, yet landing as careful as she could on the shed’s tiled roof. In that moment, Assassin was open to an attack, so the knight swung her sword at his neck as fast as she could. Instantly, a metallic clang sounded, Assassin had threw away his gun and ducked to the right, pulling out his knife in that moment and holding it above him, making the blade slide right over the knife as well as his head. With his motion, he slid down the tiles of the shelf, and jumped backwards. Landing on the floor before picking up his gun and rapidly changing the clip.
“Tch.” Saber let out a note of frustration. Assassin might not have her physical strength or armor, but he had the skills and adaptability to compensate. Able to use his environment and tools in creative ways to his advantage. The masked man was definitely not someone to be underestimated, even as an Assassin class.
Assassin however didn’t even waste time thinking. He merely took his aim and prepared to fire, making Saber instinctively jump forward to the wall of the residence on the side of the yard, landing heavily and breaking a tile, before turning around and unleashing another Mana Burst, dashing right at her target.
“Shit-!”
Direct blow. Assassin had tried to dodge it, but Saber was moving far too fast for him to react in time. Her sword had broken right through his armor and cut open a massive gash on the right side of his abdomen. Not fatal, but definitely a crippling injury. Assassin hacked a cough from the attack, landing on his side. He groaned, quickly turning his body only to see Saber recovering her stance, and turning around to face him as well.
“Ggh…”
Saber readied her sword in her hands and ran at him yelling. Assassin got up as fast as he was able to, but could only merely take his knife out and try to dodge her attacks while attempt to use his knife to deflect Saber’s strikes. However, his injury prevented him from moving too intensely, and Saber was just too powerful. After a few exchanges between blades, the grip on his knife weakened, a detail which Saber had noticed. Using this chance, she swung her sword as fast as she could and disarmed him, tossing the knife away. She quickly recovered from the recoil, swinging her sword at Assassin with her right arm. Assassin had no other options for defense, and so brought his arms in front of him to shield him from Saber’s attack.
“Ghhk-!”
Taking the attack head on, he was knocked back to the other side of the yard. Skidding on the floor as he landed on the grassy land, he lay there. Blood leaking from his arms where an obvious gash was now imprinted. Assassin let out a pained sigh, his injuries were grave, and despite his skill, it was obvious to him that he was outmatched in this fight and needed to escape if he were to fight another day. So, Assassin was left with no choice but to use a technique that he wanted to keep under wraps, his trump card.
Between gasps of air, Assassin began to mutter something quietly to himself.
Saber didn’t know what Assassin was trying to do, but whatever it was, she wasn’t going to let him do it. “Oh no you don’t!” She quickly readied her stance and charged at him with another Mana Burst, and time seemed to slow at this single moment.
However.
Before Saber could realise, Assassin had moved at what seemed to be an inhuman speed, especially for a servant with as grave injuries as him. He skidded across the yard, recovering his weapons that he had dropped, before jumping out over the fence and disappearing into spirit form.
“What the-?”
Crashing her sword into the ground, Saber could barely believe what she just witnessed, but quickly realised that Assassin was making an escape.
“Why you-!” Saber shouted, beginning to run in the direction that he ran in.
“Saber, wait!!”
“Huh?” She turned to the sudden voice that was calling her name. It was her new master, leaning on the open doorway. Still caught up in the intensity of her previous dual, she impatiently yelled at him. “Wait?! But Assassin’s going to-”
“Escape?” He interrupted casually, cutting her off and surprising her. He had a completely different tone to how he was before, and now spoke in a voice of absolute composure despite his previous injury and his obvious fatigue. “Saber, I saw the final moments of your fight, including how it ended. You saw him too didn’t you? Assassin was moving at incredible speed, and while you did have what looks like a dashing technique, I doubt you’d be able to catch up to him in a running contest even if he was gravely injured, especially with his agility and your heavy armor.”
Saber let out a low hum of approval. It was true, as effective as Mana Burst was for sudden strikes and going straight, Assassin would be able to outmaneuver Saber easily in a wider environment with his light armor and agile movement.
“Besides.” He continued. “You wouldn’t be able to track him once he vanished anyways. His Presence Concealment would completely mask him from being found out. Furthermore, another possibility is that he could still be nearby, waiting for you to chase after him while leaving me here, vulnerable for him to pick me off...Let him go this time Saber, we’ll get him next time.”
Saber was surprised as she heard his reasoning, he was absolutely correct. As frustrating as it is to leave the battle unfinished, it would be difficult to be able to find Assassin with the skills he had at his disposal, and searching for him would leave his Master very vulnerable, something that was definitely a big risk.
“I guess you’re not wrong...Heh, alright master, you got me.”
She exhaled a puff of relief and pride. Letting out a little laugh, she gave her new Master a playful punch on his chest.
Caught off guard, Sora retaliated. “Hey!”
Saber let out a chuckle. “Ah, don’t mind me. I’m just happy with you.”
“Happy? Why?”
“Not much, not much. I’m just glad y’know. Glad that I got paired with a competent master like you.” Saber replied confidently while putting her hand on his shoulder.
Sora was put off with the sudden flattery, but remembered his previous fight with Assassin and how he reacted back in that fight. It was awful, he acted impulsively and didn’t bother to think, blinded by his instincts and barely comprehending the situation. “Yeah? Well, I don’t think I’m all that competent myself...” he replied, sighing.
“Hmm? Nah~ you did well. As much as I hate to admit it, your quick decision making back there might’ve just saved both of our asses, so I’ll tell ya that much.”
Sora let out a weak laugh, but was genuinely touched by his servant’s kind words. Be it that they were true or not, it at least meant that she had both trusted him and saw potential in him, which were both sentiments that Sora greatly appreciated from the bottom of his heart.
“Alright!” Saber spoke all of a sudden, interrupting Sora’s train of thought. “Guess I should properly introduce myself to you Master.”
With that, Saber’s helmet unlocked and came apart like magic, sliding down and fitting itself into her shoulder and back armor to reveal her face. She had blonde, messy hair, not unlike that of a lion’s mane. Her hair was wrapped into a ponytail that sprouted in many directions, and her eyes gleamed a pale green like that of jades. In an instant, Sora’s mind flashed with a memory previously locked in the deepest depths of his memory. For a moment, Sora’s eyes could see a familiar silhouette in Saber’s face.
Casually, Saber continued her introduction with confidence and pride. “My true name is Mordred, the rightful King of Britain and heir to it’s throne.”
Sora froze in place. Mordred, the treacherous knight. The son of King Arthur and her witch of a sister Morgan Le Fay. Mordred, the very reason that King Arthur had died with so many regrets at the end of her life, and the same person who played a key role in the fall of Britain in legend.
Sora had fallen into a state of shock from summoning an anti-hero who did such heinous deeds in the past. He could barely believe that she was the same person was the one that had saved his life in his time of near death and need, the one who answered his plea and calling, and the one who would fight with him for the remainder of the grail war. “M-Mordred?...As in..the illegitimate son of King Arthur?”
That last line clearly seemed to have annoyed her immensely. “Oi oi. I’m no illegitimate son mister, I’m the real son of King Arthur, it’s in my blood and right.”
Fiddling around awkwardly, he instinctively said what was on his mind. “But...you’re a woma-”
Before Sora could finish his sentence, a strong gust of wind blew and he found his own servant aiming is blade at him with it’s tip mere centimeters away from his neck. As he looked up at her, he could only see an expression that was filled with rage. “Hey there Master, did you just call me a girl?”
Sora gulped, so much for getting off on a good start with his servant. “Wait! I didn’t mean to offend you or anything! I honestly don’t think your gender is something to be that mad about! I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being a woman now is there?”
She spat at the ground and held her blade to his neck. “Alright Master, I’m going to make this very clear. I am the rightful King of Britain. Not a woman, but a King, and a King is a man. Make that mistake again, and I will not hesitate to kill you right here, right now.”
Sora sighed, clearly she was very adamant on the topic, he did not necessarily agree with the view that she needed to be so critical on her own gender, but for the sake of his life, he would abide to it. “A-alright then, I’ll do my best to be as careful as I can to remember that in the future.”
With that, Mordred let her sword down and looked off to the side with an irritated expression, letting Sora take a gasp of relief. “Good. Glad we could come to that agreement, master.” She spat.
There weren’t many other options for me though. Sora thought to himself, deciding not to think too much about this, and instead focus on getting acquainted to his new servant. With a weak smile, Sora spoke again. “Well, putting that aside, it’s nice to meet you Mordred. My name is Emiya, Sora Emiya. I hope we can get along for the following battle, and do our best together.” He reached his hand out to her, who looked at him in surprise. With that, Sora meekly looked at her and let out a little grin.
Dumbfounded, a smile returned to her face. “Keh, Sora Emiya? Alright. Let’s do our best then, Master.” She reached her hand out to his and shaked them firmly.
Alright, guess I’m off to a good start again. Sora thought to himself, happy with the new bond he had with his servant, but still remained uneasy. Whatever actions his servant might’ve done in the past though, he would have to overlook them, as he needed to focus on the war at hand.
“So then, what about your arm?” Mordred brought up a good question. While it was better than it was before due to the healing rune, Sora’s arm did not heal completely like his other injuries.
Sora looked at his injury peculiarly. “Hmm, that’s strange. The rune should’ve made quick work of this by now, it’s the best one my teacher gave me.” His arm wasn’t just injured, it felt weaker in general, and the magic circuits in it felt completely inactive, as if the knife that Assassin used had cut through them as well. In that moment, Sora remembered what Assassin had said before the injury got worse again.
“Phantasm Punishment...could that’ve been his Noble Phantasm?”
Mordred looked at him quizzically. “Huh? His Noble Phantasm? I don’t think so, even for me, carelessly unleashing my Noble Phantasms’ true names are a big risk.”
“Hmm, you’re right…” Sora thought about it, but then realised that even though he knew the Noble Phantasm’s name, he couldn’t think of a single heroic spirit that had it. “But wait, Phantasm Punishment...I don’t think that’s a weapon or skill I’ve ever heard of in history before.”
Mordred looked at him in surprise. “Huh? You never heard of it you say? Hmm, now considering it, I don’t think it matches any legend I’m familiar with either.”
Sora thought a while before pulling out is phone and doing a quick look on the internet, but found no results for any legend relating to a Noble Phantasm called Phantasm Punishment. “Saber, I think it was his Noble Phantasm, or at least one of them. I think he might be a really obscure or unknown heroic spirit that little people have heard about, and thus isn’t worried about revealing one of his Noble Phantasms.”
Saber pondered on the idea, but quickly realised that it was a likely possibility. “Hmm, that is true. If the people around you are too dumb to know your legend, they can’t link the Noble Phantasm to their source. Not a bad strategy Assassin.”
Sora nodded in agreement, times like this just go to show that sometimes having a more obscure legend could work to your advantage. It was for that reason that his father’s servant had to hide her Noble Phantasm constantly until dire circumstances, as King Arthur was very popular and easy to identify just by gazing upon her sword Excalibur. “So, his Noble Phantasm was likely what did this abnormal damage to my arm. From what I can tell, it seems to have rendered my magic circuits inactive and constantly degrading them. If we leave this untreated, the degradation might eventually get worse and potentially kill me...I think I’m going to need to get extra help to heal it if that’s the case, and fast.”
Saber’s eyes widened upon hearing his deduction and replied with a nod, this was a serious problem that they needed to think about. if a Noble Phantasm was the cause of this, then this was no normal injury and needed to be treated both quickly and accordingly. “Well then Master, we better get going then if we need to get that cut patched up. Do you know anywhere we can go to fix this?”
Sora replied, “Yeah, you’re right. Sensei’s not an option right now, so we’ll have to find either another mage or someone adept in healing supernatural injuries.” This was a problem though, there weren’t many places Sora could go to fix this, let alone places that Sora had a connection to. Sora contemplated, which places could he go to at anytime to ask for support like this. After a while, a perfect idea dawned on him. “The church!”
“The church?” Saber asked quizzically.
“Yeah, the church is familiar with magic practices, even though they are against it. The priest there is familiar in healing injuries created from special magecraft like this. Besides, they’re the mediators of the Grail War, so we got to check in with them later anyways, so we might as well.”
“The mediators of the war? You sure they’ll help?”
Sora smiled. “Yeah, I’m positive they’ll lend a helping hand.”
“Hmm, alright. If you say so, we don’t have many other options anyway.”
“Alright, let's do that then.” Sora replied. “Also, I want to bring up another thing regarding Assassin’s Noble Phantasm.”
“Assassin’s Noble Phantasm? What about it?”
Sora explained what he was thinking, “I think he has more to his Noble Phantasms up his sleeve.”
“More tricks? Whaddya mean?” Saber asked.
“Well, even if his legend eludes us, we’re still his enemy, and I think it would’ve been risky revealing all your tricks to your enemy right off the bat. You also saw Assassin’s skill right? He’s definitely not an amateur and knows what he’s doing, so he likely kept a backup surprise. Meaning...”
“...He has an unknown Noble Phantasm.” Mordred concluded. “That is a likely possibility. Damn, good job sniffing that out Master.”
Sora scratched his head bashfully. “Yeah, well it means we’ll have prepare for anything else Assassin might be able to throw at us next time.”
Mordred smiled. “And we’ll be prepared. Right now though, we need to get that arm of yours fixed up. So let's get off our asses and start making our way to that church.”
“Alright.” Sora replied. “Shift to spirit form and just follow me, we don’t want to attract unwanted attention just yet, not until we get some normal clothes instead of your armor.”
Saber opened her mouth to attest to that, but stopped and resided to the logical option at hand. “Alright then, lead the way mister Sora.”
With that, Saber disappeared in front of Sora’s eyes, but he could still her presence nearby. Mister Sora, was that really necessary? He thought to himself, but decided not to comment on it, and instead begin to make his way to the church.
---
Sora arrived at the underground station entrance nearest to his house. He felt the injury on his arm, currently wrapped in a tight bandage. Glad I took medical practice for my extracurricular activity last year. He thought to himself.
“Oi, master.” Saber’s voice suddenly reverberated in his head. He shook his head from the surprise, telepathic communication was going to be something he’d need to get used to.“What is it Saber?”
“I’m a bit curious about this underground metro place. It looks completely different to the surface bit. It’s a lot more tech-ey and future-y, while the surface is quite boring.” Saber noted.
“Yeah, that’s because this metro was built a lot later after the town. Miyama is a very traditional Japanese town, still like that of its original roots and it hasn’t changed very much in terms of technology. However parts like Shinto across the bridge and this metro are newer additions to the town, and are thus more advanced and developed.” Sora replied with a bit of bitterness in his voice.
Saber, noticing his tone, became quizzical. “You don’t sound very happy about it, wouldn’t more advanced technology and stuff make things more convenient and better for all of us?”
Sora replied with a sad smile. “Logically yes, it would make things easier for all of us overall. However I honestly prefer living in an older style. Living the way I do with my guardian is very peaceful, and the life I have right now is comfortable. Thinking that these practices will have to stop in the future...it’s a bit bittersweet for me.”
Saber scoffed. “Yeah? If you ask me that sounds like some hippie bullshit. Back in my day, tech was barely a thing and the labor was done by peasants. If you ask me, I’d take advantage of these advancements and abandon old practices.”
Sora laughed a bit. Most people would, but it’s hard to understand that if one that is satisfied to their lifestyle, they might not want to change it even if it was better to do so. Oh well, I hope she’ll understand someday that change isn’t something everyone wants to accept.
With that, Sora pulled out his ICOCA card and tapped it on the gate, entering the station and making his way to the boarding area. The night was beginning to entering it’s later hours before midnight by the time Sora had gotten on the train, so there wasn’t as much people as there was in rush hour, giving him a bit of space to sit in. He grabbed his arm, the wound was still hurting and his nerves were slowly feeling fuzzy as he took the train ride to the Shinto area. The trip wasn’t a long one, Japan is very proud of their many train services, and a modern one like this wasn’t a very slow one either. It felt natural and comfortable while being fast, a virtue that any train should strive to have.
“Attention, the next stop is: Shinto Church Hill.”
Well, looks like we’re here. Sora got up from his chair and walked to the door, watching the underground scenery pass by him before the lights of the station flashed through his eyes. The doors opened and he got out of the train naturally. But while he was walking out of the exit his arm began to feel numb.
“Oh no. Saber, I think Assassin’s Noble Phantasm is beginning to seriously take effect. I can’t feel my arm.”
Saber taking note of this, materialised in front of him and held her hands in front of herself. “Get on, I’ll get us there faster."
Sora was surprised by the offer, but was quickly hit with worry. “Saber careful! Someone might-”
He looked around, nobody was around him, eliciting a sigh of relief from him.
Saber planted her palm in her face. “Don’t worry Master, I checked for people first. I’m not an idiot okay?”
Sora sighed, resigning himself to Mordred and letting her carry him. Saber then reached down and scooped up his legs, putting him into a bridal carry. Sora immediately discomforted by this due to his awkwardness around girls, until now he was able to disregard this feeling due to the urgency and priorities of the situation, but now in a more casual setting, he was beginning to feel a bit uneasy. Not to mention the embarrassment for being carried like this by someone nearly a head shorter than him. Regardless, he wrapped his working arm around Saber’s neck and secured himself.
“Alright Saber, the path over there should take us to the church, just follow it and stop at the white building.”
Understanding, Saber secured her grip on her master. “Alright then Master, hold on tight.” With a powerful Mana Burst, Saber dashed up the hill to the church at high speeds, hitting the ground on multiple occasions only to be followed with another powerful Mana Burst, while a terrified looking Sora tightly held on with his remaining arm for dear life.
With that, Saber landed strongly in front of the church's gates. “Alright Master, we’ve arrived.”
Putting Sora down, she realised that he was shaking head to toe from the experience, with an expression of pure trauma plastered on his face. “Haha! Oh my god the look on your face! What? Were you expecting a seatbelt? How do you even go on roller coasters.”
Unamused, Sora defensively retaliated. “Look, it’s really scary for a normal human to be carried around at high speeds, constantly rising and dropping to the ground okay? God I’m never asking you to carry me again.”
Saber could only continue laughing as Sora looked at her in annoyance. “Aggghh, regardless, we’re here. I know the mediator, so I should be able to get her help this time. You can take your helmet off once you’re inside, she means no harm...Although, I also gotta mention, she’s quite the quirky individual, so just keep that in mind.”
Saber, finally beginning to calm down from the hilarity of Sora's face tried to reply in earnest. “Ah, alright then. Lets go.”
Sora rolled his eyes before opening the gates to the church and walking through it’s yard. Apparently after the 5th Holy Grail War, the church was damaged, and so it was decided that the church would be completely renovated from the ground up. According to Rin, the old church felt creepy and claustrophobic, like there was something watching those that entered its doors. The church itself felt unwelcoming, and almost evil, with an ominous air always surrounding it.
However, the new church was nothing like that. It was white and clean, with curved, elegant architecture that gave it an air of beauty. Large clear windows decorating the sides, letting light flow in and out freely. The building felt like it was brimming with life and renewal, with a bright, comfortable atmosphere. If the previous church was described as cold and distant, the new one would be warm and welcoming. Happy to accept outsiders, and let them in to visit. Sora had always liked this church, as it’s welcoming atmosphere gave Sora a feeling of relaxation and calmness. he would come here occasionally to pray and unwind by sitting in it’s park, as well as talk to the mediator that inhabited this reborn church.
Although this time, they would be talking a much more serious topic.
Opening the doors of the church, Sora stepped into the warm building once again with Saber following behind him, initially blinded by the bright lights of the church, as his eyes adjusted, he saw the church’s familiar interior once again. The walls were an even purer white than the exterior due to their lack of exposure to the elements, and the lights decorating their sides made them seem like they were glowing. The long wooden chairs were organised into rows facing the altar and podium, and on it, a short woman stood with her eyes closed and hands clasped together in a prayer. Her form was petit, dressed in standard priestess garb, the blue dress straightened her silhouette and gave her an elegant appearance. Her light grey hair gave her a rounded outline, and flowed down her head, resting on her shoulders. Upon noticing her company, she opened her eyes to reveal her golden pupils that shone in the bright church light. Noticing who it was, she stepped down from the podium and walked swiftly to greet her visitors.
She bowed down in front of him with a neutral expression. “Welcome, Sora Emiya, to our house of worship. Please allow me to able to be of service to you should you need my assistance.”
Sora let out an awkward laugh from the priestess’s formal introduction. “Hey Caren.”
The woman named Caren looked at Sora for a bit with a more relaxed face, before turning to Saber who had let down her helmet upon entering as Sora suggested. She gave her strange looks of mild curiosity, evoking an exchange of strange studying stares from both parties. “Hmm, and you’re a servant? His perhaps?” Caren asked.
Saber replied casually. “Yeah, but don’t mind me for now, Master over there has an urgent request for you so tend to him first.”
“Mm, if you wish.” She continued. “Well then, what brings you to the Church tonight at this hour?” As she said that, she noticed Sora was using his left arm despite being right handed.
“Caren, you knew of the new Holy Grail War that has started in Fuyuki?” Sora inquired.
Caren nodded. “Yes, I am aware. It is the responsibility of the holy church to assign a mediator for the war, and as the priestess of Fuyuki, It’s my responsibility to play that role.”
Sora sighed, it looks like she was indeed going to have to get involved anyways, but at least that meant she could help him. However, the injury of Sora’s arm began to visibly react again.
Noticing this Caren spoke up, “Sora, do you have an injury on your right arm? If that’s the case it might be better for you to go to the hospital for that.”
“No, not this one.” Sora replied. “Caren this injury was dealt by a servant using what is likely his own Noble Phantasm, and I think this wound is magecraft based so a regular hospital would likely not be able to treat this. It seems to be targeting my magic circuits, and my arm is in a lot of pain because of it, I worry that if this goes on, it might be fatal.”
Caren’s face furrowed. “I assume what you want to ask me is to treat this unjury for you.” She said astutely, to which Sora nodded in reply.
Her expression became serious. “I understand your request. Please follow me.” She said as she began to hurriedly walk to the back of the church, to which Sora and Saber followed.
In the church, Caren began treatment on Sora’s injury, time flew by with the nun working hard to help Sora with the wound. However throughout, Sora was constantly feeling immense pain as Caren’s operation was taking effect. An hour later, and the nun breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright, I’ve drained the prana from your arm and repaired your magic circuits, your arm’s senses should return in a few days, although the circuits themselves will take a while to heal….Still...”
Sora looked quizzically. “Still?”
“A magic circuit destroying attack like that should’ve been near fatal. Judging from the wound, I’m legitimately surprised that your magic circuits managed to survive an attack like that somewhat.”
Sora looked at the injury, it would likely leave permanent scar even if it were to heal properly. Although he couldn’t complain, the grail war was a dangerous event, and he was lucky to have survived an attack like this to begin with.
“Hmm, well, no point in thinking to hard about it for now. In any case, thanks again Caren. You never let me down.”
The nun replied by simply letting out a soft smile. Caren Hortensia was the priestess of the Fuyuki Church as long as Sora could remember, although as with most things, she wasn’t the first. While he had never met the preceding priest in person, many people have told him stories of Kotomine Kirei, the priest that was the mediator for the 5th holy grail war. Most people only saw what he showed the surface, a typical priest for the most part, who played his role well. However, he was always able to get under the skin of people, with an ominous aura that felt off to most people. But under that guise, Kirei was a very different man. In the past he had committed many deeds, both good and bad, but due to the grail war, he ended up following a dark path in the later chapters of his life, ultimately leading to his downfall at the hands of Shirou Emiya.
However, the girl in front of him, Caren Hortensia, was not like the priest he never knew. Unlike Kirei, Caren was a kinder soul, more accepting of people no matter how good or evil. She would always offer herself to help others the best she could at any cost, to the point where it could be said that it was her purpose in life. Despite this, Caren herself was twisted in her own way, which was made evident when Sora befriended her. She was in all frankness, a sadist, and often elicits enjoyment from the pain of others both mentally and physically. However unlike Kirei, she recognised her own flaws and consistently apologises to god for harbouring them. She was a unique woman to say the least, but was someone Sora found endearing. Even with her strange sadistic tendencies, Sora valued her support and presence just as much as anyone else he found close to him.
Caren spoke up. “Alright, we’re finished here for now then. Lets return to the nave, I have some things to talk to you about.”
Nodding, Sora followed her out from the back of the church and back into the brightly lit nave, the home stage of the church.
“So Sora, about the grail war.” Caren stated.
Of course, she was bound to bring that up at one point. “Yeah, it looks like I’m master for the 6th grail war.”
Caren looked down, having an expression of...regret? “Hm, it was inevitable...still…for you to get involved in this...”
Stopping mid sentence, she walked over to Saber, who was looking off into the distance. “You, servant.”
Startled from the sudden approach, she replied awkwardly. “W-what do you want?”
“I believe I haven’t properly introduced myself Saber.” Caren politely bowed in front of Saber, putting Saber off a bit. “My name is Caren Hortensia, as you probably realised, I am the priestess of the Fuyuki church, and the mediator of this grail war.”
“Uhh yeah, I figured that out. Here’s a question for you though. Why’d you save my master? Aren’t mediators supposed to be neutral in the war?”
“You’re not wrong, but...” Caren then glanced at Sora and smiled gently. “Sora’s father was a good friend of mine, he was similar of someone that meant a lot to me.” She closed her eyes and recalled the memories that she held to herself in the past, memories of a time that seemed to be an ethereal dream to everyone, but ones that made her flutter inside herself. “Sora himself is a lot like his father too, so the two of us were bound to become good friends as well.”
Sora blushed and scratched his head awkwardly at the statement. “Aww, thanks.”
Caren beamed at him. “The Emiya family means a lot to me you see, so I’ll be willing to break the rules a bit for the sake of them. However...”
She turned to Sora with a neutral expression. “I won’t be able to always help you, especially once the other masters become active. Be more careful next time, and only ask for my support if it’s truly a dire situation.”
Sora hung his head. “Understood, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, if I wasn’t here I don’t know how you would’ve survived without your teacher.”
She then abruptly turned back to Saber. “Now that that’s done, I have a question for you, servant.”
Saber looked at her quizzically. “What is it?”
“Would you mind telling me your class?” Caren bluntly asked.
Saber looked to Sora for guidance, who merely nodded in reply. “She might be the neutral mediator of the Grail War, but she’s also trustworthy, don’t worry.”
Sighing, she answered directly. “I’m Saber.”
Caren continued studying her. “Hmm, summoned a Saber again eh?”
Mordred raised a brow. “Again?”
“Yes, again. In the previous Holy Grail War, Sora’s father Shirou Emiya had summoned the Saber class servant back then as well.”
Saber looked at Sora in surprise. “Huh? Your father was a master in the last war?”
Embarrassed for not bringing it up, Sora replied stuttering. “Y-yeah, I forgot to tell you. My father was indeed the master of Saber, and he was also the victor of the last grail war.”
Mordred looked impressed. “He won eh? Huh, well that’s nice to hear, hope you bear similar results then eh master?”
Sora chuckled. “Yeah, I hope so to.”
Meanwhile, Caren who was still studying Saber’s face spoke up. “Say...do you happen to be Mordred?”
The statement caught both Sora and Saber completely off guard. “Wait what?!” They yelled out together.
“Hmm, guess I was right then.” Caren casually concluded.
Saber looked at her in just pure surprise. “H-how did you know?”
“Hm? You just look a lot like your father.”
The last statement took Saber aback. “My father? You know how my father looked like?”
“Of course.” Caren replied nonchalantly. “King Arthur was the Saber servant of the last grail war.”
Saber was dumbfounded at this reveal. “He was? That means…your father...”
Caren finished Saber’s sentence for you. “Shirou Emiya was the master of Artoria Pendragon, and together they reigned victorious in the last grail war.”
Sora could only stand and watch as Saber took all of that in while Caren continued. “In all honesty, it’s funny. The son of King Arthur was summoned by the son of the man who had summoned Arthur herself in the past.”
“Hey woman.” Mordred uttered in a quiet tone with Clarent forming in her hand, “Don’t refer to Arthur as a woman so casually,” before pointing it at Caren, “or I’ll have your head.”
“Saber, calm down,” Sora intervened, walking in front of Caren “there’s no need to start anything.”
Caren sighed. “So you take issue with you and your father’s gender I assume? Well, that’s going to be a bit troubling.”
Sora’s eyes widened and began to get visibly nervous, but Mordred instead pushed on the topic. “Huh? And what do you mean by that?”
Caren laughed a bit. “The surprise in your tone is amusing, I guess you aren’t aware about the history of your own master’s parents.”
Mordred changed to an expression of seriousness. “What about Sora’s parents?”. Upon hearing that, Sora instantly became alarmed, before he could even react, his servant had already demanded the truth..
Extremely distressed about this situation, Sora tried to speak up. “C-Caren I don’t think you need to-”
“No master, let her answer.” Mordred interrupted. “What about his parents?”
Caren looked at the terrified Sora and sighed. The boy could only look on as Caren continued unveiling his secrets “In the the previous holy grail war. Shirou had fallen in love with the servant that he summoned, and after the war, he had broken all known laws when it came to the state of servants, and managed to do something that had been unprecedented in the history of magecraft.”
Mordred’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait...you don’t mean?”
Caren merely closed her eyes and nodded. “Shirou Emiya broke all expectations, and unintentionally conceived a healthy living child with the servant that he had summoned in the grail war. Do you see now?”
Mordred turned to Sora, staring at him with a face of pure disbelief. To which Sora could only reciprocate by hanging his head in shame.
“That child is your current master, Sora Emiya. He is the legitimate son of Shirou Emiya, and his lover Arthur...no Arturia Pendragon. Meaning the two of you...are genuine stepsiblings.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Statistical Updates:
Saber:
True Name: Mordred
Master: Sora Emiya
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Height: 154cm
Weight: 42kg
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: B+
Mana: B
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: A
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: B (Cancel spells with a chant below three verses. Even if targeted by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for them to be affected.)
Riding: B (Most vehicles and animals can be handled with above average skill, even vehicles that did not exist in the time period one was alive in, for they are no exception. However, cannot ride the likes of Phantasmal Species such as Monstrous Beasts.)
Battle Continuation: B (Refused to give up even when pierced with a Holy Spear and ended up giving the King of Knights a mortal wound.)
Personal Skills:
Mana Burst: A (To increase performance caused by infusing one's weapons and body with Magical Energy and instantly expelling it. Simply put, recreating the effect of a jet burst by expending large amounts of Magical Energy. With this, she is able to fight equally with the King of Knights.)
Instinct: B (Through this ability, it is possible to halve the penalties inflicted by visual and auditory interference.)
Charisma: C- (Mordred's Charisma fully shows itself during a rebellion.)
Noble Phantasms:
Secret of Pedigree (Helm of Hidden Infidelity)
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: C
Range: 0
Maximum Number of Targets: 1
Hides certain sections of her parameters, even from her own Master. Her basic parameters and Class Skills can be seen, but status information pertaining to her personality and true name as a Heroic Spirit, innate Skills, and data on her Noble Phantasms are hidden and cannot be read.
The concealment would still remain active after complete removal of both armor and helm.
It is only removed when the helm is taken off while it is set in her armor. ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅
Clarent (Radiant and Brilliant Royal Sword)
Type: Anti-Unit
Rank: C
Range: 1
Maximum Number of Targets: 1
Originally stored away by King Arthur in the armory of Camelot. Described as "more dazzling than any silver", it is an ornate, sparkling white silver sword adorned with splendid decorations, acting as a symbol of kingship denoting the right of succession of the throne. It is a treasured sword that has worth equal to, if not exceeding, Caliburn, that amplifies the authority of the king, the "king’s royal aura." It thus raises the owner's physical parameters by one rank and grants and raises the rank of the Skill Charisma.
It is normally a B-rank sword bestowed during the succession of kingship, but Mordred stole it without acknowledgement. She obtained it by breaking into the vaults of Camelot upon temporarily claiming the throne during her rebellion after inciting the incidents that drove her father to lead an expedition after the traitorous Lancelot. Due to this action, she was never acknowledged as a king, so the rank of the sword is lowered by one rank to C and does not grant her any of the normal bonuses while she wields it.
She still came to favor utilizing it due to it being a "sword that symbolizes royalty" and can still utilize its ability of "amplification." ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅
Assassin:
Personal Skills:
Scapegoat: C (The user is able to escape dire circumstances with the help of a special ability.)
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