## 01. Volume 2: Round Dance of Black / Festival of Red ( PDF/ePub from Nanodesu ) ### 001. Chapter 1-1 # (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel フェイト/アポクリファの英訳なのです！ - About This Translation - Volume 1 Character Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and ePub version - Volume 2 Character Profiles Color Illustrations Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 2-13 Chapter 2-14 Chapter 2-15 Chapter 2-16 Chapter 2-17 Chapter 2-18 Chapter 2-19 Chapter 2-20 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 3-5 Chapter 3-6 Chapter 3-7 Chapter 3-8 Chapter 3-9 Chapter 3-10 Chapter 3-11 Chapter 3-12 Chapter 3-13 Chapter 3-14 Chapter 3-15 Afterword PDF and ePub version - Volume 3 - Volume 4 Red Servant Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and Epub Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 1-9 Chapter 1-10 Chapter 1-11 Chapter 1-12 Chapter 1-13 Chapter 1-14 Chapter 1-15 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4-1 Chapter 4-2 Chapter 4-3 Chapter 4-4 Chapter 4-5 Chapter 4-6 Chapter 4-7 Chapter 4-8 Chapter 4-9 Afterword - Side Materials Apocrypha Material Fate/Apocrypha Material Glossary A Glossary Ka Glossary Sa Glossary Ta Glossary Na Glossary Ha Glossary Ma Glossary Ya Glossary Ra - Zugzwang PDF And Epub Version - Update History - Contact Us ## Chapter 1-1 VOLUME 2 Chapter 1 Ch1-1 Staggering, he tried to stand up, and his hand touched the surface of cool and rough rock. Before he could ask himself where he was, he sensed the presence of something in front of him and felt himself gripped by a chill. Something was breathing nearby. But why were those breaths showering his entire body? …It was because the [something] that appeared to be in front of him was absurdly huge. Filled with rage and wickedness, it was lying in wait to eat him. His own breathing became erratic. He wanted to run away, immediately run away at full speed; he had to run away, run away, run away. However, his body couldn’t move, as if it were tied down to his shadow. Cold and unpleasant drops of sweat dripped down his entire body like slugs. —Cold. His heart was frozen in fear. And yet, heat shook throughout his body. Did that mean that the thing right in front of him was something more ferocious than any kind of flame? The air he inhaled was like poison, and exhaling it was accompanied by pain. However, the thing in front of him never tried to lay a hand on him. Without appearing or calling out, the thing sluggishly turned in another direction. It was neither running away nor leaving. It had simply drawn its huge body back inside. There was only one sentence that the thing communicated to him. Don’t forget. Those words engraved themselves on his skin like a tattoo. —This is neither a dream nor reality. This is the threshold world on the border between dreams and reality. Never forget this thing, for you will meet it again soon. +++ Thus, with a pain in his chest that felt as if needles had been stabbed into him, and with the feeling of his blood burning as if on fire—he awoke. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 002. Chapter 1 Ch1-2 Frozen air, frozen silence. The forest was simply dark and silent. Rider of Black, Astolfo, who had been emotionally sobbing just earlier, finally stood up. He pulled up the fallen homunculus. His stature, which should have been slightly smaller or about the same as Rider’s, had grown considerably. It appeared that, due to taking in Saber of Black’s—Siegfried’s heart, his body had undergone a radical transformation. Still unable to believe it, the homunculus clenched and unclenched his hands again and again. The dull pain he felt when his heart was ruptured still remained, but it had already been reduced to a level that wouldn’t impede him. “It seems that Saber’s heart is functioning properly.” Rider nodded, appearing impressed. The homunculus put his hand against his heart, and indeed felt a strong pulse from it. His blood was so hot that it made him sweat all over his body. “Yeah—” The homunculus felt slightly moved as he spoke without experiencing pain. To think that inhaling and exhaling could be so comfortable! Somewhat excited, he surveyed his surroundings until his attention was caught by a tree. The homunculus adjusted his breathing and activated his Magic Circuits. He gently placed his hands on the tree, confirmed the tree’s material properties, and then released his prana to destroy it. The tree easily broke like a twig, but the homunculus’ body magnificently endured the force of operating his Magic Circuits. Watching him, Rider nodded in a somewhat lonely manner. “…Yeah. Like this, you’ll probably be okay by yourself from here on. Since Saber died, someone has to go back and explain what happened right away, or things will become complicated.” Rider was correct. The Masters at the Fortress of Millennia were probably confirming the status of all the Servants one by one. Saber had been sent to chase after Rider and the homunculus, so there was a high chance that a new pursuer would be sent at this rate. “I have to take back this guy too.” He lightly tapped the head of Saber’s Master… Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, who was unconscious after having been struck by Saber. The man’s physique normally wouldn’t make carrying him a feasible feat, but Rider was a Heroic Spirit. Carrying the man on his shoulder was no problem for him. “Oh, that’s right. We don’t know what you might encounter along the way, so I’ll give you this sword.” Rider casually handed over the slender sword hanging along his waist. Bewildered, the homunculus accepted it. Though it was slender, the steel blade felt heavy in his hands. “But, this is yours—” “Yeah, but I have my lance and book besides my sword. And that’s not even including my Hippogriff as well. Honestly, I don’t use my sword that much.” Rider gave a full-blown smile and a peace sign with his fingers—unable to see a reason to refuse, the homunculus hung the sword along his waist. He was a bit worried about his balance due to the added weight on one side of his body, but he would probably get used to it before long. “…I want you to use it with great care. It seems I misunderstood Saber. Umm, how to put it…? I mistakenly thought he was a sullen, straight-laced and boring guy.” “I get it. Thank you. You truly saved me.” “It’s fine, it’s fine. I wasn’t very useful in the end.” That’s not true, thought the homunculus. Rider alone had answered his cries for help. He had held out his hand to him, saying he would help him. The homunculus had nothing to repay him with, and yet Rider had unhesitatingly done something that would not recompense him in any way… Perhaps it was precisely because he was such a man that his words had convinced Saber to save the homunculus at the last moment. “By the way, I’ve wanted to ask you before. —What’s your name?” “…My name?” How difficult, thought the homunculus as he folded his arms. Naturally, if he had been specially made to serve as a maid or to fight, he would have been given a name to discern him from other homunculi, but since he was just a mass-produced industrial product, there had been no need to give him a name. That’s why he had to think of a name for himself now. There was no way he could live his entire life under the name ‘homunculus’. Suddenly, he placed his hand upon his heart. This was a blessed gift from a Heroic Spirit. So, at the very least— “How about ‘Sieg’?” “Not Siegfried?” “…It would be far too brazen for me to completely copy his name. But, it would be regrettable to completely forget it as well. So, I thought ‘Sieg’ would do.” Rider nodded his head enthusiastically. “That’s true… Yeah, Sieg is a nice name, isn’t it?” “Thank you. Then, my name is Sieg.” “Ahaha. Nice to meet you, Sieg!” Rider offered his hand, and, with some hesitation, Sieg grabbed it with his own. They both knew that their final farewell was approaching soon. “Isn’t there something I can do for you?” Rider made a somewhat painful expression and slowly shook his head. “—There isn’t. You have been freed from this war. You’re a free man now. And most likely, your life span has been increased to that of an ordinary person, I think? So you should live normally and die normally. If you do that, the one who saved you, Saber, will probably be happy as well.” With a kind gesture like that of a young maiden, Rider placed his hand on Sieg’s cheek and smiled. Then, as if overcome with emotion, he pulled Sieg’s head close and ruffled his hair. After doing that for a while, Rider finally released him. “All right, get going now. I’ll manage somehow or other on my side.” Nodding at Rider’s words that seemed to thrust him away slightly, Sieg drew back first one, then two steps. It was slow, but he was certainly increasing the distance between them. Rider waved his hand reluctantly as they parted, but eventually he nodded as if severing himself from something, and then he suddenly hoisted up Gordes over his shoulder and turned his back to Sieg. “Rider! What should I do?” Sieg called out to his back as he began to leave. Rider turned his head around and shouted back to him with a full-blown smile on his face. “Anything is fine! You’re able to do anything now! Go to a town, meet people, come to like and dislike others, and live a happy life!” I see. Indeed, that is probably happiness, agreed Sieg mentally… Somewhere in his heart, he felt a sense of unease like a thin, clinging membrane, but he did his best to avert his eyes from that. +++ Rider breathed a sigh of satisfaction. Yeah, that homunculus was no longer someone that needed to be protected. With his strong body and first-rate Magic Circuits, it shouldn’t be impossible for him to quietly slip into the world and keep on living. Of course, Yggdmillennia’s reparations were considerably large. Losing Saber, the self-proclaimed strongest swordsman in the Great Holy Grail War, was especially fatal. The Black Faction had also managed to defeat Berserker of Red, Spartacus, and had placed him under their control as a pawn. But the respective value of Saber and Berserker was not comparable by any means. “…Well, it’s fine. What will be, will be.” With that, Rider stopped thinking about the course of the Great Holy Grail War. For the time being, he would simply dance through the skies and fight. Of course, he had to wrack his brains over how to explain the matter of Saber—but he was bad at lying, and he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong either. True, Saber of Black, Siegfried, had given his heart to the homunculus and died as a result. This might have been a fatal act for them in the Great Holy Grail War. But so what? In the end, Saber, who had been given a second life, did what he wanted to do . It was definitely not something he’d been forced to do, but rather an act of selflessness—of justice. He would honestly and frankly confess with pride in his chest that Saber had done the right thing. That was what Rider decided. +++ Thus, Sieg slowly began walking. His legs stepped forward strongly and made light footprints on the frozen ground. But, even so, his progress was slow. With each step he took, he would turn around and watch Rider’s increasingly distant figure. Rider still hadn’t killed the living Gordes. He was a Master and had Command Spells remaining, so it was possible for him to make a contract with a new Servant. The problem was that Rider might be punished. He didn’t know anything besides the knowledge that he had possessed from birth regarding the Great Holy Grail War. But he knew enough to understand that the Saber class was famed for being the strongest among all Servant classes. That Saber had died. Moreover, it had been due to giving his heart to Sieg. This was an act that could rightfully be called equivalent to suicide. That was an unmistakeable truth even for Servants. Even though he had been given a second life like this, why had he done such a thing? …Sieg didn’t know what Saber had wished for. Sieg was neither his comrade, nor his friend. They weren’t even acquaintances. Though, in a sense, they might share the common feature of possessing lives that were meant to be consumed like wood chips. Even so, Sieg had been saved by him. Overflowing with feelings of endless gratitude, he did not know how to repay this debt. Now then. For the time being, he would head to a town just like Rider said. That being said, though, there was no way he could slip into Trifas. That town was Yggdmillennia’s territory. So he would walk straight through this place and go to a nearby village. …He had to go, but. Quite strangely, in spite of the fact that Rider had already disappeared from sight, his progress was slow as his feet still tended to stop. “Hmm, I wonder why?” For some reason, he whispered to himself—and his throat didn’t hurt from doing so, which made him a little happy. As a homunculus, there was nothing he didn’t know about himself. At the very least, he should know about any errors 1 in his body. It wasn’t that he was injured. His physical condition was at its highest within his short life. There was heat in his body and his heartbeat was strong. There were no errors in his feet at all. His brain—no errors. His nerves—no damage. Illness due to a virus—none. Everything was normal. And his objective was to first [go to a town] because he had to secure a base besides that of Trifas. He estimated the possibility of his success to be a bit more than 80%. If he was unlucky, he might get caught by Yggdmillennia by coincidence and then would probably return to a tragic fate. He had an objective and his physical condition was normal, so there was no reason for his feet not to move. And yet, they wouldn’t move. “I should have asked Rider for a method to make my feet move…” And suddenly, at this late hour. The homunculus realized he was alone once more. And that he would never again meet Rider. “…Hmm.” It hurts, he thought as he felt his chest tighten a little. Trying to ignore it as much as possible, he somehow managed to continue walking. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Here, it says English word “errors” in furigana, while the kanji beneath it says “abnormalities”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 003. Chapter 1 Ch1-3 To explain starting from the conclusion, Rider of Black, Astolfo, currently had stakes driven into both his arms and legs, had his movements confined by fluid-form golems and was in fact imprisoned along with Berserker of Red. He had spoken too honestly, and to make it worse had added in his own thoughts (“It was really quite refreshing!”) into his report. That Lancer of Black—Vlad III—would become enraged was only to be expected. All the Masters, who learned Saber of Black’s true name, had also looked at Rider of Black with reproach. After all, it was Siegfried, the ‘dragon-slayer’ of the Netherlands. To the Black Faction, he was certainly a Servant that could serve as their trump card. Lancer had ordered that Rider be imprisoned and then immediately vanished into spiritual form. His Master Darnic was smoothing things over with him, but he was currently in an ill mood. If this were back when he was still alive, someone’s life would certainly have been a necessary price to improve his mood. After expelling everyone else from the dungeon, Rider’s Master Celenike slapped his face. Annoyingly to her, the sound it made was very light. Although Rider wore a solemn expression, he showed no signs of reacting to the pain—and most of all, no signs of despair. “Do you understand just what you did?” “I understand, you know? I saved a homunculus… That’s all.” “Don’t joke around! Saber has disappeared, don’t you get it!? Saber, the strongest of all Servants! And it wasn’t in battle. He didn’t even die in battle! He disappeared due to an internal dispute, how ridiculous! And it’s your fault!” Rider thought it over for a short while, and while knowing his next words might anger her, he whispered. “No. It’s not my responsibility. Saber splendidly acted according to his own will, just like a hero should.” Celenike slapped Rider’s face again. Even so, he remained calm and composed, which exasperated her irritation more and more, so she gripped the stakes stabbed into his hands and legs and shook them. “Ow, oooooww! No, c-come on, give me a break!” She felt satisfied as Rider finally showed an anguished face. It was an expression that she hadn’t been able to see no matter what she did to him on top of the bed. —This alone is wonderful, and yet… Celenike thought so from the bottom of her heart. It was truly regrettable that Servants didn’t possess a physical body made of flesh. “If you had held back at my side like a Servant should, you wouldn’t be in this kind of position.” “Ah, if I start doing that from now on, will you take these things out?” Celenike, as expected, shook her head at that proposal. At the very least, Lancer of Black would not allow it. She had no intention of getting dragged into it. “—These will only be taken out when you fight. It’s been decided that you will be completely treated as a pawn in this Great Holy Grail War.” Celenike gave a cruel smile and put her mouth to his ear as she spoke. “If you’re going to blame someone, blame that homunculus.” Watching Celenike leave after saying that, Rider tilted his head with an idle expression. “…Why?” Celenike considered Servants as being the same as normal humans too much. After all, Rider couldn’t understand at all her words about hating the homunculus. He understood it even less than the reason for why Lancer of Black had driven stakes into his limbs and the abuse he had received from his Master. +++ Crossing paths with Celenike as she left, Archer of Black—Chiron—also came to visit Rider in the dungeon. He hadn’t said a single word when Rider had been brought before all the other Servants and Masters. “—If I had at least intervened, it wouldn’t have come to this.” This was true. Lancer highly valued Archer’s strategic experience, and he was widely trusted due to his honest and upright character. If he had spoken out and stood up for Rider, there was a high chance that the matter would have been settled with just a rebuke. But Rider immediately had stopped him from doing so with a brief glance at the start. “No, no. There’s no reason to split apart our camp due to a trivial thing like this. In this incident, I was scolded and received punishment. If that’s enough to end the matter, I don’t mind it at all.” Rider understood why he was being punished. Regardless of whether what he did was right or not, it didn’t change the fact that Saber had died in the end. So the king, Lancer, thought it was necessary for someone to be punished. And since Saber was gone, Rider was the only one who could be punished now. Even if it was unreasonable and he knew that his actions hadn’t been wrong, Rider did not refuse the punishment. He had decided that upon finally reaching here. —In the first place, this wasn’t his first time being locked up and imprisoned. He had a similar experience when he was trapped in the form of a tree by a certain witch. “However…” The only thing that Rider worried about was that, if it came to light that Archer had also been involved with freeing the homunculus, Lancer might alienate Archer. It would be troubling if their king and their strategist quarreled while they fought in the war from now on. If the issue was resolved with punishing a single reckless knight, the war front wouldn’t collapse completely. “It’s fine this way. And in the first place, losing Saber doesn’t mean that we’ve lost yet. Right?” Rider grinned fearlessly. “—Yes, that’s right.” It was true that they had lost Saber. But, as long as Archer could devise a strategy, it didn’t mean that their side’s advantage had been completely undermined. If they threw Berserker of Red, Spartacus, onto the battlefield, it would certainly deal enormous damage to the enemy. It may have been completely by chance, but the strategy of capturing him had been the very best plan in that situation. If they had tried to destroy him without proper handling, they might have sustained far more large-scale damage. However, it was certain that great care would have to be taken in handling Berserker of Red. “…Even so, I never thought Saber would do such a thing.” “Yeah, me too. Yeah, maybe I should have talked to him more. I regret not doing so now.” “That would have been difficult since his Master Gordes forbade him from talking.” “Ah…” Saber’s greatest misfortune was probably having that guy of all the magi among the Yggdmillennia as his Master. It was extremely unlucky for that rare hero to serve under such a coward… err, cautious Master, thought Rider with a sigh. “In any case, did he make it out safe and sound?” “Yeah. Maybe it’s due to taking in Saber’s heart? His height and features became quite splendid and heroic too. If he’s like that, he’ll be fine. By my diagnosis, he’ll live for a hundred years.” “Hoh,” said Archer as he showed a rare display of surprise. “I heard that Saber… Siegfried gained a steel body due to being bathed in the blood of a dragon, and that the blood circulated through his body due to swallowing it. The heart is an internal organ that sends blood through the body, so the blood of a dragon might have been mixed in with it as a result.” “It must be nice, being a dragon slayer. I also want the title of dragon slayer!” “—At any rate. If it’s him, he should be able to make a compromise with the world and live successfully.” Archer and Rider felt no unease in that regard. Among the many homunculi within this fortress, he was the only one that had boldly shown his own desire to ‘live’. No matter what difficult circumstances he came to face, he’d probably live bravely. “Even so. Why did you go that far to help him, Archer?” “We are, after all, transient ghosts without flesh. It would be nice if—there was even a single being that we etched into this world, don’t you think?” There was only gentleness in Archer’s voice. “I think that you should have been the one to become our king.” Rider whispered something so dangerous that Lancer would have had to kill him if he heard it. Archer shook his head with a bitter smile. “I’m not good at bearing the full brunt of responsibility.” Rider sighed at those words and lamented, “This isn’t going to go well.” Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 004. Chapter 1 Ch1-4 It was a good thing he had time to spare. Sieg thought that while walking. It had been difficult to even vaguely think of something while walking with a body that previously would become exhausted and feel pain just by taking steps. Since the Bounded Field was functioning, the forest remained silent as usual. There were no signs of any living creatures. He’d already gained considerable distance from the fortress. Even if the Yggdmillennia knew vaguely where he was within the Boundary Field, they wouldn’t go to the extent of expressly chasing after him. When he had nearly climbed halfway up the mountain, the light voices of birds started to leak out. That meant the Bounded Field that drove away living creatures didn’t function here. It was still gloomy due to the large trees clustered around each other, but it appeared that dawn would arrive soon. Through that, he calculated that he’d been walking for several hours, but his body still showed no signs of being tired. Even though his clothing was too thin and sparse for mountain climbing in the late fall, he didn’t even feel chilly. Even if he had become healthier now, this was still a bit abnormal. Sieg conjectured that it was most likely due to the power of Saber of Black, Siegfried’s heart. …He wanted more concerns to think about, so that he could surrender his mind to complicated and mysterious equations. If he did that, he could escape, even if only slightly, the unidentified haze that had been coiling through his mind since earlier which still hadn’t gone away. His progress was still slow, but even so—as he kept going forward, a road appeared before he had noticed it. Crossing over the mountain, Sieg sighted a village too small to be called a town far below. Unlike Trifas, the influence of the Yggdmillennia magi shouldn’t reach here. It probably wouldn’t even take him a day to take control of the villagers’ minds through suggestion. In other words, he could obtain a peaceful and ordinary life in that village. Or he could also use it as a stepping stone to go to another town or even another country. So if he took this single step forward, that life would begin the moment he did so. He would be able to live, obtain something, or find a wish for himself. Being able to live such a life was called—[freedom]. It was wonderful. It was full of good things. No matter what may happen, there was nothing as bad as his previous life, and if he could change things for the better, he just needed to take this first step forward. For the sake of this single step, a hero had given him his life. Another hero had healed him. And another hero still had walked alongside him. It was all for the sake of this single step. But why? Why did his feet refuse to take that step forward? +++ He sighed. He couldn’t seem to shake off the haze in his mind. Did living as a human being mean that this haziness would accompany him for his entire life? Regardless, he somehow managed to raise his foot forward and— +++ ‘Stop!’ +++ He frantically looked over his shoulder in response to the voice that restrained him, which was followed by a noise. The noise just now was definitely not natural. It was the sound of something heavy falling down. Was it a pursuer? But there was no sign of magecraft being used, and he didn’t sense the enormous prana of a Servant. Although he hesitated slightly, Sieg decided that it should be fine to at least see the owner of the voice, and so he turned back. He broke off a bit from the mountain path and pushed through the forest. I think the sound came from around here, he thought as he looked around—and found it. In that instant, his soul was snatched away. “——” He couldn’t even let out a sigh of wonder. He just looked at the girl who was leaning her body against a tall tree as she crouched in exhaustion. Illuminated by the faint light of daybreak that leaked through the gaps between the trees, her slightly swaying hair shone like golden silk threads. Her amethyst-colored eyes were completely pure as they looked at him, rousing an unnecessary feeling of guilt in Sieg. She didn’t have the precise and molded beauty of a homunculus, or the kind of cuteness that made one’s heart flutter just by being nearby like Rider. She possessed a wondrous beauty that scarcely felt real. The girl’s body was clad in armor—she was unmistakably a Servant. Regardless of whether she was with the Black or Red camp, she ought to be someone that he shouldn’t become involved with. If asked whether she was an enemy or an ally, he would definitely conclude that she was an enemy. And yet, the thought of getting away from her was far from his mind. Was it like having one’s eyes enraptured by a work of art? Without realizing it, Sieg had stepped over to the girl’s side. The instant he tried to touch his hand to the girl’s cheek as she leaned over, the sword hanging on his waist made a clinking sound as if to warn him. They both remained silent. Meeting her gaze, Sieg’s mind was in chaos. Now that he thought about it properly, what had he been about to do? Extending his hand to touch a girl crouching down was an extremely vulgar act. Just as he was about to hurriedly pull back his hand, the girl suddenly grasped his hand with her own. “Thank goodness… I managed to meet you!” The instant the girl smiled and said that, Sieg thought to himself: Even if this girl was his enemy—or even if she cut off his head right here. Just being able to have seen that smiling face left him with no regrets. 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Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 005. Chapter 1 Ch1-5 The holy maiden who had been summoned in this Great Holy Grail War as Ruler: Jeanne d’Arc. She carefully inspected the parts of the forest that had been the stage for two fights, the battle between Berserker of Red and Lancer and Rider of Black and the battle between Rider and Archer of Red and Saber, Berserker and Archer of Black, and placed a hand to her chest in relief. The destruction had been limited to trees mowed down in the midst of battle. Furthermore, the range of destruction through the forest wasn’t extensive. If Lancer of Red—the great hero Karna, who was clad in the sun itself—had participated, the forest might have been turned into scorched earth. Leaving aside the Masters of Black Faction who were secluding themselves in the Fortress of Millennia, she hadn’t caught any sight of the Masters of the Red Faction who should have initiated the attack. But it wasn’t that strange if she considered it from the viewpoint that this war was just starting to unfold. Masters in the Holy Grail War mainly consisted of magi, so they likely wouldn’t be experienced with battle itself. “…In any case, it was a normal battle.” Yes. Though the number of Servants was large, the battle was conducted normally. Archer who sniped from long range, Berserker who charged forward, Caster who controlled golems through magecraft, Lancer who summoned stakes and skewered the enemy—including Rider and Saber as well, none of them were absurd Servants who slipped from the limitations of Heroic Spirits. That went for both the Black and Red Servants. …Of course, since they were Servants, their power was tremendous. Rider of Red especially stood out among them. By Ruler’s estimation, he boasted ability and power that rivaled Lancer of Red’s. That was understandable. After all, he was a great and famous hero. The progress of a battle completely changed just due to his existence. Should Rider and Lancer both be present on the battlefield, the Red side would be superior in terms of the [quality] of Servants. Naturally, that was only a comparison in simple power. The affinities between Servants, the abilities of their Noble Phantasms, magecraft, location; there were countless factors to consider. Depending on what kind of Servants the still unseen Assassin of Black, Saber of Red, Caster of Red and Assassin of Red were, the situation could change further still… At any rate, the situation was fixed to the limits of a normal Holy Grail War. Even if it dissolved into an all-out battle between all fourteen Servants, the town of Trifas was isolated from the outside with its population of twenty thousand. If she used her privilege as Ruler, she could also likely limit any damage done to the minimum. There weren’t any suspicious factors. There weren’t any, but— Nonetheless, a sense of doubt whose source she just couldn’t grasp whirled within her heart. She had held out through the night like this and investigated the traces from the battles, but in the end she hadn’t obtained any clues. The only clue that she obtained was the fact that Lancer of Red had come to take her out. Ruler also understood quite well that Lancer of Red possessed a pure and noble character. As such, it was probably due to the order of his Master that he had tried to kill her. …As expected, she needed to make contact with the Masters of the Red Faction somehow. In any case, tonight’s battle was over now… The moment she thought that, her body lost a little strength… It appeared that she was ‘sleepy’. To put it more accurately, it wasn’t Ruler, Jeanne, who was sleepy. The one who required sleep was, in the end, only Laeticia’s body. However, in the first place, Servants lacked the ability to sleep. Perhaps due to that gap, it was somehow a refreshing urge for her. “Ugh, no… not yet…” This sleepiness was not something that Jeanne could deal with just through willpower. She had to return to the town and make it all the way to the church and the bed in the attic there. But her body was rapidly wishing for sleep too much. She leaned her hand against the trunk of a large tree, and when that turned out to be not enough, she reluctantly punched her cheek. The pain managed to clear her mind… A physical body was truly inconvenient. Due to her incomplete summoning, she could endure it for long periods of time, but if she crossed over the limit, she would probably lose consciousness like a switch being cut. Leaving the matter of finding a way to deal with this problem for the future, for now she used the holy water she carried and once more began identifying the location of each Servant. If she found no problems, she would end her work here for tonight. Five of the Black Servants and one of the Red Servants were located in the fortress. The Red Servant should be Berserker. It had been a large capture operation, but it appeared he had succeeded in safely changing Masters. This was not a violation of the rules, as changing to different Masters or Servants was a natural occurrence—no, wait. “There’s one missing…?” There should have been six Black Servants in the fortress. What had happened to the last one? She expanded her search range further and further, but she couldn’t find the sixth one. …She had a bad premonition. That Servant had died—was not what had happened. If one of the fourteen Servants lost, Ruler would definitely be able to sense it intuitively. At present, no Servants had been defeated. But something was strange. It wasn’t her intuition as the Servant Ruler, but her instincts as Jeanne d’Arc that whispered to her that something had occurred somewhere without her knowledge. She had to locate the last Servant as quickly as possible. But how to search? Should she go out and search aimlessly? She wouldn’t find anything that way. Ruler felt certain of that. God helps those who help themselves, so searching blindly would merely be acting without thinking. In that case—she looked at the fortress where the other five Servants were gathered. Questioning them would be more constructive. At the very least, the Black camp had to bring her over to their side, so they probably would not try to kill her without even attempting to talk like the Red camp. It might be wishful thinking, but nothing would start if she didn’t act. Ruler decided to proceed squarely towards the fortress right to the front door. +++ The fortress towered on top of a slightly elevated hill that lorded over Trifas. Its silhouette faintly stood out against the black of night, reminiscent of a huge kettle in hell within which squirmed the souls of the departed. Its majesty was far too mismatched with the small town with a population of twenty thousand, but the inhabitants of the town didn’t even consider using it as a sightseeing landmark. One reason was that this fortress was not a public building, but rather a private building built on private property… but most of all, it was because all the inhabitants of the town were afraid of this fortress. It wasn’t that they thought it was cursed. The ones who ruled Trifas lived in this castle. The inhabitants generally perceived it that way, and in reality, that assumption was correct. Standing before the castle gate, Ruler twisted her head to look up. The fortress possessed not even a fragment of artistry, and its stubborn structure made it in effect difficult to assault and easy to defend. However, that was not the true special characteristic of this fortress. She softly touched the castle wall. Instantly, a slight numbness ran through her. It was probably a spell that contained both strong interference and detection magecraft. Due to the countless magical defences that covered the surface of the wall, even a Servant would probably require a suitable destructive force to make this fortress fall. When Ruler stood before the castle gate, the gate started automatically opening before she had even named herself. The door opened with a tremble, and on the other side of it stood a single ‘old person’ with a staff in his hand. “You are a magus of Yggdmillennia, correct? I am—” “The mediator of this Great Holy Grail War, Jeanne d’Arc-sama. It is truly the highest honor to meet the famous holy maiden. My name is Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. I serve as the chief of the magi that reside in the Fortress of Millennia.” Forestalling her introduction, Darnic gave an exaggerated bow. His use of her true name was probably a warning rather than an attempt to show familiarity. But then, the fact that her true name was known to others didn’t matter to her. Rather, if she didn’t disclose her true name, it would probably be difficult for every Master and Servant to place trust in her. That was why she had given her name as Jeanne at the church. “…I’ll say this just in case, but I don’t intend to support either the Black or Red camps in the Great Holy Grail War. I have only come here because there are two or three things I wish to ask you about.” Darnic responded to Jeanne’s words of indifference without losing his smile. “Naturally, I am aware of this. However, for the time being, please come meet my lord first. He’s been in a good mood since we received the report that you came.” “Lord…?” Darnic nodded and spoke with a smile that gripped Ruler with wariness. “The sovereign of Wallachia, Vlad III, is my Servant, Lancer of Black.” As Ruler walked through a stone-paved hallway with Darnic leading the way, servants came and went in either direction and bowed to them one by one as they passed. Ruler realized they were homunculi from their excessively uniform looks, behavior and Magic Circuits within their bodies. “We thought it was best to keep the number of humans involved down to the absolute minimum.” Darnic murmured those words as they walked. This followed the fundamental rule of the Holy Grail War to avoid involving unrelated humans as much as possible. But— “Homunculi are also unrelated lives no different from anyone else.” Ruler curtly replied. By its nature, the Holy Grail War was both the smallest and greatest war in the world. Seven Masters and Seven Servants should have been sufficient for it to be conducted… Though this time, the circumstances differed far too much. “Hoh. So as a saint, you also work your hardest for artificial life forms. Then have we violated your rules?” Darnic gave her a sarcastic smile, and Ruler’s expression stiffened slightly as she responded. “—I won’t go as far as to say that.” …But, considering the current scale of battle, it could be argued that employing homunculi like this couldn’t be helped. It was true that there was no room for Ruler to judge it as a violation of the rules. She couldn’t force them, and it was difficult to call the homunculi children. They had merely been created that way. “Unlike our enemy, the Association of Magi, the existence of our clan hangs in the balance. I would appreciate it if you would take that point into account.” The door connecting to the throne room opened. “Guh.” Although Ruler leaked out that faint mutter, she stepped into the throne room without hesitation. Sitting on the throne was Lancer of Black—Vlad III. And from among the Black Servants who followed him, Archer, Berserker and Caster stood in reserve nearby. Furthermore, golems and homunculi carrying halberds were also lined up in the room with them. …Their presence was miniscule as a threat, but even so, their combined hostility as a group created an intimidating air on its own. However, Ruler had experience with being surrounded on all sides by enemies during her lifetime. Not especially worked up by it, Ruler calmly stepped forward to the king. Since she wasn’t a retainer, she didn’t bow her head, but the king didn’t raise a single eyebrow at it. “I am the Servant Ruler summoned as the mediator in this Great Holy Grail War, Jeanne d’Arc.” “—Hmm. It’s reassuring to have a mediator who believes in the same God as I.” “…Since I believe in God, I pray that I can convey to you that I aim to be fair and impartial.” The edges of Lancer of Black’s mouth loosened into a smile at Ruler’s resolute gaze. He probably thought her words were the nonsense of a foolish country girl. “Now then, dawn is almost upon us. First of all, what is your business here, mediator?” “You battled against the Red Servants earlier this night, correct? The opponents should have been Rider, Archer and Berserker of Red.” “Yes, what of it?” “In the end, it appears that the battle concluded with Rider and Archer withdrawing and Berserker being captured—but just what happened after that?” “…” Archer of Black reacted slightly to Ruler’s question. No, it wasn’t just him. A slight agitation was also visible among the halberd-wielding homunculi. But the one who showed the most dramatic reaction was Lancer of Black. “…How unpleasant.” Just by Lancer saying that, the throne room was filled with killing intent. It was unreasonable like a child’s temper tantrum, but its power was equal to a wide-range, saturation-fire weapon. Ruler nonchalantly accepted the killing intent released by a weapon with its own will. It wasn’t as bad as the ill will she had received when she had sought an audience with the Crown Prince Charles at the Château de Chinon despite being a mere village girl, or when she was imprisoned and put on trial for heresy. If there was even the slightest uncertainty, it was that it was greater than when she had been executed. “If you cannot provide an answer, it can’t be helped. Our conversation ends here. I’ll go and investigate it on my own.” The instant she was about to turn her back to him, Lancer’s killing intent immediately softened. “—Pardon me. It seems that I teased you a little too much.” Even Ruler couldn’t help but be stunned that Lancer called the killing intent just now ‘teasing’. No, perhaps he was telling the truth. To a king, all human emotions were a part of his rule. For example, he cried for his retainers even though he felt no sadness and he accepted tributes even though he felt no happiness from it. Perhaps anger was also just a mere performance for him. “Saber committed suicide.” “Wha…” Even Ruler was left speechless at those dispassionately spoken words. Lancer of Black shook his head and sighed as if sad. She promptly stopped shut her mouth as she started to say, “That’s impossi—”. …It appeared that he was telling the truth when he said that Saber of Black, Siegfried, had lost his life. But there was a contradiction. Saber of Black was on the verge of death, but he was still alive. …There was no way a Master wouldn’t be able to sense the state his or her Servant. If that situation were to arise, it was probably because the Servant’s line 1 had been severed. But Ruler’s perception ability exceeded that of the [spirit board] 2 . True, it was feeble, but she could affirm that Saber of Black hadn’t completely disconnected with this world. It was unclear where exactly he was, but—in any case, he should still be alive. “Who would be able to explain the situation more concretely?” “The one who reported it was Rider of Black, Astolfo… It appears that he instigated it, though, so he’s been incarcerated in the dungeon as punishment.” “…Is that so?” “—Now then. Ruler, I’ll speak frankly. The swordsman who could truly be called a vital cornerstone for us has been meaninglessly lost. Therefore, I want to replenish my forces with a fighter of equal power as Saber. Is that not only natural?” Ruler frowned as the conversation seemed to turn suspicious. “As I said before, I am Ruler. I am this war’s absolute mediator summoned by the Holy Grail… I have my own objective, and it does not involve joining you all.” “Do not you have a wish? Since you were summoned by the Holy Grail, you should have a wish of your own.” “—The Ruler class is an exception in this regard as well. Since Ruler is summoned as a mediator, possessing no wishes to be fulfilled in the present age is one of the qualifications for the class.” Those words caused a slight disturbance among the other Servants. “…Ruler, you have no wish?” “Yes, I have none.” Lancer struck his throne’s armrest in irritation. Standing up, his former madness was unconcealed as he shouted angrily. “Jeanne d’Arc. I know of your last moments! There is no way that you, who were betrayed by everyone, had everything taken away from you and met a violent death, do not have a wish! Answer me! I won’t allow any falsehoods!” If his previous killing intent was like a wide-range, saturation-fire weapon, his words this time were sharp like a stake. She could tell that the instant she lied or gave an answer Lancer could not accept, she would be skewered. Ruler gazed at Lancer for a short while, and then spoke in a voice so calm it overpowered him. “I have no wish. Everyone says that I should regret my last moments. That I probably wish for revenge, or wish to be saved. However—it’s enough if I alone know the life that I lived. It’s not that I don’t have sympathy for others, but at the very least, I don’t have even a single regret regarding my life, and I have no wish to make to the Holy Grail. If I were to have one, it would only be that this Holy Grail War be conducted correctly.” “You say that after having been forsaken even by God?” “—That in itself is foolishness. The Lord did not forsake us. No, in the first place, the Lord has never forsaken a single person. There was just nothing he could do.” “What…?” “Praying, giving offerings, everything is an act not for oneself, but for the Lord. We pray in order to heal the Lord’s laments and sorrow. Yes, I definitely—” +++ I definitely heard the Lord’s lament. +++ He shrieked. He lamented. He wept, and he felt sorrow. The world changed straight into hell, and no one could stop it. No, perhaps that itself—was hell. The Lord lamented in sorrow. People were not even allowed to live simply, and were compelled to become either beasts or food. Conflict never ended, and blood continued to rain incessantly and soak the land. That’s why the Lord lamented—I heard His voice. I caught His small, feeble murmurs that everyone else failed to hear. It was an obvious thing. To lend my ears to His voice and respond to it meant that I would throw away everything I had until now. I had to throw away my life as a simple villager and the joy of loving someone and being loved back. Furthermore, there would be no compensation. I would surely be scorned by many people—both enemies and allies alike. It was a very terrifying thing to contemplate. It was mad for a mere village girl from the countryside to leap onto the battlefield where people’s killing intent swirled about. —But the Lord cried. Yes, I surely… can’t bear it. I can’t turn my back on His cries. In order to stop the Lord’s tears and soothe Him, I will oppose this world’s hell. I will clad my body in armor, hang a sword on my waist, carry the flag—and devote my life to it. Yes, the voice of revelation I received from the Lord contained no glory or victory, no obligation or sense of purpose. The Lord merely lamented and grieved. —That’s why. At the very least, having received that revelation, I thought I should stop the Lord’s laments. +++ Lancer of Black glared fixedly at Ruler for a while, but eventually he shook his head and sat back down. “—It seems that, even though we believe in the same God, we are incompatible.” “There are those who burned me at the stake even though they believed in the same God as me. So it’s only natural.” Ruler spoke with a composed expression. Lancer of Black smiled pleasantly at those excessively joking words. “…It can’t be helped. But it’s a fact that a Red Servant tried to kill you. We merely wish to win you over, but it seems they are different.” “So it seems. I also must investigate what the Red camp is thinking. I don’t intend to oppose them but—” “It’s a different story if they attack you.” “…That’s correct.” “I’ll pray that the Red camp consists of fools aiming to kill you, then.” Lancer said that and smiled once more. +++ Ruler exited the throne room and headed directly for the dungeon. Both Berserker of Red who had been captured in battle and one of the Black Servants were present there. According to Lancer, it appeared to be Rider of Black. The atmosphere within the dungeon made it obvious that it hadn’t been used in a long time. Nearly all of the eight cells present were filled with nothing but rotted wood, straw and spider webs. In one cell, Berserker of Red was imprisoned with his body completely sealed in a wax-like fluid. Even though he had changed Masters, that didn’t mean that the Black side could simply leave him to take care of himself… Though even in this situation, his unchanging smile was very eerie. Now then, the problem was the Servant who was imprisoned in the last remaining cell. “—Oh? Who might you be?” The young boy tilted his head with a puzzled expression. It was a casual gesture, but right now he was even more firmly sealed up than Berserker. The sight of him with stakes driven into his arms and legs was quite painful to look at. “You are Rider of Black, correct? I am the Servant Ruler, Jeanne d’Arc. I was summoned by the Holy Grail to carry out the management of the Great Holy Grail War.” When Ruler told him that, Rider nodded with a “Yeah” in understanding. “Now that you mention it, I did hear that such a Servant was summoned. But are you for real? You’re not a Red Servant?” When Rider gave her a doubtful look and a smile that said, Things have gotten interesting , Ruler took a short time to ponder, and then removed her gauntlet and rolled up her sleeve to show him ‘that’. “Woah…” “Is this sufficient as proof?” “…It is. Yeah, you’re definitely Ruler. I see, so that’s the ‘privilege’ of Ruler. How nice, I want it!” Rider nodded repeatedly in understanding. “It’s fortunate you understand. Now then, Rider. I apologize for this, but there’s something I wish to question you about.” “Sure, sure. I’ll answer anything as long as it’s within my power, so go right ahead.” Rider replied in his unwavering light manner. “…Did Saber of Black, Siegfried, really commit suicide?” “Yeah, that’s right.” …But that shouldn’t be possible. Whether it was Saber or anyone else, all fourteen Servants were present in this world. She intuitively knew that he was ‘alive’. Ruler knew this for certain. He still walked this earth. “I’m sorry, could you please explain in a little more detail?” “Sure. You came at just the right time. I can’t stand all this free time.” Smiling, Rider started talking about Saber. It was far from a heroic tale, and more like the story of a saint. And he spoke of the homunculus, the nameless boy saved by that hero. He told of how the boy had sought freedom and departed. “Well, after this and that, I ended up being tied up all by my lonesome in this place. No, I do have Berserker of Red as a neighbor, but talking doesn’t work with him… You doing good over there?” When Rider of Black called out, there was a response from the cell next door. “I have no intention of flattering the dogs of political power. Though, I will answer your question. I’m doing fine. Now, it would be perfect if you could just remove these restraints—” “That’s for another time.” It was a startling development, but at the same time Ruler finally understood. “…Saber has definitely disappeared. But he gave his [heart] to that homunculus.” It wasn’t a mere sword or suit of armor assembled out of prana, or something small like a piece of hair. It was a heart, the internal organ that was just as important as the brain for humans. The spiritual core of Servants also existed in the heart and brain. Personally gouging out one’s heart and giving it to another was an act without precedent in the past Holy Grail Wars. Furthermore, the one who had given his heart was Saber of Black… in other words, the immortal hero Siegfried, who was bathed in the blood of a dragon and obtained a body close to that of the Dragon-kind. It wouldn’t be strange if it had some kind of effect on the homunculus’ body. “Yeah. I parted with him there. After that, he headed towards the mountain road. I saw a village over there when I took my Hippogriff out for a test ride, so I guess he’d be there now?” “I see. I understand now. Thank you.” After Ruler gave her thanks, Rider of Black made a very complicated expression and asked a question of his own. “…Are you going to meet him?” “Yes. If what you say is correct, there is no one else but him who could be radiating the presence of a Servant.” “I know, but I’d like it if you didn’t involve him in this war.” Rider, who had given an optimistic smile earlier, suddenly glared at Ruler with eyes that concealed a slight hostility and a strong determination. Ruler caught a glimpse of an extremely strong will within those eyes. “…I understand. If what you say is correct, then he is certainly just a victim. As long as he doesn’t wish otherwise, I do not intend to excessively interfere with him.” Rider sighed with relief, and his hostility vanished like mist all at once. “I’m relieved to hear that. Yeah, if he can survive and live, ending up like this is worth it.” As Rider whispered that, Ruler asked Rider about one point that was still unclear. “Rider. Why did Saber save that homunculus? If you were the one in Saber’s position, I would understand. Since you’re Astolfo, one of Charlemagne’s Twelve Paladins—” If the one who saved the homunculus was Astolfo, who sacrificed himself to chivalry and yet possessed a bottomless soft-hearted nature, it would be more understandable. But Saber of Black was Siegfried. He was a member of royalty, a prince of the Netherlands. Protecting the lamenting weak and taking down the strong who lived in luxury was a suitable act for a Heroic Spirit. However, even that had a limit. Since he was a Servant summoned in the Holy Grail War, he should have had a wish to make upon the Holy Grail. At the very least, it was careless to go as far as to sacrifice his life to save a single person who wasn’t even his Master. To a Servant, participating in the Holy Grail War meant gaining a second life, a one-in-a-million miracle. It was not natural to so easily throw it away—and for a homunculus he didn’t even know at that. “Even if we’re Servants, that doesn’t mean we repeat the same things we did in life. Rather, there are a lot of guys who try to do something different in order to wipe away the regrets from when they were alive… Well, it probably ends in failure most of the time, though.” Heroes were heroes due to what they achieved in life. No one wished for what they couldn’t accomplish in life. “…Thank you for everything. I pray that you will be victorious in this war.” “Eh? Are you favoring me?” Ruler chuckled and shook her head at his question. “No. I merely pray for all the participants to be successful.” “Hey, hey, don’t speak nonsense, Ruler. It’s the principle of the Holy Grail War that there can only be one winner, you know?” “That’s correct. —Even so, I pray that everyone will be victorious.” Ruler quietly left the dungeon. Left alone once more, Rider of Black suddenly remembered Saber’s last moments. Had that man, who sacrificed himself to save the homunculus without hesitation and smiled in satisfaction at the end, been ‘victorious’? It would be nice if that were so—no, it had to be so. Rider thought that from the bottom of his heart. +++ The one that guided her out was not Darnic, but a female homunculus servant this time. Silently walking with quiet and precise steps, the homunculus truly did resemble a doll. “Is it all right if I ask you something?” The homunculus replied without stopping or nodding at Ruler’s question. “I don’t mind. Please go ahead.” “Are you homunculi participating in the Great Holy Grail War because you wish so?” “Of course. That is the wish of our master who created us, after all.” It was an indifferent and smooth answer. “I see,” replied Ruler. …At the very least, it did not deviate from the rules of the Holy Grail War. It was by the will of both these homunculi and the golems that they acted to obey their master. Even if they were manufactured—it was still by their own will. Therefore, she had to respect their wishes. “I can make my way from here. Thank you very much.” When they finally arrived at the castle gate, Ruler politely stated her thanks. Gazing at her with transparent eyes, the homunculus bowed deeply. And the instant Ruler turned around and was about to depart, the homunculus cleared her throat slightly in hesitation and called out to her. “Did he commit some kind of wrongdoing?” Turning back around, Ruler tilted her head at the unexpected question. “He?” “I mean ‘him’. The homunculus who brought about the death of my master’s Servant, Saber.” There was no turmoil or emotion in her eyes… or so she had thought, but when Ruler observed carefully, she caught a glimpse of something like concern for ‘him’ in her eyes. “No. From what I’ve heard, Saber merely responded to his wish to ‘live’. Wishing to live is never a sin.” She declared that not as Ruler, but as a human being. No matter how evil one may be, the wish to live itself was not wrong. The crime of living and committing evil was another matter, though. “…Thank you very much.” The homunculus’ expression relaxed just a little. Yes, these homunculi truly were ‘alive’—Ruler sighed. Their fates were almost completely determined. Their compensation as hurriedly constructed life forms was a considerably short life. But, precisely because she was Ruler, she could do nothing about it. She had not been granted the right to take up arms for those who did not wish for salvation. Pulling herself together, Ruler began walking in the direction of the mountain that Rider had spoken of earlier. Although Rider of Black had recounted what he saw earlier, the bad premonition that had been clinging to her since earlier wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t actually rare for a Servant to self-destruct in the Holy Grail War. The circumstances varied, but for the Berserker class, there were many cases of the mad Servant self-destructing due to exhausting its prana supply. There were also Servants that used powerful Noble Phantasms and accidentally destroyed their Masters in their wake. Though it was a rare case, there were also Servants that chose to kill themselves for the sake of their Master, and soft-hearted Servants that deployed their Noble Phantasms in order to protect innocent citizens. But something was different this time. Saber had gouged out his own heart, and there were no anecdotes of him doing so in life—but that wasn’t the reason she felt this way. Something was fundamentally different. That was only natural; after all, there now should have been only thirteen Servants left now. So why did she feel that there were still fourteen Servants left? Why did she think that Saber of Black was still [alive]? There really was something strange about this Great Holy Grail War. Something had gone amiss. Wasn’t that homunculus partially responsible for that? No, that was merely conjecture. She didn’t know for sure. She didn’t know, so for now, she could only chase after him and question him. “Rider said he headed towards this mountain, but…” The forest, covered entirely by a Boundary Field, was so silent and still that it hurt the ears. The homunculus wasn’t emitting the presence of a Servant. In other words, she had to search for [someone] who was continuously walking to get out of the forest. However… that might unexpectedly be difficult, she began to think. After all, the homunculus was running away from Yggdmillennia. He was probably sensitive to the presence of magi and Servants more than others. Even if she called out to him, he likely wouldn’t come out. There was a good chance that he would run away in fear. The thought Should I stop him? rose through her mind. In the first place, the homunculus ran away because he didn’t want to be involved in this war. To him, he probably could only think of her as a nightmare trying to bring him back into the war. But— She gathered her prana and held it down enough to just barely negate the effects of the Boundary Field. This way, she wouldn’t be detected as a Servant, and would probably be able to approach him close enough to see him with her own eyes. But in this state, her physical abilities were no different from that of an ordinary human. Even if the moon was out, walking up a mountain road while relying on its hazy light to see was an act that would exhaust her body extraordinarily. While settling down her rough breathing, she prayed that she would catch up with him and ascended the mountain road with determination. Her eyes swam dizzily—but she didn’t have the time to spare worrying about it. Each step she took exhausted her stamina greatly— Just endure it a little longer, she thought to her body. Why did she have to go through so much trouble? —Because she wanted to meet him. The homunculus whom Rider of Black helped and Saber of Black sacrificed his life for without hesitation. Was that all? …That, that should have been enough. Then just what was this sense of duty and purpose that troubled her so much she was at her wits’ end? No, it was better not to think about it. For the time being, it was best to just conclude that she was trying to meet him out of her own will. …And yet, contrary to her mind, her body gradually lost that control. It was probably Laeticia’s human body. It had at last broken through the limit of its ability to continue moving, and was now only walking through Ruler’s willpower. Cornered in this situation, she stifled the impatience in her heart. Walking through a mountain at night didn’t mean that she could be negligent. Resisting the temptation to sleep, she simply walked up the mountain. Perhaps due to severing the support provided by her prana, the weight of her armor was somewhat painful. She continued to walk up the path that seemed to go on forever—and then she finally caught sight of a hazy figure standing at a place near the summit of the mountain beyond which the forest ended. “Ah—” She sighed in relief… but, that seemed to be a fatal action on her part. Her vision darkened all at once and the world swayed. No, I still—I still have to endure it. “Stop!” She reflexively called out to him. The thought I blundered flitted through her mind. Even though she had gone through so much trouble so as not to frighten him away, she had called out to him at the very last moment. Her stamina was completely used up. Before she could form some kind of counterplan, her consciousness broke off. She crouched and leaned her back against a large tree nearby. She couldn’t move. Though she wasn’t going to die, she could no longer move presently. Her body needed to surrender itself to sleep. But—her shout a moment ago had probably made the homunculus think he was being pursued. If she didn’t chase after him now, she would never get another chance to meet him. She might have committed a fatal blunder. As Ruler regretted that in her heart, the faint sound of feet stepping on grass reached her ears. It couldn’t be, she thought as she raised her head. Her consciousness cleared just a little. A boy with fine, elegant features timidly extended his hand to her. She grasped his arm at once, and whispered with a sigh of relief. +++ “Thank goodness… I managed to meet you!” +++ —And thus, the two met. The girl who was a Servant yet had no Master, who merely devoted herself to administrating this Great Holy Grail War. The boy who was neither human nor a Servant, and who might not even be a homunculus. Both were outsiders in the ritual known as the Holy Grail War. “Ah, um, err. I’m not an enemy.” The girl apologetically muttered that, and the boy replied with a nod empty of ill will. “…Somehow, I understand.” Despite staggering, the girl managed to lift herself up and, after correcting her seated posture, she introduced herself. “I am Jeanne d’Arc, summoned in the Servant class of mediator—Ruler—for this Great Holy Grail War. There is something I wish to ask you, a homunculus formerly belonging to the Fortress of Millennia, but do you mind?” “Yeah, I have no problem with that.” “Due to the special characteristic of the Ruler class, I can detect when any of the Servants participating in the war are defeated. Currently, I can confirm that all Servants are still present, However—” “…No. That’s incorrect. Saber of Black died not long ago.” “Rider also told me that Saber had died. However, that shouldn’t be. According to my senses, there are still fourteen Servants present. And you are emitting the presence of a Servant. But I understand now that I’ve directly met you like this. You really aren’t a Servant.” Ruler took off her gauntlet, and suddenly placed her hand on his chest. Ignoring his bewilderment and embarrassment, she confirmed the sound of his heartbeat. “—It’s beating strongly. It appears to be functioning no different from a normal heart. Thank goodness. He really didn’t choose a mere meaningless death.” She sighed in relief. Then, she seemed to realize what she was doing, and frantically pulled back her hand and apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, I just—” “No, I don’t really mind… Are there no problems with me?” The boy asked that somewhat uneasily, but Ruler shook her head and assured him, “You’re fine.” Frankly, his [heart] was functioning so perfectly it was unbelievable. If one excluded his Magic Circuits and his ability to perform magecraft, he was no different from an ordinary human. “It’s just as Rider of Black said. You are free.” When she said that, the homunculus’ expression involuntarily clouded over. Seeing that, Ruler quizzically questioned him. “Is something wrong?” “No. I naturally understand the meaning of the word [freedom]. But… I don’t know what I should do.” Sieg honestly spoke his worries. Ruler tilted her head in curiosity. She knew that Rider of Black had spoken happily of the boy’s future when she was at the castle. +++ ‘He’ll surely go to the village and then use that as a stepping stone to go to a town. He’ll come into contact with lots of people, move forward while being healed and wounded, and then come to love someone. Yeah, how wonderful!’ +++ When Ruler told him of Rider’s words, he shook his head and denied that future. “Yeah, certainly, if I’m [free] now—that is probably also a possibility for me. But for some reason, I don’t feel the desire to do that at all.” He turned his face down, wearing a gloomy expression that conveyed his apologies to Rider. Ruler spoke up to comfort him. “A lot has just happened to you, so I don’t think your feelings will simply change so soon afterwards… But perhaps you have a different wish?” “A different, wish…” The future he had been given by Rider was without a doubt attractive. But for some reason, he didn’t feel attracted to it. So maybe there was a something else… a different future he wished for. “If you say you have no dreams, then first you should experience freedom and then search for a dream. But, if you already have a dream—you should express it honestly. That’s what I think.” A dream, his own dream. What was it really? Closing his eyes—Sieg thought back on his life. He had wished to live and escaped, asked for help, tried to escape in order to live and failed, and even though he had died once, he was revived like this and obtained freedom. It was an extremely short life, but he had been blessed with much good fortune. Even though he was no different from the other homunculi… No, he had become different from the other homunculi. They died out without exception, and he lived. It was simple to just say, ‘It can’t be helped’, and end the matter there. With those words, he could simply cast them away. But, he absolutely couldn’t say, ‘It can’t be helped’. Earlier, in spite of being ordered to search for him, his fellow homunculi had purposefully overlooked him. What was that happiness he felt when he heard about that from Rider afterwards? Was it not because he felt a bond with his fellow homunculi, who had overcome even their master’s orders? Then. Then, it’s easy to understand what my wish is. I became free. That’s why I want to free everyone else as well. Like how Rider, Saber and Archer gave me freedom. +++ Wish, my wish, my dream… is to save them. I want to save my former self… my fellow homunculi who will die at this rate. +++ They’re immersed in that rotting juice, only able to feel frightened. It’s normal for all living things to have death as a fixed part of their future, but for it be decided that they couldn’t do anything until then is just too unreasonable and sad. +++ Like how Rider saved me, I’ll save them. If I do that, I feel like I’ll be able to stick out my chest with pride if I ever meet Rider again. I’ll be able to say that I saved everyone else who wished for freedom— +++ They said, ‘please save us’. I heard them. I can’t act as if I didn’t hear them and run away from it. Upon this pride 3 entrusted to me by a hero, that is the one thing I can never do. +++ “…I want to save them.” “Who do you want to save?” “My comrades, those who are the same kind of being as me. Those who can’t even cry out even though they begged to be saved. The ones who live just to die without even being able to expect help.” “…You mean to say you will save the homunculi in that castle?” Sieg nodded at Ruler’s question. “But… that isn’t what Rider wanted, right?” Exactly, that Servant should have just wished for the homunculus to be happy. For him to have a peaceful life without battle. “I know… But, that peaceful, ordinary life. That dream… isn’t my dream.” Rider’s feelings had truly made him happy. Even so, he wanted to do this. “I heard it. I heard their wish to ‘someone’ asking for help. I can’t just live and turn my eyes away from that.” It was like a chain to him. The homunculus, having been saved by much good fortune, understood that joy very well. …The great joy of having someone grasp the hand you held out. It was an emotion that the other homunculi would probably never experience in their lives. …A strange feeling of guilt crept through his body. It was something that couldn’t be helped, but his heart wanted to do something about it . Ruler had her breath taken away by Sieg’s words. Though the source of the voice he heard was different, he hid the same determination as her within himself. She tried to respond to the laments of the Lord, and he was trying to respond to the laments of his fellow homunculi. Even though Ruler couldn’t hear their voices asking to be saved, this boy heard them. Therefore— “…I can’t stop you.” “Hmm? …If it’s you, I think you have plenty of ways to stop me, though.” “No, I was talking to myself. In other words, you intend to return to the castle now and persuade the homunculi to run away?” “…I’m thinking of various approaches to take to do that, but that’s basically it.” “What do you think your chances of success are?” “Right now, it’s equivalent to zero. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to run away.” “Please cut it out with the reckless charging ahead. That is the same as trampling over Rider’s good will.” Of course, he didn’t intend to do that. But… currently, Sieg couldn’t come up with anything that could be called a plan. “I have a question for you as the mediator of the Great Holy Grail War. The Black camp is using homunculi like me as a prana supply. That could be called a violation in the Holy Grail War, right?” Ruler’s expression darkened. Yes, rescuing the homunculi was his objective. But the journey ahead of him was filled with too many difficulties. The biggest problem right now was the difficult question of whether this could be called a violation if one strictly applied the rules. “…From what I have seen, the homunculi are participating in the Holy Grail War of their own will. At the very least, that’s how a homunculus answered when I asked her.” Because it was their master’s order, they agreed to fight. That was a course of action that not only homunculi, but also many humans had taken. In the first place, Servants participated in battle fundamentally for that reason. “Our will is extremely weak. We’re beings that just obey the orders we’re given.” “But you yourself possess a sense of self and are acting according to it.” “That’s true, but—” “If they are participating in the Holy Grail War of their own will, I don’t think it’s my place to speak out. You can ask the homunculi whether they are participating of their own will and obtain an answer from them, can’t you?” The homunculus was at a loss for words. It was doubtful that he would get an ideal answer from them if he asked. Since the moment they were born, obeying someone’s orders was everything to them. Their will to resist was pretty much nonexistent. “But it’s true that this is something I cannot overlook. It’s a general rule that the supply of prana should be conducted between Master and Servant alone. To ignore that rule on such a large scale and so openly… it might be a bit of a problem. But, even if I order them to correct the situation, they do not have the obligation to obey.” “Don’t you have that kind of authority, since you’re the mediator?” “I do, but… the number of times I can use it is limited. To be more specific, I have been granted the right to enforce up to two orders on each Servant .” “That’s—” Ruler nodded at his surprised expression. Yes, this was her greatest privilege as Ruler. The rights to enforce absolute orders on Servants that each Master possessed three of—in other words, [Command Spells]. “However, I cannot use a Command Spell as the mediator when it comes to minor matters… No, naturally, this is just my own criterion.” Of course, if she used the Command Spells, she could even control who obtained the Holy Grail as an extreme example. She could just order the Servant who she didn’t want to obtain it to commit suicide. However, that was precisely why she needed laws inside herself. If she got rid of those, she wouldn’t be Ruler, but just a despot. As the homunculus slumped his shoulders in defeat, Ruler felt her heart tighten. Just as he said, it was too harsh to ask for a display of [will] from the homunculi. “…I have a suggestion. Don’t you think the homunculi would open their hearts if you talked to them? Why don’t you show them the things the ones that rule them haven’t shown them?” “That’s…” The boy began to ponder hard. As a homunculus like them, he might be able to make an appeal regarding their wretched conditions. Then it was possible that Ruler might act a little as well. If that was enough to break out the homunculus who sought help and chose to withdraw from the war from the castle— “If I can save my comrades that way, I think I’ll try it.” “I see… In that case.” To be honest, this was an act just on the borderline of Ruler’s jurisdiction. She was supporting this homunculus too much. But… even if she were to say she wouldn’t cooperate with him now, he probably wouldn’t stop. As long as Rider of Black existed, he would undoubtedly cause chaos among the Black Faction. And with matters already being complicated due to the Red Faction aiming to kill her as well, she couldn’t allow for the war’s order to crumble any further. First giving a light cough and then puffing out her chest, she spoke in a deliberately crabby manner. “—It can’t be helped. The situation is unavoidable, so from now on I’ll direct and manage your actions. Have no worries, I will consider your will as much as possible. However, please refrain from taking any absurd and reckless actions. Understood?” “Mgh…” “This isn’t a situation that you can deal with by yourself right now.” “That’s true… but.” “Most of all! If you go back to that castle by yourself right now, we have no idea what Rider of Black… Astolfo might do. I feel deeply, deeply anxious about that…” She grumbled as if she felt anxious from the bottom of her heart. “…That’s true.” After all, he was a Heroic Spirit who blew off reason all the way to the moon. If the homunculus acted carelessly, Rider would definitely go on a rampage inside the castle for his sake. “Therefore, please follow my lead. Is that fine with you? It’s fine, right? Answer me!” Overpowered by Ruler as she suddenly and forcefully pressed him for an answer, the boy frantically nodded. “U-Understood… I’ll obey you.” Ruler was about to hold out her gauntlet-less hand to shake, but then suddenly realized. She had yet to hear his name. “I’m sorry, but about your name—” “Please call me ‘Sieg’. Though this was originally his name, not mine.” The boy spoke with his hand placed against his chest as if somehow proud of that. “Since he’s gone now, I must live. When I consider that, this name seems appropriate… that’s what I think, but how about it?” “I understood. So your name is Siegfried then.” “No, that’s wrong. Just Sieg is fine. I feel that that hero’s name is too heavy for me. I probably wouldn’t be able to live like he did.” He probably wouldn’t able to sacrifice his life without hesitation like he did— He whispered that with some regret and frustration. “That’s only natural. You have merely obtained a position that allows you to just barely do something. You aren’t a hero who has already accomplished the things you needed to do like him.” It was mere disgusting arrogance to force a boy with an infinite future spread out before him to sacrifice his life. No matter how much he looked like an adult in appearance, he—was still very young. “I see… Yeah, I understand.” Sieg obediently nodded. What a good boy, Ruler pleasantly thought. Then, she offered her hand again. And the boy gingerly grasped that hand. “Then, let’s return to the castle without delay… If we meet Rider, please leave it to me to properly explain things to him so it doesn’t turn into a quarrel.” “All right. Then, let’s go.” “Yes, let’s go!” Ruler turned around to face away from the village at the base of the mountain. And then, after taking a few steps forward, she weakly collapsed to her knees. “W-What’s wrong?” Sieg frantically rushed over to her, and Ruler replied with a deeply apologetic expression. “Umm… I’m sorry, but let’s go to the village at the base of the mountain.” “Why?” His question was answered by a sound more eloquent than words. It was the trill of her stomach; in other words, it was the sound of her stomach growling. “I don’t think it’s possible, but are you—” “I’m sorry, but could you please carry me on your back while you’re at it? My stomach is empty and I can’t move…” It was that impossibility. She was out of gas. Thinking back on it, since eating dinner, she had been running around here and there without eating or drinking until it was near dawn, and she had lacked the time to rest after using her holy water to search. It was only for an instant, but her consciousness had flicked off earlier. Even if it was no problem for a Servant, she had expended too much energy as a human. If she expended a massive amount of prana, she could move, but—she could not endure this despairing sensation of hunger forever. “…I feel anxious about our future prospects.” Ruler had no words she could respond with. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Here, it says the English word “line” in furigana, while the kanji beneath it says “karmic line”. (2) Spirit board: An item belonging to the Church overseer of the Holy Grail War, mentioned in the Fate/Zero light novel. It allows the overseer to detect when Servants are summoned and which class they are, and also indicates which Servants remain and when a Servant is killed. (3) Here, it says “pride” in furigana, while the kanji beneath it says “heart”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 006. Chapter 1 Ch1-6 “How is Lancer?” “Instead of going into spiritual form, my Lord is sitting on his throne and seems to be thinking about something. He appears to be considering some matters from his discussion with Ruler.” Gathered together in one of the castle’s rooms, the head of the Yggdmillennia clan, Darnic, and Archer stood in front of each other as they started working out their plans from now on. “To think that Saber would drop out so early on…” Darnic wore a dark expression. It was only natural; the one extolled as the greatest of the seven Servant classes, Saber, possessed outstanding talent that should have ensured he survived until the final stages of the war. There were Servants like Caster and Assassin who excelled at targeting their opponent’s weak points, and Servants like Rider who overwhelmed the enemy with an abundance of Noble Phantasms—so it wasn’t like the Saber class had an absolute advantage, but unlike those other classes who suffered from the issue of compatibility with their enemies, the Saber class could deal with any type of enemy in battle with its all-purpose strength and skills. Moreover, Saber of Black had been Siegfried, the great hero of the Netherlands. Excluding Saber of Red, he should have been able to dominate any battle no matter what Servant he faced. “It’s no use regretting what’s past now. The Red camp will probably detect Saber’s death sooner or later. When they do, there is a high chance that they’ll attack to try and finish us off in one stroke.” The Red camp had lost Berserker to them and was also down to six Servants. If Archer were their commander, he would want to attack before the Black camp made countermeasures to deal with Saber’s loss. They had the best chance of winning now while the Black camp wasn’t prepared. “Caster’s Noble Phantasm will be necessary.” “…I heard we haven’t yet gathered all the necessary materials yet, though.” A Servant’s Noble Phantasm was brought into this world when they were summoned, and was naturally compiled out of prana. Though there were sometimes necessary conditions for activating it, it was rare for the Noble Phantasm itself to require materials to construct it. Most of the time, this occurred in cases where the Noble Phantasm still existed in the world up to the present day. However, in this case, what was needed was the Noble Phantasm itself instead of the materials. A Noble Phantasm was not an unknown weapon. Noble Phantasms were none other than the ultimate mysteries of Heroic Spirits that were sublimated into their legends. Therefore, Noble Phantasm were already completed existences… normally speaking. If there was a Noble Phantasm that did not follow this logic, it would be something too huge to be possessed by a single Heroic Spirit, or—something that was incomplete but still carved into legend. “There’s just one material left. If we can obtain it, Caster can activate his Noble Phantasm.” “…A first-class magus .” Darnic spoke with a grim expression. Hearing those words, Archer finally understand the reasons for various things that had been happening. “…I see. So that’s why Caster wanted that homunculus.” “That’s right. Caster’s Noble Phantasm requires a [core] to function, and the quality of the core is reflected in the power of the Noble Phantasm. The only ones that possess the necessary talent among our clan are—” “The seven who became Masters. And also the homunculus in question.” “We can gather any number of second-rate and third-rate magi as materials. However, a magus who is the successor of a thousand-year-old Magic Crest can’t be obtained in such a short period of time.” “I don’t think that the homunculus has a Crest, though—” “But that homunculus was made using crafting techniques stolen from the Einzberns. It’s not unusual for an extraordinary monster to be born among those we created. Caster probably noticed that.” That’s true, Archer thought with a nod. His Magic Circuits were first-class. As a result, his feeble body hadn’t been able to endure the power of his Circuits. “But at this point, capturing that homunculus is a dim prospect. In other words…” “We have to use someone among us as the materials, huh?” “Yes. In that case, there is only one person who qualifies.” Darnic muttered with a bitter smile. Archer guessed that he was probably referring to Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia. Especially since Saber had chosen his own death, his Master was definitely not unrelated. When he regained consciousness, Gordes had shaken pitifully before Lancer’s cross-examination of what had happened and had blamed everything on Saber and Rider. Watching him do that had not brought pleasant feelings even to a Servant like Archer. Gordes had forgotten that, at the same time as being his Servant, Saber was also the undying hero Siegfried who was unparalleled in history… No, perhaps it was more accurate to say that he averted his eyes from that fact. If Saber didn’t obey his Master’s orders, it was probably due to his own beliefs. To try and overcome that with a high-handed attitude was completely out of the question. As a matter of fact, Archer felt that Gordes’ arrogant attitude had caused Lancer’s anger towards Rider to cool down. “Was it okay to make Caster the Master of Berserker of Red?” Though Gordes had lost Saber, he still had one of his Command Spells left, and continued to possess the rights of a Masters. If he were to make a new contract, it was only natural to do so with Berserker of Red, but— The contract with Berserker had already been completed with Caster as a proxy Master. “We can’t expect anything from Berserker’s Master, after all. Once we transfer Gordes’ Command Spell to Caster, his role will end after guiding Berserker’s rampage with the Command Spell.” “…I see.” Darnic rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Have we still not received any word from Assassin’s Master?” “No. Thanks to the [spirit board], we know that Assassin hasn’t died, but—” The worst possible scenario passed through their heads. A member of the Yggdmillennia, Sagara Hyouma, had purposefully departed for his homeland in the Far East and performed the summoning of his Servant with perfect preparation. They confirmed that the summoning itself had succeeded through the [spirit board]. But they couldn’t confirm if the Master was Sagara Hyouma. In other words, there was a high probability that someone besides Sagara had become the Master. Assassin of Black—Jack the Ripper—had a short history and was a serial killer, which was far from the level of a Heroic Spirit, but with the special characteristics of his class, he undoubtedly specialized in killing Masters. In that regard, Assassin was quite a terrifying Servant to have as an enemy. “Having both Assassins in the Red camp is the worst possible outcome, but…” Darnic shook his head at Archer’s words, as if to say that he didn’t want to even consider the possibility. It was then that the door suddenly opened and the two of them turned to look at the same time. “Grandfather, Archer. May I have a minute of your time?” The one who barged in was Archer of Black’s Master, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia. Normally, she acted in a graceful manner in all situations, but for once, she wore a highly bewildered expression. “What’s wrong, Fiore? To not even knock—” Without answering, Fiore silently put a newspaper on the table. Darnic and Archer focused their gazes on a particular news article. “This is…” “It appears that a serial killer has appeared in Romania’s capital, Bucharest. The deaths have spread north of Bucharest to Sighișoara.” Darnic frantically pored over the newspaper. While the details on the murders themselves were sparse, there were already more than thirty victims, and all of Romania appeared to be in a panic. “I thought it was just a coincidence, but please look here. The list of victims—” What Fiore pointed at was the photo of a woman. Though they were low grain photos, one could see that she possessed well-ordered features. Only the words [Unidentified] were written in the caption beneath the photo. “Her name is Pemetrekis. —She is a magus who was in the same department as me at the Association.” At her words, Darnic also recognized the seriousness of the situation. If this were a mere serial killer, one could just disregard it as a coincidence. But that was impossible if a magus was included among the list of victims. Moreover, she was probably one of the magi who had been despatched to Trifas. “Is she a magus weak enough to be killed by a serial killer?” “…No. Pemetrekis is a magus specialized in intelligence-gathering. Adding in the battle abilities of her familiars, a normal magus wouldn’t be able to contend with her in battle.” “—In other words. This serial killer possesses the ability to kill magi.” If the serial killer was simply a magus who surpassed her level, then it was still a minor matter. But the name of a monster that was famous for surpassing magi by far came to their minds. Servant Assassin—Jack the Ripper. Had he arrived in Romania? If so, just what on earth was his Master thinking? At the very least, they couldn’t imagine he was sane if he was turning a blind eye to these abnormal events that even appeared in the newspaper. He was stepping far off from the general rule of all magi to conceal their mysteries from the public. “That’s right. What should we do, grandfather? This isn’t something that can be ignored.” After pondering for a while, Darnic decided to despatch several of their clan’s magi who were on standby in Trifas at the moment. “…If this really is the work of Assassin of Black, magi won’t be able to fight him at all.” No matter how weak any Servant might be, they were all Heroic Spirits. They had reached the domain of what could be called the ultimate mysteries. Not to mention the opponent was Assassin, whose abilities were specialized in killing Masters. “Should we not head out as well?” Fiore’s suggestion was certainly reasonable. But it was a different story if she had to leave Trifas and go all the way to Sighișoara. Despatching Servants in this situation and weakening their defences in this situation was— As Darnic’s thoughts had reached a dead end, he received a telepathic communication from Caster. +++ ‘Reporting. It seems Saber of Red and her Master have left Trifas.’ ‘Left… Do you know where they’ve gone to?’ ‘They appear to have headed to Sighișoara. If I observe that city with my remote viewing thaumaturgy, my surveillance here will become somewhat insufficient, though… what should be done?’ ‘Please keep maintaining your surveillance over Trifas as you have. But I also want information on Sighișoara to some extent. If you have the power to spare, divert it to observing Sighișoara.’ +++ There could only be one of two reasons why Saber of Red and her Master—the bounty-hunting necromancer Shishigou Kairi—were heading to Sighișoara. To kill Assassin of Black or to join forces with his Master. Either way, the Black camp couldn’t remain a mere spectator in this situation. They currently had six Servants and six Masters under their control, but they could use only one Servant as a scout. From a defensive standpoint, they couldn’t send out two or more Servants. “Archer. And Archer’s Master, Fiore. You are to head to Sighișoara. Assassin of Black… and Saber of Red are there.” Fiore’s expression visibly stiffened faintly at the mention of Saber of Red. A clash with the Servant who was their most formidable enemy in the Great Holy Grail War. She guessed that crossing blades with her Master Shishigou Kairi would be inevitable. Hence the reason for her stiffened expression. “…Understood. We’ll depart as soon as we finish making preparations. Let’s go, Archer.” But though she was tense as she nodded, Fiore was not afraid. Her trust in her Servant was naturally one reason for that, but it was also because—she possessed absolute pride in her own abilities as well. “Understood, Master. Then, Darnic-dono, please pardon us.” Fiore exited the room with Archer, and Darnic let out a short breath. “The world truly is beyond my control. But that’s fine. I already decided to put my life on the line to separate from the Association of Magi. An incident of this level is within my expectations.” Naturally, Darnic had also taken into consideration the possibility that he himself would be defeated and that their clan would be destroyed. But his response to that would probably be ‘So what?’ Darnic remembered well how many clans had died out gloomily without even getting the chance to reach the Root. They had gotten that chance. That alone was unexpected good fortune. And of course, Darnic had no intention of being defeated. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 007. Part 7 It says eldest “son”, not eldest “child”, and Caules is the oldest son while Fiore is the oldest daughter. I understand your point, but this distinction is correct. I might change it slightly to make it less prone to misunderstanding, though. Regardless, thank you for pointing it out. Like Reply ↓ ### 008. CHAPTER 1 END Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Unlike other Japanese names in the book, Shirou Kotomine is written completely in katakana and is written with his given name before his family name. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 009. Chapter 1 Ch1-8 Thus, it was announced that the largest-scale Holy Grail War in history—the [Great Holy Grail War] was over. The Black camp had lost, and the war ended with the Red camp as the victors. Unfortunately, the Greater Grail had ceased functioning, so no wishes could be granted, but an enormous reward was given by the Association of Magi as compensation. With the Greater Grail non-functional, they couldn’t fight amongst each other either now. The Red Masters relaxed as they pleased and soothed their fatigue from the war. “Everyone, I truly thank you for your hard work.” Just like when they met at the beginning, Shirou Kotomine 1 presented them black tea. “Thank you for the tea.” The moment they put the tea to their lips, a refreshing aroma plunged inside their chests. A comfortable pleasantness that pervaded not only their lungs, but all their internal organs. Perhaps it was also because they had finished their jobs without a hitch that they felt so relaxed, to a degree they hadn’t felt since they became magi. “This is good tea.” “Thank you very much for the praise.” “Shirou. Won’t you drink some?” “No. Brewing it is my specialty, but I’m not accustomed to drinking black tea—” Smiling wryly, he poured hot water in his own cup. So the Japanese are like that, the magi thought absentmindedly. “Ah, I just remembered. Could you all please hand over your Command Spells?” “Our Command Spells? Why?” The Command Spells—were extremely—important—and necessary—in order to win—the war— “Really now, everyone. Don’t you remember? The Great Holy Grail War is over .” “…Now that you mention it, that’s right.” “…Now that you mention it, that’s true.” Yes, the Great Holy Grail War was over. When they heard that Ruler had joined the Yggdmillennia camp midway through, their sweat had turned cold, but they had somehow managed to deal with that as well thanks to Shirou’s quick-wittedness. It had truly been a hard battle. Since the preparations before the fighting—yes, it had been quite a handful since the preparations. “I am the overseer. I must recover all of your Command Spells and have them ready for the next Holy Grail War. I apologize for the trouble.” “It can’t be helped. There’s no use keeping them now anyway.” “…I suppose that’s true.” “Then how about I bill the costs and expenses to the Church? If we arrange so that I provide the money and look after the Command Spells—” “In that case, we can agree to it, but… is that all right?” “The one being billed is the Church, not me. Think of this as my revenge against them for pushing this important task onto a junior member like me.” Laughter spilled from everyone at his expression, which was just like that of a mischievous boy. Though they had been wary of him at the start of the war, thinking him to be an assassin sent by the Church, he had in fact worked quite hard for them. “We appreciate all the hard work you did as the overseer. We would also like to reward you, but—” “Ah, please do not worry in that regard. I also received something from you all as proper compensation.” Someone asked what it was. Shirou spoke with a small and elusive smile like always. “That would be your rights as Masters. That is suitable as compensation, is it not?” I see, someone said with a nod. “Are you really fine with something like that?” “Yes, of course. Then, I will arrange the preparations to conduct the transfer ritual. Please enjoy chatting amongst yourselves for a short while.” “We’ll do so.” —At last, without noticing the unnaturalness of the situation right till the very end, the magi decided to hand over ‘that’, which they should have treasured more than their lives, over to the smiling boy, free of charge. “More importantly. How should we use the reward we received?” “I think we should spend time relaxing and enjoying ourselves for a while. This recent job was quite hard.” “It seems that an auction for grimoires has opened at the Clock Tower. With this reward, I’ll be able to buy at least three books that I’ve wanted for a long time.” “I’ll use it to give a personal donation to my department. The budget has been constricted.” “It’s no fun to use it for things related to the Association. I will…” The war had ended. Now they just had to get their reward. Incidentally, there was one thing they just couldn’t seem to understand. Just how exactly did we win? Even though it was something they should definitely remember, for some reason none of them could answer that question. But it all became inconsequential to them when they drank the black tea. Only days of peace and decadence filled their memories, and everything seemed to shine. Without glory or prestige, they merely quietly passed the time in idleness— ### 010. Part 1 That wasn’t the reason. The issue is that, due to the abnormal way King Arthur is being summoned for the Holy Grail Wars, she is only arriving with what was on her person when she was on her deathbed (her armour, and Excalibur). If she were being summoned from the Throne of Heroes like a normal Servant, she’d potentially be summonable as Lancer (she might have also fit Archer, Rider, or Assassin). Maybe she could have been called as Lancer if someone found Rhongomyniad and used it as a summoning catalyst? Like ### 011. Chapter 2-2 # (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel フェイト/アポクリファの英訳なのです！ - About This Translation - Volume 1 Character Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and ePub version - Volume 2 Character Profiles Color Illustrations Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 2-13 Chapter 2-14 Chapter 2-15 Chapter 2-16 Chapter 2-17 Chapter 2-18 Chapter 2-19 Chapter 2-20 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 3-5 Chapter 3-6 Chapter 3-7 Chapter 3-8 Chapter 3-9 Chapter 3-10 Chapter 3-11 Chapter 3-12 Chapter 3-13 Chapter 3-14 Chapter 3-15 Afterword PDF and ePub version - Volume 3 - Volume 4 Red Servant Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and Epub Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 1-9 Chapter 1-10 Chapter 1-11 Chapter 1-12 Chapter 1-13 Chapter 1-14 Chapter 1-15 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4-1 Chapter 4-2 Chapter 4-3 Chapter 4-4 Chapter 4-5 Chapter 4-6 Chapter 4-7 Chapter 4-8 Chapter 4-9 Afterword - Side Materials Apocrypha Material Fate/Apocrypha Material Glossary A Glossary Ka Glossary Sa Glossary Ta Glossary Na Glossary Ha Glossary Ma Glossary Ya Glossary Ra - Zugzwang PDF And Epub Version - Update History - Contact Us ## Chapter 2-2 VOLUME 2 Chapter 2 Ch2-2 “There really isn’t anyone out at all.” Rikudou Reika sighed as she looked down at the dead streets with no sign of humans present from a third-story window. It was always like this here recently. When it became nighttime, the city became as still as death. “ Mother 1 , shouldn’t we move to a different town soon?” Reika’s Servant—Assassin of Black pulled at her shirt sleeve. “I suppose so. Next is Trifas, right?” Assassin nodded her head. But then her expression immediately turned downcast. “But, that might be a bit dangerous. Since all the others are still alive.” “The others?” “The other Servants like us 2 .” “…Yeah. Now that you mention it, there are others besides Jack. It’d be a bit scary to go where they are.” Reika commented in a carefree manner, and Assassin also agreed. “Yeah. We are Assassin, after all. Surprise attacks are our specialty, but it’s impossible for us to face multiple enemies. We would definitely die first.” Assassin, with the face of a very young girl, calmly spoke that cold fact. “But they’re trying to kill each other, right?” “Yes. The magi and Servant have divided into the Red and Black camps and should be in the midst of fighting each other.” “Then for now, why don’t we go over there while at the same time taking a wait-and-see approach? If there’s a chance, you can go and eat, and if it’s dangerous, we can run away.” Assassin of Black thought over Reika’s suggestion for a short while. Although Reika and Assassin were connected through their contract, Reika was a complete amateur when it came to magecraft, so she could provide almost no prana. Therefore, Assassin had been supplying herself with prana by devouring the souls of humans. Naturally, this method had heavy demerits for a Servant, but there were slight merits to it as well. Reika didn’t emit any presence of magecraft, so the chances of being discovered by another Master were extremely low. If Assassin used [Presence Concealment] as well, Rikudou Reika would probably be overlooked as a completely ordinary human. Most of all, Assassin wanted to confirm how many Servants that she couldn’t kill herself currently remained. “Yeah, we could go now. —But it seems another magus has come to this city.” After pondering whether to go to Trifas, the two of them came to a decision for the time being. “Oh my, is that so? Then shall we make them your last meal in Sighișoara?” “…Yeah, let’s. But Mother , you can’t come to watch today. It might be more dangerous than usual.” “All right. Then I’ll wait here. Take care.” “Yeah. We’re heading out. Hey, hey. When we come back, we want to eat hamburgers again… Is that okay?” “Of course. I’ve already bought the ingredients, so I’ll borrow the kitchen to make it.” Assassin was bashfully happy at those words, and then she jumped out from the third-story window. Reika waved her hand with a smile and watched her depart. Now then. Reika didn’t know when exactly Assassin would return, but in any case, she had to prepare a delicious meal for that darling girl— Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Assassin of Black overlaps the word “Mother” when she says “Master”, but for simplicity’s sake I’ll just stick to “Mother” from here on unless the circumstances are special. (2) Assassin refers to herself not in the singular as “I” or “me”, but in the plural as “we” and “us”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 012. Chapter 2 Ch2-3 There was no town as unique as Sighișoara in Romania or even all of Europe. This was referring to its ‘unchanging’ nature. It was a small town with a population of thirty thousand, but the people who came to sightsee felt as if they had slipped back in time to the Middle Ages just by walking through the town’s historical district, which was labelled a World Heritage Site. If you walked through the extremely rough, stone-paved hill road, you would find private houses that looked exactly the same as they had in the sixteenth century lining the streets and even public squares where witch trials were once held. Other sightseeing spots included the home in which Vlad III was born (it was now a restaurant), the town’s landmark clock tower, and a church at the top of the mountain in the old city district. At any rate, the town was the most suitable sightseeing area for foreigners to experience the ‘Europe of the past’. And presently, Sighișoara was gripped by fear due to a serial killer. It was a ghastly situation where visiting tourists had been murdered one after another and all their corpses had their hearts gouged out. There was no evidence besides the corpses left behind, and no link could be found between the victims at all. But only a select few people knew the truth. The victims were all magi—in other words, something extraordinarily ‘abnormal’ was occurring in Sighișoara. +++ Shishigou and Saber of Red had been walking for an hour now through the streets, lit faintly by sodium-vapor lamps, on edge all the while. Saber’s armor clinked noisily, but fortunately there was no one around who questioned them. A drunken homeless man carrying a wine bottle in one hand gazed at Shishigou and Saber with an open-mouthed expression. Not even bothering to use suggestion magecraft, Shishigou waved his hand at him, and the man banged his head and started drinking again. Although they encountered policemen several times, they were immediately driven away using Shishigou’s suggestion magecraft. Even the policemen probably didn’t want the duty of remaining on watch for a crazy killer. Shishigou was able to drive them away without even forcing them that much. But more importantly, Saber was more serious now. Not long ago, she’d been complaining with “This is boring”, “So dull”, and “Are they here yet?” over and over again, but now she had gone silent. “What’s wrong, Saber?” “…Sorry, please let me concentrate. I have a bad feeling here.” Shishigou’s face tensed at her words. If she was taking such a vigilant attitude, then there was definitely a Servant nearby. At some point, their pace slowed down and became cautious. They surveyed their surroundings—the dim glow of the streets lamps seemed to conversely make their vision fuzzier. A freezing gust passed through that seemed to lick at the nape of Shishigou’s neck. “…A mist is forming.” Just as Saber said, before they knew it, a mist broke out around the two of them. This would obstruct their vision more and more————no, wait. “Mist…?” Even though the air was clear just moments ago, could a mist so thick it obstructed their vision just suddenly appear? …Impossible. Shishigou and Saber stopped walking at nearly the same time. Saber already had her sword out, and Shishigou had his hands on the holster of his favorite shotgun. “This mist is…” The instant that Shishigou tried to mutter something, the inside of his nose was struck by pain like scattering sparks. He reflexively coughed and covered his mouth. “Master!?” “It’s poison! Don’t breathe, Saber!” Shishigou crouched down as he covered his mouth and nose. Even just breathing a little caused the inside of his nose to explode in pain and his vision started to falter. “Hey, hang on, Master!” Making an instant decision, Shishigou took off his jacket and used it to cover his mouth and nose. The jacket, made from the skin of a magical beast, was able to cancel most Single-Action spells. When he breathed through the jacket, the pain was mitigated slightly. It appeared that the mist really was created out of prana. “…Damn it. For now, let’s get out of this mist.” “Yeah, if you’re able to run, that is! I’ll pull you along, follow me!” Saber held her sword in her right hand and tightly grasped Shishigou’s hand in her left as she began to run. Fortunately, perhaps because her Magic Resistance rank was high, Saber seemed to receive nearly no damage from the mist and didn’t appear to mind the worsening visibility at all. Her sharp [Instinct] made the mist no obstruction at all for her. But Saber and Shishigou were both certain. Since this wasn’t an ordinary mist, naturally something would come ‘next’. The issue was just when it would happen… Even as she ran and tried to escape from the mist, Saber prudently estimated the timing when it would occur. Perhaps because she’d been able to precisely choose their escape route, the mist gradually started to fade away. +++ —People always wish for relief. When they fell into a dangerous situation, no matter how much they calmly dealt with the situation, their minds would relax immediately after they escaped from it. —For just a moment right after they escaped from the jaws of death that lay in wait for them, no matter what kind of person they were, there was an opening when they stopped to take a breather. —Serial killers never overlooked that moment of relaxation. They would hold their blades, which had sipped the blood of countless people, and quietly creep up behind them. +++ “All right, we’re out…!” Saber and Shishigou succeeded in getting out of the mist. In that instant, the only thought in Shishigou’s head was to breathe fresh air. Having escaped from the fear of death, his mind relaxed just slightly. From behind him, an assassin crept up to slit his throat— But Saber, who was standing in front of Shishigou, swung down the sword in her right hand just as she spun around, and sent Shishigou rolling on the ground due to lightly brushing his feet. There was a flash. A shrill sound resounded on the stone-paved ground. Saber’s slash had struck away the knife grasped in Assassin’s hand. “…Ah.” “—Sorry, but that guy’s my Master. The one you’ll be fighting is me.” When Shishigou turned around, there was someone standing still almost right behind him. He hadn’t noticed—in spite of getting this close to him, he hadn’t noticed at all. And he was struck with amazement by one more thing. The person standing behind Shishigou was a young girl. She looked two or three years younger than his own Servant, Saber of Red. She had short and messy silver hair and ice-blue eyes, which were widened slightly in surprise. She had several knife scabbards hanging along her waist, but she didn’t have the vital skirt to cover her lower body. Together with the leather clothes on her upper body, she had a sensuous atmosphere like a prostitute despite her very young appearance. “You slashed at us. How horrible.” Muttering that, she looked straight at Saber’s face. “—What do you mean, ‘horrible’? A lowlife like you who devours souls despite being a Servant has no right to say that!” Not bothering to hide her displeasure, Saber thrusted her sword before her in preparation. Assassin, not seeming to fear the sword, tilted her head and replied with an extremely innocent expression. “There’s nothing wrong with that… right?” The next instant, Saber repelled a knife thrown at her face with her gauntlet. Assassin had thrown a knife with an extremely natural movement while speaking without the slightest visible quiver of her wrist. The reason Saber was able to respond to the sudden surprise attack was due to her instincts and skill. But an opening was created the instant she blocked the knife with her gauntlet and Assassin jumped behind her. The mist was still wafting strongly in the air there and immediately masked her from sight. “Wait here, Master!” After saying that, Saber once more leapt into the mist. Breathing in the mist made her body feel somewhat heavier, but Saber judged that it wouldn’t impede her at this level. She strained her ears for the faintest sound and swung her sword according to her instincts. The same sound as earlier resounded—she had struck down a thrown scalpel. “Wow. You’re really good.” Saber clicked her tongue at the girl’s voice. The voice could be heard from all directions and she couldn’t pinpoint its origin at all. “Spare me your prattle. What good are the words of a ‘cleaner’ like Assassin who isn’t even a Heroic Spirit? No, you’re not even a cleaner. You’re just a killer, just a murderer!” “Oh? How did you know?” “What—?” Saber’s mind was frozen with shock for an instant. “Our name is Jack the Ripper. Hey, hey, hey, hey, won’t you tell us your name too?” The voice whispered right in her ear. Saber immediately swung her sword in that direction, but she felt no resistance against her blade as she merely cut through mist. But right now, the fact that she had learned the enemy’s true name was more important. +++ —It was an incident from a hundred and twenty years ago. The people of London in Great Britain had trembled in terror. The people he targeted were all prostitutes from the East End. The number of people he murdered was in fact only five. In spite of that, he was the world’s first serial killer, who left behind many legends and mysteries before he disappeared. Based from a signature written in a letter posted in the newspapers, people called him Jack the Ripper. It was only a hundred and twenty years ago. From the viewpoint of other mysteries with firm concepts that were far more ancient, this Servant was probably the most fragile in this regard in this Great Holy Grail War. King Arthur had gone out on many campaigns and earned many magnificent achievements. Mordred herself had etched her name into history as the Knight of Treachery. Other Servants were also generally the same. Though their eras and societies differed, they should have overcome many legendary battles and left their names behind in the memories of the people. But —Saber adjusted her grip on the handle of her sword and focused her mind. Why had someone like a murderer been elevated to a level where she could be summoned as a Servant? …The only possible explanation was that it was because the murderer’s career had been shrouded in too much mystery and filled the people with too much terror. People might cheer as they watched a hero fight. They might be filled with courage and vie with one another as they hoisted up their fists. But this girl was different. She etched her name into the world with arbitrary, thorough and despairing slaughter. If there were those who believed in her, they were surely other murderers just like her. Indeed, she was appropriate as Assassin. Without any sound or sign of her presence, she simply killed her target. There was no one else who specialized in killing Masters as much as her. To Saber, this mist wasn’t much of an obstruction. However, due to Assassin’s class skill [Presence Concealment], she couldn’t grasp her presence at all. Since Assassin’s voice was resounding around Saber, she should definitely be nearby, but— “Ah, just like we thought! You’re a woman , aren’t you?” Saber involuntarily ground her teeth slightly at those words. “In that case—” “Yeah. In that case—” “ Let’s do it .” —It sounded as if she were conversing with someone. An eerie slug-like feeling that Saber hadn’t experienced in a long while slightly passed through her chest. This was fear. An unknown assassin lurking in the darkness. She never fought head on, always using surprised attacks, always taking the initiative. If Saber mistakenly predicted her next move, it would instantly lead to her own death. So—what should she do? “…Hah. Don’t underestimate me, you shitty brat!!” An instant reply. Saber stored her helm into her armor as if tearing off the skin upon which the fear clung to her. At the same time as she exposed her noble-looking face, she raised the sword in her hand and shouted. “…Crimson Lightning!” “——” If there was an eerie darkness, than she just needed to blow it away with her own light. She poured all her prana into her sword, making it spew crimson lightning around her. The mist literally vanished—and Assassin looked at Saber with an open-mouthed expression. “It’s over, Assassin. If you’re going to scream out to your heart’s content, now’s your chance. Once I behead you, you won’t be able to scream anymore.” “We don’t wanna. Our tummy is still empty.” Speaking like a child, she held a butcher knife in each of her hand. “You should give up and run away,” said Saber with a fearless smile while she timed the moment to activate [Prana Burst]. Since the mist had vanished, her body was no longer weighed down. So there should have been no way for Saber, a Servant of the strongest class, to fall behind the likes of a murderer that couldn’t hide in the darkness. Watching their fight from afar, Shishigou had the utmost faith regarding that point. However, there was just one factor that made him uneasy. After getting out of the mist, he had taken out a piece of equipment from his jacket pocket. It was the wrist of a magical monkey cast in adipocere wax. In situations where he wasn’t able to move from where he was, he used this wrist to quickly construct a Bounded Field that warded people away. It wasn’t a half-hearted piece of magecraft either. The wrist crawled around independently like a mouse, and as it did so it created a completely locked-out area as if cutting off that space from everything else. He hadn’t tried it out yet, but even if he were in an intersection in the streets of New York at night or of Shibuya in Tokyo, he was confident that he could completely clear people out of the area. Though there existed eyes besides those of people, such as cameras, in such downtown districts, so it wouldn’t be effective in the first place. —The source of his unease was… …the fact that they were in the unfavorable emergency situation, as someone had managed to break into this space where everyone besides him and the two female Servants in front of him had cleared away. His palm hurt as if it were being stabbed by needles. That was how Shishigou sensed that an intruder had penetrated his Bounded Field. “Saber!” His words exploded into the air as the critical situation continued to unfold. Saber of Red and Assassin of Black were both charging at each other. Saber was aiming to swing her sword down from above and cut Assassin in half in a single stroke with the force of a surging wave. On the other hand, Assassin was challenging her to close-combat again with movements so smooth they were terribly eerie. Her target was the nape of Saber’s neck, a vital point. If Saber’s strike was a superhuman attack that transcended the domain of humans, then Assassin had abandoned humanity so thoroughly that she had reached the domain of inhuman beasts. —I’ll win. The instant she leapt forward, Saber was certain of that. She had no doubt that her strike would deliver a fatal wound to Assassin. The timing, speed, power; everything was in perfect sync. —But. At the same time, Saber’s mind was bothered by Shishigou’s shout. There was definitely a reason for the shout just now. If not, he wouldn’t have called out her name. When she had thought that far, she realized it with a chill. She didn’t know where. But she was definitely being aimed at. A throw or shot from long distance. The enemy was probably Lancer or Archer. Either way, at this rate she would be killed…! Her body moved before her logical thought caught up. She just slightly put the brakes on her intense forward charge and forcefully screwed her body around. This was all she could do now. Slanting her body, she looked at the clock tower that was one of this city’s landmarks. She gazed at it in amazement. Two figures stood at the pinnacle of the clock tower. Illuminated by the faint moonlight, the person she saw pointing a bow and arrow at her there was definitely a Servant—! The next instant, a shock wave and a thunderous roar hit Saber’s entire body. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 013. Chapter 2-4 # (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel フェイト/アポクリファの英訳なのです！ - About This Translation - Volume 1 Character Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and ePub version - Volume 2 Character Profiles Color Illustrations Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 2-13 Chapter 2-14 Chapter 2-15 Chapter 2-16 Chapter 2-17 Chapter 2-18 Chapter 2-19 Chapter 2-20 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 3-5 Chapter 3-6 Chapter 3-7 Chapter 3-8 Chapter 3-9 Chapter 3-10 Chapter 3-11 Chapter 3-12 Chapter 3-13 Chapter 3-14 Chapter 3-15 Afterword PDF and ePub version - Volume 3 - Volume 4 Red Servant Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and Epub Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 1-9 Chapter 1-10 Chapter 1-11 Chapter 1-12 Chapter 1-13 Chapter 1-14 Chapter 1-15 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4-1 Chapter 4-2 Chapter 4-3 Chapter 4-4 Chapter 4-5 Chapter 4-6 Chapter 4-7 Chapter 4-8 Chapter 4-9 Afterword - Side Materials Apocrypha Material Fate/Apocrypha Material Glossary A Glossary Ka Glossary Sa Glossary Ta Glossary Na Glossary Ha Glossary Ma Glossary Ya Glossary Ra - Zugzwang PDF And Epub Version - Update History - Contact Us ## Chapter 2-4 VOLUME 2 Chapter 2 Ch2-4 The fired arrow hit just as planned. But the target hadn’t moved as planned. Without lowering his bow, Archer loaded his next arrow. “Did you succeed?” Archer shook his head at the question of his Master, Fiore. “No. Unfortunately, Saber dodged the attack just now. She really does deserve to be called a member of the strongest class.” “And Assassin—?” “Assassin avoided a fatal blow as well. Though I did manage to inflict a wound on her.” Sighișoara’s famous clock tower boasted of being the tallest building in the city, with a height of sixty-four meters, and, just as one could see nearly the entire town from atop it, the tower was visible from everywhere in town. It consisted of a central spire surrounded by four smaller spires. Above even the tower’s highest hallway, Archer and Fiore stood on an outcropping so small that it that couldn’t even be called a thin foothold. The reason Archer was able to calmly stand somewhere that normal people wouldn’t be able to endure for even a few seconds was probably due to his innate sense of balance. It was nothing to be surprised about for someone of his caliber. The problem was his Master, Fiore. Her legs were disabled due to the effect of her degenerated Magic Circuits. Normally she was incapable of standing, and the foothold wasn’t wide enough to hold her wheelchair either. In spite of that, she was on that foothold. However, she wasn’t standing. Her feet were suspended in midair. Long metal arms were extending out from her back and supporting her body on the small foothold. “—Master. It appears that Assassin of Black has decided to retreat.” “Then we’ll move on to fight Saber of Red just as planned. Archer, please face Saber. I’ll fight with her Master Shishigou Kairi.” If possible, she wished they could have killed both Assassin of Black and Saber of Red together with that last attack. If one were to ask which they prioritized between Assassin of Black and Saber of Red, the answer would naturally be Saber. Now that they had lost their camp’s Saber, she was a Servant that they absolutely wanted to take down here and now. “Master. Please don’t overextend yourself.” “Yes… I know.” By Archer’s judgement, Saber’s Master Shishigou Kairi and his own Master Fiore were nearly even in ability. Shishigou was superior when it came to experience and Fiore was superior when it came to sense. The only remaining factor was how calmly either of them could deal with this battle situation. Saber’s angry gaze pierced Archer. Her exposed face was surprisingly young and beautiful. But Archer, having seen many heroes, could tell. She definitely had the disposition of a hero. Feeling a sense of exaltation as if the bottom of his stomach was ablaze—Archer smiled bitterly. It appeared that he himself was still a green youth. Or perhaps it was due to being summoned in the form from his heyday. As he was now, Archer leaned toward recklessness so much that it surprised even him. Saber exchanged a glance with her Master Shishigou for just an instant, and then immediately charged in Archer’s direction. It wouldn’t take her even ten seconds to reach the clock tower. Fiore matched her and headed towards Shishigou while circumventing Saber’s path. Saber’s gaze turned towards Fiore for an instant. Instantly, Archer fired his nocked arrow at her to deter her from doing anything to Fiore. Saber cut down the arrow with a single stroke. That seemed to decide Saber’s mind. Without glancing at Fiore any further, she charged straight at Archer— Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 014. Chapter 2 Ch2-5 Saber had needed five seconds to regain her footing after Archer’s shot. But by the time those five seconds had passed, Assassin had already withdrawn. She clicked her tongue—her regret over not killing Assassin and her hatred towards Archer for getting in the way made Saber’s face twist in anger. “Master. Assassin has run away, while Archer’s over there. Who should I attack? I personally recommend Archer who’s so full of himself on the clock tower.” Saber asked that question while pointing her sword at the clock tower, and Shishigou just scratched his head with a sigh. His answer was already decided for him. In addition, it’d be very difficult to chase after Assassin now that she had run away. Anyhow, they wouldn’t be able to catch her by sight at all due to her [Presence Concealment] skill. “…You seem pretty intent on fighting Archer yourself. Well, that’s the correct decision. I’ll take care of his Master.” “Sorry about this, Master. Then, I’m off to crush Archer.” Saber grinned happily. She could also tell with her eyes that Archer was nocking his next arrow. Her normal full-throttle speed wouldn’t be enough to reach him in time. However— Saber had the [Prana Burst] skill. By taking off her Noble Phantasm helm, she could clad her body in prana even further and could explosively accelerate herself by instantly releasing it all in a jet burst. “All right… Saber, go and get him!” “Aye!!” The instant after she yelled out her agreement to Shishigou, she disappeared in a flash. She had taken a single, powerful step forward. She was like a human-shaped cannonball. She flew towards where that distant bowman should be. Archer didn’t move. Saber glanced at Archer’s Master as she headed towards Shishigou while circumventing around Saber. However, an arrow flew towards Saber to prevent her from touching the female Master. As she cut the arrow with her sword, Saber smiled. —You don’t need to worry, Archer. The one I want to crush is you. Archer’s Master was going to face Saber’s own Master, Shishigou. He wouldn’t lose before her. She felt a little surprised when she realized that she believed that. She had never trusted those known as magi before now. She had thought of magi as all being shut-ins with extremely twisted personalities. No, in reality, the magi that she had met until now were generally like that. But there were also the sort of magi that get along well with her. The type that was foolhardy and reckless, thinking 90% on attack and 10% on defense. Speaking of which, the catalyst that summoned her was a fragment from the Round Table. In other words, it wouldn’t have been strange for any of the other Knights of the Round Table—like Lancelot, who slighted her father, or Gawain, that annoying honor student—to have been summoned instead. And yet, the one who was summoned was her. She considered the meaning of that. She thought that, at some point, she would have to properly think it over. In order to obtain the Holy Grail for herself. At that point, Saber stopped her extraneous thoughts. She was heading for the sixty-meter-tall clock tower. She only needed twelve steps to reach it. Instead of ascending it with both her hands and feet, she dashed straight up the 90-degree-angle outer wall with just her two feet. Archer was already right before her. She could see not only his form, but even his expression. He was a man of delicate features clad in leather armor. Indeed, the style of his appearance was truly that of a bowman. But now that she had gotten this close, there was no longer anything that Archer could do. Archery was the most superior when it came to long-range sniping. Even when compared to modern guns, it still had a huge advantage due to being able to shoot almost completely silently. Of course, in order to hit the target with an arrow, one requires unimaginably harsh training and innate talent. But there was no way a Heroic Spirit summoned as Archer would lack those. So the Archer class was nearly invincible as long as it remained at long range from the enemy. But if there was a Servant fast enough to close him from long range to close range, the situation would be completely overturned. A bowman also naturally has several weak points. Firstly, it was nearly impossible to shoot consecutively. Secondly, his location was easily exposed from the path of his arrows. Thirdly, a bow was extremely fragile at close range. It was natural for Saber to feel confident of her victory. When the enemy had gotten so close, there was nothing a bowman could do—that’s how it should have been. Completely unfazed by Saber’s violent charge, Archer smoothly loaded his next arrow. The nocked arrow was shot at Saber’s face as she came at him right from below, but she flicked it away with her sword held in both her hands. “I got you, Archer…!!” There was no time for him to nock another arrow. Just like with Assassin earlier, Saber was certain that she would kill him in a single strike. But Archer was a Heroic Spirit with a long history of experience as a warrior. At that precise moment, he did something so unexpected that it surpassed even Saber’s instincts. Without hesitation—he threw himself off from the small and unreliable foothold into the air. As Saber was paralyzed in shock, Archer nocked another arrow and fired it at Saber even as he fell towards the ground below. His target was naturally her chest, which should be thinly armored. However, an arrow shot by Archer—Chiron of the Sagittarius—would definitely kill everything in its path. The arrow, clad in the light of the stars, forcibly smashed through Saber’s armor. Something cold crept into her shoulder, and flashes of dizzying pain ran through her entire body one after another. But, probably thanks to her heavy armor, the arrow that had been aimed at her chest seemed to have been deflected and pierced her shoulder instead. But such a thing wasn’t comforting at all for Saber, who had been certain of her victory. “You, bastard……!!” Saber managed to drown out the intense pain, spreading like ripples from her shoulder to the rest of her body, with just her anger. Without hesitation, she went into a bullet dive straight at the still-falling Archer using [Prana Burst]—! +++ She’s like a shooting star, Archer thought. She wasn’t graceful at all, but she was excessively strong and excessively violent, and so she possessed an enchanting light. Indeed, Saber was a magnificent Heroic Spirit. She had to have a strong will to launch a counterattack immediately upon receiving his attack, ignoring the pain and impact from it. In just several fractions of a second—Saber would probably cut him down this time beneath her blade the moment he landed on the ground. Now then, what should he do to prevent that? He couldn’t use his archery. No matter how fast his arrows were, he was already at a disadvantage against a sword that would finish its motion just by being swung down. He had no sword or lance, he couldn’t use his bow, he had no mount, there was no way he could go mad and rampage, and he couldn’t stop this course of events with magecraft or dirks. —In that case. He had no choice but to fight with his final remaining weapon. His sixty-meter fall, and his landing—just before it came to an end, he vigorously struck the ground with one leg and slightly shifted his body to the side. He extended both his arms. The roaring Saber noticed his inexplicable action, but she didn’t have the time to take it into consideration. With her sword brandished to strike combined with her explosive accelerated speed due to [Prana Burst] and with her being in her normal state excluding the release of her Noble Phantasm, there was no winning blow as perfect as this. However, against what would definitely deal a fatal wound if it hit, Archer did something dreadful—or rather, something ‘crazy’ like Saber herself would do. He extended both arms, and before the charging Saber could swing down her sword, he coiled his arms around her. The instant her wrists were seized in a hold, her senses rang out in alarm. Forcefully halting her slash as it bit into his collarbone, Archer didn’t negate the momentum of her charge but instead cleverly transferred her body weight and— A throwing technique…!? The instant that Saber realized what he was doing, she was flung through the air upside down. It was similar to a one-armed shoulder throw in judo, but the way it immobilized the joints of her wrists was completely merciless. Archer… Chiron was the greatest sage among the centaurs and received various teachings from the gods such as learning medicine and music from the sun god Apollo and hunting from the goddess Artemis. And so, young and immature heroes gathered around him and learned various teachings and fighting techniques under his wing. The sword, lance, and bow—besides those, Archer had also acquired techniques for fighting bare-handed as a matter of course. They consisted of perfect hand-to-hand combat techniques that combined boxing and wrestling. That fighting style was Pankration 1 —the world’s oldest mixed martial arts spoken of in Ancient Greek tales. “Gah…!!” Hitting the deadly weapon known as the ground, Saber’s eyes widened as she experienced an impact that seemed to make her very guts reverberate. Her entire body froze for just a few seconds as if she was tied down with chains. It was an extremely lethal situation for her—however, despite the fact that Saber had fallen down, Archer didn’t finish her off; instead, he fell down to his knees in anguish. The wound from the blade that had bit into his shoulder, even if it wasn’t a fatal wound, was extremely close to being so. Normally, there was no strength behind the part of the blade close to the handle, so Archer had judged that it would probably only be strong enough to cut his leather armor. But he had underestimated it too much. In spite of receiving Saber’s strike under most likely the very best of conditions possible, the wound on his collarbone was too deep. Most likely, his right shoulder wouldn’t move until it was mended with healing magecraft. In other words, he couldn’t use his bow until then. Archer smiled bitterly. He had intended to corner her, but he ended up being cornered instead. The decisive chance he had received in return had been reversed into a fatal situation for him. He came to a decision without hesitation. He could not think of a way to deliver a final blow to Saber in this situation no matter how he moved or fought. If he effectively used the slightly less than three seconds it would take until Saber got back up, withdrawal was probably the best plan here. Archer decided to report the situation to Fiore who was fighting a fierce battle of her own and recommend retreating. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Pankration is written in katakana, while above it in furigana it is written as the “power of everything” or “all strength/power”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 015. Chapter 2-7 # (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel フェイト/アポクリファの英訳なのです！ - About This Translation - Volume 1 Character Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and ePub version - Volume 2 Character Profiles Color Illustrations Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 2-13 Chapter 2-14 Chapter 2-15 Chapter 2-16 Chapter 2-17 Chapter 2-18 Chapter 2-19 Chapter 2-20 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 3-5 Chapter 3-6 Chapter 3-7 Chapter 3-8 Chapter 3-9 Chapter 3-10 Chapter 3-11 Chapter 3-12 Chapter 3-13 Chapter 3-14 Chapter 3-15 Afterword PDF and ePub version - Volume 3 - Volume 4 Red Servant Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and Epub Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 1-9 Chapter 1-10 Chapter 1-11 Chapter 1-12 Chapter 1-13 Chapter 1-14 Chapter 1-15 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4-1 Chapter 4-2 Chapter 4-3 Chapter 4-4 Chapter 4-5 Chapter 4-6 Chapter 4-7 Chapter 4-8 Chapter 4-9 Afterword - Side Materials Apocrypha Material Fate/Apocrypha Material Glossary A Glossary Ka Glossary Sa Glossary Ta Glossary Na Glossary Ha Glossary Ma Glossary Ya Glossary Ra - Zugzwang PDF And Epub Version - Update History - Contact Us ## Chapter 2-7 VOLUME 2 Chapter 2 Ch2-7 Fiore agreed to Archer’s suggestion. It appeared that the other battle had also reached a stalemate. ‘Then, let’s join up at the designated location. Our intention was reconnaissance from the start. There’s no need to obsess over settling things here and now.’ ‘Understood. Thank you, Master.’ By the time Saber managed to stand up, Archer had widened the distance between them sufficiently enough for him to escape. “Are you running away, Archer!?” Watching him move away, Saber shouted without hiding her anger. “Yes, since, at this rate, I’ll be defeated first. Let’s consider this match as a draw due to mutual injuries.” After saying those final words, Archer smoothly disappeared into the darkness of a back alley. Even though it wasn’t at the same level as Assassin’s [Presence Concealment], it appeared that he possessed knowledge of techniques for making oneself disappear as well. +++ For an instant, Saber wavered over chasing after him—right now, he couldn’t use his bow. She was confident that she could definitely cut him down if she caught up with him. However, the issue was whether or not she’d catch up to him. Additionally, she couldn’t be certain that he wasn’t hiding [something] like the throwing technique he had used earlier. Of course he had humiliated her. So humiliated that even tearing him apart wouldn’t satisfy her. But she endured it. “…Now then, I wonder how Master is doing?” She wasn’t that worried. Should her Master fall into a critical situation, Saber would immediately be informed through the Command Spells. If he was just about to fall into such a situation, he would probably call her back to him using a Command Spell. After standing up and walking for ten minutes, she found Shishigou looking languid as he leaned against a historic building that had been magnificently destroyed. “So Archer retreated, huh.” Shishigou had no conspicuous wounds that were worth mentioning. Some blood flowed from his face and abdomen, but they were probably just scratches. “Pretty much.” “So our first battle was a draw. Saber, how did you find a battle between Servants?” Without replying, Saber merely looked up at the sky silently. Why was it that she found the cold blue moonlight so dazzling—? Shishigou smiled and nodded as if he understood. “It appears we’ve both tasted the thrill of the Holy Grail War to our hearts’ content.” “Muh. I didn’t say anything.” “I can tell that much from your face. Now then, assuming that Assassin has retreated, chasing after her would be difficult. She can’t remain confined to Sighișoara forever either… Since Archer shot at her, it looks like she’s not working with the Black camp, so there will probably be other chances to kill her.” Or she might be killed by another Servant as well. Most likely, a third party had killed the original Master and taken Assassin for themselves. Did they intend to conduct themselves skillfully and get their hands on the Holy Grail? Or—based on these serial killings, maybe they weren’t thinking of anything. Shishigou hoped it was the former case. That would be fine then, since they were fighting with reasoning behind their actions. But, if they were completely unconcerned with everything and were killing just because they wanted to—Assassin of Black and her Master would definitely become the most difficult enemies in the Great Holy Grail War. However, just as Fiore had said, not just Trifas, but all of Romania should be under the control of Yggdmillennia. If not, the title of Second Owner 1 would weep. “So, we’ll be going back to Trifas, Saber.” “Aye… But, how are we going to get back? The bus we took to get here won’t be passing through anymore at this time.” “Well, naturally—we’re going to borrow one of these.” Shishigou briskly walked out onto the main street, smashed the glass window of a parked car and unlocked its door. By the way, he had no intention of returning it, so he was basically stealing it. “Come on, get in.” “…Please avoid us having to drop out from the Great Holy Grail War due to getting caught by the police, Master.” Saber sighed as if amazed by her Master’s actions. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Here, it says “Second Owner” in furigana, while the kanji beneath translates as ‘landlord/supervisor’. This is a title given to a family of magi who are responsible for overseeing a land with high spiritual qualities. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 016. Part 9 ““…No, why are you adding [kun] to the end of my name?” “Because Sieg is younger than me, right? So I don’t think there’s any problem with using [kun]. Do you dislike it?” “Ah, I don’t really—dislike it, I think, but…” I don’t think I dislike it, but something seems wrong about it…” because we are in Romania, not in japan lol Like Reply ↓ ### 017. Chapter 2 Ch2-11 The Yggdmillennia had predicted that the Masters of the Association of Magi… in other words, the Red camp would attack them and had prepared plans to counterattack from all directions. They might suddenly launch an attack from the city of Trifas, or they might attack from the east with a large army. The possibility that they might launch a surprise attack from the sky wasn’t low either. But— “…For them to attack with their own fortress is truly beyond expectations.” Archer of Black—Chiron sighed. His gaze was locked on Assassin’s prided Noble Phantasm, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon , as it floated in the air far above. “Archer, what is that thing’s current status?” Fiore asked that in a thin voice from next to him. Archer could perceive a slight tremble in her voice, but that was only because he was a Servant. A normal human would not have sensed even the smallest tremble in her voice. Archer smiled at his Master as she tried to remain as calm as she could. “It has come to a standstill in midair… This is just conjecture on my part, but it appears that the Erythros 1 camp intends to use these grassland plains as their battlefield. “So it’s going to be an all-out battle.” “Yes. You and the other Masters should head somewhere safe. The other side likely intends to encamp themselves with their Servants and familiars.” “—So it seems. They appear to have summoned Dragon Tooth Warriors. Probably in order to face our homunculi and soldiers.” Darnic landed on the castle rampart with a soft tap. He seemed to have boldly gone around looking at that floating fortress. “Grandfather…” “Let’s head inside, Fiore. We have no choice but to leave the battle to them now.” “Precisely, Darnic. What follows from here is the domain of us Servants.” Particles of light resolved and gathered together, regaining human form. Lancer of Black—Vlad III wore a savage smile as he gazed at the floating fortress. No, it wasn’t just Lancer. Berserker of Black, Frankenstein, and Caster of Black, Avicebron, also stood on the ramparts, glaring at the floating fortress. “On top of intruding into my territory in that kind of ugly thing, they’ve scattered filthy skeleton warriors everywhere.” Lancer openly laid bare his displeasure. The moment they trespassed on his territory, they were enemies, conquerors, Ottoman Turks. A strong sense of duty that obligated him to massacre them all bound his entire body. “My lord. We will take refuge inside the castle. But if those grassland plains become the battlefield, we will fight with our backs to the town. So you may wield your power to your heart’s content.” Darnic respectfully bowed, and Lancer nodded placidly. “Indeed. Also, release Rider and Berserker of Red. We’ll have them added to our forces as well.” “Is that all right? Leaving aside Berserker, Rider is—” “I don’t mind. They’ve come this far seeking an all-out showdown. It is only good manners to throw out all our forces as well.” “…Understood. I’ll go release them right away.” Darnic disappeared from sight. Fiore also followed after him and retreated into the castle. “Archer. Take command of the organized formations of homunculi along with Rider.” “Understood, Lancer. However, should Rider of Red take the field, I will have to go in order to stop him…” “I don’t mind. It’s fine as long as you take command at the beginning. The battle will eventually become chaotic anyhow, and the homunculi will merely be expended along with the golems.” Archer nodded. Lancer was correct. Once the opening strike of the battle ended, the situation would immediately turn into a battle between Servants. “As for you, Caster, remain on standby here. I’ll leave the timing to release Berserker of Red’s shackles to your judgement.” “Understood. Ah, that’s right. Lancer, there is no way you can go to battle on foot. I’ve prepared a horse for you.” At those words, Lancer looked at Caster with great interest in his gaze. “Of course, it’s an artificial imitation, but—” “That’s quite satisfactory. An ordinary horse could never accompany me in this war.” What Caster brought out was, naturally, a giant golem horse of metal. It was made of a combination of iron and bronze with an uneven design. Its eyes consisted of a red ruby and blue sapphire, which each carried a bewitching shine. “Quite satisfactory.” Smiling in satisfaction, Lancer climbed onto the horse. The horse didn’t even whinny and obediently stood upright. “Huh, Lancer’s riding on a horse? My position’s been taken!” That somewhat loud voice made the atmosphere turn tense. It belonged to the Servant who had just been released, Rider of Black—Astolfo. He wore a carefree smile on his face and greeted Lancer, who had ordered him to be imprisoned, with an unconcerned attitude. “Rider. I won’t ask if you’ve reflected on your actions at this point. Now is the time for you to show your power to me. Your power as one of the Charlemagne’s Twelve Paladins.” Rider reassuringly struck his chest. “Yeah, leave it to me! That is that, and this is this. Fighting in this war is my mission, after all!” “If you’re aware of that, then there’s no problem. Rider, join with Archer in commanding the homunculi.” “Roger!” Lastly, Lancer turned his eyes to Berserker, who was still glaring at the floating fortress. “Berserker. You are free to do as you wish. Fight and wreak havoc until you’re exhausted.” “Uu… uuuuui…” Berserker gave a single, light nod. She had both her hands on the castle rampart, appearing ready to jump over them even now. “—Now then, everyone. Saber has vanished, and Assassin is not on our side. In return, we managed to get a hold of Berserker of Red, but he is merely a disposable [weapon]. In other words, we are the entirety of our battle power.” “On the other hand, the other side most likely has all six of their Servants excluding Berserker. Lancer of Red fought evenly with Saber, and Rider of Red did not receive a single wound from Saber’s attacks. Caster and Assassin, who have yet to be seen, are undoubtedly fearsome enemies as well.” Those were words that acknowledged the disadvantage of their side. They were inferior in pure numbers, and while the enemy’s overall quality was unknown, at the very least, they no longer had Saber, so it would be a hard battle. Yes, they were overwhelmingly outmatched—if this was a normal battle, the difference between their forces was sufficient to guarantee that they would be defeated first. “Now then. I have a question for you all. Do any of you intend to accept defeat?” Everyone present rejected that notion with their words and actions. The difference in battle power was overwhelming, and the chances of their defeat were high—in the face of that truth, Lancer and the other Servants didn’t act agitated at all. Heroic Spirits were such beings. Against an overwhelming disadvantage and a despairing situation, they would laugh and overturn such things. That was what made them worthy of being called heroes. “Yes, exactly right. We will win! As if anyone who falls before this degree of difference in battle power, this degree of despair could call themselves heroes!” His words were correct. After all, Lancer’s true name was Vlad III, the great hero who had protected his country over and over again from the soldiers of the approaching Ottoman Turks. What was definite was the fact that, in 1462, the Ottoman Turks invaded. Against the Turks’ forces of one hundred and fifty thousand, the Wallachian army that Vlad III commanded consisted of only ten thousand. However, he had exhausted the Turks with thorough guerilla warfare and scorched-earth tactics, and then evacuated the citizens in order to empty the country’s capital and ambush the enemy. The one who had commanded the Turks was Mehmed II, the Ottoman sultan known as ‘the Conqueror’ who had felled Constantinople with its threefold defensive walls. Even he, widely known for his bravery, paled when he arrived at the capital of Bucharest. Countless stakes stood surrounding the citadel. Impaled upon them were his comrades, subordinates, and commanders—twenty thousand members of the Turk army. The instant he saw them, anything like hatred for his comrades being killed was blown away. He was terrified. Someone who could not only think of such a thing, but put it into practice was terrifying. The plunder, violations, and atrocities his own army had committed were merely the result of having their lusts and desires accelerated in the heat of the moment. This was different, committed under a completely different way of thinking. This was truly a method of warfare that didn’t treat people as human beings. After all, his men had been skewered merely for the sake of display …! The morale of his army having plummeted to nearly zero, Mehmed II had no choice but to withdraw and return home. At that time, Mehmed II muttered this. +++ —I fear no human being. But Dracul 2 alone is a separate matter. +++ “Those are savages. Fools who dirty my dominion and laugh crudely in arrogance can only die. Kill them while laughing. We must thoroughly re-educate those who lack the knowledge of fear with an ox-hide whip.” Lancer’s words were extreme, but were in fact easy to understand. Don’t let the enemy go home alive . What he wanted to say was simply that. And that was exactly as the other Servants wished as well. “Then, I’ll lead the vanguard.” Lancer grasped the reins of his horse and jumped off from the castle ramparts along with his steed. The height of the cliff that rose up beneath the ramparts was over a hundred meters, but the metal horse that Caster of Black had created wouldn’t be damaged by something of that degree. Like a lone general with but a single army—Lancer rode his horse towards the enemy formation. The grassland plains were tranquil, but they would probably be transformed into scorched earth by the time this battle ended. Resurrected into the present day with new subordinates, the stern king once more challenged the enemy in a disadvantageous battle. But that was how it always was for him, so there was nothing for him to fear. Eventually, the homunculi commanded by two Servants and the golems massed together into troops. Archer and Rider’s commands were splendid, and in a flash they were all arranged into orderly formation. At the flank of the troops was Caster, who had brought along the still-sealed Berserker of Red. The plan was for him to choose the timing to release Berserker at his own discretion. Berserker’s mind was completely ruined, but he retained just enough reason to distinguish enemies from allies. Now that he had changed Masters, his enemy was the Red camp. And standing alone far away from the homunculi and golems was the mad warrior with reason—Berserker of Black. The ones who could truly be counted as part of their battle power were the ten golems who had been selected for being especially excellent even among Caster’s creations and all the other Servants besides Caster. Caster thought from behind his mask—the situation couldn’t be called that disadvantageous for them. Archer’s strength and discernment were both excellent, and now that Caster had obtained a [core], his own Noble Phantasm was already capable of being activated. However, there was but one decisive reason for being confident of their chances of victory. Because Lancer of Black was Vlad III . Here in Romania, and moreover in Transylvania, his fame was nearly at its max. The boost in power due to fame was not that great, but here Vlad III’s fame was on the level of devoted piety. Yes, he was a great hero who had saved his homeland. And he was a terrifying being. The tragic man who, despite being the cornerstone of this nation, was betrayed and lost everything—this county’s king who was known by everyone from children to the elderly. His current form was exceedingly close to that of his heyday. Furthermore, due to his skill [Demonic Defender of the State], the entire surrounding region including these grassland plains had been turned into his personal ‘dominion’. Indeed, Rider of Red’s true identity, which they had all heard from Archer of Black yesterday, was certainly shocking and devastating. He was a Servant who boasted of worldwide-class fame and was as top rank as a Heroic Spirit could conceivably be. But even so. Even so, Vlad III still had some degree of advantage over him. +++ The two armies advanced towards each other little by little. As Lancer wondered what Servants the opposing side had, he saw only Dragon Tooth Warriors at the front of their forces. Puzzled and suspicious, Lancer halted his forces. At the same time, the Dragon Tooth Warriors also stopped moving. Knowing that trying to talk to the Dragon Tooth Warriors was pointless, Lancer turned his gaze to the floating fortress above. “—Hmm. What are they planning?” She couldn’t have heard his mutter, but as if in reply—Archer of Red’s bow fired the first shot. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Here, Archer uses the Greek word for “red”. The spelling might not be quite right, but unfortunately I’m not well-versed in Greek, so the best I can manage is to directly write it as it’s pronounced. (2) Underneath “Dracul” in katakana, the kanji reads as “devil”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 018. Chapter 2 Ch2-12 Archer of Red—Atalanta—nocked two arrows on her favorite bow, Tauropolos. She aimed not at the ground far below, but at the night sky which shined in the faint moonlight. A chilly and dry late-autumn wind shook her hair, and her animal ears twitched. It was time. “With my bow and arrows, I respectfully ask for the divine protection of the sun god Apollo and the moon goddess Artemis.” The arrows started to shine bewitchingly. Her Noble Phantasm wasn’t her bow, nor the arrows shot by her bow. Those were both merely the catalysts for it. Her Noble Phantasm was the technique itself of nocking and shooting arrows with her bow. “I offer thee this calamity— Phoebus Catastrophe: Complaint Message on the Arrow !” The two arrows she shot towards the sky pierced through the clouds and disappeared from sight, leaving a glittering trail behind them. This was the starting signal to begin fighting, the first shot. …Those arrows were a complaint to the gods. The sun god Apollo and the moon goddess Artemis. They were gods deeply connected to the sun and moon respectively. Apollo was the god of the bow and arrow, and Artemis was the goddess of the hunt. In compensation for Archer requesting divine protection from them, they sought a calamity. In other words, their divine protection equated to—a calamity for the enemy. A faint light filled the night sky, along with a quiet sound like falling rain. But it wasn’t something as simple as a blessed rain. The malevolent gods sought a sacrifice, and scattered a torrential rain under the name of catastrophe. Arrows of light rained down incessantly from the sky and homunculi were pierced and killed by the arrows one after another. Even the strong and sturdy golems had their bodies smashed apart one after another by the countless arrows. The Black Servant naturally evaded, blocked and repelled the arrows, but their battle line still fell into disorder. Watching that dreary scene with an extremely cool expression, Archer of Red looked over her shoulder and spoke. “—With this, the opening move is over. Time to switch, Rider.” “Yeah!” Rider struck his knees and ran out with an extremely happy expression, jumping off from the Hanging Gardens. He whistled, and a chariot with three steeds appeared tearing through the sky and scooped up the falling Rider. He grasped the reins in the driver’s stand and whipped them once. The neighs of the strong-muscled horses roared through the sky above the battlefield. “Now then, the battle is starting! I, Rider of Red, shall cut through the enemy vanguard!” Saying so, Rider descended his chariot towards the ground below. Homunculi and golems stood in his path. But both the battle-specialized homunculi and the over one-ton golems pulverized in the path of the immortal divine horses gifted to him by the sea god Poseidon. The huge chariot was as fast as a bullet and scraped off the ground where it passed. Rider of Red’s chariot trampled the battlefield just by riding it. “Come out, Archer of Black! Show us your power! If you think you can stop this chariot of mine, just try it!” The ones who answered his provocations weren’t any Servants, but golems. Three golems stepped in front of the fiercely galloping chariot. Clicking his tongue, Rider of Red chose to run them over as if it were natural. “Out of my way, small fry!” At those words, Caster of Black, who was watching the battlefield from afar, muttered. “—Now then. I wonder how that will go, Rider of Red.” The instant Rider’s chariot crashed into them, the three golems split apart. Ignoring the surprised Rider, the golems each entwined themselves with the legs of the chariot’s horses and then instantly hardened themselves. “Guh…!!” Although it continued its mad charge, Rider of Red’s chariot finally came to a stop. Seeing that, the homunculi swung the halberds in their hands and jumped at him all at once. “You impudent little—!” Removing his hands from the reins, Rider of Red took out his sword from the scabbard at his waist with one hand and swung his hero-slaying spear with the other as he jumped out from the driver’s stand. The confrontation last a single instant. In that moment, Rider took away the lives of every single one of the attacking homunculi. Blood gushed out from them and poured down on the ground like rain. There’s an opening. There was a single Servant who saw that moment as an opening. Rider’s body reacted to the killing intent being directed at him then. But the blood of the homunculi was blocking his vision. Passing through a gap between the corpses, an arrow was shot at the nape of Rider’s neck. “…Kuh!!” Though his reaction was an instant delayed, Rider of Red’s quick-wittedness and agility allowed him to strike down the arrow with his sword. However, he couldn’t completely knock it away and even with its trajectory change the arrow still grazed his neck. Vivid red blood dripped down his neck. His surprise at being wounded was turned into joy instead of humiliation for Rider. That’s right, there was a Servant who could wound him among the Black camp—Archer! Standing back on the driver’s stand, Rider loudly shouted with a majestic and imposing attitude. “Where is Archer of Black!? I’ve come to resume our earlier match! Let’s fight and kill each other to our heart’s content this evening!” In place of an answer, another arrow was fired at him. But it was an easy matter for Rider to strike down an arrow as long as his vision was not blocked. “Where are you, Archer of Black!?” “—I’m closer than you think.” The instant Rider turned around, Archer, who had been hidden behind a golem, fired another arrow while concealing everything but his bow and arrow from sight. Due to having additional prana loaded into it, this arrow was far faster than the ones he shot earlier—! “Guh…!?” The arrow was aimed at his face—to be more precise, at his right eye. Rider raised his sword and used its blade to knock away the arrow. But due to that, his vision was momentarily blocked. Taking advantage of that opening, Archer ran and jumped behind a different golem, and then fired another arrow. “You bastard…!” Archer never showed himself, and fired arrows one after another at Rider while running around and hiding himself behind golems. —Archer was baiting him. Little by little, the golems moved away from the middle of the battlefield. I see, Rider thought in understanding. If Rider of Red and his chariot remained on the battlefield, it would turn into a difficult battle for the Black camp. Naturally, he could just ignore Rider. The interior of a forest was the ideal field for a bowman. He could hide around everywhere and fire arrows. Conversely, fighting in a forest was a fatal situation for Rider. After all, he wouldn’t be able to use his crucial chariot within it. …But that was limited to normal Servants of the Rider class. At the very least, doing this was an obvious mistake when it came to Rider of Red. Certainly, Rider boasted of extraordinary power when he rode his chariot. It was very difficult to stop his chariot, which was firm and rode like lightning. One of his three steeds was simply a fine and famous horse, but the other two were divine horses bestowed upon him by the sea god Poseidon. Therefore, if his goal was to defeat the enemy on the battlefield and win, the correct decision would be to ignore Archer’s provocations, cut down the golems entangling his chariot, and continue to trample over the enemy battle line. But that logical plan had a single flaw. Was it right for anyone who called themselves a hero for even an instant to choose the option of running away here? No, absolutely not. For the sake of the honor of his father who was a great hero, of his mother who was a goddess, and of his eternal friend with whom he shared many joys and sorrows in life, he absolutely could not run away. While shouting “Wait!”, Rider left the battle following Archer. He returned his chariot to its astralized state and headed into the forest on his own two feet. Rider knew that Archer of Black must be laughing at him. After all, Rider let himself be lured into a terrain advantageous to the enemy and negated his own advantages. …Yes, even now, Rider did not know who Archer was. That is, he thought he didn’t know Archer. Perhaps he should have been even a little more attentive and considered even the most meager of possibilities. But it was pointless. There would have been barely any difference whether he wavered before or after it happened. Rider didn’t fail to hear the sound of a bowstring being drawn back in preparation to fire an arrow, and searched his surrounding with complete concentration. He could definitely feel the presence of a Servant. But he couldn’t pinpoint their exact location. The only thing he knew for certain was that he was in Archer’s attack range. Rider swore to himself that he wouldn’t experience the same humiliation as last time. While walking about, he suddenly stepped on a dead branch. The instant the sound of it breaking resounded through the far too quiet forest—an arrow was fired. —I already foresaw something like that. He struck down the arrow with the butt end of his spear. Rider was already capable of reading through the trajectory of Archer’s arrows. This was the result of calmly repeating the previous battle in his head and thinking over how to match it with his movements. “Don’t think you can hit me a second or third time, bowman! This time, I’ll be the one… heading to you!” It only took him an instant. He jumped and advanced forward by kicking off the branches of nearby trees. His physical prowess was abnormal, but it wasn’t an impossible feat for a Servant. But, even taking into account the fact that he was a Servant, his speed still greatly stood out. With speed equivalent to instant movement and not worrying about any obstacles in his way, Rider raced towards where the arrow was fired from. There was suddenly a faint noise. It seemed the enemy had moved as well. As usual, Archer hid amongst the trees, preventing Rider from seeing about him or her anything besides a faint outline. If Archer of Red was in his place, she could use the enemy’s scent as one means to track them, but Rider’s sense of smell wasn’t that strong. Arrows were fired at him one after another… Their trajectories were far too easy to read and were merely aimed haphazardly. Rider laughed scornfully and repelled them with his spear. It was far too easy for him to parry and dodge them. Rider could really feel that he was cornering him. The next arrow. Immediately after the next arrow was fired, Rider would corner him—or her. —Shoot, shoot, shoot, hurry up and shoot! Rider’s wish was granted. He grabbed the next arrow immediately as it was fired and, with a laugh, brought his face close to Archer. “I got you.” Archer of Black should have been surprised. No, he had to have been surprised. Archer was completely cornered, had any possible attack sealed, and finally had allowed himself to be approached at a fatal distance for a bowman. And yet, that man was so calm that it made Rider somewhat uneasy. He even smiled at Rider despite how close he was. —————No, wait. —————I’ve seen this man before. —————No, I’ve talked with him, learned from him, and shared bed and food with him… “Y—————ou.” “Yes, that is your weak point.” Archer of Black said that in a quiet voice and kicked the man in front of him in the solar plexus. Rider’s body went flying back through the air at the strong blow. Landing on the ground, Archer nocked an arrow on his bow with a fluid movement—and fired it. “…Kuh!!” Rider understood that the arrow’s target was his ‘vital point’, and immediately he frayed the nerves throughout his entire body. He screwed his body and bent his joints to the limit, trying to at least get it away from the arrow’s trajectory. —He succeeded. Instead of his vital point, the arrow pierced through his flank. Vivid pain ran through Rider’s entire body, but he paid it no heed. The man standing below him was a bigger problem. All the mysteries surrounding Archer of Black had been cleared up. It was only natural that his skill with the bow was equal to that of Archer of Red—Atalanta. After all, he was a teacher to many heroes including Rider himself. Rider pulled out the arrow from his flank and tossed it away as he stood up. Archer didn’t move even slightly as he held his bow, as if waiting for Rider to speak. “—Why are you here?” “What a foolish question. I was summoned as Archer of Black in this Great Holy Grail War. And you were summoned as Rider of Red. We each have wishes and regrets that bind us. That’s why we are here. Both me and you.” “…” Rider cast his eyes down and remained silent. Archer sighed and chided him. “You’re truly soft. Has that part of you alone not been cured from your previous life? You’re stern to the end towards those you’ve acknowledged as enemies, but you’re always soft when faced with people who you’ve already acknowledged as ‘good people’ when they temporarily cease to be your allies. That may be a lovable trait as a hero. But this is the Great Holy Grail War—there is no room for feeling anything like mercy or compassion. Even someone who is called a hero like you understands that, right?” +++ —You understand that, right, Achilles? +++ Archer spoke Rider of Red’s true name. The young man known as Achilles nodded once with a grave attitude, like a pupil receiving a lesson. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 019. Chapter 2 Ch2-14 Though somewhat hesitant, Rider of Black rode his hippogriff towards the Hanging Gardens. The only one who could fly through the sky among the Black camp was himself, so first he should restrain that thing. That was the conclusion he came to after straining his non-existent wisdom. However, he had one concern. He had summoned the hippogriff and was simply using it as a mount. At this level, its prana consumption wasn’t that much. A single homunculus was enough to cover the cost. The problem was if he recited its true name and displayed its full power. Its prana consumption then would equal that of unleashing the full power of an A rank Noble Phantasm. Moreover, the prana consumption wouldn’t decrease after firing it once. It was a Noble Phantasm with an exceedingly bad fuel consumption that would continue expending prana non-stop as long as he continued to keep the hippogriff deployed. …In his mind, he recalled the homunculi who were being sucked dry of prana without their consent. He remembered Sieg’s extremely feeble plea. After wavering over it for a short while, Rider of Black decided to seal away the use of his Noble Phantasm’s true name. After all, right now, he didn’t want to use it . So he had no choice but to choose an alternative option where he didn’t need to use it. Yes, he truly was a fool. What a foolish thought. And weak as well. He should unleash his Noble Phantasm’s true name without minding the homunculi who served as prana batteries. Even Sieg wouldn’t condemn Rider for it. He wouldn’t ask that much of a Servant who was summoned in order to fight and win. But Astolfo was that kind of Heroic Spirit. Since he didn’t want to do it, he wouldn’t do it no matter what anyone said. “…All right, let’s go!” In front of the floating fortress, Rider lightly clapped the nape of the hippogriff’s neck with his usual carefree manner. The hippogriff responded with a shrill bird-like cry and strongly flapped its wings. And so it flew forward—with particles of light flowing out from the wings along with a raging wind and lighting up the air, like countless fireflies, before disappearing immediately after. Rider flew towards the Hanging Gardens… Though naturally, the mistress of the floating fortress wouldn’t allow his thoughtless actions. +++ “—Hoh, it seems the other camp’s Rider also has a mount that can fly across the heavens. In that case, these ones I’ve prepared won’t go to waste then.” The only remaining person within the floating fortress—the Hanging Gardens of Babylon —Assassin of Red, smiled faintly and released ‘them’ into the sky. “Go, ugly winged ones. Fly and devour the enemy to your hearts’ content.” Along with those words, countless big humanoid [things] flew off from the gardens all at once. +++ Rider flew across the sky over the battlefield. He saw that the second powerful clash between the two armies had already begun. Dragon Tooth Warriors, homunculi and golems. Additionally, the other Servants were clashing with each other and fighting life-or-death struggles. “All right. I have to work hard too…!” As Rider renewed his fighting spirit, monsters appeared and swooped down to attack him with good timing. Their upper halves were the same as the Dragon Tooth Warriors, but these had wings sprouting from their back and their lower halves were clearly bird-like. “Harpies…? No, modified versions combined with Dragon Tooth Warriors?” Harpies, avarice-filled flying beasts, were creatures that couldn’t help being easily led astray by their appetite, possessing cruel habits and a cowardly nature that made them unsuitable as soldiers. But Assassin of Red had fused them with Dragon Tooth Warriors. Rather than Dragon Tooth Warriors, perhaps it would be more appropriate to call these Dragon Wing Warriors. Either way, considering they were named after ‘dragons’, they were very thin and ugly-looking soldiers. But they were great in numbers. The sight of over a hundred Dragon Wing Warriors attacking down was just like the scene of a sky burial with birds rushing to eat the offered corpse. With their claws sharper than metal, they swooped down all at once to eliminate the insolent intruder who sought to trespass on the gardens. —But they were facing the worst possible opponent for them. After all, their enemy was a hippogriff, a creature counted among the Phantasmal Species. There was no way it would lose to mere small fry like them. And the one who rode it was also the worst possible enemy for them as well. Rider of Black, Astolfo of Charlemagne’s Twelve Paladins. He, who had gone through many adventures, possessed various Noble Phantasms that displayed effects under restricted conditions. His lance that specialized in throwing down the enemy, his book that destroyed all magecraft, and a phantasmal steed that possessed a power worthy of special mention in regards to a certain point . And the hunting horn he currently held in his hand was the most extreme of his Noble Phantasms. “Please line up in a row, won’t you? Here we go— La Black Luna: Magic Flute That Calls Panic !” Along with that shout that contained no tension at all, the hunting horn hanging from his waists expanded and became huge. “Disappear!” He sucked in a huge breath—and then released it all in one breath into the horn. The high-pitched call of the horn resounded through the battlefield. All homunculi and Dragon Tooth Warrior instantly looked up at the sky above. The roar of a dragon, the cry of a giant bird, the neigh of a divine horse—an enchanted sound which was comparable to all those things made the Dragon Wing Warriors, who should have numbered over a hundred, vanish like mist in an instant. They had been literally blown away. It wasn’t something as simple as “The harpies ran away in fear after hearing that sound” as told of in myths. The horn was a genuine weapon of wide-scale destruction. “All right, straight ahead, straight ahead. Let’s go!” Hanging his now miniaturized horn back on his waist, Rider of Black once more gripped the reins with both hands— +++ —Things won’t go that well for you, lovely battle maiden. +++ He noticed a black-clad woman standing at the front of the gardens. She was without a doubt a Servant. Rider of Black guessed her class based on her clothes. “…You look to be Caster of Red! Prepare yourself!” The black-clad Servant smiled wryly at Rider of Black’s shout. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I am Assassin of Red. However—just as you surmised, I have some small amount of confidence in my skill with magecraft. Let me test to see if you have the qualifications to enter my [gardens].” She snapped her fingers once. Instantly, waves of prana unfolded around her. Perhaps due to the spell having already been set up beforehand, shining purple magic circles that gave the impression of pre-loaded cannons suddenly appeared in the air around her. “Ah, by the way, there are more of these above and below. Please be careful.” Rider of Black reflexively looked at the sky above and below and was left dumbfounded. The magic circles weren’t limited to just the four that had appeared around her. There were four more above him and four more below. They were all loaded with huge amounts of prana and were impatiently waiting for Assassin’s order—! “—Fall.” With the order to fire given, the cannons fired all at once. With sounds similar to ferocious roars, pillars of light easily broke through the barrier of the air and shot at Rider of Black. “Just try it…!!” Rider of Black had the continuously-active type Noble Phantasm, Luna Break Manual: Universal Magic Guide —though the name was just temporary—and as such was granted A rank Magic Resistance. In practice, this effectively meant that he couldn’t be harmed by modern magi. That’s why he chose to attack like this. If he didn’t have that book, even he would falter over conducting a direct assault. But Rider of Black did not know. The Assassin in front him actually possessed a rule-breaking double class that allowed her to simultaneously act as the Caster class as well. And she was currently standing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon , a great Noble Phantasm which surpassed the highest-grade [Temple] that could be created with the class skill [Territory Creation] of the Caster class. In other words, she had basically barricaded herself in a solid fortress that deployed fiendish weapons of mass destruction. Approaching her was the same as throwing oneself before her to be killed. Unable to dodge, his entire body was struck by EX rank blasts of prana, and as if unsatisfied with just that, the blasts ransacked the inside of his body and relentlessly and thoroughly violated him. “Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!” The hippogriff vanished with that cry, and Rider of Black fell towards the ground below. Watching him fall, Assassin of Red murmured with sober eyes. “What’s this? I did say to fall, but even so, there’s a limit to how quickly you should be defeated. How boring. I thought you had a bit of promise when you instantly annihilated my Dragon Wing Warriors, but—” She switched her gaze to the battle below. Seen from above, the flow of battle seemed to be going back and forth between the two sides. Their Rider was facing Archer of Black, while Lancer and Archer were facing Lancer of Black. And her own Master, Shirou was— “…Hoh.” A smile peeked through her expression as she watched that particular scene. Though it was regrettable that his opponent was Berserker, his expression didn’t look perturbed at all. “Very well then. Show me, Shirou, the first bright and clear battle campaign of my Master.” Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 020. Chapter 2 Ch2-15 Berserker of Black, Frankenstein, didn’t show it much in her expression, but she was troubled. Obeying her orders, she had at first prowled the battlefield looking for enemy Servants, and she had leapt into the forest after seeing a human figure there, but what she found there wasn’t a Servant, but instead— “It seems you’re my opponent, Frankenstein . The sorrowful monster created by humans in pursuit of an ideal. In a certain sense, you are both a turning point and a midway being that should be aimed for.” The one who whispered those strange words as if subtly mistaking the situation was a human. He didn’t seem to be a Servant. But was the man before her eyes really a human being? For some reason, Berserker of Black’s intuitive perception was vague on that point. “Uu——” Dragon Tooth Warriors were attacking her, but she dealt with them easily. On the other hand, since they never laid a hand on the man in front of her, she was able to comprehend that he was on the enemy side. But even so. Why did he know her true name? Just like how her Master Caules had been surprised, Frankenstein was generally recorded as being male, and a huge man who could stab the clouds at that. So it shouldn’t be possible for anyone to guess her identity based on her appearance. …Had he met her during her lifetime? That was also impossible. She was a young Heroic Spirit who had been born right at the very end of the era when mysteries could still come into existence. There were few people who had lived in the same era as her that could have become Heroic Spirits, and even if there were, she had never chanced upon meeting any of them. So did someone expose her true name to the enemy…? “Yes, you truly are distinct. Though a Berserker, you retain a certain degree of higher-order thought. Truly a modern Heroic Spirit.” While giving a carefree smile, the man held out his hand to Berserker. “I know and understand you quite well. How about it? Would you be interested in coming over to our side to replace Berserker of Red?” At those words, Berserker became filled with wariness and growled menacingly. The man let his hand fall back down with a bitter smile. “That’s useless, my Master.” Berserker’s wariness increased further. Behind the man, this time someone who was clearly a Servant appeared. There was a thin amount of prana being emitted from him—and his clothing was hardly suited for a battle. Was this the enemy Caster? “Oh my, how rude. I have no intention to fight in the least. The one who will fight is this Master here. I merely watch over and support him.” Saying such a thing that was unbecoming of a Servant—he took one step back as if to use the Master as a shield. There was no sign of him using any magecraft to attack. Unbelievably, it seemed this Master… truly intended to fight her one-on-one. “That’s right. The one to fight will be I, Shirou Kotomine.” The instant he let his arms dangle at his side, [hilts] appeared between each of his fingers. Berserker couldn’t tell what kind of weapons they were with her scarce knowledge. But those who had seen them before would probably immediately recognize them. They were Conceptual Armaments that dispensed purification and took the form of blades compiled out of prana, known as [Black Keys]. “—If you ever feel like coming over to our side, please feel free to accept my offer at any time.” Saying that with a smile, Shirou launched the Black Keys. “…!?” While leaping backwards, Berserker swatted the Black Keys with her weapon, the [Bridal Chest]. “—Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooh!!” With that, her mind was settled. No matter the circumstances, this Master was facing her as an enemy. Regardless of whether it was a trap or not, she didn’t think it would handicap her too much in this situation. Of course, she made sure to never to let herself lower her guard against the nearby materialized Caster. Even then, she didn’t think she was at a disadvantage. Berserker did a complete spin and then plunged forward at full speed. Four more Black Keys were thrown from the man’s hands. They moved at a splendid speed for weapons thrown by a human, and if she were attacked by them with her guard down, she would probably be skewered. But there was no point in throwing them at her right from the front with such unrefined skill. She repelled them once more and advanced further forward. “—As expected of a hero like you.” He praised her with a relaxed expression. Irritation slightly gushed forth in Berserker’s mind. Let’s test out whether he would continue acting composed like this even after she smashed that face of his—! “—Set 1 .” Instantly, impacts like lightning strikes ran through her surroundings. She immediately turned herself along with her [Bridal Chest] around 380 degrees—the Black Keys she should have repelled had returned, aiming at her once again. It seemed such a spell had been inserted into the hilts beforehand. “How disappointing.” Was Shirou’s murmur directed at himself? Or—were those words directed at her for knocking them down in a disappointing manner? It makes no difference, Berserker thought, instantly discarding that train of thought. From the beginning, she couldn’t put up with complex thoughts for long periods of time. She just thoroughly, determinedly and honestly advanced forward…! “Now then. Caster, I’ll use it now.” Shirou said that and held out his hand in the air. Suddenly, his personal weapon was summoned into his hand with a burst of prana. As Berserker charged, her gaze focused on the Japanese blade stored in an iron scabbard. At the same time, she felt unbelievable shock. With an enormous amount of prana converging within it, that blade was clearly—a Noble Phantasm! “Yes, yes. Please go ahead! Use it to your heart’s content! Like a tempest accompanied by raging flames! Like a torrential rain accompanied by lightning! The eternally continuing story begins now!” Along with Caster’s excited shout, Shirou ran forward. He instantly pulled out the sword from the scabbard in his left hand, sunk into a deep posture and thrust the blade forward. “Uuuuuuuuu!!” Caught off guard as she charged, Berserker had a patch of skin torn off from her body. That fact made her truly realize that the blade he held was no ordinary object. There weren’t many weapons that could wound a Servant’s body. Berserker swung her mace. It turned into a frantic dance of slashes and strikes. A normal sword would probably break or bend if it received a direct hit from her mace, but the blade did not receive a single scratch no matter how many blows were exchanged. He didn’t fight with artistic skill and talent. Shirou’s sword technique was almost average. He was above the level of a rank-and-file warrior, but he was far from being a master. But in that case, why were he and Berserker even with each other as they exchanged blows? …It’s true that Berserker wasn’t a Heroic Spirit who had won fame as an embodiment of martial prowess. She was a being that fought ferociously and brutally as a Heroic Spirit due to her origins. But even so, her basic specs were exceptional. Able to create an infinite cycle by reproducing a pseudo-Type II Perpetual Motion Machine, she could continue moving at full power in any kind of situation. She would never run out of breath and tire, unlike a human. She would continue hitting perpetually without breathing until the enemy fell—that was precisely why she was given the title of the mad warrior Berserker. Yes, any being who was able exchange blows with that Perpetual Motion Machine head-on could not be called ‘human’. Of course, since this man was the mediator sent from the Church, he had to be human, and it would be natural to simply say he had accumulated a lot of training. But even so, the power he displayed stood out too much. Berserker felt a feeling of unease settle in the pit of her stomach. She brandished her mace and instantly swung it down—but he dodged it. If it was that alone, it would have been fine . It wasn’t an unavoidable attack for one who had reached the peak in the domain of magecraft. The problem was how he dodged it. Someone who could give faint smile in this situation, without caring about the fact that her mace, which could crush and knock off his head like a tomato, had just passed in front of his nose by a literally paper-thin distance of only a few milimeters, wasn’t human . I don’t like that smile, Berserker thought. I don’t like those eyes, Berserker thought. But most of all—I can’t stand his existence! Shirou widened the distance between them with a single jump backwards. He gripped his blade in one hand and held Black Keys in the other. The mad artificial human pushed through the rain of thrown Black Keys without the slightest hesitation. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Here, it says “Set” in furigana while the text beneath it roughly reads as “I announce”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 021. Chapter 2 Ch2-16 Choosing the moment when Lancer of Black began fighting against two other Servants from the Red camp, Caster of Black released Berserker of Red. Right now, Lancer of Black was the cornerstone of their camp. Caster of Black judged that he mustn’t be allowed to die. “Berserker. I am your Master. Do you understand?” “Yes, I understand. It seems I can’t continue existing without your power. What an unforgivable enslavement.” “…Then will you kill me?” “But I can’t kill you. After all, I have a mission for which I must remain in this present era for even a little bit longer. I must strike down the oppressors and grasp the hope that lies at the end of despair. And finally, I must slaughter all those greedy powerful people who have gathered in search of the Holy Grail.” “I see. But in order to do that, you must first annihilate the enemy side. Go, Berserker. Your opponents are oppressors and the hounds of those in power. That should be sufficient motive for you.” Caster released the seal on Berserker. Unable to endure it even a moment longer, Berserker struggled out of his binds and finally took a step forward. The instant he regained his freedom, he turned towards Caster with a gentle smile like the calm sea. But Caster didn’t react at all. Due to the mask he wore, it was impossible to tell whether he was afraid or even felt any emotion at all. “…Hmph.” Seeming to have lost interest in Caster, Berserker of Red turned to face the battlefield. Happily taking a deep breath, he began walking towards the battlefield with his sword that was far bigger than a standard gladius in his hand. Watching him leave, Caster sighed in exasperation. If he had acted too high-handed, Berserker probably would have withdrawn his previous words (since there was no other Servant as fickle as Berserker) and killed him. “I’m weak, after all… I would have been killed by a single blow from him.” Though his skin was as pale as a corpse’s, that man was composed of nothing but muscle. He would probably trample through the battlefield and throw the battle into chaos like a demon, returning everything to nothing. “Now then, next is—” Caster had one remaining duty. That was to choose the timing to sacrifice the magus they had chosen and activate his Noble Phantasm. He had Darnic’s permission, so there were no problems in that regard… He felt confident about his own abilities, but he still felt some unease over how far he would really be able to go when up against the best chosen Heroic Spirits. But if he couldn’t overcome them, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish his wish. The wish that Caster of Black, Avicebron, wanted to entrust to the Holy Grail was complicated. Normally, Heroic Spirits fought and killed one another as they advanced through the Holy Grail War in order to grant their wishes. But the circumstances of his case were slightly different. His wish was to complete his Noble Phantasm, Golem Keter Malkuth: Royal Crown, the Light of Wisdom . Then wouldn’t his wish be granted once he activated his Noble Phantasm? No, it wouldn’t. In the first place, golems were a part of the Kabbalah style of magecraft, with the word meaning ‘embryo’ or ‘moulded being’. Therefore, golems were nothing other than an attempt to reproduce the secret mystery of how God created the human Adam. In other words, even if it was completed as a Noble Phantasm, it would still be incomplete . Even if it could wield unparalleled power, it wouldn’t be a truly perfected existence. A great king who would lead us humans filled with hardship and suffering to the Garden of Eden once more—that was the role he sought in the supreme golem. He had assembled nearly all the necessary materials. All that was left was the final [core]; in other words, a magus. It would have been great if they could have at least captured that homunculus, but he wouldn’t ask for too much. ‘—Sensei!’ Caster heard a voice from far away. When he turned around and looked up, he saw his Master Roche standing on the castle ramparts and waving his arm innocently at him. Though Caster could see him, Roche was obviously too far for his voice to reach him, so he used telepathic communication. ‘I believe coming out like that is dangerous for you…’ ‘Yes! Umm, when you come back… won’t you please look at my golems!? I think I managed to make the latest batch well this time!’ Caster nodded in an impressed manner. The boy’s passion for golems was quite something. When he was given advice, he would immediately try to correct those points and aim to make them better. Back in Caster’s lifetime, Roche might have been able to serve as his pupil with his outstanding talent. Most of all, Caster liked that there was a family lineage that still continued to pass on the mysteries of golem-making that he and his forefathers had created. ‘I’ll look it over if there’s time.’ ‘Y…Yes!’ Roche seemed like he still wanted to say more, but he finally hung his head as if embarrassed and drew back into the castle. “Even so, I’m bad with children.” In the first place, Caster had suffered from many illnesses during his life, and had spent his days with almost zero contact with other humans. He had even purposefully created maid-type golems to take care of the housework in order to maintain his isolation. As a result, he had never had any contact with children, and as such, this situation where a child adored and idolized him like this was simply baffling and uncomfortable for him. How ironic. He, who was trying to create the original human Adam in order to reproduce God’s miracle, couldn’t help disliking humans. “—Good grief.” It would be a lie to say that Caster felt no hesitation over using a magus as the [core]. Even so, completing his Noble Phantasm was Caster’s dearest wish. Therefore, it was necessary to have the resolution to sacrifice everything for the sake of winning. And besides, he had received permission from Darnic. That man—Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia would probably be passingly adequate as the [core]. Caster personally wanted to aim for something better to use as his Noble Phantasm, but there were no other options besides Gordes available. Caster felt just a little disappointment over that. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 022. Chapter 2 Ch2-17 Berserker of Red ignored all the Dragon Tooth Warriors that bit at him, and savagely attacked Lancer and Archer of Red. The reason he attacked wholeheartedly like this was probably because of Lancer of Black. Though he had switched his Master and changed camps, Berserker would have undoubtedly attacked Lancer if he weren’t restrained by Caster’s Command Spell. His unconscious desire to do so had naturally led him to the fiercest scene of battle on this battlefield. Berserker of Red was truly like a time bomb, but his strength was great enough to invoke fear even in other Servants. “Tch. I knew I should have shot his tendons back then…!!” As she said that, Archer of Red repeatedly shot a strafing of arrows. Her arrows, fired at the same speed as a machine gun, all hit their target. Berserker’s knees now looked like hedgehogs. With a strange sound, Berserker of Red’s knees changed to an eerie color like that of overly ripened persimmons, but Berserker didn’t fall. “—Archer. Please take care of Berserker. I’ll take care of this lord of impalement, Kaziklu Bey, here.” Lancer of Red said that to Archer while crossing spears with Lancer of Black. “Roger. Hmph… Now that I think about it, you are quite a pitiful creature, Berserker!” Since he was participating in this Great Holy Grail War, Berserker had to subordinate himself under someone. There might also occasionally be cases where he would have to fight as the dog of some tyrant… If he had been summoned in the Saber class as a proper swordsman, would he have been able to endure the humiliation of that? That’s why, if he was going to fight with the Holy Grail as the prize, he couldn’t be anything but a high-risk Berserker. And his Mad Enhancement was deteriorated to the point of being beyond saving. Most likely, no matter which Holy Grail War he was summoned in, he would never be able to have his wish granted. But even so, he smote evil while laughing. He searched for the path of rebellion even while being tormented. A hopeless destroyer who pursued the way of suffering—that was precisely the kind of person Spartacus was. Archer of Red therefore deemed him pitiful as she shot her arrows at him. To her, Berserker was merely big-bodied. Both the blows of his gladius swung by his strong arm and his charge were equivalent to motionless in the face of her beast-like speed. But Berserker’s steel-like muscles didn’t falter at all despite being pierced by several arrows. “So tough… Then how about this!” Archer stopped trying to maintain distance between them and vigorously ran forward. She dodged the sweeping slash that came to intercept her by sliding on the ground. As if it were chasing after her, Kaziklu Bey: Lord of Execution shot stakes to pierce her in rapid succession, but they didn’t reach Archer as she dashed forward at full power. As she passed through the space between Berserker’s feet, Archer fired arrows at his lower jaw, windpipe, solar plexus and abdomen in a single instant. “Hahahaha! Not enough! Not enough! Nooooot eeeeeeeeenooooough!!!” But Berserker simply turned around and kicked Archer in the stomach with all his might. Hit with an impact equal to that of a direct hit from a cannon ball, Archer was sent flying twenty meters away through the surrounding Dragon Tooth Warriors and homunculi. “Guuuh…!” Fortunately, she’d managed to jump back and escape by a hair’s breadth right before the kick fully hit. If she hadn’t, it wouldn’t have been strange if the impact had been strong enough to tear her torso off from the rest of her body. While agonizing over her carelessness, Archer watched as Berserker approached her. Despite all the arrows she’d shot at him, his mad charge hadn’t changed at all. But my arrows should have hit him… It was possible for high-ranking Heroic Spirits like Rider of Red, who was beloved by the gods, to negate attacks with their skills or Noble Phantasms. She herself also personally knew a hero who possessed such an ability that was nearly foul play in the form of a Noble Phantasm that completely negated all attacks below a certain rank. But there was no such ability among Berserker of Red’s Noble Phantasm and skills that Shirou had informed her about. Of course, it was possible that the priest hadn’t told her about it. But in this situation where Berserker was clearly facing them as an enemy, Shirou had no reason to hide such information. And besides, most importantly, her arrows had definitely pierced him. She had received such feedback from them. Perhaps irritated by them, Berserker sometimes pulled out the arrows that pierced him, but he was definitely covered in wounds all over his body. Yes, there was even blood flowing from them. She was definitely wounding him. Then, he must simply be enduring them. Perhaps she had merely underestimated his extraordinary stamina. No… something is strange here. She was a girl who had spent all her life doing nothing but fighting and hunting. Even as she was nocking another arrow, she observed Berserker’s body from afar and finally noticed it. His wounds were healing. Rather than healing, though, it was more like over-regeneration. The pierced parts of his body swelled and bulged like tumors. Archer’s arrows should have pierced holes throughout his body. Then this meant— “Impossible, is he… becoming bigger !?” It wasn’t just that. She could feel a torrent of prana from him that was greater than it was before. While clad in a dense concentration of prana all over his body, Berserker swung his sword with strength and speed greater than earlier—! “Tch…!!” Archer jumped as she avoided the downward slash by a paper-thin distance. She jumped upon Berserker’s arm and ran straight towards his face. “—Then I’ll take your head!” Standing atop Berserker’s shoulder, Archer fired arrow after arrow at the nape of his neck. Thanks to her innate sense of balance, she didn’t fall no matter how much Berserker swung around, and she crawled around his back and, grabbing one of arrows that had pierced him, continued using it to slash his neck. When the sound of blood gurgling out began, she stopped and put away the arrow, and then firmly stepped on Berserker’s shoulder with both her feet and pulled up his neck with all her might. At the sound of flesh tearing off as she did so, Berserker began running amuck even more in rage. Tripping on the blood gushing out, Archer fell to the ground. She rolled over and reset her stance, and looked over to confirm the state of Berserker’s body—and was naturally left dumbfounded. “…This is a bad dream.” Archer’s mutter was only natural. Berserker’s neck, which should have been torn off, had flesh bulging from it like a spout of bubbles. It was an extremely disgusting and even slightly ridiculous sight. And Archer could tell that the prana overflowing from inside him had increased even further. The Noble Phantasm of Berserker of Red, Spartacus, Crying Warmonger: Howl of the Wounded Beast , was an Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm that affects the user, converting part of the damage received into prana and using the accumulated energy to boost one’s abilities. “But I did not hear anything about it grotesquely morphing even his physical form… guh!” His neck now looking like a turtle’s, Berserker grinned with wide open eyes. While dodging the lash-like attacks of his swinging arms, Archer shot at his hand holding his sword this time in order to tear it off. Once three arrows had dug into his wrist, the gladius finally fell from his hand. Archer fiercely sprinted forward and picked up his sword, and then swung it with both her hands to stab it into the back of Berserker’s writhing hand and plant it in the ground. He didn’t cry out, but his movements stopped due to being deeply stabbed. If his wrist had been torn off he could have escaped, but unfortunately, due to his excessive regeneration, his wrist had already undergone adhesion. “All right, don’t move for a while.” Archer looked around to confirm that there were no Dragon Tooth Warriors, homunculi or golems in the surrounding region, and then nocked another two arrows and fired them into the sky. She limited the targeted area to a minimum and focused the arrows onto a single point. She was going to use her Noble Phantasm a second time, but this was currently the optimal choice among the attack options she had, so it couldn’t be helped. …Fortunately, her Master did not utter a word of complaint either. “I offer thee this calamity— Phoebus Catastrophe: Complaint Message on the Arrow !” Berserker of Red stared at the sky and smiled. A shining rain fell down to purify him. His entire body was thoroughly torn apart and finely hashed up. Muscle tissue, skin, blood vessels, nerves—all of it was damaged. Even a superior Servant wouldn’t be able to escape from being in a near-death state after that. Instantaneous healing was impossible even with a Master who was a first-rate magus. But— “…No way.” As if in response to Archer’s mutter of mute amazement, the torn-up lump of meat in front of her began squirming. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 023. Chapter 2 Ch2-18 Achilles. A great hero who rivaled the legendary Greek hero Heracles in terms of fame. There were probably less than ten heroes, including him, whose names were known on a global scale. However, the number of people decreased when it came to those who knew the story of the rushed and short life of this great sprinter. Born from the sea goddess Thetis and the hero Peleus, Achilles was blessed by the gods from birth. His mother Thetis, having greatly loved her son, had warmed him within holy flames in order to try and make him immortal. But her husband Peleus had opposed it, saying “Then that would destroy Achilles as a human”, and in the end Achilles grew up while only a certain part of him remained human. Eventually, when war broke out between Troia and Achaea, Achilles was asked the following by his mother Thetis. +++ —Do you wish to live a long and peaceful life without having your name recognized by the masses? Or do you wish to live the short life of a hero with brilliant achievements in battle? +++ Achilles’ choice went without saying. At the same time as his mother felt pride in his decision, she also felt heartbreakingly sad. Because his fate had been predetermined since he was born. If he lived as a hero, he would have a short life, as if sprinting through it at full speed . After having grown up, he participated in the Trojan War as part of the Achaean army and continued achieving many great feats. His body, blessed by all the gods, never received any wounds, and the spear that his father had given to him pierced through all other heroes. With his chariot led by three steeds, consisting of two divine horses given to him as a gift from the sea god and a famous horse he stole while assaulting a certain city, no one could chase after him from behind. But during the one-on-one fight between Achilles and the greatest hero in the Trojan War, Hector, who was equal in strength and skill with Achilles, his weak point was exposed. Even if Hector was the killer of Achilles’ close friend Patroclus, the way Achilles insulted him by dragging his corpse around with his chariot was a foolish and intolerable act. As a result, he incurred the displeasure of the sun god Apollo, but despite being repeatedly warned to restrain himself, Achilles continued slaughtering the Trojan army. So the enraged Apollo aided the Trojan army’s bow expert Paris, and guided him to shoot Achilles’ only weak point—that is, his heel. Having his heart pierced by arrows one after another afterwards, Achilles sensed his own death, but continued fiercely fighting and using all his strength to kill the soldiers of the Trojan army around him. Just as predicted, he had a short life, but his legend as a hero was carved into the world. A human who was exceedingly close to the level of the gods, a fast-sprinting hero with an invincible body. But his heel alone—was this hero’s vital weak point. +++ And Archer of Black, Chiron, served as Achilles’ teacher. When Achilles was a young child, his mother Thetis returned to her home at the bottom of the sea due to discord with his father Peleus. Chiron, who had raised many heroes, was an old friend of Peleus, and happily accepted the role of training Achilles. …Yes. It was only natural that Achilles had wavered for an instant. Chiron had been an absolute figure and symbol to his younger self. His gentleness, seriousness and words had been engraved like magic into the young Achilles. For nine years—Chiron was a father, teacher, older brother and close friend whom he spent his childhood with, when he was at his most sensitive. For Achilles, who was the son of a hero, had received the blessings of the Olympian gods and had been given looks of awe, respect and admiration from many young warriors, there were few people he could truly call his friends or teachers. Chiron was, beyond a doubt, one of those few people. He was someone Achilles could trust just as much as his close friend Patroclus. +++ That hero was now blocking his way in search for the Holy Grail. As Archer of Black, as an enemy, and as an opponent to be killed— +++ “—Here I come, sensei.” “Such words are unnecessary, Rider of Red .” Though he withered slightly at being spurned by those harsh words, Rider of Red fiercely swung his spear. The two of them began fighting while keeping sufficient distance between them to talk with each other. In other words, the bowman was allowing the attacking, lightly-armored warrior to get up close to him. Even while Rider was gripped by a little regret, his spear tip didn’t dull and aimed at the enemy’s heart. However, with reckless courage like that of a mad warrior who knew no fear, Archer of Black took a step forward at the same time as the spear was thrust. The skill of the famous sprinter Achilles with the spear was so great that he would have no trouble being summoned as a Lancer. Normally speaking, he would have had easily gouged out Archer’s heart. But Rider had fatally forgotten one point. Instead of gouging his enemy’s heart, his spear tip ended up passing by Archer’s flank. “Wha…!!” “Did you forget, Rider? Who gave you this spear and taught you the basics of using it?” Rider received a shock from Archer’s words. Just as he said, Rider hadn’t refined his spear skills with self-taught training. In the beginning, he was taught the basics by his teacher Chiron. Therefore, it was only natural that Archer would see through all his body’s movements and habits. Furthermore, this spear was originally given to his father Peleus as a wedding gift for him and his wife, so he could also completely grasp its distance and reach. And Archer had displayed an even more shocking technique than that. At the same time as he stepped forward, he had nocked an arrow on his bow. Truly a quick draw. He had set up an unavoidable shot from zero-distance. “—You’re going to die, you know, Rider?” Fixing his aim on Rider’s skull, Archer fired the arrow without hesitation. Rider bent backwards right away to dodge it. With movements capable of unbelievable quickness and readiness, he managed to just barely avoid it so it only grazed his skin. But then Archer shot a kick at him at that moment. With his stance destroyed, Rider was blown away and impacted against a tree. The instant the distance between them had widened, Archer nocked and fired another arrow. Within Rider, some kind of switch was thrown. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Archer with determined eyes. He ran straight towards the arrow Archer fired at him. Dodging the arrow by bending forward, he swung his spear in a sweeping slash—but Archer dodged it. A feeling of joy ran down his spine. Howling fiercely, he thrust his spear again and again. Archer dodged the continuous bullet-like spear attacks and nocked more arrows while skillfully controlling the distance between them. It was impossible for a bowman to fight at close range, and if Rider could get him within the range of his spear, he would win. Rider was furious at his own shallowness for thinking that. His opponent was Chiron, the great sage who had taught not only Rider himself, but other heroes that were like shining stars, such as Heracles, Jason, Castor and Asclepius. Getting close up only made them equal. From this point on, if Rider didn’t muster everything he had into his attacks even further, his defeat would be inevitable…! Rider attacked Archer while thrusting, slashing and cleverly using feints with his spear. Archer avoided the attacks and occasionally defended with his bow, and furthermore, added in his own kicks and punches while shooting arrows whenever there was an opening. Rider’s body was greatly wounded by Archer’s point-blank shots. Even with his body blessed by the gods, he was defenceless against the attacks of Archer who possessed the same [Divinity] as himself. All of Rider’s attacks were read, while on the other hand he couldn’t read his opponent’s attacks well. He somehow managed to maintain a balance in the fight with his natural sturdiness, but at this rate he would end up being driven into a corner. Rider detached his thoughts from the battle before him for a moment. The reason his techniques were being read was because he had learned the basics from the very Archer in front of him. Everything from setting his stance to timing his thrusts to making sweeping slashes with his spear. —Don’t be deceived. It was true that Archer had taught him the basics. But Rider hadn’t managed to keep winning since the time he threw himself into battle at a young age with just the basics. He had learned how to apply those techniques in a fight and how to survive in the midst of desperate battles. He had fought many heroes and sharpened his skills in the process. How had he found a way to survive in every battle and critical situation? Yes, like that time he— +++ Rider’s movements changed. He stopped using basic techniques and trying to overwhelm his opponent with his overwhelming speed, and instead started changing his attacks with tricky moves. Just when he seemed to let go of his spear, he kicked Archer and sent him flying using his own fatal weak point, his heel. He then kicked up his spear as it fell and grabbed it once more in the air, and then fixed his aim and thrusted with it. The spear grazed against Archer’s neck, causing blood to spout out. “Kuh…!!” Finding himself deeply cornered, Archer widened the distance between them. Rider waved his spear as if to say, “How’s that?” As their eyes met, they both gave fearless smiles. “—Hmm. So you really did earn your place as a Heroic Spirit.” “Of course. Unlike you who simply taught others, I ran through numerous battlefields, after all.” He had crossed blades, fought to the death, and exchanged friendships of the soul with many heroes. It was true that he had learned the basics from Chiron. But the corpses that Rider had piled up in battle—were also another truth for him. “No, I’m really glad. It would have left a bad aftertaste in my mouth if I one-sidedly slaughtered a student of mine.” Archer smiled, and Rider smiled in return. Rider had already thrown away his hesitation over fighting against his teacher. All that was left was the joy of a death match against a strong opponent. Rider wavered over whether or not he should close the distance between them. It was standard tactics for him to charge at his enemy, but this might be a good time to throw away those standard tactics. The main purpose of the spear he held was originally for throwing. It was a weapon that destroyed all defenses and pierced the chests of heroes. Chiron understood the fearsomeness of that spear better than anyone else. After all, he was the one who had given it away as a gift. —Now then, what to do? Their gazes met. Both Rider of Red and Archer of Black planned their next moves while watching each other’s every action. Rider smiled, and Archer smiled in return. There was definitely a bond between them. Teacher and student, friend and friend who trusted each other from the bottom of their hearts. Even if they trampled on those feelings, vast ‘joy’ over facing each other that surpassed their other feelings definitely existed in their hearts. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 024. Chapter 2 Ch2-19 —Rider of Black by no means had a tough or sturdy body. His stamina was just as could be imagined from his showy appearance. “Owowow…” Even so, he wasn’t all that wounded by the damage from the fall and blasts of prana. That was probably because of—the immense effect of his Noble Phantasm Luna Break Manual: Universal Magic Guide (Temporary Name). “—Ah man, I give up. What should I do now?” His hippogriff wasn’t dead. It had been injured, but since he sent it back right away, it would be able to recover. But he wouldn’t be able to use it again in this battle. When he thought back on it, he couldn’t deny that he’d been a bit too impatient. If he had completely released his hippogriff’s power, he definitely could have gotten through that magic attack. The reason he wasn’t able to do that—was because he had decided not to. “Ah, geez!” He scratched his head. Had he hesitated and wavered this much during his life as well? He understood, at least in theory. He truly did understand that they had to win this battle. But his body wouldn’t listen to what he said no matter what. —Ah, damn it. I really give up. The image that faintly arose in his mind was that feeble hand seeking help. That person’s voice had been thin and fleeting like a mayfly, trembling so frailly. —Because we are grave sinners who fatten ourselves by eating the weak like that. The words ‘It’s too late for that’ floated to his mind. Yes, it truly was too late for such sentiments. He was a monster who consumed prana just by manifesting. That was his true form. Who knew how many homunculi might have already died for his sake? It truly was too late to start thinking like this. But even so, he wouldn’t do it . He had decided that and resolved himself not to do it. “…For now, let’s look for the others.” He wanted the Holy Grail, and he wanted to exert himself for the sake of his comrades—that much was fine. But the question of whether or not he could do that while following his heart had become a problem, obstructing his path. “Hmm?” Claaaaaaang —Rider frantically turned around at the high-pitched metallic sound. With bloodstains and dents here and there over its red frame, a conventional American sports car, a Chevrolet Corvette, plunged towards Rider while dodging golems and sending Dragon Tooth Warriors and homunculi flying. “No way!?” Though he was shocked at the appearance of such an overly mismatched intruder on this traditional battlefield, Rider was still a Servant, and so he immediately took evasive maneuvers. Passing right by him, the Corvette’s steering wheel was apparently spun with absurd force, as it came to a halt while spinning around as if it were swung by a giant. As Rider watched the car in mute amazement, a clattering sound came from the driver’s seat. The driver seemed to be trying to open the door, but perhaps due to having hit something, it appeared to be completely bent shut. “Gah, how irritating!” Along with those words, the door was blown off. Slender feet stepped out from the driver’s seat. A girl, with her face dirtied black here and there, came out and hit the roof of the car with obvious displeasure. She wore a vivid red leather jacket and tube-top on her upper body, and cut jeans that exposed her thighs on her lower body. The door of the front passenger’s seat was also similarly blown off a moment later, and a man slowly crawled out from the car. He was a giant of a man who wore black boots with black trousers, and his overall appearance truly made it seem like he lived a showy and destructive life totally unconnected to that of a proper and respectable person. “Hey, Master, American cars aren’t very sturdy, are they?” “…The only vehicle that could withstand your driving is a tank. Rather, do you really have B rank in the Riding skill? Do you actually know how to drive? No, it’s fine. There’s no need to answer. This is just your nature. Yeah.” The man replied with a tired expression… In other words, she was a Servant, then? Rider of Black stiffened. It wasn’t that he was surprised by the car. It was because he could tell that the Servant in front of him was incredibly powerful. “Saber—of Red.” In response to Rider’s murmur, Saber of Red flashed a fearless smile. “Yo. You’re a Black Servant… right?” “Based on the profiles we were given, he’s probably Rider. Now then, Saber. I leave the rest to you. I’m outta here.” “What’s with that attitude, Master? Won’t you stay and watch my valorous figure with your own eyes?” “I would watch to my heart’s content if we weren’t in the middle of a battlefield…” The large man looked over their surroundings while sighing. Not only were there Dragon Tooth Warriors, homunculi and golems everywhere, but he also caught glimpses of clashes emitting absurd amounts of prana between Servants here and there. “Tch, it can’t be helped. Go on, hurry up and run away!” “Roger that. Then, well, make sure to come back alive.” Saber’s Master headed over to the driver’s seat, and leaving the door unattached, he forcibly drove off in the Chevrolet Corvette. “Good grief. Going off to fight without me, there’s a limit even to joking around… Well, whatever. The lead actor arriving late on stage and the king joining the battle leisurely are part of how the world works.” “—Huh, you’re a king?” “Correct. If you surrender, I’ll finish you with a quick and easy decapitation.” “…No, that’s a bit…” Rider had already regained his footing after dodging the car. As he held his lance and prepared himself to fight, Saber of Red looked at him with a doubtful expression. “Hey, hey, Rider. What about the steed you’re supposed to be riding?” “Ah, I’m having it rest for a little bit.” Saber of Red’s expression suddenly became filled with killing intent. It appeared she couldn’t hold herself back at the way Rider’s attitude seemed to make light of her. “Aaah? What can a Rider do without riding a steed? That just makes you an amateur on top of being a weak warrior.” “—Well, I can’t deny that, but…” “No, you should deny it.” “No, no, I’m a really honest guy, you see. Being forced to desperately kill the enemy is the role of a Servant, though.” “Tch… can’t be helped then. By the way, Rider. Is it true that Saber of Black has fallen?” “It’s true, it’s true, it’s seriously true.” “What was the cause?” “Hmm…… From an outsider’s perspective, it would look like internal dissent. From his perspective, he just stuck to his beliefs, I guess?” “Uwah, that’s so archaic. Was Saber of Black some kind of knight from the sticks? He kicked the bucket because he stuck to his beliefs? How ridiculous and stupid!” At those words, the atmosphere over the area completely changed. The one who changed was Rider of Black, and Saber of Red’s expression also tightened in response. “—I won’t deny that either, you know? I won’t deny it, but don’t you dare talk about him like that. A swordswoman that looks like a delinquent at best has no right to talk about him!” “Hoh, you howl quite well. In that case—” Saber of Red’s appearance changed. The enormous amount of prana hidden inside her was released, and her clothing was exchanged for her armor and helm. In her hand was the wide and broad sword of a knight. It was truly a splendid outfit and equipment worthy of one called Saber. “—The chatting ends here. I’ll turn you into sword rust, you damn steed-less Rider!” “My, my, how scary~…” The situation was unfavorable for him, and he was also overwhelmingly inferior to her in terms of sheer power as a Heroic Spirit. But even so, a fight between them was unavoidable. —Ah, this is bad. I might just die here. That was his intuition as a knight rather than as a Heroic Spirit. The image of him dying easily and in obscurity if he fought her arose in his mind. Even in the face of such a despairing reality, Rider of Black’s expression and countenance didn’t change at all. He prepared his stance with the lance he had pilfered from the knight Argalia in the past, and readied himself to tackle this all-or-nothing battle. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 025. Chapter 2-20 # (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel フェイト/アポクリファの英訳なのです！ - About This Translation - Volume 1 Character Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and ePub version - Volume 2 Character Profiles Color Illustrations Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 2-13 Chapter 2-14 Chapter 2-15 Chapter 2-16 Chapter 2-17 Chapter 2-18 Chapter 2-19 Chapter 2-20 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 3-5 Chapter 3-6 Chapter 3-7 Chapter 3-8 Chapter 3-9 Chapter 3-10 Chapter 3-11 Chapter 3-12 Chapter 3-13 Chapter 3-14 Chapter 3-15 Afterword PDF and ePub version - Volume 3 - Volume 4 Red Servant Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and Epub Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 1-9 Chapter 1-10 Chapter 1-11 Chapter 1-12 Chapter 1-13 Chapter 1-14 Chapter 1-15 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4-1 Chapter 4-2 Chapter 4-3 Chapter 4-4 Chapter 4-5 Chapter 4-6 Chapter 4-7 Chapter 4-8 Chapter 4-9 Afterword - Side Materials Apocrypha Material Fate/Apocrypha Material Glossary A Glossary Ka Glossary Sa Glossary Ta Glossary Na Glossary Ha Glossary Ma Glossary Ya Glossary Ra - Zugzwang PDF And Epub Version - Update History - Contact Us ## Chapter 2-20 VOLUME 2 Chapter 2 Ch2-20 A thick fog suddenly appeared in the midst of the battlefield. The homunculi within it were perplexed by it and stopped moving—and then felt an impact like burning sparks from inside their noses. As they collapsed and fell to their knees one after another, an innocent and laughing voice like that of a fairy resounded above their heads. “There’s lots, lots and lots and lots, everyone looks so yummy!” The homunculi concluded that it was an enemy and tried to ready their weapons, but they had no strength left. Even if they stopped breathing, they had already breathed in the air and their lungs hurt as if they were being pulled up with something like needles. It was no good; they had to run away. Throwing away their weapons, they took two or three unsteady footsteps—and fell down. They couldn’t put any strength into their legs. Their heads throbbed as if gushing with insects, and their thoughts fell into messy confusion. “He… lp…” One of them muttered that while wheezing. And in response… “Ufufu, there are so many I don’t know which to choose first. What should I do~♪” The cry for help was rejected by the innocent words of a young girl. It hurt so much their eyes melted. The air they breathed scorched their lungs. The feeling of having their hearts corrode away was terrible. Ah, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, someone, please, help——————! “Then, let’s dig in!” Charming yet cruel words that were as sickly-sweet as sugar. In an instant, the internal organs which were essential for living were gouged out from them. The homunculi, who originally should have had a limited capacity to express emotions, screamed in terror. But those screams were covered by the heavy fog and faded away without reaching anyone. This fog was truly the stomach of a monster, a space of absolute murder. You died just by being inside it, and even if you tried running away or resisting, you still died. The one who ruled this space was a serial killer—‘Jack the Ripper’. “Thanks for the meal.” Night and fog. Always taking the first move without exception, she continued increasing her victims without ever being questioned by anyone— +++ The battlefield was already in a state that could only be loved by the god of chaos. Arrows of light had fallen down like rain as the opening attack, and a chariot pulled by three steeds had run through the skies. Stakes of death gushed forth one after another in swarms while a spearman clad in flames attacked them. A bowman who seemed to have become one with the forest challenged a mounted warrior who had gotten off his chariot, while a beast-like bow-woman ran about the battlefield and turned a mad warrior, who continued smiling even while being reduced to a disgusting lump of meat, into a hedgehog full of arrows. Another mad warrior continued rampaging without ever running out of breath as if she were a Perpetual Motion Machine, while a mediator who seemed like a monster maintained his calm as he fought her. Stone giants, homunculi whose expressions never changed as they wrecked destruction, Dragon Tooth Warriors who pushed forward no matter how much they were smashed apart. A swordswoman who looked like lump of steel was opposed by a lovely-looking mounted warrior wielding a lance. An ancient queen had launched a surprise attack with her floating fortress in order to oppose magi who had shut themselves inside a sturdy castle, while a serial killer hid herself within the fog— The blood of homunculi dyed the grass-covered plains scarlet, and the rubble of golems and Dragon Tooth Warriors fell and piled up everywhere like snow. The word [peace] no longer existed in this place where everyone fought and tried to kill one another. The Great Holy Grail War was speeding up more and more, coiling around and submerging those who got close to it like liquefied sludge. And the ones who appeared on this hellish land of chaos were the supreme referee of the Great Holy Grail War—Ruler, also known as Jeanne d’Arc, and one other person who accompanied her. Her companion was the homunculus who called himself Sieg. CHAPTER 2 END Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 026. Chapter 3 Ch3-2 Suddenly, Shirou stopped moving. He clicked his tongue and jumped backwards with a bitter expression. “Caster, we’re withdrawing. That girl has ‘noticed’ it faster than I thought. This must… be due to some kind of Revelation skill on her part.” Berserker of Black was bewildered by Shirou’s sudden widening of the distance between them, and she decided to just wait and see what he did for the time being. “I did hear that those chosen for the Ruler class are mostly saints due to their impartial judgement. So she’s one of those types, huh?” Caster of Red shrugged in a sarcastic manner. “So it seems… This is a critical situation, Caster. If she denounces me, the situation will turn extremely chaotic. No, to put it in your words, it would become uninteresting .” “Trying to forcibly stretch out parts that aren’t very exciting is a sign of poor writing. That being the case, let’s end the story of my Master of the battlefield for the time being.” “Yes, let’s withdraw. —Well, to look at it another way: it’s good enough that we managed to weather through this. Very soon, everything will change into a situation that even Ruler won’t be able to do anything about. And it seems I really am in the right, since I managed to avoid ‘death’ by a paper-thin distance.” Saying that, Shirou stabbed Black Keys into the ground, forming a wall in front of Berserker of Black as she tried to step forward. He and Caster then began withdrawing from the battlefield at full speed. “Master. That damn Ruler is pushing her way straight towards you without faltering. Hurry! The Dragon Tooth Warriors can’t hold her back!” “I know!” Slightly impatient, Shirou quickly shelved away the warning and increased his speed further… Within the dark forest where there was no light—with not even the moonlight shining well through the trees—Shirou ran at full speed without paying any heed to the near-absolute darkness. His speed was, to put it in a single phrase, beyond abnormal. Easily exceeding sixty kilometers per hour, Shirou simply ran and ran. …However, there was someone chasing after him in hot pursuit. Seeing her over his shoulder, Shirou widened his eyes slightly. “Berserker of Black… To think you would chase after me.” The instant she saw the wall of Black Keys, Berserker decided to pursue the Master known as Shirou. It was due to something that could be called intuition, which should have had no connection with an artificial human like her. Caules had told her to search for other Servants elsewhere if the Master and Servant she faced ran away, but she had refused the order with one of her usual moans. In any case—though she herself didn’t really understand what it was that bugged her. She felt that it was bad to let this man escape here. That Master was definitely abnormal. No, in the first place, was he really a Master? If she were to say what he was based on the feeling running down her skin, it would be— “——uu!?” As if stitching her brief moment of thought, four blades shot right at her. The man had apparently thrown Black Keys as he ran away without even looking back at her. Berserker of Black instantly grasped the best option here. That is, she ignored them. She didn’t feel pain; what she received was only damage as a numerical value. That wasn’t a big deal either. In the end, the blades compiled out of prana possessed meager physical destructive power and weren’t sufficient to defeat a Servant. Still, receiving a direct hit from them might slow her down and eat up a little time—If it were anyone besides her, that is. “aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAiiiiaaaaaaaa!!” With a scream that could make a human’s heart shudder, she released even more speed. She didn’t pay any attention to the direct hits from the Black Keys. Eventually, the prana of the blades dispersed and the hilts slipped off her body, while her wounds immediately closed up. “—Unbelievable.” Looking over his shoulder, Shirou didn’t know whether to be impressed or stunned. If she had knocked down the Black Keys, then it would have been understandable. If she had held her ground, it would have been convenient for him. But to think that she hadn’t slowed down at all even after several direct hits…! “I believe the name of her creator was Doctor Frankenstein, correct? With just what kind of design did he make such a monster?” Shirou smiled bitterly at Caster of Red’s words—and then suddenly thought of a crafty plan. “Caster, please materialize yourself. I have need of your ‘theatrical troupe’.” Caster instantly materialized along with a single book in his hand. “Oh, I see, I see! Then let’s have her meet the man she both dearly loves and hates! [Life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player. That struts and frets his hour upon the stage!]” Caster cried out those words loudly, and then an impossible miracle appeared within the dark forest. Once he confirmed its appearance, Caster went back into spiritual form in order to fall behind Shirou as he ran. +++ And then Berserker of Black, who was chasing after Shirou, met it there. “…uu….!?” Confusion, that was all she felt. A man who shouldn’t be here spoke to her with a gentle expression that was truly unlike him. In life, he had never once shown such a smile to her. “—Stop.” “…aa, aaa…” Berserker, who had not halted even after receiving direct hits from the Black Key—and had even accelerated—came to a stop. She wasn’t good at showing her emotions, but her eyes had widened due to shock and wonder. The person in front of her was Doctor Frankenstein . The one who created, her father, the one who she should hate, her— Why? How? Berserker of Black wasn’t shocked by the fact that he was here. What shocked her was simply his gentle smile. Ever since she first opened her eyes, her father’s expression was twisted with hate and disgust. From his mouth which she thought would give her words of blessing, only words of insult and abuse had come out. It was an event that occurred on a lonely November night— +++ “It’s a failure, a failure, a failure, a failure, a failure!” “What the hell, this is just a worthless doll puppet!” “It has no emotion! Did the lines not connect!? Even the tear glands are no good! Forget the fact that it isn’t the perfect maiden Eve, it isn’t even human!” +++ —Ah, it seems I was a failed creation. What saddened her wasn’t the fact that she had been judged a failed creation. It was that her father, as he fell into a furious frenzy and tore at his own hair, was far too pitiful. +++ “I’m sorry, Father. I’m sorry, I’m sorry for being a failed creation. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll correct myself. I’ll properly correct myself. So please don’t be angry. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, don’t be angry—” +++ Though she tried to cry, for some reason, she couldn’t. It appeared that her function to shed tears also didn’t work. Every time she tried to comfort him as he drowned himself in alcohol, he would push her away, hit her, and kick her. It didn’t hurt. Just that, every time she was hit… her heart tightened terribly, for reasons she didn’t understand. The girl felt sorrow for her father, who continued doing nothing but lament in regret day after day. She wracked her brain to figure out what she should do. What could she do to comfort her father? Resolving herself, she decided to go out and leave their residence. —She found various things outside. The green trees, the transparent ponds of water, the shining sun. If she brought these back with her, her father might also become happy. As she thought that, she was suddenly attacked by a stray dog. It had probably reacted to the rotten smell that wafted from her clothes. When the dog bit her arm, she tore off its neck. In that instant, she received a revelation. +++ “Ah, pretty. Pretty. This is pretty. Since I don’t have this inside me, it’s surely pretty—” +++ She split open its abdomen and found even more fresh entrails. These were things that she didn’t have. So she thought they were pretty. So she decided to bring it back and show it to her father. Pink entrails were pretty, and fresh red blood was beautiful. She never once thought they were ugly or dirty. She didn’t think the stench of blood was unpleasant either. …The instant she showed it all to him, her relationship with her father was decisively snapped apart. Because, not only was she a failed creation, she was also clearly a hideous monster. A life-form that feels blood is beautiful and is intoxicated by entrails—is what people call a monster. +++ “No, that’s not it, that’s not it. Really, that’s not it. I’m normal. I just wanted to make you happy, Father.” +++ Her father ran away from her in fear, never showing her a smile right till the very end. Instead, he left her an absolute curse at the end. +++ “You are a monster! A mad monster!” +++ …So, she thought to become normal. She decided to obtain reason and understand common sense. And she decided to have a mate. Because normal humans had families. Now that she had been denied by her father, she needed a mate no matter what. But that was not something that could be obtained by wishing for it. Nor was it something that could be obtained by stealing it away. Even so, she kidnapped many men. But none of them could be her mate. So she decided to ask her father for one. +++ “Please make someone who will love me, please make someone who will look at me. If I’m supposed to be the perfect maiden Eve, you should have a responsibility to make the original human Adam as well—” +++ Her father refused, and the girl was driven mad by anger and sorrow. Her anger was due to her father’s betrayal. Her sorrow—was because she understood that she would be alone until the day she died. She just wanted someone to love her. She just wanted to love someone. She just wanted to know love… No, if even that wish couldn’t be granted, she thought to herself that she at least wanted to be hated. She chased after her father, accused him, was irritated by how he ran from her, and killed his family as a result. Even so, her father ran, ran, just ran away from her. Right until his last moments, he just continued to run away from her. He didn’t even think of revenge against the one who had broken his heart and killed the people he loved. +++ “Why won’t you hate me? Why won’t you look at me?” +++ …The girl threw herself into hellfire along with her father. And thus ended the story of Frankenstein. All that was left behind was the legend of a freakish, hideous monster. And now, the father who had betrayed her was right before her eyes. He was looking at her with a warm expression. It was a moment she had never seen even in her wildest dreams. “—Yes, that’s good. Stop fighting. I didn’t create you for the sake of something like that.” “uu, aa…” The doctor held out his hand to her head—it appeared he was trying to do what a parent often did to their child. In other words, he was going to pat her head. That was what she had so eagerly wished for. She had wanted to be loved. She had wanted someone to love her. She had wanted to love someone. That wished was about to be fulfilled. But. But that was precisely why… “uuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaauaaaaaAAAAaaaaaaaAAAAAA———!!” Berserker fell into a furious frenzy. No, it wasn’t something as simple as a frenzy. With unconcealed killing intent as well, she struck the flank of the man who allegedly looked like Doctor Frankenstein with Bridal Chest: Maiden’s Chastity . “What, are you…!?” Don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, speak, don’t speak, speak, don’t speak, speak, don’t speak, speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak, don’t speak—! As blood gushed out from the man’s body, she hit him once more in the face. His face was crushed like a popped balloon. “aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaUuaaaa!!” She screamed and screamed as she swung her mace at his entire body. The man was no longer even twitching; he simply surrendered himself to the overwhelming violence. Eventually, even the certainty that a person had been there in the first place disappeared. At last, Berserker of Black stopped moving. “aa… aaa…” He had spoken the words she wanted to hear when she didn’t want to hear them. She knew the truth. She already understood that this was probably some kind of magecraft created by Caster. The corpse faded away. What she had smashed into tiny pieces seemed to be some kind of simple puppet. The best proof of that were the wood chips scattered all over her. But still. Ah, but still. Once again, I hurt someone precious even while thinking they were precious to me—! But just as the artificial girl collapsed to her knees, extremely cool-headed words entered her ears. ‘—I order you with this Command Spell. Berserker, calm down .’ Instantly, all the wailing, rage, uneasiness and despair disappeared within her head. “aa… aa…?” ‘Good. Have you calmed down, Berserker? They’ve already escaped, so let’s end it here for the time being. There are plenty of other places where you should be fighting. Do you understand?’ Berserker of Black felt logic spread through her and was gripped by a reassuring feeling. That’s right; it was just as her Master said. There were still plenty of places where she ought to be fighting. She had openly laid bare her emotions. Ah, how embarrassing. Her Master’s evaluation of her had probably lowered— ‘…Don’t worry about it. You fought well. What happened just now couldn’t be helped. That Master is simply abnormal. In any case, our maximum-priority objective right now is to kill the Red Servants. Don’t forget that.’ It seemed her Master hadn’t lowered his opinion of her at all. Nodding in understanding, Berserker of Black ran out of the forest. But even after now regaining her calm, somewhere in her thought circuits, she felt regret for letting that Master slip away. +++ Caules felt the same way. He had merely seen him from a distance through his familiars, but even so, he clearly felt that Master’s oddness… his abnormality. But he was still just a Master. Shaking off the chill he felt, Caules devoted his attention to directing Berserker. Did he regret having to use a Command Spell? …No. Caules felt confidence in his decision. Berserker’s turmoil had been staggering. It was only natural, after having killed her father, whom she both fervently adored and hated. It was possible that it would have lasting effects on her later on. He didn’t think his decision to use a Command Spell to wash it all away at once was wrong. …At the very least, he’d think it was more worthwhile than using one to force her to activate her Noble Phantasm or to stop her from doing so herself. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 027. Chapter 3 Ch3-3 Explosions, shrieks, screams, spell chanting—all these noises mixed together and became one upon the battlefield, jumping into Ruler’s ears. Those who wished for it, those who didn’t, and even those who didn’t even know the word ‘wish’ took no notice of it, while Ruler ran even faster across the battlefield. “…!” Within the huge floating fortress—there was one Servant. The reason she could tell that even from down here was due to the beams of light being shot down from the fortress along with overwhelming killing intent. The Servant there concentrated all that destructive power sufficient to destroy a castle onto Ruler alone. But Ruler hoisted her flag without panicking. Her Magic Resistance was EX rank. As such, she who was a saint couldn’t be wounded even by magecraft from the Age of Gods. However, this resistance only turned spells away from her. In other words, it didn’t receive and negate it. “Sieg-kun, get away!” Sieg immediately reacted to those words. After getting away from that spot with a roll across the ground, he saw Ruler disappear in an instant under a beam of light that fell from the sky. “Ruler!” He reflexively shouted—but his voice stopped midway. He was speechless. Being magus right from birth, he understood. The pillar of light that had fallen from the sky just now was a lightning strike filled with malice. With power equal to that of a dropped bomb, even the Saber class which tended to have the highest Magic Resistance wouldn’t be able to just shrug it off. But she— avoided it. Though ‘avoided’ was not the right way to describe it. That spell attack, which totally suppressed, not a single spot, but an entire area, had been diverted away without injuring her. The lightning strike, which should have had a will of its own, had lost its malice. Instead, the lightning attacked the surrounding area. If she hadn’t called out to him just now, Sieg also would have probably been caught up in the attack. Surrounding her had been the wreckage of golems along with Dragon Tooth Warriors that had been trying to attack her, but now… every last one of them had completely vanished. Not a single piece of rubbish remained… If she hadn’t called out to him, he might have been reduced to dust that as well. “This is… the Servant of the eighth class.” While murmuring that, he looked to the sky. Though Ruler’s abnormal Magic Resistance was surprising, what was even more shocking was the feat of magecraft just now. Such a spell that was equal to a bomber attack could only be magecraft from the Age of Gods. It was probably Caster of Red. That floating fortress was likely the Noble Phantasm or something of a Red Servant. At the very least, such a feat was impossible for a modern magus. Either way, it still hadn’t managed to kill Ruler. Both Sieg and Ruler though that the Servant casting the spells from the floating fortress would therefore give up. But— “!?” They were both shocked at the same time. Without caring at all about the fact that their attacks had been diverted, the Servant above continued firing more spell blasts one after another. They were doing a meaningless act… No, there was meaning to it. This was simply an attempt to buy time. And the means that accompanied it were just too overwhelming. “Kuh…!” Ruler looked at Sieg. Yes, Ruler could still move, but Sieg would always have to get away from her. Sieg spoke without wavering. “…Go on ahead. Either way, I have to meet the people I must meet.” “I understand.” She didn’t wish him luck in battle. The battlefield was not something that could be survived just by having luck. If she had to say anything, it should be a prayer that he would not encounter a Servant. But that was impossible. Because he said he would meet with the people he must meet. The first ones he had to meet were the homunculi. Saving them was one of Sieg’s objectives. And there was one more person he had to meet. A Servant—Rider of Black, Astolfo. His wish to meet with this Servant wasn’t out of a clear sense of purpose. Perhaps he would just meet him because he wanted to meet him. Ruler thought that was a little charming. However, going to meet Rider meant encountering other Servants. He held a sword in his hand, and his body was clearly filled with fighting spirit. Therefore, he would probably be viewed as an enemy by the Red camp. By all rights, she should stop him, but he would probably never stop. Even though he knew that meeting Rider was a futile and meaningless act and that he would be betraying Rider’s prayer for him, Sieg would still go meet him. Ruler began running. She sensed that the ‘someone’ she was after was getting further away, so she increased her speed more and more. She abandoned even dealing with the slashes from the Dragon Tooth Warriors and simply ran. It wasn’t that she wanted to stop this war. As long as the war between the two camps was tuned correctly, Ruler had no objections to it at all. But a strong sense of uneasiness that made her teeth clench and grate urged her to cut across this battlefield. She had to meet them, she had to meet the ‘someone’ who was getting further away. And a Red Servant was intentionally obstructing her. They piled up Dragon Tooth Warriors like a mountain and simply created a wall to block her. “—You’re in my way!” Of course, even the delay of having to deal with a minor obstruction like this was precious time to Ruler. She aimed the tip of her flag at a single point and broke through the wall without pausing. And then, she waved the holy water she carried and displayed the location of each Servant just as she did before. She knew that the Black Servants were not a problem right now, and so she focused her attention on only the locations of the Red Servants. Mere Dragon Tooth Warriors were far from effective at stalling for time against her. But Servants were another matter. First, she definitely had to avoid being chased after by any of them. Ruler swiftly came up with a route that did not come into contact with any Red Servants, and ran to follow that path. She felt a chill swell up inside her increasingly as time passed. And then, the worst possible match-up barged onto her route as if to block her. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 028. Chapter 3 Ch3-4 This is fine. Sieg breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Ruler leave. She had her own objective, and it wasn’t something he should hinder. Her objective was more noble and important. Unlike his. There was a mountain of things he should be doing instead of thinking as he ran. Dragon Tooth Warriors were coming at him, and though a Servant would be able to beat one with a single blow, they were enemies that he himself had to handle very cautiously one by one. Thrusting at them with his sword had little effect, so he charged forward to collide with one and glued himself against it, and then vigorously bisected it from the waist. The Dragon Tooth Warrior crumbled in the blink of an eye. He cut off the arm of another Dragon Tooth Warrior that stepped forward from his flank and softly touched it with one hand. “Straße \ gehen 1 .” He activated his Magic Circuits—investigated, analyzed and sympathized with the material properties of what he touched—and worked out the necessary logic to reverse it all and destroy it. Instantly, his palm released a spell that changed the bones of the Dragon Tooth Warrior into the optimal breakable material. Sieg’s magecraft required that he analyze his target by touching it, so it had basically zero ranged capability. However, its destructive power was immense. The Dragon Tooth Warrior was turned into a pile of miniscule pieces. “Rider!” His shout was completely swept away in the clatter of the battlefield. While running, he carefully examined the situation of the battlefield. The places where there were noticeably violent clashes of prana were probably where battles between Servants were occurring. “What are you doing?” When Sieg turned around at that voice, he found two battle-type homunculi looking at him with gazes containing reproach. ‘What are you doing, you must fight too’—that was probably what they meant. “Enough, enough, stop fighting you guys.” At Sieg’s words, the two homunculi exchanged confused glances. “…If you want to die, I won’t stop you. But, if you want to live, go back. Go back and save our fellow homunculi. Both the ones who are being exploited for their prana and the ones who aren’t. You guys aren’t bound to anything.” “But—that’s going against our orders.” “That’s right—the order we were given was to fight and defeat the enemy Servants and their followers.” “That order is impossible. You guys should also understand that well. In the first place, what obligation do you have to obey it?” At Sieg’s words, the two homunculi once more exchanged glances. As if to cut into their conversation, a Dragon Tooth Warrior ran at them and swung its sword at Sieg. Sieg swiftly unsheathed Rider of Black’s sword and slashed at it from its flank to its neck. The other two homunculi joined with him and crushed the skull and feet of the Dragon Tooth Warrior with their halberds. Sieg spoke once more. “Do you want to die or live? …We have to choose one of them.” That was his last warning. One of the homunculi followed his request and returned to the castle. The other one decided to obey his orders even so, and returned once more to the battlefield. This is fine, Sieg thought. If given a choice, homunculi couldn’t help but choose. Their thought processes weren’t so dim that they couldn’t understand it, after all. As servants from birth, the option to rebel strangely never came to their minds. But it was a different matter if they were given the choice. He had merely given the homunculi in the surrounding area within the rear lines the choice. They would each choose their own path. Sieg wasn’t responsible for what they did after that—or rather, he thought that he shouldn’t be responsible for them afterwards. Now he just had to search for Rider of Black. He was so clumsy that he hadn’t thought of what he would do after finding him. Rider of Black would probably lament that of all things, this was the first thing Sieg chose to do with his new freedom. —Even so. Even so, there were feelings that maddeningly drove him. There were things he wanted to do and couldn’t forget, and he didn’t have the resolution to seek things like peaceful, ordinary days. There were things much, much more precious to him than such a pipe dream. He wanted to save his comrades. He wanted to meet Rider of Black again and repay him. He didn’t care if it was useless. Even though he knew full well that Rider hadn’t wished for him to do such a thing and might lament Sieg’s decision. He simply—chose this. Yes, since that was what he had chosen to do, he couldn’t turn back. That was the worst thing he could do. He took a deep breath. He was terrified; even though he hadn’t been frightened at all when he fell right to the brink of death before. When he thought he might be letting go of what he had temporarily obtained—he couldn’t help but feel terrified. …But his heartbeat was stirring up something inside him. Gritting his teeth, he tightly clenched his shudderingly cold hands several times. I can do this, he thought, hoped, and prayed—and took his first step forward. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Straße \ gehen: This is Sieg’s personal aria for utilizing magecraft. It uses the words “road” and “go/walk”, while the kanji beneath it reads as “logic path \ open”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 029. Chapter 3 Ch3-5 The battle between the two Lancers was still going on neck-and-neck. While they were both Lancers, their fighting styles were completely different. Lancer of Black stabbed stakes at his enemy just by directing them with a single finger, while Lancer of Red aimed to directly smash his enemy with the spear he held in his hands. Lancer of Black would throw stakes while maintaining his distance, and Lancer of Red would close the distance between them while breaking every one of those stakes. The battle was a repetition of this sequence. Mysteries are negated by stronger mysteries. In that regard, Lancer of Red greatly exceeded Lancer of Black. Based on his strength in life, the great hero Karna was truly exceptional. In order to send him to his grave, the thunder god Indra had no other choice but to devise an intricate scheme. Karna was the best and proudest spearman who hadn’t fallen to the ground even after being betrayed by all his allies. —However, even against such a hero, Lancer of Black didn’t fall before his attacks. Unlike Lancer of Red, whose existence in actual history was unclear, Lancer of Black—Vlad III was a hero who had actually existed in this world. He was a patriotic hero who had been feared by all surrounding countries, and even though he was equally feared by his own citizens—he still received great respect and worship from them. Without him, their country wouldn’t have existed. The hero who had carved this into the world’s history had been brought back to life in that very same country. His fame and popularity was equal to that of a great in this country. His Noble Phantasm Kaziklu Bey: Lord of Execution possessed uncommon power as a result as well. True, they were only ordinary stakes. But—the problem was that these stakes could be freely summoned forth according to Lancer of Black’s command. Though, even when faced with an enemy with a Noble Phantasm of that level, Lancer of Red was still easily a match for a thousand of them. Without paying any care to the stakes that stabbed countless times all over his body from his feet to his right shoulder to his left flank to his elbow, neither his movements nor his strength changed at all. Right now, his Noble Phantasm Kavacha and Kundala: O Surya, Become Armor was negating 90% of the damage from the stakes. They were reduced to mere scratches that he could heal while fighting. However… “—Magnificent. You’ve broken one thousand stakes with that spear, burned eight hundred with those flames covering your body and stopped two thousand with that golden armor. Lancer of Red, you are without a doubt worthy of being a hero. With that armor, even a battering ram would have no effect, let alone my stakes.” Karna accepted Lancer of Black’s praise with a solemn attitude. “Thank you for your words, lord of this land.” “If you weren’t a pagan, I would allow you to surrender. That alone is regrettable, that you believe in a fake god.” “Hmm, how do you know that my god is a fake?” “Of course I know. God is a pure and untouched absolute. If not, who would believe in him? Who would rely on him? A god who mingles with people and has intercourse with them is merely a hideous monster.” “Now, I wonder about that. It’s only natural that any religious faith undergoes innumerable changes depending on the land. If it is a land where floods occur, then one who rules over water is the God there. If my gods and their gods are monsters, then the God you believe is also merely a monster upon whom the ideal of being [absolute] was pressed upon.” Instantly, fire seethed in Lancer of Black’s eyes. Even after seeing that, Lancer of Red spoke clearly and calmly. “—I see. You’re quite stern and severe, lord of impalement, Kaziklu Bey. To you, these stakes are both attack and defence, both a demonstration of force and an embodiment of fear.” “…What?” “You use these stakes to establish your domain, your castle and what you must protect; in other words, you try to form a country with just a single person. Is it an act out of love for your homeland, or is it due to your sense of responsibility as the king of a state?” Lancer of Red exposed Lancer of Black in an indifferent manner. Not his body, but what was within his heart. “But there aren’t any subjects to obey you here, are there? A king might be aloof and isolated. But there is no such thing as a king without a retinue… What a blunder, lord of impalement. I am a Heroic Spirit, and do not fear even making an entire country my enemy.” “—Hoh, how interesting.” Lancer of Black smiled. It was an extremely violent smile charged full of anger and fury, hatred and killing intent. “You don’t fear facing my country by yourself, as expected of a hero—I have already punished you three times over for that arrogance. Yes… My stakes have pierced you three times in total. Therefore, you will die here.” “—!?” Feeling dread suddenly hit his body, Lancer of Red immediately attempted to jump back—but it was no longer an issue of being slow or fast. It was already in the past. The attack was already ending…! “You guessed quickly. Yes, my Kaziklu Bey: Lord of Execution isn’t a Noble Phantasm that creates stakes. It’s the ‘stakes stabbed into the enemy’ themselves that are the Noble Phantasm. As long as you’re within this territory of mine, no matter how much you fortify your body, if it is a fact that you have received an attack from me—” Within Lancer of Red’s body, something was swelling up with violent force. Hard, sharp, repulsively cold, it was— “Stakes, huh…” The golden armor that clad Karna’s body could protect against stakes, blades, hammers, or any kind of attack regardless of whether it was physical or magical. However—attacks from within his body were a single exception. Furthermore, these stakes were manifesting in the state of already having pierced him. Even a hornet with strong jaws and stingers that freely danced through the sky and coveted prey was just powerless food when inside a nest weaved by a multitude of spiders. Blood trickled down from the three stakes stabbing into him very quickly. This was probably Karna’s first experience of receiving damage while clad in that armor. In a flash, Lancer of Black charged forward in order to snatch victory. From the beginning, he never thought even in his dreams that Lancer of Red would be killed by something of this level. So he couldn’t overlook this single instant. No matter how great a hero was, there was no way they could resist while stabbed with stakes—! “This is checkmate, Lancer of Red…!” Lancer of Black launched an attack with a stream of countless stakes and also the spear he held in his hand. The attack was already closer to a swarm of piranhas than a Noble Phantasm. After all, there was no pause in his prana usage. As long the homunculi squeezed out prana for him, he could continue creating stakes perpetually. Two thousand stakes was simply the maximum limit he could invoke at once. No matter how many stakes were destroyed, they could be recreated as long as he had prana. In other words, this battlefield was basically covered entirely by stakes containing his malice. He couldn’t be beaten. There shouldn’t be any way for a single warrior to challenge and beat this king who ruled the land and subdued his nation. But—his entire surroundings being his enemy was the most commonplace of commonplace situations for the Heroic Spirit Karna. As Lancer of Black thrusted his spear at the crown of his head, Lancer of Red splendidly diverted it away with a sweep of his own spear as if he couldn’t even feel the damage from the stakes stabbing into him. “…!!” Even Lancer of Black was left speechless. Meanwhile, Lancer of Red displayed his superhuman will power even further. “O Agni 1 .” A blaze wrapped around Lancer of Red’s entire body. Lancer of Black instantly understood that he was trying to burn away the stakes. He was going to laugh in ridicule at him, but stiffened an instant later. The flames went inside Lancer of Red’s body. They burned, burned and burned—until every single one of the stakes piercing Lancer of Red were blasted away. Without wasting any time, Lancer of Black attacked with another rain of stakes. But what the stakes were trying to destroy was, of all things, an incarnation of fire. He was the son of the sun, who could not be burned even by flame spirits. His sturdy spear handed to him by the gods, the golden armor that had been granted to him due to his mother’s supplication, and his blood ties to the sun god—their stats were all listed as half their actual value when checking the stats of the Servant known as Karna. Karna’s strongest weapon was his ‘will’. Possessing a strong will and a strong heart, he was the Hero of Charity who had never resented a single person despite experiencing all kinds of misfortune. He was a man who had been given things more special than that of anyone else, but never once was treated [special] himself. Neither proud nor arrogant, he was a hero who merely carried out a way of life that would not shame the name of his father from the moment he was born to when he was finally shot down. Therefore, even when his entrails were gouged out and the nerves of his arms were severed by just three stakes. Even when he was attacked by an overwhelming feeling of oppression due to an endless stream of stakes. Even when he had to endure unimaginable agony as he circulated fire through the inside of his body in order to deal with the stakes. Lancer of Red would never fear nor bend his knees in submission—! Flames surrounded the two Servants. It was exactly the same as earlier. The flames were returning everything to nothing. But that wasn’t all. “—Lord of this land, I’ll be taking your head!” While clad in flames, Lancer of Red fiercely plunged forward—and without minding the damage from the stakes and flames at all, he landed a direct hit to the tip of Lancer of Black’s shoulder. “Guh…!” A cry of unconcealed anguish. The struggle for supremacy ended here. Lancer of Red had finally seized Lancer of Black. And in order to increase the success of his finishing blow, Lancer of Red began to wait for the chance to release his other Noble Phantasm that rivaled his golden armor, that is, Brahmastra Kundala: O Brahma, Curse Me . Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Agni: Hindu god of fire. The kanji beneath it simply reads as “flame”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 030. Chapter 3 Ch3-6 The Fortress of Millennia. The Masters there viewed the battlefield through their familiars and Menorah, and either gave directions to their Servants or had nothing more to say and simply watched the battle while holding their breaths. Among them, Darnic suddenly spoke up. “—I’m going out. Fiore, I leave commanding the Masters to you. Henceforth, you are all to obey her orders.” “…Grandfather?” Darnic didn’t respond to Fiore and leapt out from a window. Flight wasn’t a very difficult spell for a magus. He stepped through the sky as if walking up a set of stairs. —Like I thought, I suppose I’ll have to activate it. While looking down at his Command Spells, he carefully examined the current situation of his Servant… Lancer of Black. He considered Lancer of Red, who had fought evenly against Saber of Black, the hero Siegfried, and also Rider of Red, Achilles, who Archer of Black had concluded couldn’t be killed except by Heroic Spirits with the blood of the gods. In addition to those two, Saber of Red was also a formidable enemy. Even now, she was one-sidedly fighting against their camp’s Rider. At this rate, Rider of Black would be defeated. But Darnic still had a last resort. Lancer of Black’s other Noble Phantasm. It was a truly certain-kill Noble Phantasm that, once activated, would allow him to easily tear apart Lancer of Red and kill even a Heroic Spirit with divine blood. Of course, the price for using it was high. Rather, it was something that he absolutely did not want to use. “ Legend of Dracula: Tradition of Blood …” Once used, Lancer of Black would transform into a blood-sucking vampire that was only told of in folklore. Instead of a Heroic Spirit, he would be reduced to a literal monster. The price of activating that Noble Phantasm was Darnic’s ‘life’. Because Lancer of Black had formed a contract as a Servant with Darnic in order to erase Vlad III’s blood-tarnished legend—that is, the vampire Dracula—from history. “—In other words. Making me use that Noble Phantasm is the same as spitting upon me. Even if I am about to die, I will absolutely not use it. And if you force me to do so with a Command Spell, I don’t need to tell you what will happen to you after that, do I?” That was the warning, no, the order Lancer of Black had given immediately after being summoned. In other words, if Darnic made him use this Noble Phantasm, he would pay for it with death. “…But if we lose, I’ll die either way.” That was the truth. If he ran away, he could probably extend at least his life, but the magus Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia would die. That alone was an option he would not choose. If it was for the sake of grasping victory, Darnic would permit any and all sacrifices. But the problem here was that the Master of Lancer of Black was himself. He could force Lancer to use Legend of Dracula with one Command Spell, and then make Lancer kill himself with a second one. This would remove all problems. But if he did that, Darnic would lose his Servant. Even if Lancer annihilated all the Red Servants during that time, what followed was a battle between the Masters of the Yggdmillennia clan. Even if Darnic was the clan head, this was a war surrounding the Holy Grail which could grant all wishes. Even the most sensible clan members like Fiore and Caules wouldn’t listen to his orders then. Then, should he take over another Servant from someone else? That was also a difficult problem. Would anyone really comply with an order to hand over their Servant? Also, there was no Heroic Spirit besides the already-vanished Saber among them who could oppose Fiore’s Servant Chiron. No matter what he did, it was a situation filled with great risk. “—Good grief.” He was being cornered. Darnic understood that very well. But he had experienced that many times in the past one hundred years. Among those experiences, the Third Holy Grail War sixty years ago had been an uncannily harsh battle, so much so that, even now, he rejoiced at still being alive like this. Back then, he had the unexpected fortune of finding a path that led to the Greater Grail from a hole he had happened to fall into. He then enticed the German Nazis with skillful words, getting them to send in, under the direct orders of the Führer, a huge military force that one wouldn’t expect to be sent to an allied country like Japan, and had them steal the Greater Grail. And then, he intentionally arranged for the transport carrying the Greater Grail to pass through Trifas on the way to Germany, and then killed all the magi and soldiers whom he had fought alongside. Following that were days of research and politics. Outwardly towards the Association, he feigned to have the Yggdmillennia clan content itself with the duty of being a receptacle for drop-out magi. He altered the Greater Grail little by little to adapt it to Trifas. His achievement in making it possible to summon not only pure Heroics Spirits, but also ‘those who only have the aspect of a Heroic Spirit’ could be called an unexpected by-product of the alteration process. At any rate, time was the one thing he had plenty of. Ten years, twenty years, thirty years, forty years, fifty years, sixty years— What was the origin of this tenacity of his? The driving force of all magi, to reach the Root? Of course, that played a big part in his reasons. As long as one lived as a magus, to aim for that was natural. But had he really struggled on until this point for such a ‘pure’ wish? …A bitter memory from over eighty years ago surfaced in his mind. At the time, he had been decorated with a brilliant debut as an up-and-coming young magus, and had suddenly obtained a marriage proposal. It was a good match for marriage. Darnic would be tying himself to a clan of long lineage that stood amongst the aristocratic Lords of the Clock Tower. But then it all came to a halt there. The Yggdmillennia blood was polluted and impure, and couldn’t maintain itself past the fifth generation. ‘All that’s left is ruin for your clan,’ a certain magus had warned him. —Ridiculous. As long as the clan continues past the fifth generation, any number of counter-measures can be thought of. But it seemed the only one who thought that way was Darnic. The clan he was about to marry into didn’t like risks, and so to them, he immediately became an outsider that had to be excluded. Even his future brother-in-law, who had slapped his back with a smile and sworn friendship with him, and the woman who was to be his spouse, who had shyly whispered her love to him, had both turned away from him. —That’s fine. Such things happen. But at that very instant, Yggdmillennia was cut off from their dream of rising to the ranks of the Lords. Even if they overcame ruin past the fifth generation, the label that had been once slapped on them would never come off. He could live with what happened to himself, but those magi had taken away even the futures of those who followed after him. At that instant, Darnic abandoned the idea of reaching the Root through the normal approach—in other words, by accumulating diligent research as a magus and gradually climbing up the political ladder within the Association—as a wish that would never be granted. Therefore, he first had to think of a method to stop the ruin of his clan. And then he had to search for a path to reach the Root. There was also the option of simply withdrawing from the Association of Magi and continuing his clan’s research while hiding themselves amidst the world. But Darnic refused to do that. Naturally, remaining in the Association was humiliating. But Darnic carved that humiliation into his heart without forgetting any bit of it for even a second—and used it as nourishment. At that time, he coincidently learned about the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. He involved Nazi Germany, who were interested in the occult, obtained the power of their army, and participated in the war as a Master. It was fortunate for him that the situation had turned extremely chaotic due to the Einzberns, who had committed an act of foul play that broke the war’s rules. …The Third Holy Grail War concluded with no definite victor, and the exhausted Einzbern, Tohsaka and Makiri families had possessed no means by then to stop Darnic and the German Nazis. According to rumors floating around, the Einzberns apparently still hadn’t given up on the Holy Grail and were trying to make a new one. The Tohsaka gave up on the Holy Grail and searched for another method to reach the Root in Fuyuki. The Makiri was a clan that had already begun falling into decay even back then. There was no news of them, but the Third Holy Grail War had most likely dealt a decisive blow to them. Darnic no longer felt any resentment towards the clan who had forsaken him. When he considered the present, he even felt like thanking them. Though, they had already fallen to ruin as a clan long ago, without leaving their names in history at all— It wasn’t that Darnic had a direct hand in bringing about their ruin. They were simply cornered politically. They had merely invested funds into a futile experiment, leaked the details of the hidden ritual, and the child who had inherited their clan’s Magic Crest had coincidentally and unfortunately died in an accident during the experiment. They, who flattered Darnic and were even prepared to sell themselves to him now that they had come to ruin, were the only clan to whom he refused the request to join Yggdmillennia. Following that, he knew that they had headed to Japan in the Far East where the Holy Grail War had once taken place, but their whereabouts were unknown after that. Most likely, they had lived out their lives while lamenting everything until their death. Human life consists of continuing to defeat someone else. And right now, the ones he must defeat are the Association of Magi and the other magi of his clan. Of course, he felt no hesitation. Whether it be defeating members of his own clan or making his Servant use a Noble Phantasm that he had deemed taboo. Darnic’s expression right now was enough to terrify anyone who knew his usual self. It was inhumane and cold, as if frozen in place, with not even a fragment of emotion showing through it. Right now, he was thinking of something terribly crafty and vicious. If necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate to fall to any and all sorts of corruption. The reason he purposely went outside was because of this. So that he wouldn’t inspire any unnecessary wariness in the others. “—Now then. What to do?” He thought it over for a short while. And then, Darnic came to a single conclusion. The decision and determination to not balk at dirtying himself with blood was necessary, but that was surely something that he hardly had to be asked to do at this late hour. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 031. Chapter 3 Ch3-8 “Wha…!?” Even Ruler, who received knowledge concerning all Servants when she was summoned, couldn’t helped but be shocked by the appearance of what appeared before her. “Hmm. You over there, you—aren’t a Black Servant, are you? Hmm, Ruler, then?” The speaker had a clear voice like the wind, with a body so thin and light it was like a tree leaf swaying in the wind. The green girl spun through the air and landed next to Ruler. In her hand was a large bow that didn’t suit her stature. “—Archer of Red.” Ruler was, of course, on guard. It was only natural after having been attacked by Lancer and (probably) Caster of Red. But Archer of Red looked at Ruler as if doubting her and spoke. “What? You’re a mediator, right? Don’t you understand who you should be on guard against right now?” “—No. Naturally, I understand …” Those words came from the bottom of her heart. Ruler lessened her caution towards Archer somewhat. Most likely, the Red camp wasn’t monolithic. At the very least, Archer and her Master didn’t seem to consider Ruler a target to be killed. Yes, right now, the one she should be on guard against wasn’t her. “…The second Berserker on the Black camp’s side, Spartacus… huh?” Berserker of Red had been captured by Lancer of Black and forced to change Masters. In other words, despite being Berserker of Red, he was fighting the Red camp as an enemy right now. Ruler had no issue with that. In the Holy Grail War, allied Servants turning around and becoming enemies was far from impossible. But— “Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 1 ———!!” Was this actually possible? For an instant, Ruler mistook it for a hill. Next, the thought ‘Is that a pile of corpses?’ flashed through her mind—and finally, she had no choice but to arrive at a conclusion that rejected both those guesses. “Berserker… is it?” “Yeha. I didn’t think it would become this terrible . I keep shooting and shooting at him, but his body just enlarges and reinforces itself, and now he’s already forgetting his human form. To think that Berserker would go this mad.” As a related party, Archer of Red sighed as if amazed. What stood in front of the two of them was truly a hill-like monster. If it were simply large, Ruler wouldn’t have become speechless like this. What left her at a loss for words was Berserker of Red’s current state. He had eight arms. Three of them had no bones in them, let alone joints. They were like octopus tentacles, but when they were swung, they became like whips and smashed through the enemy. His log-like legs had multiple insect-like legs sprouting out from them, most likely to divide the weight since two legs alone couldn’t support him. His head had sunk into his neck, but upper and lower jaws like that of a Tyrannosaurus rex stuck out from the top of his shoulders. — Crying Warmonger: Howl of the Wounded Beast . It’s already more like a kind of curse than a Noble Phantasm, Ruler thought. He lived, he moved, and more than anything else… he still sought the battlefield and victory. Part of the damage dealt to him was converted into prana and accumulated to raise his abilities. Most likely, that also included his ability to heal. He received damage, converted it into prana, raised his abilities, and used self-healing. There wasn’t even any room for his Master to intervene. The problem was that this form of recycling continued revolving to the point that it was abnormal. Due to his healing ability going out of control, his body broke away from its proper form. And yet his abilities kept being raised due to receiving damage, and so his body rapidly transformed into a grotesque form. Height and weight were the easiest factors to use to conjecture the strength of humans. Even those called Heroic Spirits—almost all had the same basic human form. But Berserker of Red had already discarded that. Eight arms were stronger than two. If his weight was too great to support, then just increase the number of legs. To the mad warrior who believed in the creed that victory came closer, not farther, the more one was wounded, a situation of this degree was probably trifling. “There, you, are—!!” Five eyes, located in various places on Berserker’s shoulders, neck and abdomen, all turned to glare at Archer of Red and Ruler. The two female Servants instantly separated to the left and right respectively as if flicked away. Not caring about that, Berserker of Red swung his sword with all his might. Pieces of the ground that he blew away and smashed apart flew at Ruler and Archer like high-explosive projectiles. “Guh—!” “Kuh…!!” Rocks tore through their skin and even damaged part of Ruler’s armor. An attack without prana accompanying it could never harm a Servant. But prana had been loaded to the point of bursting into the sword he swung, and it had even contaminated the broken pieces of stone. It was the same as a Servant throwing dirks with prana loaded into them… Though, it was the first time Ruler had witnessed of the phenomenon of prana clinging even to fragments smashed apart with a sword. “Hmm. It seems I ended up dragging you into this. Forgive me, Ruler.” Ruler gently shook her head at Archer of Red’s apology. “No, I have a lot of experience with trifles like this… However, due to my position, I won’t be facing him as an enemy either. Since any damage he does is limited to this battlefield.” “Hmm. Well, I have no complaints in regards to that, but—” Archer of Red looked at Ruler with a sour expression. Ruler’s face stiffened at the sudden chill that came upon her. “…What is it?” “It’s an order from my Master . I’m to immediately withdraw from here.” “Umm, you couldn’t mean…” After sighing, Archer of Red patted Ruler on the shoulder as if to console her. “Sorry about this, but I leave the rest to you.” “Wai—” Archer of Red, Atalanta, one of the heroes in Greek legend who were boasted of being swift runners. Her feet weren’t something that even Ruler could chase after. Before Ruler even opened her mouth to say “Ah”, Archer had disappeared into the forest—it wasn’t that she went into spiritual form; she just ran off. Ruler silently looked up. There stood a grotesque-looking hero… no, creature. Berserker aimed his gladius, which was now needle-sized compared to his body, at Ruler. That’s right. Berserker of Red—Spartacus was a fighter who rebels against all those with power. Ruler was no exception to that. “…I’ve been had.” Archer had no animosity towards her. But her Master seemed to have a different opinion. The ‘someone’ she had to meet had already reached the Hanging Gardens. How should she chase after them…? It would have been nice if she had wings that could let her fly. However, staying here meant that she would have to fight Berserker of Red, Spartacus. Should she invoke her ‘privilege’? No, he wouldn’t stop unless he was ordered to die. Eliminating other Servants was something that Ruler shouldn’t fundamentally do. Then should she withdraw? That was also another option that she could hardly call desirable. If she were alone, she might have withdrawn from here. But there was someone else she had left on this battlefield. A boy, who was small and weak, yet had a soul that was sturdy like steel. At the very least, she had to join up with him, but right now he seemed to be talking with the homunculi back at the rear lines. Most likely in order to save his fellow homunculi, even if it meant doing so alone. Until that was finished, he wouldn’t leave this battlefield. In that case, she only had one remaining option. “—Buy time, huh?” Now that she had lost both the options to retreat and counterattack, the only thing Ruler could do was non-aggressive defence. If she protected herself, Servants from either the Black or Red camp would most likely have to repel him. That was the optimistic scenario. In the worst case, neither the Black nor Red Servants would come to help her, instead waiting for Ruler and Berserker to take each other out. This feeling of everyone turning against her. This situation, which would probably freeze the spine of a normal person, felt nostalgic to Ruler. Scorn, hate, ridicule—even after receiving all those things, her faith had never wavered. To Ruler, who didn’t even have a Master to fight alongside, being alone was normal. …No, I’m not alone. Though his goals were different, there was a boy who fought without seeking the Holy Grail. There was someone who knew her and had walked alongside her… Right now, that might be enough for her. Berserker of Red howled—and Ruler readied her holy flag, saying, “Come at me.” Right before he swung down his gladius, Ruler repelled it with her holy flag. Two of his whip arms attacked her—and she blocked them both. But then, the third one, which had hidden behind them, swung at her—! “Ugh, kuh—!!” She received a direct hit. She was blown away and rolled across the ground. Luckily, the Dragon Tooth Warriors who had been ordered to kill her acted as cushions for her. In compensation for bringing her to a stop, a row of three of them was smashed apart; she would have flown to the edge of the battlefield if not for that. That attack technique been done through Berserker’s physical strength that was so great it was hard to believe and his prana that he had kept stockpiling. No, perhaps the attack just now… shouldn’t be called a ‘technique’. As she stood up, Ruler wiped blood from her lips. Ruler kept a backup of the body she was possessing—of Laeticia’s body. When she achieved her objective or if she was killed midway through the war, at that instant, Laeticia’s body would return to its original form as recorded in the backup and, depending on the situation, would be forcefully transported somewhere safe. With that process, no matter how many wounds this body received, it would immediately regenerate. Therefore, it could be said there was no problem no matter how wounded she became, but… if she had received the blow just now while defenceless, she would have died. As if having seen through her doubts, a pillar of light rained down from the sky. “Wha…!?” The seven-colored light, which would have seemed beautiful if this weren’t a battlefield, was aimed not at Ruler, but at— “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?” A howl that was mixed with both anguish and joy. Berserker of Red had received damage, and as a result his Noble Phantasm began healing the flesh that had been torn apart. But even the hero of rebellion Spartacus would probably soon be at his limit. …No, he had already crossed over his limits. He had endured, endured, and endured every possible torture. All that was left was for him to spit it back out— Instantly, Ruler understood the Red camp’s aim in firing that pillar of light from the sky and Berserker’s own aim. What this howling man aimed to destroy were oppressors and their vassals… In other words… “He intends to destroy everything here…!!” Of course, the members of the Red camp were not an exception to that, but they were within the floating fortress. It was impossible for Berserker to go to a domain where his hands couldn’t reach. The Dragon Tooth Warriors were simply rank-and-file soldiers to the Red camp. They had no intention of mourning the lives of mere artificial constructs. On the other hand, the problem was the Black camp. This was probably an unanticipated situation for them as well. Who could have imagined that Crying Warmonger was such a malignant Noble Phantasm? The abundant prana that Berserker had accumulated and his body that had been transformed by it were already beyond the binds of the Servant contract. Even using Command Spells, which even Heroic Spirits with A rank Magic Resistance could only endure a single one at a time, probably wouldn’t work on him. Because Command Spells were shackles placed on those below by those above . No matter how low one’s rank was as a magus, as long as one was a Master, their position was superior to their Servant’s. With the hero of rebellion Spartacus, an order probably wouldn’t be obeyed unless two Command Spells were used even in his normal state. In this situation, even using three Command Spells on him probably wouldn’t work. Yes, in other words, Berserker of Red wouldn’t stop. Assuming he swung his next blow with all his might, the damage would most likely extend across this entire battlefield. On the contrary, even the Fortress of Millennia, which lay between the town and the battlefield, wouldn’t be able to escape damage either. Now then, what should I do —as Ruler wavered over her next course of action, she received a revelation. She felt numbing pain course through her Command Spells. Astonished, Ruler looked off towards a certain direction. Even without being able to grasp it by sight, she could sense it from that overwhelming amount of prana. Servant parameters were rewritten. It applied to two Servants. One was changed from being listed as healthy to dead, and the other went from a dying state to— Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Here, Berserker’s words comes out as a simple yell, but it actually has kanji beneath it, which roughly translates as “brave” or “heroic”. 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Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 032. Chapter 3-9 # (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel フェイト/アポクリファの英訳なのです！ - About This Translation - Volume 1 Character Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and ePub version - Volume 2 Character Profiles Color Illustrations Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 2-13 Chapter 2-14 Chapter 2-15 Chapter 2-16 Chapter 2-17 Chapter 2-18 Chapter 2-19 Chapter 2-20 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 3-5 Chapter 3-6 Chapter 3-7 Chapter 3-8 Chapter 3-9 Chapter 3-10 Chapter 3-11 Chapter 3-12 Chapter 3-13 Chapter 3-14 Chapter 3-15 Afterword PDF and ePub version - Volume 3 - Volume 4 Red Servant Profiles Color Illustrations PDF and Epub Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 1-1 Chapter 1-2 Chapter 1-3 Chapter 1-4 Chapter 1-5 Chapter 1-6 Chapter 1-7 Chapter 1-8 Chapter 1-9 Chapter 1-10 Chapter 1-11 Chapter 1-12 Chapter 1-13 Chapter 1-14 Chapter 1-15 Chapter 2 Chapter 2-1 Chapter 2-2 Chapter 2-3 Chapter 2-4 Chapter 2-5 Chapter 2-6 Chapter 2-7 Chapter 2-8 Chapter 2-9 Chapter 2-10 Chapter 2-11 Chapter 2-12 Chapter 3 Chapter 3-1 Chapter 3-2 Chapter 3-3 Chapter 3-4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4-1 Chapter 4-2 Chapter 4-3 Chapter 4-4 Chapter 4-5 Chapter 4-6 Chapter 4-7 Chapter 4-8 Chapter 4-9 Afterword - Side Materials Apocrypha Material Fate/Apocrypha Material Glossary A Glossary Ka Glossary Sa Glossary Ta Glossary Na Glossary Ha Glossary Ma Glossary Ya Glossary Ra - Zugzwang PDF And Epub Version - Update History - Contact Us ## Chapter 3-9 VOLUME 2 Chapter 3 Ch3-9 There was once a hero. A great hero who killed a dragon. +++ Flawless and perfect in all aspects, he was an impeccable great hero. A man whom everyone adored, seeking his power and asking requests of him. I was—happy, the hero thought. That didn’t change until just before he died. He neither yielded to overwhelming power nor lost to despair. The only thing he received were words and songs of blessing and praise. From the moment he was born till his death. That had never changed, the hero thought. The very last wish that was asked of the perfect hero, to whom others continued to make requests, was his own death. A request that he carried out ended up coming back to him as punishment. His brother-in-law loved a certain woman and requested that the hero make her capitulate, and so it was settled by having the hero embrace that woman as his proxy. That may not have been a crime, but it wasn’t behavior that could be praised either. Due to knowledge of this spreading around, the hero wounded the woman’s honor. He wounded the woman’s pride. And she wasn’t an ordinary woman, but the queen of a country. As a result, he sensed that it would cause a terrible conflict—and so he spoke to the man who he had once called a friend and with whom he should have exchanged cups of brotherhood. +++ “Ah, the situation is beyond my control. Hagen, I am invincible and so have never once been wounded by you. But even so, if I don’t have you kill me…” +++ The man who was once his friend granted the hero’s wish. He tenaciously searched and found out the hero’s weak point, crafted a plan knowing fully well that it was a cowardly act, and aimed for the hero’s back as he drank water. Even while knowing that, the hero stopped himself from resisting. Without leaving behind any unseemly figure or stupidity, the hero died as a tragic hero who received a sneak attack due to trickery. His former friend became widely known as a rare villain who had killed the hero through foul play. Properly speaking, the story ended here. It should have become a tale where the conflict was resolved and the hero alone died a noble death. …But it led to the worst of situations that was beyond what the hero had expected. The woman who was the hero’s wife burned with the flames of revenge and, as a result, many men died. It was surely because the hero was loved by and befriended everyone. He probably couldn’t truly understand something like a deep-rooted and blind love… a passionate love that repays the murder of one’s loved one with twice the payback. Or perhaps it was because he repeatedly responded to the requests made of him. Perhaps the woman who loved him thought he wouldn’t do something if it wasn’t requested of him. As a result, his wish wasn’t granted right until the very end. For the hero who had acted neither to defeat evil nor do good, but instead specialized in simply ‘granting the requests of others’, it was probably an inevitable conclusion. But, right as he was on the verge of death, the hero had a faint thought. As he was confronted with death, ‘what he wanted to do’ finally became clear to him. +++ I lived and died as a hero. I have no regrets about that in itself. I can declare that there was not a single disagreeable thing in my life. Even so, I can’t help but think. If I weren’t a prince, if I were just an ordinary man. Wouldn’t I have been able to earnestly pursue my own will? It doesn’t matter if I’m not acknowledged by anyone. I don’t mind if I’m not praised by anyone. I want to acknowledge myself. I want to have pride in myself. There lies what I sought. What I wished for. I want to stand on the side of what I believe in. If I could do that, then surely—I would be able to live with my chest puffed up proudly. I won’t fight for the sake of someone else. I won’t fight for my own sake either. For the sake of the benevolence that I believe in, the justice I believe in, the loyalty I believe in, and the love I believe in. I will take hold of this sword and fight with this body. That is my dream, my wish. I——want to be an ally of justice 1 . Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Ally of justice: This is a very familiar term for those who are fans of the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel and its prequel Fate/Zero. You may have seen it translated differently as “hero of justice” or “superhero”, but it all refers to the same term. I personally will be using “ally of justice” since I find that it makes it easier not to confuse with the usual term “hero”. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 033. Chapter 3 Ch3-10 The strong pain running through the back of his left hand forcibly brought Sieg back to consciousness. “Ugh…” The pain, like that of a smoldering iron being pushed against his hand, gradually started to abate. It appeared that he was alive. Feeling pain probably meant he was alive. However, this wasn’t the battlefield he had returned to along with Ruler. He felt the sensation of touching a cold and hard rock surface. It seemed—he had come back to that place he had visited once before. Perhaps worried about the vivid pain just now, Sieg unconsciously glanced at his left hand. “Wh, at…? He shivered. Sieg had been born possessing basic knowledge about the Holy Grail War. Therefore, it was natural that he felt so shocked it blew the pain out of his mind. “Impossible, these are…!” On the back of his left hand were three patterns. He naturally understood what they were. These were the proof of being a Master in the Holy Grail War—that is, Command Spells. No, they were slightly different from normal Command Spells. It was natural for the patterns of the Command Spells to differ depending on the Master, but they should always be dyed a red color. But these ones were black instead. Standing out on the surface of Sieg’s white skin, the black patterns somehow seemed repulsive. Suddenly, he felt the presence of a giant creature behind him. He was paralyzed with fear that numbed the tips of his hands and feet. His reason told him that he mustn’t turn around. He tried not to be conscious of the sound and smell of the raw and deep breaths behind him. But—the thing behind him definitely held malice towards him. He had to fight it. He had to pick up a sword and fight it. And an ordinary sword was no good. Even the sword he had received from Rider of Black was no good. What he needed was a magic sword that could even ‘slay a dragon’. A blade so great it was extolled and had carved its name into legend. +++ —Stupid. Where could you find something like that? —Stupid. You already have it. +++ The thoughts that appeared in his mind were easily overturned by a whisper. …In his right hand was a sword hilt. The blade itself was halfway stuck in the ground. It seemed he had to pull this out. In order to defeat the creature behind him, he had to pull out this sword— Sieg didn’t hesitate. He gripped the hilt tightly and tried to pull it out at once. “Kuh…!” But it wouldn’t budge. Even when he used all his might, it wouldn’t move a single millimeter. It was as if the blade was being held there tightly by someone. If he didn’t pull it out, he would die. When he saw the repulsive thing that shouldn’t exist in this world, his body would be destroyed and his spirit would die. That would definitely happen if he didn’t obtain the means to oppose it. +++ —This sword can’t be pulled out by you. —But, if it’s you, you can do it. +++ The Command Spells on his left hand flickered ominously… Command Spells contained abundant amounts of prana. They could overturn even the laws of nature and reproduce all possible phenomena with magic, even crossing into a domain close to that of sorcery. In that case, what power was necessary to pull out this blade? +++ —The one who it is requested of isn’t you. —The one who wishes for it isn’t you. +++ …The answer had already been given to him. The heart he had received, the abundant prana he had obtained when he was revived. And the black Command Spells that had appeared on his hand. All of it piled up. All of it began to advance in a single direction. He couldn’t oppose it. He didn’t intend to either. Even if this might be a path that someone else had given him, he didn’t mind. +++ —This is the path I choose. —This is the path you chose. +++ I see. Then… “…I order this body of mine with a Command Spell.” One of the Command Spells started shining white. Along with the light that swelled up, Sieg’s body changed. The information of a Heroic Spirit was downloaded into his body. Physical information was expressed, battle experience was stored and accumulated, personal abilities were embodied, and even Noble Phantasms were reproduced. But even a Command Spell could only reproduce that miracle for a short time. A hundred and eighty seconds. That was the time limit of reproducing a Heroic Spirit with a Command Spell. After that time limit passed, Siegfried would return to being Sieg. That’s fine, he thought. Even three minutes is enough if this body can be of use to him, if this body can become the power to save them. He didn’t have an ounce of hesitation in him. As long as what he needed to hold in his hand was there. He would happily accept even ruin, decay and a miserable death. What was essential wasn’t putting strength in his right hand, but his will, and so he easily pulled out the sword. He returned to the hell overflowing with light. Lastly, thinking he should at least see the form of the monster, he turned around—and he saw, for some reason, himself standing still there. …He decided to leave thinking about this event for later. Right now, there was something he had to do. Sieg stopped thinking and chose to simply advance forward. It was just a short three minutes. But even if it was just a short three minutes, the reproduction was perfect. In terms of physical abilities, Sieg had been perfectly reproduced as Saber of Black. On his back was the Phantasmal Greatsword, Balmung. Covering his body here and there was silver armor. His chest had greatly expanded, exposing skin that was dyed brown with the blood of a dragon. That skin was composed of dragon scales that wouldn’t be wounded by any blade or any spell. All except for a single part in the middle of his back… What accomplished this miracle was the curse of a dragon, and what allowed that transformation was the heart of a dragon. Therefore, their name was Dead Count Shapeshifter: Dragon Revelation Command Spells . A life crystalized in a hundred and eighty seconds, approaching death each time one was used. Thus, a hero of legend—the ‘dragon-slayer’ returned to stand on the earth. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### Leave a comment Cancel reply - NanoDesu Translations Home - Recent Posts Volume 4 PDF and Epub Now Available Volume 4 Chapter 4 and Afterword Complete! Volume 4 Finished!! Volume 4 Chapter 3 Complete Volume 4 Chapter 2 Complete Volume 4 Start! Prologue and Chapter 1 (and Color Illustrations) - Discuss Fate/Apocrypha on the ND Forums - NanoDesu Translations Facebook NanoDesu Translations Facebook - Other Light Novel Translations - Baka Tsuki - C.E. Light Novel Translations - Imoutolicious Light Novel Translations - Disclaimer The work translated on this website is the legal property of its original copyright holder. It is translated here without monetary incentive solely for the purposes of promoting domestic interest in the work and improving personal language proficiency. Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 034. Chapter 3 Ch3-14 Ruler had left behind Rider of Black and Sieg and was now running towards the Hanging Gardens by herself at full speed. The closer she got, the more shocked she was by that floating Noble Phantasm. Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasms, which possessed the pure power to destroy fortresses and castles, were rare, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t Heroic Spirit who owned them. However, Noble Phantasms that were fortresses in and of themselves were most likely even scarcer. Fortresses that existed as Noble Phantasms, according to the knowledge that Ruler immediately dragged out, were limited to those like the one possessed by Ireland’s Child of Light. And even that was restricted to the borders of his homeland. Furthermore, the number of Noble Phantasms that were floating strongholds was nearly zero. And to make things more troublesome, it appeared that the owner of that floating fortress held ill will towards her. She had gone through considerable detours, but in any case, there were many things she needed to verify with the Red camp. —However. Something, something fatal was starting and about to end. She kept having that premonition. Somehow managing to shake off the chill that took hold of her, she jumped onto the walls of the Fortress of Millennia and ran upwards at full speed. From the huge hole that had been bored into the Fortress of Millennia, the Greater Grail was slowly coming into view. “…I can’t believe it.” Ruler’s murmur was only natural. The oppressive sensation clamping down on her entire body told her that it was without a doubt the real Greater Grail. What she couldn’t believe was that the Red camp was trying to drag it out. It was true that this was a war that revolved around the Greater Grail. She also predicted that the Red Camp would end up doing this if they won. But that would normally only happen after the war was over. Why were they hurriedly trying to recover the Greater Grail when the scales of battle were still swaying? Most likely, the one causing problems right now was not any of the Red Servants, but a Master. Someone who, at the very least, wasn’t following the will of the Association of Magi… After having conjectured that far, she finally managed to arrive atop the floating fortress. Water ran upstream and plants clearly grew not upwards but downwards instead. “A reversed flow… the Hanging Gardens…!” “That’s right, Ruler.” Hearing that jeering voice, Ruler turned around—she knew of only two Heroic Spirits who possessed the Hanging Gardens as a Noble Phantasm. The first was Nebuchadnezzar II, and the second was—the legendary empress who, due to oral transmission of ancient folklore getting mixed up, was lavished with the falsehood of having ‘made the Hanging Gardens’. The world’s oldest poisoner—Semiramis. “Assassin of Red… so that’s who you are.” “Indeed. Now then, Ruler. Do you have some business in my gardens? I don’t believe I have violated any particular rules, though.” Perhaps due to the dimness of the nearby torches, her black and glamorous dress was halfway merged with the darkness of the night. Ruler felt it was terribly—eerie. “No, you have.” “Hoh,” said Assassin of Red, displaying interest. “—Then tell me. What rule have I violated?” “If you have not a single smidgeon of guilt on your conscience and you are obeying the rules of the Holy Grail War as you say—then please let me meet your Master.” Instantly, the look in Assassin of Red’s eyes switched from sneering to cautious. Ruler knew from those eyes that the path she had followed here wasn’t mistaken. “…Unfortunately, my Master is occupied right now. Furthermore, while he isn’t a coward at all, I won’t let him meet with other Servants.” “I see. He’s hiding somewhere within these gardens , isn’t he?’ Ruler easily pointed that out. Assassin of Red was already preparing to fight. As if to stop her from doing so, Ruler stuck forward her flag and spoke. “You should understand that fighting me is useless, Assassin of Red. The pillars of light shot from the Hanging Gardens were the work of your spells, correct? In that case—” “Hmph. It’s true that my magecraft can’t pierce through your Magic Resistance. Is that one of your privileges as Ruler, I wonder?” “I have still more privileges… Assassin of Red. Please don’t make me use this.” Ruler’s entire body shined slightly with pale light, and even Assassin of Red couldn’t stop herself from grimacing in response. “…The greatest privilege of the Ruler class; Command Spells that can be used on all Servants, huh?” This was the greatest reason that Ruler could act as a mediator. Ruler possessed two Command Spells for every Servant. In this case, that added up to a total of twenty-eight Command Spells. It was only natural that the Black camp had tried to get her as an ally. In extreme cases, she could end the majority of Servants by ordering them to kill themselves. Of course, a Command Spell could be counteracted by another Command Spell. If she ordered Servants to kill themselves, their Masters could simply use a Command Spell of their own to stop them from killing themselves. But that meant that two Command Spells were uselessly expended. If they kept one Command Spell in reserve to take into account the betrayal of their Servants, it actually become impossible for them to use any Command Spells afterwards. Additionally, the camp that Ruler sided with would be able to use a sum total of four Command Spells for each Servant with Ruler’s Command Spells also included. Ruler, who could overturn the superiority or inferiority of any side, was naturally a capable person whom everyone wanted. Though Heroic Spirits who would fall for such temptation shouldn’t be fit for the Ruler class in the first place. “But don’t bother. Even if we have to exhaust all our Command Spells, I won’t betray my Master. If you order me with a Command Spell, my Master will stop it.” “…Your Master isn’t your puppet, is he?” “Of course not. No matter what my first life was like, I am now a Servant and I will selflessly support my Master.” Ruler took a step forward and spoke. “In that case, right now you are my enemy.” Having reached here, she at last clearly confirmed that Assassin of Red and her Master were her enemies. Even Assassin of Red couldn’t help turning nervous at that step. From the beginning, the specs of Assassin and Ruler weren’t even comparable. Additionally, magi had fatally bad compatibility with Ruler. Even without using a Command Spell, she could immediately defeat Assassin. —In the first place, Assassin of Red and her Master didn’t wish to fight Ruler. What was more important was that Lancer of Red and Lancer of Black would soon come into contact to resume their battle, and that Lancer of Black’s Master would become aware of the situation. She just needed to buy a few minutes of time by talking with Ruler until then. Shirou, knowing quite well the cruelty and inhumanity of Lancer of Black’s Master Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, was certain that he would definitely activate the Noble Phantasm that reproduced that legend if the situation became disadvantageous for Lancer of Black. “Hoh, I see. So I am your enemy, am I? But it’s unfortunate. Starting from this very moment, we must share the same interest.” “—!?” Ruler turned around. There was no sound or disturbance of prana. But in just a few seconds, the worst possible situation would occur—she received such a revelation. “There, you should get going now. What, I’ll also help. We must oppose that together—because that’s how extremely troublesome it is.” Ruler gritted her teeth slightly. But Assassin’s words were correct. Something had already been ‘born’ along with an enormous outpouring of prana. Something that didn’t belong in the Holy Grail War and could be considered fatal. Ruler turned her back to Assassin and began running with all her might. 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Any or all content of this website will be deleted upon the establishment of an official license for translation of this work into English or upon request by any of the original copyright holders for this work. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. - Subscribe Subscribed (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. - (NanoDesu) A Translation of the Fate/Apocrypha Light Novel Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Copy shortlink Report this content View post in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar ### 035. Part 15 In the PDF version, the explanatory footnotes for Grand Guignol, Night of Wallachia, and Dracula’s dream are missing. The numbers are present in the main text, but the footnotes aren’t there. The rest of the PDF is fine other than some minor typographical errors. Like Reply ↓ ### 036. Act 1 ## Act 1 - Unbirth The sage cries out. "Open, Gate of Heaven. Bless us and bestow miracles upon us!" -- It was a place endlessly surrounded by cravings. Gluttony and lust bring forth avariciousness and a hunger for fame, in turn bringing forth violence and cajolery. Everyone gladly threw themselves into this endless hell. The women sell their bodies, the men sell their violence. The men sell their bodies, the women sell their honor. Laughing, and being laughed at; devouring, and being devoured; jeering, and being jeered at; harming, and being harmed; violating, and being violated. This is Shinjuku. A place that only truly shone in the darkness of night. A never-before-seen, and never-again-shall-be, battle royale between magi who had attained the qualifications of 'Master' and heroes summoned as 'Servant' -- that is the Holy Grail War. A magus who had qualified and was now preparing to join the battle was here in Shinjuku as well. However, he still had a dilemma. ...He could not summon his Servant. On the roof of a multi-tenant building, a magic circle was drawn in human blood . The etched circle glittered crimson -- and abruptly, as though something had been cut off, the light was lost. "...It's not working." The man dropped his shoulders in disappointment. Before his eyes were four strangely-shaped knives and two butcher's knives. It was a symbol to summon the Servant. Using the six blades favored by that 'serial killer', the magus attempted to summon the Servant -- and failed. "This isn't enough. Yeah, it's totally not enough." Generally, having an item with an affinity to the Heroic Spirit will suffice in summoning a specific Servant. For example, the sheath of the holy sword once wielded by the King of Knights . Or perhaps the fossil of cast skin from the first snake in the world to shed its skin . If you could prepare something like that, drawing a specific Servant is comparatively easier. However, there existed two points which led to the failure of the summoning this time. One was the caliber of the man as a magus. In this Holy Grail War, entirely unlike the Fourth, there are fourteen magi who become Masters. By necessity, there are also fourteen Servants. It is double the norm. Following this, the Grail that originally would support the summoning can only exert half its strength, and the rest must be made up for by the magus. And regrettably, the man was nothing more than a second-rate magus. Another point was how weak the Heroic Spirit the man had been trying to summon was. He was weak, though merely in terms of belief. The Servant the man had been trying to summon was an existence from merely one hundred twenty years ago. Despite his fame, he was not one who could match those who were worshiped as gods and heroes. In short, what was needed -- was a push, by any means necessary. "Now what should I do...?" As he lamented, the man scratched his head. After a moment, he thought of a good idea. These six weapons were specialized blades used practically for one 'deed'. In that case -- when would these weapons exercise their most proper function? The answer was, obviously, when they were being practically used. He will create a situation where these lethal weapons can be practically used -- if he can do this, the connection with the Servant should become strong enough for a summoning. "So basically, I need a woman." The man picked someone suitable for the role immediately. There was a woman who sold her body to make a living. That was exactly what the woman currently by his side did, wasn't it? She was originally just a woman on whom he had cast a suggestion when he infiltrated this city. He had no hesitations in treating her as something disposable. "...All right, let's do it." As he incinerated the magic circle and left the building, the man's eyes switched from cold ones belonging to a magus to ones reminding you of a warm and innocent young man. A host was his profession, his working name "Hikaru". The magus, true name Sagara Hyouma, melted away into the city of cravings -- practically perfectly. To Rikudou Reika, the sounds of the heart were strange. As her heart thumped, she lived. Without this sound, her brain, organs and limbs would be dead. This fist-sized organ, sounding as though this small sound was all that it could manage, allowed one to live. Reika could not help but feel it strange. One does not live, but is allowed to live by the heart. Hazily thinking such things -- that was how she spent her life, simply being swept along. She still did not know what the purpose of her life was. Perhaps it was because she did not have a family. Perhaps it was because she had been abused before she was adopted. Perhaps it was because she could not do anything when she was a child. ......Reika knew nothing. However, even if she did not know, a human being cannot survive without making money. Even Reika knew this, so for the present, she decided to live on by selling her body. Fortunately, she had never had trouble with a client. Why did someone like her, passed by and suddenly hit on by a host on the streets, so easily agreed to live together with him -- knowing that she would be exploited? Reika did not know why she did that, but it hurt her head to think, so she stopped. Sagara Hyouma was kind. At least, he did not use violence against her. The most he had ever done was ask for small sums of money. Even when he did this, he did not threaten violence. He simply requested. For some reason, she could not defy his requests -- she could never even have the intent to. She did not quite understand, but perhaps this was the thing called "love". Reika would think of this in that way. She would think of this, and be happy. One day, the man may wake up by himself. Or perhaps he may continue their love. Marriage? Childbirth? A family? Or perhaps, divorce? Both being far off into the future, they were a bother for Reika to think about. She did not know what will happen in her life during the coming days, but at least, she will be allowed to live to the next day -- so Reika thought. And she knew that this was wrong. "Heeeey. Reika. Are you listening to me?" Feeling the tap on her face, Reika turned her lightly-colored eyes to the man. When she tried to stand up, she found that something was preventing her from doing so. Her ankles were tied with a cord. "...What, is this?" Reika posed a question to Hyouma, the man she had been living with. Hyouma looked down on her with cold eyes, ones that she had never seen him wear before. -- Yes, these eyes, Reika knew them. These were the eyes of one who would use violence. They were eyes that regarded the one before them as being a worthless existence. But, why this, all of a sudden...? Even though she loved him. Even though she still loved him. "It won't work unless I re-enact it." His soft voice, unexpectedly, made Reika felt as though her entire body froze. "Re, enact?" "Yes. Re-enacting the scene of the crime. I'm afraid that's what is needed to summon him . I need to cut a woman like you to pieces using his knives ." "What......?" In order to withstand violence, you simply need to force your heart into a state of temporal death. That was what she had always done, and what she had planned to do this time as well. However, Hyouma just said that he would cut her to pieces. -- What was that supposed to mean? -- What was the meaning in cutting her to pieces? "All right. Magic circle complete." The stench of blood, which any resident of Shinjuku would be used to smelling, made Reika's heart pound as she faced death. Not noticing the change in Reika, Hyouma raised his right hand, which had a strange tattoo, and began to chant strange words. "Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time." It's like an spell, thought Reika. In spite of the lack of any particularly disturbing content, a scream began to rise inside Reika. "Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let my great master ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ be the ancestor. Raise a wall, against the wind that shall fall. Close the four cardinal gates. Come out from the crown. Rotate the three-branched road reaching the Kingdom." Hyouma took up a knife in his hand. "Please don't..." Her sense of foreboding turning into a conviction, Reika spoke with a shaking voice as she shook her head. Hyouma did not reply. The tip of the knife traced Reika's body, as though lost. However, he was not hesitating, but deciding where to strike . It would be meaningless to finish her off with a single blow. He had to re-enact those brutal killings, so he needed to slaughter her in the most painful way possible. Finally, Hyouma decided where to stab. "-- I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be with your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason...... then answer!" Hyouma shouted, and raised the knife up high. Reika's right arm sent her a shock. "......Huh?" A second late, the pain assaulted her, and Reika screamed. An enormous heat scorched her body, centered on the knife that had stabbed into her. "It... hurts... it hurts...!" All the times when she had been beaten before were nothing compared to this intense pain. "-- An oath shall be sworn here!" Another knife stabbed her in the abdomen this time. "...ah......!" There was no shock, unlike the first. But the pain multiplied. Reika, feeling her life flowing away from her, screamed. Words, ones that she had never thought of in her entire life, overwhelmed her. "I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven. I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!" He aimed for and stabbed her upper left shoulder. At last, the voice that had screamed for him to stop could no longer make a sound. "-- From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!" A knife hovered above her head. In an instant, she understood that she will die. Fear exploded in her, coursing through her entire body. No. I don't want this. She never wanted to die like this, in such wanton cruelty, and such despair. How many seconds of reprieve did she have until that knife was swung down? Must she now accept her death, within a span of less than ten seconds? No. I'll never want that. I don't want to, I don't, no, no no no no no no no no no no no no no -- ! "No...!" As such, Reika went beyond her own limit. A knife had been driven through her right palm and into the concrete floor. She grasped the blade with her pierced hand. Gathering all the strength in her body, she pulled it out and thrust it at Hyouma's face. Having been enduring the pain of the spell, he stopped the incantation and screamed as pain suddenly assaulted him from the outside. "Bitch...!" Spewing out sounds that no longer formed into words, Reika brandished the knife again. Hyouma glared at her with hate and let off a strong kick at the pit of her stomach. Unlike the pain of having a knife sticking into her, this was a shock that suspended her vital activities. Reika tumbled to the edge of the magic circle. She was, if anything, vividly conscious, perhaps due to her intense pain. There was no change in the magic circle. It did not even glow. "Does it have to be five people, then...? Or do I have to go and kill thirteen? Shit. This is such a pain." Hyouma stamped his feet as he tore at his hair. Blood spilled from Reika's mouth as she watched. "Ka, ah..." Her heart continued to operate, accelerating in order to allow the existence called Rikudou Reika to live on. However, the pain had long ago breached the limit permissable by humans. Little by little, she knew that her bodily senses were being lost. However, she could not feel any relief from the fact that she will no longer suffer. Reika's life was flowing out of her with every second. She didn't know why she had lived. She didn't know why she was allowed to live. Crushing down the doubts she had had for many years, she gave forth a single answer. -- I want to live. She simply wanted to live on. She did not want to die. She did not want to die in such pain. Having despaired at life, she embraced the first craving she had ever had as she faced death. She wanted to live because she wanted to. She didn't want to die because she didn't want to. That was simply it, and nothing else. Yes -- what a simple, clear truth it was. "I don't... want to... die." A single drop dripped onto the magic circle. In the next instant, an incredible tempest swept out from the center of the circle. Hyouma could sense it. It was an outrageous swirl of prana -- journeying through all obstacles, an uncommon monster will make its advent into this reality! "...Is this... did I do it?!" The voice of the magus shook with joy. -- You want to live, right? It was the lovely, and very clear, voice of a young girl. The voice spoke, not to Hyouma, but to Reika alone. Without the slightest hesitation, Reika replied to the voice. -- I want to live. Reika made her wish. She clung on to it desperately. The girl whispered with a sweetly ringing voice. -- Okay. We understand. Let us make our contract, Mother . The magic circle activated, and prana accompanied by fierce crimson light was released. Reika was captivated by the fantastical scene before her and Hyouma, unlike before, expressed his delight with an assured response. "...Did it work? It did! All right, I did it!" The clear voice of the girl reached Hyouma as he danced around. "Question -- are you the one who called for us?" Hyouma was dumbfounded by the voice which was so far beyond his expectations. After all, he had been extremely sure that the most famous killer of all couldn't possibly be a young girl . "Wha? Huh? Did I do something wrong...?" Hyouma was bewildered by the girl that came out from the circle. Her silver hair was dense and rather short and her pale, ice-blue eyes gazed at the magus disinterestedly. The girl shook her head and declared. "No, there is no mistake. You summoned us. We are what you have sought." "So that means, you're..." "Yes. What you had attempted to summon was the Servant Assassin. Our true name -- is 'Jack the Ripper'." Hyouma's face shone with joy. "I got it... I drew the right one!" Hyouma, as a magus, understood that he was not a type suited to combat. The magecraft his house had passed on generation after generation was specialized in unspectacular powers such as suggestion and concealment, and they ended up being ridiculed as "rats". However, a rat can kill in ratlike ways, and Hyouma was proud of his tactics. Of the way he fought, fierce like a sewer rat, cunning, and tenacious. In order for him to win the Holy Grail War, Servants which fought with great fanfare -- like the so-called primary classes such as Saber or Lancer, or the powerful but uncontrollable Berserker must be avoided. Even considering his own rank as a magus, he did not believe that he could put them to any work, nor could he allow them to fully exercise their strengths. Assassin was the most fitting Servant for him. There was no mistaking it. However, the Heroic Spirit which must be summoned as Assassin was fixed. This would also mean that, as soon as one's own Servant is known to be Assassin, countermeasures can be worked out. Following on this, Hyouma sought a completely unknown Servant -- or at least one that had never participated in the Grail War before. A serial killer with little history while possessing the 'monstrosity' befitting a Heroic Spirit. In other words, Jack the Ripper. Hyouma jumped for joy and tried to rush over to Jack. However, she spun around, turned her back to Hyouma, and knelt beside the pitiful living sacrifice, Reika. "Are you all right, Mother ?" When the girl addressed her, two sounds seemed to somehow overlap. It was a strange sound, as though she pronounced both "Master" and "Mother" at the same time. "Huh? W-Whoa, wait. Hold on. Hey." The girl took no notice of Hyouma's call to stop. "Please wait. We'll help you now. It's okay. It's going to be all right." "It hurts..." "We're sorry, Mother . Please hold on for a bit longer." Jack gently stroke Reika's hair with affection, and turned to face Hyouma once again. "...You are Servant Assassin. Your true name is 'Jack the Ripper'... that's right, isn't it?" Jack nodded shortly at Hyouma's words, without any of her endearing gestures. So far so good, but to Hyouma, the problems were just beginning. "You are my Servant, aren't you?" The ice-blue eyes flashed like jewels. Peered at by those lovely, pure and inhuman eyes, Hyouma could not help but become afraid. The three command spells were carved into the back of his hand. He felt as though if he hadn't had those, he would have lost sight of himself as a magus. The one who summoned her was the magus called Sagara Hyouma. That was how it should be, but somehow -- he could not help but feel as though he was standing in enemy territory. Jack, without answering Hyouma's question, picked up her symbol -- the strangely-shaped knife that was lying on the floor. This simple act accelerated Hyouma's heartbeat. "Answer me, Assassin. Whose -- Servant are you?" "It's inconvenient being a magus, isn't it?" Jack suddenly murmured. "Perhaps not small spells, but when it comes to big spells, you have to put it into words, don't you?" "What, about it?" "Even worse, if you have to execute a command spell, you can't just wish for it. After all, the wish won't be granted unless you put it into proper words ." In an instant, his survival instinct gave him a strong alert. This Servant was dangerous. This Servant regarded him as an adverse enemy which needed to be eliminated. "I call upon you with the command spell --" He felt as though something blazing hot was stuffed into his mouth. When he ignored it and tried to order her to "commit suicide", he noticed, -- his jaw, was gone. " ------ !!" The words he wanted to cry did not come out. The only speech he could manage was a ridiculous breathing sound. "And you don't need this, either." His wrist received a shock. In violent pain, with his blood discharging as though from a bottomless bucket, Hyouma fell into a panic at once. " ------ !! -- ! -- ! --- !!" Even so, he could not speak. At this moment Sagara Hyouma, having lost his capability of speech, was less than a rat, simply reduced to a piece of meat. Having confirmed this, Jack walked over to Reika once again. "We'll fix you now. It... might be a bit uncomfortable. We're sorry." The girl informed her, deeply apologetic. Perhaps it was because of how sorry she looked. Perhaps it was because of how her expression was filled with so much concern for her. "...It's all right." Reika murmured and lost consciousness. -- When she awoke again, the nauseous agony had disappeared from her. But there was a wrongness to her entire body that she could not shake off. The bindings at her feet had been undone. Reika stood up, looked at her right hand, and frowned. The wound on her right hand had been stitched up, but by methods which were somewhat too crude. A black thread creeped about haphazardly like an earthworm, and it was dubious whether the wound had really been closed. But the blood had stopped... and she was no longer in pain. "Well, I guess it's fine as long as it doesn't hurt." "Yes. Not hurting is good." The voice came from right beside her. Turning around, she found the girl from before watching her steadily with an expression of childish innocence. Reika faced the girl again, and talked to her. "Um, you were the one who saved me, right?" "Yes, that's right. We did." "'We'?" "Yes. We are one, and one is all." "I'm sorry, I don't really understand. Um, what was your name again?" "Jack the Ripper. Jack is fine, or Assassin." "Hmm... those don't sound like girl's names." "Mm..." Seeing the crestfallen Jack, Reika hurriedly continued. "But Jack has a pretty ring to it. Can I call you Jack?" "Yep." " -- Now. I'd like to know exactly what happened. Can you explain it to me, Jack?" "We can. But it's dangerous here, so let's move somewhere else." "Yes, I understand. Oh, but -- what should we do about Hyouma?" Reika tilted her head to one side, looking at the thing that used to be a person which was taking ghastly, wheezing breathes. There was no blood flowing from his lost jaw or his wrist. Like Reika's right hand, they had been sewn up with a chaotic surgical method. "Let's bring him with us. He might become necessary later." Jack lifted Hyouma up without much effort. "Please bring us to your house, Mother . We will follow." "Oh, um, but..." Reika glanced at Hyouma as Jack carried him. For a start, anyone who saw a person with their right hand and lower jaw cut off would report it. Perhaps detecting her unease, Jack shook her head quickly from side to side. "It's okay, it's okay." "It's okay?" "Yep. No one will know, no one will know." In the end, as Jack said, no fault could be found with the appearance of the girl. Reika, walking ahead by herself, would sometimes turn around to look, but she could not locate Jack. And yet when she called out "Jack", she was answered by "What is it?" It was mysterious, but with so many incomprehensible things happening recently, she could not be bothered to point this out, and walked back to her own apartment at leisure. She led Jack to the kitchen and made some tea. "Thank you, Mother ." As always, it was a strange method of address, as though overlapping the words "Master" and "Mother". "Where should we start?" "Hmm... how about from the beginning?" "Okay. We will explain as much as we can." -- Jack the Ripper talked of the 'Holy Grail War' in a simplified manner to Reika, who had no magical knowledge. The Holy Grail, able to realize any and all miracles, had been re-enacted by a group of great magi. However, the Grail would grant the wish of only one. A Master chosen by the Holy Grail is granted a Vessel for the Grail and Command Spells. After that, one had to summon a Heroic Spirit, the Servant, and use it to win and survive. All Servants have their own special characteristics... Jack the Ripper is in the class of Assassin. And, most likely, Reika was chosen by Hyouma as a living sacrifice in order to summon her. The Grail, magi, Servants... she took in all the preposterous-sounding things that Jack spoke of. "I see. So Jack, are you really Hyouma's Servant?" "That was the original plan, we think. But just as we were about to be summoned as a Servant, we were drawn by words more powerful than his." -- I want to live. I don't want to die. I'll never accept a death like this. Reika wished strongly for the thing necessary to overturn the pursuing death that had been close at hand. That prayer was granted by Jack -- as a result, she arrived, summoned not as a Servant of Hyouma but of Reika. This was quite likely an event without any precedent. As long as the Command Spells exist, the summoning of the Servant is a comparatively simple ritual in and of itself. One simply needed to draw the magic circle and chant the spell -- and sometimes, the situation may be that even the spell is unnecessary. If one wishes to draw a specific Servant, one should simply prepare a symbol with an affinity to the Heroic Spirit. The summoning also takes an exceedingly short time. While the summoning of a Heroic Spirit is a great ritual, with the backing of the Holy Grail, little time is needed. Thus -- it was doubtful whether a third party had ever managed to interfere in a situation like this before. To say nothing of how said third party, for the sake of avoiding an impending death, had made a prayer with greater resolution than the summoner. Everything about the contract between Jack and Reika was an utter anomaly. As Jack briefly explained about topics such as the Servant classes and special characteristics, she took out the thing she had crammed into her bag and put it on the table. "So, Mother . We wanted to talk to you about this." "Oh, my." Reika reflexively covered her mouth with a hand. It was Hyouma's right hand. What appeared to be a tattoo imitating three knives was carved on its back. "These are the Command Spells. They normally appear on the arm of the magus who would become the Master... um, they're like tickets for giving orders." "Oh..." Reika touched the back of the stiffened hand in a nervous manner. "He's still alive, so it's still functioning... is he here?" "Mmm..." In all honesty, Reika could think of nothing that she would need to order Jack for. However, the power of the Command Spells was immense, yet something that could be manipulated even by Reika. It could be used as a trump card to reverse an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation. "If he dies, the Command Spells will disappear as well. That would be a waste, so we should keep it around, we think." "That's true. I don't want to be hurt... but I don't to waste anything, either. Well, would you please?" "Yep, okay. We're not too good at transplant operations, but we'll do our best." For whatever reason, Reika felt like stroking the head of the bashful Jack. The girl accepted it happily. The transfer took an hour. Despite the fact that it had been cut off, Hyouma wept in anguish when the Command Spells were forcibly torn off. Was his sense of pain still connected? Or was it from his despair that his qualification as a Master in the Grail War -- that his aspiration had been lost to him? In either case, Hyouma had just lost his last chance to survive. During the transfer, Reika's hand hurt as though it was burnt, but the pain soon disappeared. It still felt hot and ached a little, but that gradually lessened as well. "Now, the Vessel of the Grail." "Is this Grail something like a wine-glass?" "No, anything can work as the Vessel. Any object close at hand will automatically be acknowledged as a Vessel of the Grail." As though these words caused her to suddenly remember something, Reika asked. "Hyouma. When you lived here, wasn't there something you had with you that was really important?" Hyouma stiffened. "Hmm, I'm sure... yes, it's this." Reika was holding a ruby larger than her hand. "Is this it?" "Wow, that's amazing... this is the first time we've seen a mineralized heart ." "A, A heart?" Hearing this, Reika nearly dropped it without thinking. Jack's eyes were wide with curiosity and surprise. "Yep, it's a human heart. That's brilliant. Was it a curse? Or some kind of sickness?" "So is this the Holy Grail?" Jack sniffed the jewel and nodded. "Yes, this is it. No doubt about it." She had made a contract with a Servant, had Command Spells transferred to her, and obtained a Vessel. Rikudou Reika had become a Master in name as well as reality, and was in a position to use Servant Assassin. "So Mother , what will you do? In the Grail War?" "Hm, right. My wish has already been granted, after all." To live -- that was what she had first wished for, and it had been granted. That would mean she had returned to her original self. The one who lived vaguely, simply being swept along. "Ah... is there a wish you want granted, Jack?" "...Yes, there is." Jack's expression darkened. The way she held the cup of tea with both hands and sipped from it was rather cute, thought Reika absentmindedly. "We want to go back to our mother." "Back to your mother?" "Yes. We want to go back inside our mother. It's so very comfortable there." "I see." Regardless of its contents, it seemed Jack had a wish. It was an important wish that she wanted to have granted, no matter who she had to bring down to do so. Reika, having not wished for anything, could not deny her -- nor did she think she was qualified to. "So we'll have to join the War, then." "...Can we?" "Oh, yes. You saved me, after all." It was a wish that couldn't have possibly been granted. It was a situation where being killed would have been a matter of course. The only thing she could use to repay this girl who had completely overturned all of this would be herself. "I don't want to get hurt, though." "Don't worry, it won't hurt... we think." "All right. Well then, let us wage war." Jack nodded, her eyes twinkling. "Yep, let's wage a war!" "So... what should I do? I can't fight." "Well, Mother , we require prana to fight." The existence of a Servant in itself consumes an enormous amount of prana, though Jack, as an Assassin, is less draining compared to a Saber or Berserker. Even so, as Rikudou Reika was an amateur, not even being a magus, there was little likelihood of her becoming the main prana supply. In that case, prana will need to be replenished from other sources... "Eating human souls would do for us." "Human souls? Um, would that kill them?" "...Yes, we suppose." "Hmm... I guess it can't be helped." "Oh, um, but, having only bad people would be best. It might be just us, but a bad person's soul is more polluted and delicious." The nature of Jack the Ripper is chaotic evil. She is an existence that preaches chaos in the face of order, carrying out evil deeds. Thus, it would seem that souls of the same nature are more easily digested . "I see. So... would Hyouma taste good?" When Reika pointed at Hyouma, Jack bobbed her head up and down. "Yep. He's a magus too, so he would be delicious." Telling her to wait a moment, Reika walked over to Hyouma with the cut right hand. She crouched down, their eyes meeting as he cowered. "Did you love me, Hyouma?" " -- ¦ ¦¦¦! ¦ ¦¦¦!" Reika smiled when Hyouma nodded and cried out. "I'm not sure what you mean, but it sounds like you did. Thank you. You probably cast some sort of magecraft on me, didn't you? I don't hold that against you. After all, it's thanks to you that I got to know the wonderful feeling of loving someone." Reika gently pressed the right hand to her cheek. "Yes, that's right. I did love you after all. But you betrayed me, so it can't be helped. It really can't. I'm sorry. You'll live on as a precious memory ." " -- ¦¦! ¦ ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦!" With a bitter smile saying that she did not understand, Reika announced to Jack. "You can eat him. Oh, but I'd prefer it if you didn't dirty the place... eat him in the bathroom." Reika had no profound emotions as to the fact that she had been allowed to live. ......Similarly, she felt no hesitation in erasing someone she couldn't care less about . A mother would grieve for the death of her child. A lover would grieve for the death of her beloved. If no one would be faulted for not grieving for her -- then she couldn't care less either . Watching over Hyouma as his entire body jerked about, desperately struggling to survive, Reika calmly poured herself another cup of tea. Disposing of the withered corpse was easier than she had thought it would be. Having been crushed down, the thing she stuffed into the garbage bag did not look like a living being at all, and resembled nothing but a large amount of dead leaves. There wasn't even the stench of blood. Only the right hand, with its Command Spells ripped off, preserved its freshness. The only thing she had to remember him by was this hand. I will treasure it, Reika thought. "You don't like the smell of blood, do you, Mother ?" "No, not really." "So we sucked all his blood, too. Slurp. It tasted bad, though." "Oh, I'm sorry. You didn't have to do that for me." Jack shook her head from side to side. "Oh, no, if Mother is happy, we are happy." "I see." "Well... we will be happy if you would pat our head, too." Following Jack's modest request, Reika stroked her head. "Is this okay?" "Yes. Thank you, Mother ." The bashful girl was so very childish -- so much so that it was almost unthinkable that she had just murdered a man a short time ago. "I'd like to rest for a bit now. Is that all right?" "Yep. Good night. Don't worry. We will protect you, Mother ." "Yes, thank you, Jack." As would be expected, fatigue was setting in on her. As soon as she laid down on her bed and closed her eyes, Reika fell unconscious at once. And, she dreamed. The first thing she felt was a rending, gouging cold. A thick mist covered her surroundings, and every time she took a breath it felt as though poison was seeping into her body. Looking at her own hand, she was shocked to discover that she was awfully thin, and understood that she had somehow become Jack . Jack was peeking through the window of a house. Inside the dreary room, a woman was laughing. The woman laughed, and indulged herself in alcohol. Her heart and body worn down, she had become an existence that simply struggled to live day by day. She had no dreams. The only thing that existed to her was reality. However, it was clear that her reality had been crushed by her inescapable fate. She suffered from poverty and it was matter of whether she would die from starvation or disease. Reika looked on from outside the window, together with Jack. ...No, perhaps not. What Reika saw in the middle-aged woman through the window was her inescapable despair. She despaired at how she had no way to escape it except by drinking, she despaired at how she did not even know if she would have food tomorrow, and she despaired at her own lack of dreams. However, Jack -- saw in her only "Mother". "Mother." The girl whispered in a small voice. As though she were a parrot, she whispered it again and again. "Mother, mother, mother, mother, mother." She knocked on the window, softly, incessantly. The woman, apparently noticing at last, scowled as she opened the window. "Quiet!" Flinging this out with a witch-like expression, she shut the window with a bang. Perhaps the girl was aware that she would be rejected. She hanged her head and kept back the tears. And so, with nothing to do -- she wandered the night street. There were laughing voices, charming voices, shouts and screams. Voices, voices, voices, voices. All of them, voices that would never mourn them . How far had she walked? The girl suddenly stopped her feet. "Mother." The woman from before was standing by herself, waiting for a client. A man walked up to her, but it seemed they could not agree to a price, as the man spat and went off. "Mother." ..Abruptly, the mist thickened. Reika knew this was something like magecraft -- but the woman, of course, did not. She simply seemed perplexed by the sudden thickening of the mist. In the girl's hand was a single knife. "Mother." The woman, waving her hands about in the mist, did not notice the girl approaching her at all. She stood before the woman. "Mother." The woman cried out, twitching with fear, at her call. However, she seemed to have noticed that the one before her was the girl from before. The woman, her expression mixed with relief and anger, said. "Don't scare me!" "I'm sorry." Who would know -- what this apology was meant for. The girl briskly cut open the throat of the woman from side to side. Who would understand, who would believe, that the true form of Jack the Ripper, the legendary serial killer who knew of dissection and slipped into the darkness of night to perform his quiet dissections, was such a pitiful girl? "I'm sorry, Mother . I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But I want to go back. I want to go back. I want to go back, I want to go back --" With miserable tears, the girl dissected the anguishing Mother. Finally obtaining a part of the woman, the girl pressed the thing that smelt of blood against her face, and cried. -- Go back, go back, we want to go back. -- After all, it is so warm. It is so very warm here. The lamentations of the girl reached no one. She despaired, and faded away without achieving her dream. Was she killed? Did she choose death? Did she simply pass away? -- no one knew. It is likely that she will perpetually reign as an eternal mystery, an eternal darkness carved into the history of England. She was no longer a simple killer. She was one had obtained from others the belief known as fear -- a "Reverse Heroic Spirit". She woke from her dream. For a moment, Reika was confused by the fact that she was sleeping on her own bed. After clearing her consciousness, she grasped that what had happened before was a dream -- "But it felt so real." She did not believe that she can recreate 19th-century London to that degree with her mind alone, it being a place she had never been to, much less know about. It likely had something to do with the fact that she had made a contract with a Servant. Thinking this, Reika searched for her Servant, Jack the Ripper. "Jack...?" When she looked carefully, she noticed a big bulge in the sheets. She turned over the sheets gently, so as not to disturb it, and found Jack curled up there, hugging her knees and quietly sleeping. "Oh my." Feeling she ought not to wake her up, Reika stroked Jack's head softly. She had no regular work in the first place, so she could use her time freely. There was no need for her to worry. Even if she was awake, there was nothing she had to do in the morning. "...Just a bit longer." Murmuring this, Reika put her arms around Jack's head and closed her eyes again. When it became night, Reika went out into the streets with Jack. Jack explained to Reika about a technique called 'spirit form' that completely erases her from view. "Is it different from what you used last night?" Jack answered, "That's right. "What we used yesterday was the 'presence concealment' skill of the Assassin class. We didn't disappear, we just erased our presence. We can't carry anything while in Spirit Form." "I couldn't see you at all. Did you really just erase your presence?" "That's just the sort of creature we killers are. We're confident that not even a Servant can ever detect us as long as it's nighttime." Despite the fact that she could not see Jack, Reika felt that the girl was puffing up slightly in pride. "But Mother , are there really lots of bad people?" "Oh, yes. Um, it should be in this building... was it this floor?" Reika got a confirmation from the name-plates that showed each floor. "Akagami Finance Co. -- right, it's here. It's the fourth floor." "Everyone on the fourth floor?" "Yes. It's all right, the entire floor is filled with people from this company." "Well, let's go in unseen then, Mother ." When she reached the fourth floor by elevator, Reika did as Jack instructed and moved to the women's washroom first. "What are you going to do?" "Use our Noble Phantasm." "'Noble Phantasm'...?" "The secret skills of Servants -- us." Jack materialized her body. She was gripping an antique lantern in her hand. "What is that?" "This is our Bounded Field Noble Phantasm: ' The Mist '." Servants are heroes from ancient times, and their tales revolve around certain weapons and tools, big and small. -- A holy sword of light, forged in the planet. -- A demonic spear which pierces the heart without exception through the reversal of causality. -- Reins which control beasts from the Age of Gods. The lantern Jack holds is one of these. "Have you ever heard of 'the Smoke', Mother ?" "I have. That means London, doesn't it?" "Yes. When we were there, the smog in London was horrible. It was pitch black -- so bad that we couldn't breathe, so bad we couldn't open our eyes." The mixture of smoke and fog released during the burning of coal is called smog. From the 19th to the 20th century, London had been harassed by smog countless times. The worst of all was the Great Smog of 1952. It was said that the thick mist of sulfur covering London caused over 10,000 deaths. Jack opened the shutter of the lantern, and gently touched the candle inside. A flame was lit and at the same time, something like smoke began to leak out from the bottom of the lantern. "This Noble Phantasm can recreate that mist. No one can ever escape it. They'll die in agony, all of them." A troubled expression appeared on Reika's face. "Um... Jack? Wouldn't I die too, then? I'd prefer it if that didn't happen." A flustered Jack shook her head from side to side. "I-It's all right, it's all right! You'll be fine, Mother ! This mist can be 'directed'. So it won't get close to you." As Jack said, the enveloping mist, which had already gained a deep color, left a blank space in the area around Reika. "Now -- it's just up to us to finish them off one by one. We're off, Mother ." Jack said in a leisurely tone as she ran off with a knife in one hand. Akagami Finance was, simply put, a black-market lender. They lend people money with a smile, and then take away all that they own with wicked faces. Even in this line of work, they were well-known for their tough collection methods, making use of their advantanges as a still-active crime syndicate. "Hey, Mr Murano? Hate to tell you this, but you keep this up, and you're gonna have to sell off a few organs. You get what I'm saying? And I'll make it clear so even a moron can understand. What I'm saying here is, you're gonna have to off yourself, sell your organs and use your insurance money just to pay off the damn interest! Hey, you listening to me? I'm asking you -- huh?" Alas. Rikudou Reika just happened to have read about a news report on illegal loans posted in a magazine -- "What the hell? Is there a fire...?" And Reika just happening to know their address was what brought them to this tragedy. Upon breathing in the dense cloud of enveloping smoke, they fainted from the pain. "Gaah...!" "Ugh... I, I can't... breathe..." "S-Someone! The window! Get a window open -- !" A strongly acidic smog surrounded them. It was such a thing that simply breathing in it would burn the throat, and simply opening the eyes would cause them to fester. "This hurts... shit, this hurts, help! Help! Help me! Someone help me! Anyone -- !" The frenzied man quickly ran into the leg of a desk and fell clumsily to the floor. "I... have to get out of here...!" Get out? But to where? Where could he run? They themselves had not realized it, but those who tried to escape were deceived by the mist, and simply ran circles around the same place. "Ha!" The voice of a young girl, ill-suited to this company, suddenly rang out. "Gheh -- " And, leaving behind this ridiculous squeal -- a colleague collapsed before him. "Wha-- who...?!" The words of the man, whose throat had been hideously burnt, could not be heard as anything but rasping noises. "A killer." Even so, the light voice of the girl answered. -- A killer? The hell does that mean, the man thought. Anyway, his eyes and throat were in pain, unbearably so. He was suffocating as he could not breathe. His eyes hurt and he could not see a thing. He wanted someone to hurry and come to ease his pain. Please, stop this pain for me. Let me be at peace, let me be at peace, let me be at peace -- guoh. Jack, wielding the knife skillfully, dissected his body. "Prana -- replenished. Heart -- gulp." She swallowed the heart that had had terror etched into its bloodstream. Looking around her, she located a new target. "Hmmmm... found you!' "Hiiih -- !!" As Jack's stomach still complained of considerable hunger, she drew the hearts out of every single one of them, and finally managed to fill herself comfortably. "Thank you for the meal." "You're welcome." By the time Jack returned, the mist had cleared. "Well then, let's go home." At Reika's words, Jack abruptly stopped. Staring blankly, the girl posed a question to Reika. "...We're, going home?" "That's right. Was there something else you wanted to do?" "No, nothing else. We just... thought it was strange, going home." "Why is that?" "-- We, had no home." The girl remembered the alleyways, shrouded in mist and stench. The nests, covered in waste and feces, where filthy rats ran about, were most certainly not a place of rest. When you sleep at night, someone may attack you. When you wake up in the morning, someone may have died -- that's the kind of world it was. That was why she could not help but feel that 'going home' was an occasion that had nothing to do with her. The girl explained this clumsily. "I see... so that's why." Reika looked fixedly at the crestfallen girl. ...Her own self, for whom the feeling of being alive was as sparse as mist. ...The girl, for whom the word "alive" may not even be applicable. According to the girl, it was often that Servants and Masters have the same disposition. In that case, this meeting was, in a way -- fate, perhaps. " Mother ...?" "...It's nothing. Now, let's go back. But before that, do you mind if we stop at a supermarket?" "We'll be spirit form, so we don't really mind... why, though?" "I thought we'd buy some ingredients for dinner." "Dinner...?" "Yes. I'm thinking of making hamburger steaks." "What's that?" Jack tilted her head innocently. It would seem that the problem for her was not whether she liked or disliked it, but what this dish called 'hamburger steaks' even was. "They're very delicious. Why not eat with me, since you're here?" "Um, meals aren't necessary for Servants. We'll be fine even if... we don't eat." Though Jack had said that it was all right, she looked glum in some way. "Oh, can you not eat?" "We can, but..." Meals aren't necessary for Servants. However, this did not mean that they had no sense of taste. In that case, what was needed -- was a good taste, and curiosity, perhaps. "It tastes great. What if I said it's a reward for your good work?" "....Okay!" At Reika's words, a big smile appeared on Jack the Ripper's face, and she danced around in an expression of joy. As she watched that smile, she thought of one wish for when she reached the Holy Grail. 'I wish to be happy.' It was a wish so very pure, so very sincere, and so very guileless -- and as such, it was a small wish that could never be granted to the killer and her mother.