# 032. Fate/Apocrypha ## 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. ## 02. Volume 3: Triumphal Return of the Saint ### 001. Prologue Now… let us speak of the Third Holy Grail War. The Einzberns had suffered a disastrous defeat in the early stages of the Second Holy Grail War. Despite being one of the three great families who had a hand in the initial construction of the Greater Grail, the Einzberns were a great house of alchemists and weak in matters of war, leading to their loss. To start anew on a blank slate, rinsed of the humiliation suffered after their defeat in the second war, the Einzberns had contrived for absolute victory in the conflict to follow. By fully utilizing the next sixty years to compare and consider all possibilities, they managed to narrow down the potentials to two Heroic Spirits. Their first option was to alter the system of the Greater Grail itself and summon a unique Avenger-class Servant. The Heroic Spirit would be Angra Mainyu , the reverse hero who bore the six billion curses of the world. Once brought to this world, this nameless figure – crowned as the ‘king of demons’, a living calamity made for carnage – would certainly slaughter all other Masters and Servants and allow them to activate the Greater Grail. Their second option was to abuse one of the systems installed in the Greater Grail by summoning the ultimate Ruler-class Servant, meant to be an impartial authority whom regulated the progress of the War. They would then make use of the great privilege possessed by Ruler: its Command Spells for the other Servants. Brawn… or brains? After much contemplation, the Einzberns chose the latter. One could say that they picked the safer option; perhaps their previous defeat had robbed them of their confidence in powers higher than they. The Heroic Spirit they chose to summon as Ruler would be a figure whom had been as close to a ‘Saint’ as you could possibly find in the Far East, where the war would take place; at the same time, the sainthood of this tragic youth had never been recognized. His name was Amakusa Shirou Tokisada . While the Einzberns dearly wished to call forth a proper Heroic Spirit befitting the Ruler class rather than some nameless Eastern hero, the act of summoning a Ruler was already a severe interference in the normal operating format of the Holy Grail War. He was a compromise – though the overwhelming advantage of his Command Spells could hardly be seen as such. The summoned Amakusa Shirou was neither outstanding in combat nor proficient in thaumaturgy to the level of a Caster-class Servant, but he continued to win, and survive, in the Third Holy Grail War. He was ever heedful and never gambled, fulfilling his duties even as he thoroughly cemented his defenses. As the third war drew to a close, the Einzberns clearly stood closer than any other to the Greater Grail. However, the unexpected occurred. One participant of the war – Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, head of the Yggdmillennia clan – discovered by chance the Greater Grail and, borrowing the power of the military, embarked on an operation to seize it. After that, the Third Holy Grail War fell apart. In the brutal thaumaturgical conflict that followed, surviving Servants tore one another apart in pursuit of the Greater Grail, and the Master of the Einzberns was killed in the shambles of battle. With the Einzberns lost, and the Tohsakas and Makiris in retreat – only two were left on the field of battle. One of the survivors was Kotomine Risei. He was a priest who had been sent by the Holy Church as an overseer to the Third Holy Grail War – though he certainly could not have expected to bear witness to such an epic clash between heroes. Despite being not far past twenty years, his hard face – as though carved from solid rock – told any who saw it that he had lived through all pains imaginable. His burly muscles and strong bones were the foundation of a human fortress and his razor-like eyes, beady and sharp, carried a keen gaze. He did not appear to be a priest so much as a veteran mercenary and master of war. “What… will you do now?” Yet it was this very Kotomine Risei who spoke to the youth standing beside him with some nervousness in his voice. It appeared a scene out of some comedy to see the man, clearly greater in both age and stature, abase himself before a young boy. Of course, any man of God who knew the nature of the youth would act in much the same way. He had been born in the Edo period, a boy of miracles who could nearly be called a saint. However he might appear to be a youngster not even in his twenties, one must speak to him in a way befitting his name. “The Greater Grail has been taken. We certainly cannot hope to retrieve it without arms and means of our own.” The boy murmured as he gazed around the now emptied cave. Although the Greater Grail had been seized and his Master killed, the boy did not disappear. He did not appear endangered at all by the severing of the prana pathways between him and the Einzberns. The boy had become a firm existence that established itself on this earth. Having come in contact with the Greater Grail, he had managed to receive flesh . In a way, one could say that he had been the victor of the Third Holy Grail War. “Besides, with my Master now dead, I no longer possess any power beyond that of an ordinary human. I will not pursue the Grail.” “I see… then…” “I believe you said to me once, Risei-dono… that you had journeyed in order to find enlightenment within your hardships. Perhaps it is time for me to go on a journey as well.” “I am glad to hear that. I doubt it will suffice, but please allow me to help you.” There were things he needed before stepping forth, such as social status and funding – and Kotomine Risei was never one to mourn over loss of wealth. One could go so far as to say that – to allow Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, whom had devoted his entire life to the Lord and found only tragedy at its end, to find something new for himself – Risei would be willing to sacrifice everything. Thus the boy changed his name and gained an identity. True to his words, he traveled the world as the foster child of Risei. However, there had been one thing he never told his foster father. Amakusa Shirou never gave up on the Greater Grail. If anything, he had decided to challenge the next Holy Grail War – even if it meant sacrificing the second life he so fortuitously obtained. When he had been awash in the light of the Greater Grail, he became certain that, with such power – such a miracle in his hands – he could bring happiness to all people . The power of the Greater Grail was beyond doubt. Someone had taken it… and someone would definitely try to activate it, somewhere. Most likely, after it had gathered prana for another sixty years… With the help of his foster father, the boy obtained a place within the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament. He simply waited for the right moment… lying in the dark for his prey… spinning his web… preparing his traps. All Holy Grail Wars must pass through one point: the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament, the part of the Holy Church whose objective was the discovery and retrieval of holy relics. After all, whenever any conflict surrounding a ‘Holy Grail’ emerged, it was only natural that the Holy Church would become involved; even the magi would prefer to disclose such events and free themselves from the burden of attempting to hide them. With information concerning the Third Holy Grail War becoming widespread, and offshoot Holy Grail Wars appearing all around the world, whispers of ‘Holy Grails’ flowed constantly into the Assembly. However, they were all impostors in the end. Strictly speaking, the Greater Grail of Fuyuki was also a fake – but what Amakusa Shirou sought was the one Holy Grail that had called him into this world. So he simply waited. For sixty years, connected to the Greater Grail, reincarnated yet never aging a day due to the power of his Noble Phantasm, he lived… a miracle himself. Many things came to pass, like clouds being carried in the wind. His foster father passed away; his brother, like his father and Shirou himself, also began a journey in pursuit of something not yet known to him. As time stretched endless, he considered and came up with many plans; what methods to usurp the rights of the other Masters; which Servants he would require in order to take the Greater Grail by force; the way they would conduct their war; how they would take the Greater Grail; and the means by which he would ensure his wish was – and continued to be – realized. He wished for the happiness of all mankind… for innate goodness to be found in the heart of all humanity… for the annihilation of Angra Mainyu, All the Evils of the World . To this end, just how many obstacles would he have to surpass? A common man would have long since given up. A genius would have already failed. However, the boy of miracles did not break. He could not – for he bore the regrets of thirty-seven thousand people. Nothing could shake his heart of steel. Finally, the time came: the Great Holy Grail War, a battle of seven versus seven under the Greater Grail of Fuyuki. The scale of the conflict and difference in systems were hardly concerns to him; after all, Kotomine Shirou had already accounted for all possibilities in the past sixty years. And so Amakusa Shirou found himself standing before Jeanne d’Arc – the true Ruler of this Great Holy Grail War – with a fearless smile. Thus the true war began. No longer would it be a squabble between magi bickering about desires and honor – but a clash that would alter the course of humanity. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 002. Chapter 1 His mouth was filled with the sweet, metallic taste of blood. Although he was not severely wounded, some healing was certainly required. This was beyond his body’s natural regeneration. The homunculus, for whom ‘life’ had once meant floating inside a prana provision tank, now possessed his own name – Sieg – and had become a unique existence, neither human nor homunculus nor Heroic Spirit. He glanced at his left palm. Normally, a Command Spell once used would become a faint bruise and disappear. However, that was not the case here; his Command Spells became somewhat indistinct, but they were still very much present. In fact, a blackish mark was present where the Command Spell had been – an aftereffect of its usage, Sieg assumed. His body felt strangely heavy. Just as he began to stretch and turn his neck and arms, he found Rider glaring at him darkly. “Isn’t there something you should to be saying to me…?” Sieg did not even need to think about his reply. “I’m sorry.” “Yes. Yes, you are. What do you think I worked so hard for?!” Rider wrapped both hands around Sieg’s shoulders and shook the homunculus back and forth, on the verge of tears. “Mordred ran you through! You were dead! And then you were alive again! And then you turned into a Servant, but now you’re back! What is going on here?!” “I… don’t really know myself, actually. How did I come back to life?” “And how does asking me help? You know I’m not smart enough to know things like that! Stupid! Stupid! Aaaagh! ” Rider shouted and shouted, then suddenly butted Sieg in the chest with his head. Facing towards the ground, Rider murmured. “Thank goodness you’re still alive… but not again, do you understand? Don’t do what you just did, ever again. All right?” Rider looked up at Sieg with blurred eyes. Sieg coolly replied. “I can’t promise that.” “Bwh…” Rider blinked several times before puffing up his cheeks. “And what’s that supposed to mean?! Normal people would say ‘yes’ to that! They say ‘sorry’ and ‘I won’t do that again’ and they cry and they realize their mistake and I’ll be the mature one who forgives them and pets them on the head!” “I came back precisely so I can do things like that again… I really want to save them, Rider… all my brothers and sisters. I want to pay them back for the compassion they showed me then.” “But…” “I know that it’s something beyond me. Like you said… I should have gone on living without ever turning back. My life would have been happier that way.” However, he could not. He could not live on pretending they never existed . Rider listened to Sieg’s appeal and sighed theatrically. “Oh, you… you… you’re just… just so…” Scratching and tearing at his own hair, Rider suddenly leapt into the air. Sieg prepared himself, thinking that he must be furious – but when Rider stopped, he turned to Sieg with a face full of joy and zest. “… just so brilliant! I knew… I knew this is who you are! Even though no one would judge you for leaving all this behind – you would still challenge yourself! Thanks to you, I’ve made up my mind as well – I can say for sure now that they need to be saved! We’ll save them all from that foul, dreadful place!” “And… you’re all right with that?” “Hm? With what?” “What I mean is… this doesn’t seem like something that the other Servants will just allow at a time like this.” “Oh, is that it? We’ll consider that when it happens! Now, let’s go!” Rider pulled forcefully on Sieg’s arm as they headed towards the crumbling Fortress of Millennia. But they stopped before long – for before them stood a single magus. “Well, that didn’t take long. I guess it’s only natural when she was watching from the castle the whole time.” Rider scratched his head with a look of guilt. Opposing them was a beauty whose sharp-framed glasses emphasizing her icy hostility – Celenike Icecolle Yggdmillennia. She must be furious, Sieg thought. He had heard Rider complain before about her flagrant and twisted delusions towards him. Celenike was smiling at the Servant who betrayed her expectations, looking entranced as she stared at the two with arms folded. “Ugh… I think I prefer her angry…” Rider whispered. Sieg nodded in agreement. Celenike was not angered. If anything, she was so far beyond rage that she was completely frozen in icy fury. Her emotions were dissolved, her mind turning to pure logic. However, the direction of her thoughts were the same: she would revenge herself a hundred times and a thousands time for any slight or shame. All misgivings and doubts were torn apart as she pursued that goal – even those that served to protect hers and her allies’ interests. From the moment that she saw Rider ignoring her orders to retreat in order to protect the homunculus, Celenike no longer saw the Great Holy Grail War or anything else. Her logical mind simply prepared the most painful end imaginable for Rider . Rider must have already considered his own death at this point; using a Command Spell to force his suicide would not cause grief in the knight with endless optimism. Violating his body would be no different; making her mark on every inch of his body would only bring him physical suffering and little more. But there was one – just one thing that would bring despair to Astolfo. “Hey, Rider… tell me your true name.” Celenike murmured sweetly. Rider tilted his head at the sudden and arbitrary question as he answered. “Um, Astolfo, one of the Twelve Peers of Charlemagne.” “Wrong, Rider. You see, you are only a Servant… a page torn from the book of the Heroic Spirit Astolfo. In a way, you are only the result of faulty reproduction. However much you may recall from your past life – whatever powers you borrow from the past – Astolfo has long disappeared from this world.” “Huh…” Rider nodded, accepting that there was some truth in that. Her words were disparaging – but Rider was never one to care about the criticisms of others. “And? So what if I’m just a reproduction?” “Do you understand? I respect the Heroic Spirit Astolfo. After all, he was a paladin and a hero who left his name in history. But, Rider… do you think I respect a mere copy like you?” “Well, begging your pardon, Master, but I don’t think you’ve paid me any respect at all – whether I’m a Heroic Spirit or wraith or what have you.” “Perhaps. But you understand, don’t you? You are not ‘Astolfo’ to me. You are just the most wonderful toy I brought to this world.” “…” Rider quickly brought his lance to bear against Celenike and her thin, cruel smile. It was not an act one ought to take against one’s own Master, but somewhere in Rider’s mind, an alarm bell was ringing. “You have to get out of here, Sieg.” “What…?” “Just go!” Although shocked by Rider’s sudden outburst, Sieg began to back away in retreat. However, Celenike threw out her left arm immediately. “The fourth of the Black orders you with a Command Spell. Kill that homunculus. ” Sieg was dumbstruck. Who would think that she could use a Command Spell for such a worthless order? Rider shared the same thought. Then again, now that Rider thought about it, he realized that his Master had never once talked about what she desired from the Holy Grail. She did aim for victory, of course – but compared to the other Masters, Celenike always felt rather passive. He could understand Caules feeling in such a way – he could hardly be faulted for not wishing to clash with his own older sister – but why such a exemplar magus as Celenike not covet the Holy Grail? The answer was clear. She had already given up on victory . But why would she give up on victory? Again, the answer was clear. It was so she could ravage him . “Get, out of here…!” The golden lance was brandished at Sieg. Shaking and gnashing his teeth, Rider managed to hold his weapon back. The Command Spell was a Master’s trump card, representing the right to exercise a command through any such mental chains as pride, duty and faith. No Servant could resist a Command Spell – unless they possessed extremely powerful anti-thaumaturgy. “My… you are stubborn.” “Master, please… cancel that order.” “No! Never! This… yes, this is what I wanted! This is what I wanted to see! Do you feel it now, Rider? The utter loss of hope? You understand, don’t you? Your Noble Phantasm is just barely letting you hold on…” Once again, Celenike thrust out her hand carved with the Command Spells. Rider’s expression became one of true despair. Sieg could find no words. She would expend two Command Spells just to kill him? That was impossible – but that was wrong, Sieg realized. Celenike’s goal was not merely the death of a homunculus; it was the breaking of Astolfo’s mind and heart. For that goal, she would not hesitate to employ any means. “Shall we move on to the second Command Spell…?” “S-Stop… please, I’ll do anything… just don’t…!” Rider’s rasping plea, sounding as though it was wringed from his soul, simply fanned the flames of Celenike’s sadism further. As he shook like some defenceless animal, tears streaming down his face, he appeared just so beautiful, so lovely – and so very alluring. “That’s it… yes, perfect! That’s the face I wanted to see! That’s the only thing I ever wanted! ” It was malice in its purest form. Celenike paid no heed at all to what she would do after expending a second Command Spell; she no longer cared about her life or the Holy Grail War. She just simply wanted to bring despair to her own Servant – and gorge herself on his anguish. Sieg could not move; if he made any attempt to escape, Celenike would immediately activate her second Command Spell. Rider was managing to hold on thanks to his Noble Phantasm. For the moment, Celenike brandished her Command Spells only as a threat, taking in Rider’s wretched expression with hunger in her eyes. She would never show them mercy – but she would not give her second command just yet. However, this was only a holding action. They would not have long – Ten seconds? Twenty? – before Celenike decided to move on. As soon as she did, Sieg would die by Rider’s hand. His second Dead Count Shapeshifter was not yet ready for activation – and even if it were, he could only maintain it for three minutes. Just how long one Command Spell-driven order to “kill” would last, Sieg had no idea – and most likely, neither did Rider or Celenike. Just as he reached a mental dead end, he finally saw the obvious. Yes, he could proceed to delay events for another three minutes, achieving little more – but what if he were to kill Celenike? If he did that, the Command Spell’s power should naturally dissolve. It would also cut the lines that tie Rider to this world, of course – but Sieg had his own safeguard for that. It all came down to his timing. Every twist of his hand and turn of his foot must be smooth and natural. Seeing that Celenike was not paying attention to him, Sieg quietly placed his hand on the dagger at his waist. There was no time to hesitate. Move… move… move…! The moment he made to push forward, Celenike’s head turned towards him, her face filled with conviction and cruelty. Chills ran down his back as he realized his failure, and at the same time, a sense of vertigo and nausea brought him to his knees. “Hmm, it didn’t work all that well.” Sieg looked down at the foot he brought forward, and clearly saw dull black stains on the ground. It was a trap. “Don’t take me so lightly. Did you believe you, a mere homunculus, could defeat me, a practitioner of witchcraft? We are all the more sensitive towards enmity and hostility for what we are. I knew what you were planning from the moment you gripped your blade.” As he crouched down in pain, Celenike grabbed the back of his head and crushed his face into the ground. “Stop… it…!” “Be quiet a moment, Rider. Don’t you worry… you’ll be the one to finish him off.” She smashed his face against the ground again. Taking out an old-looking nail, likely some sort of thaumaturgical implement, she stabbed it into Sieg’s right palm. Sieg screamed from the excruciating agony. “It hurts, doesn’t it? But it hurts me more. Do you know why? I have to see my Servant suffer for scum like you!” Although only his hand was impaled, he felt as though his nerves were being ripped out of him and sawed apart one by one. Even with his newfound strength, he could not bear it. “Witchcraft is made of malice, insidiousness, vileness and misery. I know over a hundred ways whose only the purpose is to visit misery upon your body. But while I would love to try every single one of them on you, I haven’t got that much time. For now…” The small blade that Rider gave Sieg was hanging on the left side of his waist. It was meant to be drawn from its sheath with his right hand. With his right hand impaled, he could only take the handle with his left hand, even as he remained bent and on his knees. Even so, Sieg was not so foolish as to miss this golden opportunity. Grasping with his left hand, he managed to find the weapon. Before Celenike could sense what was happening, he drew the blade and aimed straight for her neck. Celenike did not anticipate this attack at all, and reflexively bent back to avoid the knife – but it would not be enough. He could cut her… he only needed one slash to take her head. However, in order to draw from his left side with his left hand, he had to grip the blade in reverse. The slash was more shallow than it should have been. “ Kuh…! ” Celenike survived by the skin of her teeth as Sieg’s critical blow only managed to draw a little blood. Celenike jumped back in a panic and screeched out to hide her own fear. “ What did you do, homunculus?! ” “Get out of here, Sieg…!” However, Sieg could not move his right hand. As soon as he tried to forcibly tear the nail away, convulsions assaulted his entire body. He could not escape. “The fourth of the Black orders you with a Command Spell…!” Celenike’s face was twisted by ecstasy, her eyes shining with a beast-like savagery. This was her true nature – the one she sought to hide in everyday life. Hers was the face of one who would ravish and kill on a whim. “ Nooooo! ” Rider screamed through his tears, but Celenike possessed no mercy, As she took a deep breath to order him to kill the homunculus… “God, just shut it, will you?” …Celenike’s head disappeared. Her consciousness severed in an instant, she could not understand what had happened to her at all. Perhaps it was a blessing that she died amidst such joy. A small-framed girl had performed the deed. Her short blonde hair was lightly tied in the back, and she wore a sporty tube-top with a revealing pair of short jeans and a red jacket on top. The great-sword she wielded was all too much a mismatch for her appearance. Rider realized who she was straight away. “Mordred…!” “Correct,” Saber said in a low voice as she grinned. Rider kept his spear raised, his form unbent, and his eyes filled with murderous enmity. Yet despite Astolfo’s hateful gaze, the smile on Mordred’s face did not disappear. “Leave it, Rider. You are still bound by whatever is left of that Command Spell. Be still – or you may find yourself aiming for him instead.” “Ugh…!” As Mordred said, a Command Spell would continue to act until it was overwritten by the Master, or the prana contained by it was used up. Command Spells were disposable by design, and his Master was hardly able to issue a second order now, so the Command Spell would wear off eventually as long as Rider continued to resist it. In other words – even if an enemy were to attack now, he could do nothing until he was freed. “Hmph… which is a shame, seeing as I haven’t the time to deal with you right now. We have to head to that flying fortress. You just stay on the ground like the worm that you are.” “Huh…?” Both Rider and Sieg widened their eyes at her unexpected words. The Saber of Red shifted her gaze to Sieg – naturally on guard against her deadly opponent from moments ago – as the cursed nail faded away due to Celenike’s demise. However, there was no sign of blood-lust or animosity on her face. In fact, there was some measure of empathy she gazed at him. “Geez… you two just ruin my mood… well, time for me to go. But know this… the Grail is mine. Get in my way – cross paths with me ever again – and I will cut you down. Do not pursue it. It is not fit for ones of your station.” Losing all interest in the two, Saber disappeared. It was as though she had killed Celenike simply because she happened to pass by. “Rider!” “D-Don’t, don’t come near me, idiot! What if I kill you?!” Sieg hurriedly stopped himself as Rider cried out, unusually shrilly. He was slick with sweat and looked utterly exhausted. It must have been taxing to resist the Command Spell for so long – and it seemed would take a further toll still. “Rider… do you have enough prana?” “I’m all right. I have my Independent Action , luckily. I can… I can still hold on for a while longer. But…” He sounded far from all right. Certainly, Servants with that skill could act for several hours to an entire day even while completely cut off from their Master’s prana supply. However, Rider was also simultaneously resisting a Command Spell, something that he would be unlikely to succeed at even under normal circumstances. He only lasted so long by keeping his Noble Phantasm active the entire time. At this rate, he would last barely minutes. “Rider!” “N-No! I won’t! I won’t…! I haven’t come this far… to kill you now…! I’d rather… disappear…!” Rider put on a light smile even as his body shook, as he effortlessly suppressed his own fear of death. However, Sieg was not about to let him die like this. “Rider! Form a contract with me!” “ Wha?! W-Whoa, stop, stop! Out of my way! ” Rider, taken aback by Sieg’s abrupt suggestion, lost control of his lance and leapt towards him. Sieg moved back hastily and Rider managed to force himself to a stop just as the lance’s tip flashed over Sieg’s chest. “D-Don’t surprise me like that! What do you mean, ‘contract’?! A Servant can’t form a contract with another Servant! It’s against the rules and it’s impossible!” “Yes, I am a Servant… but at the same time, I am not.” “Huh?” Sieg showed his Command Spells to the confused Rider. “Do you see, Rider? I have the Command Spells – meaning that I qualify as a Master as well.” “B-But, that would mean drawing you into this war..” “Rider… I may be just an infant not even a year ago… a child, who knows the way but not the means… but at the very least, I know what I have to do right here and now.” Rider might be attempting to kill him – but electing to escape by himself was simply another point of no return. Time was running out. “You want me… to contract with you, right now? You’ll die if I lose myself even for an instant!” “If I die, you die as well. It would be like a double suicide… we won’t owe each other anything. Besides, if the other option is to stand here while watching you die… I might as well be dead myself.” “Okay, okay, I get it! I give up! Form a contract with me!” Sieg nodded and thrust out his right hand. Grittng his teeth, Rider grabbed his hand. The Command Spell pressed Rider incessantly, ordering him to kill, while Rider continued expending massive amounts of prana to resist it. There was not a second left to waste. Sieg raised his voice and chanted the words of contract. “ Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth. Answer to me and my words. Will your fate be as mine?” “By the name of Rider shall your oath be answered! You shall be my Master – and I, your Servant! ” Immediately, light raced between their clasped hands, and a path-way forced open between them, binding them. The Rider of Black found himself a new Master, and was allowed to stay on this earth for a little while longer. The contract was concluded between the Servant Rider and the Master who was himself a Servant, Sieg. “Was that… it, then…?” “Yes, it’s done.” “G-Get away, then!” At a lost, Sieg jumped aside as the golden lance swept across the spot where he had stood. Although he had become Rider’s new Master, the previous order against him was still active. Even as he panted, Rider’s expression became one of relief. “Th-That was close… what kind of Servant tries to kill his Master right after the contract…?” “It’d be one for the history books.” “No books! Anyway, if that’s been settled, I would prefer you getting away from me right now… um, until this order is cancelled, I mean. I can catch up with you later!” “All right, I’ll make my way to the castle, then. Considering the situation, no magus or homunculus should obstruct. I want to confirm their intentions.” “As you wish… but be careful of Caster. Out of them all, he was definitely the most interested in you. Well, I guess he’s at that flying fortress right now…” Sieg nodded in understanding. It would be a dangerous trip, of course; at the moment, Sieg was resolutely neither an enemy nor an ally of the Yggdmillennias. Frankly, Sieg himself was not sure as to where he stood. He did not even know whether he wanted to stand against that clan of magi, or pursue the path of reconciliation. The homunculi were also a source of uncertainty for him. Even were they to survive the Great Holy Grail War, what would they do? They was made to be extinguished, meant to be expended and used up. What life could they possibly choose? How would they live? On that point, Sieg neither could nor felt he should help them. If he did, it would be no different from thoughtlessly following the will of another. In the end, they would have to choose their own paths by their own will. Even if theirs was a transient existence – no, perhaps precisely because of it – their lives should not be spent for anybody but themselves. Looking up, he could see the fortress, so gigantic as to nearly obscure the moon. Sieg had no interest in the Holy Grail; after all, one’s wishes must be granted through the strength of one’s own hands. But there were Servants there at that very moment fighting to the death over it. When the dust cleared, whose wishes would be granted? Would Jeanne d’Arc be able to judge over them as Ruler? How would Ruler feel about him entering the Great Holy Grail War – sorrowful, or indignant? Or did she perhaps already know and had accepted this result as his fate? Whichever the case, he got the feeling that… “…she’s going to be angry.” Sieg muttered, and quietly sighed. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 003. Part 2 A cold silence surrounded the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – the Noble Phantasm created by the Assassin of Red, the likes of which had never been seen before, that had managed to secure the Greater Grail. A young man with brownish skin and silver hair steadily watched his opponent, wearing a gentle smile at odds with the air of deceit that surrounded him. Opposite him stood a girl, white as snow and with golden hair, her mouth forming a thin hard line and her eye delivering a scorching glare. There should not be more than one of them – they both knew that well. After all, they were both Servants of the Ruler class – a Servant who never suffers the presence of another. Where there were supposed to be one singular overseer passing judgment on this conflict, here now stood two. What was more, one of them was participating as a Master of the Red camp. “What are you plotting at, Amakusa Shirou? Would you truly go so far in your desire for the Holy Grail?” “I am sure you can empathize. After all, you believe in Him just as I do.” “You do not fool me… we both know that the Greater Grail of Fuyuki is not the Holy Grail we know most well.” The Servant of the Ruler class – Jeanne d’Arc – pressed Shirou, rejecting his lies. “Then there is hardly a need to be so protective of it, now is there?” It was then, with a scornful laugh, that Shirou’s Servant decided to take form. “Assassin… was this your doing?” The Assassin of Red – Semiramis – chuckled at Ruler’s blunt interrogation. “I see… so you suggest it was I who had deceived and misled my pure and innocent Master, leading him down this path of evil? Unfortunately, I am but a Servant, and Servants follow their Masters…” “And what have you done to our Masters?” The Archer clad in verdant green – Atalanta – approached Assassin, her sharp gaze entirely that of a predator ready to tear at the throat of her prey. “Surely you mean your former Masters?” Semiramis answered calmly. Achilles – the Rider of Red – managed to hold Atalanta in check, but he himself surveyed the pair with bloodcurdling animosity. “There is no need to worry; they are alive and well. As I have said, they surrendered their rights as Masters peacefully. They now dream of a world where they have won the Holy Grail War. It would be most… prudent not to disturb them.” The two Servants of Red moved at nearly the same time – Atalanta drawing and releasing an arrow, and Achilles thrusting his spear directly at Shirou’s neck. However, at the same time, another two of the Red camp came to Shirou’s defense. The Lancer of Red snatched Atalanta’s arrow out of the air, and Semiramis warded off the spear with her left hand. Of course, she did not do so unarmed; a set of black, fish-like scales spread from her hand. Although the armor was blown apart by Achilles’ spear, it managed to stop the thrust. “Hmph… to think you would be able to pierce the scales of the sacred fish with such ease. As to be expected, I suppose… more and more, you prove yourself to be a true offspring of the Gods.” Semiramis frowned and rubbed her bloodied hand. “Heh… I could have put my spear through your scales, your arm and his head, if I’d really wanted to.” “Yes, I suppose you could have – but that would be tantamount to suicide, Rider. I am your Master right now.” Achilles shrugged. “I don’t recall agreeing to a change in Masters. I might have never seen his face, but I’m not going to betray him.” “That is only a matter of perspective, Rider. You have betrayed no one, I assure you.” Rider clicked his tongue and backed away. Instead, Atalanta turned on the Servant that had intercepted her arrow. “Why do you oppose us, Lancer? Pray tell you do not accept this one as our Master!” “Strictly speaking, he is our Master… and while I also do not yet approve of this change, you are all far too heedless. Were there not truths you ought to probe before resorting to violence?” At his words, Archer also backed away reluctantly. “Thank you, Lancer.” The Lancer of Red – Karna – did not bother turning to face Shirou. “Spare me your gratitude. I did not act for your sake in the first place… and you would have had no difficulty evading that yourself to begin with. Do not force my hand again.” “All right, I suppose…” Shirou shrugged with a troubled smile, and turned to face Ruler again. “We would like to make some requests. After all, this Great Holy Grail War is all but finished. Aside from Assassin, only three Servants of Black remain…” “… four Servants of Black: Saber, Archer, Rider, and Caster…” Shirou’s expression darkened slightly at Ruler’s interjection. “Rather overassuming of you to include Saber, no? From what I see, he can barely last several minutes.” “You are correct – but he is Saber none the less.” Shirou smiled faintly and did not bother to argue the point. After all, sorrow filled Ruler’s face even as she made her claim. Currently, the Master of the Saber of Black – Siegfried – was a homunculus. However, Saber could not strictly be called a full Servant. Instead, his was an exceedingly rare case where he needed to possess his own Master in order to take form in the world. In addition, Siegfried could only materialize for 180 seconds. As such, his existence did not weigh heavily in Shirou’s mind. On the other hand, Jeanne believed in his importance in what was to come. “We will leave it at that. As for the Assassin of Black and its Master… while I still do not know their exact location, they are ones behind the serial killings, yes? I doubt we can truly consider them participants – just as I doubt they are truly your allies. They can be removed from the Black camp. So then, what would you make of the situation, Archer… Chiron ?” “I am afraid I do not understand. In this situation, it appears rather clear to me that Ruler and the Servants of Black stand on the same side. On the other hand, the Servants of Red hardly appear to form a united front at the moment. Under such conditions, neither camps appear to hold any great advantage.” Archer’s words were not mere bluster but based on keen observations. At the very least, the Servants of Red were not about to attack them all at once; they were far too untrusting of their own Master. “I see… and what about you, Caster?” “Well, as for me… I do not comprehend why you did not simply assault with your entire force to annihilate the Black camp. After all, Ruler’s Command Spells will not work on you and – unlike Servants such as Archer and Ruler – I myself will certainly prove no match for any of you. Perhaps… there is something you wish to propose ?” Jeanne and Chiron stiffened at the implication of his words. “Caster…?!” The Caster of Black, masked and clad all in blue, did not stir in the slightest – simply gazing directly at Shirou. “Yes, Avicebron – I wish to propose your surrender.” Shirou revealed Caster’s true name without any fanfare – but that no longer came as a shock to any of them. While Shirou did not possess Command Spells against the participating Servants of this Grail War, as a Ruler, he still possessed the ability to discern the true names of every Servant present. “If you would not kill me… then how would you activate the Holy Grail? Would you not fail to meet the required amount of defeated Servants?” “That is of no concern. I understand this Holy Grail better than anyone else. Rest assured that both of our wishes can be fulfilled without either intruding on the other – assuming that what you hope for is within my expectations, of course.” “I have one condition.” “Please, go ahead. I will do my best to accommodate.” “I have no issue with accepting you as my Master… however, I ask that you entrust to me my former Master, Roche Frain Yggdmillennia.” “Meaning?” “I do not wish him harmed.” Shirou nodded in understanding. Semiramis laughed. “We have here a most praiseworthy Servant! So you would offer your services in exchange for your lord’s safety…” “Caster… you dare…” Chiron spoke in a spine-chilling whisper; Achilles understood this to be proof of his immense anger. Ignoring Chiron’s words, Avicebron walked towards Shirou. “Your hand, please.” “You will excuse me if I do not bare my arm…” Without any hesitation, he thrust out his hand. Shirou grasped it with his own and began the incantation for a fresh contract. “Enough, Caster…!” Chiron’s arrow, fired to stop them, was met by Karna’s divine spear. The deflected shaft embedded itself in the roof of the chamber and exploded loudly. Lancer fixed his gaze on him. “Heroic Spirits summoned by the Holy Grail are to serve their Masters under the Command Spells and prana lines, but we Servants still possess the right of choice. I know not whom Caster’s former Master was… but should you not respect his decision, sage?” Semiramis scowled as she complained. “Do not damage my garden, Archer of Black. Your efforts are meaningless… destroying this place is beyond you.” Chiron sighed, understanding that he could do no more. Thinking back, all the signs leading to this situation were already present. The Caster of Black had faithfully fulfilled his role, that is, the creation of golems. However, he held no particular interest in anything else – not in the progress of the war, nor whether he would obtain the Grail. Was this not a possibility from the start? “I accept you as my Master – Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.” Swiftly severing his bond with Roche, Avicebron became a Servant under Shirou. “Allow me to give your first order immediately: surround them.” “Understood, my lord.” Perfectly composed, the Caster of Black made a small pulling motion with one finger on his right hand. Immediately, the doors of the chapel were thrown open and several golems rushed in. They were Avicebron’s absolute best units, into which he put all his skill. The golems of bronze, iron and earth moved with the gusto of actual living creatures, promptly taking position on all four sides of the Chiron and Jeanne. With the Servants of Red also present, the two were well and truly trapped. “To be perfectly honest, I feel this is most underhanded and somewhat against my own wishes… but another Ruler is simply too much trouble. You and Archer shall perish here.” Avicebron snapped his fingers at Shirou’s cold declaration, and his golems hurled themselves at the pair. “…!” The Archer of Black placed an arrow on his bow and Ruler brandished her holy standard as the two met the charge. Although regular golems would not even slow down these two Servants, these ones were directly controlled by Avicebron and performed with agility and precision rivaling high-class Servants. “While I would love to ask for the cooperation of all of you here… I suppose the pride of these two would not allow it. What will you do, Lancer?” “You cannot provoke me with your implications of cowardice, priest. Command me to destroy them here and now, and I will. In this case, however…” Karna raised his spear – but his attention was on neither Chiron nor Jeanne, instead focusing on the door through which the golems had burst through. Striking the maw of one golem, Ruler quickly shifted her posture. “Archer!” She called out to Chiron, who nodded without hesitation and leapt backwards swiftly. At this, Semiramis threw out her right hand. “…” Her incantation did not fill even a single verse – but within the Hanging Gardens , every spell she constructed became a great thaumaturgy. The blade of light she released was fixed, not on Ruler, but naturally upon the Archer of Black. It was then that crimson lightning raced into the chapel. “What?!” The Servants of Red did not hide their surprise, shocked by the sudden ambush – except Karna. The knight who swept in was like a whirlwind, shooting red sparks all around and swinging a great-sword, bisecting two golems in one attack. “She is here…” Karna stepped forward swiftly and released a thrust. However, the knight masterfully parried his spear and then scaled a golem who moved to engage her, climbing to its head and plunging her sword in. “Archer…! So this is why…!” Semiramis glared at the hole in the roof opened by Chiron’s arrow earlier. Apparently, he was not merely attempting to prevent Avicebron’s and Shirou’s contract. The noise and burst of energy was meant to bring attention to their location – so that she could find her way here without trouble. “I see…” Shirou put on a thin smile as he greeted the intruder. The helm she had worn at their first meeting was long since removed, revealing her brilliant golden hair, ravening eyes – and fearless smirk. “So you are the Saber of Red… the one who ended the glorious legend of King Arthur, the Knight of Treachery… Mordred .” “Ha! That name is not yours to call!” The Saber of Red roared and rampaged about with sword in hand. Semiramis made a noise of exasperation and shouted “You presume to betray us, Saber?!” “Are you dense?! You betrayed us ! You schemed to kill my Master – and that makes you my enemy! Words will not save you from me!” She stormed as her blade traced an arc in the air, unleashing an attack which tore apart the floor between Shirou and Jeanne, as though demarcating the two. Pieces of wood and stone flew into the air, followed by something sent flying into the chapel from far off in the distance. One surviving golem tried to intercept the attack reflexively, but by some sort of contraption, white smoke was shot out and soon filled the entire chamber. “Enough with the irksome tricks…!” Semiramis was fuming with rage. “Archer, Saber, disengage now! Quickly!” Chiron and Mordred, in wordless agreement, beat a hasty retreat from the ruined chapel. “They must not escape, Shirou.” “Please leave them to me.” Avicebron stepped forward and – ignoring the clear bewilderment of the others – disappeared from the chamber, carried by one of his own golems. “Well, what say we leave this to him?” “Are you serious? He’s a Caster…” “He stands against Ruler, Saber, and Archer… doubtless that he will only be crushed in turn.” “He only wants to prove to us…” Semiramis tilted her head, puzzled by Shirou’s murmurs. “And what is it he wishes to prove? His strength, so that he is worthy to join our cause?” “No, Assassin… he only wants to demonstrate that the existence he will soon bring to is the greatest to ever be. There is no self-interest in his actions – only the purest faith.” A tradesman was one who devoted his spirit into his creations – his cause, his pride, and his technique. Avicebron was decisively different, for he offered his faith – his heart of worship. He worked for neither a cause nor the spirit of self, but simply continued to create more of his one focus. That was the sole reason why the Caster of Black joined the Red camp, to continue his pursuit of the ‘pinnacle’: the Anti-Army Noble Phantasm he was attempting to create… that transgression, the golem Keter Malkuth . * * * Avicebron commanded the golem to accelerate. He would not be able to reach Rider and Archer in a hundred years with his own two feet, but through the use of golems, he could pursue them effortlessly and at leisure. First, he had to communicate with his former Master, who must be very confused at this point. He reached out to Roche via telepathy; while no longer his Servant, Avicebron still possessed some thaumaturgical tools that made long-distance communications a simple feat. “Roche… Can you hear me, Roche?” “S-Sir? Oh, thank goodness, you’re still alive!” His voice was enough to reveal that he was overcome by tears – which was not unexpected, considering the contract between them had been so suddenly severed. “What happened…?” “There is no time to go into the details, but please calm yourself. Even now, you are very important to me. I require your help with completing an important step in our coming operation.” “Y-Yes, sir! What do you need?” Leaving the matter of transport to the golem, Avicebron glided through the Hanging Gardens as he talked to Roche. “I need you to bring me the ‘core’ from my workshop. It is finally time to activate my Noble Phantasm.” “Got it…!” Flustered, Roche ended the dialogue. Once Archer reached the castle, they would know that Caster had betrayed them – but it was most likely that Roche would come to him all the same. Avicebron was certain that the boy so infatuated with him would join him, even after discovering his treachery. He laughed bitterly; at the end of it all, he of all people needed to rely on the things he hated the most – a human being, and a child. Life truly was but a succession of ironies and falsities, he reflected cynically, and the path to realizing our dreams would always be filled with great obstacles. However, he could not stop now. As a Servant, he was now closer than he had ever been to obtaining his dream – that place which all Kabbalist golemancers aspired to reach. He no longer had eyes for anything else – not his enemies, not his allies, and not even himself. * * * Before they realized it, Mordred had disappeared. Jeanne and Chiron hastened towards the castle. “Archer… with the fall of both the Lancer of Black and his Master, Darnic, this conflict between Noir and Rouge might as well be concluded. However, while it is not my desire to join one camp or the other, I hope that we may continue to cooperate.” Chiron concurred. As she said, it was no longer a matter of which camp would obtain the Holy Grail. “I see no issue with that. With Darnic’s defeat, the next in line to lead my side would be my Master, and she would certainly agree once she understood the situation. Of course, even with a Ruler in the fold, we are still at a clear disadvantage.” “Right now, our one objective is to stop the Red camp… no, stop Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, at all costs.” Surely, that was the reason why the Holy Grail had summoned her, even if she had to take as roundabout a method of possessing a living human of this era. Shirou did not seize the Greater Grail simply because he coveted power; he planned to use it and bring about something worse. You know full well, Jeanne d’Arc… It is for the salvation all mankind. There was no doubt or hesitation in his gaze. He did not let slip nonsense as though enraptured in some fantasy. That would have better, if anything – for Jeanne could sense nothing but the truth when he spoke. His words were the summation of a long-nurtured plan, built by layers upon layers of considerations. The Greater Grail of Fuyuki was activated by gathering the souls of Heroic Spirits in a process called the Holy Grail War – and Shirou devised a use for it that was likely beyond the imagination of even its original creators. “The salvation of all mankind…” “Do you believe him, Ruler? Do you think that boy is telling the truth…?” “I do. And that Holy Grail is the means to that end – though the one thing I cannot imagine is what that would be.” ‘Saving the world’. The words were a farce, a game with words. No saint, king, or nation in the world could accomplish such a thing. Fortune and misfortune were two sides of the same set of scales, weighing equal. Blessings upon one individual simply brought curses upon another. Perfect ‘salvation’ might be possible on a small scale – within the minuscule confines of a single tale, a family, a group, or a single state, perhaps. But the wider the boundaries become, the more people become trodden underfoot. “…and yet he was so utterly assured. He would aim to accomplish the task by means we cannot dare to conjure.” “The problem is… whether it is true salvation.” The answer was clear; ‘salvation of all mankind’ did not exist. It must not. The thoughts and actions of a single man could not define ultimate happiness for all of humanity. “What about the Saber of Red, then?” “If we had perished there, everything that followed would have gone according to Shirou’s will. Saber and her Master likely acted to prevent that. As to whether they would join forces with us…” After all, that Saber seemed very confident in herself, Jeanne thought. To be expected of the Knight of Treachery who brought a king’s legend to an end, perhaps. “What of the other Servants?” “I do not know… both Rider and Archer are proud heroes. But their Master is Shirou now, and as long as he holds the Command Spells, they can do little about it.” Lancer Karna, the peerless hero of ancient India; Archer Atalanta, the great huntress of the Greek myths; Rider Achilles, a man who has carved his name into history; Assassin Semiramis, the Assyrian queen; and Ruler Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, known as a boy of miracles. There was also Caster, who did not appear then but doubtless held great power as well. Finally, they were joined by the Caster of Black, the legendary Kabbalist and greatest golemancer in history, Avicebron. On top of that, even the Greater Grail had been taken. The odds were entirely against them, and the sense of urgency would only increase as time passed. However, Ruler did not lose track of what she needed to do first; her greatest priority was making the Black camp understand exactly the situation they were in. * * * Crap, crap, crap…! Betraying his appearance, Shishigou Kairi fled through the Hanging Gardens with unexpected nimbleness. He and Saber were trying to find a way to escape the flying fortress. “Damn it! Nothing can ever go right, can it…!” “No need to throw a tantrum, Master.” “Yes, there is! They got a Servant for a Master, the cheating bastards! And a Ruler on top of that… and a survivor from the third war sixty years ago! This can’t get any worse!” Mordred laughed loudly as she ran alongside him. “Ha ha, that just simplifies things! All of them are our enemies! Excellent!” “Not excellent! For now, we need to team up with the Black side, and that girl with the flag. Looks like she’s the real Ruler…” Surely, they understood that Shishigou was not their enemy. After all, why would he send Saber into that chaotic mess if not to deliver such a message? The floor shook. The Hanging Gardens were ascending. “We are leaving, Master!” “Wait, what are you…!” Shishigou could not stop Mordred picking him up; he did not even have time to finish speaking before Mordred leapt off the side of the Hanging Gardens in a single breath, propelled by her Prana Burst . Their descent did not so much resemble that of a gently swaying parachute as that of a launched missile. Shishigou was clinging outside the cockpit of a fighter jet cruising at the speed of sound. “ You…! Are…! Nuts…! ” “Hahahahaha! Stop worrying and trust me!” “My trust in you just took a nosedive off the side of a flying fortress!” His ears were ringing. After a split second’s decision, Shishigou swallowed some remedy that would fortify him physically for an instant, and managed to control his hysteria. Of course, it was simply a brief consolation. If Saber made a single mistake, a very unpleasant accident awaited him on the ground. They touched down, slowing from subsonic speeds to just around two hundred kilometers per hour. Saber skidded along the ground, killing most of the impact, but Shishigou still felt as though he was being pummeled by a heavyweight boxer. She bounded and skipped, slowing down with every step, and eventually Mordred and her passenger landed safely. Physically speaking, at least – Shishigou’s mind had been shattered into a million pieces. I thought I was dead for sure… That was the most succinct description of what Shishigou felt right now, and he swore to himself that the next time they decided to invade the Hanging Gardens, he would bring something actually meant to fly. * * * A significant portion of the forest had been mowed down by the Berserker of Red. It was at the lake at the northern tip where they were to meet. Roche, riding a mobility golem moving at full speed, could feel himself shaking with joy. He was holding a giant cylindrical key – the ‘core’. At last, it was time to use it and activate the ultimate golem – Keter Malkuth . Even the golems that Caster had crafted on the side all this time exceeded their expectations in terms of their craftsmanship and the materials used in their construction. Yet Caster had called this one golem his greatest work. Despite being simply another Magus, Roche had been allowed to bask in its glory. How could he not rejoice? Young, innocent Roche hurried on as commanded. He no longer cared about the Holy Grail War; witnessing the activation of this Noble Phantasm was victory enough for him. “Sir!” Standing before the lake was Avicebron, who nodded lightly and greeted him as always. “Here it is… I didn’t get it wrong, did I?” “No, you did well.” “That’s good… but, sir, didn’t you make this one quite a while ago? Why did you never activate it until now?” Avicebron ignored the question. Taking the ‘core’ from Roche, he unceremoniously threw it into the mud and crouched, placing a hand in the clear water of the lake. “What are you…?” Avicebron put a finger to his lips, gesturing for him to be silent. Roche promptly covered his mouth with both hands. Then, before this still pool, the Caster of Black recited an incantation in a sonorous voice. “Born of mother Earth, let thee take in the Wind of wisdom, drink deep of the Water of life…” It was a prayer to Heaven to breath life into the earth. “A brand of Fire shalt rest in thy hand, removing thee from the Devil of disease. Thy rancor shalt sunder thee, yet thy love shalt cleanse thy blood…” Earth, wood, and his own flesh: he offered them all to his Lord. It was the apex of esotericae possible only for this man who desired neither power nor fame. “Let thee be a colossus, soaring amongst the highest peaks. Let thee be stone, unyielding and firm. Let thy form befit thine office… our guardian, our leader, our great foundation…” It was the crystallization of a miracle, the scale of which could no longer be defined as a Noble Phantasm. “Thou art of earth yet not of earth, of man yet not of man. Thou shalt rest in paradise. Thou shalt rule it, for we would be led to its gates by thee. Thou art Dream. Thou art Hope. Thou art Love.” It was the realization of the faith of those who had suffered through history, a recreation of His divine will – a pawn that would take up the task of recreating the world . “Thou art the First Man, bearing the Holy Spirit… thy name be Adam .” The lake frothed and seethed. This was what Avicebron and Roche had been building in secret even as they continued the production of the golem soldiers. At first, Roche thought it was just a larger golem – exceedingly large, close to fifteen meters tall – and nothing much besides. Even Roche, with his skill, would be able to craft such a golem were he to spend fifty years on its creation – though he would only be able to recreate its size. Its quality would be a different matter entirely. Even so, such a creation would not be particularly rare. Roche had heard tales of a witch who once possessed something on the same scale, or perhaps even bigger. Considering the age of that tale, it could be inferred that that witch’s creation would also be stronger, spiritually speaking. Even the material used to create this golem was nothing particularly special, despite their cost – their best quality being their pristine state. However, Roche could not help but gasp in wonder. This golem was utterly abnormal on a conceptual level – though perhaps it was most fitting for Avicebron. “This is a golem closest to its origin…” The common perception of a golem was that of a manmade existence birthed by some thaumaturgical method, but that was not entirely correct. The golem was a foetus – ‘that which is without shape’. Golemancy was the arcane craft of the Lord to breathe life into Adam and thus mankind. Many magi would shape earth into their desired form and bring it to life, but no further. After all, that one step further into what was beyond was the dearest wish of all Kabbalists, and not one to be taken lightly. In addition, the more perfected a golem, the more it became an existence removed from the magus’ original design. The ultimate golem represented the parousia of Adam – the king protector who would finally lead his people, after enduring many years of suffering, to Paradise. A massive arm extended from the lake. All the material used to create it – stone and earth and wood – were of respectable age and entirely natural, never having been employed as construction material or fuel. A third of Darnic’s fortunes went into procuring them. Finally, its upper torso appeared, like a citadel raising from the surface of the water. After that, however, it stopped. Without the water of the lake, this golem could move no further – for now, at least. “It is time to install the ‘core’. Are you ready, my Master?” “Yes!” ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 004. Part 3 Sieg’s face clouded over as he surveyed the half destroyed castle. He could see a slender arm, likely belonging to a homunculus, jutting out from under some debris – and hurriedly ran towards it when he saw it twitch. “Hey!” The arm responded to his call, hand turning upwards as though reaching for something – help, Sieg realized. He placed his hand on the debris covering the homunculus. The thaumaturgy he employed was meant only for the destruction of its target; as such, there was no risk of it impacting upon whoever was trapped beneath. After fully understanding its composition, Sieg accelerated his Magic Circuits and quickly blew apart the rubble. It was his best use of thaumaturgy yet, and everything burying the homunculus was reduced to dust – but he was too late. “Ah…” Simply hurrying over to her side was not enough to save her. It was laughable to begin with, his belief that lending his hand before she was fully crushed would lead to her salvation. In the end, no one but her could have made the choice to save her: the choice to have not participated in the battle at all. “Thank you, I owe you my life. Has the battle concluded?” The debris striking her head had likely robbed her of most of her sight. The homunculus reached out every which way, her eyes glazed over. Sieg might have shattered the rubble crushing her, but she had been run clean through by one of the candlestands that once stood in the hall – and the direct impact of what must have been the aftershock of Spartacus’s strike had removed both of her legs. However, perhaps due to her non-functional pain receptors – or her conscious decision to overlook the sensation itself – she continued to ask of her duties in a detached tone of voice. “Yes… it’s over.” The girl sighed, solaced by his words. The act was entirely too human. “In that case, I must return to my cleaning duties… but I will dirty the floors like this. How clumsy of me… I must change out these clothes, and trade this halberd for a broom, quickly… but first, I need to stop this bleeding…” Killing his emotions, Sieg firmly grasped the hand of the girl without a single tremor. “It’s all right. I’ll do that for you, after all of this is over. You should rest.” “Is that… so?” Relief crept into her voice. “To be honest… I am feeling a little tired. If you could, that would be most wonderful. Excuse me while I take a short rest… please wake me after five hours.” “You… can rest longer than that.” “Five hours is enough sleep for a homunculus… but it seems my body is quite fatigued. I have never felt so… exhausted…” She closed her eyes, and her hold on Sieg’s hand weakened. Is there nothing I can do? Sieg thought desperately – but of course, there was not. Eventually, losing her strength entirely, her arm slipped through Sieg’s relaxed grip and fell down. Sieg stood up and turned his back to her; there was nothing more he could do here. He still had his own mission – and its fulfillment would surely bring peace to her soul… “And to think that you would come back, just for us… you have an unfortunate sense of obligation. But, thank you… for saving me…” Sieg whipped around in shock, rushing over to take her hand again and check her pulse. But this time, the girl was well and truly gone. It seemed that at some point – perhaps from the very start – she had seen through his badly-performed act. He could not even let her pass away in peace. How pathetic can I be… So Sieg thought. However, she had thanked him in the end. Although saddened by the burden he had decided to shoulder, she thanked him for saving her. Enduring both crushing grief and anger, he turned his focus on salvation alone. What he needed to free the homunculi was not strength, which simply functioned as a force of deterrence. What he truly needed was their words, and nothing more. The war had been thrown into chaos; all the Servants were currently in the field. At the very least, he should be able to sense any Servant within the castle except an Assassin. Passing through broken walls, he slipped into the heart of the castle. The halls were originally lit by elaborate candles, kept alight by excessive thaumaturgical effort, but most of them had been snuffed out by now. As Sieg walked down the darkened hallways, he could sense none of his colleagues – the homunculi – and his chest tightened. Could it be that the girl he had watched over earlier was the last one…? “Anyone…!” There was no sound. Despite the realization that the Yggdmillennia magi were not present, the silence was unbearably horrifying. He called out again. “Is anyone there…!” Some faint noise reached his ears. It might be coming from one of the magi – but he was a Master himself now, and held power and authority that they too must recognize. On top of that, he possessed the power of Siegfried. He walked onward without fear. However, some unspeakable repulsion pressed on his heart. As soon as he considered it, he found out the cause. “This… is where I came from.” The memory came to him as he walked. Yes, he had once come down this very hallway, from the opposite direction; he had been naked, staggered, and terrified – yet he dragged himself on regardless. The fear he had felt then was still etched in his mind. He had had nothing to call his own, except his life – and even that would soon have been taken away from him. It had simply been too unbearable. But, now… he was all right. That sensation weighing on him was not horror, but simply discomfort from ruminating on the unpleasant past. “The sound came from that room…” It was where he had been born – that underground chamber filled with prana tanks. He himself had been built with the purpose of providing energy and dying in the process of doing so. He had gained sentience, however, by chance – or perhaps by fate. With these rather abstract thoughts in mind, Sieg opened the door to the chamber. “So you’re the intruder, huh…” A homunculus pointed a halberd at him. Her voice sounded somewhat familiar. “Are you…?” Yes, she was the first homunculus he had called out to – the first to leave the field of battle. “Thanks to you, I managed to escape from that place. I must have been lucky, I suppose… that last attack was utterly beyond us.” The weapon she thrust at him was brought back. Many homunculi were still afloat in the tanks around them. Their barely opened eyes showed no signs of life; their hearts beat but their minds did not yet possess thoughts. They did not yet ‘live’ but merely ‘existed’. However, much like Sieg himself in the past, they sought salvation – and given the chance, they would certainly awake. “Hurry, we have to…” …release them, Sieg tried to say before the homunculus stopped him. “Calm down. We are preparing the necessities now.” Immediately, two homunculi came over to them carrying some makeshift stretchers, seemingly made from curtains from the hallway. They also brought clean sheets and clothes. “We didn’t know how many there were. We got as much as we could.” The young female homunculus was gasping for breath, as though having ran here at full tilt. When she noticed Sieg, her eyes widened and she began glowering at him with arched eyebrows, seemingly angry. The young homunculus pointed a finger at Sieg and said. “At least say something if you’re still alive, idiot.” “Yes…” “Indeed.” The three homunculi were in agreement. While somewhat staggered by the sudden denouncement, Sieg then came to a realization. “Did all of you sense it when I died…?” They nodded, and a bitter taste filled his mouth. All homunculi crafted by the Yggdmillennia were connected, however weakly, by pathways similar to that between Masters and Servants. One of the results of their mass production, possibly – as while they had a critical lack of individuality, they could all receive important information such as one another’s survival from anywhere without any need for conscious efforts such as telepathy. Of course, such data was not necessary to them precisely due to their sameness; the death of another homunculus was just one more number in the grand calculation. However, there was one exception: Sieg, the one that had broken out of the castle. However dulled their emotions, they did feel moved to protect him as he attempted his escape. How much had they secretly rejoiced when he had gotten away safely? How much disappointment, when he returned to the field of battle only to fall? “I’m… sorry.” “It’s fine. Come now, help us. We’re going to free them. There won’t be a better chance than this, with all the Servants out of the castle. And if our masters come…” The homunculi all looked at Sieg who nodded in understanding. Most likely, he was the only one who could stand up to the magi. “If it comes down to it, I will be your shield… let’s free them all.” * * * The task was easier than he had expected once they got started in earnest. After shattering the tank with the halberd, they removed the mechanisms used to absorb their prana, while Sieg wiped their bodies dry, dressed them and put them on the stretchers. By exercising their greatest quality – the ability to work with calm and patience – the homunculi were able to carry out the task impeccably. “Where should we bring them?” “To our chamber, for the time being. It should be large enough to keep a watch on everyone. Have any of the surviving healer homunculi start on treating them… better leave it to them than us combat and utility units.” “All right. Let’s get them out of here, then.” Two of the homunculi lifted a stretcher. “Ah…” Their ‘patient’ opened his mouth, as though trying to breath. However, he could not make a sound with the wholly deficient vocal cords which he had never used before. Sieg held his hand up gently and prayed that he could hear his words. “Don’t worry… you’re safe now.” The homunculus lying on the stretcher blinked and nodded, his stiffened expression loosening ever so slightly. He might have been thirsting for salvation, but such confusion was to be expected considering the nature of his sudden awakening. “Could you… call to him while we move him to the room? That should keep him somewhat relaxed.” And so they carried him off while Sieg called out to him again and again. Eventually, the combat homunculi that had survived the battle, and the utility units that were stationed around the castle, began to appear one after another, helping their fellows. The first homunculus brandished her halberd, directing them briskly. Sieg continued his task of calming the released homunculi. “It’s okay…” “You’re all right…” “You don’t need to worry…” None of them could voice a single word – but their faces spoke clearly enough to him and all of the silent homunculi rescuers. Not all of the ones that came out of the tanks were survivors. The more they broke out, the more they found that had already been consumed by the previous great battle. The rescuers did not put them on stretchers, only wrapping the sheets around them completely. Hopefully there would be time later to grieve for them later – so Sieg thought, and something came to the corner of his eye that he was unable to push back. The other homunculi, with their diluted emotions, were able to withstand it – but Sieg could not hold his tears. Having been granted the heart of a hero, and experienced death and rebirth himself once, he was severely shaken. The homunculus with the halberd tapped on his shoulder. “Well, you can cry all you want… but try to hold it in for now. Something is coming.” At her words, Sieg noticed it as well. A storm was charging down the hallway – but not Servants. Most likely it was the Masters, and their hostility was clear. “Combat units, to the front!” Following her direction, the combat homunculi clutching halberds and candlestands stepped to the front, while the others moved to continue their work at the back of the chamber. The door was thrown open and three magi swept in, ready for battle. First came Gordes – the one who had tried to kill Sieg – followed by the Forvedge siblings, Fiore and Caules. It was less than Sieg had expected even discounting Celenike, whom Mordred had dispatched earlier. Where were Darnic and Roche? Whatever the case, the three present were certainly no easy game. Sieg concentrated on Gordes, glaring at him. The magus was shaking slightly – from rage rather than fear, judging from his expression. “What are you all doing…?” “Isn’t it obvious? We’re freeing them.” Gordes let out a low snarl at Sieg’s matter-of-fact reply. As though sensing the deadlock, Fiore pushed herself in front of Gordes. Considering their prowess as magi, she likely held the most authority among them. “And why are you doing such a thing, homunculus?” Fiore asked coolly, her attitude exemplary of a magus. There was no anger in her tone; she spoke simply to inquire the truth. Sieg answered. “Living as sacrifices just to be pumped dry of prana… no one deserves a death like that.” “Even if that was the task they were created for?” “They have no obligation to fulfill a task that was pressed upon them.” “Hold on… hold it!” Gordes cut in again and drew towards Sieg with overt animosity. ‘You…! You were the one that Rider tried to stand up for! Why must you interfere with our progress again and again?! Save the homunculi…? That’s preposterous! I made you, all of you! I decide what each of you will do! You – you’re supposed to provide prana! And you serve us directly! And you were made for battle! I decided that! My decision!” “Quiet down, won’t you…? We thank you for creating us, but – can’t you just give it a rest? What else is there left for them to do?” Gordes flinched, and Fiore spoke again. “And what exactly will any of you do after this? Let us be frank. None of you have long to live, especially the combat units. What time is there for you to accomplish anything?” “…” The armed homunculi hung their heads. They were already aware of that fact, of course; unlike their fellows meant for utility or prana provision, they were tuned for and highly gifted in physical and magical combat – in exchange for possessing shortened lifespans. They were meant to spend their short lives racing across the battlefield. “Well… he’s not wrong, I guess. There really isn’t much left for them to do.” “Caules.” Fiore quelled her younger brother. He might have spoken the truth – but it was not a truth they could admit to just yet. Caules shrugged and turned away. “The war is not over yet. Homunculus… in the last battle, you transformed into Saber. Did you not return to help…?” “I am not your ally. I came to save them… that’s all.” “No… you’re Siegfried! That makes me your Master!” Gordes approached the perplexed Sieg, grabbing the front of his shirt and shaking him. “Why, Saber?! Why did you choose oblivion… for a mere homunculus?! Did you have such distaste for battle? You are supposed to be a hero! Or were you so dissatisfied with me as your Master? Answer me, Siegfried!” Gordes raved at him until losing all his spirit and crumbling to the floor. “Sorry, but I’m only Saber in appearance… and I don’t know what made him decide to give his heart to me. I don’t know what discontent he might have felt.” “Was it my fault…? It was simply mayhem… I was lost! If you had just told me… that I was wrong… if you had simply refused, I would have compromised as well! I would have…!” “What are you saying now? You told him to shut up, didn’t you? What else could he do?” The homunculi tensed. It was Astolfo. The three magi also seemed to have realize that their kin, Celenike, was dead. “Rider, your Master…” “…is Sieg right now. So?” Casually tossing a grenade into the dialogue, Astolfo promptly moved to Sieg’s side without batting an eye towards the three magi who were rooted to the spot. After all, the Noble Phantasm tome carried by the Rider of Black possessed A-rank Magic Resistance; no magus of the modern era could harm him in any way. “What’s so bad about this? The homunculi don’t want to fight, for one. What do you want from them?” “That is unacceptable.” Fiore stared coldly at Astolfo, gripping the handrims of her wheelchair tightly. She was beginning to suspect that Rider had betrayed them; was it not possible that this Servant had killed his own Master…? “You can defend this fortress all you want, but you already lost the Grail, right? I mean, it just up and, whoop , gone!” Astolfo shrugged and replied, showing no hint of whether he was aware of her doubts. “Yes, but…” The magi looked down with pensiveness. Indeed, what could allow them to reverse this situation? The Holy Grail – that symbol of the Yggdmillenia – had been seized from them, and by a flying fortress of all things. Such a miracle of the Age of Gods, making the Fortress of Millennia appear a toy in comparison, could only be a Noble Phantasm. “And you… Gordes, was it? You told him, remember – you told him to never speak. I understand that revealing Siegfried’s true name would be disastrous… but when you said that to him, what it really sounded like was, ‘listen to my instructions because you are incompetent and will ruin our plans’. How could he possibly complain after hearing something like that?” Gordes made a small noise of dismay. If that had been a mistake, then everything he had done since his first command had been wrong. No… he had been wrong ever since he held to the misassumption that his relation to his Servant would be no different than the usual bond of familiars. “I… I was just so afraid of his weak point. It is too well known. He was a great hero, yet I simply could not put all my faith in him… I feared that he would be pierced through the back, like a fool – like how he had ended in life.” It was the instant that Gordes – with a sigh that sounded like it was wringed from his soul – finally recognized his own blunder. “Uncle…” “Let the homunculi be free, Fiore… we have lost. Only Archer and Caster remain in our camp, and if Assassin is as you said, we cannot hope for anything from them. There is no faith to be had in serial killers.” Gordes murmured, utterly exhausted. Fiore turned her sharp eyes towards Sieg, and the armed homunculi all around him – and at last the homunculi huddled weakly at the back of the chamber. Finally, she turned away with a pained expression. “Very well… I will give you some time, homunculi. Do as you please.” The homunculi around Sieg sighed with relief and hurried to care for those in the back of the chamber. “So, Fiore… what now? Should we send a messenger to the Association to let them know of our surrender?” “Hardly. We are freeing the homunculi – but the war is not lost.” Fiore spoke resolutely, letting the others know that she did not yet accept their utter defeat. “Grandfather once told me that Caster possessed an A-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm. With such a weapon, we can continue to fight.” “But, is that really…?” “Be quiet.” Fiore silenced her brother with a forefinger, and then approached Sieg with a warm smile and extended hand. “Master of Rider, and homunculus capable of artificially summoning Saber – would you please lend us your aid?” “Y-You lot just don’t quit, do you?! How dare you even ask that of him?!” Fiore shrugged and replied to Astolfo with a cool expression. “And what is the issue here? We conceded to release the homunculi – naturally, we expect some form of compensation in return. All the more given that he is a homunculus and both the Master of the Rider of Black and capable of bringing out the Saber of Black.” “N-No! No, no! Sieg is supposed to have a peaceful life now! No more orders, no more allegations, just…!” Sieg placed a hand on Astolfo’s shoulder. “I don’t mind, Rider. I’m a Master now… I’m ready to fight in this war.” “But…” “And I’m a little curious as well. This Great Holy Grail War… is no longer just a conflict of ‘Black’ and ‘Red’, it seems.” “Huh?” “I’m talking about Ruler. The fact that she was summoned at all means that something is probably wrong.” “The scale of the conflict itself would be impossible under normal circumstances, no? Would that not be the cause?” Sieg nodded at Fiore’s suggestion. “That’s true. However, there is one more situation where a Ruler may be summoned. She said it herself: if the possibility exists that the Holy Grail War will bring ruin to the world, she will be called.” It would be much simpler if it were as Fiore said, and Ruler had been brought here merely to judge the conflict between two teams of the fourteen Servants. “Hm… Servants are closing in, Sieg. Two of them.” “Yeah… it seems I can sense them too, somehow.” “Archer and Caster, perhaps?” Fiore tried sending a telepathic message to her Servant; if he was close enough to be detected by other Servants, he must be in range to respond. Chiron answered immediately. “Are you all right, Archer?” “Yes, but both Lancer and Lord Darnic have fallen.” Although the spirit board had already informed them as such, hearing it confirmed by Chiron’s words gripped her with utter despair. “I see…” Fiore bit her lip. With their old leader gone, she was in command now. She had no choice but to muster her courage. Surely, Chiron’s return would help to dissolve this unease in her heart. “Also, Caster has betrayed us.” “What…?” “Avicebron has allied with the Red camp against us and seeks to unleash his Noble Phantasm. Is his Master present with you?” “Caules, go and find Roche! Now!” “Gotcha…!” Caules did not question his older sister for a second, immediately beginning his search. “Homunculi… I’m afraid we have urgent need of your aid. We must locate the Master of Caster, Roche. Search every corner of the castle!” None of them had ever heard seen such franticness in her. The homunculi nodded to each other and followed Caules out of the chamber. “He is not here. We have begun a search, but…” “Master, did Lord Darnic inform you of the details of Caster’s Noble Phantasm, Keter Malkuth ?” “Only that it is a large golem, and requires a ‘core’ to activate…” “The ‘core’ required is a magus.” Fiore was speechless. Chiron continued dispassionately. “At first, Caster had planned for the Master of Saber to be employed – so Lord Darnic had advised me.” “Uncle Gordes is here…” “In that case, Caster must have chosen his own Master. Not every magus is qualified to act as the ‘core’; it requires certain qualities in terms of Magic Circuits, the Thaumaturgical Crest, the mental condition of the magus, and sheer affinity. Roche was likely the best choice to begin with.” “But Roche was his Master… so he had to settle for Uncle Gordes instead?” Fiore was not aware that the homunculus called Sieg was also one of the substitutes. Given Avicebron’s fixation on him, it was possible that Sieg was just as qualified as Roche to act as the ‘core’ – or perhaps even more so. “But Roche…” …respected his own Servant above all else. It was practically worship – and to be expected, considering Avicebron stood atop a pinnacle beyond even the young golemancer prodigy. He admired his Servant from the bottom of his heart. Yet how did the Caster of Black feel about Roche as a Master? Did he have affections for him? Did he find Roche’s high regard for him pleasing? Did he consider him as his own child? Were any or all of these enough to make Avicebron give up the dream he had pursued throughout his entire life? “We will reach…” Fiore suddenly lost contact with Chiron, as though the cable between them were cut. Astolfo’s face darkened as he shouted. “There’s another Servant headed this way!” A massive ‘something’ impacted the underground chamber, shaking the floor and causing stones fragments to fall from the ceiling. The entire chamber trembled and shuddered as though in a giant drum being beat upon. However, this place was not designed to endure such a beating; sooner or later, it would collapse. “Get out of here, all of you!” Astolfo yelled as he picked up a large group of the rescued homunculi. Sieg and the other rescuers secured the rest and followed him out. Fiore kicked off her wheelchair, activating the Bronze-Link Manipulators on her back. Using the four deployed arms, she reached ground level at terrific speeds, moving down a hallway and leaping out from one of the windows – and did not hide her shock as she cried out at what she saw. “Is that… Keter Malkuth …?” There was one thing that she understood with only a single glance. It was that the golem before her was entirely unlike anything she had ever seen before. Even Roche’s or Aviecebron’s other creations of war could offer no comparison; it was on a completely different level. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 005. Part 4 Roche was perplexed. “S-Sir…?” He did not understand any of this at all. He did not want to . Caster had grabbed him by the neck and thrown him roughly at the golem. The stone and earth that came in contact with Roche liquefied and sealed his movements. Steadily, with a creaking noise, he was being absorbed into the innards of the golem. He knew that much. But he did not understand at all. “Um, sir… what, are you…” “Do you not know, my Master? By this time, you should be able to comprehend that you are to serve as the core…” The Caster whom he so respected spoke with indifference. If this was such a matter of fact to him, it must not be of much issue… yes, it was nothing… nothing important… nothing big… no! “Why are you doing this? Why?! M-Me, the core? I don’t want…!” “It is because you are a fitting and sufficient magus, of course. Darnic had ordered me to make do with Gordes – but given the circumstances, there is no issue with using you.” “Wh-What are you saying?! I’m… I’m a Master! I’m your Master!” “Correct, hence I could not make you the core, at first. However, I accepted a proposal from one of the Masters of Red earlier. So you see, I am no longer your Servant. Do you understand? I have no interest in such trivial matters as to whether Red or Black emerge as victors.” “B-But…!” Proposal… accepted… betrayed… no interest… only… golems… “I suppose it would be false to claim that I have no interest in the Holy Grail itself. But what is most important to me is the activation of this Noble Phantasm – and whether, at the end of all this, I could emulate the First Man, that which is so dearly desired by all my fellows. That is why I was summoned. That is why I had lived. Fortunately, by accepting a Master on the Red camp, I can employ you as the core.” Amongst modern magi, Roche had the greatest affinity with golems. After all, that was how he had managed to summoned Avicebron. It also meant he was most compatible to power his Noble Phantasm. “N-No…! No! Stop it! I don’t want…! I don’t… aaaahh! ” He was being dissolved. The flesh which composed Roche Frain Yggdmillennia was melting and being fused on a cellular level – to dirtied wood, and rock, and melting, melting, melting… Roche screamed, swinging his arms and legs in wild terror – or tried to. But he could no longer feel anything with his limbs. The entirety of his lower body, up to his elbows, had already been taken into the heart of the golem. “Why are you doing this?! Why…?! You were everything to me! I respected you! I worshiped you! Why…?!” Avicebron, quietly working some unknown process, suddenly turned to face him. “I would have thought that you knew me well…” “Huh?” “Avicebron. Solomon ibn Gabirol. Philosopher. Poet. Cabbalist. Misanthropic… sickly… ailed in the skin. Is that about right?” Roche silently waited for him to continue. What great secret was Caster about to reveal…? “Unfortunately, I must betray your expectations. I was alone in my hatred of humans, and took up golemancy only to keep myself occupied. In the end, I decided to employ it in order to imitate the Lord – but even that dream was crushed before I had even been anywhere near its conclusion.” His had been such a mundane life. He had been such a mundane existence. He had a dream but was unable to achieve it. Ultimately, that was what his life boiled down to. However… “…this desire of mine must fulfilled. Yes, even if others see it only as clinging to a delusion. For this, I am prepared to make any sacrifice.” “Sacrifice…?” “Feel free to condemn and reproach me. Certainly, you have shown me respect and worship. It was no lie that the affection you displayed towards me was most comforting.” However, consider this. “I despise humanity. I weary of this world. I abhor seeing eye to eye with anyone to the point of donning a mask. I cover my entire self in all my sickness. How did you possibly reach the conclusion that I would not plot to betray you? ” It was then that Roche realized he would never be able to understand this man. His Servant did not comprehend how he felt – and he himself knew nothing at all about Avicebron. Roche only understood him to be a genius golemancer, and cared for nothing else. His misanthropy, his disease, his thoughts about golemancy, his desires and those of his people – he ignored all of it. Thus, this was but the most obvious of conclusions. Masters and Servants who did not mutually understand one another would suffer defeat. There was nothing more to it. “No… stop… please… don’t do this…! Help…! Save me…! Someone save me! Someone…! Anyone!” Anyone is fine! Just save me! Please! I won’t ask for any more! I’ve learnt my lesson! I’m sorry! Please forgive me! But who should I ask forgiveness from? What did I do wrong? No… please, wait. I’m scared. I don’t want to become a golem. I don’t. I just want to make them, I… His mind was unnecessary, thus it was drained of its color. His Magic Circuits, his Thaumaturgical Crest, his Command Spells – his everything had become mere resource to grant motion to Keter Malkuth . At the last, one final thought grazed his mind, an ironic reflection. He hates other people so much. He can’t bear all the annoying humans in the world. Just like me. So why… why is he trying to create a human being? Funny… Roche continued to exist in the world, but he was no longer alive. His mind had been wiped clean, his brain and body fused into the heart of the golem. At the same time, having been granted its core, the golem’s eyes became filled with light. It drew its legs up from the lake, its feet grasping powerfully upon the earth. Splendid, Avicebron sighed. Despite being a human product of amalgamated wood and stone and earth and human flesh, it felt as though it fully incorporated the grandeur of nature. It was simply beauty in itself. The first miracle occurred. The earth upon which the giant stood firmly upon began to sing, spreading tree and grass. The trees the giant touched bore fruit, which fell to the earth and became more trees in return. That was not all. The birds and beasts that had been repelled by the Yggdmillennia boundary field began to appear out of nowhere. Like moths to a flame, they approached the giant without hesitation, grasping onto it – and were broken apart without a single drop of blood. They were absorbed by the giant, becoming pure energy. They could wish for nothing more; after all, unintelligent beasts had always been helplessly attracted to him. Furthermore, the area around the giant became rejuvenated. The air was faintly filled with a sweet, honey-like smell, such that simply taking breath would fill one with utter bliss. “Yes… this is Eden .” This was the ultimate expression of the pinnacle of golems pursued by numerous Cabbalists. Its mere existence could replace the current world with a Paradise. That was the true nature of the golem, Keter Malkuth – an autonomous Reality Marble. As long as it existed, the giant would continue to replace the world with its own – Eden , the land granted to Adam and Eve by God. “Now… shall we begin the salvation of this world, my golem? You shall fight, and kill, and destroy, and build Paradise on this Earth. All other meaningless conflicts will end. All meaningless societies will cease to be.” The golem began its march towards the Fortress of Millennia, easily scaling the cliff side. Perched on its shoulder, Avicebron glared at the magi and Servants gathered atop the half-collapsed rampart. * * * And so the Masters and Servants of Black met the giant. Riding upon its shoulder was Avicebron, the Caster of Black who had so readily betrayed them for the Red camp. “Hmph. So you are all alive…” “Caster…!” Fiore shouted. Avicebron gave a light nod in affirmation and waved his hand. “Rider, and the new Servant who became Saber! It is good to see you are well.” “Don’t be a fool! What are you doing, Caster?!” “Betraying us, it would seem…” Jolted by Gorde’s murmur, Sieg and Astolfo stared at Avicebron. Naturally, it was the latter who was the first to make his indignation known. “Caster! Are you turning on us? Even your own Master?!” Caster nodded calmly. “I would rather say that I betrayed your expectations.” “Don’t try to joke your way out of this!” “I did not mean that as a joke… but yes, I suppose I did betray you. I am now your enemy. And now I will destroy you, and bring salvation to the world with this supreme Noble Phantasm.” Avicebron’s words angered Astolfo further. “Are you stupid? What can a puppet like that do for the world?!” There truly was no concept of ‘the fear of God’ in Astolfo – whereas Sieg, Fiore and Gordes did their absolute best to avert their gaze from Avicebron’s golem. “It’s… divine…” They could not describe it as ‘fearsome’ or ‘powerful’. If anything, ‘wondrous’ would be more appropriate. It was the pearl of His work, the only being ordained to come into life veiled in glory. It was not an exaggeration to say that they wished to prostrate themselves before it. Looking upon it conjured nothing but the clear image of defeat. “What insolence. I see it is true that your reason has evaporated.” Only Astolfo remained standing in haughty defiance, glaring at the golem and Avicebron who controlled it. He puffed up and declared with confidence. “That’s right! So I’m not afraid of you at all! Whatever it is that you think you’ve created… at the end of the day, it’s just another Noble Phantasm! ” Hearing his words, Sieg relaxed. Astolfo was right; the golem was simply another piece of armament. However divine its appearance, it was simply a creation of Avicebron. “Quite correct… which is precisely why my arrow will not falter.” Avicebron turned around at these words echoing through the air – but he was too late. He had no means to defend against a shaft that could pierce the sound barrier. The thin shield he quickly erected was blown apart with ease, only slightly changing the arrow’s course as it planted itself firmly in his shoulder. “Ugh…!” Rasping in pain, Avicebron pulled out the arrow fired by Chiron, the Servant of Fiore and the last hope of the Yggdmillennia. “Archer…!” Fiore cried out in joy. He must have masked his presence from them for the sake of this one strike. “So you managed to cling to life, Caster. Doubtless my next shot will end you.” It was only natural, for the class of Caster was unsuited to close combat, and Avicebron was weak in body to begin with. Holding his shoulder, Avicebron turned to face Chiron. “Hmph… so you would aim for me, Archer. However…” “…even if I finish you off, it will not stop your Noble Phantasm. Is that correct?” When Chiron pointed this out, Avicebron tilted his head. “Then, why did you shoot?” “Is it not obvious? I will not suffer a traitor to survive.” “How irrational… I did not take you to be one moved to action by anger.” Avicebron lamented – and another shot was fired, followed nearly simultaneously by a second and third. Avicebron could not even prepare any defenses before his skull and chest were pierced. He tottered about on the golem’s shoulder, somehow managing to keep from slipping off. However, Chiron knew that his had been a fatal blow. “Unfortunately Archer, my task is already complete. My Noble Phantasm is active… I have no regrets.” It was a lie; if possible, he had wanted to see for himself the Paradise that his golem would bring forth. The wish lingered painfully in his mind. However, he could do little about his wounds. Not to mention that Chiron was correct; whatever excuses he made, it was true that he had betrayed his own Master for his own desires. Even now, the fact left a sour aftertaste in his mouth. In the end, however, it was his decision – and he gracefully accepted the retribution for his sin of treachery. Only death remained as his atonement, for he no longer possessed anything else – besides Adam perhaps, but he would never surrender him, of course. After all, Avicebron had sacrificed everything, even his own Master, for his birth. He could not let his creation meet its end here. “I leave the rest to you, Keter Malkuth ! You… yes, you have the power to build our Paradise! Grant the world… grant all humanity… grant our people … grant us your salvation!” To the end, Avicebron never took off his mask or reveal his flesh, even as he fused with the golem. Much like the birds and beasts, it was his wish to become nourishment for his Noble Phantasm, Adam . “What…?!” “Impossible…!” The magi and Servants watched on in disbelief as a great force began to surge within the golem. Most likely, it was due to taking in such an enormous source of energy as a Servant. The giant looked at them and its gaze settled on Fiore. It swung its right hand – and materialized a weapon. It was a sword of brilliant black. “…!” Fiore froze. Earlier, this giant had shown clear killing intent in its strike; it must understand that she was Archer’s Master. “Oh, no… let’s get out of here!” Astolfo grabbed Fiore by the shoulder and without hesitation, leapt off the castle wall they were standing on. The east side of the fortress rampart was suspended over a sheer cliff; the drop was over several meters to the ground. “Do you have a landing strategy?!” Against Fiore’s impassioned protest, Astolfo showed a self-assured smile. “Of course I do…! Come, Hippogriff!” Slicing apart the air, his mount caught Fiore and Astolfo on its back, its shrill call resonating through the air. “Hmm…? It’s in pretty bad shape, huh. Hey, come on! Get!” Astolfo smacked the Hippogiff several times in the neck, and it turned its head to look at him with some resentment. Astolfo had already forgotten about their assault on the Hanging Gardens earlier, where it had received a powerful blow from Semiramis’ thaumaturgy to the point of needing to withdraw. It only took flight again, even in such a winded state, because of its owner’s command. The giant’s black blade slashed the air a hair’s breadth behind them. “Wahaha! That thing’s fast! Try not to get its attention, Master!” Still in pursuit, the giant stopped and swung again at the Hippogriff’s back. Its booming impact shook the air and scattered residual prana all about. The giant sword of obsidian was brought to a stop just inches from the helm of Jeanne, who stood atop the rampart. With a single strike, the stone floor beneath her had nearly collapsed. “The First Man, Adam … what a troublesome thing to leave behind, Caster.” What was possibly the most surprising was the durability of her banner, which did not bend even as its received the full brunt of the giant’s sword. However long the giant were to continue his attack, it would never break past and reach her. “Keep it still, Ruler!” Chiron did not miss this opportunity, of course. Drawing his bow’s string, he loosed an arrow with all his might. The arrow punctured the giant’s eyeball and it reared. With a spirited shout, Jeanne deflected the obsidian sword and made a sprinting leap towards the giant. She flipped through the air, bringing her banner down on the giant’s knee and shattering the joint. The giant could only escape backwards, jumping off the cliff and landing on the ground below. This should guarantee the safety of Gordes, Caules, and the homunculi. However, it also meant that Ruler was now alone in facing the giant. Continuing his attack, Chiron put another arrow to his bow in one smooth, swift action. He was merciless in combat; even now, he aimed for what appeared to be the giant’s other eyes. The tactic he employed was one of pure efficiency, brutally blinding the enemy and shooting again and again from his safe position. However, the giant upon which Avicebron had entrusted all his hopes was not a simple golem. “What…?!” Even from his kneeling posture, the giant was able to sweep aside his arrows. That was the first shocking truth; it was a rigorous feat for any Servant to intercept Chiron’s undetectable arrows travelling beyond the speed of sound. However massive its form, the giant should not be able to deflect the attacks which had completely sealed even the movements of Achilles in their first engagement. However, after only a single shot, the giant had understood the attack and was able to deal with it cleanly. The giant surprised them further still by leaping backwards, taking some distance from them – and then pulling out the arrow stuck in its own eye. Even as they watched on, the wound began to close. “Healing thaumaturgy…?!” Jeanne grimaced and denied those words. “No, I believe that is… the blessing from the earth itself.” As an autonomous Reality Marble, Adam could change his surroundings to an alien world simply by existing – and in Paradise, there was no bloodshed. Therefore, the arrow’s wound was made not to exist. “We must bring it down quickly! If it can turn all of this place into its own world – it will become immortal! ” Adam had yet to completely convert this land of despair into its Paradise; that was how they had managed to hurt it at all. However, it would not take much longer. The further the influence of Eden spread – the longer the giant continued to exist – the more powerful its recovery ability became. It was little wonder that Avicebron had left his dreams to this giant. Possessing absolute agelessness and deathlessness, it would not be possible for humanity to defeat this impregnable being – and perhaps, not even for Servants. Evading the giant’s downward slash, Jeanne stabbed with her banner – not towards the abdomen which she could not reach, but one of its arms. However, the great-sword was drawn back with speed and stopped her attack. And so, she could only persist in spurring her heart, wavering at the divine sight of the giant, even as she maintained her stalling tactic. Jeanne could only buy time for the others – for she had no means to bring decisive victory. Rather, she had one – but it was forbidden to her. At the very least, she could not employ it here. She was beginning to fluster but, holding back her emotions, she continued to swing her banner and deflect the giant’s sword. * * * Watching all this from high above, Fiore shouted. “Rider! Can one of your Noble Phantasms defeat that…?!” “Sorry, but I doubt it! My flute and tome won’t do anything to it, and my lance certainly wouldn’t hurt it much. The only reliable source of damage is my Hippogriff – but considering its wounds, it won’t be able to attack at full strength. Even if it could, there’s no guarantee that it can win. If anything, I don’t think it will!” Fiore gritted her teeth. Was there no choice but to release Archer’s Noble Phantasm, then? Although a simple Anti-Unit type attack, its force was incomparable to his regular arrows; it was meant to kill in a single blow. But what if it did not…? No – there was no time to hesitate, Fiore chided herself. Logic dictated that it was their only remaining option. “What is your command, Master?” Chiron spoke to her, encouraging her towards a decision. “Yes… Archer, you may release your Noble Phantasm. But before you do, take some time – even just a minute – to consider whether it can truly defeat that golem.” Acknowledging her order, Chiron turned his cold gaze towards the giant – using those eyes which had in the past gauged so many champions of might, heroes of guile, and demonic creatures aside. “The golem is formed of wood, stone, and earth, and possesses a magus as its core – its ‘heart’. That was its weakness, of course – but could it be felled by piercing through its heart, given enough strength behind the blow? No… it would not.” With his eyes, capable of seeing through all creation, Chiron could analyse and comprehend even the internal workings of Adam . The heart was certainly important, considering the flow of prana within the giant. However, bigger issues laid with the brain and the two feet. The giant was closer to a Servant than a human or golem; it possessed a spiritual core in the skull as well. Simply putting a shot through its heart would not bring instant death while its head was intact. Even more pressing were its two feet grasping the ground firmly. It was through the soles of its feet that the giant managed to gain huge amounts of prana flowing from the earth. As such, three forces were necessary to completely obliterate Keter Malkuth . One attack must destroy the spiritual core in its skull. A second attack must destroy its heart. A third attack must remove both its feet from the earth. “It is impossible for my Noble Phantasm.” Chiron alone would be able to fulfill one of the attacks. Borrowing the power of the homunculus boy, they could secure two. However, they could not manage three. They needed Ruler to hold back the flurry of strikes from the obsidian sword; it was only through her concentrated defense that they had any openings with which to attack the giant. If she moved to attack as well, it was possible that one of the three necessary attacks would be deflected. They needed one more on their side, a warrior who was capable of such an attack – and so there was. “Ruler! We require one more Servant! There must be one more nearby!” Skillfully parrying a slash from the giant, Jeanne consented to his suggestion. It seemed Chiron had a plan – and already predicted the Servant who would be close at hand to assist. She brandished her banner and declared loudly. “Saber of Red! By the name of Jeanne d’Arc, I call upon you to aid us in battle! I know you are close enough to hear this… come to us!” For an instant, there was silence – but they could detect her enormous swirl of prana. The steel knight stepped forth from the shadows of the fallen trees, and Sieg stiffened. It was the Servant that had killed him earlier. Her helmet was disengaged, revealing a daring grin even as she stood barely removed from the immediate danger. “And here I am, Ruler. What do you want from me?” “Ask Archer… please!” The flag and the blade clashed again, and giant’s weaker weapon shattered. However, the obsidian sword must be considered one of Adam ‘s possessions as well, for it too began to regenerate immediately. It truly possessed limitless endurance and recoverability. Given enough time, they would eventually be unable to harm in any way. “You, huh…” “I… suppose we cannot simply let bygones be bygones. But forget them for a moment; for now, we must deal with that giant first.” “I got it. We will play nice together, for now. And you, homunculus! Do you disagree?” Mordred called out to Sieg with a mischievous smile. He took a deep breath and chose to bear it. “I don’t!” “Sieg, we require your help as well! Is it possible for you to materialize and release your Noble Phantasm?” The homunculus looked at the back of his left hand. Some time had passed since his second use of the Command Spell. That deadly sensation which had gripped him after his transformation was now faint. “There’s no problem. I can.” “Hold on, Master…! What are you trying to make my Master do, Archer?!” Astolfo complained even as he flew around on the back of the Hippogriff, preparing to harry the giant. However, Sieg stopped him with a shake of his head. Chiron began to talk to the two via telepathy. “The release of your Noble Phantasms is required to bring the giant down in one blow. Saber, you will aim for the skull. Sieg, the heart. Launch your attacks the instant you see the giant’s feet leave the ground, after I shoot through both hamstrings.” “And what happens if we fail?” “The giant will never fall again, becoming immortal. It will be able to do as it will to the entire world. At the very least, Romania will be completely converted into an alien world.” Chiron promptly revealed the severity of the situation. If they failed to bring it down – if any single one of them failed to time their attack correctly – there was a chance that the giant could rise again. Failure was unacceptable. They could not even wait for a better opportunity to strike, for the only opening would be one which they made themselves. “Damn… I suppose I have no choice but to take this seriously.” “All right. I’ll decide the best time to transform.” “The first task falls to you, Ruler. As soon as you clear a path, I will secure the route – and these two will destroy it.” “Understood! Then let’s…” “Oh, hold on, Ruler!” Even for Jeanne, crossing blades with the giant was no simple task. Every move she made was with her full power, as sweat poured down her face. The giant was relentless in its fierce assault. It stepped forward and slashed diagonally; using the tip of her banner, she forced the blade into a different trajectory, causing it to tear into the earth. “I… am quite busy…!” Laughing in spite of the situation, Mordred broached the subject. “Servant Ruler possesses Command Spells for each Servant, correct?” “Y-Yes, that’s right…!” “Give me two, then.” As could be expected, Jeanne was utterly dumbfounded as Mordred extorted from her with a smile on her face. Neither Chiron nor Sieg could think of anything to say on her brazen request. “N-No! I will not! Granting you Command Spells…” “…is possible, yes? The ones on a Ruler should not be much different from those on a Master.” “Yes… but not two! One, maybe…!” “All right, one it is! Hand it over!” “Wha…?!” It hardly needed to be explained. Making an overly large request at first and, once it is rejected, pushing through with the result you truly desired – it was one of the most basic techniques of negotiations. Jeanne had fallen for it so spectacularly that she even presented the most desirable terms before Mordred could. “F-Fine! All right! I will grant them to you later, but now…!” Hearing this, Mordred brandished Clarent at the sky and announced regally. “Good! Archer, the timing is yours! And you, homunculus, get yourself ready! We will dispose of this giant within three minutes!” “Who made you the leader?!” Astolfo was utterly justified in pointing this out, but Chiron and Sieg had no time to respond. Mordred had already preparing to release her Noble Phantasm. “Come, lightning…!” The Radiant Sword of the King crackled with electricity and began to change its shape, twisted by hatred into a blade of evil. Sieg saw this and brandished his left hand. “With the Command Spell, I order my own flesh…” His body transformed, as the borders of a confined world were raised. All rules were silenced and, for just three minutes, a miracle would make its advent upon the body of the homunculus called Sieg. Gordes and Caules were speechless as they watched from nearby. “Siegfried…!” Sieg expended another Dead Count Shapeshifter in exchange for a period of 180 seconds during which he crystallized as the Saber of Black. Effortlessly wielding the holy dragon-slaying sword Balmung, he immediately prepared to unleash it. Jeanne and Chiron exchanged glances; it was from this point on that every second mattered. Jeanne swung her banner at the giant, parrying its slashes as she slowly drew it within Chiron’s effective range. However, Adam was not a fool. Although it was born with little experience in combat, it was learning at an incredible pace through exchanging blows with her. It was now beyond even the greatest of soldiers and approaching the territory of heroes. Accordingly, the tide of battle began to shift – as Adam began to overwhelm her. The giant’s onslaught was reminiscent of an avalanche, or a tsunami, or a windstorm – a guided natural disaster. Every single strike in its unending string of attacks were placed perfectly, and with such force that any missteps from Jeanne would lead to her being torn in two. Even those watching the scene unfold from the side were chilled. The golem certainly possessed might of arm befitting its size, and finesse of body which betrayed it. Any hero of worth could parry a powerful swing or weather a great technique – but Adam , combining the two, would doubtlessly crush down the average champion. Yet Jeanne held on, her hands steady and unshaken by the numerous strikes, every one of which must have drained her strength. It struck fear in all of them – not the golem, which was truly extraordinary in its own regard, but the tenacity of Jeanne. The situation would not be so alarming if the giant’s opponent was one capable of overpowering it; great heroes like the Rider or Lancer of the Red camp, for example, should be able to face a giant such as this head-on and achieve victory with ease. Jeanne did not overpower Adam in any way. She was weaker in both strength and now technique. She was little more than a single tree standing by itself against a tempest. Yet she refused to fall, continuing her dangerous game of tightrope where any single step backwards, any lost of balance, and any mistake in timing her advances meant instant death. However, she could not create any openings in the giant’s defense. In order for Chiron to shoot through both of its legs at the same time, the giant must be forced into a situation where it forgot his existence, if only for an instant. “Sieg, Mordred… can you go and assist her?” Thus, the three of them must force an opening. It would become even more difficult for Chiron to gauge the timing but right now, the priority laid in actually gaining the chance to attack. “Let’s…!” Mordred said as she released her prana, using the force to propel her forward. Sieg nodded wordlessly and, as Siegfried, brought Balmung to bear and dashed forth. “Hey! Bring that great ugly rock for a face to my sword!” Mordred soared through the air like a meteor, and the giant avoided her in a most surprising way. “What…?!” Leaping high above her with frightening speed, the giant swung its obsidian sword downwards. Mordred clicked her tongue and defended against the slash with her own sword – but suspended in the air, she could not kill the momentum of the giant’s attack. She was smashed into the ground, just barely managing to land on her feet. However, the damage was severe, and cracks appeared in several spots on her armor. Her Master began the heal her immediately, but the giant had landed again and made to follow with another attack. “Get back!” Covering for Mordred, Sieg flung himself into the fray. Both gave fierce shouts as the phantasmal great-sword and the obsidian sword clashed. “Ugh…!” Sieg’s expression twisted at the giant’s fearsome strength, which seemed to carried even the weight of its creator’s faith. He held on, although the thought crossed his mind as to whether he was qualified to oppose such conviction to begin with. Jeanne hurried to his side and delivered a stout blow to crush the giant’s wrist. As the giant’s strength wavered, Sieg knocked it back with all his might. However, Sieg was dismayed to see that it took only an instant for the giant to heal its ruined wrist, immediately recovering its position. This giant was to be the savior and guiding hand of a suffering people, able to overwrite the world simply by existing. Having taken a bite of the forbidden fruit, it gained the light of wisdom. Victory was all too simple for the giant; it only needed to remain standing. With every second that passed, it progressed further and further into a state where it would be completely unassailable. On the other hand, the disadvantage on their side was all too obvious. Even with four heroes engaging the giant directly, they had only one chance to attack. If they missed it, victory was lost. It would be particularly critical for Sieg, who was only permitted to remain as Siegfried for three minutes; the giant only needed to wait the three minutes, or for Chiron to launch a premature attack. It was likely that Avicebron had known the mechanics behind Sieg’s transformations, and that his knowledge was passed onto the giant. Seemingly realizing that the miracle of Siegfried could only be maintained for a short moment, the giant committed itself to careful, deliberated attacks. That did not mean it was passive, however, simply that it changed tactics. Impatience began to set in again – but the immortal heart of Siegfried inside him advised otherwise. It told him that he was not wrong – that his decision was well made. After all, the great sage who commanded them from the rear had yet to speak a single word. Therefore, their tactic must be correct. Sieg had absolute trust in Chiron. Sieg had no time or right to the luxury of hesitation. For now, all Chiron needed him to do was put all his efforts into facing the giant. He brought his sword to bear and moved to engage again. There was no need to fear the giant’s massive bulk; after all, the crimson knight standing by his side was smaller than him yet more than capable of pressing him underfoot. Nothing the giant could do would be comparable. Sieg unleashed a storm of blows, cutting and slashing and crushing. He continued his fearless assault, forcing the giant back – and Jeanne finally saw her chance. “Now…!” It came at the perfect moment. Taking a powerful step, the holy maiden cried out and swung her banner upwards with every last ounce of strength she possessed, hitting the obsidian sword directly. The giant lost its balance and began to topple. Chiron placed two arrows on his bow and began to draw, charging both with as much prana as he could muster. He would release both at the same time to shoot through the giant’s feet. The living Noble Phantasm knew where Chiron was aiming – and that it now stood on the borderline between life and death. It also understood that, if it could defend against Chiron’s arrows, it would win. The giant was not afraid of death, but it utterly rejected failure in accomplishing the task it was given. Chiron never lost his composure even as he prepared for his extraordinary shot. With a light nod, the sniper fired. The First Man roared. It was obvious that it would lose at least one of its feet – so it worked to avoid losing both. It would only take seconds to recover from the former, after which the enemy would be powerless to stop it. The two massively charged arrows split the night and raced towards their targets. With the momentum of a cruise missile and destructive force to match, one completely pierced through and destroyed one of the giant’s ankles. However, the giant was only concentrating on the other arrow to begin with. It was impossible to defend against it with the sword; there was not enough time. Thus the giant arrived at the most logical conclusion. There was no need for it to make up its mind, for it only did what was necessary. “No…!” The other arrow impacted directly on the giant’s left arm, tearing it to shreds – but it was worth the loss, for Chiron had failed to fulfill their victory condition of removing both feet at the same time. Yet if the giant had turned its gaze on him, it would have realized what Chiron’s true intentions. Chiron murmured, paying no heed to the fact that his shot had failed to reach its target. “Caster… it certainly is possible for your golem to change this world. It would save your people and lead them to Eden .” The giant began to regenerate; once its remaining feet reached the ground, the world would grant its blessing to Adam . “However, it would seem the gaining of wisdom could not prevent one mistake. Yes, it has forgotten… that a hero without reason would not fear even your one true God. ” Something crashed into the back of the giant’s knee, and the feet that would have reached the earth was brought swinging into the air. A new emotion took root in the giant’s developing mind – fright. The heroes arrayed against it were all famous figures: the Knight of Treachery, the pinnacle of bowmen, the holy maiden savior, and the strongest dragon-slayer. However, there was one more on the battlefield which could not be forgotten. “Got it…! It’s all yours, Master!” A minor champion, a gallant and excellent knight, and a hero so bereft of reason that he feared no God or Devil. The rider on his phantasmal mount brought down the enemy with his golden lance. Charging the giant on his Hippogriff, Astolfo hit the back of its knee directly with the Trap of Argalia . In terms of damage, it was nothing than a mosquito bite, but the scene soon turned surreal as Adam tumbled into the air. It was as though it had comically stepped on a banana peel. The golden lance was a weapon with the concept of making anyone who touched it fall down, a humorous yet deadly effect. And before its power there would be no exceptions – not Servants, and not even the First Man. In the moment it became airborne, Adam lost the blessing of the earth. It was for these few seconds that the great sage had planned so carefully for. For the best-laid plans caught its opponent easily yet unexpectedly, while over-complicated schemes found themselves crumbling before brute simplicity. From the moment Astolfo had saved his master, Chiron had begun to prepare for this moment. All of his actions afterwards were made with the impression that those two were no longer present in the battle. From that point on, Astolfo must have disappeared from the giant’s thoughts as it devoted its attention to its four opponents at present. It was a weakness born from Avicebron’s own lack of understanding of Astolfo. The Rider of Black was a weak hero and had no means to disarm the giant; however, he could easily remove its footing – all the more given that he did not fear Adam at all. It was time for the two heroes to make their move. Siegfried curled his body like a wild beast and leapt forward, while Mordred release her prana is a single burst and flew at her target like a bullet. Red lightning crackled as Mordred exercised her Prana Burst fully, her instincts telling her that this was their one and only chance at victory. Her Master might complain now, but surely it would be forgotten once she had won. Right now, it was time to revenge herself for what she was made to suffer earlier. All feelings of humiliation were blown aside by her animosity as she aimed at the skull of Adam – the puppet that dared to stand before her with its one-track obedience and artificial life. There was some grudging sympathy – but it was incomparable with her animosity. “Sword of the king!” Responding to her enmity, the sword symbolic of the king’s authority began to warp, stained by her hatred. * * * “I see… so you are just another golem, in the end.” Sieg thought. Yes, the Noble Phantasm Adam had the incredible ability to change the world. However, it was not born of its own will. Its wish was neither chosen nor even borrowed – but simply granted by Avicebron. It did not yet possess its own opinion. In that case – Sieg must win. Sieg had advanced further than this giant. He did not act in accordance with what was mandated of him, but his own precious desires which he had taken so long to form. He was proud of his wish and would risk his life for it. The salvation of his comrades – it was as foolhardy as it was straightforward and clear, and it grew with every passing moment. No matter how many times he tried to lift them up, his weak self would never have been able to save them all – but he had been granted strength to do so, by those who had changed his life. That was why he could not lose. That was why he must win. It was much the same scene as the initial clash of the Sabers earlier in the war, but with a single difference; the two swords were now aiming at the same target, the great Noble Phantasm which Avicebron had devoted everything in life for – Keter Malkuth . There was no need to match their individual timing. They needed only to think back to the last time they had acted in unison. “ Bal… ” The Saber of black shouted. “ Clarent… ” The Saber of Red roared. Bright twilight and crimson aurora fused together and threw out dazzling light of every color. All those who saw it swallowed their breath at its magnificence – and so, it seemed, did Adam . The puppet of stone and wood and dirt reached out at the shining light – that light of consummate annihilation wielded by the two very different swordsmen: the slayer of dragons and the killer of heroes. “ …mung! ” “ …Blood Arthur! ” The crimson emission bore through the head of the golem as surging twilight completely devoured its core. Not three seconds had passed since Jeanne raised her banner, Chiron released his arrows, and Astolfo tripped the giant. In that brief moment, they had fulfilled all of their objectives. Mordred chuckled and thrust out a middle finger. “Headshot! Go find your Eden elsewhere, pawn!” The woods around the giant began to wither before the golem had completely collapsed. After all, the earth could no longer become Paradise, as the undying Adam decayed. “We did it!” Astolfo pumped his fist into the air and the magi finally let out the breath they had been holding. Seeing this and realizing that his task had been complete – that he would be able to continue fulfilling his wish – Sieg felt relief in his heart. His suit of armor came apart and he paid no further attention to his exhaustion and pain. “Sieg!” Jeanne ran over to him. Sieg raised his right hand to signal that he was all right; however, the gesture was apparently so weak that it made her worry even more. She gripped his body here and there, searching for wounds. “You are not injured, are you…?” She asked one more time for confirmation. She really does worry too much , Sieg thought as he replied. “It still aches a bit… but yes, I’m all right.” “Boys cannot be trusted when they say they are ‘all right’.” Sieg had no response to that claim. In any case, she was satisfied that he was not harmed. Jeanne knelt and clasped her hands together, praying for the fading giant. Was it to bring peace to the Caster of Black? The magus who was converted into the core? Or the newborn foetus whose mere birth could not be forgiven? Sieg did not know; he simply thought that she was beautiful as she prayed. However, it was at the same time a painful sight to behold, for he knew that prayers did not reach anyone. Nothing came from relying on heavenly forces; she must know better than anyone else that nothing could be saved by prayer alone. Yet the holy maiden Jeanne d’Arc continued. One day, Sieg thought, he would ask her – whither she directed her prayers to. * * * The battle was over. They had managed to defeat both the Caster of Black and his Noble Phantasm, but it could hardly be said that they had reversed the overall situation. “Ruler, my Master wishes to speak with you.” Chiron called out to Jeanne. “You as well, Saber of Red.” “Yes, if you wish only to speak. We will form no alliances.” “Very well. Let us simply share what information we possess, then. After all, you and your Master do not yet fully grasp what had taken place within the Hanging Gardens.” Mordred made a noise of irritation and turned her back to them, beginning a quick exchange with Shishigou via telepathy. “Okay… oh, and my Master expects his compensation within the day.” As soon as Jeanne heard this, her face was overcome by distress. But a promise was a promise, and she had no choice in the matter. At the very least, she had one Command Spell remaining for herself, which would be enough to prevent the worst from occurring. Although disheartened, she assured them that she would make good on her commitments. Shishigou must have been observing the battle from unexpectedly close by, as he reached the rendezvous in less than five minutes. He was greeted by Mordred, Jeanne, Chiron, and Fiore. “Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia, right? I haven’t seen you since… yesterday.” Shishigou raised a hand and grinned. Meanwhile, the girl tried to maintain her composure – but somewhere in her expression a slight rigidness could be found. Unlike the mercenary, she was not quite as capable in detaching herself from her emotions. “Yes… we meet again under surprisingly different circumstances, and much sooner than I had wanted.” “Well, we’ll all have to change our views a bit. From the moment the Greater Grail was stolen, this war has moved onto its next stage. We aren’t enemies any more.” “Yes. for now.” “For now.” They chuckled. Fiore knew one thing for certain – behind the man’s sunglasses, there was no laughter to be found in his eyes. Of course, Shishigou could say much the same for her. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 006. Part 1 The Hanging Gardens had already begun its advance. Having taken the Greater Grail into its stomach, the fortress sailed across the dawn sky. With his sensory abilities as a Ruler, Shirou was able to determine that Avicebron had perished; it would seem he was unable to fulfill his dream. In any case, it meant that the opposing camp now had some leeway to reform and reorganize. “Considering the time required to go through all of their information, trace our location, not mentioning the actual pursuit… I would say around three days.” “Until they are upon us again, you mean?” “Yes. Assuming, of course, that Ruler is able to convince the Yggdmillennia magi and bring together the surviving Servants.” It was possible that the Yggdmillennia would lose faith and beg for aid at the door of the Association. This was an emergency even for the Association; after all, they wanted the Greater Grail as well. “Now… what say we hear your side of the story? Then I will decide whether to take your head.” Achilles said with a grim face, thrusting the blade of his spear into the floor. It was not an exaggeration; if Shirou were to give an unsatisfactory response, Achilles would aim to kill the boy regardless of his chance of success. More problematic was the distance between them, as there would be no time for him to utilize a Command Spell. Rather, ‘distance’ was never an issue to begin with – for Achilles, anything within his sight had already entered striking distance . His spear would be able to close in and decapitate him in an instant. And that was without mentioning the other Servant who had an arrow drawn and ready on Tauropolos. Atalanta was similarly prepared to shoot through his skull without reserve. She waited only on Shirou’s answer. Karna did not yet move from his place by the wall, though it was beyond clear that he would not follow any commands just yet. However, Shirou had no choice but to speak the truth in his heart. He did not believe it would be possible to deceive any of them to begin with, least of all Karna. “I will answer all questions truthfully.” “Good. So what are you planning?” “The salvation of all mankind, as I have already said to Ruler. That was the purpose for which I required the Greater Grail. I required it, and so I acquired it… just as I required Servants to survive this Great War, so I acquired all of you.” Achilles and Atalanta gave brief glances at Karna, before whom all attempts at falsehoods and blandishments were meaningless. The ‘Hero of Charity’ nodded lightly at them. There was surprise, and confusion. Shirou was evidently serious. They could not laugh his words off as some insane drivel. They pressed him further. “Where are our Masters? What did you do to them?” “Can you not sense them? All five of them are in a room on this very garden. In fact, they should all be still very much alive and human. The poison we used was made to ensure that.” “So it was you, then…” All of the Servants rounded on Semiramis, who wore her usual elegant smile as she turned to face and answer them. “But of course, we could hardly have them moving about as they pleased. However excellent, they are but Magi… ones who consider naught but how to surpass their fellows. They would only hamper us.” “Indeed, you are showing just how different you are to them and their self-centered ways.” Semiramis shot a dirty look at Karna for his quiet remark, and Shirou chuckled awkwardly. “And what’s to come of us? Once we’ve served our purposes, you’ll just get rid of us, then? Is that why you wanted to become the sole Master?” “Oh, far from it. As long as your wishes do not directly conflict with mine, I will give my all to see that your individual desires are granted as well. As your Master, I also would like to ask of you all; what is it that makes you seek the miracle that is the Holy Grail?” All three Servants fell silent at his words. After exchanging some subtle glances with one another, Achilles sighed and spoke. “My wish is no different from when I was alive… to ‘live as a hero’, nothing more.” “Are you saying that there is nothing left for you, and you have no desire for a second life?” “Not quite… settling down in this world certainly has its own appeal. But before all else comes my conduct as a hero.” That was the oath he had sworn to his mother, to live and to die as a hero. That would never change, in one life or the next; Achilles would not accept anything else. He did not regret any of the things he had done in his past life – the deeds he accomplished, the evils he committed, even his rebellion against the Gods. However, he would not pretend to be a saint and act as though he had no other desires. If anything, he was filled with impulses and urges. “I see, I see… but I must say, a rather uninspired wish for the great Achilles.” “Shut it, Empress. As you say, my wish is uninspired… but don’t think I’ll let it go just because of whatever high and noble cause you think to have. I’m in this only for me and my own.” Achilles and Semiramis glared at each other. Shirou spoke out as though to intercede. “All wishes are equal. They are not judged by any height. In any case, what you desire is something you are willing to fight for… and it is not something which clashes with my interests. You simply need to act as a hero for my sake, and destroy my enemies. I will support you with prana and Command Spells.” “And you are so sure that your enemies are the same as mine?” Shirou shrugged. “If you ever judge that they do not coincide, feel free to ignore or assist us as you please. However… I do believe there is a single Archer in the Black camp which opposes us.” Achilles clicked his tongue, but his murderous mood began to fade. After all, settling the duel with Chiron was his one goal in this war. “Is there anything else?” “Yes… but I’ll wait until the others are all done.” Achilles said as he placed his spear at his feet. It was not a sign of surrender; he still stood in defiance, not accepting his new Master. But he made it known that he would not oppose them for the time being. “As for myself… while it was quite grating to hear that my Master had been poisoned, I suppose there is little point in worrying myself further. I shall accept you as my new Master.” “Are you serious? That’s all there is to it, then?” Despite the exasperation in Achilles’ tone, Atalanta answered him with an even voice. “That is all there is to it, for this is the Holy Grail War. It is a competition to overtake all rivals… and it is none’s fault other than your own to fall for the tricks of others. My former Master ought have exercised caution before calling forth me as a Servant. I do not feel bound to such a Master, filled with hubris in place of care. That they still live is already a blessing in itself.” Her words were hard and devoid of pity, but they were not without logic. For the girl who had been abandoned soon after birth and raised by on the breast of a bear until being found by hunters, the world was a simple place where subsistence was something seized from others. However, there was still one thing which she had mercy upon. “My wish is for a world where all children are loved. A cycle of life where the young can be raised in the loving care of fathers and mothers, so that they too can one day raise their own. Anyone daring to interfere with this desire of mine shall receive no mercy from me.” “Do not take this as offense, Archer, but… is such a world not impossible?” There was some anger in Atalanta’s words as she replied to Semiramis’ question. “Then for what do we vie for the Holy Grail? How be it a wish-granter if it cannot fulfill such a simple request?” Shirou nodded with a light smile on his face. “Yes… such a wish is perfectly possible for the Holy Grail. In some form or another, it will be capable of granting her desire. After all, the thing you wish for is but a portion of my own.” “The salvation of mankind, is it?” “That’s right. Of course, you may deny and reject my wish. I will simply remove the contract between us, so that you are free to work with someone else. You can even join the Black camp.” It was not a lie, as far as Atalanta could see. And while she did have one question remaining, it was likely the same as that in the minds of Achilles and Karna – the question which ought to close this discussion. “What of you, Lancer?” Atalanta passed the conversation to Karna, standing with his back against the wall as he watched in silence with his divine eyes. All this time, Shirou had felt immensely pressured by the hero, almost as though he had been laid open before him. Quietly, Karna began to speak. “In truth, you are not the Master who summoned me… the one who desperately called for my aid in obtaining the Holy Grail despite being so weak in body. That was the reason why I took up arms and answered the summons. That is my wish, and my compensation.” “You mean to say that the only Master you recognize is the one who called for you? You are a fool, Hero of Charity. That decision is most unwise.” Taking his declaration as a sign of hostility, Semiramis moved immediately to neutralize him. However, she was held in check by Shirou’s gaze. Karna did not show any hint of fear as he continued flatly. “Call me what you will, Queen of Assyria. Your brandings do not concern me. I am nothing more than a spear.” Aside from Shirou, all the Servants present were at a loss for words. After all, having been granted knowledge by the Holy Grail, they all understood what kind of existence this extraordinary hero was. If anyone else had said the same thing, this excessive display of humility – to the point of becoming a repulsive slavishness – would have been met with irritation or sarcasm. However, Karna’s words came from the bottom of his heart; he believed in them in all his earnestness. “In that case… may I also call for your aid?” “Certainly, the positions have been reversed, but the enemy will come for the Grail all the same. As such, I only need to destroy them.” He apparently would not oppose them. With some hesitation, Semiramis lowered the arm she had raised to weave a spell. “Well… it is also my own desire to fight for this side, so all the better. With all my might shall the flames engulf any who attempt to take the Grail.” The spearman’s words alarmed the others. It seemed even Karna, who did not possessed any concept of self-interest, had a wish for the Holy Grail. “Do you refer to the continuation of your duel with Siegfried?” “Yes. After all, that was what was requested of me when we first fought.” Their duel had been an unending display of technique and skill. The God-spear pierced that immortal dragon’s scales again and again, even as the great-sword managed to make its mark all over his unbreakable golden armor. Theirs had been neither a ruthless duel to the death nor some feeble exercise where both sides held their strengths in check. Instead, it had been a miraculous balance of two fully unleashed forces rivaling one another. Those few hours until the dawn that ended their duel had lasted but an instant. Shirou raised his eyebrows, but decided to say nothing of the fact that Karna’s wish could no longer be fulfilled. After all, Siegfried was already gone. All that existed of the Saber of Black now was contained within a simple homunculus. However, it seemed that was precisely what Karna was referring to; perhaps he had already known. “If the Saber of Black ever comes to the Hanging Gardens, I assure you that he will find his way to you.” Shirou said, and Karna gave a slight nod of gratitude. It was not a lie, after all, that Siegfried still existed if only in appearance. Although some guilt remained in his heart, it would only bring further trouble if Shirou were to speak his mind and cause Karna to take back his word – although such a thing was unimaginable from such a charitable hero. “Now, allow me to represent the three of us in asking one final question. Shirou Kotomine… how do you plan to use the Holy Grail to bring about salvation for all mankind?” That was the one question the three Servants all wanted answered. After all, their opposition included the neutral Ruler – and it was clearly their side which attacked her first. Servant Ruler was summoned to protect the conduct of the Holy Grail War and prevent said conflict from bringing destruction to the world at large; in their present situation, it seemed clearly to be the latter case. In other words, the Grail itself had determined Shirou’s wish to be a threat. “Yes… it will invite some unfortunate misconceptions if I do not speak of this now. For example, some might think that I am not considering saving the world at all, but simply acting as a puppet for that laughing Servant over there…” Hearing this, Semiramis looked somewhat disgruntled and turned away. “So, how I will use the Greater Grail to save humanity… let me be a bit more specific in terms of what I plan to do.” Amakusa Shirou Tokisada began to speak – of the results of innumerable thoughts entwined by nigh madness into the single conclusion he reached. No matter how others might misunderstand it – whatever they would accuse him of – he would never change this answer. * * * “…That was what Archer and I had encountered.” Jeanne’s recount crushed the words from all those present. The shock was clear on the faces of all of them aside from Chiron, who had witnessed it all first-hand. It would take some time before the silence was finally broken. The Fortress of Millennia laid mostly in ruins, but there were still an abundance of rooms available. They were gathered in a meeting room for clan members. Fallen chairs and a shattered chandelier spoke of the impact from earlier, but Fiore corrected them right away. Of course, not even Fiore and Gordes combined would be able to repair the entire castle. They could only take their time in fixing one small part at a time. A thought suddenly came to Caules as he looked around at all those in this room. It was strange that Darnic, Celenike, and Roche – the Masters whom he had been sure would survive the war – were all dead, whereas he himself was still alive. After all, it was obvious that he would be the first Master to fall, or so he had convinced himself. He was simply lacking as a Magus. The situation seemed almost surreal. Perhaps it was due to the display of overwhelming force he had just been shown. Perhaps he was still unable to let go of the death of his own Servant. Or perhaps, he simply had yet to fully accept the things he just heard. But that’s obvious, Caules thought. The things that Ruler had mentioned were simply too ridiculous, too bizarre – and too horrifying. “So there’s… one more Ruler, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada?” Finally, Fiore managed to force a response out of herself. She was a soft talker to begin with – and even quieter than usual just now – but within the silence of the room, her words clearly reached their ears. “And this… other Ruler, you said he even had three Command Spells for each of the Servants on their side?” Caules asked. Jeanne nodded grimly. “Yes, it is true. Those brilliant marks on his arms were certainly Command Spells. Rider, Lancer, and Archer… the three of them may not be willing, but they have no choice but to obey him.” With the Command Spells, he possessed even the authority of the Masters. Without the prana he provided them with, they would not be able to take form in the world. Those Servants with the Independent Action skill might find it less difficult, but there was a limit even to that. “But besides those three, he himself is a Servant, right? And if what you said earlier was true, then he already had one on his side to start with! How is that even possible?” Caules stood up and shouted. The Master and the Servant were a paired existence, one each existing for the other; to break this relation and contract with five Servants at once was ridiculous. Even if you were to try, all of your prana would be drained long before you reached that number, and you would wither into nothingness. “I believe he said that he was receiving energy from the Greater Grail. As long as he remains connected to it, the prana it has built up alone would be able to sustain all of them.” “In other words, a division of the prana pathways similar to our homunculi.” Jeanne nodded at Gordes. However, in their case the Greater Grail did not control everything. There was little doubt that Shirou had the base authority as Master to decide who would be supplied with prana. “Amakusa Shirou… he was a saint of the Far East, yes? Can you tell me more about him, Archer? I’m afraid that I really don’t know that much.” Chiron answered. “Yes, Master… Amakusa Shirou Tokisada was a boy who had lived about five centuries ago. He was the leader of a large-scale uprising in a place called Shimabara in Japan.” “Boy?” “Yes. He was but seventeen years of age when his life ended.” Caules was taken aback that there was a Heroic Spirit of the same age as him. Chiron continued to tell the simple story of the boy saint. Amakusa Shirou had no stunning victories to his name. Although he had led a great rebellion, it was just preceded by an era when the country itself had been a engulfed by warfare between myriad lords and states all pulling at one another. It was shortly after this period ended with the final unification of the nation of Japan that Amakusa Shirou was born. Massive increases in taxation; a poor harvest due to unstable climate; the crackdown on followers of an alien region not accepted by the country – all of these things came together and caught fire at the worst time, setting alight the powder keg that was Shimabara and beginning the greatest peasant revolt in Japanese history. The rebels numbered 37,000 with supposedly around 20,000 of those being non-combatants. They were led by their ‘savior’ Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. The seemingly normal boy had, by sixteen, accomplished various miracles – healing the eyes of a blind girl, walking on the surface of the sea – and began spreading his faith. When the smaller uprisings taking place all over converged into one single movement, it was only natural that Amakusa Shirou was brought up as a candidate for leadership. That was how much that his followers believed in him and his God. However, their successes quickly came to a stop. Despite some initial victories during their stand at Hara Castle against the impetuous Shogunate forces, besiegement deprived them of provisions and led to their downfall. With the exception of one collaborator, all thirty-seven thousand of them were killed there. The boy had died as neither hero nor saint, regretting that for all of his miraculous powers he could not save any of them. “From what you have said… he does not seem so terrifying a Heroic Spirit.” “That is true. In power alone, he is greatly inferior to heroes such as ourselves… however, that is all the more reason why I fear him.” Chiron thought back to when Shirou had appeared before them in the chapel and declared his true name without hesitation. It stuck out to him that even as Shirou made an enemy out of nearly every Servant present, he did not break his smile, much less lose composure. At the time, his only collaborator had been his own Servant, Semiramis. Aside from her, he was simultaneously pressured by six heroes – no easy storm to weather. He agreed with Jeanne’s words. “Yes… I find that Ruler fearsome as well. It is not his strength or skill that frightens me, but simply the form of his faith.” It was not merely his adamantine will, but the immensity of his faith that could bring to heel any human being or Heroic Spirit – a monstrous black hole in human form. Yet his was not insanity, for the insane could not hold such a powerful conviction. What did Amakusa Shirou see, and feel, and swear to do that day – on that battlefield where the thirty-seven thousand lives that worshiped him as their Messiah were massacred? Jeanne and Astolfo had lived their lives through periods of strife. Chiron came from an era of myth when heroes roamed the world. However, they could give no answers to these questions. * * * “Let us put this aside for now… the problem is what he plans to do.” Chiron nodded at Jeanne. “He will make some attempt with the Greater Grail… but it is not for revenge. That much is certain. His goal is not the changing of his history or resurrection of the dead.” “How do you know this?” Jeanne answered Fiore. “It is as he himself said… his goal is the salvation of all mankind.” “Absurd is what it is…” Gordes snorted in laughter. Mordred sighed. “Are you dull, fat one? What is the purpose of the Holy Grail if not to easily grant such an absurd wish?” “What…?!” Placating the fuming Gordes, Fiore argued. “I do believe Uncle is correct… ultimately, the Holy Grail is just a massive pool of energy. It certainly will be enough to grant most wishes. It is possible for it to bypass all theories and processes, and bring about only results. In the opposite manner, however, any wish it is capable of granting requires a process to omit.” Coming to a realization, Sieg asked Jeanne. “But then… isn’t it meaningless to wish for the salvation of humanity?” “In such a case, yes. For example, if you simply asked the Holy Grail to ‘save mankind’, it would cease to function as long as the wisher did not possess some concrete idea of what procedures that would entail. A wish is a wish, it requires a set course to reach its conclusion.” “And what if this Shirou does have a concrete idea? Regardless of whether it would truly lead to salvation?” Jeanne swallowed her breath as Sieg hit the weak point in the logic. “If so… then I believe the Holy Grail will carry it out.” “But how could such a method exist?” Caules shook his head at Fiore’s words. “I don’t think that’s the problem here. The issue is, what if this Shirou believed strongly enough that his method was enough to save humanity?” “But…” Fiore tilted her head in confusion. “Do you see, Master? The Holy Grail is not able to fulfill desires for which the wisher himself knew of no way of being carried out. In reverse, the Grail can act when the wisher does possess such a concept. The worry is that the ‘method’ chosen by him will be one that brings disaster upon mankind.” Without some solid form of implementation, there would be no further concerns. However, provided Shirou Kotomine was in possession of such a thing – even if the majority of humanity would believe it to be mistaken – the Holy Grail would most likely activate. “So that’s it, then? Let’s say there’s a man who wishes that he’s the best Magus in the entire world. In his mind, that meant every Magi better than him ought to be dead. Are you saying that the Holy Grail would go ahead and do it for him?” Shishigou’s words silenced the room. Slightly jarred, Mordred asked. “Do not tell me that is your wish, Master…?” “It’s not… seriously, don’t give me that look. What about it, Ruler?” “Your logic is sound, provided that the man in your example truly knew of no other method.” Sieg recalled something. “Then you being summoned as Ruler…” “…would imply that Shirou’s seizure of the Greater Grail, and his wish of salvation, represents a threat to the world, yes. Whatever the case, the act of Servant Ruler employing other Servants in order to place a wish upon the Holy Grail is in itself the grossest of misconducts beyond any debate. That is why the Masters and Servants gathered here are going to stop him. I hope that there are no objections.” The Magi of Yggdmillennia nodded, although in truth only Fiore remained as a Master. Both Caules and Gordes had already lost their Servants and could do little to help. As for Shishigou… “…I do agree that Shirou Kotomine, or Amakusa Shirou, needs to be stopped. Well, it’s not like we really have a choice. You’re not going to disagree with me, are you, Saber?” Mordred nodded in agreement, somewhat sulkily. “No… I do want to settle things with that Saber over there, but at this point we really have little say in the matter. And to be fair, the other camp is rather irksome… especially that Assassin.” “So you mean that…?” Shishigou signaled their agreement to Fiore. “At the very least, we don’t mind working together until we take them down. We can use Self-Geis Scrolls , if you prefer… both of us, of course.” The Self-Geis Scroll was a binding documentation and the most powerful spell-based contract in Magi society. It bound the very souls of the participants and, depending on its contents, could continue to affect both parties in life or in death, or even their offsprings, and the offsprings of their offsprings. Fiore considered Shishigou’s suggestion for a while and then shook her head. “There is no need to go so far. I will trust you on this.” Astolfo tugged on Sieg’s sleeve. When he turned around, the Servant said quietly to him. “Hey… are you really going to fight?” “Yes, I am.” Sieg stated clearly and firmly. In truth, he did not care much for whatever plot that Shirou worked towards, although it had already taken many lives. The dead included homunculi, and Servants, and Masters – some of whom had accepted their fate, others which withered away in bitterness. However, he did not fight for their revenge; he had no right to such a thing and Shirou would not be the target to begin with. Yet Sieg had gained some rights – his authority as a Master, and his ability to participate as a Servant. As such, he considered it his duty to see through this Great War to its end, even if it costed him his life. “I still think it’s better if you don’t, though…” Astolfo murmured, seeming strangely dissatisfied. With some irritation in her low voice, Mordred replied. “What would he do if not fight? He is a Saber.” “He is not Saber. My Master is not Siegfried. I don’t want to see him in danger like that… he’s had enough.” The entire room once again fell silent. However, it was somewhat different from earlier on. After a while, Mordred somewhat sheepishly pointed out the obvious. “Did you just tell me his true name?” “Huh? Didn’t you already know?” “No! By God, you are stupid! Why did you even say it?” “I… cannot defend you this time.” Chiron sighed. ‘Perhaps I was right after all,’ Gordes muttered. Caules put a hand to his head, and Fiore’s eyes became dead. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, Rider…” The accusing gazes of the others made even Astolfo shrink back. Putting his hands together, he turned to his Master with a sad face. “Um… s-sorry…” “Huh? Oh, well, I don’t really mind. Besides, Saber, didn’t you hear the name of my Noble Phantasm?” Mordred put a hand over her mouth in surprise. It seemed she had forgotten. “Eh? Um… we were in the middle of battle, so I did not pay attention. Now that I recall, it was the holy sword Balmung. Curse it, now I feel like the fool.” “Don’t worry, Saber. I was paying attention.” “Oh, shut it, Master.” Mordred glared at the self-satisfied Shishigou. “And Rider… sorry, but I do plan to fight. I will fight by your side, as your Master. That’s my way of returning the favor, to you and to Ruler.” Jeanne took on a difficult expression as Astolfo puffed up in indignation. “Hmph…” Sieg simply looked at his left hand and the black, strangely-shaped Command Spells on its back. He could see patches of his skin beginning to blacken. After checking earlier, he found the same shade spreading on his chest and back. The question now was, what would happen if he were to use one more Command Spell. He recalled the terrible sensation he had felt the instant before he wrapped himself in his ‘shell’ via Command Spell. There was no mistake that it was something critical to his current state. After all, his existence was just all too miraculous, even for the Command Spells which sustained him. Once Sieg used up all of his Command Spells, he would most likely die. However, he could understand that he would use them in future regardless. He would use up even the last one if it meant helping the others in some way. Sieg realized the irony that the homunculus who had escaped to find life would now consider and accept his own death. “Sieg… you’re not thinking of something strange again, are you?” Jeanne’s words suddenly reaching him, Sieg hastily shook his head. ‘I do hope so,’ she said as her eyes narrowed. His own Servant Rider aside, he found it strange how Ruler had also tried to distance him from the fighting. However, it was his decision to remain – not due to the irresistible force of fate, but by of his own will. * * * With the acknowledgement of the others, Fiore moved on to the next concern. “Now the matter is what will happen from here on… where they are heading, to start with. Would you happen to know, Ruler?” Jeanne shook her head. “No, unfortunately. In the first place, I did not conceive that the Hanging Gardens would be able to seize the Greater Grail by force. And while I do know what it is they plan to do, I do not know where it is they will attempt it. However, we can still pursue them. Due to the circumstances of my summoning, I am strongly connected to the Grail and can sense its approximate location. We will not lose track of it.” Besides, the Hanging Gardens was a powerful energy source, as were the Servants of Red currently garrisoned there. There were plenty of ways to track them down. “They are moving by air, and such a massive structure must be quite slow. In terms of distance, it would be a simple task to overtake them, but…” Jeanne did not speak further. As she said, catching up to them was easy enough; however, the bigger issue was what could be done once that occurred. After all, the Hanging Gardens was suspended in the air, unreachable from the ground. It should be possible to ‘leap’ onto it by expending Command Spells, but that would be too much of a waste. “My Hippogriff can make it.” “Can your Hippogriff carry all of us?” “Oh, I suppose not. I can’t exactly make it pull a carriage, so there’s only one more seat behind me. And I’m not riding with anyone but my Master!” “Do not look so proud of yourself when you say that… useless Rider.” Astolfo laughed with some embarrassment as Mordred shot a chilled gaze at him. “Anyway, it can’t be easy moving long distances with an active Noble Phantasm. And there isn’t any thaumaturgy suitable to moving so many people at once… or to be exact, the cost will be too high. It will put too much strain on the Magus performing it. Why don’t we just charter a plane?” “Hmm, well, I guess little bro does have a point, but…” “Don’t call me that, old man… what’s the issue?” Shishigou frowned at the jab at his age, while Mordred held back her laughter and remained silence. Only pain laid down that particular path of discussion. “They have an Archer on their side, too.” “Oh… right. That’s right…” Caules scratched his head. Of course, the Huntress would engage any Servants approaching by air as soon as she detected them. “Damn it. I guess the real problems start only if we even manage to get that close.” With her acting as a gun turret on the Hanging Gardens, any method of approach would be risky. On top of that, the chariot carried by three horses possessed by Achilles could also freely take to the air. “We can’t expect planes to withstand an attack by Servants.” “But there is no other choice. Things would be different provided we had some extraordinary thaumaturgical tools on hand, but anything like that capable of flight would have astronomical costs.” Besides, it would be most difficult warding off Atalanta’s attacks even with thaumaturgy. Neither the esoteric nor the scientific stood much chance before the brutal might of a Servant. “In that case, I guess planes are at least cheaper to come by.” “We will think of another way to deal with the Archer of Red… first, we need the transport.” With that, Fiore decided on their next course of action for the time being. Whether they assaulted by plane or some other contraption – they needed some way to fly and chase down the Hanging Gardens. “We will take a break for now, and contact the other members of our clan. If any of you would like to sleep, feel free to use one of the vacant rooms. Rest well.” Fiore, Chiron, and Caules left the meeting room. Faint orange light was beginning to seep into the ruined castle. “It’s already dawn…” Their longest day was nearing its end – but there was no time for Fiore to relax. She must report the current situation to their brothers and sisters around the world, and hasten to decide the next head of the clan. It was something that could have been decided by Darnic’s word alone, but he had yet to decide on a successor prior to his death, one mere step from the Greater Grail before perishing alongside his Servant. The history of the Yggdmillennias was the history of Darnic Prestone. For good or ill, he had possessed both the ability and the charisma to lead the entire clan. In truth, it might have simply been a matter of greed. Perhaps it all came from his longing to reach the Root, or for glory, or fame, or the restoration of the sullied name of Yggdmillennia. Would she be capable of that? No, there was no use thinking about it. There were things she ought to do before then. But where would she begin? “So, what are we going to do?” “We have the funds necessary, so purchasing some planes should not be a problem…” “Not that. I meant that ballista they have on top of their castle.” “Oh, her? Well… do you have any ideas, Archer?” “It is possible for me to deal with Archer or Rider individually. It would not be very difficult, and it is likely expected by our enemies as well.” With this preamble, Chiron revealed his plan. It was simple to a fault just as he said, but certainly effective. At the same time, it also meant that only one of the two objectives would be tied down. Only after figuring out a way to deal with the other could they reach the Hanging Gardens. After that would be the true test, in terms of whether their current group could stand up to the Red camp – and she was not optimistic. Certainly, they had a rare champion on their side in Mordred. However, the force arrayed against them consisted entirely of famed heroes – masters of war, great Magi and poisoners, heretics, and mysteries besides. And there was one more issue greatly troubling her. “Master, I believe you should rest for the time being. Could you not speak with your clansmen tomorrow?” “But…” “It’s like Archer says. Besides, talking with the rest of them is pointless. They can’t help us for sure, and whatever they say will just make us feel worse.” “I suppose…” Fiore nodded vaguely as the other two agreed. After all, Chiron had never been wrong. “I shall take my leave then. Good morn… no, good night.” Lowering her head lightly, Fiore retreated into her own room. Watching the door close, Caules turned to Chiron. “Aren’t you going with her, Archer?” “I respect the privacy of my Master as a lady. Mostly, I remain here in Spirit Form unless she calls for me.” That’s Chiron for you, Caules applauded internally. As could be expected of the nearly unique exception among the savage Centaurs. “By the way, there is one thing I wish to ask of you, if you do not mind.” “Me? Sure, go ahead.” Frankly, Caules did not believe that he could give a proper answer. What if the Servant came at him with some philosophical conundrum? As he worried in all the wrong ways, Chiron asked quietly. “From your eyes… do you believe your sister is suitable as the head of the Yggdmillennia?” ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 007. Part 2 Despite the softness of Chiron’s voice, his words hit Caules with explosive force. “What…?” Caules’s mind spun into chaos at the impossibility of what Chiron just said. Of all people, did the sage just voice doubts of his Master’s competence? “H-Hold on, Archer. Just now, what did you…?” Flustered, Caules looked at the shut door to Fiore’s room. Chiron spoke again, as though to calm him. “There is no need to worry… my Master is fast asleep. If you do not feel at ease, shall we perhaps move elsewhere?” “You know, I’m pretty tired too…” He had also had a rough day – letting his own Servant perish, and getting caught in Spartacus’ fierce strike. However, Chiron smiled. “My eyes do tell me that you are full of vigor yet. Might I trouble you with a brief talk?” Despite his tone, it was clearly not a request in this case. Caules scratched his head and sighed. In truth, Chiron was correct; he still had some strength left. “All right, fine… come on, Archer. Let’s go up to the watch-tower. We can talk about whatever we want there. It’s almost light, anyway. Geez… why do we have to do this now…” Despite grumbling all the way, Caules did not show any sign of fatigue as he and Chiron strode down the hall together. * * * The tottering piles of books stood like a mountain of information material. He had hardly taken a step out of his study, his pen racing across paper as he worked. That was one thing that authors like himself would agree on; the convenience of becoming a Heroic Spirit was that you no longer needed to deal with food or drink or bowel movements. It was quite fortunate to be summoned like this once in a while – even though it was also quite rare for an author to be involved in such an interesting situation. He stood up, taking a short break from his writing. His Master, Shirou, should be soon finished speaking with the others. Of course, there was the possibility that the other Servants would rebel against him, but that was not likely to occur. As expected, when he went out to the garden, he saw the three of them doing nothing in particular and simply watched the scenery pass by. “Greetings to all!” Shakespeare called out to them cheerily, causing Achilles and Atalanta to frown, while Karna merely nodded without any change in expression. “Did you know about this…?” Achilles said, disgruntled. Shakespeare threw his arms wide open and declared loudly. “Oh, we are such stuff as dreams made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep … so yes, I knew.” “Is he sane?” “I wonder. Sanity and madness, are they not but passing frivolities? You beheld the answer reached by Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, at the ends of agony and despair. Why, I can only do all in my power to see his desire granted.” “Aware as I am of your unsound mind, Caster, I dare to ask regardless… why did you choose to ally yourself with Shirou?” Shakespeare shouted, practically foaming at the mouth as he answered Atalanta’s question. “But is he not just so very interesting ?! His is not the mean aspiration of reaching to one or few, but the salvation of any and all… the six billion souls upon this earth! And yet he is no saint, unlike those humdrum dullards with their deeds and good-doings and prayers. He warred, he fell, and everything was taken from him! Oh, how he must despise them… those men who stood for order as they unleashed carnage upon his folk, and them who had only watched from the wayside and lent no aid! Ah, and yet he does not… for they too shall receive his ultimate deliverance! Yes, he understands full well, that is the meaning of his goal. What suffocating pain, what mental anguish, what tragedy! Aye, our Master is terribly interesting… so you see, it stood to reason that I would rid myself of my stale former Master. For William Shakespeare serves no lord, only the story!” Atalanta and Achilles had no words to respond. The man’s mania for the story itself far surpassed any of them. Shakespeare was indisputably speaking the truth in his mind. In other words, he had abandoned his older Master simply due to boredom, and served now only out of interest. The two might find the act unforgivable – but on the point of betraying Masters, Achilles and Atalanta were hardly different. To begin with, Shakespeare was a highly renegade type of Heroic Spirit – he was an author. This aberration had gathered faith and belief for himself by weaving tales on his desk, utterly unlike those heroes who made their names echo in history with their courage, might, and cunning. He was weak, and practically powerless as a Caster; a Master with any sense for combat would likely best him in battle. In spite of that, he desired to enforce his will. His actions were neither lofty nor commendable; if anything, they were the byproducts a fevered obsession. However, it had carried him this far, and they respected it even if they could not praise it. “At any rate, the Servants of Red are again bound as one. Berserker has fallen, but none can ask for a more fulfilling performance. Our issue now is with Saber…” Mordred, the traitorous Knight of the Round Table – Shirou’s skill as a Servant finally revealed her identity when she had suddenly intruded upon them and saved Ruler. “I presume she will take the side of the Black camp. And we may ignore the Assassin of Black who had yet to appear… that leaves a Ruler, an Archer, a Rider, and a Saber. It is a match of five against five.” “Did you miss me in your count, Archer?” “Yes. Would you prefer to be added?” “Oh, no. It is most comforting, in fact. I am simply too meager as a Servant, after all!” Shakespeare declared with pride. ‘That is not something to be proud of,’ Atalanta sighed. However, it was then that the silent Karna decided to speak. “We each measure glory in our own ways. For this Caster, to bear no arms and wield no powers is his pride… in their stead employing a tongue of silver, brandishing a pen of lightning.” “Your appraisal does me the highest of honors, great Karna.” Shakespeare bowed deeply in reverence in gentlemanly response – the effect somewhat ruined by the gleeful grin he wore on his face as he did so. * * * Climbing a ladder, they reached the watch-tower of the castle. They were surrounded by stone walls, with slits here and there to shoot arrows through. In a regular siege, a bowman would be able to fire upon the enemy soldiers gathered at the gate. Unfortunately, their current opponents were Servants – although in all honesty, Caules had not expected the Berserker of Red to be such a terrible foe. He faced Chiron with some hostility in his eyes – and great doubt in his mind. The Servants and Masters currently residing in this castle all respected the great sage. Yet he had dissented in regards to the abilities of Darnic’s successor, Fiore. Of course she was fitting, Caules thought. Who could be a better choice as the next leader? Holding back the impulse to protest, he asked coolly. “So what were you saying about her, Archer?” “It would seem that my words have been misunderstood… I fully accept Fiore as my Master. If she were to order me to take my own life, I would do so gladly.” Chiron said with a wry smile. It seemed despite his best attempts, Caules could not completely hide the negative reception to what Chiron had said. “What were you trying to say, then? I can’t think of anyone other than my sister who has the power to follow in Darnic’s footsteps.” It might come as a surprise that the next in line following Fiore would be Gordes. Celenike and Roche had also been mentioned as candidates, but their crafts were simply too lacking in fame – not that it mattered any longer considered both were gone. And Caules himself was, of course, out of question. Even discounting the fact that Fiore was the older sibling, she also possessed both superior ability and character. The Yggdmillennias might have lost Darnic, but it would not wither away just yet. “Indeed, she is perfect on the physical front. I ask, however, of her mental side.” “Are you saying that she dislikes being a magus? I don’t think so… I mean, I’ve never asked her directly, but she doesn’t hate thaumaturgy, at least.” “No, not on that matter. I am asking… do you believe my Master is prepared to take another life?” At that moment, Caules’ words caught in his throat. Chiron’s face was darkened slightly by sadness. “What do you mean…? Of course she is. She’s already fought with Shishigou Kairi once!” “Yes, she did. And while I did not witness the entire ordeal, I believe she did well against a seasoned Magus. However… could she have maintained her composure had she won?” “She…” Caules could not think of an answer. What if Fiore had won? Would she have been able to endure killing someone, even if they were an enemy? “Her heart as a Magus, and her own heart; I believe that my Master has kept them apart all this time. When the time comes, Caules, I believe you will be able to judge accordingly, and understand that it is the fate of Magi to fight, and to kill. However…” “…you think that she wouldn’t be able to?” In fact, Caules had begun to sense it somewhat as well. It was not so much that Fiore was soft or kind. She was persistent in pursuing the path of the Magus, to the point that she was able to ignore the cries coming from deep within her own heart. After all, to recognize the pain would be able to admit that she was not fitting. She suppressed it so as to act as a Magus ought to. In the end, however, such an approach was only the logic of a Magus – the option chosen by the program installed in her brain. “Truly, it is due to her superiority as a Magus that none has yet to realize it… that my Master holds incredibly human views.” Yes – she was humane, and unable to accept bloodshed or forgive deception. Of course, Magi only fell back to killing as a last resort. On the other hand, that demonstrated that murder was an obvious solution to consider once they were pushed. Even the lowliest of Magi understood that reaching such a situation meant that ordinary laws and logics no longer applied. Even Caules possessed this mental preparation; at the very least, by the time he joined this war, he had already accepted all illegal acts, be they murder or otherwise. Naturally, he did not want to be killed. It might be seen as selfishness, but he wanted to avoid dying if at all possible. After all, no one had to right to fault him for following his base mentality as a living creature. “This is merely my own view, but am I correct in presuming that my Master had learned a wide vocabulary at a young age?” “Well, I did hear from my parents that she started reading earlier than most.” “As I suspected. She lives in this world as one will reading of it from stories. Such a view of life would be enough even for an exemplar Magus. However, if she were to take up the mantle… I fear the distortions within her heart would begin to surface.” As head of the Yggdmillennia clan, occasions would arrive where she had to take stances and make decisions stripped of emotions. For example, the time might come when they had to forsake someone within the clan. At first, it would appear to be of little concern; Fiore was not one who believed in her own absolute truth, and would listen to and consider the opinions of the other elders. She would be able to judge on situations based on solid considerations. Eventually however, the friction would begin. What if a Magus utilized an innocent human baby as material to develop a thaumaturgical theory that received widespread acclaim, with his only ‘crime’ being his failure to kill a commoner who had witnessed the act? The contradictions of being both Magus and human would only bring her pain. When Caules tried to argue back, a memory came to him unbidden. It was a loathsome episode that he had always tried very hard not to recall, perhaps due to the suffering it had brought his sister. “What is the matter?” After some hesitation, Caules decided to reveal the truth to Chiron. He was their guide and shepherd; telling him would only help Fiore. “We used to own a dog, way back.” It took place far, far into the past. Their great manor, which would have been cared after by maids three generations ago, was now being cleaned by low-level spirits summoned by their mother. However, this could not protect the house itself from decay. It had begun to collapse in places, a shell of its former glory. That was where Caules and Fiore were born and raised – and where the incident occurred, a fleeting moment of their childhood. “It was a docile stray that my dad had picked up somewhere. He was planning to have us learn more about evocation with it. But then he had to go on some urgent business, and we were left to take care of it.” Chiron did not say a word and simply nodded, apparently already aware of how the story would end. “It was a dumb dog, always playing around. I didn’t expect how dedicated my sister would get, though. Even with those legs of hers, she would still wash it and comb its fur using her favorite brush. Her own brush, you know? She even bought a book and tried feeding it all the different kinds of food. I asked her one day, ‘why do you bother?’ And she just gave me a weird look.” ‘Pets are supposed to be loved, no?’ Taking a breath, Caules continued. “Even I knew what was going to happen… but she didn’t. Well, not that I said anything about it either. Heh, I just let it go by, a problem for another day. That only made it worse. Could I be any stupider?” “It was killed, then. And for some sort of thaumaturgical experiment…” Caules nodded and lightly kicked the stone wall in irritation. “Our dad came back after about a week, all smiles and apologies. Then he dragged the dog in front of us and demonstrated what a failed evocation looked like. Her face just froze completely when she saw that dog with all its skin peeling off, screaming. She was gripping on her wheelchair so tightly, her hands were white.” If she covered her ears, she would be reprimanded. Even if she cried, she would be reprimanded. Knowing this, she simply watched on. “It took about a minute for it to die. Our dad had summoned a low-level revenant and let it rampage through its body. ‘This is what happens when you’re not careful,’ he said. And then my sister just smiled and answered, ‘we understand.’ She’s great, you know. She knew the best answer for the situation and managed it perfectly. That just pisses me off more.” Caules spat out. “And what happened afterwards?” “She’s a model Magus, after all. She didn’t cry or throw up or any of that in front of our dad. But when we went to dug a grave and finally buried it, she cried her eyes out, saying ‘I’m sorry’ over and over again.” After that, Fiore never mentioned it again, and got rid of everything related to it. Perhaps it was a blessing that that the first and last thing their father had killed in front of them. However, neither of their parents had noticed the change in her. Most likely, they were too blinded by her aptitude as a Magus. They had not realized that for a while after, she would vomit at the sight of meat, or that she could only sleep at night when Caules was there to hold her hands tightly. In the end, they only praised the fact that she had learned her lesson well. Fiore never failed at evocation, because she feared failure from the bottom of her heart. However, what frightened her was not meeting the same fate as the dog, but what she had witnessed occurring again should she fail. Like most traumas experienced by most people in their lives, this episode did not greatly affect Fiore’s life. She was not driven by madness or distress into harming herself. She simply continued to live and learn as a normal Magus. She found that she could eat meat again, and sleep by herself. Caules had also forgotten the incident, himself preferring not to recall it if possible. However, if – just if – what had occurred that day still weighed down on Fiore’s mind… if what they had seen was still in her heart… “…I’m not so sure that she can take it.” “That is my fear as well, once I have left this world. Of course, it is not something I can speak of to simply anybody… but once we begin the pursuit of the Hanging Gardens, I will not have the time to express this.” As Chiron said, it would be after the war when they had to deal with the matter of whether Fiore should become the head of the Yggdmillennias. In truth, it was not something that would concern the Servant, who would be returning to the Throne once the fighting had settled. “Why did you bring this up to me?” “Why would I not? For we who teach, it is our task to provide a guiding hand to those who are lost. I do not intend to neglect that duty even as a Heroic Spirit.” “I see…” As one would expect from the man – Centaur, rather – who had been a mentor for so many heroes. Speaking of which – it was told that among the savage Centaurs, Chiron was the exception, being both prudent and reasonable. “You reckon that’s why you were summoned?” Perhaps it had been judged fitting that the warm girl who lived her life as a human being amongst the Magi should be matched with the Centaur who once guided men in a world of violence. “Caules… once I am gone, you are the only one whom my Master can depend upon.” “I know that… I’ll talk with her about this. It’s fine even if she wants to quit being a Magus. But if she still wants to go ahead and lead the Yggmillennias… I can help out a bit too.” Hearing his words, Chiron placed a hand upon his own chest in relief. “Thank you, Caules…. I regret not having the leisure to guide you, as well.” Caules shrugged. Archer was not his Servant to begin with; it would not be right for him to expect so much. “I figured it out a long time ago… that a younger brother’s place is right behind his sister.” “Is that how it is?” Caules could not help chuckling at Chiron’s apparent surprise. “That’s how it is.” The Archer nodded several more times, seemingly impressed. Caules had not heard of Chiron having any sisters, so perhaps that was something new to him. “I see… that is a wonderful thing to know. Truly, this world is full of wonders. There is much left for me to learn yet. Now, if you would excuse me… if you have need of me, I will be back where we came.” “All right. Thanks.” Caules waved his hand. As for him, he felt like staying here for a while longer. “One last thing. I believe that you were a good Master for Berserker… and I suspect that she did as well.” Flustered, Caules spun around – but Archer had already faded away into Spirit Form. “Tch… always has to impart some wisdom, doesn’t he?” Chiron’s words did not provide him any refuge. No matter what the Servant said, the fact that Caules had let her die a meaningless death weighed heavily on him. Besides, it was only Chiron’s speculation; not even a great sage such as him could not have known how she had truly felt. And yet – Chiron felt that he could not leave him without saying it. “Well, it’s fine.” Despite the baselessness of the Servant’s words, Caules found that his heart was somewhat comforted by them. The display of strength he had put on since her death began to crumble. “Damn… I’m tired…” As he leaned against the stone wall, he found his strength slipping from him as he slid down to the ground – and finally, he began to feel sleep overcoming him. As his consciousness drifted, he remembered that he was in the watch-tower. However, his exhausted mind refused to move his body further. * * * Fiore and the others left the chamber once the discussion ended. However, Shishigou Kairi and Mordred would be returning to their den instead of staying in the castle. “Well, we’ll be seeing you all later… but first things first, Ruler. You’ll keep your promise, right?” “You remembered…” Jeanne sighed at the satisfied grins on both the Saber of Red and her Master. It occurred to her then that perhaps pets really did resemble their owners. “Very well. I hereby transfer one Command Spell to the Master Shishigou Kairi. Do you agree?” “Damn right, I do. Give me your best shot.” Shishigou thrust out his left hand and Jeanne grasped it lightly, murmuring a few lines of scriptures. One of the Command Spells on her arm was transferred over to him. “Was that it? How utterly boring.” Mordred, who had been peering into the exchange in great interest, seemed disappointed. “What sort of spectacle were you expecting, exactly?” “I expect we will be receiving that last one from you soon enough. We’ll be off!” Mordred said before leaving together with her Master. With the departure of the tempestuous Saber, the chamber was left seeming strangely forlorn, deprived of the unusual air she radiated. Only Jeanne, Sieg, and Astolfo remained. “Sigh… oh, yes. Can I have a moment with you, Sieg?” After he nodded, Jeanne approached him and deftly caught his left arm to confirm the Command Spells on it. Her face clouded somewhat at what she saw – that the Command Spells had yet to disappear. “Besides the first time, you also transformed once more to defeat the giant. Is that correct?” “Yes.” “The Command Spells are crystallizations of prana originally devised by the Makiris…. by their nature, they ought to fade away once the energy is lost.” “But these ones haven’t. Not completely.” “Yes… it worries me. However, the fact that only one Command Spell remains is a greater concern. I shall transfer two of mine to you as well.” “Are those the ones for Siegfried?” “Correct. As I mentioned before, I possess two Command Spells for each Servant. As both the Saber of Black and a Master, you should have no problem receiving them.” Jeanne began the process once more and true to her words, there were again three Command Spells on his left hand, their former brilliance returned. However, it did not remove the blackness on his skin – and more likely than not, that was the same case for the spots on his chest and back, something which he still had not revealed to the two of them. “Should you be doing this, Ruler?” “In truth, I do not know. By this point, the world has played host to over one hundred subsidiary Holy Grail Wars… but amongst them all, there has never been a Servant or Master such as yourself. I have no memories of ever seeing black Command Spells such as these appear, but…” Jeanne trailed off and avoided voicing her thoughts, although it was something that Sieg himself had begun to faintly realize. These black Command Spells could not possibly be a good omen; there was something twisted and distorted about them. At the same time, however, these were what let Sieg wrap around himself the shell of Siegfried, allowing him to fight. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to put these remaining three to good use.” “These remaining two … you must not use the last one, Sieg. Do you understand?” Jeanne wore an unexpectedly grim expression as she said this. “Why?” “Because it feels like a terrible idea! It is not possible for Command Spells to remain behind like stigmata. Do you understand just how miraculous your state is? And I believe that miracle comes at a cost. These Command Spells are taking something from you, Sieg… something important.” “I don’t have much for them to take away… nothing worth a miracle like this.” “In any case…! Sigh… Rider, could you please keep a close eye on him, as well?” When he heard this, Astolfo – who had been trying for some time now to enter the conversation – nodded eagerly, his eyes alight. Throwing up a V-sign with his right hand, he said loudly. “Got it! Leave him to me! I’ll keep both eyes on him! I’ll keep him… um, what’s the term… locked down?” “Just watch out for him, please! That should be the first thing on your mind.” “Maybe my last Master did affect me a little bit…” “You too, Sieg… you are a Master. You need to keep a tight leash on Rider.” “I know…” …but he doubted whether holding such a thing would help him control the Servant at all. He would have brought this up as such as well, had it not been apparent that doing so would earn him the ire of both Servants standing before him. He elected to keep silent. “Now… what will you do? I intend to return to the city for a moment. After all, I have yet to repay my debts after troubling the church here…” As she spoke, Jeanne dispelled the armor from herself, and her grit disappeared along with it in an instant. An air of pureness and incorruptibility remained around her, but she seemed strangely embarrassed and averted her gaze. “I… well, I suppose I should stay here, after all. I’ll borrow one of the rooms.” To be frank, the castle was not a place of pleasant memories for him, but he could not deny it as his birthplace. It also provided ample protection even in its ruined state and they were not likely to be attacked. Besides, where could he go even if he were to leave? “I see. If you need anything, please call for me. You must let me know if anything strange happens to your body. Have you had anything to eat yet? If not, you should settle that first. You are very much a living being now, after all. You must not starve yourself, understand? I am speaking from experience. Also…” “Just hold it!” Just as Sieg began to feel overwhelmed by Jeanne’s avalanche of advice, Astolfo pushed her away with both hands. “Wait, Rider, I still have things to say…” “Leave it for tomorrow, okay? Shoo, shoo! We’re tired enough as it is!” Astolfo continued shoving her back with his Monstrous Strength . “Y-You don’t have to be so rough… please, Sieg, be sure to get a good night’s rest! I will check with you again once you are awake! Good…” ‘…night!’ she was prevented from finishing by the door shutting in her face. “Geez… who does she think she is, your mother?” “Don’t ask me… but is she going to be all right?” Sieg felt some slight concern as he thought back to the last time he saw Jeanne leave. She wouldn’t collapse again from an empty stomach again, would she? “What do you mean?” “Never mind…” Now that he thought about it again, it felt too critical a piece of information to let slip about Jeanne. He suppressed his anxiety, reminding himself that she should (hopefully) be able to make it all the way to her lodgings before collapsing. “Anyway, Rider, I should sleep soon.” “Okay! Let’s go get a room, then. How about mine?” “I… was thinking another room. By myself.” Seeing as there was no danger here, they did not need to remain together in the same space. Rather than remain mindful of one another, they could both let themselves relax separately. Not to mention that it was Astolfo – but the Rider stubbornly insisted on staying in the same room. “Well, all right. Thank you.” “Ha ha, it’s no problem! Come on, go-go-go!” Just like Jeanne, he was being pushed onward by Astolfo before he could open his mouth. Once they reached Celenike’s private room, Astolfo released the physical form of his armor, put his hands around Sieg, and pushed them both onto the bed. Sieg could feel the springs as the bed softly swallowed their weight – and instantly, his entire body was overtaken by exhaustion. All the while, Astolfo was lying next to him and chuckling. “Ah… we’re alive…” The Servant placed a hand on his own chest, and then on Sieg’s chest. “We’re alive… we’re alive! Ahahahaha!” Astolfo laughed, sounding joyous from the bottom of his heart. In time, Sieg reached the same realization as well. He had escaped from this place, and came back, and fought, and now he was here – but most importantly, he was still alive. Yet, at the same time, a coldness began to assault his entire being – a sense of revulsion and nausea like slugs crawling and slipping through his innards. Sieg knew this sensation; it was fear. All the terror which he had not felt upon the battlefield now came back to him in force. His cold hands wrapped themselves around his body. Why am I alive…? The question was not philosophical but literal. He should have died today. How could he have survived? Facings down Servants to the death, fighting that giant – he lost count of how many times he had failed to step off the precipice of death. He could not stop the shaking. “Oh, there we go. It’s okay! You’re all right. See? You’re still breathing. I’m still breathing. And that’s enough! That’s all that matters right now!” Propping himself off the bed, Astolfo laughed and said loudly as he gripped Sieg’s hand. His voice managed to put on a hold on Sieg’s thoughts as the bed absorbed his cold sweat. Some warmth began to return to the homunculus’ freezing body. “Sorry… I’m all right now.” “Are you sure? I felt that once too, you know, back when I was alive! It was after I took back my reason and then had to return to battle. It was really scary when I finally realized that I couldn’t have done any of the things I did, if I were sane. I was sitting in my tent with a blanket over my head, just shaking the whole time!” Chuckling, Astolfo began to speak of his past memories at length. It was certainly not a tale of his bravado; if anything, a normal knight would keep silent about such a shameful incident. However, it would seem Astolfo was not so vain. “I tried to sleep, but it was just so scary that I would wake up and find myself throwing up. Really disgusting! It was so salty in my mouth and stuck to my lips… hmm, I think the night before, I was eating…” “…stop. You don’t have to tell me what you threw up.” “Haha, my bad… anyway, my point is that anyone would feel what you felt just now. So don’t worry! I’m here for you. You’re my Master, and I’m your Servant… heh, and to think the day would come when I got to say that with so much pride. I guess it was worth it to be summoned, after all! Sorry to my last Master, though!” Astolfo confessed his feelings, expressing his joy with his entire being, and flopped back down onto the bed again. Sieg laughed. “I agree… I’m really glad that you are my Servant.” “Heh! It’s too early to be saying that, Master. I’ll show you… at the end of all this, you’ll be saying that again, and mean it… that you’re glad I’m your Servant!” However, as soon as he said that, Astolfo’s face turned gloomy. “Well, I mean… if you say that I’m weak instead, then I guess I can’t really deny that. But I’ll try my best.” Why is he worrying about this now? Sieg thought. Strong or weak, fast or slow, tough or soft – these were not at all the things he needed from the Servant. Even if he were just a normal human being… “…you are strong, Rider. At the very least, I will put my faith in that.” Perhaps the lack of hesitation the Servant had shown in saving him – the kindness in picking up something which could have been left on the ground – was not a quality necessary to a Heroic Spirit. Perhaps a true hero was someone who would not let small things by the wayside distract from the greater picture, and had the courage to cast something aside when it became necessary. Yes, that would be correct. If nothing else, there was not any merit to Astolfo helping him back then. That was all the more reason why Sieg held the uttermost respect for the Servant who had laughed off any such concerns and saved him regardless. Astolfo chuckled and began pulling incessantly at his own locks. He seemed to be blushing. “Nyahaha… thank you, Master. So, shall we sleep? It’ll be morning soon. If we don’t get some rest now, it’ll be night again when we wake up.” Sieg agreed. He closed his eyes – and found that his fear of the darkness had disappeared. Perhaps it was due to the first rays of dawn shining into the room. Astolfo did not disappear but remained as he was; thankfully, Sieg appeared to be more suitable a Master than even the Magi here, as he had no difficulty letting Rider maintain his physical form this way. Now that he thought about it – the situation was much the same as before as well. Of course, the smallness of the bed presented a much greater ordeal back then, whereas this one was very large. There should be no worry of falling off. What is she doing now…? That was the last thought to cross his mind before his consciousness faded. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 008. Part 3 Jeanne received a mild chiding when she reached the church. “When I woke up and saw what happened to the castle, I was quite worried, you know? You just went off and didn’t come back.” Alma Petresia wore a fittingly somber expression as she said that to Jeanne. Naturally, Jeanne could not tell her that she was not only one of the parties involved in the incident, but in fact the target of the attack and managed to survived unharmed at ground zero due to her holy banner and her faith. “In any case, we must thank God for guiding you to safety.” “Yes, indeed.” “But who would have thought that a meteorite… what a terrifying accident.” It seemed that the people of Trifas were made to believe that that was a meteorite impact. Jeanne was thankful for the suggestion which also prevented the city from falling into panic. “I will take some rest for today and go back home after that.” “Oh? Have you completed your research? Ah… I suppose now isn’t quite the time, considering what just happened.” “Um… yes. Yes, I’ve completed my research.” Jeanne recalled that she had introduced herself as a schoolgirl. Alma smiled softly and added that not even students should push themselves too far. “Sleep well, then. I will be attending the service now.” “Thank you, I will.” Jeanne returned to her room in the attic and collapsed onto the bed. It was rather inconvenient that she needed to sleep and eat – but it was these little things that made her feel far more alive than if she had been summoned as a normal Servant. Amakusa Shirou Tokisada… Jeanne thought back to the boy with the unwavering gaze. His eyes belonged not to a child gazing at some dream, but one carrying great ambitions. She was convinced from the moment she had met him in the chapel – that he would not be stopped by words, nor by mere defeat in a contest of strength, not even the utter annihilation of the Servants of Red or the loss of the Greater Grail itself. The very act of standing still had been stripped from his core. He would only continue to walk forward, either until his plan was fulfilled or he could no longer function as a living being. The Third Holy Grail War of Fuyuki took place sixty years ago. The boy had received flesh then and pursued the Grail ever since. Certainly, Fuyuki’s Greater Grail was a unique existence. It was difficult to imagine anything that would prove its equal – except perhaps for the genuine article itself. In other words, the holy relic of the Son of God, the mystery that was sought by all yet attainable by none. Shirou believed in the Messiah as well. Perhaps that would explain why he pursued nothing else – but as one who shared the same faith, Jeanne understood his obsession to be another thing entirely. Holy relics were precious to be sure, but they were not things to gamble one’s life over in order to seize. After all, their faith laid with God and not His belongings. The boy of miracles must understand that himself as well. Besides, even a supposed ‘omnipotent’ wish granter had limits. Certainly, a magus might consider it as such – for a Holy Grail was an inexhaustible swirl of prana and a clear sign on the path towards attaining Magic . However, Amakusa Shirou was no magus, nor was it likely that he held interest in their esoterica. As such, he must mean to bring about some sort of ‘miracle’ using that massive amount of energy… Whatever miracle that might be, it would not save all of humanity. Many saints and great figures had challenged and then wasted their lives away before this dilemma. The heroes understood their roles and saved only those whom their hands could reach. Take Vlad III, for instance; he was a miraculous savior to the people of Romania, to be sure, but from the outside – from the perspective of the invading Turks – he was nothing if not the Devil himself. Saving one person meant leaving another to their fate. To save nine, you must cut off one – or else save one by killing the nine. That was the law of this world; all heroes understood and fought under this cruelest of logics. Yet why was it that Amakusa Shirou could remain the way he was without any trace of hesitation? What ground-breaking instrumentality – or was it perhaps insanity – had he reached in his mind? If he were simply insane, then naturally she had to stop him. However – what if he was right? “What should I do…?” What would be her decision then? Would she stop him regardless? Or would she…? When she considered this, Jeanne pulled the sheets over herself. She could not help dreading what laid at the end of that line of thought. It was an ideal that all saints dreamed of. Could she say with certainty that she would be able to resist the temptation? No… I cannot lose. With words of prayer on her lips, Jeanne began to close her eyes. Suddenly, her thoughts went to another boy. She wondered if Shirou’s goal of salvation included him as well. Strangely, her anxious mind became calm at the thought. It was the vague realization that homunculi like him would not be saved by Shirou. In that case, she could not possibly aid Shirou. The instant that she confirmed this to herself, her consciousness began to fade. * * * Mordred wondered whether she should sigh or express herself in some other way – in the end deciding to do what was most fitting and punching the ground. “Why did we come back to here of all places?!” She had thought that Shishigou would stay at the castle. Instead, her Master rejected the offer and unceremoniously returned to the catacombs. Of course, while she could have simply stayed in Spirit Form, even she would have liked to sleep on a soft bed, or submerge herself in a real bath instead of washing herself in some lukewarm shower. They were meaningless, yes, but understandable cravings. Shishigou answered the vehement protests of his Saber even as he wrapped the sleeping bag around himself. “That was enemy territory, you know? Who would be stupid enough to sleep there?” “Yes… yes, well, but…” Mordred sat down on her sleeping bag with an expression overflowing with malcontent. “Geez… do you get it, Saber? Yes, we are cooperating with them. Of course we are, because at the rate things were going, we would’ve been cornered eventually. It was right to save Ruler and Chiron. But ‘cooperating’ is not exactly the same as ‘working together’.” “What’s the difference?” “The difference is, being together means giving an opening. It’s a signal that says, ‘I trust you’. We can’t ever let the Yggdmillennias see that.” “Are you saying that we can’t trust them…?” Mordred turned a questioning look on him. Certainly, it was most like a magus to never trust anyone else. It could even be considered natural, given that they would kill even their own parents and siblings… “No, you got it the other way around. If we showed that we trusted them, it’s them who would stop trusting us .” The Servant tilted her head and waited for Shishigou to continue. “Let’s put it this way, it’ll be easier to understand… suppose there’s a tiger with a collar around its neck. Its keeper guarantees that it’s docile and well-trained. Let’s say you have to spend a night together with it. You have a gun in your hand, and you have to go out on a hunt with him. But sadly, you’ll have to kill it in the end…” “So we are the tiger, then?” “Bingo. The more we trust in them, the less they’ll do the same to us. You can trust someone who works for money, so long as you have money. But when you work for free, people get scared… what if he comes back for what he’s owed?” That was all too natural for human beings, much less between existing enemies. And Shishigou Kairi was in no position to demand money from the Yggdmillennias at the moment. “Is that why you decided not to stay at the castle?” “Well, that and I also wanted to have an emergency meeting with you. It wasn’t a good place for it.” Shishigou said smugly as Mordred’s mouth also stretched into a smirk. “You should have told me that from the start… well? What are you thinking?” “First, we’ll be acting independently. It’s dangerous to all bunch up on the same plane anyway… I’m sure they’ll understand if we put it that way. Once Ruler and them are dealing with Archer and Rider, we’ll slip through their defenses…” “…and take the Grail.” They said at the same time, grinning at each other. “Ha. To think that my Master still refuses to give up, even now!” “You think I’m being stupid…?” The girl did not speak a word, only shaking her head. “Of course not. I just… found it hard to believe. You told me before that your wish was for the Grail to bring prosperity for your offspring, yes?” “Yeah, I did.” “That’s a lie, then. I refuse to consider that such a vague desire could lead to so deep an obsession.” Suddenly, Mordred’s smile disappeared. She looked more serious than she had ever been as she stared at Shishigou, as though pleading at him. “So, tell me, Master… what do you truly desire?” Moving his head slightly to avoid her gaze, Shishigou sighed in apparent resignation. He reached into his coat and fished out a packet of cigarettes. “Do you mind?” “I’d prefer not having the room filled with smoke, but if you must.” Shishigou smiled lightly at her words and lit a cigarette, drawing in its fumes and then exhaling it. “Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t lying… but I also didn’t give you the whole story. Well, I won’t have another chance to once we reach the Hanging Gardens, so I guess I should talk to you about it now.” Shishigou Kairi began to speak. The house of Shishigou were a family of Magi that – a few generations ago – ended up drifting from Europe to Japan. The name ‘Shishigou’ was, of course, something they took up when they arrived there. At that point in time, their Thaumaturgical Crest was already on the verge of fading completely, and their children were born with few Magic Circuits. Moving to Japan would clearly be a critical blow to such a family; it was practically suicidal for a Magus to remove himself from the lands where the foundation of his craft were laid. As to be expected, the family had within a single generation declined to the point where they could barely establish themselves as Magi. They were at an impasse; at this rate, they would meet their end. But they still had the chance to do something – anything – before it was too late. They still had the strength to employ and rely upon the miracle called Thaumaturgy. Taking something from one to ten should be simple, whereas it was difficult to build something up from zero to one. What would they do? Having left their foundation, they could no longer learn new Thaumaturgies. With every passing second, their line decayed further. By the time the next generation arrived, they would no longer be worthy of being called Magi. What to do…? What…? The house of Shishigou reached its conclusion. They would sell their souls. “You know, like the stuff you hear in fairy tales… a deal with the Devil… Mephistopheles and such. That’s what our forefathers did.” In the end, only the then-head of the Shishigou family knew what it was that they made a contract with in Japan. They did not know what was done to them – be it reversal of time, or simply rejuvenated flesh, or perhaps being gifted with a new Crest – except that they had been bound by an immense force, almost like a Self-Geis Scroll. At the same time, their wish had been granted without any twists or false interpretations. The house of Shishigou found itself conducting a successful, miraculous revival. Their Thaumaturgical Crest was reanimated and exhibited powers beyond their previous heights. The Magic Circuits that were once fading away within them increased in both quality and quantity. They were reborn as a great house of the Far East. Although the crafts of the past became lost to the family – their place taken by newly acquired Necromancy – they were considered necessary sacrifices. Of course, such a miracle fetched its own price… “…and that’s me.” The contract was a curse, in the end, for the family had given up their future in exchange for prioritizing the fullness of the present. Such a thought must appear foolish to normal humans, but it was only natural for Magi… For after all, what the house of Shishigou had chosen to sacrifice was a future wherein they lived on as normal human beings. How could any proud Magus suffer such a thing? They did not care for things to come, those great Magi of Shishigou, not when there were great deeds left to be achieved by their hands. That had been their only desire. After a few generations, the curse eventually activated. It was unclear what it was that triggered the activation. The family did not know whether it was set to work at a predetermined time – or if it had been a game of Russian roulette all along, waiting for its chance to go off. Whatever the case, the sacrifice was Shishigou Kairi. It was the greatest of evils that could befall a family of Magi – for Shishigou Kairi could not produce children. He would never be able to create an offspring. It was destined that the line of Shishigou, along with all their precious Magic Circuits, would end with him. “What, was that it? Why couldn’t you lot have just adopted a child or something?” When Mordred said this, Shishigou plucked out the cigarette hanging from his mouth and put it out on the ground, wearing a curious smile as he did so. “Well… I guess my folks had the same optimism as you do. At least, until the kid that my dad brought back… the one they’ve put all their hopes on… died when they tried transferring my Crest to her.” The girl’s body had displayed no signs of rejection. She was a distant relative, still carrying trace amounts of Shishigou blood, and pre-transplant examinations showed great compatibility. After the autopsy, the cause was found to be Shishigou Kairi’s Thaumaturgical Crest itself – for from it seeped a deadly toxin which he himself had completely adapted to. Any attempts to transfer the Crest would cause the toxin to react. Once he learned of this, Kairi prevented his father Touki from proceeding with further transplant attempts, making him give up on the idea completely. He had made the decision – that the Shishigou line would end with him. Kairi left his family, becoming a lowly bounty hunter, an outsider living off his Thaumaturgy. Of course, Kairi felt relief if anything – for he was freed of the burden that had bound him since birth. He believed that he would die on some battlefield, preferably with his remains ground into fine dust. It might have been only a brief hundred years or so, but the Shishigou family had had their taste of glory. What more could they ask for? Yet so it was that he had stumbled upon the Great Holy Grail War. By a miracle of the Holy Grail, it might be possible to remove the poison in his Crest – and for him to have children. That was why Shishigou Kairi pursued the Grail. “Hmph…” Mordred made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a grunt when Shishigou finished his tale. “What’s the matter, Saber? I just told you the embarrassing past of my family, you know. Did you expect something more?” “No… it’s just that in the end, you do wish for prosperity for your children, huh…” “I, uh, hope you weren’t expecting some sort of sappy left-field twist…” Apparently deflated, Mordred quickly wrapped the sleeping bag around herself. Seeing this, Shishigou decided to do the same. Was it the low ceiling hanging above them? The Servant found it somewhat difficult to breathe, giving the illusion that the world was slowly crushing down upon her. To distance her mind from the sensation, her thoughts went hazily back to what they had talked about earlier. A contract with a mysterious being…. generations of glory followed by a promised fall… and… “Hey, Master, can I ask you one last thing?” “If I can answer it, sure.” “Do you… still remember her?” After a long silence, Shishigou suddenly murmured. “There are some things in the world that we mustn’t forget.” His low, quiet voice echoed in the small cavern – carrying words that had not been present in his earlier story, nor in the wish he had expressed to Mordred at the very beginning. His desire was not born from the wish to bring prosperity to his family. His desire was not born from the wish to leave behind the name of Shishigou. His desire was born from the wish to give meaning to those lost things he could never forget – and to ensure that they had not been lost in vain. His words were an oath. His voice carried a pride that he would protect even at the cost of his life and his own honor. “Heh…” “That good enough for you, Saber?” “Yeah, good enough. Master… let’s take that Grail.” All senses of being crushed gone, the two looked up at the ceiling as their fists lightly touched one another in the dark. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 009. Part 4 Gordes was feeling agitated. This was nothing new to him, but it was not quite the same as usual this time. “I’m sorry… there’s nothing more that I can do.” Said the disheartened homunculus, and his patient who was lying on the ground patted his arm. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve done your best.” The other homunculus said somberly, her tone as that of someone facing her own death. The scene irritated Gordes immensely. The homunculus lying on the ground was one of the prana provision types that were kept in tanks. Born defective, they were meant to spend their existence without ever coming out, only rotting away… Fools! Damned fools, the whole lot of them! Gnashing his teeth, Gordes could finally bear no longer and rose to his feet. “…!” Apparently noticing the approaching Gordes, the nursing homunculus tensed only for Gordes to ignore him, instead lowering himself and taking the pulse of the female homunculus lying on the ground. “What are you…?” Gordes tapped the girl’s arms and shoulders, then the collarbones, and nodded to himself in satisfaction. Commanded to open her mouth, the homunculus did so despite herself. Gordes made a sound of contempt and explained. “You simpleton. In case you could not tell by looking, her respiratory organs are undeveloped… there are ventilators set up inside the prana tanks. Bring one here, now.” “Huh…?” Gordes glared at the bewildered homunculus, daring him to speak another word. With a flustered “Right away!” he ran down the hallway. “Umm…” “What?” “Why? Why are you helping us? Weren’t we just batteries to you?” The homunculi knew that, while not nearly as cruel as Celenike and Roche whom treated them as breakable toys and test subjects, Darnic and Gordes viewed them merely as things. “You still are, even now, but… argh! If you saw a human making a fool of himself at cleaning, wouldn’t you want to correct them? It’s just like that. Anyone would be annoyed by someone trying to clean a bathtub with a vacuum cleaner!” Gordes was a fair bit too old to be suddenly developing love for his fellow man. This was merely the conduct of a veteran craftsman scolding his junior. Shut up and pay attention! “All that we have taught you are mending techniques to deal with external wounds, and simple ways of resisting mental domination. You could not possibly know how to heal a defective respiratory system. You never learned to.” “I… I see.” It was actually quite obvious. After all, it had taken the magi great effort simply packing in all of the most basic necessities into them. “Are these what you were talking about?” The homunculus who ran off returned carrying what resembled respirators under his arms. “Yes. Give it here.” Snatching it from his hands, Gordes pushed a hypodermic needle into the female homunculus’s vein, and connected it by a tube to a box of processed bone. “What’s that…?” “A tool to circulate oxygen and assist breathing. Here, put this on. Some life returned to the girl’s face when she put on the mask over her mouth. Seeing this, Gordes said disinterestedly. “Sorry to say, but you will be spending the rest of your life putting this thing on and off. You, uh… oh, never mind, whoever you are. You might as well start bringing the other homunculi in here. No doubt there are similar cases loitering about.” The male homunculus could only blink, utterly lost. “Are you sure…?” “Feel free to reject my offer. You can go back to acting out your soap operas with them.” Gordes said pompously, barbs on every word. The homunculus hesitated somewhat but decided to put the lives of his comrades first. “Our lives in your hands.” “Yes, of course they are. To think that fools who cannot even perform such simple tasks would try and seek their own lives!” The impulse to punch Gordes in the face passed the homunculus’s mind. His fellow, lying on the ground with the breathing apparatus, thought much the same. Unfortunately, it did not change the fact that he represented their salvation. With an unconcealed sigh, the male homunculus began to carry in one patient after another. The first one was very pale, his face drained of blood. He was clutching his abdomen, so Gordes inspected it and understood the issue. “Most of his internal organs aren’t functioning. Adjust his magic circuits to act in their place. Next.” “The signals from your brain are being reversed. Just think the opposite of what you want to do… right is left, down is up. Keep moving your body and your brain will be used to it within a month. Next.” “The flesh is developing into gangrene. It’s impossible to heal completely, we have to put a restoration ritual into the body and keep it there. One of Darnic’s Mystic Codes should be capable of that. Go to his room and find it. No, wait… there are powerful defenses set up to intercept anyone not of the clan. I’ll have to retrieve it personally, then.” Saying this, Gordes got to his feet. Although everyone in the castle aside from the Servants were already resting due to exhaustion, he gulped down a remedy of wakefulness and paced briskly down the hallways. A homunculus hastily followed him. It was the female who first spoke to Sieg and currently the de facto leader of the homunculi. “What are you doing? You don’t need to come with me, it’s not too heavy to carry.” “I do not understand. Why are you going so far for us?” “I don’t understand it, either! How can I possibly understand this situation? It’s chaos, chaos ! This is far from the world of mysteries unified by thaumaturgies… Servants, and Holy Grail Wars, and Greater Grails, curse it all ! We’ve all been played for chumps!” Gordes shouted as he walked down the hall. The homunculus placed the tip of her halberd by his ear in apparent frustration. “Answer me properly.” “I told you already… I don’t know . This was supposed to be a war for the Holy Grail! Then that madman, Shirou, blindsided us and took it! And he wants to use it to save humanity? Absurd! That was not what we sought after! We were supposed to conduct a noble battle using the crafts we have mastered and the heroes we have summoned! How did it come to this? Why did things go so wrong? Was it because Lancer lost? Or is it because of the Noble Phantasm of their Assassin? Or…” “…is it because you pushed Siegfried to take his own life?” Her quiet words finally put to stop to Gordes’s endless speech. She sighed and lowered her halberd. “It was not my fault…” “But it was. But at the very least, you believe that it was.” “Quiet! I will not have a homunculus speak to me like this!” She ignored this and affirmed to him once more. “It was your fault…. but it wasn’t only your fault. It was by everyone’s own decisions, their own beliefs, their actions in accordance with their own wishes… it was all of these things coming together that led to the defeat of the Black camp. I do not believe that the future would have been changed simply by strengthening your bond with Saber.” “Yet… I was still at fault.” Gordes murmured into the cold air filling the hall. His hunched and despondent figure quickly lost all hints of arrogance. From the start of this Great Holy Grail War till its end, this man had been nothing more than an observer. However much he claimed to be a magus, and a Master, it was not a conflict he could not have been capable of taking part in were not for his Servant. And now, in the midst of all of this confusion, the war itself had ended. As Gordes himself had said again and again – he was truly lost. “You are right. So think about it from a different angle. Yes, you are arrogant, cocky, and a terrible human being. But as an alchemist, you are… not so bad .” “Couldn’t you have picked your words a bit more…?” “Well, you are hardly comparable with the Einzberns.” At her prompt reply, Gordes fell into silence with a bitter expression. There was a point in time when the Musik family had very nearly found themselves shoulder-to-shoulder with the Einzberns. However, that had been the height of their glory; they fell into decay afterwards. “Hmph… well, no doubt that they’ll be spending the next few centuries pouring all of their efforts into a new Greater Grail. Our house of Musik will use that time to surpass them.” It was practically fantasy. Although the power of the Einzberns had greatly declined from the loss of the Greater Grail, their techniques were beyond compare. The house of Musik would have to be blessed with gifted offspring like Gordes for three entire generations in order to close the gap. “I see… in that case, begin by extending our lives. I think that you will find the birth of something new, then.” However, it seemed that Gordes had decided to walk the harder path. After all, it suited his warped nature perfectly that he would reach out for a star which he knew he would never be able to grasp. “I know that full well. Now, enough chatter, we have little time as it is. Let’s go get that Mystic Code, homunculus… oh, for God’s sake, enough is enough. Get yourself a name like Sieg… something easy to remember.” The homunculus snorted, and replied with all the derision she could muster. “It was our idiot of a parent who decided not to give us any names. Reason dictates that you should name all of the surviving homunculi, no?” “…” “And do not even think about giving us any poor names, or you will find this halberd carving off all of that useless blubber.” Gordes ground his teeth and muttered under his breath – but unfortunately, he was dealing with a combat homunculus. Their lifespans might be short, but they were all the stronger at both physical and magical combat for it. In short, this homunculus was stronger than her creator. “What a nightmare…! I should have added a function for unconditional obedience…” Gordes moaned theatrically, and the homunculus’s lips began to curl slightly. “I doubt that you are capable of that with your level of skill. But do not worry. As long as we are allies, I assure you that we will not harm you.” As she said this, she gave him an overly friendly pat on the shoulder. Gordes thought to curse at her – but instead decided to save the heartiest of laughter for her deathbed. In the end, Gordes did not sleep until he finished fixing all of the homunculi. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 010. Part 1 He had told them everything that he could – and while he did not obtain the full consent of all three Servants, they promised to at least maintain the present situation. In other words, if the Servants of the Black camp were to assault them, they would protect the Hanging Gardens and the Holy Grail. As long as they could fulfill this, it mattered little even if they did not accept Shirou as their Master. In a way, he had just overcome the greatest gauntlet. Heroic Spirits could be proud creatures, capricious, noble – and utterly without hesitation. It would not have been strange for one of them to have killed him on the spot when he revealed his identity and his seizure of the Masters’ rights. “Good…” He lowered himself onto the throne where Semiramis normally sat, and gazed upwards at the lofty ceiling. It was not yet time to relax, but he could not hide the relief he felt within. “So, how find you the sensation of sitting upon a throne, Master…?’ How long had she been there? Assassin materialised besides him. Shirou excused himself and began rising from the throne, but the Servant placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down. Circling around to his back, she whispered into his ear. “You may continue… Well? How does it feel to be King? Do you see, in your mind, a host of heroes before you, bowing their heads in subservience? Rather pleasurable, is it not? Does the pride of being an absolute ruler not rise within you? Would you not drink deeply of the euphoria of utter domination?” Wordlessly, Shirou shook his head. Holding her hand on his shoulder, he stood up. “No, not at all. I don’t think I am suited to commanding others. This was meant for you.” Although looking somewhat displeased, the Empress lowered herself onto her throne. “What a bore… it would only be fitting for one who declared himself to be my Master to claim the entire world.” “And if he did do so, you would destroy him. The world does not need two rulers, after all.” Said Shirou coolly, and Semiramis clicked her tongue without the slightest hint of apology. “Tch.. so you realised it.” As Shirou had said, it was Semiramis who would sit upon the throne in the end. He would execute his plan, save mankind – and that would be it. With salvation being his sole objective, he had no thoughts for what laid beyond. “So why not take up the crown then?” “I’ll decide that once I’m there.” Shirou laughed and excused himself to look to the Greater Grail. As he left the room, the beautiful visage of the Empress showed a hint of gloom. “Good grief… truly, those without want are most difficult to deal with. To think he would have no interest in wealth, power, or even a woman.” Men were mere playthings to Semiramis, the Empress of Assyria. The ones who had been lured by her words and robbed of everything were beyond count. Amidst all of it, she allowed only herself to exist as a ‘woman’. The world needed its fertile wombs to bear the children, of course – but it was her sole province to act as a woman and do as she pleased with any man. From the start, that was the only way for her to survive. She still remembered the moment shortly after her birth. She could vaguely recall the form of the woman who had abandoned her and hurriedly escaped to the river. It was the fish-goddess Derketo, who had committed adultery with a Syrian man and bore her as a daughter. She had called Semiramis a shame – a humiliation for being the product of a mortal. It was only later in her life that Semiramis realised what a fool her mother had been. After all, Derketo had failed to resist the charms of a mere man. Semiramis had been left to die by her mother, and her father’s life was ended by the same. However, Derketo had bestowed a single gift upon her – for within Semiramis flowed divine blood. She adapted to the riverside and her cries drew doves who would care for her. Surrounded by endless wings, they came together to keep her warm when she shivered in the cold, and obtained milk from other sources with which to feed her. Those dauntless wings protected her from wind and rain and raised her. Ten years later, she was discovered by a shepherd and brought into the human world – but her inner nature had already been set. Her foster parent taught her how to perform dances, and to beautify her appearance – but these were merely weapons and techniques by which she would survive in the world. All women deserved her hatred – for they were weak and could not help being toyed with by men, and not even goddesses would receive her mercy. All men deserved her contempt – for they were brutes of primal urges who degrade women, and whose only merit was being made playthings of by her. That was her philosophy and understanding of the world. In that case, how should she interpret her own Master, Shirou Kotomine – Amakusa Shirou Tokisada? “Neither a woman nor a man… what a perplexing existence.” He could not be ensnared by seductive smiles, and swiftly retreated from the allures of authority. Humans beings were creatures of want, yet the boy possessed none for himself – and his desire for the salvation of mankind could hardly be reduced to mere greed. If she were to categorise him, she would place him beyond any doubt among the insane. It was exactly for that reason that Assassin found herself simply enjoying standing by this Master. Perhaps he would be rewarded for his obsession of sixty years – that would be fine. However, if he were to find himself lacking in the end and fail – then that would be interesting in its own right. Seeing the despair and fall of a Saint who could not grasp his dream would be worthy entertainment. “Which of the two would be more amusing, I wonder…?” The Assassin chuckled as she vanished, as her Hanging Gardens of Babylon continued to sail across the Romanian skies, unseen by mundane eyes. * * * The Greater Grail maintained its incorruptible brilliance as it had always done. Some amount of prana had been spilled when it was ripped from the ley lines, but it would not prove to be a problem. Amakusa Shirou Tokisada knew this Grail well. The Tohsakas had abandoned the Holy Grail and attempted a different approach to reach the Root; meanwhile, the Makiris had decayed, passing down knowledge of the Grail only as an oral tradition. Shirou had managed to buy the information from both of these families. Naturally, he could obtain nothing at all from the Einzberns, who had yet to abandon the Holy Grail, but what he had learned was information necessary to understanding its composition and system of functions. The Greater Grail spent sixty years absorbing prana and used it to cut open a path that would lead to true Magic – opening a hole that would lead outside the world. There was a place outside the world, where it was said that almighty power and ultimate truths could be discovered. It was called Akasha, the Swirl of the Root, and it was the goal of all Magi though nearly every one of them would fail in reaching it. From one generation to the next, they passed on their dreams and hopes – but it was a hopeless path in the end, as evidenced by the first lesson for all Magi: “learning to give up”. Related to this, he had also read of a “back” to the world – the underside, an alien realm where phantasmal beasts which had already disappeared from the world now reside. In any case, the granting of wishes was merely a side effect of the Holy Grail. Its true nature was a tool to bore a hole through the world, fueled by the sacrifice of Heroic Spirits of the past. And there was only one task left to perform. Before he realised it, his hands were sweating. The twin hands of Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, who had brought about many miracles, had sublimated into his Noble Phantasms – his right hand, Evil Eater and his left hand, Xanadu Matrix . Although they were Noble Phantasms, they merely acted to support him. His right hand – the Predation of Immorality – supported him in battle with abilities such as precognition. Meanwhile, his left hand – the Foundation of Divine Blessing – strengthened himself. These were not powers he originally wielded. Instead, his Noble Phantasms caused them to manifest as “miracles”. Although they were universally effective in all situations, Shirou would only be a second-rate Servant if summoned normally, as he lacked the crucial ability to decide a battle. And while a Noble Phantasm that stopped one’s aging was rare, it was hardly useful in combat. Yet it was due to these very two Noble Phantasms that Shirou would be able to make the most reckless of challenges. “I can do it… I will. Those seventeen years, and these sixty years… I’ll use all my nerves, all my cells, all my muscles, and all the power I possess.” The boy turned his back on the Greater Grail. Unfortunately, the situation was not perfected to the point that he could deploy his full strength right now. There was one more piece remaining; he simply needed to wait, and endure. And so the Great Holy Grail War came to a conclusion, for a time. The Greater Grail had been stolen from the Yggdmillennias; their key Servants, Vlad III and Siegfried, had both fallen; and Frankenstein and Avicebron were no more. The Assassin of Black had fully became an enemy of both camps, reducing the fighting force of the Black side to essentially Chiron and Astolfo. However, the Ruler of this war, Jeanne d’Arc, stood by them – as did Mordred, their mutual benefactor. Finally, aside from these four Servants, they had one last Joker to play in the fragile Saber of Black, who would only take form for three minutes, three more times. On the other hand, the Red camp had a crushing advantage in not only the quantity, but also the quality of Servants. In addition, they were encased within the autonomous mobile fortress that was the Hanging Gardens. The side with the fewer captains were being forced to besiege them, on top of breaking through to victory in as short a time as possible. Looking purely at the balance of factors, the situation was stacked heavily against the Black camp. However, it was not yet time for the Red camp to lower their guard. After all, regardless of the side they stood on, Servants were heroes of famous myths and legends – and a hero was only awarded the title by overcoming any and all obstacles. There was no doubt that the Servants of Black would engage them once again to decide this war. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 011. Part 2 It was… a brilliant dream. It was the radiance of glory, as though all blessings in the world had gathered at this ceremony. It was the crowning of Prince Charles as King of France, after his victorious march into Reims – the dream and hope of all the French people. Jeanne d’Arc had lifted the siege of Orleans and continued the fight against the English. It was by her decisive victory at the battle of Patay that the crowning could be realized. She, a young girl of seventeen years of age, had command of the French army. Scandalmongers might have seen her as little more than a symbol, an ornament at the helm of the French army. However, all the men who followed behind her would surely dispute such a claim. If her presence had been nothing but symbolic, she needed only to have waved her banner from the rear – but the girl had always stood at the front line of battle. Although she never once drew her holy sword from its scabbard, it could not be doubted that she had fought alongside them. The dream passed, carried away by the currents – and what came after the brief shimmer of glory was a swift fall into the dark. It was a trial for heresy. The days passed as her enemies sneered at her and caused her pain, revenging themselves upon her. Yet despite bringing her suffering, the trial had changed nothing in the end. Her homeland had been freed from its bonds, and her dream had been realized. ‘You fought…’ To give a concrete measure of time, she had only watched it for a short two years, never feeling bored by what she saw. She had listened to the voice of God and thrown herself into combat. She chose her battles, even as she knew that she would be betrayed. In spite of this, she made the decision to fight until the very end. Why did she do this? What was it all for? She had asked herself many times. ‘…was it to atone for your sins?’ Was it punishment for the deaths that she had caused? ‘…did you want to save as many as you can?’ Was it a prayer to bring salvation to at least one more life before her banner was broken? ‘Or was it…’ Or was it because she believed it to be just? Jeanne knew – I knew – there were those who claimed that God had abandoned her. I knew, of a man who was brought to insanity by his own despair, lamenting the fate of this sinless girl. What did you think about him? I was saddened, knowing that he had turned his back on God – and I was unable to tell him that God had not rebuked me at all. I had faced the battle of Compiegne, knowing that my path would end in flames. Then why did you fight, knowing how it would turn out? I knew that my death would not be in vain. I brought hope for the future, even if I were not rewarded for it. In death, Jeanne d’Arc would become the force that took back her country and put a stop to the bloodshed. Perhaps it had only been a fleeting footnote in history, beginning and ending without fanfare. Perhaps it had only brought salvation to a handful of souls, quickly lost to the flow of time. Perhaps it had all been meaningless in the end, and all she accomplished had been for nothing. Did you ever think so? No… I never did. Even when they bound me to the stake, I never felt any hatred for them. I had already surrendered my flesh to Him. You are strong. Thank you… though I would not be here now without your help. Luck smiled upon me the day I met you, and for that I can only express gratitude, from the bottom of my heart. This is my last question… Was it really all right to bring him along with us? The words pierced my heart like thorns. It was the dull pain that I had kept hidden from the others all this time, my one source of hesitation. Sieg – the boy had declared his name with such pride. He was a paradoxical existence, filled with both immaturity and experience. Despite dearly wishing not to become involved in the battles, he himself challenged the enemy as a Master. I knew that I was being sentimental. The boy should be counted as another asset of this war. And above all, I could hear the whispers, reaching out to me from somewhere, that he would be needed. It was guidance coming from Heaven itself, and never before had it proven wrong. The boy had come into possession of Siegfried’s heart, and by lightning’s strike gained even the strength of Servants. It was absolutely necessary to bring him back to the field of battle; he would not have resurrected from his death otherwise. His powers as a Servant would be required still in what was to come. To this final question, I could reach no answer. “I do not know. Truly, I do not.” The girl who had asked fell into a nearly mournful silence. I knew painfully well that she was concerned for the boy’s well-being. Holy Grail Wars, Servants, Thaumaturgy – Leticia had accepted all of these things and continued to act as an observer. She had placed her trust in my words, and left everything in my hands. The choices made by the Servant Ruler would be her choices; she had accepted that. However, there was one thing that the girl held firm to. The pawn of fate who continued to march forward, his will unwavering – the girl continued to care for him. Unfortunately, he knew nothing of the girl inside me – even though it was she who looked to him, and loved him, more than anyone else. Is that so? The girl said to me with a mystified expression. I could hardly blame her; after all, vague ‘similarities’ were not the only things shared by the girls called Jeanne d’Arc and Leticia. They were alike not only in terms of physicality or personality or birth, but they were of a similar nature even in the color of their souls. In other words – given the same knowledge as Jeanne d’Arc, there was no doubt that Leticia would take nearly all the same actions as me. That would mean, of course, that I also cared for Sieg and held affection for him. At least, Leticia would think so. However, that was not the case. She was wrong. He does not want to fight… but he would not possibly abandon us. I do not want him to fight… but his power was needed. It is not a lie… but I have not told all of the truth. It was an unbearable contradiction within me – a lie. I hid away the truth and turned my eyes away from it. It would seem that the great blessing in finding someone to walk the path with – a privilege normally denied to Servant Ruler – had blinded me. I should leave him behind , I thought. Yet I was convinced that he would come after me, regardless. Everything that took place in this Great Holy Grail War had its meaning. Every single Servant was an important existence – and it was no mistake that Sieg, capable of being possessed by one of them for 180 seconds for three more times, had a purpose to serve. That was the decisive difference between Leticia and me. More than anything else, the hazy thoughts that the girl held for Sieg trampled over Servant Ruler. I had no right to even think about him, much less care for him or love him. All I could do was to seal those thoughts in some distant corner of my mind, behind as many locks, under as many layers of wrappings, and bound with as many chains as I could – so that no one would see them. So that no one would fault me. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 012. Part 3 It was… a loathsome dream. In my youth, my mother had whispered to me. “My beloved child… you shall become a knight, and defeat your king. As my son, you have a claim to the throne. But the king must not learn of this now, or he would surely end you. For now, you must bide your time.” It was a disturbing noise. Evil thoughts wormed their way into my head. I did not want to hear them. I wanted to ignore them. I was an artificial life form – a homunculus. Birthed by twisted means, it was decided that I would grow, and age, and die quickly. While innocent boys of the same age played around the village, I was swinging a sword. By the time they reached manhood, I would be long dead. How jealous I was of their lives. How I envied them. How I despised them. And so it was that I swore to become an existence superior to common men. After all, I must race through life faster than any of them. It would only be natural that I would also be greater than all others. One day, my mother had brought me to observe the king from the shadows – a steel figure of bravery, and austerity, and temperance. “That is your goal. That is the enemy you must defeat. That is the king you must fell.” Impossible – how could I hope to overcome such flawless elegance? The king’s judgment, the king’s swordsmanship, the king’s strategies; they were all the utter definition of perfection. Unfortunately for my mother, I abandoned her scheme. Instead, I desired to serve the king, to become the blade that would cut down those aiming to sully his lands and people. Yes, I would become a knight. I grew up quickly and was eventually granted a helm. It was something I could never remove before the eyes of others; it would all be for naught were someone to see me and recognize my face. So said my mother, and I donned my mask. Despite this, my skill and knightly spirit were proven to be exemplary and the king honored me with a sword. Although I was not yet granted a seat at the Round Table, I had gained the right to one. The days of bliss passed by quickly as was only natural for me. As a knight, I brought down those who opposed the king. “Why do you oppose your king,” I would ask. They would retort, “our king is far too infallible.” What fools. Was that not exactly why our king was great? In all of man’s long history, when had there ever been such a perfect king? Most who called themselves kings were cruel, and proud, and contemptuous – presenting their own greed as a source of joy for their people. These kings gave dreams to those who follow them, or took them away, but upon even once having their own dreams taken from their grasp, they left disaster in their wake with no thoughts for the future. “All who become king are the same. They steal from the people, and the people must steal in turn.” But the King of Knights had no selfish desires. The king saw only what was needed, and everything else might as well not exist. The king carried no dreams, forging ahead only to unite our homeland – a pure existence as exquisite as a sharpened blade. Although it brought me immense shame to consider my own birth in comparison, I still adored the king and aspired to embrace the path of chivalry in the same way. I could say with certainty that those had been the most brilliant and joyful years of my life – but their end came soon enough. Frustrated, my mother made clear to me my pedigree. I was not merely the homunculus son of the great foe, Morgan, but also somehow conceived as a child and living clone of the king. I felt happier than I had ever been. The figure whom I revered so was much closer than I had imagined – and I was also the only one who carried the king’s blood. In other words, I was the uniquely suited to succeed the king. I spoke of all this to the king, including why I would be worthy of the crown. As always, the king replied in a cold, hard voice. “I see… born from the machinations of my sister you may be, but indeed you are of my blood. Yet I shall not recognize you as my son, nor shall I allow you the throne.” Perhaps I was too hasty in my desire to be the king’s successor. However, that I would not even be considered a son was too piercing a blow. It had been my basest assumption; even if I could not be recognized publicly as an heir, it was the one thing I truly wished to be accepted. I thought that in a dialogue between the two of us, I would be able to see the king’s heart – that I would be accepted as a son to be proud of. “So… you would not admit that I am your son, O King?” I murmured at the turned back of the king who showed no further interest in me – who looked ever onward at the path to the future. My voice was filled with enmity, revealing a hatred that I had never known before. It was obvious, I suppose. Who would accept a child forcibly conceived by a bitter enemy? I must be something like a curse. As such, the day would never come where I received a seat at the Round Table. My excellence would be unrecognized, my passion disdained, my effort ignored – for I would never be forgiven, simply because I was born of Morgan. “Very well. I will make you regret those words.” That was the decisive moment when I was reborn in hatred, to stain all that my father had accomplished. The king’s achievements, the king’s rule, the king’s battles – I would render everything of the past decade meaningless. Perhaps the king would despise me. It would be warranted. Perhaps the king would punish me. The king could try . But the king would see me. I would give up everything for the two of us to face one another again. The long, long war for Britain was drawing to its end. After surpassing many hardships, the day was approaching where the country would be ruled as one under the King of Knights. The fighting had brought honor to the knights, but also suffering and poverty to the common folk. Just when everyone had thought that those days would be over, they were thrust into one disquiet after another. The king never changed expressions as the chain of ordeals were dealt with. However, I was certain that within the king’s heart nested great agitation – so I imagined, and laughed quietly in the shadows. For one, it was I who had blazed and made grandiose the infidelity between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot du Lac, a sublime knight of the kind rarely known to the world. It was I who had begun the whispers – that Arthur did not possess the caliber worthy of being king, least not one whose wife was so easily stolen. Yet even as the other knights who had their own complaints spoke out to the king, I continued to serve loyally. To the king, it must have been quite ominous to have this so-called son still serving faithfully as a knight. Yes – I knew well of the king’s anguish. It was then that Arthur made the first and last critical mistake. In order to bring down the traitor Sir Lancelot, Arthur set off for France and left me in command. It was only natural, with so many other knights and members of the court touting my competence – never mind that there were actual administrative affairs which I and very few others were capable of performing. The king appointed me as regent and headed for France. How agonizing it must have been for the king to strike down the most trusted knight of all. Predicting that the fighting in France would drag on, I spread the news that the king had fallen in battle and called for an emergency council, during which it was accepted that I would be suitable for the throne. I took from the armory Clarent , the proof of kingship, and held a coronation in Canterbury. I became king, even if it were only in name. After that, I proposed to Guinevere. “What is this nonsense you speak of?” She replied coldly, and I laughed. “As much nonsense as your games of playing husband and wife.” Deriding her, I removed my helm. The expression frozen on her face was unforgettable. I did not pursue her in earnest, of course. But it would antagonize the king one level further. Yes – I wanted him to hate me ever more. Unsurprisingly, my lies were soon uncovered. It was made known that King Arthur hastened to return to Britain. By right, I should have been executed at that very moment. After all, regent or not, such a rampage as mine deserved its punishment. However, I was still backed by all those whom I had appeased, cajoled, or intimidated into submission. I was persuasive – perhaps. However, on a deeper level, it was clear that there were many who held grievances against Arthur. The King of Knights was cold, and rational – always ready to discard anything and anyone when they were no longer necessary. But I was a much more human knight, or so they claimed. It was the most foolish thing of all, given that I cared for no one other than myself. Human beings were mere livestock whose only saving grace was their ability to speak. Young or old, it made no difference; throw meat into their pens and they would be fighting one other for the meal before it even touched the ground. That was why I would not kill human beings, simply because I did not hate them. They were an annoyance, a locust, but not worthy of hate. I acted as I desired, without a care for those who followed me – so it was strange that they would find me all the more human for it. The king who had tried to save as many lives as he could was condemned as not understanding the hearts of men; yet I who thought nothing of saving anyone was praised of the opposite. It was vexing. I did not rebel for the sake of the lot of you – I did it for myself. They could follow me wagging their tails if it pleased them, but I put them all out of my mind. Why spare my thoughts for the hounds that could forget the master who had been utterly devoted to them? So it was that the last war began. Despite our defeat at Dover allowing the enemy to take the landing, I felled the wearied Sir Gawain. After several more minor clashes, it was time to face off against the king at the hill of Camlann. By this point, it no longer mattered who won the war. The fate of the country had already been sealed. However, the king remained as frigid as ever. Again and again, I would call my father’s name on the field of battle – more loyalist soldiers surrounding me every time I did, and I would crush them and continue on. I killed, and killed, and killed again. The thought came to me. How did things turn out this way? Outsiders observing this battle probably thought me a great fool – and why should I care? Just as my mother predicted, I would become the great transgressor who ruined this kingdom – and why should I care? I had plunged every single person in this country into my personal vendetta – and why should I care? Why should I care? Why should I care?! “Arthurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!” Finally, the King of Knights responded to my call – and our final duel began. The battle was decided when the king’s holy spear pierced my chest. It was my defeat – no, it was my victory. All that the king had achieved, were reduced to nothing by my hands. Yes, look at me. Hate me. Let the mere mention of Mordred forever grate your ears and twist your face with anger. Curse my very name. But to the very end – the king did not recognize my existence. Those cool eyes of jade watched over my death, turning away from me the instant it became certain. The king spoke no final words, shed no tears, showed not even the slightest hint of hate. I was struck by the realization. I see… Perhaps… there was some truth in their grumblings after all. The king did not understand the hearts of men. I conceded. From the beginning till the end, King Arthur had been an infallible king. But that was all the more reason to hate you, my perfect king. Even your hands had failed in the rule of this country. I could have done better. What King Arthur could not accomplished, I would. Father, if they would claim that you were the perfect king, I would surpass you. Ah – just once more. One more chance. Give to me the chance to draw the sword of appointment, just as the king had once did. Just one chance… ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 013. Part 4 It was… a strange dream. I was racing across a great field, untouched plains of gorgeous emerald spreading endlessly in every direction. The scenery flowed past me. I knew it was a dream, but the sensations I felt in these two legs were more real than anything else. I ran. I was running. Further, ever further, in an unwavering line. Indecent sounds began pouring from my mouth. Never had I imagined that running on my own two feet could bring such pleasure and stimulation. In the blink of an eye, the scene changed and I reached a cave at the foot of a beautiful mountain. Ah… I know this… yes, I know the name of this mountain. This was Mount Pelion, a famous tourist attraction in Greece, and in one of its caves dwelt the famous centaur Chiron, the great sage and pride of the Greeks who educated many heroes. By this point, even I began to understand that this was the past of my Servant. Due to the connection between us, I could see into his memories during sleep. Of course, it was possible for me to decide to cut off these visions, but that would be a waste; if anything, I dove further down the hole, tuning my level of my consciousness. It took quite some time for me to adjust – not quite having done this sort of thing before – but now, whenever I dreamed, I would be able to see Chiron. I could see the Chiron that I did not yet know. As I approached the cave, a boy began running towards us, calling out “master!” Was he one of his students? The boy jumped lightly onto the rock next to us. Looking down at Chiron with some sort of anticipation, he spoke. “Master, let’s go out and hunt!” “We cannot.” I began to laugh, seeing him pout at Chiron’s curt response. The boy was very handsome, one could say exceptionally so. He felt neither male nor female, instead appearing androgynous. Yet his words and manners clearly belonged to a boy, something that I as a sister knew very well. “It is good that you enjoy the hunt. Considering your future, it is better to be good at it than to be poor. But is it a hunter that you aim to become? No, you wish to be a hero. No one would recognize a brute as a hero. It is not enough to learn your letters. A man with no sense of music or decorum brings only shame to himself.” Despite his advice, it seemed the boy was still dissatisfied. With a difficult expression, he grumbled in affirmation. Although he could see the logic was correct and he should not speak out of selfishness, he also knew that the rest of his day would not be enjoyable. Seeing this, Chiron smiled wryly. “However… being cooped up in a cave for an entire day must surely be unbearable torture to you. A compromise, then. Finish memorizing the rest of your words for today, and write them onto the slate. If you finish before nightfall, I will teach you how to fight in the dark.” “Really?!” “There are some risks, but I am sure you will be all right. And of course, that is assuming you can remember all your words by dusk.” Naturally, the boy had no complaints. Laughing, Chiron put his hand on the head of the boy jumping for joy, who blushed but accepted it with a smile. I felt envy for the boy – as well as shock. I knew that Chiron had a wife and daughters, but they were all close to divine beings. The boy, on the other hand, was overflowing with the radiance of humanity. However, Chiron’s behavior towards the boy was exactly that of a loving father to his son. “Now, it is time for your lesson… Achilles.” Achilles. It can’t be… But the boy did not deny this name. In other words, he was the Rider of Red, the great hero who was likely the most famous figure of all in our Holy Grail War. Achilles was born from the hero Peleus and his wife, the sea goddess Thetis, and they opposed one another concerning their son. While Thetis wished to complete his godhood, Peleus believed that making his demigod son fully divine would destroy the human side of Achilles. In the end, Thetis accepted his point of view, but left Peleus and Achilles, returning to her home on the ocean’s floor. Not even a son was enough to bind the goddess to the man. Peleus decided to put young Achilles in the care of his old friend Chiron. After all, he was the son of a hero and a goddess, and Chiron was the greatest teacher that Peleus knew. Chiron readily accepted his friend’s request and began teaching all manners of things to this highly gifted boy. Words, songs, poems, virtues, and manners; how to hunt, fight, and ride horses; and even the art of healing. To Achilles, forced to separate from his parents at a young age, Chiron must have been a stern, kind, and attentive father. Likely because it was a dream, the past went by quickly. Achilles grew up before my eyes, becoming tall and powerful. The shaky thrusts of his spear became god-like blows. Like a freed horse, he was unstoppable and untameable, galloping across the fields and surpassing all obstacles with his swift feet. He was also extremely knowledgeable, of course. In the wild, he could find edible plants and fruits with a single glance, and he knew the ways to treat injuries. The way he behaved and held himself, both as a hero and in a royal court, was perfect. Most surprising of all, Achilles was barely ten years old when he had accomplished all of this. What a figure he must have been, to reach this age and be told by Chiron that there was already nothing left for him to teach the boy. In any case, it was time for them to part ways. Chiron and his wife Chariclo saw Achilles off as he began his journey. “Master… lady Chariclo… thank you for coming this far with me.” “Take care, Achilles. Stay safe and watch your health.” Chariclo tearfully wrapped her arms around Achilles. If there was one thing left for Chiron to teach him, it would be the importance of loving others with all his heart, as she did. “I’ll be all right. I’ll do my best, to make sure I don’t shame myself as a student of Chiron.” Achilles spoke firmly and steadily. He did not just parrot the sayings he was taught, but gave thought and put them into words. And he was still only a ten-year-old boy. It was clear why Achilles would become renowned as a hero even as a youth. As always, Chiron put his hand on Achilles’ head. “You have grown well, Achilles. However, we or Peleus are not the ones whom you ought to repay. You need not burden yourself… you are already a hero.” Hearing these words, Achilles seemed somewhat taken aback, and gave a short nod before hastily turning his back, rubbing his eyes with his arm. Chiron and Chariclo watched the boyish gesture with smiles on their faces. “…I’ll be off, master!” The boy hero stepped forth, never showing his tears. After that, true to Chiron’s words, Achilles became a hero who accomplished great deeds all across the land. However, as his mother Thetis had foretold, cruelty was visited upon Achilles during the Trojan War by the sun god Apollo, whom empowered Paris to shoot through Achilles’ heel – the only part of him which remained human – followed by his heart. Realizing that the wounds were fatal, Achilles continued his rampage until he finally fell on the field of battle. Anyone who knew the name of Achilles must have heard the story. And so, Achilles never met Chiron again. Just as Achilles’ life ended in tragedy, Chiron also met an untimely death. What I have just seen was truly when they had parted for life. i was jolted by the realization. There was great love between Chiron and Achilles. They were bound, as father and son. As brothers. As family. So what was this situation that aimed to rip their bond apart? It was the Holy Grail, of course… our great war. In other words, was I not culpable as his Master? No, even if they did not know when they were first summoned as Servants, they had already fought each other twice by now. It’s not my fault. But was that not because they were Servants? Servants, who could be forced by the Command Spells if they did not follow their Master’s orders? Slaves, who faced certain death if cut from their supply of energy? You’re making a father kill his son. No, Archer must have accepted it by now. If he did not want to fight, he would have told me… You don’t know the first thing about him. I do know. I do. I know everything about him…! I shut my eyes, wishing only to wake up from this dream. How despicable I was. What a fool. Of all things, I had chosen to run. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 014. Part 5 It was… a dream of freedom. The knight loved to fly. If you were to ask why, it was because he could fly both up and down, apparently. Was it simply that he liked the choice of having as many directions as possible to fly? It was not worth mincing words. In any case, the knight was free. Although born as the prince of England, he had tossed aside all things which he considered nuisances, such as the matter of inheriting the throne. One would imagine that the impression he gave to others would be of an insufferable upstart. And yet, perhaps due to his inborn good nature, all seemed to like him. From the moment he was born, nobody could resent him. Everybody became friendly with him. He was naive, perhaps… or foolish, or reckless. He was not a wise knight. But he coveted nothing. Valuables seized from his enemies would be unceremoniously gifted to others. He despaired at nothing. When he became transformed into a myrtle tree by the fearsome witch Alcina, he waited cheerily, nonchalantly, until someone came along to return him to normal. In his foolishness, he would fail. In facing a great foe, he would sometimes lose… and sometimes win. He was only average in terms of strength. However, the sorts of adventures he had overcome, and the sheer number of them, was beyond extraordinary compared to ordinary knights. He was weak, but he was brave. As many times as he had been knocked down, not once could he be kept down. Even his death was without fanfare. At the battle of Roncevaux Pass, despite being caught unawares by treason, the Twelve Peers of Charlemagne fought valiantly. However, they were still greatly outnumbered, four hundred thousand against twenty thousand. Continually pressed by twenty against one, not even a great warrior could hold for long. Those battle-hardened braves fell, one by one, and they were soon joined by the knight. Letting out a sigh, his hand reached out toward the void – but with a laugh, he stopped it. His contented smile showed no hint of regret. Even as he laid covered with his own seeping blood, and tormented by the pain of approaching death, the knight appeared completely at peace. But, if … If there was one wish remaining in him as he faced death… “Yeah… I want to see that place again.” It was likely the knight’s most treasured memory, visiting that boundless world said to contain all things which did not exist on this earth – the alien world that no one had seen before, in the great beyond. Those were mere murmurs, uttered in the haze of his death. But it was a wish in its own right, a desire that ought to be granted. So, as his Master, I wanted to grant it for Astolfo. No matter how high and noble the wishes of the others were… Suddenly, the world became distorted. My mind leapt beyond the safety and security of dreams and the subconscious, torn away by the grasp of a dreadful power. I felt hot, as though my skin had been set on fire – and cold, as though my body was being frozen from the inside out. Yes, it was obvious what was before me. There was no point in averting my eyes, in taking up arms to fight. I knew what this monster was. I knew that I would have to face it eventually. I knew its true form. It was the most famous episode among the legends of the great hero Siegfried… the slaying of the dragon. With the phantasmal sword Balmung in hand, he stood against the evil dragon Fafnir. What could be more fitting a tale for a hero such as him? I swallowed. The cavern seemed to expand forever, yet at the same time, it felt painfully claustrophobic. Firstly, it was because of the treasures that took up over half the space, a mountain so bountiful that a single handful seemed enough to guarantee wealth for life. And the second was the black mass that laid on top of the wealth, hiding it. Despite its form melting into the darkness, it conveyed a monstrously overwhelming sense of presence. The crushing sensation fueled one’s imagination, becoming visions of black scales, a flaming tongue, snake-like eyes, a poisonous breath – and the colossal creature containing all of it. It was strangely terrifying that my will had not yet broken… or perhaps it had already been so utterly shattered that I could no longer register it at all. This was a space which allowed only one existence – the Dreadwyrm. All other living things would find their deaths here. The fact of it existing before me was horror enough. I could not run even if I wanted to, as though my feet had been pinned to the ground. It seemed almost natural, logical, that if I were to move – if I even looked at it – death would follow. The dragon opened its maw. It was a living being, after all – and that was the most frightening thing of all. A creature that had reached such a plane of existence no longer needed food to sustain itself. But this was an evil that devoured for pleasure. As a cat would torment a mouse, or a snake would slowly digest a frog – this predator tortured its prey. The fear that scorched my body became hotter and hotter. Isn’t this a dream? Can’t I wake up? …Is this a dream? If it devoured me here… would I really wake up? With no such assurances, I could only fight. However, I could not possibly match it. If I at least had a sword, I could choose to end things right now… “…what?” It was then that I realized. There was a sword in my right hand, and gauntlets wrapped around my arms. It finally occurred to me that I was ‘Siegfried’. Then, I could fight – so I told myself, as I clung on to the little hope that was all I had left. I no longer had to avert my eyes, and could see the dragon clearly. The dragon paused, its murderous air retreating as it peered at me with something like caution. I gripped the sword tightly, throwing off what hesitation remained – and charged. Fafnir responded instantly, moving to fight me. With a soul-crushing roar, the clash between man and dragon began. Everything around me became engulfed by a fiery maelstrom, instantly shining light into the shadowy cavern – but this brought no comfort, for it was the flame that illuminated Hell itself. I swung the sword feverishly, not knowing how to take on the dragon. Even blows delivered with all my strength barely felt as though I was cutting anything at all. Sensing a coldness bite at my back like so many crawling worms, I frantically rolled along the ground – and the tail of the dragon swung haphazardly over my head. Like a human swatting at a fly… no, the difference between us was even greater than that. The slightest touch would bring certain death, surpassing anything as insignificant as luck. Shouting loudly to mask my own fear, I struck at its body and then once more at its tail. The dragon-slayer stood much too far in the distance, while my own death was far too close at hand. …I can’t win. The thought passed my mind, and in truth, it was something that I had already realized. The race of dragons stood at the pinnacle atop numerous other species of phantasmal creatures. Breathing fire or ice or even poison, these monsters were sturdier than castle walls, with claws capable of easily rending steel and tails that would pulverize even diamond. It was true that Siegfried had felled this dragon. Therefore, there was no reason that I would not be able to. Yet I could not perceive even the slightest hint of what might lead to my victory. The dragon’s claws tore clean through the armor and into my torso. The cuirass collapsed like paper and blood burst from my chest. I could feel a sizable chunk of flesh forever ripped away from my body. More so than the pain, I felt a fatal sense of loss. Mutilation and overflowing pain translated into a scream far shriller than I thought possible coming from my throat. My vision clouded as Fafnir moved to deliver another critical blow. I swung the sword weakly, even as my consciousness ebbed away from the intense pain. Of course, my strike was deflected, and I was sent whirling through the air and more flames burned me. My voice was silenced and I could no longer give sound to my agony. My body was forced to move, by survival instincts or something besides. Something spoke to me desperately, telling me that I must do so. I raised my head and faced the aberrant mass before me. The doubt in me whispered that I could not possibly win. There were countless ways for me to lose, but only one reason for me to win. Because, I am Siegfried now. Even so… even Siegfried must have fought against the odds, against despair, before finding that single spot of hope and finally defeating the dragon at the end of a brutal struggle. I could only imitate his appearance. Would I not simply lose to the dragon… as I had lost to Mordred? I wiped the blood away even as I shook, standing up even though certain of my own defeat. The glint in the dragon’s eyes reflected no mercy or pity. Whether I intended to fight or not, it would pounce in a few seconds. I gripped the sword with both hands, and put out of my mind everything flowing from my wound. I only needed to leap forward. No amount of damage to my head or chest would interfere with that. I knew full well that it would only be a brief resistance. So it was strange that the choice to ‘run’ never came to me. My heart pounded wildly in sheer terror. My knees shook from the hopelessness. Anguished tears flowed unimpeded down my face, mourning the end of my life. And still, I could not turn and run. The dragon opened its maw. I could feel my face twisting, a pathetic shout coming from my mouth. One foot stepped forward, then the other. Without really knowing where I was aiming or where I even should aim, I raised the sword high. But it was too late, as the stream of flames raced forward and engulfed me, far faster than I could bring the sword down… Once again, the scene faded to black. Before I knew it, I saw up-close the worried face of Ruler. It seemed I had managed to escape that world between dream and reality. While I sighed with relief, unease gripped my heart tightly. The breath of fire at the end had unmistakably killed me on the other side. So, what was I doing then, on this side…? ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 015. Part 6 This… this isn’t fair. The Magus was shouting. After all, what stood in front of him was a Servant, along with the woman who was apparently her Master. They were in the middle of a Holy Grail War; it was hardly strange to find a Servant somewhere. However, the Magus was not a Master. The Servant had openly invaded his home, sealing all means of alert beforehand, and denying any resistance on his part by ■■■■■■ him. This is madness! Have they forgotten the most fundamental principles of the Holy Grail War? I am not a master. I am only a Magus. How can I fight against a Servant? This was an infraction. A breaking of the rules. Where was the judge? This Servant and her Master ought to be punished. The Magus was not even directly involved in the Holy Grail War, but only in a support role. Were they even listening? This was unacceptable. He was fully intent on protesting. But he could only croak, and his conscious was leaving him. Just as he considered how strange this was, the Magus involuntarily brought a hand to his own chest. His hand found an enormous hole, where his heart had been bore clean through. His Magic Crest was giving its all in an attempt to revive him, but with their degraded Crest, all it could manage was prolonging the moment before his death. Ahh… so I am going to die. The truth broke him, as fear shut down his mind. Drained of energy, he would never rise again. Confirming this, the Servant spoke. “This is a very nice place to live, isn’t it, Mother ?” “Yes, it’s a beautiful home. But we can’t, Jack. This is the house of a Magus… they’re sure to check this place first once their communications network is destroyed.” The mother explained in a gentle tone of voice to her Servant, who nodded meekly and tossed aside the corpse. It was a decent position geographically, but it seemed they had better find a different spot. In which case, they should seize any necessities worth taking, and move on to the next location – until she found something that had not been in any of the houses they had broken into before. “My, a piano… I didn’t know that there were Magi who could play the piano.” It was a grand piano crammed into a small room. Judging from the relative thickness of the walls, it was likely reinforced with sound dampening measures. There were also a number of rituals and magical mechanisms set-up along the walls. One could surmise that the Magus had pursued his craft via the medium of sound. Then again, the Magus was not a Master – which made him meaningless to Rikudou Reika. Not so much for the piano, however. “Can you play it, Mother? ” “I used to. Quite often.” It was back when both her parents had still been alive. It brought her a sense of nostalgia, but it was not something she wanted to return to. The bliss was far too unfitting for someone like her, thought Reika. She raised the fallboard. The piano appeared quite well used, but was faithfully maintained. Jack peered at the keys with great interest, poking at one of them lightly with her index finger. A beautiful note echoed through the room. Seeming pleased with the sound, she pressed on the keyboard again and again. “Hey, Jack, would you like me to play you a song?” “Would you…?” Jack lifted her face, her eyes shining with unusual excitement. Telling her to shut the door, Reika sat down in front of the piano, placed her hand on the keys – and began to think of a song fit for her daughter’s ears. But Reika had a limited repertoire, and there were only a few songs which she was confident she could still play. “Is there anything in particular you want to hear, Jack? Something sad? Something happy? Anything is fine.” “Umm… something gentle. We don’t want anything sad or happy.” The mother murmured in understanding. Recalling a song suited to Jack, she placed her fingers on the keyboard. “This one is perfect for you.” Reika began to play a song that was gentle, as requested. It was not somber, yet contained a hint of wistfulness. It was not joyous, but brought calm to its listener. Entranced by the tune, Jack asked for the name of the song. “ Träumerei is its name. Kinderszenen No. 7 .” “What’s that?” “It means dream in German, if I remember right.” The innocent children dream in their sleep. But for the adults who have known all good and evil in the world, dreams become recollections of their past selves. Reika did not know to which the song referred to – perhaps both – but she thought it fitting for Jack, who stood beside the piano as the melody took her away like a dream. Reika even felt some regret as she ended the song, and ended up playing the same song three times. “We want to hear it again.” “Once we’ve found a place to settle, I can play it for you as much as you want.” Reika stroked Jack’s head gently as she craved for more. As this happened – the battle raged on the plains outside Trifas. * * * Ruler awoke in her room in the church’s attic after about five hours of sleep. Thanks to the period of rest, her mind was clear and no longer mired. Just as she finished carefully cleaning the room she had been lent, it was time for lunch. Offering her help to Alma, they began to prepare a stew together. As Jeanne stirred the stock pot, a savory aroma rising from its bubbling contents, Alma who stood beside her toasting bread spoke out abruptly. “May I ask you a question, Jeanne?” “Of course. What is it?” “Do you believe in the Lord?” Dumbfounded by the impossible question, Jeanne turned to look at her. Alma wore a troubled smile as she waited for the girl’s response. “Of course… of course, I believe in Him.” “It’s often ridiculed by the world at large that only those who believe would receive salvation… that the non-believers would not be cared for, and were doomed.” “It is an incorrect assumption to begin with. It is arrogance to pray for the rapture to occur before the great tribulation.” Expressing joy in the company of the joyful, and shedding tears alongside the desolate in their hour of sorrow. It was the base condition of being a believer. “I see… and would that be why you yourself had not been saved?” The kitchen fell into a sudden silence. Jeanne, without looking up from the stew, shook her head at Alma’s words. “No, it has nothing to do with myself. The fires of execution were not the result of Him abandoning me. It was the fate that I had chosen.” She was finally finished with the stew. Apparently, Alma was a Watcher of the Church, ordered to keep watch over the Yggdmillennia clan, reporting at the first sign of activity and fulfilling the regular duties of a sister otherwise. It was not an easy job; for one, in the twenty years since her assignment, there had been no real movements at all. However, that quickly changed a few months ago. Family members from all over the world began to congregate, working through the nights to perform rituals. Large amounts of resources were transported into the city and the situation clearly pointed to the deployment of some powerful magecraft. Despite Alma’s reports, the Church was delayed in its response and failed to intervene in the Holy Grail War until it had nearly begun. “When did you find out about me?” “At first, I thought you were a Magus of the Yggdmillennia. There aren’t many tourists to this city, after all. I was contacted later and got quite a shock.” “Hmm… so why did you let me stay here if you thought I was a Magus?” “Oh? And what does that have to do with anything? Our doors are always open to those who seek our aid.” Seeing the elegant smile appear on Alma’s face made Jeanne smile back in return. “Can I ask something, as well? Why weren’t you surprised by this?” “I did not think that a small city like Trifas would have a proper church in the first place. While I cannot speak of other Magi, I knew that the Yggdmillennias had survived by spreading their blood widely.” But it was not as though she had been doubting Alma all this time. “And, in any case, even if a member of the Church knew of my existence, I did not think it would be a problem.” Ruler belonged to the side that protected the order of the Holy Grail War – she was an overseer. The existing overseer of this Holy Grail War had unilaterally decided to join the Red camp, but Jeanne had no way to know that when she first arrived. By now, she understood that it was Shirou Kotomine who had spun things out of control on his own judgment. “So, Alma, how much do you know?” “Not very much, other than that the overseer sent by our side is no longer under our control.” Alma replied impassively. “I see… well, there is no issue then. The Holy Grail War is under my jurisdiction, so I would prefer a free rein in handling it.” For an instant, Jeanne considered proposing an alliance with the Church. However, there was the fear that their interference would invite further chaos into the proceedings. Although Amakusa Shirou Tokisada was never canonized, he did belong to the Church, and that would convert the conflict into infighting. “Oh? Is that so? To be honest, I think I’m quite glad to hear that. As it stands, it looks like there is some friction with the Association, as well.” It was only natural, Jeanne thought. Based on what she heard from Mordred’s Master, Shishigou Kairi, the Association had brought in freelance Magi at great costs to cover all their bases before joining the war. It must have been a slap in the face to discover that the overseer betrayed them, and had planned to do so since the start. And, as Shishigou said, they had been an acceptable expense. Without the freelancers, the Association might now decide to pour their full strength into the war. “So you mean to say that both the Association and the Church will only observe for the time being, more or less?” “Yes… I believe that’s correct. We do not consider a fake Holy Grail to be worth such fixation. It’s all the more unfortunate that Father Kotomine would be so obsessed with obtaining that wish-granter.” Alma confirmed her assumption, and Jeanne let out a sigh of relief. While any aid was appreciated, further interventions would be troublesome. This Holy Grail War was abnormal enough as it was. “We also don’t have a full picture of the situation, after all. Interfering in a situation where our own agent has gone renegade would only create further doubts.” That is fine by me. And… may I ask one last question?” “Yes, go ahead.” “Why did you go out of your way to reveal yourself to me? I doubt it will cause any issue, but I do not see any need to, either.” “Oh, you’ve forgotten something very important.” As Jeanne tilted her head in confusion, Alma gave her a mischievous smile. “Jeanne d’Arc… you are the great holy maiden who brought light back into the world. Was it wrong of me to wish to speak with such a person?” Jeanne’s eyes widened. “Oh, um, mmmm… yes, I see, you are right. But… surely you exaggerate. I am neither great nor did I bring light…” Jeanne lowered her eyes in embarrassment. It was true that her name had gained some recognition in the world. She would not have been summoned as a Servant otherwise. However, to have someone else speak directly of her admiration for Jeanne was highly discomforting. “People of the world know of your sacrifice. It brings tears to their eyes, and indignation in their hearts. You might not have intended it, but your actions have become a source of motivation for others. I think that’s something to be proud of. In fact… it was learning about you that made me decide to become a sister.” Jeanned chatted with Alma for a while longer before saying goodbye to the church. Although reluctant to leave, she could hardly have stayed there forever. However, in the midst of her regret, she recalled the sight of Alma waving her hand. It was a strange sensation, leaving one’s name for the generations to come. It was not the same as the welcome and acclaim she would receive upon freeing a city with the army at her back. The common folk had entrusted their hopes to her, that she would free their country. But it was different for Alma, who had learned of La Pucelle’s end. She learned that Jeanne d’Arc had carried something with her – faith. And she knew the tragedy of the holy maiden who had faded into the flames. That was the standard “image” of Jeanne d’Arc to this world. ‘You changed the world, you know. Much more than you realize.’ Alma had said that. Perhaps that was something for her to be proud of. But something snagged in her thoughts. Her existence did bring change to the world – but it was through the sowing of the seeds of disasters. Jeanne shook her head as her thoughts changed tracks. It was something she would never forget, but it was not something she could worry about now. It had long since ended. If only she could have spoken to him after her burning. Perhaps she could have comforted him. However, their lives had ended far in the distant past. There would be no resolution, no way to entrust it to what had been the future. Even so, to see that great Marshall of days past fall so far… That alone would remain nothing but a source of sorrow to her. Collecting herself, Jeanne paid a visit to the Fortress of Millennia. It had barely been half a day since she parted with Alma, but the air already felt somewhat gloomy and dim. As she arrived at the gate, a homunculus opened it and greeted her. “Lady Ruler. Has there been a development?” It was one of the leaders of the homunculi – the one with rather sharp eyes who wielded a halberd in her hand. “No, that is not why I am here…” “Ah, you have come to see Sieg, then. I will lead you to his room. Follow me.” “That… is why I am here, I suppose.” It was true that she felt worried about letting him out of her sight. While she believed Sieg to be highly intelligent and collected, he was also the type to become exceedingly reckless once his mind was set on something. And that was without mentioning his Servant, the wild and devil-may-care Astolfo. “She is, well, less of a Park and more of a Drive kind of Rider…” Astolfo not only had no brakes, but had an afterburner. The Servant would not only allow Sieg’s recklessness, but encourage it. As these absent thoughts crossed her mind, the homunculus leading her came to a stop. “Here we are. It is almost time for the others to wake up and take over for me, so I will go sleep now. Excuse me.” “Thank you.” Seeing the homunculus off, Jeanne turned to face the door again. She tried knocking but there was no response. Was Sieg still asleep? After some hesitation, Jeanne tentatively open the door. In a word, the room was a mess. Discarded pieces of clothing were left here and there, and several emptied bottles of wine had laid on the floor. There was even a spot where the stone wall had been broken. She wondered what had happened. There was a large double bed in the center of the room where Sieg was sleeping, his face buried in a pillow and the sheets wrapped around him. “So he is still asleep…” Sieg did not even twitch as she murmured. Rider was nowhere to be found but definitely close at hand, so he must be in his spirit form. “Hmm…” Perhaps due to his birth as a homunculus, Sieg appeared rather androgynous, like the other homunculi in the castle – though he leaned more towards female, with not a single strand of facial hair on him. It might depress Sieg to hear it, but Jeanne found an elegance in the homunculi, as works of art. If the Rider Astolfo were a single pure bloom flowering gracefully – then the homunculi like Sieg were painstakingly polished gems. She could not compare and rank their different forms of beauty. Sieg was in deep sleep. Perhaps it would be better to wait until he woke up by himself. Previously, they had both been utterly exhausted and ended up squeezing themselves onto a single, small bed. He definitely deserved to take up the entire double bed himself this time. Without warning, the peaceful rhythm of his breathing changed. “Sieg…?” Some voiceless pain distorted his expression, and his skin became pallid, like he suddenly lost a great amount of blood. For an instant, Jeanne felt a chill run down her spine as Sieg’s life force weakened. “Sieg!” Jeanne shook his shoulders in a panic, calling his name. When she did it a second time, Sieg’s eyes snapped open. “Ruler…?” Whispering hoarsely, Sieg reached out to her. Jeanne hastened to take his hand and was relieved to feel his weak grip in return. However, his condition was serious beyond doubt. “Are you all right? I will heal you right away…” “No, I just saw a bad dream. It’s nothing. I’m not hurt.” Saying this, Sieg placed a hand on his chest over his heart – the heart that once belonged to a hero. As he said, his sweat was clearing and the blood was coming back to his face. With no external injuries, one would be hard pressed to find anything wrong with him. As though Death himself had decided to move on, his soul remained in one piece. “Are you sure that you are all right? Could it have been some kind of curse, or…?” “That’s not it, Ruler. This isn’t magecraft. It… isn’t.” Sieg muttered as he continued pressing on his own heart. Just as Jeanne was about to question the meaning of his words, she finally noticed some strangeness in the scene. Sieg had already raised his upper body off the bed, so only his waist and legs were still hidden beneath the sheets – but she found the mound oddly large. “Where is Astolfo?” “Oh, right here.” Sieg rolled up the sheets, revealing the Rider that was wrapped around his legs. In spite of the turmoil that just occurred, he was still soundly asleep, a far cry from the image of a Servant protecting his Master. But more importantly… “…Sieg, what is going on here?” It was the lowest that Sieg had ever heard Jeanne’s voice go, sounding like when she was fighting – a deep rumble that shook him to his insides. The dauntless voice would inspire brave deeds in her allies, and cause her enemies to quiver. For some strange reason, Sieg could not help but hear it from the latter perspective. “Well… I guess he took it off while we were asleep.” Sieg glanced at the various bits of clothing scattered around the room. It was most likely something he received from Celenike, but Rider had changed into proper pajamas before he went to sleep. One might question why he did not simply go into his spirit form, but suggesting that would definitely send him into a teary-eyed protest, as though he was being dismissed. Although Sieg possessed little knowledge as a Magus, having been forged with Magic Circuits as his core, the quality of said Circuits were top of the line. As such, there was no issue with letting Rider maintain his physical form for long periods… “…that was not what I meant.” “Right.” That was scary. Anyway, Sieg could infer that Jeanne was probably taking issue with Astolfo’s sleeping clothes being half gone. The buttons on the top half were all undone, revealing a white body. And the bottom half had moved downwards, apparently having pulled them off while sleeping. Certainly, it was not a sight meant for the eyes of others. He was basically half naked. In any case, Sieg should wake him up. “Rider, get up.” “Nnn? Nyuu…” Mewling like a cat, Astolfo arched his back and rose from the bed. Jeanne swallowed her breath. With narrowed eyes, Astolfo glared at his surroundings, before giving a nod as though he realized something. “Nyuu…” He fell asleep again. Left with no choice, Sieg pulled on Astolfo’s ears. “Wake up, you useless Servant.” “I’m not useless! I’m a useful Servant! So many Noble Phantasms!” Dramatically, Astolfo rose up, swinging both arms wildly in a fierce show of protest. “Good morning, Rider.” Hearing this, Astolfo waved his hand, lazily grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, it’s Ruler. Good morning… what? Did something happen?” “Yes, I suppose something did. But leaving that aside for now. Can I ask you something, Rider?” “Hmm? What?” Jeanne cleared her throat, and then pointed at Astolfo in accusation. “Why are you in such a shameful state?” “Eh? Ooh, when did I take these off…? Is this shameful?” Jeanne nodded her head strongly. Astolfo grumbled as he removed his pajamas completely before equipping his armor. “I’m baaaack!” “Do not stand on the sheets while wearing your boots!” “Who cares about that? You’re so fussy. I’m not making them dirty… I think.” “Well…? How did this happen?” “How did what happen?” “This! Why were you, um, sleeping together with Sieg?” Astolfo looked truly confused as his head turned almost a perfect 90 degrees. “But he’s my Master, right? And I’m his Servant, right?” “T-That is true, but there was no need to sleep in the same bed together!” “… You did, though.” Astolfo said quietly, and Jeanne froze. After opening and closing her mouth a few times like a fish, she turned to Sieg. “Did… did you tell Rider?” Sieg nodded in bemusement. “Should I not have? I didn’t think there was anything to hide…” “Oh, um, no, of course not…” Jeanne looked at him with some unknown resentment. “It’s not like anything shady happened. Right, Master?” Strangely, Sieg could not help feeling that there was no joy in Astolfo’s laugh. In fact, there was no laughter at all in his eyes as he glared at Jeanne. “Well… I am sure that nothing shady could have possibly happened from yesterday till today, either.” “Oh, you never know. Maybe something will happen tomorrow.” Astolfo smiled as he looked defiantly at Jeanne, who returned it with an intense glare. “I am simply requesting that you do not cause a disturbance with your appearance.” “I’m a Heroic Spirit, though. There are plenty of naked Heroic Spirits, you know?” “That does not matter! And Sieg is still a child, so you should take extra care to be responsible!” “My Master’s not a child! He can make his own decisions. He can act on his own. He’s a grown-up! What’s wrong with you, anyway? Aren’t you the indecent one, charging into other people’s rooms this early in the morning? Without even knocking!” “I did knock! You were asleep! And it’s noon already!” The two Servants glowered at one another, gnashing their teeth. Sieg raised his hands and tried to calm the pair down, but was completely ignored. It was quite disheartening. “Just… act more prudently, please.” “No! It’s when I sleep with my Master that I feel all fired up!” “God forbid! The wrongness of it!” “My, my. Crimes of passion, is it?” An unexpected voice called out to them. Jeanne and Astolfo turned at the same time and saw Chiron peering into the room from the door. He held a hand over his mouth as he chuckled – a rare act for the Servant. ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ### 016. Part 7 “I-It is nothing of the sort… Anyway, Sieg, I wanted to ask you again about what happened earlier. I would like to hear your opinion as well, Chiron.” “Earlier? Did something happen, Master?” “Yeah, actually…” Sieg explained about the ‘dream’ that he had had. When he mentioned his chest being gouged, Astolfo pulled apart Sieg’s shirt in a hurry and made sure that there were no wounds there. Impulsively, Sieg covered the blackened parts of his skin with his hands, feeling that letting the others discover it would only worsen the situation. “Whew. What would we have done if it’d actually been life-threatening…” “You could have not ripped my shirt open, I think.” “Rider… why must you… really…” Jeanne pushed her fingers between her brows, as though weathering a headache. Putting all of that aside, Chiron began to analyze the dream that Sieg spoke of. With knowledge bestowed by the Greek Gods, it should have been trivial for him to interpret a dream… “…allow me to say in advance that I cannot speak with certainty. After all, Sieg, you are unmistakably unique in this world, something that has never been possible in any of the Holy Grail Wars of history.” Chiron repeated that Sieg was an unknown factor. Beyond any description of ‘rare’, he was quite literally the one and only and unlike any other. “You live on by the heart of Siegfried, successfully resurrecting through the release of Frankenstein’s Noble Phantasm. However, the problem lays with your heart… the heart that ought have faded away when Siegfried left this world. Due to the binding by your mana and Circuits, it has become flesh, in a fashion.” The Einzberns created homunculi that were top of the line. It was even possible for them to manufacture homunculi to function as a vessel of a Holy Grail – a Lesser Grail, in other words – that was also capable of managing itself. Although Gordes had realized the potential, these functionalities were deemed unnecessary for the homunculi commanded by Darnic. Even the homunculi forged for disposable purposes were structurally designed to be able to accept a ‘vessel’. It was simply a matter of not having enough space to take in as oversurging an existence as a Servant. The homunculi of the Yggdmillennias were unable to take in even a single Servant. However, it was only the matter of a single organ. Now, with that organ lost, instead supplemented by a very symbol of immortality – dragon’s blood – even the impossible had become possible. “Your dream was influenced by Siegfried, that much is without doubt… what remains doubtful is whether that had been but a simple dream. What are your thoughts, Sieg? Did you feel that you were in a dream?” Sieg wordlessly shook his head. “No… I don’t think that was. There was a dream, before that.” He glanced at Astolfo. Surely, even this Servant would prefer not having his own past discussed openly. Mentioning it would not help anyone. “In that case, I believe we should take it as an ill omen. I can only presume… but I believe that you may be attempting to become Siegfried.” “Become him?” “Would it be so strange for such an overwhelming existence as the heart of a Servant to erode you? Your flesh would not be able to withstand it. It would eat in you, until the dike collapsed and you would be crumpled from the inside.” “But… as far as I can tell, Sieg’s heart is functioning normally.” “Did you forget, Ruler? He had already become Siegfried once.” Jeanne nodded at Chiron’s words, looking distressed. “Yes… that possession was nothing short of a miracle.” “It was beyond even a miracle. Am I correct, Sieg, that you have been possessed by Siegfried twice now? How long has that been combined in terms of time?” “Three minutes is the limit to one transformation.” “Then your flesh had been consumed for three hundred sixty seconds. Although I cannot know how long your lifespan will be, I can tell you that those six minutes as Siegfried are on par with your entire life. Understand that, for every time you allow Siegfried to take over yourself, you approach your own death.” Dead Count Shapeshifter – the Command Spells were a literal count to his death. He might be able to transform as many times as he could be replenished with Command Spells, but Sieg’s very existence would crumble with every use. There would be no way to reverse that. “Are you telling me that I shouldn’t let him possess me anymore?” Jeanne intercepted Sieg’s queston to Chiron. “That would be the wisest decision. You are a Master, Sieg. Having you fight was not a good idea to begin with. I hope that you can leave the battles to your Servant, and act as a Master should.” “But don’t we need the power of Siegfried?” “…” Jeanne fell silent, averting her gaze. Astolfo was gripping Sieg’s shirt tightly and made no sign of letting go. “Besides, it isn’t for sure that everything will go as Archer says. It’s definitely possible that I just got confused and it really was a dream.” “But…!” Chiron spoke out to dissolve the argument. “This is not a matter that can be resolved by our decision. The question belongs only to his own will, and whether or not he will use the Command Spells.” Chiron was correct, thought Jeanne. The question laid with Sieg himself. Was he resolved to disregard Chiron’s warning regardless? Would he choose to walk forward no matter what laid ahead? It was a foolish question. Of course, he would choose to. And Jeanne had to let him choose… …no! I can’t let him choose! I mustn’t! “I shall take my leave here. It seems my Master has matters to discuss with Ruler and Rider, as well. You may take your time, but please bring yourselves to the meeting room after.” Chiron exited the room, forcing the mood to take another uncomfortable dive. Jeanne and Astolfo were both painfully aware that, whatever the oaths they made him swear, or the restraints and the compulsions placed upon him – if Sieg were to appear at the right place and the right time, he would definitely summon and allow Siegfried to possess him. They could knock him unconscious, gag him and tie him up – but that probably wouldn’t work. Why not just put him to sleep permanently, then – that would be even worse. “You two aren’t think of anything… drastic, are you?” Sieg asked the two who looked at him with a heavy, lingering gaze. “Not really.” “What makes you think that?” They shook their heads. Sieg rose from the bed. “We won’t find an answer to this problem. Ruler, Rider… I’m really grateful for all your kindness, and I know I shouldn’t disregard what either of you say.” But, still… “…I’m sorry. I’ll go take a look at the homunculi. Please go find the Magi.” Jeanne and Astolfo looked at each other, and sighed at the same time. “Very well.” “Roger. And Master, don’t run off and leave the castle, all right? Say something before you go.” “What am I, a child?” The two Servants left the room and headed for the meeting room, all the while shooting looks at one another to keep each other in check. “Well… what shall we do?” “I’d ask the same thing.” In the end, there was only one way to make Sieg not transform, which was to create a situation where he had no need to. That meant crushing the enemy with overwhelming force – and of course, if they had the power to do that, they would not have to struggle so in the first place. “Can’t you handle it with those Command Spells you have?” Jeanne shook her head and put an end to that train of thought. “The Command Spells are in a form that is keyed to each Class. They cannot be matched to one of the wrong color or Class. If it could, I would have done so already.” “Why on earth would they work that way? They’re Command Spells. Normally, any Master can use any one of them, right?” Astolfo was correct, and that was exactly why in a normal Holy Grail War, the Command Spells could be safeguarded by the overseer and even granted as compensation when changes in the rules took place. “What if I, as Ruler, devoted myself to one Servant and granted them Command Spells intentionally? This is for the sake of preventing a worst case scenario.” “I wish they’d had the foresight to predict something like this happening, too.” “No one would normally consider anything like our current situation.” Even the premise required for something like this Great Holy Grail War to take place was an aberration. The system itself must have become cautious of something of even worse possibilities occuring. The one silver lining was that their opponent, Shirou, had also about three Command Spells for each Servant of Red, which were ineffective against the Servants of Black. As well, he did not manage to secure those for Mordred. At the least, the Servants on their side would not be bound by Command Spells. “What do you think Fiore called us out for, by the way?” “I wonder… perhaps she wanted to discuss the raising of funds needed for the airplanes? Or they have come up with some idea of how to approach the Hanging Gardens…” “I hope so…” * * * “Unfortunately, things have not gone quite so smoothly.” The met at the same meeting room as the day before. There was some slight exhaustion in Fiore’s face as she smiled. Chiron placed himself beside her like a steward, while Caules stood one step removed from them. “Please wait a little while longer for the airplanes. It is planned for them to arrive within three days.” “Hmph, that’s too bad. So, did you want us for something else?” “Yes. Actually, it concerns the Assassin of Black.” “Now that you mention it… the Assassin of Black has not appeared for quite some time now. I was under the belief that the Yggdmillennias was holding Assassin in reserve for the chance to kill the Masters.” Jeanne said, and Fiore shook her head. “It shames me to admit this, but it appears that the Master of Assassin has had his Servant stolen.” “Huh. That does sound pretty shameful.” Astolfo gave his honest feedback to the troubled Fiore. Jeanne recalled what Shirou had said on the subject. “There’s only one thing we know. Assassin is completely out of control.” Caules tossed a newspaper at Jeanne and Astolfo. Taking it in hand, Jeanne’s expression became bitter. “Identity of Romania’s ‘Jack the Ripper’ Remains in Shadows” “‘Jack the Ripper’…” “Even the sort of press that would use provocative headlines like this sometimes tells the truth. As it turns out, the serial killer they are labeling ‘Jack the Ripper’ is the real Jack.” “You… summoned Jack the Ripper as Assassin?” Seeing Jeanne’s raised eyebrows, Fiore looked disheartened. “Yes, one of our own, Hyouma Sagara, believed that there was a limit to what could be achieved by the proper Assassin, Hassan-i Sabbah. He believed the best chance laid with summoning the newest Assassin, Jack the Ripper.” As the ritual of the Holy Grail War and its derivatives were repeated time and again, a number of strategies became established among its participants. It became common practices to prioritize the defeat of the Masters first – and to stay most on guard, not against the three knight Classes beginning with Saber, but the Assassin Servants. It proved nearly impossible to survive an ambush conducted via Presence Concealment unless a Servant was kept nearby at all times. However, ensuring that one’s Servant stayed in visual contact for security, presented another problem when one faced off against another Servant. The risk of becoming a part of the battle itself became higher than ever, and even Heroic Spirits would be placed at a crushing disadvantage if required to fight while covering for another. Even if one’s Servant was not directly killed in the initial encounter, if caught in a situation where their movements became bound, only defeat remained in the end. Yet it was also foolish to keep one’s Servant at a distance. As well, one could never discount the possibility of Assassin intervening and killing one of the Servants while they were entangled in battle. There were even anecdotes that, in one particular offshoot Holy Grail War, the Master who summoned Assassin ended the War in just three days. As such, all Masters began desperately shoring up their defenses against Assassins. After all, the true name of the Assassin Servant was known wide and far. Hassan-i Sabbah was the head of a legendary order of shadowy killers in the Middle East, and the one from whom the term assassin could be traced back to. However, history told of only nineteen individuals who took up the name of Hassan. Normally, when summoning Assassin, one of these nineteen would be called. Although it was possible for others to answer the summons, the chances were so low that one could be forgiven for believing them nonexistent. Across the many Holy Grail Wars, not only had the true names of the nineteen Assassins been laid bare, but the nature of their Noble Phantasms as well. Yet the Masters feared Hassan-i Sabbah all the same. It was beyond count how many Masters lost their lives at their hands, as Hassan slipped through regardless of all their countermeasures. However, thanks to those countermeasures, the possibility of Hassan being killed by their targets became exceedingly high. It became common perception that summoning Assassin was an immeasurable gamble – as one either ended up taking the Holy Grail, or death swiftly followed. Aside from that, the summoning of Hassan as the Assassin Servant was due to the word assassin itself being their catalyst. As such, if one were more creative in arranging additional lines in the summoning incantation, bringing in catalysts not associated with Hassan, then it would not be out of the question to call upon other Heroic Spirits. For example, Semiramis who was summoned by Shirou in the Red camp. “When deciding the Heroic Spirit to summon as Assassin, Hyouma Sagara focused on the lack of information, and so his eyes landed on one of the newest Heroic Spirits, Jack the Ripper.” “That is true. After all, the Ripper is one of the great mysteries of England. Nothing is certain, not even his gender.” “Eh? But isn’t Jack a man’s name?” Caules shook his head and answered Astolfo. “He’d been called Jill the Ripper at first, since only prostitutes were targeted and all of them were killed without any apparent struggle. Well, the theory that Jack was female did die down pretty quickly… normally, you’d assume that he’s a man.” “Most likely, Jack the Ripper is an Assassin that has never been once called to any Holy Grail War. I cannot even imagine what their Noble Phantasm may be. So you are saying that…” “Our last contact with Hyouma Sagara was right before the summoning ritual. At the start, we assumed that an agent of the Association had killed him and seized his Servant…” Fiore looked at the newspaper in front of Jeanne and Astolfo. “…but based on that article, the Assassin of Black arrived in Romania and behaved in a way that we could not imagine was allowed by a Magus. We proceeded with our own investigation.” That was when Chiron and Fiore witnessed the duel between the Assassin of Black and the Saber of Red. The pair had considered this a great opportunity to exploit – but in the end, Assassin managed to retreat with only light wounds, and the confrontation between Chiron and Mordred ended with damage taken on both sides. “Sigh… even now, I regret that I focused so much on Saber that I neglected Assassin.” Having just lost Siegfried at the time, it was decided that the highest priority for the Yggdmillennias was taking out the Saber of Red. “Your decision was correct, Master. The fault was mine for failing to secure the kill.” Chiron consoled his lamenting Master. Caules agreed with the Servant. “Well, in hindsight, not taking out Mordred became the silver lining for us, so that’s okay. No use crying over spilt milk, right, Sis?” As it turned out, Jeanne and Chiron only still survived due to the Yggdmillennias’ failure to defeat Mordred. “Also… we received a report from our kin down in Trifas. Last night, just before we were to engage the Red camp, contact was lost with several of our agents inserted around the city. Ten of them, and they were all veterans, if not all first-rate Magi.” Although they had not been chosen as Masters, a few among the ten were more skilled than Caules himself, with familial history going back many years. If their opponent had been Magi of the Association, there would have been any number of ways for them to remain in contact – so in this case, it was more likely that they had been unable to reach out at all. “Ruler and Rider, what I would like to request from the two of you is…” “…bringing the Assassin of Black to justice.” Jeanne interrupted Fiore, who nodded as she watched closely for Jeanne’s reaction. “I see… so you were concerned that this would conflict with my duties as Ruler, correct?” “That’s right. We are asking you to defeat a particular Servant, after all.” “I assure you, even in a normal Holy Grail War, the amount of innocent lives that Assassin and their Master have dragged into the fighting would have incurred a severe penalty.” More specifically, they had involved people who had nothing to do with the Holy Grail War, and on top of that, created a situation where that became publicized. Ultimately, it depended on the Servant chosen as Ruler to judge whether the rule-breaker deserved punitive measurements regardless of the latter condition. But Jeanne d’Arc as Ruler had strict definitions of what counted as ‘within’ the boundaries of the Holy Grail War, and what did not. She would show no mercy to any who attempted to cross the line from the inside to the outside, while those attempting the opposite would be expelled as carefully as possible. “Besides, we have only these three days before the airplanes arrive to track down and defeat Assassin. After that, we must employ all our resources to pursuing the Hanging Gardens.” “So what you’re really saying is, help us out if you want to set off in three days, right? Sly girl!” Astolfo said quietly as he smiled. Fiore replied with composure. “It is a teaching in our family that idle hands should never be kept wanting for work.” “I do not mind. However, may I request that Sieg does not participate in this matter?” “Yes… I’ve heard that that homunculus can be possessed by Siegfried three more times. I suppose it won’t do to waste them on a single Servant.” Jeanne sighed softly in relief. If Sieg were to join the battle, he would most certainly allow Siegfried to take over. Every Command Spell counted, and they must prevent him from entering situations where he would use any at all. “Thank you. In that case, that leaves Rider, Archer, me… and perhaps the Saber of Red could be persuaded to join us? Seeing as she has faced Assassin once before.” Fiore’s expression soured. “I would… prefer not relying upon Saber and her Master.” “Why’s that?” Fiore kept silent despite Astolfo’s innocent question. Caules decided that it was time for him lend a hand. “Basically… the old man and Mordred are on the Association’s side, and we’d have to disclose our own situation to explain why we’re taking down the Assassin of Black. Well, he’s probably already figured that something was up, but this is still a matter of pride. Besides, we don’t want to owe him any favors.” “The Assassin of Black is not beyond the abilities of the three Servants present here. I myself had once…” Unusually, Chiron trailed off mid-sentence. The others appeared bemused as they turned their attention to him. “What is it, Archer?” “Master, I believe you had sighted the Assassin of Black, as well. Can you see their parameters?” “Oh, um…” Fiore closed her eyes as to recall, but quickly opened them to give Chiron a look of confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t know. Strange… I’m sure that I’d read Assassin’s parameters… but, why…?” Fiore put a hand over her mouth in shock. “That is not all, Master. Although both of us had observed the Assassin of Black, neither of us are able to remember their face.” “Could it be… some kind of innate Skill, or a Noble Phantasm?” “It is likely. As the Saber of Red wore her helm to keep her name a secret, so perhaps does the Assassin of Black possess some means of hiding one’s true form.” The helm of Mordred was merely a temporary means to conceal her identity. After she revealed her Noble Phantasm, she did not hesitate to reveal even her face. In a regular Holy Grail War, Noble Phantasms would only be used to deal a killing blow to an enemy Servant. This tactic represented the lowest risk and ensured that one’s name remained secret. In single combat against another Servant, out of the sight of other Masters, it would prove a difficult obstacle to surmount. But the Assassin of Black went above and beyond that. For Jack the Ripper, keeping one’s identity a secret was not a tactic but a way of existence. Although the result of various deplorable conditions coming together, this was the killer who had murdered at least five prostitutes without leaving any trace of evidence. One legend spoke of the killer having even the devil’s own luck, as graffiti that might have become evidence was ordered to be washed away by the Police Superintendent of the time over concerns of racial tensions. The killer did not merely obscure their identity. Obscurity itself became the killer’s identity, taking a life of its own. “I detected nothing unnatural during the battle itself. Most likely, it was from the moment that we recognized Assassin as having disappeared that the information we gained became expunged.” “So, aside from knowing that Assassin is Jack the Ripper, we have absolutely no idea what their appearance or abilities are, much less their Noble Phantasm. Is that right?” Fiore answered Astolfo as she nodded dolefully. “That’s right. This may be more difficult than I expected…” ### Share this: - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook - Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit - Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr - Share on X (Opens in new window) X ### Related ## 03. Volume 4: Cup of Purgatory ( PDF/ePub from Nanodesu ) ### 001. Prologue # (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 ## Prologue VOLUME 4 Prologue —Only nineteen years. The entirety of my life didn’t even span two decades. +++ If I were to condense my life, I would say that it was those last two years, starting from when I left my home village of Domrémy at the age of seventeen, that were everything to me. It consisted of one year of glory and one year of abasement and torture. Some called me a ‘girl of miracles’. Is this really a miracle, I wonder? I took action after hearing God’s laments, and I fought while following my heart in order to take back my homeland. Yes, I fought. Even if my duty was merely to wave a flag on the battlefield, it still meant that I had chosen to kill people. In order to save hundreds of my countrymen, I killed thousands of enemies. Even if they were enemies, who would have killed me instead if given the chance—murder is still murder. I broke the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’. Murder is an act that is cruel beyond imagination. Therefore, most humans who have been burdened with the same fate have thought of it as thus: ‘ Enemies aren’t human. They are demons, evil fiends who starve for blood, and killing them is just, so we kill them out of contempt. Or we kill out of the belief that it is for the sake of our country, our birthplace, or for those we love.’ It is a necessary act. A deed that should be blessed. Thinking that way, people desperately continue to avert their eyes… if they don’t, they can’t keep living. If they realize that the ‘strangers’ who face them as enemies are ordinary humans who also love their family and country, and yet continue killing even so, eventually their hearts will break— +++ I was foolish, ignorant, and helplessly bad at telling lies. That’s why—I thought of my enemies as humans. Demons are scary, evil fiends are terrifying, but I wasn’t scared of humans. There was just a pain inside me that seemed to mince apart my heart. Kill people and save people. I believed that there was no method to save my birthplace besides that. I believed, I took an oath, and without repenting, I annihilated the enemy. The ‘history’ of the world is entangled like a spiral. You’re unable to see the start of it no matter how far you go; its form is beyond absurd, and no matter how many thousands of lives are wasted, it doesn’t end, like some kind of comedy. You kill because others were killed. You get killed because you killed others. It has to be stopped somehow, but no method to stop it can be found. A spiral that continues on eternally— Even so. Even so, I chose the path of killing. This path, though vague and indistinct, leads forward. I know that the blood I spilled will lead on to a new path. I know that it will lead to a path that ends with no one’s blood being spilled. …I truly was a complete fool as I moved forward while carrying that pain. People called my sinful and bloodstained self a saint. I had to shoulder that title for my entire life—how terrifying. If I shouted ‘That’s wrong’, everything would end. But it wouldn’t be an end of salvation, but merely an act that threw away what I had been burdened with. That’s why I continued to shoulder it. I shouldered the people’s hopes and wishes and earnestly pushed forward. I understood. I knew from long ago that I would fall into ruin. Did I still continue forward for the sake of my homeland? For their hopes and wishes? Or, or… +++ Was it because I thought that I’m a sinner who should be punished ? +++ What came was not a conclusion that would bring anyone happiness, but a conclusion that was fitting for a war where everyone wounded each other and hated each other. Burning at the stake was fitting for someone stained in blood like myself. I don’t mind if others sneer at my pitiful figure and heap mockery and abuse on me. So I shall pray. Just pray and look at the heavens above. After all, only a foolish and insignificant country girl is dying. An unremarkable event buried within history. +++ Thus, I thought. Even now that I’m a [Heroic Spirit] who many people believe in—I am still merely a foolish country girl. +++ …Even so, this Holy Grail War is too irregular in all respects. This is a unique situation where more than ten Servants have been summoned and where two groups of seven Servants each are fighting each other. And yet, there was an error in the summoning of myself, Jeanne, as Ruler, and I had to enlist the aid of a girl named Laeticia. The cause of this was the most irregular factor in the Great Holy Grail War—Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. I, who should have originally acted as a mediator, no longer exist to watch over this war, but to settle things with him. And there is one other person, who is both the smallest yet greatest irregular factor in this Great Holy Grail War. Not even given a name, having received a short life and yet struggling to live even so, he is a homunculus who possesses a jewel-like beauty and a human-like distortion. Everything else, including the battle between the fourteen Servants and the existence of the other Ruler, fades away in the face of his peculiarity. In the first place, a homunculus is a being manufactured to accomplish a task. Holding no doubts over what they do, they readily obey their master’s orders forever. Moreover, he is a type whose ability to even think is unsteady from birth. His type revitalizes prana with their Magic Circuits and supplies it to Servants through a spiritual pipe. Both words and thought are unnecessary for them. They are merely allowed to exist. In exchange for that, they are victims from birth who are continuously exploited. ‘He’ escaped from there. Trembling in fear, frightened in despair, he wished to live—and crawled out from that prana supply tank. He, who should have simply been buried away within the world, became an abnormal existence in that instance. To be able to live—for him, that in itself is already an abnormal ability . And in the brief time that he tried to run away with Rider of Black’s aid, his heart was destroyed, and he fell into a state on the verge of death. The one who saved him was the famous hero Siegfried from the [Song of the Nibelungs]. Having been summoned as Saber of Black, he gave his own heart to the homunculus. …The reason for why he did so is uncertain even now. However, Rider, who witnessed his death, heard him whisper his last words. +++ —Yeah, this is a good end. +++ Satisfied, Siegfried freely gave out his own life. A homunculus, who shouldn’t even have had a name, received many blessings and managed to survive. He had such a bright and promising life ahead of him. He had overcome despair and managed to attain hope. And yet, he returned to this side . Of course, it was by his own choice. That was an undisputable fact. So, naturally, I should have just viewed and judged him impartially. But I couldn’t do that. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t view him that way. One girl within me thought that it was love at first sight. That I had been helplessly charmed by the nobility of the path he chose despite its danger. …The other girl didn’t think that it was love. She thought that the impulse to protect him was from a revelation that said, it’s necessary . Either way, the homunculus who named himself Sieg and I decided to work together— Sharing a mutual interest, we ended up fighting together. In response to that, half of me rejoiced in love—and the other half of me ached in sin and doubt. Why did I choose to work together with him and swear to protect him? Was that truly due to my feelings? Or was it— I threw away those thoughts that, on countless occasions, flickered through my mind. Not knowing the answer, I shelved the matter to the side. In exchange, I became aware of the feelings that half of me possessed. Richly-colored, vivid feelings, so sad it makes me want to cry and so funny it feels ridiculous, are whirling inside my other self. Yes. This is surely love. A beautiful heart like a fleeting flower has always been completely beyond my reach— …Of course, this is the love not of myself, but of the girl who had accepted me within herself . These overflowing feelings are simply pleasant and lovely. That’s why I felt slightly guilty that the one ‘he’ saw wasn’t her, but me. The person you should be looking at is her, not me. But, for some reason, when I look at ‘him’, I somehow forget the guilt I feel. …But it’s all right. This love won’t end. When I disappear, what will remain are the girl and boy who have a future. Just by imagining that scene, I—feel so happy I want to cry. +++ The infinitely changing white clouds, the ultramarine-colored sky, old trees that gave off a sense of holiness, new sprouts filled with bursting vivacity… Such forms of natural beauty go without saying. But even the great cities where humans continue struggling to live are filled with a man-made beauty that hides their ugliness. The world isn’t gentle or easy. Rather, the harshness of just surviving is a natural part of the world. Herbivores are eaten by carnivores, carnivores are defeated by human guns, and humans are defeated by something non-human. Even those non-human things—are defeated by mere humans. The victors eventually become the defeated, and are always faced with the despairing cruelty of the world. There is evil. There is good as well. There is also something grey, in which good and evil are indistinct. And even so, the world is beautiful. Life rejoices at being alive. There is neither beauty nor ugliness in that; there is only earnest sweat and effort. As long as people don’t arrogantly flaunt the fact they exist—in other words, as long as they continue to choose to live. +++ The world will surely be eternally beautiful. While basking in the fleeting and warm light of twilight. Someone thus prayed. +++ Chaos is inevitable in this world. Pure good can’t be achieved, and pure evil breaks down. And these two extremes are always incompatible with each other. There is still some evil in a good world. That is how the world is, and it is what continues to create ugly things. Evil sneers at good, and good rages over evil. But, in a world where good and evil oppose each other, there is a group that is far more numerous that always appears. That is ‘grey’. Neither good nor evil. A group that drifts through life haphazardly and merely exists. They don’t believe in goodness and are simply proud that they aren’t evil. Even though they affirm evil acts, they deny evil intentions. They happily say that ‘I am not evil, I am a good person’ and pardon all forms of cruelty. They kill people while sneering. They kill people out of contempt. They kill people as part of a game. They use the excuse that they can’t restrain their desires—That’s how humans are. That’s how the world is. Yes—this world is extremely ugly. Neither dyed by good nor fallen into evil. Unable to decide on a color, the wills of people continue to waver. As long as such evil intentions and such foul-smelling corpses aren’t destroyed. +++ The world will surely continue to rot eternally. While wrapped within a curse-like fog in darkness frozen to its core. Someone thus concluded. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) In the original book, the following text was laid out on page in reverse color from the rest of the pages, with white text on a black background. This is to emphasize the contrast between the two monologues at the end of this chapter and their opposing viewpoints. Previous Page Next Page ### Share this: - Share on X (Opens in new window) X - Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook ### One thought on “ Prologue ” - Pingback: Most Recent Releases Updated 02/19/17 | NanoDesu Light Novel Translations ### 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 ### 002. 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 4 Chapter 1 Ch1-1 He was in a trance. He was numb. He was in a state of suspension. The film was cut into disconnected pieces, and the scene changed when he blinked. +++ He felt intense pain in his chest. A feeling of exhaustion and lethargy gripped his entire body. Just what on earth happened? Before thinking about such things, the first thing he had to prioritize was—surviving. What he needed in order to survive was medical treatment—he had to close the wound. But intense pain was attacking him every second, and he couldn’t even form a healing spell in his head. While groaning in anguish, he moved his hand and touched his chest. Bullets had been shot into his heart—every time the organ pumped blood, the lodged bullets sent fresh pain through him. First, he had to remove the bullets agitating his body. A healing spell was impossible for him right now. For the time being, he forcefully stimulated his metabolism by forming prana. He had to drag himself up to the point where he could use regular magecraft. The harmful fog was also a cause for concern. It was accelerating the deterioration of his physical strength. Though he didn’t even have a moment to relax, he felt surprisingly calm. Prana, prana was necessary. He took a deep breath and gathered prana. His lungs might be inflamed, but this wasn’t a situation where he could worry about that. For now, he just gathered up prana. He was beset by head-splitting pain, chipping away even the energy to scream. More, I need more prana. It’s all right, there’s no problem. This heart has the blood of a dragon flowing within it. So what if I’ve been shot by three bullets? Don’t worry. As if I’d die from something like this—! “Guh…!!” His heart muscles made a screeching noise as they removed the foreign substance within him. Activating his Magic Circuits, he accelerated the prana circulating through him, and gradually it began to repair his body. Somewhere in his heart, a voice asked in doubt, ‘Isn’t there something strange about this?’ It was all well and good that Siegfried’s heart was strong. And it was all well and good that he had just barely managed to hold onto his fractured consciousness even while suffering through pain as well. But—still, even so. This healing ability was too abnormal . This situation was similar to when he was cut down by Saber of Red, though of course, the bullet wounds he had received weren’t even comparable in terms of destructive power. However, back then, he had definitely died once even with this heart. So why was he not dying this time? —Don’t think about it now. He breathed in and out again. He gathered and accumulated prana. He had to stand up now. The enemy hadn’t disappeared like magic, and she hadn’t carelessly let her guard down thinking that he was already dead. Because, even now, she was gazing at him as he repeatedly breathed and vomited out blood—her gaze cold like that of a snake. 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 ### 003. Chapter 1-2 # (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 1-2 VOLUME 4 Chapter 1 Ch1-2 Screams of agony gushed out from every direction. Due to the fog that had instantly enveloped Trifas, the town had fallen into complete chaos. Having donned her armor, Ruler frantically ran after Sieg, who had jumped into the fog without listening to her shouted warning. But his figure had disappeared in a blink of an eye due to the fog obscuring her vision. She heard the dry sound of something being struck. It was similar to the sound of cannons she had heard in the past, but softer. “A gunshot…!” She was certain that Assassin of Black was hiding somewhere within this fog. But right now she was more concerned about Sieg. The fog that Assassin of Black had unleashed had no effect on Ruler besides obscuring her vision. She didn’t even receive a rank-down in agility, thanks to her ridiculously high Magic Resistance skill. “Sieg-kun!?” “Help… me…” The one who responded to her shout was not Sieg, but a young child. Without hesitation, Ruler decided to head towards the child. However—Ruler instinctively sensed that Assassin of Black was somewhere nearby. Resolving not to let her guard down, she gripped her flag and searched for the location of that voice. Searching through her hazy vision, Ruler immediately found the child. The child was pressing her head against a wall, holding her chest in pain. Her face—wasn’t visible. Ruler hesitated slightly. Assassin’s true name was [Jack the Ripper], the name of a serial killer who was once famous in Great Britain, but— There was no way Assassin could be such a young girl. But no one knew Jack the Ripper’s face or true identity. Perhaps… Choosing to discard not even the slightest possibility, Ruler touched the girl’s shoulder. …Instantly, she was filled with relief. She could tell immediately by touching her. The girl wasn’t a spiritual being like a Servant, but a living human made of flesh and blood. “Mo… ther…” “Don’t worry, I’ll bring you to your mother right away.” Ruler said that and covered the girl with a holy shroud she summoned forth. If she was wrapped in this cloth which protected those who wore it, she would be safe for the time being. Luckily, the girl didn’t seem to be hurt either… “Eh——?” +++ She didn’t seem to be hurt. +++ That was completely impossible. Even if it was somewhat weak, this fog had been harmful enough to make homunculi die or faint within less than ten minutes. Yet why was a normal and weak child like this still alive? At worst, it should have instantly killed her, and at best, she shouldn’t have been able to avoid becoming seriously ill. “Umm, are you… okay?” “…Uh-huh. It doesn’t hurt anymore.” The girl replied thus to Ruler’s question. Ruler felt like something was out of place. “Where did it hurt?” The girl silently stuck out her leg. On part of her knee, there was a wound of roughly torn skin. A wound from falling over… was what it obviously wasn’t. And of course, she had no wounds from the fog either. This was—a scar from being cut by something. That’s why she had cried out in pain. A chill went through Ruler’s entire body. She was struck by a feeling of ‘killing intent’. Moreover. It was… This killing intent wasn’t half-hearted. It felt like sticky coal tar, a spike that burned so brightly it turned white, or a mutated murderous virus. It was an astoundingly overwhelming malevolence. Even worse, this killing intent wasn’t directed at Ruler herself— +++ If I run from here, the child will be killed. +++ It was directed at the child Ruler was embracing with one arm. Assassin of Black appeared to have overwhelming confidence in his next attack. “Very well.” Ruler swore that she would protect the girl she was hugging in one arm. No matter what the next attack was, Ruler wouldn’t fall as long as she had this flag. +++ If Ruler had made a miscalculation. It would be that, in this instant, she concentrated all her senses on Assassin of Black who was going to attack—and viewed the girl she was holding as someone she needed to protect. The girl opened her mouth—and put her hand inside it, taking out a scalpel that had been stored in her stomach. 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 - 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 1-3 # (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 1-3 VOLUME 4 Chapter 1 Ch1-3 In order to kill this unidentified female Servant, Assassin of Black had taken all possible measures. Her own Master, Rikudou Reika, had dealt with the boy who seemed to be this Servant’s Master. But even so, this Servant hadn’t fallen into a panic, and instead was trying to find and attack Assassin. Most likely, she possessed the skill [Independent Action], or perhaps—the boy hadn’t been her Master in the first place. Even so, there was no problem. Without hesitation or mercy, Assassin of Black activated her Noble Phantasm. “Everywhere except here is hell. We are flame, rain, and power—” The surrounding dimension twisted and a murder began to take place. The victim is a woman. A ‘woman’ wandering ‘within the fog’ is cut down at ‘night’. All three of these conditions had been fulfilled. Assassin’s attack was Maria the Ripper: Holy Mother of Dissection . An absolute Noble Phantasm that kills virtually all ‘females’. +++ And now, this Noble Phantasm—a murder—came into existence here. +++ Jack the Ripper killed at least five prostitutes—perhaps. Jack the Ripper possessed advanced medical knowledge—perhaps. Jack the Ripper might have been a man, or might have been a woman. Even though the events of history remained the same, the existence of Jack the Ripper himself was merely vague and uncertain . No one knew his true identity. No one could figure out his true identity. He might have been a police detective, a private investigator, a poet, a teacher, a doctor, a devilish cutthroat, a psychic, a scientist—or even a god. There was only one thing that was known for certain about Jack the Ripper. Jack the Ripper kills women. +++ The female victim’s abdomen split open. The instant the Noble Phantasm is activated, it ends all possible situations. This was neither an attack by a holy sword nor a series of consecutive attacks by a divine spear—it was the reproduction of a murder. The victim dies—she is dissected, she has her organs plundered, she loses her blood and, as a result , she dies. First, a ‘murder’ occurs, followed by ‘death’, and finally, the ‘reason’ for it is drastically late in catching up; that’s what makes it a truly instantaneous attack. Counterattacking, dodging and resisting are all meaningless. Assassin of Black was certain of this. She killed her. She definitely killed this Servant. At the same time, she tried to tear out the Servant’s heart. A Servant’s prana was enormous. Even more so within their heart or brain where their spiritual core existed. Assassin of Black would devour her soul and gain even more power. +++ …If Assassin of Black had made one miscalculation. It would be that she viewed this woman as just an ordinary Servant. True, Maria the Ripper was an unequaled Noble Phantasm that delivered instant death in a single blow. All the conditions had been achieved as well—‘night’, ‘within the fog’, and a ‘woman’. But even if one brought about a phenomenon that twisted cause and effect, a foundation, something to serve as the raw material for it, was still needed. In this case, Maria the Ripper was, at its essence, a [curse]—the collected grudges of thousands of unborn children. That was the true nature of this fearsome Noble Phantasm. Accordingly, in order to counter this Noble Phantasm, what was necessary was neither luck nor endurance, but purely an absolute resistance against curses. And the woman she had targeted—Ruler, Jeanne d’Arc, was a saint who unmistakeably had the faith and belief of the world gathered upon her, a Servant with some of the strongest resistance against curses in this world. And what was even more fatal for Assassin of Black… …was the holy flag she possessed. 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 ### 005. Chapter 1 Ch1-4 Rikudou Reika stared at the revolver whose trigger she had pulled. It was an Italian handgun with an extremely narrow gun barrel, known as a ‘Rhino’. Reika didn’t even know the gun’s name in the first place, though. A Romanian gang that Jack had ‘eaten’ had possessed a heap of firearms, and she had chosen this one because it was the lightest and smallest among them. How strange, she thought. This thing, which was just big enough to fit into the palm of her hand, could steal a person’s life with just the pull of a single finger. Wasn’t life something precious and sturdy? At the very least, wasn’t it supposed to be that way? And yet, in the course of just a century, people could die just from getting hit in the brain or heart by tiny lead balls. Naturally, even magi weren’t an exception to that. She looked down at the corpse—he looked younger than her. But if he was a magus, he might have some kind of rejuvenation spell. However, it was a fact that he had just tried to save her. “How pitiful. Truly, how pitiful.” Reika had raided places that magi used as their residences countless times, and had basically grasped their lifestyle. A home expresses the inner nature of the resident. For example, there were many cases where fastidious people had unexpectedly messy rooms. This was an expression of how, though they could pardon their own messiness, they couldn’t pardon the messiness of others. The homes of most of the magi had been simple and cold abodes. This most likely signified that they didn’t attach importance to their daily lives as human beings. Reika knew of a similar kind of people. Workaholics… The type of people who simply think of their homes as places to sleep and take baths. Merely a place to rest the bodies of these people who had no hobbies and devoted their entire lives to their work. On the other hand, each of the magi had ingeniously devised workshops in their basement or in hidden rooms. Looking at those, Reika felt that she understood the nature of magi. It was in those workshops where their passion came out. Their life was in there. A wish similar to a grudge was in there. And at the same time, there was despair in there. Reika had questioned the magi and learned about their way of life. In order to master the mysteries of magecraft, their passed on their blood and accumulated knowledge from generation to generation, and even while knowing their ultimate goal was unreachable—they devoted their entire lives to it. To Reika, it seemed like an extremely empty life, but there were certainly such people out there. However, this boy was still an obstacle to Reika. She felt no emotion beyond pity. Now then, if things had gone well, both this Master and his Servant should have been taken care of by her and Jack. If she trusted Jack’s words, two or three Servants had died on that battlefield a few days ago. “There’s still a long ways to go.” Sighing, Reika was about to leisurely walk away through the fog when— “Oh my.” She immediately stopped and turned around. Though blood flowed out from his chest and gushed out from his mouth, the boy writhed and struggled on the ground. It appeared he was still alive. She should have shot him three times at point-blank in the heart. There was no way a human could survive that. But that was the kind of being a magus was. Though surprised at the fact he was alive, Rikudou Reika did not panic. Ah, is that so? she thought, simply accepting the facts. In one smooth motion, she switched out the cylinder of the Rhino, threw away the empty shell casings, and reloaded the gun. As she did so, her movements were frighteningly calm, possessing not a single bit of confusion or hesitation… It could only be called abnormal. There were humans who could cold-heartedly fire a gun. But there were no humans who could maintain their calm in the face of seeing someone who should have been killed still alive. Moreover, Reika was not even a professional, and she had never touched a handgun until she came to Romania. Even so, she could calmly pull the trigger. If it was for the sake of her daughter Jack—she could calmly kill anyone. “I wonder if you’ll die if I shoot you in the head?” She approached the struggling boy and leveled the gun at him once there was less than a meter of distance between them. I won’t miss like this, Reika thought. The boy was still lying face-down, gripping his chest in pain. His breathing was rough and wild, and it seemed he hadn’t even noticed that Reika was pointing her gun at him yet. Please properly die this time. With that wish in mind, Reika fired the gun. The strength from her finger went from the trigger to the firing hammer, the firing hammer hit the detonator, the gunpowder exploded, and the bullet was shot with overwhelming power. It had more than enough energy to destroy a person’s skull. That boy was completely powerless in the face of the bullet flying swiftly towards him. No… he should have been powerless. “Straße \ gehen.” Just when she thought she saw a pale light suddenly shine, the boy swung out his hand as if to protect his head. There was the high-pitched sound of something popping. “…Oh my.” The bullet that should have pierced through the crown of his head had disappeared somewhere. To be precise, it hadn’t disappeared, but been smashed to pieces. Without hesitation, Reika pulled the trigger once more—and the boy repeated the same words as before, with the bullet vanishing at the same time as he struck it with his palm. “This is… no good, huh?” The boy’s breathing was starting to gradually settle down. He was still kneeling on the ground as if prostrating himself, but he raised his body up with his left arm and took a firm step with his right foot. He seemed to be receiving damage due to being within the fog, but—it didn’t seem to be any significant obstacle to him. “So you’re Assassin of Black’s Master?” The boy asked that in a low voice. Now then, what to do —while pondering her option, Reika retreated a step back. 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 ### 006. Chapter 1 Ch1-5 Though only slightly, blood flowed out from the nape of Ruler’s neck. The vacant-eyed girl had stabbed her with a scalpel. There was little strength in the attack, and the scalpel itself didn’t have much prana loaded within it either. But the girl’s arm had changed to the color of black, to the point that it was painful to look at. Spiritual possession—possession by a low-level spirit was a common phenomenon. Dispersing the spirit wasn’t very difficult either. Normally, Ruler would have been able to easily deal with her attack, even if it was a surprise attack. But on top of embracing the aforementioned girl in her arm, Ruler had concentrated all her senses on the attacking Assassin of Black. Her thoughts halted for a slight instant at this extremely unexpected attack. That temporary halt in her thoughts was precisely what Assassin of Black had aimed for— +++ Here it comes…! Here I go…! +++ Assassin of Black—activated her Noble Phantasm, Maria the Ripper: Holy Mother of Dissection . Ruler—activated her Noble Phantasm, Luminosité Eternelle: God is Here With Me . All of Jack the Ripper’s preparations were complete. She had prepared a situation where she could use her Noble Phantasm to maximum effect, and had perfectly made a surprise attack by using a decoy. Therefore, Assassin was one step faster. Ruler’s Noble Phantasm was slightly late in activating. But, even so, that grudge did not reach Ruler. The rushing black grudge tried to possess Ruler, and at the same time tried to split open her abdomen—but Ruler’s Noble Phantasm activated immediately before it could. “Kuh…!!” An intense shock ran through the holy flag. As expected, it couldn’t absorb all of the curse and the damage, and numbness ran through her entire body. Different from Berserker of Red’s attack, which was a simple torrent of energy, this was a curse-type Noble Phantasm that followed some form of rules. It was something that could easily kill and dissolve a normal Servant. Ruler cried out in anguish and spat out black-dyed blood. But she didn’t bend even a single knee, and somehow managed to hold her ground there. “Wha———!?” The one who shouted in astonishment was Assassin of Black, who had just landed on the ground. She had definitely activated her certain-death Noble Phantasm under perfect conditions. And yet it hadn’t even dealt a fatal wound. “So you’re… a user of evil spirits, Assassin of Black.” Ruler pinned down the struggling young girl with one hand, and after she touched her forehead, the girl fainted. Ruler then sprinkled holy water from her pocket over her and quickly exorcised the spirit within her. Her blackened arm soon returned to normal—and her atrocious appearance changed to that of a gentle young girl. “Why… aren’t you dead?” Assassin’s voice was somehow strange. It was rough and mixed together with odd noise, as if several people were saying the same words at the same time. Most shocking of all was that she looked just like a very young girl. For a young girl to be a Servant was unusual enough, but for her to be the serial killer Jack the Ripper who once terrorized Greater Britain was far beyond Ruler’s expectations. Without revealing the surprise she felt within, Ruler replied to Assassin’s question. “Unfortunately, I possess something with a resistance against curses.” “…That flag, huh?” Assassin of Black nodded in understanding. That flag had absorbed Assassin of Black’s attack like a lightning rod. Her preparations hadn’t been meaningless; the evil spirit she had put into the child that she had kidnapped within the town had borne fruit, making Ruler’s Noble Phantasm slightly delayed in its activation. As a result, the curse had definitely adversely affected the Servant before her eyes—but she was still alive. “…Onee-san, is your class Lancer? …No. The number of Servants wouldn’t match in that case. Saber, then?” “No, neither. I am Ruler, the mediator of the Great Holy Grail War.” Assassin of Black’s eyes widened. “Heeh. Ruler… so there was such a class as well. I didn’t know,” Assassin murmured. Ruler glanced at the girl that had fainted. If she had remained possessed by that evil spirit, even her soul would have been contaminated and she would have turned into the living dead. Ruler thrust her holy flag forward. As if pressured by her gallantness, Assassin took a step back. “Assassin. The Holy Grail War should consist of only seven Masters and Servants competing over the Holy Grail. Your behavior in dragging an innocent child into this is the worst possible offence. I won’t let you get away.” “…Hmm. Is that so?” Ruler’s words seemed to touch upon something within Assassin of Black. She looked at the sleeping girl, and then suddenly threw a scalpel at her. Ruler repelled it with her flag—but she felt something was off. There was no meaning in that attack. Ruler could only think that it was an outburst of anger. No, if it wasn’t an outburst of anger, then— “Assassin… it couldn’t be…” “Children are a dime a dozen . If you still want to protect her… then good luck with that.” Holding eight scalpels between her fingers—Assassin smiled faintly. 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 ### 007. Chapter 1 Ch1-6 From the rooftop of Trifas City Hall, Archer of Red watched the disastrous scene below with a dumbfounded expression. “This is—” Fog covered Trifas. Even if it was a small town, it was insane for the entire town to be covered by fog. All the traffic on the streets and sidewalks always died out immediately once it turned nighttime these days, but since the sun had only just set, many people who were in the midst of returning home should have been engulfed within the fog. In reality, screams were rising from all over the town. At first people were confused, then they shrieked, and after screaming, they begged for help with hoarse voices. …There was nothing she could do. …And most of all, she didn’t intend to do anything about it either. “You were all unlucky.” Archer of Red coldly muttered that. The inhabitants here should have already noticed the abnormalities occurring in this town. They were the ones who decided to go walking at night in this situation. Assassin of Black was certainly involved with the specific manner of their deaths, but the responsibility of their death lay with themselves, and most of all—they were just fatally unlucky. …It was a common occurrence. The weak are devoured by the strong due to bad luck, and even the strong were brought to an end by ‘something else’. Therefore, Archer of Red had no intention of saving them. Her vision was completely blocked by the fog, but if she used her sense of hearing and ability to sense the presence of other Servants, she could roughly grasp the location of each Servant. As expected, Assassin of Black was the only one whose presence was vague and hard to grasp, but Ruler was easy to detect. She was a vortex of light that shined purely and honestly no matter how dark the night was. Archer of Red could tell that Rider and Archer of Black were searching for her, but they didn’t seem to be able to detect her presence yet. Most likely, Ruler was the only one who could sense her. But Ruler was sprinting through the fog right now. She was fighting Assassin of Black. In other words, she didn’t have the time to concentrate on Archer of Red. “Even so… to think that she’s unable to take down Assassin.” Archer of Red tilted her head in puzzlement. Assassin, just as the name indicated, was the class of ‘assassination’. To them, facing the enemy head-on was the height of foolishness. For her not to be able to take down Assassin one-on-one, it meant that either Ruler was a very weak and puny Servant, or that this fog gave Assassin a tremendous advantage— Either way, the time had come for Archer of Red to make a decision on how to act. Should she throw herself into the fog, or continue waiting and watching like this? Watching from the sidelines was a valid tactic, but there was one problem… Since earlier, Rider of Black had been actively doing reconnaissance from the sky. Archer was confident that the swiftness of her feet wouldn’t lose to even Rider of Red, but even so, she wanted to at least avoid being pursued by a hippogriff. A flying Phantasmal Beast born from a griffin and a horse. No matter how much she sprinted across the earth, that thing could easily catch up with her from the sky. If there was any merit in boldly jumping into the fog, it was that a chance to kill Ruler might appear. Archer of Red had decided to acknowledge Shirou Kotomine as her Master. She didn’t know if his ‘method’ was truly right. But there was definitely truth in his words. She wanted to believe it. Archer of Red had a wish that she prioritized above everything else. The salvation of all young children in the world. A world where they are all loved—where they are all happy, without a single exception. The malice in the world said that such a thing was impossible. Everyone devours each other; that was how the world worked. Even Archer of Red understood that. +++ Even so. Even so, she couldn’t help but wish for it… After all, Atalanta herself was abandoned on a mountain immediately after she was born. +++ “A woman is unnecessary.” +++ Her father had said that and abandoned her on a mountain. The moon goddess Artemis had seen this and thought it pitiful, so she decided to send a female bear to raise her. Protected by the bear, Atalanta grew up on the mountain. Many other babies besides her were abandoned on that mountain. Most of those infants died due to either being devoured by beasts or starving to death. Even if they survived by chance, their thought processes were exactly the same as a beast’s . Separated from the world, they lived meaningless lives and died meaningless deaths. Thanks to being raised by the female bear, Atalanta’s life was rescued, and eventually she was found by a hunter. …She remembered. She remembered quite well the moment when she was abandoned. As an infant, she had noisily flapped her hands and desperately sought her father and mother—but her mother wasn’t there, and her father had abandoned her. She remembered wanting to be saved. She remembered wanted for someone to grasp her hand. She remembered that her wish wasn’t granted, and how she had drowned in a sea of fear—and how she had held out her hands while sobbing. The wound in her heart from being abandoned never healed. Even after growing up beautifully and becoming a famous archer—she continued to maintain her solitude. She had friends. She had comrades with whom she rode the Argo alongside and went through many adventures. But she never found a human she could love to the point of risking her life and didn’t think to have a child either. She felt that way even more after the competition and struggle over her during the Calydonian Hunt. But—most likely because of her fame that arose from her adventures, Atalanta’s beauty became known by many people, and in the end reached the ears of her father as well. +++ “Anyone is fine. Take a husband and bear a child.” +++ To her father, his reunion with Atalanta was a joyous event. But that was only because she had grown up to be beautiful and could be used as marriage material. …Ultimately, the father never loved his daughter, from beginning to end. After that, she tried to run away from the marriage once she learned the conditions for it, but she was caught in a scheme and ended up marrying Hippomenes. —She just wanted to be loved. She wanted to know true love with no strings attached to carnal desire, honor or lust for power. It would have been better if she could believe that there was no such thing as love. If she could think that this world was hell, that this was a damned world where parents devour their children and children devour their parents—how much better would have been? But that was incorrect. There were parents who love their children in the world. It was a free, wonderful love. There were parents who gave up their lives for the sake of their children. There were parents who worked hard their entire lives for the sake of their children and still smiled. On the other hand, there were parents who oppressed their children. There were parents who treated the children they had given life to like trash. That’s wrong, Atalanta thought. That must be corrected, Atalanta thought. Even though she understood it was a natural part of the world’s cruelty, she still wished for it to be changed. The reason she was participating in the Holy Grail War was because she had the faint hope that the Holy Grail would be able to grant her wish. It was a wish that Assassin of Red had called “impossible”. Archer herself also understood that. She thought that it might be a wish that surpassed the ability of the Holy Grail. But Shirou Kotomine had showed her a way. That boy had showed her hope. A method to save the world, to save all children using the Holy Grail. In that case, she would eliminate even Ruler if she became an obstruction. She was fully aware of the danger in jumping into the fog. She was fully aware, but— “If it’s for the sake of those children, I have no regrets.” Archer of Red leaped from the rooftop of city hall and jumped into the fog. 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 ### 008. Chapter 1 Ch1-8 Rikudou Reika used the Command Spell because the fog had cleared away. The fog dissipating meant that Jack’s power had considerably weakened. It was easy for Reika to imagine that she had fallen into a dangerous situation. “Mo… ther…” As Assassin of Black cowered in pain, Reika quickly lifted her up. Though she was a Servant, her weight was the same as that of a young girl. Assassin was extremely light, so much that it made Reika wonder if she was completely empty inside. “Sorry…” “Don’t talk. Now, go to sleep.” Reika began walking hurriedly as she spoke. They had to withdraw from here. Luckily, their hideout was nearby. “ Mother … what should we do next…?” “Let’s think about it after you’ve healed your injuries. For now, you should rest.” While saying that, Reika kept thinking. They wanted to obtain the Holy Grail, and those people they had fought were an obstacle to that, but eliminating them would be even more difficulty after this. Perhaps the two of them should give thought to a drawn-out war and withdraw from Trifas. Fortunately, there would be no trouble obtaining information as long as there were magi around. No matter where in the world the Holy Grail was, they should definitely be able to track it. “…Hey, hey, Mother . I want to hear, the piano, again…” Hearing that childish request suddenly come from Jack’s mouth, Reika giggled. Though she was in pain, Jack whined charmingly while smiling. “All right, I will.” Prioritizing Jack’s words was more important than thinking of a battle plan to Reika right now. Seeing Jack smile despite the pain made Reika feel relieved. The fog had literally vanished like mist. If they didn’t hurry, they might be found again— +++ Reika was hurrying down a narrow street only wide enough for a single car to pass through. There were people collapsed on the ground here and there, but she ignored every single one of them. Her heart felt nothing for them, merely discarding them with the thought ‘They were unlucky’. Right now, giving her daughter in her arms the chance to rest was prioritized over everything else for her. One of the street lamps, which had just come back on, illuminated the glass window of a shop she happened to be passing by. By the chance, the reflection of the light showed that to Reika. A human form, wearing strange clothes that clearly looked like those of someone from an entirely different era. And that person had nocked an arrow on a bow and was aiming it in her direction—it was unmistakably an enemy, and the target of the arrow was Reika and Jack in her arms. She was forced to choose. At this rate, that arrow would definitely pierce through both her and Jack. She didn’t know about Jack, but she at least would experience near instant death. Relying on luck was useless here. She couldn’t escape, and fighting would be difficult as well. There was no way the enemy would show mercy. In other words, she had no means of stopping it. Therefore, there was no meaning in what she was about to do now “…Yeah, it can’t be helped.” There truly was no meaning in doing it. But I have to do it, thought Rikudou Reika. Any further thought ended at exactly that instant for her. Reika suddenly spun around and released Jack from her arms. Naturally, Jack fell on her back onto the stone pavement. Having suddenly been thrown away, Jack looked at Reika with a dumbfounded expression—and froze. “ Mo, ther …?” She felt sharp pain for an instant, but even so, Reika managed to understand instinctively. I can’t be saved. —From the beginning, it was a battle with slim chances of victory. Since the Assassin class itself only showed its true worth in a battle royal, Jack was unable to fight fair and square no matter how much she struggled. Killing the Masters was also difficult considering how they were holed up in the fortress. Furthermore, her Master Reika wasn’t a magus and couldn’t supply prana, the source of a Servant’s power. That’s why, from the start, they were at an overwhelming disadvantage. If Reika knew who was managing this whole affair, she would have seriously lodged a complaint against them. But Reika hadn’t minded at all. She didn’t mind killing people. She had killed both the sinful and the innocent alike, but she still didn’t worry herself over it—she felt some pity for the victims, but that was all. There were only two important points for her. Jack the Ripper had saved Rikudou Reika. She had granted Reika’s wish to live. And, though it was only for a short time, she had enjoyed the days she spent with Jack more than anything else in her entire life. No matter how bloody, no matter how cruel Jack was— Rikudou Reika had enjoyed being with her from the bottom of her heart. +++ —Mother. +++ A little girl had called her that with an innocent voice. No matter what her true identity was, Reika didn’t care. Just that alone made her happy. Just that alone made those days together so wonderful. The happy dream ended. She had a mountain of regrets—but there was no use regretting. It was a happy dream. While her thoughts were still clear, Reika murmured that in her mind. As she fell to the ground face-up, Jack frantically approached her. “ Mother …!!” Reika put a hand on Jack’s cheek—she had enough time and strength left to do that at least. She smiled—she somehow managed to do that much. As for final words—that was pointless. There was something more important she needed to say right now. She had two things to say. “I order you with two Command Spells. [Even if I’m not here anymore], [you’ll be fine]… Jack.” It was useless to keep these Command Spells at this point. She used up her remaining two and tried to boost Jack’s chances of survival even a little. As always, she didn’t understand magecraft very well. She didn’t understand it, so she used it as a stand-in for a good luck charm. Like how a mother reassures her fearful daughter, Reika used her remaining Command Spells. “No, don’t go, don’t go, Mother ! No, no, no…!” You’re a smart daughter, thought Reika. She was losing consciousness and drifting away from the world—she closed her eyes. Her hearing was faltering, and she couldn’t even squeeze back the hand that held hers. She could no long feel or even think anything. +++ At that moment, Rikudou Reika merely wore an expression that somehow seemed to fit the situation… a smile. 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 ### 009. Chapter 1 Ch1-9 Archer of Red shot down Assassin of Black’s Master. Even if she had left them alone, it wouldn’t have been a problem. Rather, it would have been better for Archer’s side if Assassin and her Master fostered further chaos that way. The only ones bothered by the fact that they were murderers and deviating from the rules of the Great Holy Grail War were magi. It had nothing to do with Archer of Red. But—Assassin of Black had involved children. At that instant, Assassin and her Master became enemies to Archer of Red. The Master was especially unforgivable. Assassin was a child, but her Master was an adult—and she had allowed her Servant to involve children. Archer had nocked an arrow and intended to end both Assassin and her Master together. But surprisingly, Assassin’s Master, perhaps because she was trying to protect the Servant in her arms, had turned in Archer’s direction. Coincidentally, theirs gazes met. She did not have the appearance of a crafty magus, but rather wore modern clothing—she was clearly an ordinary woman. The woman had worn a fleeting look of sorrow, and then, without resisting at all, simply waited for the arrow to be shot. No, that wasn’t right. It appeared the woman was trying to protect Assassin. —Even thought it was a meaningless act. Archer of Red didn’t waver. If her target was letting herself be shot, Archer wouldn’t pass the opportunity up. Neutrally, emptying herself of all sentiment, she shot the arrow. The shot was more than enough to kill a single person. The arrow pierced the Master’s chest, and Archer of Red could sense from the feedback that it had killed Assassin’s Master. “ Mother …! Mother , Mother , Mother …!” Assassin’s Master placed her hand on the cheek of the young girl that was desperately calling out to her, and murmured something to her before finally dying. A feeling similar to guilt gouged Archer’s chest, but it didn’t move her heart. Even if she was a child, Assassin was a Servant. Servants were beings summoned in order to win the Holy Grail War. Even if she took the form of a child, that was simply the form of her heyday in life. …Though it was irregular, there were such cases among Heroic Spirits. Assassin of Black merely stared at the corpse of her Master in a daze. She would disappear eventually at this rate even if Archer let her go, but even if it was a one-in-a-million chance, another Master might appear to make a contract with her. I’ll get rid of her here and now, Archer decided, nocking another arrow and immediately shooting it. Assassin didn’t move an inch from her kneeling position beside the corpse. Perhaps she didn’t even understand that an arrow had been shot at her. It’s better that way, thought Archer. It would be better if she just let it all go like this. All of Assassin’s regrets, hopes and despair would be irrelevant if she disappeared. Assassin merely convulsed for an instant when the arrow pierced her heart, not even letting out a scream. Puzzled, Archer of Red approached her. The arrow definitely should have destroyed Assassin’s spiritual core. But she didn’t display any response to it. There was no sign of pain, or of her body fading away and vanishing. It was an abnormal sight. Assassin was merely looking up at the sky. Her blank face made it clear that she was no longer capable of fighting. And yet, Archer of Red felt a chill go down her back and started to feel fear towards something she couldn’t place. Heroic Spirits were those who had become figures of bravery by conquering fear in all forms. Naturally, as a Heroic Sprit herself, Atalanta understood that well. She didn’t fear the darkness of the forest deep in the night. She hadn’t feared the giant boar that a god had released on the earth. She could even laugh and overcome battlefields where a single instant’s decision could lead to death. That shouldn’t have changed in the Great Holy Grail War either. There was no room for her to feel fear in this situation. She had shot down the enemy, and even if she hadn’t, Assassin was on the verge of death. This was enemy territory, but she was confident that she could make her escape on her swift feet. Even if everything proceeded in the worst possible way and she perished on this battlefield, she would have regrets, but she would accept it. That was the karma of battle. Any Heroic Spirit had at least that much resolve. But… Archer of Red took a step back. No, the thing that conflicted her right now was something decisively different from that kind of fear. It was the feeling that, just by remaining here, something would end . What was there to fear? Assassin of Black no longer had any means of counterattack. Just what kind of threat could a Servant, who’s Master was dead and who couldn’t use her Noble Phantasms, pose? There was no threat. There shouldn’t have been, and yet— Assassin of Black’s head spun around her neck like that of a doll’s, and turned to face Archer of Red. Archer couldn’t help but think that her blank eyes were beautiful like blue crystals. Assassin of Black opened her mouth. +++ “Why?” +++ After Assassin spoke that single word, a stream of black mud-like mass spewed out from her mouth. Archer of Red frantically jumped away, but her reaction was fatally too slow. “This is…!?” Summoned as Assassin, Jack the Ripper was an amalgamation of vengeful spirits. The unborn children who had been abandoned in the Whitechapel district had merely temporarily materialized by taking the form of a young girl. Archer of Red’s arrow just now had released all of them from the focal point known as [Jack the Ripper]. Looking like a thick fog, the vengeful spirits attacked the nearest living being, Archer—and completely engulfed her. —In that instant, Archer of Red saw hell. +++ Question: What is hell? +++ Answer: Eternally continuing torture. Answer: Eternally repeated slaughter. Answer: Eternally unending despair. Indeed, each and every one of these can be called hell. However, there are actually a great variety of hells in this world. The city of fog, London, the Whitechapel district—to certain people, that place was definitely hell. Just living was difficult, and it was impossible to have a life you could take pride in. How could there be pride in a world where nine-year-old girls sold their bodies on the street? The stench of the tanning factories and meat processing plants always filled the air, and rats and cockroaches rejoiced in this society. There was no such thing as the ‘strong’ there; everyone who lived there were miserable weaklings, pitiful victims and cruel assailants. Yes, it was hell. Hell, this is truly hell. Children, there are children, so many children. Their eyes are dead. They understand that there is no love in this world. No, that’s wrong, there is love. There definitely is. And yet, I can’t call out to them. I want to help, I want to save you all, and yet my body won’t move. All the children turned their eyes towards her. I’ll save you! I’ll save you! I was abandoned just like you all in the past. I was saved from that fate! The joy of that, the happiness of that, I’ll bestow it to you all— +++ She had lost the ability to speak, but even so, Archer of Red tried to appeal to them in her heart. The children merely approached her silently. There was no joy, sorrow or hatred in them. Their cold and inhuman eyes were similar to those of sharks. Archer of Red unconsciously tried to step back in chilling revulsion, but one of the children grabbed her arm. The children opened all their mouths at once. “Join us.” Smoothly , the child entered inside her skin. Another one grabbed her legs—and penetrated her blood vessels. Others penetrated her nerves, bones, organs, muscles, brain… Archer of Red screamed. Her heart was tormented not by fear, but by the despair of the children and 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 ### 010. Chapter 1 Ch1-10 Sieg and Ruler, who had been chasing after Archer of Black, were also engulfed in it . A black fog-like something had surged toward them while they were running through the streets, and engulfed them without giving them any time to run away. A mud-like substance coiled around their entire bodies, and all their senses were cut off, like when you’re about to fall asleep. When he regained his senses, Sieg was standing in a strange place. “This is…” He was in an extremely cold city covered in fog. A heavy and awful stench pervaded the area. The stench of meat, the stench of entrails, the stench of vomit and human excrement… This isn’t Trifas, Sieg judged based on his surroundings. The building architecture was completely different, and there were people on the streets. Though the fog smelled slightly disgusting, it wasn’t painful. He noticed that all of senses were dull and muted for some reason, and that everyone passing by him on the street was ignoring him. He began walking. He limped, unable to feel his feet stepping on the ground, as if he were stepping on a plastic bag. This is an illusion, or a nightmare —Sieg thus concluded. The problem was, whose dream was this? It wasn’t Sieg’s; this scenery was completely unknown to him. It wasn’t Ruler’s either. He already knew her true name. No matter how he thought about it, this place didn’t match the era she was from. A cold wind blew by, seeming to permeate his very flesh and bones, and a crumpled newspaper floated down in front of Sieg’s feet. He read the text on it—and understood everything. +++ From Hell—Jack the Ripper +++ This appears to be Jack the Ripper’s… that is, Assassin of Black’s dream. But where is Assassin herself? She… no, he? Which was it? Strange, there’s no way I could have forgotten that… “Damn it. All the information about Assassin disappeared again.” The way Assassin was able to slip away no matter how much they chased after her was truly superb. But this time, this time Sieg wouldn’t let her get away. Sieg began walking in search of Jack the Ripper—but then his vision suddenly distorted, and an instant later, he found himself in a different place once more. +++ —Sieg couldn’t deny that, up until that moment, he had held certain illusions about humans. —He had only gained self-consciousness a few days ago and, even if he had knowledge, he had no experience, so it was hard to say that he had understood how deep the evil deeds of humans went. —Most of all, the fact that he was blessed with the people surrounding him being Heroic Spirits, those who were heroes in the past, had the biggest effect on his view of things. —The world is beautiful. How many sacrifices had people made in order to speak those words? Sieg still hadn’t comprehended that. +++ Laugh, laugh, laugh. This place is the lowest plane of the world. This is none other than Cocytus, the very bottom of hell. Of course, I don’t know if there’s actually a hell. I know nothing of such things. Visitors here come to understand just one thing. ‘This place is definitely hell.’ London, Whitechapel, a great human meat processing plant. It’s a nest of Jorougumo 1 where escape if impossible if you fall down into it. This place is packed with everything within Pandora’s Box, except for hope. All kinds of disasters, all kinds of despair, continually flux, converge and rain down like dirty mud here. Prostitutes who are like monstrous creatures both without and within sell their bodies, and shelve the money they earn by selling the life they were born with. Splat, splat. Repeat, repeat. Splat, splat. Treatment, treatment, treatment, treatment. Blood flowed in a river. The factories are discharging waste anyways, so it’s no big deal if we increase the protein. It’s truly no big deal. No problem at all. If you consider the size of the world’s great flow, this is just a little smidge of dirty mud. Hands protrude from that dirty mud, and monsters are born. That’s why this place is hell, purgatory, the corrupt city of Babylon where inhuman monsters live. +++ Sieg watched. He watched a very young girl be violated by a large hairy man in order to get her daily food. He watched a young boy knock down the girl with a stick in order to steal her food. He watched the boy have the bread he risked his life to get stolen in turn by a cunning adult, and watched that bread finally arrive meaninglessly in the hands of someone else. He saw an unborn fetus. He watched the people who had brought it into the world in an unchaste act of intercourse then dispose of it. Children weren’t killed in this hell. Children were expended. Thus, light gradually disappeared from the eyes of children. The world, like silk cloth, twined around their bodies, and they were swallowed by snakes without moving an inch. It was ugly. It was far too ugly. If there was some great evil, he could understand. If there was some enormous, wicked villain—someone like that who ruled them, then Sieg would still have been able to hold onto his illusions about humans. But, this was a system . A bad debt that was created when humans built and developed a city. Or perhaps it was just pus. No one was blamed and denounced. No one was saved. No, saving anyone here was impossible. The act of salvation itself wasn’t acknowledged by the system. “Stop it.” Sieg trembled and kneeled down on the ground. He had been on the verge of death many times up until now, but those times were all cases of bodily death. But the sight of this was killing Sieg’s heart. “Stop it… Please, I’m begging you, stop it!” His illusions were contaminated and the scene that should have been beautiful grew faded and dull. +++ “—Yes. That’s right.” +++ When he came to his sense, his surroundings had changed once more. There was thick fog in the air, blocking out all moonlight… It was a truly chilly night. Whose voice was that just now? —Sieg wondered as he looked around, and finally noticed. Sieg was standing alone on a deserted street somewhere. “…What’s right?” Sieg resolutely questioned the voice. He saw a shadow move in an alleyway. He chased after it without hesitation. At the dead-end of the back alley, there stood a girl in tattered clothing. For some reason, he knew who she was—she was Jack the Ripper. “I’ll ask you again. What’s right?” The girl replied in a strangely distorted voice. “The world is ugly.” Hearing a rustling sound behind him, Sieg turned around—and there too stood a girl in tattered clothing. That girl opened her mouth. “That’s why we wanted to go back.” “…Go back where?” Another rustle. This time, it came from above—and walking casually on a building’s wall was another girl in tattered clothing. “Back inside mother’s belly.” Another one appeared. Every one of them looked at Sieg with hollow eyes. “We wanted to go back.” “We just wanted to go back inside mother’s belly.” “So why? Why is everyone so mean to us?” “We wanted to be saved. So why did no one save us?” “Were we bad?” “Were we hated?” Sieg couldn’t give an adequate answer to those questions. The premise of ‘wanting to live’ did not exist for these girls. The girls grabbed Sieg’s arms. The girls melted while smiling with tears falling from their eyes and permeated inside of Sieg. +++ “The world—is so very ugly. We know that. Despite that, do you still want to live?” +++ Those words… dealt the most fatal wound of all to the heart of the boy who did not yet know the world. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Jorougumo: a spider monster/spirit in Japanese myth. 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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 ### 011. Chapter 1 Ch1-11 Ruler had also been sucked into the girls’— Jack’s nightmare. Ruler walked down a road filled with the stench of rotting bodies. “This place is… England?” In Trifas, though the architectural style had been that of the Middle Ages, the town itself had a properly maintained sanitation system. But this place was the opposite. The buildings here were modern in style, the kind that Laeticia was familiar with in her memories. But the streets were filled with strife and unsanitary conditions. This was the city where Jack the Ripper was born. A freezing fog and a pitch black night. In the midst of that, Ruler walked down the street. Before she realized it, her armor had disappeared, and her holy flag was gone from her hand as well. However, she didn’t feel helpless at all. She continued walking straight ahead in a dignified manner. She had a rough idea as to the nature of this illusion. She also understood how to escape from it—no, how to bring it down. …It meant doing something sorrowful. Even if the end result would be a blessing, someone would have to bear pain in order to achieve it. A person, no, a child, who was the pure manifestation of innocence. “—Even so. Nothing will start unless she is killed.” After she took a single breath, Ruler’s eyes were filled with strong determination. Her resolve was as sharp as a blade and as hard as steel. +++ There was a young girl in one of the back alleys. She glared at the holy maiden Jeanne d’Arc with eyes filled with despair. The girl’s killing intent was that of the weak—but Ruler glared back at the girl without flinching. She released her own killing intent, which a hero would normally never direct at a despairing, victimized child. The little girl was so shocked she retreated back a step. Ruler questioned her with a cold-hearted voice. “What’s wrong, Assassin of Black…? No, the girl who used to be Assassin of Black. The girl who held the name of Jack the Ripper, who wasn’t really anyone. Do you intend to run away?” “…Why aren’t you scared?” “Scared? Why is there a need to think of you as frightening? All of you are merely sorrowful victims.” At those words, countless children appeared all around Ruler one after another. Their faces were each unique and yet they somehow had a sense of sameness. Every one of them was dirty and had eyes filled with a dark light. This place was unmistakably the hell of this era. These children were the embodiment of it in human form. No matter how heartless someone was, they would falter, feel fear and shudder if they were pushed down here. This place was the inner world that embodied of Jack the Ripper’s Origin. A miniature garden of darkness that took form as Assassin was dying, filled with human ugliness. “Great Holy Maiden.” “Lady Angel.” “Save us, save the pitiful, so pitiful Jack. Save us. Save us, help us, gives us your hand. Please, please, please—” The children crowded around Ruler and clung to her with desperate expressions on their faces. If she’s a saint, then she can save them. If she’s a saint, then she’ll definitely grant them salvation. No, even without being a saint, as long as she was a decent human being, this was a situation where she should feel something for them. And yet, Ruler did not quiver as she stood at the center of them—in fact, there was not the slightest tremble, sympathy or even pity on her face. The holy maiden spoke harshly to them. “—I cannot do that. I can save children who’ve lost their way and I can purify souls that have lingering regrets by praying. However, Jack the Ripper alone cannot be saved by me .” The children froze. “You have all already been included as part of ‘his’ legend. The murderer known as Jack the Ripper is already both anybody and nobody . Do you all truly understand that the people you killed were victims of Jack the Ripper? You know neither their names nor their faces. You only sought your mother’s face and killed them in the process, right?” +++ Jack the Ripper killed at least five prostitutes— Jack the Ripper gouged out their organs— Jack the Ripper sent a letter to a newspaper company— +++ Jack the Ripper is a doctor. Jack the Ripper is a member of the Royal Family. Jack the Ripper is a painter. Jack the Ripper is an ordinary person that can be found anywhere. +++ All of these were lies, and all of these were true. Now that all kinds of rumors, gossip and guesses had become jumbled together, trying to grasp her identity outside of being Jack the Ripper was an unimaginably difficult act. She was anybody and nobody. She was nobody and anybody. The problem was—that the number of possibilities was close to infinite. Because of that, the Anti-Heroic Spirit Jack the Ripper included all the possibilities in this world. Most likely, the Holy Grail had tried to call forth a ‘Jack the Ripper’ that embodied all of these possibilities. “That’s right. You all have all been made part of Jack the Ripper. You might have been forced to become part of him… But that’s why, even if I can kill you, I can’t save you.” “—No way…” “No—” “We, we—” Unrest ran through the children. Though they sought salvation, they contaminated everyone they came across. They truly were evil spirits. Though it was only vaguely, they understood their own end. This holy maiden’s prayers weren’t salvation for them— +++ “…It seems you finally understand. I’ll commence destroying you all now.” +++ Her prayers were a Baptism Rite for completely annihilating their existence. “The Lord’s blessing is deep, His love is eternal and constant.” +++ “Why… Why are you…!?” “This is natural providence… You should already understand. You have all been transformed by your inflated hatred and the despair of the people you killed. Not one of you can be separated from the concept of ‘Jack the Ripper’ anymore.” +++ “You dwell in the deserted wasteland, not knowing the path to your proper place.” +++ They were all molded together as one into ‘Jack the Ripper’. Not a single one of them even had a name of their own. They were not recognized as individuals by the world. +++ “Hunger, thirst, the soul withers.” +++ “No! No, we, we are—!” “Then do you all have individual names?” The children’s breathing halted. That was a forbidden question. These children, who had been thrown away while still a fetus, had no names. Even if humans had names, mere cells did not. +++ “Speak His name and be saved. Speak the name of the One who will guide you to your proper place.” +++ “In that case—” Ruler slowly held out her right hand. At that moment, a shout rang out from somewhere. “Stop… stop, Ruler…!!” +++ “Archer of Red…!?” Ruler was shocked as she saw Archer of Red glaring at her with an arrow nocked on her bow. Her right arm was tainted black and it was clear that she was being possessed by an evil spirit. “What are you doing, Archer!? Your right arm—” Archer interrupted Ruler’s words by shooting the arrow. “Shut up! Right back at you, what are you trying to do!? They’re children! They’re merely children, innocent souls. They aren’t evil! They’re victims, pitiful souls that were crushed by the system of the world! Why are you killing them!?” The evil spirits reacted to Archer of Red’s words and gathered behind her all at once. They probably sensed a strong will to protect them from her. Ruler had no weapons. In the first place, this was an illusionary world. Nothing would be settled no matter how much they tried to kill each other here, and the arrow Archer had fired had no effect either. …That bow and arrow were Archer’s will. A pure and simple will of retribution that declared she would kill Ruler if she killed these children. Does she feel sympathy for them? thought Ruler as she glared at Archer—and was glared at in return. “Archer, you should also understand as a Heroic Spirit. Those children cannot be saved. For them to live only results in increasing the number of their own kind. In the first place—returning their souls to a peaceful place is an act of kindness.” Without any hesitation, Archer of Red fired another arrow. The steel arrowhead pierced the ground’s stone paving. Archer was sorrowfully earnest, and yet fatally mistaken. “What kindness!? Saving others is the duty of a saint! Maid of Orleans, for what purpose did you wield a flag instead of a sword on the battlefield!? It was in order to not kill, wasn’t it!? In order to not bloody your hands—” “—Is that what you think, Archer of Red?” Ruler spoke in a cold voice. It was a blade-like voice that was so sharp it even overwhelmed, for just an instant, the huntress who had run through battlefields. “Since I didn’t use a sword, my hands weren’t bloodied? Ridiculous. —I participated in those battles. I decided to fight. From that instant, it was the same as if my own hands were stained in blood. Don’t take me so lightly. I will not hesitate to destroy those children!” Those words angered Archer of Red from the depths of her heart, and she shouted as if snarling at Ruler. “Then, then. You aren’t a saint…!” “That’s exactly right, Archer of Red. Everyone called me a saint, but I myself have never once thought of myself that way.” Archer of Red’s expression turned shocked. If she was a saint, it was possible she could save these children. Archer might have thought that. “This place is the world of these children’s memories, merely an illusion created by their residual thoughts. Do you intend to continue letting them suffer eternally in this vague and ambiguous world!? Please, move aside.” Though visibly in anguish, Archer of Red firmly remained where she stood. “… guh… I… refuse! If I, if I abandon these children, then who will love them!? You said you would return their souls to a peaceful place, Ruler. That’s merely extinguishing them, merely murder! I—” Both Archer and Ruler’s words halted. One of the girls hiding behind Archer’s back stepped up to Ruler. What a vast and lost expression—like a puppy thrown out into the wild, Ruler thought. “Hey.” In response to that voice of appeal, Ruler bended down to her knees and met the child’s gaze. Regardless of the reasons, what Ruler was about to do was unmistakably a ‘sin’. At the very least, she mustn’t avert her eyes from it. “Yes, what is it?” “Are you… okay with killing us?” Those words pierced Ruler’s heart like a sword. She clenched her teeth—and endured it. If they could be saved, she would have already saved them. If they could be helped, she would have already helped them. But she couldn’t. Ruler understood that it was something she was unable to do. “Even so. Even so, we must all move forward.” Ruler bit her lip hard, causing blood to flow out. The instant they saw that, the agitation and fear of ‘Jack the Ripper’ disappeared. “No… no, stop… please stop…!” The children hiding behind Archer of Red walked up to Ruler one by one. Archer of Red tried to pull them back—and as if rejecting that, the children slipped through her arms. “—It can’t be helped, huh?” “Yes. It can’t be helped. May you all find peace.” Like cats that realized their end, the children took Ruler’s hand without running away. Archer of Red understood then. It couldn’t be helped. The death of these children was inevitable, a fact that couldn’t be overturned. Most of all, these children had rejected her—so she couldn’t move. She could only watch as a spectator in this illusionary world. +++ “He satiates the thirsty souls and satisfies the hungry souls with good.” The chant solemnly and smoothly began extinguishing the children’s existence. This wasn’t the normal second death of a Servant, but a literal erasure. They were being removed from the axis of the cycle of rebirth, and they would no longer be summoned as ‘Jack the Ripper’ in any other Holy Grail War. It was both salvation and not salvation. Becoming a Servant meant gaining a second life, but to them, this was effectively their first life. Holding hands with each other, the children stared at Ruler. +++ “Give salvation to those who suffer and are bound in iron within the deep darkness.” +++ They were disappearing. They weren’t ascending to heaven, nor sinking into the darkness; they were merely dissolving into the world like mist. “Ah—” As she chanted, Ruler didn’t let her grave and solemn expression break at all. If she cried, the children would know that she was saddened by their death, and they would probably leave behind lingering regrets in this world. That’s why Ruler remained standing there firmly like steel. +++ “Now, let your shackles be broken, and be freed from the deep darkness.” +++ “We don’t want to die—” She nearly crumbled at the children’s whisper—but she didn’t allow her posture to break. Without the slightest tremble, she simply continued ‘disposing’ of the children dispassionately. +++ “Grant salvation to those who have fallen ill from acts stained in sin and who are troubled by injustice.” +++ The children began disappearing one after another, and at the same time, the nightmarish London also began disappearing. This place was reconstructed from their memories, so if they disappeared, this city’s existence would inevitably be rejected. And then, everything was in darkness. There was only one young girl left. She stared at the holy maiden with pure eyes. “We’re going to disappear?” “Yes. That is natural providence.” “Is that so? Yeah, that’s right. We can’t return anywhere or be anywhere. We spun in circles, ran in circles, and weren’t able to reach anywhere.” After murmuring that, the girl laughed and then asked a final question. “—Are you sad?” “…No. You all are merely returning to your proper place. There’s nothing to be sad about.” The holy maiden replied in a hard voice. “So, I won’t cry.” The holy maiden didn’t cry. She covered her heart with a thick shell, and calmly crushed the children underfoot. She had no right to feel sad. As someone who wasn’t judging their sins, but simply couldn’t allow their existence—she had no right to mourn. +++ “A song of joy for the just, and silence for the unjust.” +++ She recited the holy words. The little girl, without smiling or looking sad, accepted it with empty eyes. +++ “——Pax Exeuntibus: Grant peace to these departing souls.” +++ “…How sad.” +++ Leaving behind those words which pitied the holy maiden, the final girl vanished—and the fog cleared away. Ruler’s knees didn’t bend or collapse. She didn’t cry, and she didn’t let out a single sob. She did not show any pity or compassion for the children who weren’t even allowed to live. Sympathy simply called forth victims. If she lost herself in it, everything would be wasted. She had killed with her own hands the victimized children who sobbed out ‘We just want to go back’. It was no one’s fault and no one could be blamed; it was simply an act of murder carved in sin. Blood flowed out from her tightly clenched lips. Ruler had personally tasted the heavy karma of humans just now. +++ Even so. +++ Even so, she didn’t let her heart be crushed. Ruler warily gazed at Archer of Red. She was also worried about Sieg, who had also been caught up in that illusion along with her—but she was certain that, if she moved her gaze away from Archer even slightly, she would fall into a fatal situation. Even now that they had returned to reality, Archer was crouching on the ground, her body shivering. Like a wounded beast, thought Ruler. Regardless, it was clear that Archer of Red had lost herself. …It still hadn’t been decided for sure that they were enemies. Ruler still hadn’t confirmed which side Archer, Lancer and Rider of Red had chosen after their group left. But, based on Archer’s behavior just now— “Ruler… You killed them.” A hollow voice resounded terribly through the dark night of the city. Ruler immediately understood from that voice. “Yes. The one who killed them was me, for certain.” She was an enemy. She would never get along with Ruler— After staggering to stand up, Archer shouted as her entire body trembled with killing intent. “I see. You’re also on the side that discards them. Even though those children just wanted to live. You’re on the side that tramples over them!?” A deep killing intent exuded from her eyes along with tears. She was so enraged that blood trickled down from her lips. It was only briefly, but Ruler did exchange words with Archer on the battlefield previously—but no trace of her aloof attitude from back then could be seen now. It wasn’t because they were enemies or allies, but because Ruler wounded something that was equivalent to Archer’s soul. Heroes had things that mustn’t be touched. For Archer of Red, that was children. Since Ruler didn’t save those children who existed as Jack the Ripper, she was now nothing more than an enemy to Archer of Red. Even if those children were beings that absolutely couldn’t be saved, Archer of Red still struggled to save them. No matter how much anguish and despair it brought her, she never gave up. “…No matter what I say, you won’t understand, Archer of Red.” “—Those children could have been saved.” “No, they couldn’t. Those children were, in the end, evil spirits. The concept of ‘being saved’ doesn’t exist for them. That’s why, no matter how much they continue to seek warmth—they will destroy those who could give that warmth to them.” Archer of Red struck her hand against the stone building next to her. With a loud crack, the wall crumbled away as if it were brittle. “Shut up! They could have… they could have been saved! Even if it was impossible with my own power, they could have been with the power of the Holy Grail !” With the power of the Holy Grail, she said. In other words, that meant having the Holy Grail grant her wish. But Shirou Kotomine should have been in control of the Holy Grail. As Ruler was about to question this discrepancy, Archer of Red nocked an arrow on her bow without waiting for her to speak. But, by the time she did so, Archer of Black had caught sight of the two female Servants once the fog cleared and had already aimed his own shot at Archer of Red before she could fire. “— αστραπη χειμων: Ferocity is the Hammer of the Gods 1 .” The three arrows he fired were all filled with as much prana as they could take. Though it may not have worked against Rider or Saber of Red, Archer of Red had no defense strong enough to withstand arrows containing this much destructive power. If they hit her, she would almost definitely die at once. But—only if they hit. The stone-paved ground exploded, forming a huge crater. But Archer of Red had avoided all three arrows with frighteningly agile movements while howling like a beast. Those movements like a four-legged beast… as expected of a hunter that lived in the wild, Archer of Black thought with a bitter expression. But Archer of Red had no interest in the shots fired at her just now. Without even looking in Archer of Black’s direction, she sharply snarled like a beast—and shouted at Ruler with deep hatred, as if vomiting blood. “—I won’t forgive you!! Ruler, I won’t forgive your deception-filled life! False holy maiden—I will never forgive you for having killed those children instead of saving them! If you’re going to steal the Holy Grail, come and get it. I, Atalanta, shall shoot you all down without leaving a single survivor!” Glaring at her enemy, Ruler, while gasping in anguish, Archer of Red quickly retreated. When she was alive, the men who were charmed by Atalanta’s beauty were given a trial. Beat her in a foot race. Losing meant death. Even so, the men who didn’t give up challenged her one after another—and all of them lost. Rider of Red was one of the few people who possessed speed equal to hers. Even the great Greek sage Chiron couldn’t pursue her when it came to pure running speed. “—Are you running away, Archer of Red?” Archer of Black said that, thinking she would come fight him if provoked. But Archer of Red didn’t even glance at Archer of Black once, and swiftly ran away within the darkness of the night. “…We can’t catch up with her.” Ruler could tell. Archer of Red had retreated from the battle area in a mere instant, and she would slip out of this city in less than a minute. She was most likely here as a scout, and even if there had been a ripe opportunity for it, it was irregular for her to move to kill Assassin of Black earlier. She had most likely acted in order to save the children that Assassin hurt. But her arrow had unleashed something in Assassin of Black. Normally, a Servant would have their connection to this world severed and vanish when their spiritual core was destroyed—or when their Master died. But, instead, Assassin of Black had reproduced that scene of hell at the end of her life… Ruler shook her head, and for the time being, put aside the various matters that needed to be considered later. The safety of this area had been secured, so next she had to find Sieg— “Sieg-kun!” Reprimanding her own strife-filled and screaming heart, Ruler began searching her surroundings. Sieg should have also been dragged into that fog along with her. She had managed to endure it, but could that painfully pure boy endure—? Ruler quickly found Sieg lying unconscious on the ground, curled up in a fetal position. She lifted him up with her arms and called out to him. “Pull yourself together… Please pull yourself together, Sieg-kun!” Trembling weakly, Sieg woke up. And without even giving Ruler the time to pat her chest in relief, he grasped her arm and asked her. “Ruler, what was that?” “Sieg-kun… please calm down.” But Sieg was tensed and strained. He questioned Ruler with a confused and lost expression. “Those were normal humans? Not magi, but ordinary humans created hell that easily?” Sieg’s shock was great, as to be expected. Servants were beings of abnormal power and therefore separate from the world of humans. Magi were those who were human and yet separate from human reason. And, excluding other homunculi, the number of ordinary humans he had met was quite few, consisting of only the old man he met on the other side of the forest when he ran away and the people he encountered in town today. Of course, he hadn’t expected for humans to be perfectly good. But—he had believed they weren’t evil. He would never have thought that they could create a hell like that by their own will. What should Ruler tell him, as he sat there on the verge of tears even now? That even those people hadn’t wished to create that hell? That it was because human survival instinct permitted evil? No, the problem was that he wanted to believe that people were good . But Ruler knew that that was wrong. “…Most likely, I saw the same thing as you did.” Sieg looked at Ruler in surprise. “Listen, Sieg-kun. What you asked isn’t something even I can answer. It’s true that a great and pure cruelty, which excuses all kinds of terrible and unjust acts, exists within human beings.” Jeanne d’Arc had experienced it firsthand. She was betrayed and had her life and pride trampled over in various ways. It would to be wrong not to call that evil. And the ones who trampled upon her weren’t natural-born villains or those who had been raised to be evil, but simply ordinary humans who had judged Jeanne d’Arc as an enemy. That’s why she understood that humans committed evil even without falling into evil. She was aware that, even if people were individually good, they were evil as a whole. Even so— She strongly gripped clasped Sieg’s hands with her hand. Not wanting to show her expression, she bowed her head. “Even so, please don’t give up yet. Please, please…” Please don’t give up on humans. Please don’t give up and say ‘That’s all they are’. Because becoming disillusioned with humans is easy, and hating humans is even easier, but continuing to love humans is hard. “You—” Sieg spoke up. Ruler listened to him without raising her head. “You still haven’t given up?” Even though she said that humans weren’t evil in themselves, didn’t she acknowledge that humans could be an ugly and wicked existence? Even though she was gripped by such despair that she was unable to add anything after saying ‘Even so’ — You still love humans? Ruler raised her head. Her smile was pure and noble. “Yes. I haven’t given up.” Those proud words just barely managed to stop the chaos and disgust inside Sieg. Sieg also knew of Jeanne d’Arc’s past. Even though she had experienced such a terrible death, she said that she still hadn’t given up. Then, someone as young and inexperienced as him shouldn’t give up yet either. He still hadn’t seen anything of the world yet. It was too soon to come to a conclusion. Of course, just remembering that scene invoked such disgust in him that it made him feel like vomiting. Ruler said she hadn’t given up, but… for her to have to think ‘I won’t give up’ in the first place— It meant that the world was filled with that much undefined evil. Stifling the gloomy feelings inside him, Sieg somehow managed to stand up. +++ “It appears it’s over.” Sieg turned around, and saw Archer of Black elegantly jump down from above. He landed soundlessly like a feather. “Yes. Do the people that got dragged into the fog need medical treatment? I can also help a little with my magecraft.” “The people who fainted are seriously hurt, but not so much that they’ll die. My Master is already making arrangement for them to be taken care of.” “Then, about the children—” Ruler asked with a worried face, but Archer of Black smiled to put her at ease. “It seems they were intentionally excluded from the effects of the fog. They only have some scratches from when they fought both of you.” “I see. Thank goodness…” Ruler sighed and patted her chest in relief. After finishing his report, Archer of Black immediately went back into spiritual form and headed off to return to his Master. “With this, it’s over.” “Yes. At the very least… everything concerning Assassin of Black is finished.” Absentmindedly, Sieg remembered the scene he glimpsed in the fog at the end—more specifically, the voices he heard back then. Archer of Red, who was laid out accusations filled with killing intent, and Ruler, who responded with a cool voice. Archer of Red had yelled at her several times, “You killed those children.” While lying incapacitated on the ground, Sieg had thought in shock that she meant the children they had protected from Assassin of Black, but it seemed Archer of Red had been talking about the children who appeared in that illusionary world. Sieg’s general knowledge was enough for him to understand what kind of beings those children were. Those children were what brought the Servant Assassin of Black into existence… in other words, they were like the foundation of existence known as ‘Jack the Ripper’. Naturally, they were already dead. Even so, if they were left alone, they might have possessed some powerless human. In that case, it was highly possible that a Jack the Ripper with a living human body would have appeared. Of course, they were low-class evil spirits. The most they would have been able to do was give someone the urge to commit murder, and they would have lacked any supernatural powers. Even so, victims would definitely appear. That’s why Ruler killed those children—by extinguishing them with the Baptism Rite chant. Sieg could understand that that decision was correct and definitely an act of justice. Yet, why had Archer of Red cursed Ruler like that? And why had Ruler kept accepting her words? It was irrational. It was far too irrational. Even though she was a hero who had accumulated various achievements in life, didn’t Ruler think that it was far too unreasonable? When Sieg asked Ruler about it, she scrunched her brow in sorrow and murmured. “—Most likely, Archer of Red had never seen that kind of [evil] before.” “Never… seen it?” “There are various forms of hell. Atalanta might have seen villages massacred by evil beings. She might have seen the tyrannical rule of heinous kings.” But that hell was different from those. There was no justice in that Whitechapel district. Such a thing as justice didn’t existence anywhere there. But— they weren’t evil . The queen of that era, the doctors, the policemen, the criminals, the prostitutes, the orphans—none of them were either evil or just. The sky of that city had just been too heavy. It was like that oppressive grey sky had been crushing all of them. Indeed, ‘Jack the Ripper’ was evil. But her origin was simply—the small wish of the abandoned to ‘return to a peaceful place’. “…That’s why you apologized?” “Yes. Remember this well, Sieg-kun.” Ruler turned around—and gave a transient smile illuminated by the faint streetlights. “Evil and justice can be interchanged infinitely depending on where one stands. At the very least, I am definitely [evil] to Archer of Red.” “You, are evil…?” “Yes. It’s just as Archer of Red said. I also think so myself. I—am not anything like a saint.” Ruler said she wasn’t a saint. That was a denial of herself, a lie towards the people who idolized her. Sieg was shocked and gazed at her—but Ruler averted her eyes. “Now, let’s go back, Sieg-kun. If we’re too slow, your Servant will get angry.” She smiled as if to push aside the previous discussion and began walking. Sieg decided to obediently follow after her. While gazing at her back, Sieg recalled the evil hell that ordinary humans had created. He was certain that he would recall that scene countless times in the future. Each time he did, he would probably waver and become unable to believe in humanity. There might be individual people that he’ll come to like. But that might be merely a small piece of goodness washed away amidst overwhelming evil— Sieg would continue to ponder over humans and the world they create. Would he eventually be able to come to a conclusion? +++ Humans are good/Humans are evil. +++ Or perhaps he would acknowledge that humans were neither under some unknown concept? Sieg didn’t know. It was far too much to shoulder for a newborn homunculus. The confusion due to the feelings born in him, the confusion due to the abnormality of his situation, his own yet-unseen destination. His mind was a mess, and the most he could believe in was his own Servant and Ruler’s smile— +++ “I am not anything like a saint.” +++ Her confession just now was incredibly important. It was something he mustn’t forget. That’s how Sieg felt. But he didn’t understand the meaning behind it. He had no idea why the saint who should have been acknowledged by everyone derided herself as being evil and murmured that it was impossible for her to be a saint. If he asked her, would she tell him why? “…No, that’s no good.” Sieg immediately discarded that idea. Questioning everything and getting an answer to everything from others was probably wrong. He needed to think for himself and understand it on his own. Even if it was a question that might never be answered, even if the answer was lost in the darkness—he mustn’t stop the act itself of searching for that answer. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) αστραπη χειμων: Greek for “lightning storm”. 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 1 Ch1-12 When Archer of Red returned to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Aerial Gardens of Vanity where the Greater Grail was stored, she dispassionately reported to her Master Shirou that she had shot down Assassin of Black. “If possible, I would have like it if Assassin of Black kept causing a disturbance among the enemy camp a little while longer…” Assassin of Red spoke up in a bored manner from where she sat calmly on her throne. “It doesn’t matter. Either way, they will definitely chase after us. Since we’re in an all-out war, it would be troublesome to have trash like that moving unnecessarily.” “That’s true enough… Ah, by the way, Archer. Did you find out which Heroic Spirit Assassin of Black was?” Archer of Red replied in a completely apathetic, bored manner. “There’s no point in worrying over those already slain.” “…Hmm. Yes, it’s just as you say, but…” Shirou’s gaze became slightly suspicious. Archer of Red wore an annoyed expression and didn’t respond. There was something more important she needed to think about right now—all her focus was on her hated enemy. “I’m tired… that’s all I have to report.” After saying that, she left the throne room. Her Master Shirou tilted his head in puzzlement at having seen something strange. “What’s wrong, Master?” “…No. I’m a little concerned about Archer of Red’s behavior.” “She looks the same as always to me.” Archer of Red was a fundamentally cool-headed person. She wasn’t indifferent, but even if someone died in front of her eyes, she wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. Perhaps it was because she had lived her life amidst the exceedingly harsh providence of nature. Her thoughts were extremely cool and sober when it came to life and death—including her own. That’s why she wouldn’t care about the people she killed, no matter who they were, since their deaths changed nothing. Certainly, in that regard, her behavior was not that different from her usual attitude. But Shirou couldn’t get rid of a feeling of something out of place. …And then he realized. She had said she was ‘tired’. But there was no way the likes of Atalanta could feel tired from a simple scouting mission. Immediately before she turned around, Shirou had seen Archer of Red’s face from the side. Her beautiful face, which countless men had sought to marry her for, had been exuding unconcealed hatred and rage towards someone. +++ Archer of Red silently walked through the Hanging Gardens. Her pace was quick, as if she was trying to shake off that scene carved into her memories. But before she could go anywhere, a single man came to stand in her path. “…Out of the way, Caster.” Archer glanced at Caster in displeasure. Caster spoke to her while wearing his usual smile that was as deep and opaque as the bottom of the sea. “[Good things of day begin to droop and drowse; While night’s black agents to their preys do rouse]… Were you captured by the night, exalted swift-running huntress?” Archer grabbed the collar of Caster’s shirt as if she were fed up with him—and pushed him against a wall. “I’m tired. Very tired. So shut up, you clown.” But Caster didn’t shut up. “There is no way you of all people would be tired from a mere scouting mission! And you aren’t tired, but frightened, are you not? Just like a child who’s unable to escape into sleep after hearing a scary story!” “Shut up!” Archer’s gaze oozed with killing intent. Her eyes declared that she would kill him if he joked around any further. Nevertheless—Caster questioned her, his smile never breaking. “—What did you see? What did you perceive? How foolish. No matter what you saw, it is already merely a remnant of the past . We are ghosts of the past, and if ghosts regret the past, they become merely vengeful spirits.” The words of the clown, who shouldn’t have known anything, gouged the deepest depths of Archer’s heart. “You bastard…!!” Suddenly, all life and energy disappeared from Caster’s body. In the blink of an eye, the man she grasped by the collar was reduced to a mere wooden puppet. A spell used by the author Caster… or rather, a kind of sleight of hand that combined his immense fame and enigmatic history. “—We must live in the future. To devote our bodies to the yet-unseen world. Archer, you also want to see it, don’t you? A world where all children are loved! ” At some unknown point, Caster had crept up behind her back. Hearing him voice her wish, Archer stopped as she was about to grab him by the cuff again. The one in front of her didn’t seem like a puppet this time. Caster of Red gave a thin smile and closed one eye. “For the sake of that, we must activate the Greater Grail. Through any means possible.” “…You really believe that it will grant that wish?” “You heard our Master’s words, did you not? That Greater Grail can certainly grant his and your wish.” Hearing that answer, distress and conflict filled Archer of Red’s face. Caster’s words were truly like the devil’s whisper. “I—don’t know. Certainly, if it’s his wish, it might have the power to grant my wish as well. But… but, is it really all right? Is that wish truly… correct?” “Who knows? I don’t know either. No, let me put it like this. Are you unable to decide unless there’s a guarantee? [To be or not to be]—in that case, a clown can only laugh!” Archer glared at Caster for a little while—but a little bit of life had returned to her eyes. She silently walked away from him. Caster called out from behind her. “By the way, Archer-dono. In the end, just what kind of hell did you see?” Keeping her back to him, Archer whispered softly. “…It was a piece of the world’s system. Gods, heroes, magical beasts, evil kings—everything was dead there.” If an evil being committed a crime, then she would eliminate it. If a god went on a rampage, then she would search for a method to soothe it. But there was neither there. It was a part of mechanism of the world, working so superbly well that it created a perfect system that preyed on the weak. There was only one way to destroy it. The fulfillment of her wish by the activation of the Greater Grail. That was Archer’s only hope now. “I couldn’t save them with my own power… But, even though that woman could have saved them, she abandoned them and cut them down.” Her fists trembled with rage—and, even while understanding that this question was a landmine, Caster of Red asked her without holding back his curiosity. “That woman?” Turning around at the question, Archer of Red’s eyes were filled with dreadful glee. “Jeanne d’Arc. I will kill that woman. I’ll shoot her down with my arrows, and if that doesn’t work, I will rip her apart with my claws, and if that doesn’t work, I will tear her to shreds with my fangs.” “Oh my, is that possible with your beautiful nails and teeth?” With unfading madness in her eyes, Archer of Red smiled in joy from the bottom of her heart. “It’s possible. If it’s to kill that woman, I will even become a monster .” +++ Archer of Red departed, and Caster watched her leave. At some unknown point, Rider of Red had come to stand behind Caster. “A mouth that runs off so much can be a nuisance, you know.” Caster turned around at Rider’s sharp voice—and laughed. “Hahaha. After all, the only weapons I have are daggers of words!” Rider didn’t believe that this man had given advice to the troubled Archer out of the kindness of his heart. Caster was clearly planning something. The problem was that his intentions were unclear. Perhaps he simply found it amusing to mislead her with words… actually, that was quite possible. “More importantly, how about you go comfort Archer-dono yourself, Rider-dono?” Caster’s words were correct. It was true that it was important for Rider to soothe Archer of Red in her current dangerous state. But there a matter that took priority over that. It was something he had to ask Caster in front of him. “Hmph. I’ll go comfort nee-san later. What I’m more concerned about is—” “What are we waiting for, you mean?” “That’s right. You said you had to make preparations, Caster. Preparations for what? …The Black camp is going to arrive here sooner or later. It doesn’t seem like you’re preparing any countermeasures against them.” “Naturally. In the first place, preparations for that are being taken care of by Assassin—our dear empress.” “So it seems.” The Hanging Gardens were a Noble Phantasm, and its owner was that unbearably unlikable Assassin of Red. She had probably already made a plan for dealing with any attacks against them. Then, just what on earth was Caster, who shouldn’t be capable of using magecraft, doing right now? “Even if I cannot use magecraft, as a Servant of the Caster class, I have a technique to weave ‘miracles’. Right now, I’m in the midst of making preparations for it, you could say.” “Miracles—huh?” In other words, he meant his Noble Phantasm. Perhaps, like these Hanging Gardens, it required necessary materials or conditions, or perhaps it needed time to activate. Either way, it was probably something not for battle, but to break out of the deadlock of this situation—thus Rider concluded. “Now then, I will be on my way—ah, wait a minute. Speaking of which, Rider-dono. Archer of Black is your teacher Chiron, is he not?” “…What about it?” “No, I just wanted to ask how you have come to terms with the fate of clashing against your former teacher, even if you’re both Servants now.” “Do you want to know?” “Quite,” Caster replied with a nod. Without hesitating, Rider of Red materialized his beloved spear and pointed it at Caster. “You wouldn’t understand even in a hundred years.” Rider’s stern gaze radiated blatant killing intent. Rider of Red wasn’t a patient person at all. Regardless of the situation, any further mockery would cost Caster his life. And, with it unclear whether or not he was aware of this, Caster calmly shrugged. “So it’s like that. The pride and soul of noble warriors cannot be spoken of in words. In other words, you’re filled with such delight and sorrow to be facing each other as warriors that you cannot express it in mere words!” “You really don’t listen to people at all, do you!?” —And, even more annoyingly, when he heard his incredibly complex and indescribable feelings put into words like this, they became unexpectedly simple and clear. “Damn it, this is giving me a headache.” Scratching his head in frustration, Rider made his spear vanish. I’ll go make Lancer listen to my complaints, Rider decided as he turned his back on Caster—but he was called out to once again. “Eventually, I will carve your story into writing as well. So I have a question. Should it be a tragedy, or a comedy?” Too fed up with threaten Caster again with his spear, Rider replied immediately. “It’s my life. Interpret it however you want. But, well—” Suddenly, Rider’s past flashed through his mind. He had been born the child of a hero and a goddess, was separated from his mother at a young age, learned, fought, love, hated, and died in battle. That was probably something that could be expressed in words. With the infinite words that Shakespeare could spin, he could probably speak of and expose even Rider’s true heart. However, in the end, that was merely a story. No matter how accurately it was expressed in words, his life belonged to him alone. That’s why it was all the same to him whether it was a comedy or a tragedy. Therefore, all that was left to decide was Rider’s own preference. “Make it a comedy. So ridiculous it makes people laugh. In fact, dying because only my heel is human and it was shot with an arrow is already far beyond ridiculous!” Rider heartily laughed off his own life. Seeing that, Caster’s smile vanished, and he deeply bowed his head. “As you wish.” Even if he had some troubles, Rider believed himself to be fortunate. At the very least, this second life of his wasn’t filled with only bad things. There was someone he had wished to surpass in the past. The great sage who taught many heroes and knew all manner of martial arts and wisdom. There was a hero who once had wondered whether he would be able to fight and surpass that man one day. It was a wish Rider had left behind at some point during his days on the battlefield. But—his wish was now granted. Since it was granted, he treated it as fortunate. However—Rider of Red still had doubts over whether or not Shirou Kotomine—no, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada’s wish was truly enough to save the world. He understood the reasoning. It was flawlessly correct. Rider, who understood human karma quite well, even now deemed that Shirou’s plan was worthy for him to devote his spear in support. But… even so, he had doubts. It was literally a revolution against the human species. There was no predicting what would become of the world afterwards. But, at the very least, his Master believed in it. It was the conclusion he had reached after many decades. Most likely, he had already experienced the doubts that Rider was feeling. Was it too fast or too slow? It was a problem that even Heroic Spirits couldn’t reach a conclusion on. …Amakusa Shirou Tokisada must have seen hell before. He must have certainly witnessed that scene of every single human in his sight sight being massacred. And, even so, he still wanted to save all of humanity. That’s why Rider of Red decided it was fine to acknowledge him as his Master. He didn’t think that was wrong. He didn’t, but— He still had some slight hesitation he couldn’t get rid of. Rider was certain these feelings wouldn’t disappear until he knew that the salvation of humanity had been correctly brought about. 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 1-13 # (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 1-13 VOLUME 4 Chapter 1 Ch1-13 Each of the Red Servants had been given their own rooms within the Hanging Gardens. Naturally, they could rest by going into spiritual form, but there were many Servants who preferred to stay materialized. Especially when there were no worries in regards to their prana supply. However, the interior design of the rooms was quite cold and blunt. To Servants, who did not require sleep or food, personal rooms were simply for protecting their privacy. And even that privacy was almost completely useless considering the role they were summoned to this world for. However, right now, Archer of Red needed to be alone. She sat on the bed and threw off her leather gauntlets—and then she looked at her discolored right arm. There was a black bruise like a curled snake twining around the skin of her arm. It neither hurt nor inconvenienced her movements. But Archer could tell. This was a ‘curse’ of extremely high purity. Most likely, it was from that darkness which had swallowed her up when she killed Assassin of Black’s Master. Assassin of Black’s repulsive past. The flocks of children, the grudge of the unborn fetuses. Right before Assassin of Black died and dispersed, this curse was probably engraved in Archer. Of course, it would be easy to cut it off. Though Archer had no means to dispel curses, their group’s Assassin had the abilities of a Caster. There was also the dual Master-Servant Shirou Kotomine to rely on. If she asked for their aid, it probably wouldn’t be hard to restore her right arm. But—Archer couldn’t choose that option no matter what. Naturally, she didn’t want to rely on Assassin’s help. The idea of showing any weakness to that woman wasn’t even funny enough to be a joke. And Shirou Kotomine was technically Assassin’s Master. So she was naturally reluctant to request his help. …No, those were all excuses. Archer understood. She had to accept this curse. This curse was the resentment of the children she loved more than anything else. Fortunately, there was little pain since it was merely the work of low-class spirits. And she didn’t mind even if this curse brought about her own destruction. This was a punishment. A punishment she had to accept. She wrapped bandages around her rotten-smelling right arm, and decided to leave it alone with that. +++ There was one thing that Archer hadn’t noticed. It was true that what possessed her right arm were low-class vengeful spirits, too weak to have any effect on Archer herself. After all, Servants were the spirits of heroes who stood at the pinnacle of all spirits. In the first place, it had been possible for Archer to reject the possession. The moment the vengeful spirits entered her arm, she could have even devoured them as sustenance without any danger to herself. But she had refused to do that. In other words, she wished for ‘those children’ to maintain their consciousness. Of course, these vengeful spirits did not have any high-level intellect. They simply continued whispering their wish. +++ We want to go back, we want to go back, we want to go back. We want to go back inside Mother’s belly. +++ They could only whisper. They were vengeful spirits that should have been completely harmless. But Archer of Red felt ashamed at those whispers and felt compassion and pity. Those were feelings that one must never have when facing vengeful spirits who only made appeals for their final wish. That compassion stirred up her emotions, and gradually made her hatred swell up towards both herself, who couldn’t save them, and that holy maiden, who didn’t save them. “I don’t care.” But Archer of Red accepted that hatred without hesitation. She couldn’t help cherishing those ephemeral, destructive feelings. The more she hated herself and that woman—the more she could prove and believe in her own love. So, for now, she would sharpen her fangs. In order to kill that false saint, Archer of Red continued to earnestly nurture her hatred. 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 ### 014. Chapter 1 Ch1-14 Caster of Red watched Rider depart, and then headed off to his study. The Servant Caster possessed the class skill [Territory Creation]. This skill’s rank changed depending on the Servant’s ability, bloodline or occupation. If they were famous as a magus, they could even create a Temple, which surpassed a Workshop. Caster of Red wasn’t technically a magus… in the first place, someone like a writer didn’t need a Temple or a Workshop. What he required was a study for writing. Within the study that Caster of Red had constructed, there were mountains of books, a typewriter that Shirou had gotten for him (he had immediately abandoned it after getting it), a desktop computer (he had immediately abandoned this as well)—and a writing desk with a pen and paper on it. It was a room quite disconnected from his class name as Caster. It truly was a study. Of course, if you considered that the piles of scrap paper in the room’s garbage can were all part of Shakespeare’s new work , it was a mystical room in a certain sense. Caster of Red took out one of the books on the bookshelves. The book’s title was [William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Historical Dramas and Tragedies]—a book compilation commonly known as the ‘First Folio’. …However, this book wasn’t something that Shakespeare had published himself. His friend had merely collected together his works after he died. In the first place, there were no manuscripts made from his personal handwriting. After looking it over, he took out another, bulky leather-bound book beside it. The book had no title, and even the author’s name wasn’t inscribed on it. The book he held now was different from the earlier one. This was a genuine book personally handwritten by him. But—he still hadn’t finished writing it. He cherishingly moved his fingers across where the text came to an interrupted halt. “—Now then, it’s certainly been following the path of a masterpiece until this point, but…” The protagonist needed to go through many hardships. A life full of smooth sailing from beginning to end should be left to any average person you could find anywhere. A protagonist’s story needed dramatic parts. Whether the story was a tragedy, a comedy, or something else entirely, unique people had equally unique lives. In that sense, Shirou Kotomine was infinitely close to Caster’s ideal. Regardless of whether or not his wish was granted, his end would no doubt be impressive. Contained in these bookshelves were books recounting the stories of all the people involved in the Great Holy Grail War. They included both those who had already lost and vanished and those who had been killed off-hand. Naturally, among them was the book of that country girl—Jeanne d’Arc. He admitted that he had been slightly wrong to utterly make fun of her when he was alive just because she had been England’s enemy. She wasn’t some pitiful, mad country girl. It would have been far better for her if that’s all she was. She was someone who understood her own sins and yet still didn’t stop being a saint—a girl who fought against despair. “When classifying those known as saints, they can be properly described as those who save people and fight not out of personal desire, but against the despair of this evil world. In that case, regardless of the end results, the two of them are naturally and unmistakably saints.” To save his people, to save her homeland; regardless of the scale, they had stood up and fought. “However, their paths ended up being different. My Master, who acts to save all of humanity, and the Holy Grail’s protector, who moves to stop that. To think their good intentions would be turned inside out into ill will towards each other, how tragic! [Honor travels in a strait so narrow, Where one but goes abreast.]” Their confrontation with each other couldn’t be avoided, and their tale was so fascinating. Even though they were both trying to save people, they were enemies who had no choice but to kill one another . “I’d like it if the two of them squared off against each other at the very end, but—” Caster closed the book and took out another one. This book was different from the last extravagant leather-bound one; it was a white and bluntly plain book. This was the book of that homunculus. He should have been immature, weak, and commonplace. No, even now, he was still commonplace. The only unique thing about him was the power he had received. The choices of those surrounding him had merely pushed the trait of being unique onto him. But… but. Even so, he continued to survive in the Great Holy Grail War. Though he had a short life, he chose to fight and desperately struggled. His short days alive were far too condensed to be called a human lifetime. Of course, homunculi were given knowledge from the moment they were born—or rather, they were artificial lifeforms that were born with knowledge. Most of them were boring, ordinary and uninteresting mass-produced beings. That’s why the abnormality of this homunculus stood out so much. He was neither boring nor ordinary. It was just that he wasn’t conspicuous within this Great Holy Grail War when all the Servants were far more abnormal than him—but that’s what made him so amiss. He wasn’t a hero. But he wasn’t an ordinary being either. He was a pitiful boy trifled with by fate, but he wasn’t bothered by that. In that case, what was his role in this Great Holy Grail War? To act as recognition of the services of the holy maiden? To be a Master or Servant that was part of his side’s forces? Or perhaps—he was the one who would square off against the person at the center of this battle, Shirou Kotomine—against Amakusa Shirou Tokisada? “…Hmm, no, that’s impossible.” The only one who was equal to Amakusa Shirou Tokisada was the holy maiden Jeanne d’Arc. Everyone’s awareness of that was unchanged. Most likely, the two of them would square off again in the final decisive battle. There was no room for the homunculus to wedge himself in… No, he might be thrown in as part of the enemy forces, but he himself shouldn’t be able to meddle in the part which touched upon the foundation of this war. But even that possibility was about to vanish. His Master’s plan to save humanity would soon begin. Would Shirou Kotomine become a savior? Or—would he fail to save people once more and become a pitiful clown? Either way, Caster had no doubt it would be a tragic, comic and extremely enjoyable story. 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. 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Chapter 2 Ch2-1 The Masters and Servants of the Black Camp had once more gathered in the castle’s conference room. After much trouble, Assassin of Black had been taken down, thereby getting rid of any lingering worries before they departed. There would be no problem leaving the other Yggdmillennia clan members to deal with and cover up the injuries from the fog. The fact that the children that Assassin had controlled were all alive and well was a silver lining within it all. “We’ll leave Trifas and head to the capital Bucharest at noon tomorrow. Once there, we’ll board an airplane and commence our air-raid against the Hanging Gardens.” —So Fiore’s declaration shouldn’t have been surprising, but… “Nee-san. An air-raid means attacking the ground from the air, so I don’t think that phrasing applies in this case, strictly speaking.” “Muh. I-It doesn’t matter. Caules, make sure you finish all your preparations in time.” “Well, I will, but are we really going by air? Using a normal plane?” Fiore nodded with a frown. “After all, no matter what plans we think up, it’s impossible to avoid being intercepted by the enemy, right? In that case, it’s more efficient to go there using the cheapest method and disguising ourselves as much as possible.” “Hey, hey! The airplane! I can pilot the airplane!” Rider of Black enthusiastically raised his hand—but Fiore shook her head. “We’ll have a golem pilot the plane. We can’t have a Servant’s hands occupied with piloting it in the middle of battle.” “But I have a rank of A+ in my Riding skill! I wanted to show off how I can ride anything and not just my Hippogriff, you know!?” “Ufufu. Such a shameful motive gives me all the more reason to say no… Besides, if you’re not riding your Hippogriff when things turn bad, you won’t be able to protect you Master, right?” “Ugh, that’s true, but…” “The members going to the Hanging Gardens are Archer of Black, Rider of Black, Ruler, the boy who can become Saber of Black… and me as well.” “But Master—” Archer of Black tried to object, but Fiore coldly refused. “We’ve gone over this, Archer. I also have my pride as the head of Yggdmillennia. And we can’t risk the possibility of my prana being cut off from you in the midst of battle either.” Archer silently withdrew his protest. He appeared to understand from Fiore’s obstinate expression that his words wouldn’t change her mind. Fiore continued speaking to persuade them everyone else as well. “…I must accompany you all in case the worst should happen. I have a duty as the head of Yggdmillennia. Additionally, unlike a normal Holy Grail War, fourteen Servants were summoned this time. It’s possible that the Path between Master and Servant is weakened as a result. It’s not a good idea to become separated from each other.” In a Holy Grail War, the relationship between Master and Servant was, logically, the same as between magus and familiar. There existed a Line connecting the familiar and magus, which was essentially unaffected by distance. However, the prana channel between Master and Servant was a pseudo-version of this Line that was created during the summoning. Prana flowed across the Line, but Fiore conjectured that it might become cut off if they became too distanced from each other. Even more so if they left Romania, the base of Yggdmillennia’s magecraft. In other words, it would be the same as if the Master didn’t exist for the Servant. Unless they had the skill [Independent Action], Servants wouldn’t be able to last even a day in that condition. “Nee-san, me too—” Fiore quickly spoke up to cut Caules off. “Caules. You must remain here… You are the successor of the Forvedge family. I can’t allow you to be exposed to danger.” “—That’s wrong.” When Caules replied like that, Fiore glared at him with cold eyes. Her eyes weren’t those of his older sister, but of a magus. But, though that would normally be enough to make him withdraw his opinion, Caules glared right back at her without retreating a single step. “…Caules. We will talk about this later.” As if to shake off the bad atmosphere hanging over the conference, Ruler spoke up to ask a question. “An airplane, huh…? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it in terms of speed, but have you thought up any countermeasures against making us an easy target for the enemy when we approach them?” Fiore frowned and pressed a hand to her head as if very troubled. “We have come up with three tentative measures. If you’ll all listen, then—” Fiore laid out the full details of the strategy she had refined together with Archer. Among the three measures she had devised, two of them were extremely valid and effective plans that anyone could think of. The problem was the last one. ‘It’s a bit forceful, but it’s not a bad idea’—so judged Rider of Black. Sieg also agreed to it, saying, ‘It will slightly raise our chances of reaching the Hanging Gardens.’ When Archer of Black heard the idea, he was also satisfied, saying, ‘It will reduce our disadvantage in the air even if only by a little bit.’ And lastly, Ruler, the only one among them who understood the common sense of regular society, became pale-faced when she heard it. “…Ruler, is something wrong?” Fiore tilted her head and asked her curiously. Ruler breathed out a sigh and shook her head. “No, it’s nothing. I just painfully realized the gulf that lies between magi and normal humans.” Even with this plan, though, they would only be able to get close to Assassin’s enormous Noble Phantasm, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon . “It still isn’t enough. I’d like at least one more countermeasure to have in play.” Sieg groaned at the difficulty of what Fiore asked. In the first place, the preconditions were harsh. An impregnable floating fortress, along with Atalanta, Karna, Achilles and Semiramis—all of them Servants of the strongest rank. The problem wasn’t a matter of winning or losing, but how to feasibly approach that floating fortress— Ruler raised her hand first. She cleared her throat, gathering everyone’s attention towards her. “How about preparing a second airplane loaded with explosives and enhanced through consecration and making it dive and crash into the gardens from a high altitude?” Ruler, who had run through numerous battlefields, proposed quite an extreme plan. “…H-How bold.” Fiore stiffened. Archer of Black exclaimed “Oh!” in admiration and clapped his hands. “But the Hanging Gardens is an autonomous moving fortress. It’s most likely Assassin of Red’s greatest and most prized mystery. Even if you consecrate them, I have doubts about how much damage mere explosives will be able to do…” “However, if we don’t manage to damage it at least a little, even infiltrating the gardens will be impossible. The situation is far different from the last battle. This time, they’ll definitely counterattack with all their might.” Ruler was correct. Back when they were stealing the Greater Grail, the situation hadn’t allowed the Red camp to ambush the enemy Servants while the Hanging Gardens was so close to the surface. In the first place, Shirou had intentionally led the Black Servants and Ruler into the Gardens back then. This time would be different. The Red camp would move to eliminate the Black camp with all their might. “Even if we use that plan, it still isn’t enough.” After Archer of Black stated that, the gathered Servants, Masters and even the homunculi standing by for orders exchanged various ideas, but none of them were worth pursuing. “Not a plane, but strategic bombing aircraft… Hmm, either way, we need a weapon with great destructive power… missiles… or a bunker-buster… or, though the name is disrespectful, perhaps the [Rods of God] 1 …” Fiore and most of the others couldn’t understand even half of the things that Ruler murmured. Only Gordes trembled in fear, saying, “Does this holy woman intend to end the world…?” “Hmm? In that case, how about this homun—” The instant Caules tried to point at the homunculus Sieg after suddenly thinking of something, Ruler glared at him. Caules frantically hid his hand. Sieg then raised his own hand and spoke up. “I really don’t mind using my Noble Phantasm as Saber of Black… But, if I end up clashing against the Hanging Gardens’ defense functions—in other words, against Assassin of Red’s spells, the Gardens will likely survive the attack even if I don’t lose outright.” Sieg could accurately calculate the power of that spell attack which Ruler blocked with her holy flag. If that was all there was, he was confident that he could overwhelm and beat it with Saber of Black’s Balmung . However, they had learned from Rider of Black that the Hanging Gardens had eleven interception spells prepared and ready for Assassin of Red to fire at any time. If the spell that Ruler had blocked was a ‘one’, then it was basically multiplied by eleven when fired in combination. Even then, Sieg probably wouldn’t lose, but he wasn’t confident that he could defeat it either. The odds were likely that it would turn into a contest of power—clashing against each other with all their might and merely resulting in both of them exhausting themselves. And, though the Red camp could afford it, that was the worst possible outcome for the Black camp. “Turning it into a contest of power is the same as wasting Saber of Black’s power. That’s a very poor plan.” Archer of Black stated that, and Ruler agreed. Sieg also wanted him to use his power as little as possible. But it was also true that he wanted to help them reach the Hanging Gardens if his power was necessary. If the odds were high that it would end up being a contest of power, then it couldn’t be helped. There were no holes in their plan itself. There weren’t, but—in order to reach the Gardens, they had to get through Lancer, Rider and Archer of Red’s interception attacks. The Gardens also had its own defences, so taking that into account— “…As I thought, the odds of us surviving are low.” At Sieg’s intuitive words, a gloomy silence enveloped the conference room. Just as Sieg said, even with all their plans, the odds of success were low. A plane was, in the end, merely a flying lump of metal. It would be easily torn apart by any attack from Archer’s bow, Lancer’s spear or Rider’s chariot. “—That’s true. The fact that I’m so inept that I can only think of something like this is the problem. However, there aren’t many methods for us to oppose the Hanging Gardens.” Though it was called a ‘garden’, it was already on the level of a fortress. Even the Fortress of Millennia, which had required hundreds of years to build, was but a fragile balloon in comparison. Assassin of Red—Semiramis. The legendary empress born from the goddess Derketo and a human man. Famed for her peerless beauty after she grew up, she was sometimes regarded as an incarnation of the goddess Ishtar. She could probably put up a good match against Lancer of Red, Karna, with the strength of her mysteries. And then there was her Noble Phantasm, the Hanging Gardens. Even if it was a temporary miracle that would only last for the duration of the Great Holy Grail War, airplanes, which were the crystallization of modern science and technology, were nothing when compared to it. “It’s fine, it’s fine! At the very least, I can protect Master and one other person!” In order to break the gloomy atmosphere, Rider of Black spoke up in a bright voice. His words weren’t a simple show of courage. They were full of confidence, truly the kind of words that only a hero could shout. “You mean with your Hippogriff?” “Yeah! I couldn’t display its special ability in the previous battle, but this time I’ll use it for sure! After all, you’re my Master now! Ahaha.” Rider laughed while slapping Sieg’s back repeatedly. Ruler felt the atmosphere in the conference room flip around and become half-amazed, yet also brighter. Those words were quite carefree, but they were sincere as well. Rider hadn’t tried to forcibly cheer them up; he was a warrior who truly thought that way from the bottom of his heart. That was enough for the atmosphere to change. “And besides, I’m completely impervious to magecraft! I have a tome that can counter any kind of spell!” After all, Rider of Black had an abundance of reliable Noble Phantasms to make up for his own weak abilities. “Well, I did forget its true name, so it’s can’t display its real ability, though.” Yes, even if he had forgotten the Noble Phantasm’s name and couldn’t activate its full power—— +++ “No, please wait a second, Rider. What did you just say?” +++ Everyone’s gazes, including Sieg, converged on Rider of Black. Rider tilted his head with a puzzled expression— “Eh, like I said, I have a Noble Phantasm tome. I’m really troubled since I’ve forgotten its true name.” Looking completely untroubled in his demeanor, Rider of Black spoke cheerfully. +++ —Rider of Black took out a book which suddenly materialized of nowhere and placed it on the conference room’s table with a thud. All the magi of the group, including Fiore, Caules and Gordes, gulped at the sight of it. “This is Astolfo’s Noble Phantasm…” Unlike Rider’s Hippogriff or lance, which had little to do with magecraft, a grimoire like this was a familiar sight to them. And because they were familiar with grimoires, they could comprehend the enormous magical power hidden within this tome. “…I see. So the reason your Magic Resistance is only one rank below mine is because you have this.” Ruler nodded in understanding. She had certainly thought it was strange. The Magic Resistance of the Rider class was usually low-ranked, and she had never heard any legend of Astolfo originally having such a trait either. But there was a legend about a tome that could destroy all spells, which had been given to Astolfo by a good witch. Indeed, if he always had this in his possession, he wouldn’t be harmed by most spells. “Yeah, it really is convenient. After all, just possessing it protects me from spells.” “…Umm, Rider. May I ask something?” While taking a deep breath, Fiore spoke up. “This tome can activate its true abilities by speaking its true name. According to legend, this is a grimoire that can destroy all spells, right? …And you forgot its true name?” “No, actually, it’s just on the tip of my tongue—” “Remember it, please remember it! We might be able to take down the Hanging Gardens if you do!” Fiore shook Rider’s shoulders with her Bronze-Link Manipulators. “Wah, wah, wawah, wawawah! Wait, wait! I’ll remember! I’ll remember it! No, actually, I just remember it! Really, really!” “Truly!?” Not only Fiore, but even Archer and Ruler got excited and pressed near him all at once. Even someone like Rider could feel the pressure here, and he took a step back while sweating. “Err. Umm. What I remembered isn’t its true name, but the requirement for me to remember it, though…” “Requirement…?” “Yeah. The requirement is— a moonless night . If it’s on a day when there’s no moon, I can definitely invoke this grimoire’s true name.” Everyone exchanged glances at those words. “Moonless—in other words, a new moon, huh?” Fiore wondered aloud, and her Servant Archer of Black voiced his agreement. “The moon has been treated as a guide of madness since ancient times. If we consider that the reason that Rider’s reason evaporates is due to madness, then it’s only on a night when the moon his hidden that Rider’s reason returns.” “The next new moon is… five days from now. What will you do, Yggdmillennia?” Sieg asked the question. In truth, their plan was to depart tomorrow, but if they waited until the next new moon, Rider would be able to activate his Noble Phantasm. The longer they waited, the farther the Hanging Gardens would get from them. If the Red Camp managed to leave Romania’s borders, the ownership of the Greater Grail would become a contested issue. Even if they managed to take back the Greater Grail outside of Romania, it would be considerably difficult to reconnect it to the land’s leylines since it would be outside the territory that served as the base of Yggdmillennia’s power. The head of Yggdmillennia, Darnic, had once used the power of Nazi Germany in order to transport the Greater Grail, but the clan didn’t have any such power or connections now. Yggdmillennia’s level of influence was completely different inside and outside of Romania. If they were within Yggdmillennia’s territory, they might be able to gather the survivors of their clan and, if necessary, utilize Romania’s government to take the Greater Grail back to the Fortress of Millennia. But, once they took a single step outside of the country, Yggdmillennia’s ‘power’ was weak. It would be impossible for them to transport the Greater Grail back. And it wasn’t like the Association of Magi had given up on the Greater Grail after losing in the Great Holy Grail War. In other words—even if they won this war, the Greater Grail wouldn’t return to Yggdmillennia’s hands. But, if they didn’t wait five days, they would have to shoulder excessive risk in order to get back the Greater Grail. Fiore was pressed into making a decision. …As a magus, she should go after the Greater Grail even if it meant ignoring Rider of Black’s Noble Phantasm. To reach the Root. To make Yggdmillennia’s power known to the world. For the sake of those objectives, activating the Greater Grail was absolutely necessary. What would happen if they let the Greater Grail fall out of their grasp without resistance? It would mean the end of Yggdmillennia. At the very least, letting the Greater Grail be stolen would almost certainly mean the end of her life as a magus. As the head of Yggdmillennia, that alone was— “…Sorry. Please let me talk with Nee-san for a while. Sieg and all the Servants, please go back to your rooms for tonight and rest. We’ll come to a decision by tomorrow.” Perhaps sensing that Fiore’s thoughts were in a deadlock, Caules raised his hand and spoke up. Gordes merely said, “This isn’t an issue that I have any say in anyway,” and he left before any of the others. Rider of Black seemed like he wanted to say something to the Forvedge siblings, but Sieg and Ruler grabbed his shoulders and forcibly pulled him out of the room. Lastly, Archer of Black looked at the conflicted Fiore—and then looked at Caules. Caules nodded silently. Seeing that, Archer smiled in relief, and silently left the room. And then, only the two siblings were left in the conference room. Fiore moved her wheelchair to look at the pitch-black darkness outside the window—as if she were trying to run away. “Now then. Nee-san, what will we do?” That cold tone was completely unlike the normal Caules; it was the voice of a magus. Fiore replied while still facing the window. “We must shoulder the greater risks. We—Yggdmillennia must take back the Greater Grail through any means pos—” “I think this is a watershed moment.” Without waiting for her to finish speaking, Caules cut in and said that. “Watershed… what do you mean?” “This is a turning point deciding whether you’ll become a magus or a human, Nee-chan 2 .” —Those words sent a horrible chill down Fiore’s back. “…What are you talking about?” “Based on the movements of the Greater Grail that we heard from Ruler, the Red camp is definitely heading towards the Black Sea. I have no idea where they intend to go from there. Maybe they’ll go north or south, or maybe they’re heading somewhere specific—in any case, if we don’t catch up with them by tomorrow, the Greater Grail will fall out of all of our hands.” “I know that.” “Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia devoted everything for the sake of this rebellion. He put our blood, our magic power, our fortune and property, everything last thing we have on the table. If we lose here, everything will come to nothing. Even if we wait five days and win with better chances, it will all come to nothing .” “I know that.” “So if we want the Greater Grail, we have to leave by tomorrow.” “Like I said, I know all that! Caules, what are you trying to say!?” Irritated, Fiore turned around and glared at Caules—and her anger immediately vanished like mist. Caules’ eyes were as dark as the depths of the deep sea. “However, that is the choice of a magus.” “…Of a magus?” That was obvious. That was the premise behind everything. Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia was a magus, after all. “The Greater Grail can’t be allowed to be used by someone evil. That’s why we have to win. For the sake of that, we’ll raise our odds of winning even the slightest bit. We have to lower the risk and increase our chances… even if it means we can’t obtain the Greater Grail.” Caules calmly said that. “I won’t change my mind. Yggdmillennia—” “Who cares about Yggdmillennia? Forget the fact that you’re the head of our family too. Nee-chan, the issue here is whether or not you’ll continue to be a magus.” Understanding the meaning of those words, Fiore turned pale and moved back from Caules. Her anger had disappeared, and in its stead, she felt fear, looking at her brother as if he had become a monster. “…Are you telling me to stop being a magus?” “That’s something for you to decide, Nee-chan.” “The answer is obvious. I—” I will continue being a magus. I must continue being a magus. After all, our parents and relatives expect that of me, and I have to unify our clan. I also have to use the Greater Grail to grant my wish to have my legs healed— “…Do you remember that dog?” —Fiore’s breathing halted. Memories that should have sunk to the bottom of her consciousness suddenly rose to the surface. The peeled skin of the dog. Its cries of pain. Its black eyes that seemed to ask “Why?”— Just remembering it made her feel like vomiting. “…I remember. I could never forget it.” Tightly gripping the armrests of her wheelchair, Fiore replied as if spitting out blood. She had thought about forgetting it time and time again. And each time, she had sworn not to forget and continued to endure the flashbacks. “I see… In that case, you really aren’t suited to be a magus, Nee-chan. It would have better if you just forgot it .” Memories of the past were important. If it was for the sake of living as a magus, then she should hold onto them. But Fiore’s memories were merely a form of trauma that gave her no benefit. Even if it raised her chances of communicating with low-level spirits within her specialty magecraft, what good would it do? Her success was natural in the first place, and even if she failed a spell, she could think of a hundred ways of dealing with it. As someone trained thoroughly as a magus, she could reject any trivial spiritual possession just by using her Magic Circuits. …That’s why memories had no value for her. If a memory was so sad, painful and unpleasant that it blinded her, she didn’t have any problem with forgetting it. —Except for one. The memory of those peaceful days spent with that dog. “There’s no way I could forget.” “Why?” Caules’ voice was calm as he asked that. Fiore forgot about resisting, and simply answered honestly. “Because, if I forget that little one, where else would he have to go?” +++ In this world, the only ones who remembered that dog—were probably only herself and her brother. If she forgot him, that dog would disappear in that instant. The certain awareness that ‘he had existed’ would disappear. People make graves in order not to forget the dead. Each time they saw the graves, they recalled those bygone days. Proving that ‘those people were alive in the past’ was just as important as proving ‘I’m alive in the present’. That’s why, if she forgot that dog… He would have nowhere to go— +++ “Isn’t that sentiment completely opposed to the reasoning of magi? …That’s why you’re not cut out to be a magus, Nee-chan.” Hearing those words, Fiore stopped breathing for an instant—and then she nodded. “…You’re right. I’m not cut out for it. I might have hesitated over it a little too much.” She should have forgotten it. But even if she didn’t forget it, it didn’t impede her that much. She had used her talent to continue dodging the issue between her detestable sentimentality and her life as a magus. But that was also at an end. Her childhood was long past, and she had to decide whether to take the path forward or backward now. …She should go forward. She should continue as a magus. That was the correct choice. That was unmistakably the logical decision. Ah, but— She had made a grave for that dog. She didn’t know whether it had been worn away by the all rain and wind since then. But still, she and her brother had made a grave. She had grieved for that dog and felt sad over his death. She didn’t have the courage to erase those feelings and call herself a magus with a calm face. Yes, that’s right. She had no courage . Cowardly, timid, always worrying and fretting; that was her true self. Something warm filled her heart. She thought herself foolish and weak, not for being unable to keep moving forward, but for being unable to change the part of her that didn’t want to ever forget that dog—but even so, she didn’t regret it. “—I can’t go forward anymore.” “…I see. Yeah, I think that’s for the best, Nee-chan.” She was at her limit. Hearing Caules’ words, Fiore bent forward and began to sob. +++ Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia decided to quit. Not the Great Holy Grail War, but her life as a magus. “…We’ll wait five days. If Rider can utilize that tome’s true power, it will decrease the risk of us getting shot down when we attack.” “I see. Then Nee-chan, you’ll stand behind here—” As Caules patted his chest in relief, Fiore tilted her head curiously and interrupted him. “What are you talking about? Of course not. Naturally, I’ll also be going.” “Huh!? Didn’t you quit!?” “Caules, what on earth are you talking about?” As if her tears just now were a lie, she spoke to her brother with a composed expression. “I’ve certainly quit being Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia the magus. But I still have a separate duty as someone chosen as a Master in the Great Holy Grail War.” “Ugh. That’s…” Caules groaned. Just as she said, regardless of whether or not she was a magus now, she still had her responsibility as a Master. Furthermore, Archer of Black was still alive and required prana. And it wasn’t like she could give up on the Great Holy Grail War here. She had to fight, not as a magus, but because of her pride as a Master. “You listening, Caules? I will also ride the plane. You will remain here with Gordes-ojisama. I will entrust everything to you both should the worst case scenario occur.” “…No, I’ll go. I’ll go too. I’m the same as you. I also have a duty as a Master.” That’s right, Caules was still a Master. Though only to a small extent, he was supplying prana for Archer of Black. But that was simply as a backup. In reality, he was merely a Master that had already dropped out of the Great Holy Grail War. “Even though Berserker is gone?” When Fiore asked that sadly, Caules looked straight at Fiore and responded. “Even if Berserker is gone, even if all my Command Spells have vanished, I’m still a Master. And above all, I’m an Yggdmillennia magus. Since I bear that duty, I’ll also go.” Fiore sucked in a surprised breath when she heard those words. An Yggdmillennia magus—she understood what those words meant. They were a proclamation of their separation, and a kind of decisive declaration. For a short while, the two of them fell into silence. “……I see. You’re going that way , Caules.” Fiore whispered in a lonely manner, and Caules shrugged calmly. “I myself don’t care either way. But well, if Nee-chan is going over to that side , I should stay on this side.” That wasn’t Caules’ own desire. He was merely acting in accordance with Fiore’s actions. But he had no regrets over it. In the first place, he had always led an aimless life. He was a completely half-hearted person who didn’t care whether he was a human or a magus either way. If that could help his sister settle her own life—well, that was fine with me. “You won’t come with me…?” “Is there a need for me to go with you?” Caules unhesitantly rebuked Fiore’s imploring words. It’s better like this, thought Caules. Fiore would be lonely and lament that he was no longer by her side. But it was still a parting that she would eventually recover from. She had decided the path she would follow. There was no way to know what lay ahead of her. But she had decided. She would lose many things—that was only natural, since she was throwing away the glory and life of a magus. Even so—Fiore wanted to follow that path. It wasn’t about whether it was right or not. It was a decision wrapped in regret. “…I’ll be lonely.” “I wonder about that. We might both end up dying in five days.” “—Yeah. Naturally, such a future is also possible.” Perhaps because she had been absentminded, she had completely forgotten it was far more likely they wouldn’t live to see the future—and when she realized that, Fiore involuntarily laughed. Caules also started laughing with her, and from there on, their faces twisted in mirth as they convulsed with laughter. +++ Wiping tears from his eyes, Caules spoke. “It’s the final battle. Let’s make sure to go all out, Nee-chan.” “It’s all right. I—have Archer to protect me, after all,” Fiore replied. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Rods of God: the nickname for kinetic bombardment, which basically involves launching a projectile down from orbit and using the kinetic energy from the drop to deliver a devastating strike to the surface even without any explosives. (2) Here, Caules has switched from calling Fiore “Nee-san” to “Nee-chan”, showing he is talking to her more familiarly. 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 ### 016. Chapter 2 Ch2-3 Sieg and Rider of Black had left Trifas to head to Bucharest. Fiore had furnished a safe house in the city and had asked them to head there first. …Apparently, she was conducting a ritual that couldn’t be shown to outsiders. Leaving aside Rider of Black who was a Servant, the homunculus would possibly live past the Great Holy Grail War, and so Fiore had requested that he go to a location as far away from the castle as possible. Sieg didn’t know what kind of ritual it was, but it couldn’t be helped if his presence would be in the way, so he agreed. Fiore also offered to provide him with other homunculi to attend him, but Sieg politely declined. “I’ll catch up with you soon.” Ruler said that while clasping her hands together. Her eyes were very serious as she gazed at Sieg. Ruler had to take care of two tasks that Sieg and Fiore had respectively requested of her, so she was staying at the Fortress of Millennia a little while longer. In other words, their group’s greatest safety net would be gone from their side. “Listen, okay? Please don’t let Rider cause any trouble. This is not just my request, it’s the request of Archer of Black and all of Yggdmillennia as well.” The homunculi behind her nodded in unison. “…Understood. I’ll somehow keep Rider in check.” Sieg clenched his fist as if to show his determination. “Heeeey, you guys, I am right here, you know? No, you do know, don’t you? You’re doing it while aware that I’m here. Damn it, are you all trying to pick a fight with me!?” And Rider of Black, who was watching all this from Sieg’s side, lost his temper. But their unease wasn’t unwarranted. After all, he was Astolfo, who was famed for his reason evaporating in his legend. He had caused lots of trouble both big and small while here in Trifas as well. “Now, now, please do calm down. I have faith in you, Rider.” Archer of Black spoke gently and patted Rider’s shoulder. “Archer… *sniff*, you’re the only one who believes in me.” Rider’s eyes grew moist. Caules spoke up while watching the scene with scornful eyes. “You were quite troubled over whether you should go to watch Rider, though, Archer.” “Traitor!!” Rider of Black repeatedly struck his hands against Archer’s chest. Sieg came forward to calm him down. While watching the two of them with a gentle gaze, Fiore spoke to Sieg. “Once we rejoin you, we’ll immediately head out towards the Hanging Gardens. Perhaps you should say goodbye to the other homunculi here while you have the chance?” +++ —Goodbye. +++ Sieg stiffened at that word as if taken by surprise. What Fiore said was natural, but it was only now that he truly realized that he would have to part with his fellow homunculi. “All right. Rider, please wait a bit.” “Sure. Say all your farewells until you’re satisfied.” “Sieg-kun, partings are a sad thing. Please make sure to engrave them in your memories.” Sieg nodded at Ruler’s words and then went to bid farewell to the other homunculi. Most of the homunculi nodded lightly at his words of farewell and replied by tapping his shoulder or patting his head. Goodbye, do your best, be well, we’ll miss you, don’t die, don’t lose, good luck, take care of your body —All of their words were ordinary, yet precious. Taking in each of their words one after another, Sieg lastly headed to see the homunculus who basically served as their leader, Tool. “…You’re going?” Due to having received great damage during the previous fog incident, she still couldn’t get out of bed. Her consciousness was clear, but she didn’t seem to have yet regained the strength to get up and work. According to Gordes’ diagnosis, she would return to normal in another three days, but— “Yeah. Whether I win or lose, I probably won’t come back here.” If he lost, he would probably die. Even if he won or managed to just survive, he wouldn’t return to Trifas. …He didn’t know what he would do then. Would he distance himself from the evil of humans, or believe in the goodness of humans? “I see. That’s fine… Go, then. You have a future, after all.” Tool lightly grasped Sieg’s hand and softly struck it. Sieg nodded with a humble expression. “Truly, thank you very much.” “…Hmm? I think I’m the one who should be saying thanks, though.” Tool tilted her head in confusion at Sieg’s words. Sieg sighed—how should he explain it? He was simply glad that she and the others were alive. That was all. As he was perplexed over how to express it in words, Tool giggled. “Well, saying farewell like that really is like you… You can live and survive anywhere. You’re our hope, after all. You’ll surely do something amazing. All the homunculi here believe that.” Something amazing, huh? Even now, he was aware that he was an “amazing” existence. Even so, that was only a transient miracle. Once the Great Holy Grail War ended, he would probably live an ordinary life like anyone else— “No. You’ll surely do something amazing.” Tool giggled from the bottom of her heart. It soon changed into a spasm-like cough, so he hurriedly gave her water and decided to leave the room. Even if he gave the same farewell to everyone, there were slight differences among their reactions. Some were sad, some were happy, some were lonely at the prospect of his departure, and some held expectations for his future— The differences were slight, but that was a result of their individuality, as slight as it might be. Even if they were reared the same way, even if others paid no heed to them, Sieg thought that was something precious. …He felt reluctant to part with them. But that feeling of reluctance and regret was probably something previous as well. After bidding farewell to everyone, he joined back up with Rider of Black at the castle gates. “You finished your farewells?” “…Yeah, basically.” “I see. Then let’s go and do our best!” Rider firmly grasped his hand. That strength of his was reliable and made Sieg happy. And at the same time, he had a thought. Perhaps someday… no, not ‘perhaps’, I will definitely have to say farewell to Rider as well. At that time, will I cry or laugh? Or will I not feel anything at all? If possible, I hope I feel something. +++ After getting on a bus going out of Trifas, Sieg and Rider at last arrived in Bucharest at some point in the evening. They walked through the city following the map they had been given. Along the way, they ended up being surrounded by several men of large build, but fortunately neither of them was injured. They seemed to give up after Rider, using his strength which had once dragged around a giant, bent a nearby light post with his bare hands. “Then, let’s get going.” Rider had walked away with a calm face… Since the situation would have turned out much worse if Rider hadn’t displayed his strength like that, Sieg concluded it wasn’t a problem. The building that had been prepared as their safe house was made of brickwork and was closed off from the outside, the perfect example of a ‘building for insulating prana within its confines’. Sieg used the password and key he had been given to unlock the safe house’s magically sealed door. It was almost night time. Bucharest was dangerous at night… Though it wasn’t really dangerous for Sieg and Rider themselves, it would be a different matter for anyone who tried to pick a fight with them. It would be fine if it merely ended with a few hits, but in the worst case scenarios, Rider might forget to hold back his strength and break their necks, causing corpses to pile up. They entered the safe house. The first floor consisted of a living room and kitchen. On the second floor there were bedrooms, with a total of four beds prepared including those for guests. As expected of an Yggdmillennia safe house, the furnishings were quite lavish. There were high-quality leather sofas, Persian rugs and a tulip-shaped crystal chandelier—and when the energetic Rider immediately broke part of the chandelier upon their arrival, Sieg decided to pretend he didn’t see anything. There was nothing here to serve as a magus’ workshop, like a basement or attic room. However, when he paid careful attention to the interior walls, he could tell that there were several alarm spells prepared. It appeared to be a spell that would link with the beds and forcefully wake them up the moment the walls were destroyed or some act of magecraft was detected in the surrounding area. There was food in the refrigerator, so they decided to not go out of the house any further today. As usual, Rider passed the time merrily without going into spiritual form. Fortunately, the damage that Rider caused concluded with merely the chandelier he partially bent by swinging from it, a guest bed he completely broke by jumping up and down on it three times, and three broken plates and two cups he smashed when he tried to help with washing the dishes. As long as it wasn’t anything outside the safe house, the Yggdmillennia magi surely wouldn’t get angry at destruction of the house’s furnishings. Night time came. After taking a quick shower, Rider immediately fell asleep in bed. On the other hand, Sieg gazed at the softly twinkling stars outside the window and recalled Archer and Ruler’s words. Think, and act. The words were quite simple, but they were in fact quite hard to put into action. After all, even Ruler and Archer, who were respected and revered by the masses, sometimes became troubled and worried. If it was simply about continuing to survive in this world, the answer was simple—breath, eat, excrete and sleep. Repeating that cyclical process could be called ‘living’. In that regard, Sieg was also living. But when other people were added into the mix, it became quite complex. How should he regard and interact with others? Were they evil or good…? And was he himself good or evil? He didn’t think that the city where evil was constantly produced that Assassin showed him was just… But perhaps the men and woman who lived in that city had thought it was. Then what should he do? How could the problem be resolved? How could everyone become happy without making any victims and with no one being evil? “…I don’t know.” Most likely, even sages like Archer of Black, innocent heroes like Rider of Black and saints like Ruler can’t resolve this problem, Sieg thought. Sieg’s thoughts were correct. If there was something evil, then heroes were the ones who fought and destroyed that evil with all their might. But no concrete evil had existed within that city in the first place. What that place needed were salvation from poverty, the restraint of crime and, most of all, happiness for all who lived there. It wasn’t possible to achieve that. Then was it right to leave it alone? No, it wasn’t. Then should he choose to save only the people who caught his attention—? But that was impossible for him. “The salvation… of humanity, huh?” …Speaking of which, the other side’s Ruler, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, had declared he would save humanity. Sieg honestly thought that was a wonderful thing. Sieg had also done his own research on Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. Though he was never officially recognized as a saint, he had risked his life to accomplish something that anyone could truly call [good]. He had stood up against the tyrannical rule of his time. He had given the pride of being human back to those who weren’t treated as humans. That—was a splendid thing that Sieg himself could never do. Even if he was the enemy and his method was likely mistaken… if the salvation of humanity could truly be accomplished, it would be a wonderful thing. And if his method wasn’t mistaken, everyone could forget their grudges and work together to help him— “…Hmm?” Sieg tilted his head in puzzlement. He felt something slightly out of place in his thoughts just now. But no matter how much he thought it over, he couldn’t find the source of that out of place feeling. Since the night was growing late, Sieg decided to give up and go to sleep. +++ The next day, Sieg (reluctantly) went out to eat with Rider, but the chances of them getting dragged into trouble doubled as a result. Rider’s excitement had risen further after basking in the sunlight. Having to deal with criminals or mere hoodlums like last night was still better than what happened when they went out. The worst case was when Rider meddled in a quarrel between spouses. “You guys should fight it out and clear away all your pent-up feelings!” That was Rider’s advice when he tried to mediate between the two, the worst possible conclusion. In the end, it turned into a fist fight while splashing around within a water fountain, and the wife had obtained victory with a right hook to the jaw. …True, the couple had thanked Rider and gone home while smiling with their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders. But there had been too many sacrifices to reach that point—a coffee shop’s window was broken, their clothes became soaked from the water fountain, a table was toppled over and smashed, the plate of food that had been sitting on top of it had struck Sieg right in the face, and the sauce of the uneaten pasta on the plate had made Sieg’s face sticky and oily. And, for some reason, the reimbursement for the damages was pushed onto Sieg and Rider, and they ended up being billed more than half of the money that they had received as a budget from Yggdmillennia. It couldn’t be helped, since Rider ended up forcefully dragging Sieg along each time he stopped to look at something. And Rider frequently stopped as they walked. He stopped to watch street performers, he stopped to watch a charming young couple, and he unhesitantly went to help an old man who was taking a long time to cross the street. “You really do like trouble, don’t you?” “Uh-huh! After all, trouble is fun, and I like people too!” When Rider said that with a beaming smile, Sieg wasn’t able to do anything. It was true that Rider liked people. He smiled joyfully just by walking around and watching ordinary people. “Why do you like people?” “Hmm, I don’t know. Then let me ask you right back; why should I hate them?” When asked that, Sieg became troubled. What Rider watched with a smile were humans who were neither just nor evil, but merely ordinary. There was neither good nor ill will there. It was just a piece of ordinary backdrop scenery—Sieg didn’t like that wording, but that was all it was to him. “That’s right. It’s like a piece of backdrop scenery. Those people are surely living lives completely unrelated to us. They probably do both bad things and good things. Which one depends on their choices, but—if I step in and influence them, maybe something will change. That’s what makes it fun!” Rider said that while smiling and laughing. He waved his arms and shouted excitedly. “The hoodlums we met last night might think of returning to being upright citizens after having been beat up by me! The quarreling spouses earlier might have a child, and that child might discover something amazing! Or perhaps nothing will change at all! Yeah. That’s why I like humans, and why I love ‘what if’ stories!” Rider spun around and danced in the middle of the street. The people passing by avoided the lively Rider half out of annoyance and half out of amusement. “I see… Yeah, somehow… I can understand that.” Sieg thought as he watched Rider. Whether or not Rider saw that scene of hell, or even if he had seen a worse hell himself in the past, he would surely come to a clear solution by easily saying ‘That is that, this is this’. As long as there were humans, he would continue to interact with them, while hoping that something fun will happen— “Ah, hey you! You can’t steal my wallet like that! Hey, hey, it’s dangerous to swing around a knife—fine then! *Bang*!” Sieg sighed and stepped forward to end this latest round of trouble quietly. +++ “I understand that you like people, but please at least avoid making greater trouble.” “Sorry…” Even Rider couldn’t help but hang his head dejectedly when Sieg rebuked him. “Anyway, it’s already past noon. Let’s eat and hurry home—” As Sieg said that, Rider’s face suddenly sharpened. Sieg thought for a moment that he was going to make more trouble, but Rider’s expression was too grim for that. “…Rider?” Ignoring Sieg’s questioning, Rider abruptly began running. “This presence… There’s a Servant nearby…!” Sieg frantically ran after Rider. They went off the main street into a back alley. The surrounding people made way for them in confusion. People might get dragged into something again —thought Sieg for an instant, but it was a needless fear. As he ran at full speed, Rider was overflowing with the dignity of a gallant knight that he only ever showed at night. Half-hearted people hesitated to even call out to him. Sieg ran—but Rider’s feet were swift. He gave up on catching up, and the best he could do was to follow the trail of Rider’s prana in order not to lose sight of him. Sieg could only think that the reason for Rider’s confusing and disordered route was because he was chasing after another Servant. “Rider!” “I’ve almost caught up…!” On his way, Rider jumped over a child playing on the street, ran over a fence to avoid a cat, and even barged into an apartment room and then jumped out its window on the other side. “There!” Sieg’s body tensed as he heard Rider’s shout ahead of him. It was true that a Servant was quite close by. Even Sieg could sense it, since he contained Saber of Black in his body. Most likely, the other Servant had already notice their presence as well. It was thus that Rider turned the corner of a back alley and Sieg followed after him from a little further behind. In the back alley that was strangely dark even though it was midday, ‘she’ stood there with her back to them. “Ah——!?” shouted Rider in surprise. She turned around while letting out a brutal growl— There was no way either Rider or Sieg could forget her face. There was no way they couldn’t recognize her prana signature. Despite the fact that they were in the middle of town, she was the only one who seemed as if she was on the battlefield even now. +++ “Y-You! What are you doing here!?” +++ Saber of Red replied while glaring at the two of them with suspicious eyes. “…That’s my line.” 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 ### 017. Chapter 2 Ch2-5 Saber of Red walked idly down the streets of Bucharest during midday. In addition to her excessively exposing outfit, her dignified and beautiful features attracted quite a lot of attention… However, not a single person tried to call out to her. The public order in Romania’s capital of Bucharest was terrible. At the very least, there was a high chance that a girl like her, walking outside alone in such a conspicuous outfit, would be dragged into some kind of trouble. But there were always exceptions to every case. Whether they were street punks, pickpockets or fake policemen, as long as they were human, they would act according to their instincts. …In other words, there was no one foolish enough to call out to a grizzly bear in the shape of a young girl . “Muu. Like I thought, I should have brought Master along, even if I had to do it by force.” Saber yawned in boredom. The people who passed by her all took notice of her beauty for an instant—but then frantically turned to look away from her. Having realized that she was being looked at, Saber wished she would get caught up in some trouble already. Perhaps because she had seen that depressing dream, she felt like some vague emotion was gathering in her stomach. The best way to clear it away was with violence. However, not a single person called out to her, leaving her extremely bored. There were various kinds of people, the old, the young, those who seemed good, those who seemed bad—and she was cut off and separate from all of them. —Servants were beings that were separate from the world. Heroic Spirits were summoned to win in the Holy Grail War. Even if they were given a second life, what was asked of them was only battle—so it couldn’t be helped. Though Saber thus reasoned in her mind, her thoughts couldn’t ignore the truth that she was alone from the start even when she was alive. Her mother Morgan had only seen her as a tool of revenge against her father. Because her growth had been quickened, there was no one who knew her from childhood either. Even after she rose up to be a knight in Camelot, she had never interacted with the other knights. The only thing she had was battle. Exchanging sword blows, cursing and trying to kill one another. That seemed to be the only form of communication that Saber knew. There was only one person—who had been aware of her as ‘Mordred’ and with whom she had talked with her face unhidden. Her father Arthur, who didn’t hold any interest in her. Every time she remembered her father, she felt her guts boil. It was impossible to reach an understanding and be on equal ground with that . To be able to converse with that mechanical doll that was extolled as the ideal king, she had to, at the very least, become king herself— +++ “Ah——!?” +++ Her thoughts were suddenly cut off by a hysterical shout. Even though she had wished for someone to call out to her just a little earlier, now she felt irritation strong enough to make her want to send the speaker flying without asking any questions first. “Be quiet. Just who—” “Y-You! What are you doing here!?” When she turned around, Saber of Red couldn’t help widening her eyes. Standing there was Rider of Black, wearing modern clothing like her and standing warily to cover the homunculus with him. “…” Rider of Black and Saber of Red fell into an awkward silence. They weren’t exactly enemies right now. But things weren’t reconciled between them either. Still, if there had been any other humans or Servants present, they would have managed to bear it, but right now there was no one to stop them. “…That’s my line. So, do you wanna pick a fight here?” Saber of Red faintly smiled, making Rider of Black lose his temper. “I could ask you the same thing. I’m fine either way. If you wanna go at it, then bring it.” He really doesn’t seem to have learned his lesson after having been so badly beaten down by me before. This is a good opportunity to relieve some stress, I’ll smash him down completely one more time here— Just as Saber of Red was going to take a step forward, another character took the stage. He stepped in front of Rider of Black and spoke to him while waving his right hand in greeting. “Saber of Red, it’s been two days since we last saw each other. There’s something I’d like to ask you, so could we talk a little if you have some free time?” “Eh?” “Huh?” —Talk? Ignoring the dumfounded reactions of the other two, the boy asked once more. “Are you busy right now?” “No, I’m not really busy, but… is it really fine?” Saber of Red looked at the boy suspiciously. She couldn’t find any anger, hatred or even fear in the boy’s calm expression… He’d been killed by her, but it seemed that incident was already treated as a closed matter within the boy. The boy nodded like a drinking bird 1 . “Yeah, we also have some free time right now.” “Wha, no, wait…” “Are you busy, Rider? Then we can separate and—” “No, no, no, no, no, no! I’ll go, I’ll go with you!” After looking first at the boy and then Rider of Black, Saber of Red frowned and spoke. “All right. Where will we go to talk?” Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Drinking birds: 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 ### 018. Chapter 2 Ch2-6 The three of them began walking down the main street. Although Sieg and Rider had randomly gotten involved with other people when they were walking through the streets earlier (and Sieg had desperately stopped the joyful Rider from going out of control each time), now everyone they passed seemed to avert their faces from them. It appeared to be because of Saber of Red who walked at their head… Certainly, her brutal presence, which could be clearly felt even from behind her, was unbearable for normal people. “So. Just what on earth are you guys doing here?” Saber of Red looked over her shoulder and asked them. The sullen-looking Rider had his arms crossed and his face turned away. “We have no obligation to ans—” “Rider was insistent on going out, so I was chosen to keep an eye on him. Ruler seemed to judge that he wouldn’t do anything too absurd as long as I’m with him.” Sieg replied as if to restrain Rider. “What’s your reason for coming to Bucharest in the first place?” “I don’t know, but apparently it’s necessary.” “Hmm,” said Saber of Red with a shrug. She thought about reporting this to her Master, but since he was in the middle of working, she decided to tell him later. “I heard that Assassin of Black died. Is that right?” “…Yeah, she died.” Rider was still ignoring Saber, so Sieg answered instead. “I see,” Saber murmured disinterestedly. “So, why are you here in Bucharest, Saber?” “I have no obligation to answer… Well, we thought it wouldn’t be good for us to continue staying in Trifas. That’s all.” Though they had temporarily decided to work together, Trifas was still enemy territory for her and her Master. This answer which Saber’s Master, Shishigou Kairi, had given her was extremely valid. “So, what did you want to talk about?” “That’s right, Sieg. What do you walk to talk about with someone like this?” “…You’ve been far too grumpy since earlier.” Saber of Red murmured in amazement, and Rider of Black vehemently protested. “What are you saying!? As if I could forget that you killed him!” “Well, I don’t really care about it myself.” “Hey, you should care, you know!?” Rider of Black retorted to Sieg’s calm words. To Sieg, it wasn’t a problem since he was alive now. Of course, it was only natural for a victim to have painful feelings—to feel hate towards the perpetrator. But this wasn’t the time for that right now. They weren’t enemies right now, so Sieg had thought he might be able to talk to her a bit. After all, Saber of Red was Mordred—the Knight of Rebellion who had ended King Arthur’s legend. She might have her own personal view about human beings. Sieg wanted to ask her that. He didn’t want an answer from her, but an opinion. “No, well, if you’re okay with it, it’s fine, but… All right, I’ll forgive you for having survived my Noble Phantasm . There, now we’re even.” …Does that really make us even? Sieg tilted his head in puzzlement, but Saber of Red seemed to be in a good mood, so he decided not to comment. +++ “Here, huh?” Seeming to imply without words ‘This is the perfect choice’, Saber of Red quickly opened the door of a coffee shop. Sieg and Rider followed behind her. “Welcome.” A grey-mustached shopkeeper greeted the three of them in a somewhat brusque manner. Fortunately, there were no other customers to be seen. Though, since this was the state of the shop at lunchtime, they might not be able to expect good taste from the food here… “Sieg, what will you have?” “…A ham sandwich and coffee.” “Then I’ll have the same.” Saber of Red took a while to think over the menu she had been given before she spoke. “I’ll have a grilled chicken sandwich, a green apple sundae, a seafood buster and beef steak, and for dessert, umm, three of these muffins. Ah, and a coffee too.” Sieg and Rider exchanged glances, and then looked at the shopkeeper. “…Miss, can you eat all that?” “I wouldn’t order it if I couldn’t eat it. Do you have it or not? If not, instead I’ll have—” When Saber was about to take out the menu again, the shopkeeper frantically stopped her. “It’s fine, I’ll bring out everything you ordered!” The shopkeeper headed back to the kitchen in a panic. It appeared he was managing the shop by himself, based on the shop’s smallness and old interior design. Fortunately, however, the shop wasn’t unsanitary. “So, what did you want to talk about?” When the shopkeeper was gone, Saber of Red immediately leaned forward. “Do you mind if I explain it from the beginning?” When Sieg asked her that, Saber of Red made a bitter face, but agreed as long as he kept it short. Sieg first explained a little about his own origins—and then spoke about what kind of Servant Assassin of Black had been. And by the time he finished briefly explaining the illusion Assassin showed him, their order arrived at their table in large amounts. “…Before grumbling about other things, let’s eat first, okay?” “All right.” “Good idea.” It wasn’t that Saber of Red was fixated on eating. Rather, since she had a contract with a first-rate magus, she didn’t even need to eat. But that was that, and this was this. She was capable of eating. Moreover, she was a Servant, a being that existed outside of the world’s logic. 80% of the reason she ate wasn’t to fill her stomach, but out of pure curiosity. “…Muu. I want to make another order, but that wouldn’t be nice to the shopkeeper, and my stomach isn’t particularly empty. I don’t have any money, either.” “Because I’m afraid of what would happen if I gave you money…” Sieg murmured seriously. Rider had been making a ruckus saying “Let’s buy that” and “Let’s buy this” ever since they left Trifas. …There was no meaning in buying a clearly fake platinum ring. Moreover, when Sieg declared it was a fake, the owner of the street stall became angry—that was one of the few examples where Sieg made the disturbance worse. Saber of Red greedily devoured her sandwich at a frightful pace and then moved on to attack her steak. “By the way, where’s your Master? That rough-looking guy wearing sunglasses.” Rider of Black raised a finger to his brow in curiosity. “He’s in the middle of working in his workshop. My presence there was in the way, so I went out.” “We’re going to be using airplanes, but what about you guys?” “I don’t know either. But probably something similar? After all, it’s those Hanging Gardens we’re talking about.” “True,” Rider agreed with a nod. Since they were going to a flying fortress, their means of getting there were limited. It would have to be either an aircraft or flight enabled by magecraft. And whichever method they chose, it didn’t change the fact that the fortress would be firmly defended. It didn’t matter how frail their transport was. Even if there was an enchanted flight device that could withstand top-class spells, it would be no different than paper and plywood in the face of EX rank spells. “I think we can somehow make it through if my hippogriff seriously goes all out, though.” “——” Saber of Red became speechless, and Sieg covered his eyes. Seeing their reactions, Rider asked “What’s wrong?” while holding his sandwich. “Hippogriff, hippogriff… Ah, could it be that you’re that hero? From Charlemagne’s something or other, Astolfo?” “Yeah, that’s right. Wait, I didn’t tell you that, did I?” “You didn’t. I know about the guy beside you being Siegfried, though.” “I see,” said Rider of Black in a calm and accepting manner. “…Well, learning it now doesn’t make any difference.” Saber of Red didn’t show much surprise. “Right? I was viciously beaten by you! But I’ve changed Masters now, so there’s no way to know how it will go next time, you know?” Saber of Red sneered and shrugged. “I’m not going to be defeated to the likes of you. Idiots should think before speaking, idiot.” “Someone who calls someone else an idiot is an idiot!” “Hah?” …As the atmosphere was getting somewhat dangerous, Sieg quickly raised his hand. “More coffee, please!” Because he shouted it so loudly, the two Servants looked at Sieg in surprise. “…Well, whatever. I’ll also have more coffee.” “Me too!” “That costs extra here.” The shopkeeper said that curtly, but Sieg said they didn’t mind. He should still have at least that much money left. “Now then. You want an answer your question, about whether humans are good or bad, right?” When Sieg nodded, Saber of Red sighed as if astounded from the bottom of her heart. “Are you an idiot? Humans are humans, beasts that can become either good or bad depending on the situation. In the end, they’re merely slightly intelligent animals that lose all manners and virtue when they lack food and clothing. I don’t care about others. As long as I myself can continue living as a superior being—got it?” Saber of Red’s opinion was harsh and straightforward. She didn’t see humans as either good or bad. They merely… fell down either path depending on the situation. And they were all foolish. That’s why she didn’t care about others and only placed importance on herself. “Do you hate humans?” Saber of Red answered in the affirmative without flinching at Sieg’s frank question. “I hate them. Even though they don’t forget grudges, they forget the debts they owe to others. If something will disadvantage them, they’ll avoid it even if they have to sacrifice everything around them. Even though they do good deeds when it’s convenient, they don’t mind overlooking great evil when it’s troublesome for them. They act out of selfishness, and if they fail, they use the excuse of saying it’s the fault of something besides themselves. They’re not worth protecting for even a penny. That’s what humans are. How about it, are you disappointed?” Having spoken her conclusion, Saber stabbed at her steak with her fork. “Hmm… what a sad conclusion.” Saber of Red didn’t waver even at Rider of Black’s words. Sieg went into deep thought for a while, and then asked another question. “Then, Saber of Red, is that also the reason you rebelled when you were alive?” In an instant, the atmosphere chilled. “…No. How I feel about humans had nothing to do with my rebellion. Don’t speak of it again.” Saber of Red’s gaze immediately became filled with killing intent. Most likely, if Sieg said anything further, she really would cut him down. Sieg wondered if she was a moody person. Certainly, just talking with her was a trial in and of itself. “But hey, leaving aside the matter of the rebellion itself—there were also people you followed you, weren’t there?” Just when Sieg thought to close this subject, Rider of Black thoughtlessly stepped into the conversation. Perhaps also having thought the subject would end there, Saber of Red widened her eyes at Rider. “Weren’t there people who adored you and put their life on the line to make you king? Do you despise them too? If so, I think that’s sad.” Sieg felt as if his heart were being strangled, and he restrained his hand upon which his Command Spells were engraved. If they picked a fight in the middle of this huge city, and at midday at that, it would create a huge panic. But he didn’t think that Rider of Black and Saber of Red were the type of people that could use that much self-control. Even the completely unrelated shopkeeper seemed to notice the abnormal mood as he froze while carrying a coffeepot in hand. But ignoring the two other people present who were stiff with fear, Saber of Red merely sighed and shrugged. It appeared there was no problem as long as it was a question about the people who followed her and not the facts of the rebellion itself. “Not really. They had to bet on me for their own reasons. They needed to rebel against King Arthur. Just as I don’t despise those who rebelled against me, I have no intention of viewing those who served me as the same as me.” “So you despise them all equally?” “—I’m someone meant to become king. How can a king view the people the same as himself? Will the people be saved if the king cries and laughs with them? That’s not it. That’s not what a king should be.” Saber of Red quietly said that without any anger or scorn in her voice. “You want to become king?” “Basically, yeah. Because during my life—I failed.” Saber clicked her tongue in annoyance. In other words, that was her wish for the Holy Grail. Her declaration that she was ‘someone meant to become king’ was quite far off from reality. But neither Rider nor Sieg raised any eyebrows at it. At the very least, Sieg didn’t think he had the right to disparage someone else’s wish when he didn’t have any wishes of his own. “…What’s with you two? You suddenly became quiet.” “No, nothing really. I can’t refute your words. I never became king and… though I did think about becoming one a little, I only had enough ambition to ‘accept it if it were offered to me’.” “Like Rider, I can’t refute you either. The position of king is far too distant for me.” The only ones who had the right to say that her words were mistaken were those who were once kings… and those who tried to become kings like her. “All wishes are equally precious. Well, I would have to object to a wish like humanity’s annihilation, though. But your wish belongs to you alone. Finding fault with it would be wrong—at least, that’s my philosophy.” Rider of Black replied with an unusually serious expression, causing Saber of Red to unpleasantly fall silent. Rider then asked her another question as if to take advantage of that opening. “But—still, even so, there’s one thing I’d like to ask. Do you want to become a bad king, or a good king?” Rider of Black asked that question not as a king himself, but as a retainer who had served a king. It was a simple question, but one that couldn’t be avoided. …Saber of Red’s expression distorted slightly. She tried to open her mouth, but hesitated slightly and turned her gaze to the side. And then, she squeezed out a short sentence. “—A good king, obviously.” Rider of Black merely murmured “I see” in response. Afterwards, Saber of Red finished her coffee and stood up. “You’re leaving?” “Our business here is done… Or do you have something else to ask?” Sieg shook his head. She had seriously told him her opinion from another point of view, different from that of Ruler, Rider and Archer of Black. He didn’t completely agree with it. But he didn’t fully reject it either. Right now, he was still in the stage of thinking about it. “No, there’s nothing else. Thank you, it was useful as a reference,” Sieg replied. Saber of Red then gave a bold smile and ruffled Sieg’s hair roughly. “Then the next time I’ll see you guys will be at the Hanging Gardens. Make sure to survive until then!” With those final words, she gallantly left the shop. Watching her leave, Sieg murmured with a sigh. “…She ate that much and yet left without paying her share.” “She really is like a king in that regard,” Rider of Black said as he burst into laughter. 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 Ch2-7 While walking through the streets, Saber of Red thought back on the earlier question. “What kind of king—huh?” Saber of Red had answered ‘a good king’. That wasn’t a lie. At the very least, she had no intention of being a bad king that would be struck down by another hero. But, in the first place, what should she do to become a good king? She should probably rule not tyrannically, but benevolently. As long as the confrontational relationship with neighboring countries wasn’t resolved, she should train and strengthen her nation’s soldiers—No, that wasn’t it. It wasn’t something so obvious. Rider of Black seemed to have been asking a much more fundamental question. —What kind of king do you want to become? Saber of Red thought it over. Right now, she was fighting in order to become king. If she challenged the Sword of Selection that bestowed the qualifications of a king, she was sure that she would pull it out. She wanted to become the ideal king. She wanted to become a king that could protect everyone that she should protect, a king that everyone wished for. Then, should she become the ideal king of the masses like her father? Or should she become a greedy king who would drag down everyone for the sake of granting her own dream? An ideal king would surely feel suffocating. A greedy king would surely be despised by the people. Saber of Red absentmindedly watched the people walking down the streets. According to the knowledge the Holy Grail had given her, this country of Romania still had fresh scars from when it was ruled by a tyrant. He had ruled tyrannically under twisted delusions and had possessed a gorgeous palace constructed meaninglessly. In the end, the tyrant was struck down by a rebellion. I won’t become that kind of king, thought Saber of Red. Then, should he become a perfect king that sacrificed herself for her ideals like her father? Even though even her father had been forced to bend down in defeat halfway down that path? “…Damn it.” Rider had pointed out the very thing she had averted her eyes from. She had merely yearned to ‘become king’—while never looking at what lay beyond that goal at all. Had other kings seen it? Tyrants, wise rulers and even foolish rulers who had left their names in history—had they seen what lay beyond the establishment of their rule? What had her father, Arthur Pendragon, tried to see in the future of the country she ruled? “…What future? It was all destroyed by me.” Saber of Red gave a self-deprecating smile. King Arthur’s rule had gone well. She had certainly guided Britain into peace. The one who spoiled all that was none other than Saber of Red herself. What was so bad about it—? After all, she hadn’t regretted it even once. Many people had lost their lives in that rebellion, including her and even her father who as a knight had tried to be the sword and shield of the people. But, if she hadn’t rebelled, the soul of the knight known as Mordred would have died. Not acknowledged by anyone, gaining no interest from anyone, not loved by anyone or loving anyone. A peaceful world was a wonderful thing. The people who wagered their lives for its sake were also wonderful. But why had the one who had given up everything for the sake of that wonderful dream not received even a little bit of affection? She didn’t even think of asking to be loved. If at least… if at least some interest had been shown towards her, if she had been at least looked at, that alone would have been enough. +++ What a foolish thing to say. You would never have been satisfied. You would have endlessly sought love, sought compassion and finally sought the right to the throne, until you spoiled that peaceful rule in the end— +++ A whisper came from deep inside her. Though she felt irritated at it, she also agreed with it. That might be true, Saber of Red thought, reflecting on herself. After all, she didn’t even know what affection was. Was it sweet, bitter, sour or bland? …But all people in this world sought it. It was surely a habitual thing, like a narcotic. Until evening came, Saber of Red sat on a bench in a small park and stared up at the sky with her head in the clouds. She couldn’t laugh at that homunculus. He was struggling and worrying over how to view human beings, but Saber of Red was struggling over what it meant to be king. From the perspective of others, either worry was probably something people would laugh at as a stupid joke. But if they didn’t obsess over these things, neither she nor that boy would be able to live— She passed the time like that for a little while, but in the end, no one appeared to try and talk to her. When she returned to the hotel, Shishigou appeared to have finished his work and was wiping his sweat off with a towel. “Welcome back. Did anything happen?” Thinking that there was no particular reason to report what happened at lunch, Saber merely replied, “Nope, nothing.” Then, just as her Master was heartily drinking some mineral water, Saber made up her mind and asked him. “Hey, Master. Have you ever loved someone?” Naturally, Shishigou choked badly in response. After desperately coughing, he looked at his Servant reproachfully. “What’s with this all of a sudden? That’s a very odd question—” “It doesn’t matter why. Have you, Master?” Surmising that she wasn’t teasing him, but asking it seriously, Shishigou started to think it over while rubbing his beard. “…In what sense do you mean? Like love for one’s family, or love for a lover?” “Is there a difference? Then either one is fine. Have you ever loved?” Saber of Red leaned forward and stared at Shishigou. She didn’t seem like she would retreat a single step until she heard his answer. “I haven’t.” “Like I thought, that’s how magi are.” “Hey, that’s prejudice. No, that view of magi isn’t exactly mistaken—but a magus can also love someone in their own way.” Though, that love was probably a little different from the kind of love that Saber of Red was asking about. To be a magus and to attain greatness as a magus was their happiness, so their love was often far from normal love, taking a twisted form. They had their own way of expressing love, in other words. “In my case, I’ve been divorced from my wife since a long time ago. I wasn’t able to produce any children, and you already know what happened to my adopted child. My father disowned me the moment I decided to be a bounty hunter.” His wife had been a woman who thought the prosperity of her family was everything, as proper for a magus. She divorced him before love or even the appearance of love could form between them. He could only vaguely remember her face at this point. His father had tried to do whatever it took to make a successor without giving up. But Shishigou Kairi had declared that one sacrifice was enough and left home. His father had been completely opposed to his decision back then. Magi hired by his father had attacked him several times in order to take back his Crest as well. His mother—was someone who he didn’t care whether she was there or not. She hadn’t been involved in raising him at all; she was simply the woman who gave birth to him. “What, so you haven’t known love either, Master?” “I do know about it. I just never had any luck with it.” And most of all, he had no interest in it. The world of decent and respectable people extolled it loudly. Love is everything, love is life, love is a great thing that conquers all— Shishigou, who lived in the unrespectable world, knew. Love was simply a tense state of mind, and it didn’t have any useful impact on the use of magecraft and weapons. Rather, it increased the chances of failure instead of success. To magi, love was unnecessary—even if they understood that it was something precious for humans. “…Tch. Like I thought, magi are no good.” Saber clicked her tongue annoyingly—and Shishigou smiled wryly. “Magi are pretty much failures as human beings, Saber.” “Master. I will pull out the Sword of Selection. I must pull it out. And I will become king.” Shishigou nodded silently. And then, Saber spoke frustratingly. “But that’s as far as I can imagine. What should I do in order to become a king that surpasses the King of Knights—I don’t know what to do at all.” Her worry was earnest and poignant. “And that made you think of loving someone?” “…I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it, so I thought I should become a king different from my father.” Mordred’s father—the legendary king whose fame extended across the world, Arthur Pendragon. The great and unequaled hero who had struggled through many wars and succeeded in uniting Britain. “My father’s reign was absolutely perfect. Perfectly impartial and upright. He understood that ten couldn’t be maintained, so he took nine and cast away one. There was neither hesitation nor confusion in his actions. All except in regard to me.” As she spoke of her father, Saber of Red’s eyes shined blazingly. Saber held both fanatic faith and freezing hatred towards her father. Both of them were correct feelings and correct views. “Master, what——” ‘What should I do?’ was the question she couldn’t bring herself to ask. She understood enough to know that this wasn’t a question Shishigou could answer for her. Shishigou blew out smoke form the cigar he had lit without her noticing and spoke to his Servant. “…Well, I do understand one thing.” “What?” “You have to face your father.” “Face my father—” “I understand you hate him. I also understand how much you admire him as well. But those feelings come from chasing after him. If you’re going to surpass him, then analyze. Your father, other people and yourself. Observe, analyze, sort everything out, and reach a conclusion.” “…I don’t particularly admire him.” Saber of Red turned the other way annoyingly. Shishigou would only be stirring up a hornet’s nest if he retorted the wrong way, so he merely murmured, “Is that so?” “Well, it served as a good reference. Thanks, Master.” “You’re welcome. Now then, we’ll remain on stand by for a little while until the Yggdmillennia guys move… My gut is telling me that the next fight is going to be the last battle. Once it’s over, I’ll get my reward for this job and you’ll grant your wish with the Holy Grail and challenge the Sword of Selection. I’d like to see it happen as thanks for our partnership until now, but I suppose that’s impossible.” It was unclear how she would challenge the Sword of Selection. But if her wish was granted properly by the Holy Grail, it would undoubtedly require jumping beyond the concept of time and space. He didn’t think a mere magus like himself could cross over it to watch. Even so, he still wished to see the moment she became king. Did he feel that way out of loneliness, or was it simply a selfish whim on his part—? “Don’t worry about it. You’ll also grant your wish at that moment, Master. As if either of us would have the time to think about the other then—” Just as she finished saying that, Saber burst into laughter. Shishigou frowned at her sudden mirth. “Hey, what is it?” “No… I just remembered your wish. To have descendants, right?” “It’s not something to laugh at. I’m serious here.” Saber waved her arms while laughing as if to hold him back. “No, that’s not it. If your wish is granted, that means you’ll have children, right? Shishigou Junior…” After having managed to say that much, she was unable to hold back and started laughing again. Most likely, she was imagining in her head a baby wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigar. “Master’s child… kukuku… No good, it’s too hilarious to imagine!” “Don’t go off and imagine someone else’s child and then laugh. Unbelievable—” Even as he was astounded by her behavior, Shishigou’s lips curved into a smile. Saber of Red’s worries were likely so serious it would affect her continued existence. It wasn’t something that Shishigou could speak on any further. Because he and she weren’t partners walking the same path, but merely cooperators joined out of mutual interest. Her path and his path would eventually diverge from each other. +++ —Suddenly, something like a passing demon seized Shishigou’s heart. +++ He opened his mouth, but stopped himself just before he put it into words. Even if he was a magus, Shishigou was the type to worry over omens and jinxes. Naturally, speaking or even thinking of an impossible future was an ill omen. “Now then, Master. What do we do next?” Saber of Red leaned forward readily. “Next?” “Yeah. You’ve finished your preparations, right? What do we do now?” “Ah, that’s what you mean. Next—we wait.” “I see, we wait, huh… Until when?” “Who knows? I said so earlier, but we can’t do anything until the others start moving.” “…Could it be that there’s nothing to do?” “Of course there is. I have calls to make, reports to write and my mind to sharpen. There’s a ton of stuff to do.” “Anything for me to do!?” “None—if I said that, would you get angry? Yeah, you’d get angry.” “I won’t get angry! But I’ll go on a rampage!” Saber growled like a mad dog. Shishigou sighed and handed over a DVD he had purchased while she was out in town. “What’s this?” The image of a fighter plane scattering flames and flying through the air was on the package cover. It wasn’t an actual photo, but rather seemed to be an extremely realistic drawing. “Go watch it. This is what you need to do right now.” Shishigou said that while puffing out his chest proudly. “This? Really…?” Even as she grumbled, she put the DVD in the video player prepared in their hotel room. After three minutes of the movie playing, Saber began to get engrossed in watching it. 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. Part 8 Oh, don’t remind me. Dealing with Jeanne’s “misunderstanding” about Rider’s gender in the text has been a headache, since the original Japanese can avoid using any direct gendered words, while English is much less flexible. I might make a few corrections in the final edits, but it’s still going to be imperfect. All I can say is, just ignore the little inaccuracies in places like this and read under the assumption that the characters aren’t really specifying gender when they speak about Rider Of Black. Like Reply ↓ ### 021. Chapter 2-9 # (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 2-9 VOLUME 4 Chapter 2 Ch2-9 Having received, through Assassin of Red, a notice from their Master Shirou to convene together, the Red Servants gathered in the throne room. “—According to my doves, the Black camp has finally begun to move. Though it’s later than expected, they will likely arrive here in around four days through some means.” The Red Servants accepted this news without surprise. “…You didn’t call us all here just for that, right?” At Lancer of Red’s question, Shirou nodded and raised his right arm. The countless Command Spells engraved on it shined with a dull light. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to command you all on the front lines. However, that will make it difficult for me to immediately react if Ruler uses her Command Spells. Therefore, I will use two Command Spells on each of you and raise your resistance to any Command Spells from her.” Both their Master’s Command Spells and Ruler’s Command Spells had equal power of compulsion. Therefore, by limiting the activation conditions and using two Command Spells to do it, Shirou could repulse Ruler’s Command Spells with almost no time loss. “That’s quite excessive of you.” When Rider of Red murmured that, Shirou smiled boldly. “Then do you all need extra assistance from a Command Spell in battle at this point?” “—No.” Lancer and Archer, who were also going to fight on the front lines, didn’t voice any objections either. If possible, they also wanted to avoid the pitiful end of being forced to kill themselves by Ruler’s Command Spells. “Then I wish you all luck in battle.” The Command Spells on his arm gradually shined brighter. “I order my Servants with my Command Spells——” +++ Rider and the other Servants then left, leaving only Shirou, Assassin and Caster in the throne room. Shirou spoke up. “Assassin, Caster. With this, my role in the coming battle is finished. I’ll leave the rest to you all.” “Do you have a chance at succeeding?” “I do. The Fuyuki Greater Grail doesn’t have anything that can be called a will. It is an automated machine that lacks the will of a master. If I can reach the core without opposing it or coming into contact with it—” “Your wish will be granted.” Assassin of Red smiled. But Shirou shook his head and corrected her. “This isn’t my wish, but the wish of everyone in this world—Assassin.” The happy conclusion that everyone desired and continued to wish for in the depths of their heart. “In other words, a brilliant summer shall arrive! And thus I will have written another masterpiece as well.” “Exactly. Though we have to take down the members of the Black camp to do that.” “Oh my, you’re not confident of our odds?” “As if.” Assassin of Red’s lips twisted into a smile. Though it would be a different story anywhere else, there wasn’t any need to doubt their victory if they fought in these Hanging Gardens. “Also, we have Caster’s Noble Phantasm, right? However—I still have doubts. It’s true that Noble Phantasms are objects that embody and realize miracles, but… Can it really do such a thing?” “Well… who knows?” Assassin glared in response to Shirou’s vague words. “If it works just as Caster says, it only manifests possibilities. In theory, it should be possible. We don’t need to worry about prana either. Though I’m somewhat uneasy about it, I will be defenceless until I completely bring the Holy Grail under my control. And if Lancer ends up being killed, you’ll have to make a last stand here. But most of all— it seems fun .” Assassin could only stare dumbfounded at hearing those final words. On the other hand, Caster nodded elatedly as if he understood and agreed. “Yes, the insatiable pursuit of amusement itself is essential. Then, using all the power of my treasured Noble Phantasm, I will show you the power of the written word, which not even swords, magecraft, fire, or lightning can match!” Watching Caster and Shirou swell with excitement, Assassin gave a small sigh of exasperation. 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 Ch2-10 ——Now then. Naturally, there were good reasons for why Ruler left to go to the hideout in Bucharest later than the other two. One was to have a negotiation session with Fiore, who had asked Sieg to help their side. “You want me to write a contract?” “Yes. A contract that guarantees the safety and well-being of the homunculi. Currently, you’ve only made a verbal promise, and there will be no one to protect them after we leave.” “They’re stronger than I am, though—” Gordes, who had earnestly been taking care of the homunculi’s tuning and adjustments, had been spewing nothing but idle complaints lately. Perhaps because he was always being dragged away by the homunculi whenever an abnormality occurred among them regardless of the time of day, even when he was eating or sleeping, the glint in his eyes had started to shine blazingly like those of an emergency hospital doctor. He had no vigor left, but he was uplifted by a half self-destructive desperation. “But you’re right. It’s impossible to believe the words of a magus without any form of guarantee.” “Yes, so I’d like to ask you to enter into a security guarantee contract with the homunculi. Once that’s been confirmed, we’ll move on to the agreement we made earlier.” Fiore thought it over for a while, and then nodded, stating it wasn’t a bad deal. Either way, if they won, she and the rest of Yggdmillennia would no longer have any jobs to give them. They would only be able to do maintenance on the castle ramparts at most. “Then, I’ll make the contract with the homunculi—” “Nee-san, you’re going to make a contract with these homunculi? I think their self of sense has developed too much for that, though.” At Caules’ words, Fiore covered her mouth and said, “Oh my.” Just as he said, in a contract between magi, one’s full name was had a lot of importance attached to it. A name was like an address that every being had. When using curses, the target’s true name was indispensable information as well. If the curse wasn’t restrained to a specific existence like a name, it would disperse without any effect. And these homunculi had started to develop a sense of self the moment they chose not to obey orders. In other words, there was ample reason to fear that simply referring to them all as [homunculi] as they had up until now could create an obstacle in forming a contract. “Have no fear. Gordes-dono has given us all names,” stated Tool as she and the rest of the gathered homunculi nodded. “I don’t know whether or not it will work with the contract. I don’t think there will be a problem, though.” Gordes looked away in a sulky manner. He couldn’t be embarrassed, could he? Caules thought, but judging from his expression, he really did seem to be sulking. “My, how serious and diligent of you, Gordes-oji-sama.” And Fiore praised Gordes without minding his behavior at all. When he was praised, Gordes became even sulkier. What a difficult old man, Caules thought with a sigh. “Then there should be no obstacles to the contract. We’ll make it by slightly adjusting the regular content of a contract between magi. Basically, in exchange for allowing your residence in this castle, I’d merely like for you to help with routine chores and the maintenance of the castle ramparts. I don’t have any problem with you leaving either. However, please refrain from acts that will be scowled upon by the Association of Magi.” “There aren’t that many homunculi among us who want to leave. But there are some problems with legal identification and such—” “Hmm… we can provide that much at least.” Fiore added in several modifications to the contract content that Caules suggested, and then presented it to the leader of the homunculi, Tool. When she accepted it, she frowned. “What’s wrong?” “No, it’s just that this whole deal went more smoothly than I thought. I wondered if you might have added in a trap somewhere or not.” “You’re quite distrustful, aren’t you?” Gordes goggled at her in shock. “If you think about how we’ve been treated until now, isn’t it only right to think that way?” Tool responded coolly. “Now, now,” Fiore said as she soothed the two of them. “Please calm down. It’s precisely because I thought I might be doubted that I asked the judge of the Great Holy Grail War to arbitrate these negotiations.” Ruler received the contract and seriously read it over. Incidentally, Ruler—Jeanne d’Arc—didn’t truly understand contract stipulations. She was simply more sensitive to deceptions of this kind than others by nature. Her final year before her death in particular was a battle of words and sentences. Clergymen had tried to trip her up with various questions. In order to overcome that, Jeanne had faced them with the same seriousness she had on the battlefield. While passing her eyes over the contract, she sometimes glanced at Fiore who had written it and Caules and Gordes who had helped in doing so. There was no deceit or malice in their eyes. Gordes’ somewhat rude attitude was simple sulking on his part and didn’t seem to be anything else. She thought of the merits and demerits of lying in this situation—the merits were too few and the demerits were too big. It was fine to conclude that there weren’t any lies in concern to this contract. “There doesn’t seem to be any problem. Just in case, I’d like for everyone to look at it as well.” After saying that, Ruler passed the contract to Tool. Tool and the surrounding homunculi then began to carefully read it with serious expressions on their faces. Normally, homunculi were only dolls that obeyed the orders of their creator. But now they were seriously gazing at a contract that had been written in regards to them. In other words, that was proof of their developing ego. However, that couldn’t be called unilaterally good. The ego included thoughts to increase personal gain as much as possible. That could also lead to committing crimes as a result. It could lead them to step over others for personal gain—However, at the same time, Ruler optimistically thought that it wouldn’t be a problem for them. They were beings created for the profit of others . They probably would never forgive the act of stepping over others for personal gain and never do so themselves either. At the very least, Sieg believed in them. So she would believe in them as well. “…There doesn’t seem to be any problem. Then we just need to sign this contract?” “Yes, please sign it with a drop of your blood as well.” By combining one’s name and the blood from one’s body, it greatly strengthened the contract. There were also contracts that enforced binding even onto one’s descendants, but this one wasn’t that strong. But that wouldn’t be a problem. The chances that Yggdmillennia would be involved with them for generations were extremely low. +++ When the gathered homunculi finished signing the contract, Fiore turned to Ruler. “Now then, may we take care of the matter I mentioned earlier?” “I don’t mind. Should we start right away?” “…Yes. I have to do it now, or my resolution will wane later.” Fiore smiled bitterly—and Caules’ face became grave. Gordes silently left his seat. Even if they were part of the same clan, he wasn’t a magus of the Forvedge family. If he tried to watch what happened next, they would have to kill him. What Fiore had requested of Ruler was her help in transplanting the Forvedge family’s Magic Crest. The Magic Crest would be gradually transplanted from Fiore to Caules. Fortunately, Caules had been born as Fiore’s spare. His body had been adjusted since birth so that he could have it transplanted to him at any time should the situation require it. The problem was that, because the magus whose job it normally was to do the transplant procedure wasn’t present, Fiore had to do the transplant while making necessary adjustments on her own. Moreover, in order for Caules to be acknowledged as the family successor, she had to transplant a very large portion of the Crest to him. At the very least half of it, or if possible, 70% of it. Naturally, the cost of doing so was great. By halving the Crest she had, Fiore’s prana stores would drop sharply, and Caules wouldn’t be able to handle it satisfactorily for a while after it was transplanted. But the situation had already surpassed what a Master could singlehandedly deal with. Since the Red camp’s only Master was Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, this Holy Grail War now consisted of battle between Servants alone. Therefore, the two siblings were completely meaningless in terms of fighting power. However, normally a Magic Crest was gradually transplanted from a young age. No matter how much her younger brother Caules’ body had been adjusted for the transplant, doing such a large transplant at once naturally came with danger. Therefore, they had requested that Archer, who was deeply knowledgeable about magecraft, and Ruler, who could use healing to a certain extent, be present during the transplantation. “…I truly am lucky to be attended by two Servants.” Fiore giggled. Caules sighed and grumbled. “I didn’t think I would suddenly get 70% of it at once…” “Are you nervous?” Caules shrugged at Archer’s question. “I only have meager Magic Circuits, after all.” He answered lightly—but from another magus’ perspective, it was an event worthy of fainting over. If their parents heard about it, they’d probably be prepared to kill Caules over it. Frankly speaking, this act was effectively a crime in the eyes of magi. They were going to transfer the family’s inheritance to the inferior sibling rather than the superior sibling, after all. Moreover, it wasn’t because the superior sibling was particularly inconvenienced or impaired by something. This was simply in order for her to go from a magus to a normal human. They used Fiore’s room for the Crest transplant ritual. The two siblings lay down together on the bed, closed their eyes, and synchronized their minds. The human mind was tougher and stiffer than people thought. So first they had to start by fusing them. Ice wouldn’t fuse together no matter how much time passed. It had to become water and melt together—and then freeze once more. Naturally, if they failed even one step, two broken down people would be created due to their personalities fusing together. +++ “Then, please begin the sympathizing process.” +++ Archer of Black spoke quietly. Even so, Fiore had chosen this. She neither hated the life of a magus that was always adjoined with death, nor did she fear battle, but she had understood that it was impossible for her. She would never have the kind resolve her younger brother did. No matter how far she strived, she was just a normal person deep down. +++ ————————————They melted. They mingled———————————— +++ “Caules. You’re going a little too fast. Please calm down.” “I know, but this sensation is just—” +++ The crystallization of everything their family had cultivated through desperate struggle and battle was suddenly divided in half. They were instantly attacked by a terrifying feeling of nothingness. Their ancestors whom they had never met severely condemned them with dark faces. What are you doing!? You siblings have done something unforgivable! The older sister cowered, but the younger brother spurred her on. So what? he spat out. The one to take responsibility for this is me, not my sister, he shouted. It’s true this might throw us back by a hundred or two hundred years. So what? I am Forvedge, I am Yggdmillennia. I won’t acknowledge any objections. +++ “Oh no, his body is reacting to the foreign sensation of the Magic Crest… Ruler, please calm down Caules-dono!” “Yes, understood! Listen, Caules. Can you hear me? Listen to my words…!” +++ Hundreds of years’ worth of obsession attacked the youngster who brazenly didn’t know his place. He saw a ghastly miracle that resembled hell—and he succumbed and fell in love as he witnessed his family’s founder who had tried to change from a human into a magus. He had yearned for magecraft, had loved magecraft and had become inhuman with little effort. Like a sword, the founder’s tenacity pierced the heart of the boy who claimed he would be the next successor. If he let himself throw it up, it would mean exposing his own soul. But it still felt terribly revolting. His entrails were crushed inside his body as he rode a merry-go-round that endlessly sped up. It rose in his throat—would he feel better if he threw it up? Just let it out and ease yourself, someone whispered. He thrust his hand into his mouth and tried to drag out the thing in his throat along with his entrails. +++ “It’s all right. —You’re all right.” +++ Suddenly, the voice of a holy maiden came down from the heavens. Instantly, the desert was overturned and became green tracts of land. The refreshing smell of grass immediately caused his urge to vomit to disappear. The boy kicked his feet off the ground and lightly began to walk. +++ “…All right. He seems to have calmed down. It’s almost done. Just hold on a little while longer, Master.” +++ He heard someone’s… gentle voice. He thought its calm tone was appropriate for these grassy plains. He walked, walked, walked—and arrived. This was the final part of the Crest. There was nothing new about this place for him, which lay in the memories of his older sister who had been with him since he was young. This was the place where the two siblings had used to play in the past. A perfectly ordinary flower garden near their home. They had always been together. He had been aware that she would sometimes turn around to confirm his presence. As if to say that being by herself was lonely, that she hated solitude. That’s why he kept saying “It can’t be helped” to himself and always followed after her. +++ —It was the younger brother’s duty to follow after his older sister, after all. +++ He had thought they might be together forever. He had also thought that they couldn’t be together forever. When he had gotten dragged into the Great Holy Grail War, he had merely sighed at himself as a magus—but he had thought it was still better than if they were in a normal Holy Grail War. He had thought they would survive and be together again—but as expected, the girl had ended up having to face herself in this Great Holy Grail War. Having grown up, she made a choice. It was a cruel choice that no one else would ever understand. But the younger brother was happy just by the fact that she had made a choice. So it was fine. “…Hmm?” It was a scene he was familiar with, but there was one irregularity within it. The girl noticed her younger brother, and walked up to him while waving her hand. In her hand was a leash, and attached to it was a sluggish dog. The dog wagged its tail and went to greet the boy… I see, the boy thought as he suddenly understood. The reason the girl had never given up magecraft lay there. She couldn’t let it be in vain. She didn’t want to let it be in vain. She had to at least scoop up and make up for the life that had been used and discarded— That’s why Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia had continued to live as a magus. “…But that’s also over now.” She gave a lonely smile and hesitated to let go of the leash. Picking up on her actions, the old dog began to leisurely chew the leash. “It isn’t over, Nee-chan. I’m inheriting it.” In the blink of an eye, he took the leash from her. As the girl watched him in surprise, the boy spoke. “I’m inheriting it, so I’ll also inherent this guy too. He won’t be forgotten. I was there back then too. I also saw and watched.” He had known. He had been resolved. He had known that his father would use the dog back then. And while knowing that, he had watched and let it happen. He had tried not to feel anything for the dog as much as possible and did his best to ignore its existence. But even if he ignored the dog, he couldn’t ignore his sister. That day, he had watched the dog wagging its tail at his sister. As neither his sister nor the dog had any suspicions about what lay in the future—all he’d been able to do was shed tears at that scene. So the boy had a responsibility to take charge of this leash. “You’ll take responsibility and keep hold of it?” “…Yeah, I will.” The girl smiled and entrusted the rest to the boy. The old dog wagged its tail in a very slow-witted manner. He would receive and inherit it. He would inherit her magecraft, this discarded life and her pride. The divided Magic Crest might be too much for the boy’s hands. But he would never fear or regret it. That scene all those years ago. As long as he kept it carved in his mind—he would discipline himself as a magus of the Forvedge family and Yggdmillennia. +++ The illusion ended, and Caules groaned at the sensation of something cold having been inserted in his brain. “Are you all right?” Ruler peered down at him anxiously. Caules calmed down his heated and cloudy thoughts and nodded at the question. “Ye—Yeah, I think I’m fine.” His awareness of reality was gradually being restored. He moved his limbs, and felt the strong sensation of something foreign in his body. His movements were slow and dull as if his joints were clogged with mud. “Are you all right, Caules-dono? …Let alone 70%, you received a full 80% of the Magic Crest from my Master. Your sister might feel more comfortable as the one who gave it away, but it must be painful for you as the one who received it.” “…Not really. It isn’t all that much.” Well, it was, but—when he thought that his older sister had endured this kind of pain for such a long time, he felt he had to put up with it at any cost. “Magus-kun. Please use this.” After saying that, Ruler tightly wrapped a cloth around his chest. That alone immediately eased the pain. Moving was still troublesome, but he had recovered enough to get off the bed and walk. “It’s a holy shroud. I prepared it just in case, but it’s better for you to use it now. It will also grant you resistance against impurities such as curses or poison, so I don’t mind if you keep it on for a while.” “…The pain has gone down a lot. Thank you, Ruler.” Ruler smiled slightly at those words. “You did splendidly, Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia. And you as well, Fiore.” As Archer helped her sit up, Fiore shook her head and smiled feebly. “No, not at all. All the praise should go to Caules right now. He’s my younger brother who I’m very proud of, after all.” Caules turned red at those words and put his hand over mouth as his lips reflexively slackened into a smile. 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 Ch2-11 “Hmm, so that’s why you left later than us.” Having changed into pajamas he had shrewdly bought before coming here, Rider of Black grinned at Ruler who was laying her head on a desk. “…” Ruler remained silent. Looks like she still hasn’t recovered from the shock, Sieg judged. Well, that was understandable. It was understandable, but— “…Couldn’t you tell by looking at him normally when clothed?” Ruler jumped up at Sieg’s question. Her eyes were slightly teary and she was red from her cheeks to her ears. “I couldn’t tell!!” She was already embarrassed from seeing Rider naked, but her shame seemed to be worsened by the fact that she was the one who stepped into that situation herself. “But can’t you confirm the true names and stats of other Servants as Ruler?” While gripping her head, Ruler pointed at the helplessly laughing Rider. “Sieg-kun… Try confirming Rider of Black’s stats. As a Master, you should be able to grasp to a certain extent the abilities of the Servants you have met until now just by concentrating a little.” “…Hmm.” Having been told that, Sieg tried confirming Rider’s stats. A book appeared in his mind. He turned the pages, and the stats of the Servants he had met appeared vaguely one after another. Saber, Archer, Lancer and finally Rider… “…What the heck is this?” Sieg turned to look at Rider sitting next to him—and Rider waved his hand with a wide smile. Rider’s stats page was a mess. All of his skill names and ranks were properly recorded, but there were little jokes added everywhere. In particular, his gender entry was completely painted over and impossible to read. Sieg frantically checked the stats of the other Servants, but fortunately there wasn’t anything particularly strange about them. “…It’s true that there are Servants who possesses techniques or Noble Phantasms to hide their skills. But adding in little jokes is unheard of… Just how on earth is he doing this…? No, leaving aside the means, normally people wouldn’t do something that like… geez…” That’s true, Sieg thought in agreement. As they both looked at Rider, the Servant in question answered while smiling embarrassedly. “Hmm, it’s probably that. You know, the tome I have! The ability to check stats is technically a kind of spell, right? It’s a spell that conforms with the fundamental rules of the Holy Grail War, so it can’t be blocked completely, but the book might be able to interfere with it a little.” “How half-hearted and irresponsible… Really now…” Ruler gripped her head. That’s understandable, Sieg thought. Though he decided to leave it be, since it didn’t do any great harm. “So, are you still unable to remember the book’s true name?” “Hmm… it’s starting to trickle back into my head a little, I think.” What a careless answer. But Sieg didn’t particularly think to scold him. Because he believed that his Servant, Rider, would always come through when push came to shove. “Will you remember in three days?” “It’ll, probably, be fine, I’d like to think… I think.” Rider averted his eyes to Ruler’s question. “Rider. The enemy will actively attack us as we approach the Hanging Gardens. Assassin will attack with her spells from the Hanging Gardens, Rider will fly through the air with his chariot and Archer will naturally shoot us with her arrows. Even if we fall at high speed, we Servants might not die, but—” It didn’t need saying, but Sieg would definitely die if he fell from that height. “I get it! It’ll be fine, leave it to me!” “…I feel uneasy.” “Ruler. You don’t have to worry about Rider.” “Haah…” Though she seemed somewhat uneasy at Sieg’s words, Ruler consented. “So, are you okay, Sieg-kun?” Silence. Rider, who didn’t know about the case with Assassin of Black, stared at his Master’s face curiously. He tilted his head in puzzlement at Sieg’s expression. His face was wracked by unbelievable distress. “Master…?” “…There’s no problem. I chose to fight.” Sieg somehow managed to reply. Yes, he wasn’t fighting for someone else. He had chosen. He had willingly thrown himself into this battle he got dragged into. He was fighting for himself. Not for humans. “I’m going to take a bath, then go to sleep.” After saying that, Sieg got up from his chair. Rider and Ruler silently watched—and once they confirmed he had entered the washroom, they looked at each other. “He seems to be smoldering over something. Do you know anything, Rider?” “…Yeah. Actually, at lunch, we ran into Saber of Red. But I didn’t hear anything concrete about the hell my Master spoke of.” Ruler explained in detail about the illusion that Assassin of Black had shown them. The fixed system of a city where humans killed humans and stole everything there was to be had. A hell reproduced by humans where no one was evil and no one was good. “I see…” Rider of Black looked down with a sad expression. Naturally, as a hero who had wandered the world, Rider knew that such things inevitably existed in the world—and he accepted it. That was the inevitably disillusioned viewpoint of a hero. Those who couldn’t be saved just couldn’t be saved, and the weak would bare their fangs as the weak. The malignancy of systems established by various circumstances such as social position and wealth couldn’t be taken down no matter how great a hero one was. “But he would have to learn about it eventually. Besides, it’s not like Master wants to become human, right?” “Yes. Even so, don’t you think he felt longing towards humans?” Rider crossed his arms and shook his head fervently. “I wonder about that… Master wished to live. And that wish was granted in a slightly strange and twisted form. Even so, I don’t think… he feels longing towards humans. In the first place, has Master met any humans besides magi?” “He was treated to lunch by an old man named Serge. He was a very good person.” “Enough that Master would feeling longing?” “…We didn’t meet him for that long. It might have made him aware that there are a good people out there, though.” There was no clue as to how he felt. Sieg himself probably still didn’t know how he felt yet. “It’d be nice if he came to like them, though.” “You mean humans?” “Yes… Otherwise, it’d be troubling for me.” Suddenly, she muttered in a tone filled with an unusual emotion. Picking up on it with his sharp ears, Rider leaned forward over the desk with plain curiosity and wariness. “Mu, mu, mu… And why would that trouble you?” “Eh? Ah, no, err, sorry. It’s nothing!” Ruler covered her mouth and quite obviously fell into a panic. Becoming even more suspicious, Rider brought his face close to her—and Ruler hurriedly averted her eyes. “Are you hiding something?” “I-I’m not hiding anything. Really.” She wouldn’t look him in the eye. “You would you swear it by God?” “I-It’d be rude to swear on the Lord for such a trivial thing…” Her earlier gallantness had disappeared, and Ruler blushed shyly like a normal girl her age. Conceding that touching upon this subject any further would be pitiful for her, Rider shrugged and changed the topic. “…Well, I also agree that I want him to like humans, though. After all, Master has a future!” “That’s… right. I think it’d be nice if he had a happy future ahead of him.” Ruler spoke happily and smiled innocently. Rider also nodded cheerily. Suddenly, Ruler, while making sure that Sieg still wasn’t coming back yet, whispered to Rider. “…U-Umm. Rider-san, do you like Sieg-san?” “How about you?” Having the question immediately turned back to her, Ruler widened her eyes and stiffened her back straight. “T-That’s. Umm, err, that is, no—” Rider sighed. He stood up and patted Ruler’s head as if she were a child. “Hyah!?” Rider smiled and whispered in her ear. “—Well, do your best, though I won’t be supporting you, Miss someone else who isn’t Ruler.” “…!” As the girl turned around, Rider waved his hand and went up to the bedroom on the second floor. “…Uuugh. He noticed.” She sighed and pressed a hand to her cheek. Sieg then came out of the washroom with a bath towel covering his head and noticed Ruler looking red-faced and laying her head on the desk, so he called out to her. “Ruler, did something happen?” “Ah, no, no, no! Nothing happened, nothing—” She stiffened once again. While looking at her curiously, Sieg pointed at the washroom. “We changed the order, but you can go in the bath next.” Ruler stiffened and stared at Sieg’s body. A shirt was hanging off his right arm. He probably intended to sleep wearing it. In other words, right now, Sieg was completely naked above his waist. “…Y-Yes! Under! Stood!” Moving jerkily just like a mechanical doll, she passed by Sieg to go to the washroom. As he watched her go, Sieg found her behavior odd, but he just shrugged and decided to go up to the second floor bedroom. It’d be nice if Rider doesn’t barge in like last time, he thought. After all, Rider stayed in physical form and tossed and turned while he slept, which caused Sieg to be often kicked off the narrow bed. 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 ### 024. 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 ### 025. Chapter 2 Ch2-12 I pray in the morning, I pray at noon, I pray at night, I pray before eating and I pray before I go to sleep. —In other words, my way of life is simple. Every day is suffocating. My friends at the school dormitory take things easy in their lives. I have no intention of condemning that, and I myself have thought that it might be better to take it easy sometimes. The reason I could never do that despite thinking that way—is probably because I was afraid of agitating my heart. Every day was like living at the bottom of the ocean. With neither great joy nor sorrow, I simply went through the days dispassionately. The school I attend has nothing noteworthy about it. My friends idly grumble that it’s like a prison. Still, it’s not like it’s completely cut off from the outside world, so it’s easy to both fall into depravity and repent for it. Amidst that environment, I was often told that I strictly disciplined myself. I didn’t have relationships outside or fall into depraved behavior, but neither did I try to change others out of excessive pride. My teachers and friends praised me, for some reason. Everyone said that this way of life was beautiful, that this way of life was correct. I always accepted those praises with a vague smile, while feeling troubled inside my heart. It isn’t anything that great. I’m simply afraid to change. I understand my personality very well. My self-control is weak and my brakes are easily broken, so if I start running, I would just keep speeding up, unable to stop. Even if there was a cliff ahead, I would just jump off it. I wouldn’t stop until I fell and died. That’s why I didn’t concern myself with the outside world, but also didn’t feel any great joy in that prison. Furthermore, I couldn’t sever my connection to the outside completely as long as I had my parents. It makes me want to deride myself for how half-baked I am. I didn’t intend to become someone extremely commonplace, someone who was connected with others and dyed by the earthly world. And I didn’t have the courage to devote myself to a world cut off from the outside and where taboos are strictly controlled. Frankly, I didn’t know where I should aim to go. I couldn’t find the path I should take. I just walked uncertainly and helplessly down the path I could vaguely manage to see. Screw it, if it’s like this, who cares anymore? I half-despaired as I walked. I didn’t know what lay ahead, so I had no other choice. Even if I fell and degenerated, even if I my body became a captive, even if I regretted it… I had no other choice, or so I told myself. +++ At that time—I saw a dream, and I saw a path. +++ The holy maiden Jeanne d’Arc asked for my help. I understood everything from the knowledge that had been inserted into me, and accepted it. Naturally, I was afraid. A mortal battle between heroes over the Holy Grail wasn’t something someone commonplace like me should involve myself in. But I agreed. I also politely refused the holy maiden’s advice to simply sleep, and I continued to watch everything through her eyes. Grand battles that surpassed my imagination, gruesome scenes that filled me with such disgust I wanted to throw up, all of it. I probably felt mentally protected by the thought I was in a place of safety. I watched events that no one else would ever see in their whole lifetime. I saw heroes who dashed across the battlefield, heroes who could smash giant stone statues with mystical tools, magi who used mysterious magecraft, divine-looking giants and even a massive fortress floating in the sky. But what captivated my eyes the most was—was… +++ How is such a pure and beautiful being alive and breathing? That person was so beautiful it made me think that. The boy who was a homunculus, an artificially-created life form. I understood from the knowledge the holy maiden had given me. Most of them were short-lived, loyal servants who were created in human form and obeyed the will of humans. But he had defied death and overcome despair, obtaining irreplaceable freedom. Even the moment where I thought Thank goodness and sighed in relief was only brief, as he sought to return to the battlefield. I couldn’t understand. After all, that meant throwing away the freedom he had obtained. If it were me, I would definitely hold onto what I had obtained—I would never let it go. He had risked his life to get it. But he said this. My comrades want to be saved. I can’t just leave and abandon them. Even I could understand. This person probably can’t do anything. Certainly, he might regret leaving them. He might feel guilty over abandoning them. But he would surely forget it eventually. He should live happily—this person had to live happily. The world was huge and filled with tons of beautiful things, after all. If he could do something, then it would be understandable. But he knew better than anyone else that he ‘couldn’t do anything’. He knew full well that it was a foolish, reckless and futile choice that wouldn’t amount to anything. But this person had chosen to go back. To me, as someone who lived half-heartedly, his way of life was overwhelmingly dazzling. A jewel that was polished not to boast of its beauty nor make others look at it, but simply for the sake of doing so. A person who would never change his way of life no matter how he was scorned as foolish for not taking pride in his beauty. +++ Even though he’s close enough for me to touch if I just reach out my hand. To me, he’s the person who was the furthest away. +++ Soaking in the warm bath water made her weariness disappear as if it was melting away. The girl known as Laeticia heaved a huge sigh. She felt like it had been a while since she had soaked in the bath like this. “—Umm. I’m sorry.” The girl who had come to the surface apologized to the holy maiden within her. “I don’t think there’s any need for you to apologize, though.” “…No, umm… I don’t really understand it myself either… these feelings of mine.” These feelings are so strange, she thought with a sigh. Shame and joy were mixed together. And a large spoonful of sorrow was mixed into it as well. “Isn’t that—because he hasn’t noticed you? That was naturally part of it. But there was something else subtly mixed into it. Something slightly bitter, sweet and painful. “Laeticia. You know there’s nothing stopping you from letting him know when you come out, right?” “…No. I’ll refrain from doing that.” She moved her hand through the bath water. She felt sad over not revealing her name to him, and she also felt sad that he wasn’t looking at her. But this subtle emotion surely came from something else. —Ah, how sinful I am. “I’m already fine with this… My feelings are vague and ambiguous, after all.” “But—” “Thank you, o great holy maiden. It made me happy.” She closed her eyes—and then reopened them. The girl known as Jeanne confirmed that Laeticia had gone to sleep inside her. “So that’s enough for you… huh?” They had two days remaining due to Fiore’s choice. As long as there was no emergency situation, Ruler had thought it would be fine to lend her body back to Laeticia. Laeticia had done that much for her. She had loaned Jeanne this body. Even when they got involved in bloody battles, she continued to accompany Jeanne. Even if she was technically safe, merely continuing to watch battles from inside Jeanne should have mentally exhausted her. Jeanne couldn’t thank her enough. After all, this state where she was close to being human had from the start been far more astounding than she had expected. She felt hunger and felt joy in eating. She felt weariness and wished for sleep. The overwhelming euphoria just from having basic, human instincts. She was once more experiencing the magnificence of being alive. If it weren’t for Laeticia, she wouldn’t have been able to feel this… Though naturally, she wouldn’t have suffered from hunger, either. That’s right. That’s why Jeanne felt an everlasting debt of gratitude to her. And most of all, she felt it was only natural that she was charmed by the boy beside her, even if they had only known each other for a few days. So why not change places and give her the chance to form and bond with him even a little—that’s what she had thought, but… “How… unfortunate.” Perhaps because of the steam, her vision was hazy and the world was so vague and unclear. Yes, it was unfortunate. Sieg still hadn’t noticed Laeticia. Jeanne felt it was unfortunate and sad, but also just a little— “…No, I…” Ever so slightly, completely different feelings were mixed in. They were feelings that were superfluous and absolutely unneeded, which she should discard right away. But she couldn’t throw these feelings away no matter how hard she tried. Even though they were so tiny and should have been unnecessary. “I don’t understand… anything.” Whiling hoping her feelings would dissolve into steam and disappear—Ruler looked up at the ceiling and heaved a huge sigh. ### 026. Chapter 3 Ch3-1 …For the next two days after that, everything was peaceful. Staying inside the hideout would let them avoid unnecessary trouble, so Sieg wanted to spend time there idly—and ponder a vague thought he still couldn’t quite put into words. But his Servant wouldn’t allow that. “Come on, let’s go out and play!” “Wait, what are you saying—!?” And the holy maiden’s attempt at restraint was meaningless in the face of Rider. Rider of Black pulled them both along with him to his heart’s content. They marched through the town and ate, went around the many famous tourist sites, and talked and laughed without minding the suspicious gazes of those they passed. Whenever they occasionally encountered trouble, Rider and Ruler dealt with it. Irritated people would smile wryly when the flawlessly cute Rider talked to them, and those who with ill intentions would run away hanging their heads after hearing Ruler’s reprimanding tone and words. Sieg felt as if he was walking with a typhoon and an angel. It felt extremely safe, but also extremely tiring. But he was only tired. And that weariness itself was extremely comforting. “—Are you having fun?” Rider asked him that, taking Sieg by surprise. For some reason, Ruler also stared intently at Sieg as if waiting for his answer. Sieg replied. “Of course I’m having fun.” It was true that he felt a slight amount of smoldering impatience inside. He was anxious about the future, and dark clouds hanged over their destination. Naturally, he hadn’t forgotten about any of that. He hadn’t, but— The sunlight was dazzling, the sky was clear and blue, and the people passing by were overflowing with energy and liveliness, for good or ill. Just walking through such a place made his heart pound with excitement. Sieg smiled, and Rider and Ruler nodded in satisfaction. He didn’t know the reason for their reaction. Even when he asked why, the other two merely traded looks and giggled… It’s surely something good, Sieg thought. +++ —When it became nighttime, Sieg thought. He wracked his brain over difficult questions over things he didn’t have an answer for, like human goodness, human evil and human instinct. He read books and sought the guidance of the other two people with him, but even with that, he still wracked his brains over the answers he couldn’t find. And he also thought about Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. “…Why is he trying to save humanity?” Sieg suddenly murmured that while reading a book on a sofa in the living room. “Hmm? Isn’t that because humans are sinful beings to him?” Rider answered as if it were extremely obvious. It was a simple answer, but Sieg also thought it was correct. Humans were sinful beings by nature, and that was precisely the reason Shirou was trying to save humanity. Though Sieg didn’t know how he intended to use the Greater Grail to bring it about—in any case, Shirou was filled with the sense of duty that he must save the sinful humanity. “Then does Amakusa Shirou hate humans?” “I don’t think so, though?” While lying down on another sofa, Rider pointed at the book on Amakusa Shirou that Sieg had been absorbed in reading. It was a book he had brought from the Fortress of Millennia, thinking it might be useful somehow. Though Sieg had been bestowed knowledge about the other Servants, he wouldn’t be able to understand what kind of person the enemy’s leader was unless he tried to learn about him. …If it was just a matter of fighting, there might not be a problem with not knowing. If he changed into the great hero Siegfried, he could probably defeat Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, who, in the end, was merely a saint from the Far East, in one blow. But Sieg somehow felt that was wrong. Regardless of which side defeated the other, Sieg wanted to at least know about his opponent. Even if he could understand or agree with them, he should be aware of their existence and objectively know about their life. Pulling the trigger to kill the enemy without knowing anything about them or their goal—Sieg felt that that alone was something he shouldn’t do. Therefore, thought it was only vague details, he had learned about Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. And the more he learned, the less he understood. If he was summoned as a normal Servant, then Sieg could understand. Even when he was summoned as Ruler, there probably hadn’t been any problems when it had been in the Far East. According to the research of the Yggdmillennia magi, the Third Holy Grail War had apparently been extremely gruesome. The armies of supposedly allied countries each moved secretly amidst the war along with the many participating magi—and by the time anyone realized it, it had developed into a massacre that no one could control. In his first life, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada had witnessed the massacre of thirty-seven thousand people, and in his second life, he saw the hideous conflict between magi and armies. “Shouldn’t it be impossible for him to like humans after that—?” “…I don’t think so.” Ruler suddenly spoke up from her own sofa where she sat. Rider and Sieg looked at her. Ruler murmured as if she were speaking to herself instead of them. “If you live as a hero or a saint, you will naturally see both the ugly and beautiful sides of humans. Human evil, human goodness, or perhaps something that transcends either of them. No matter how much of the ugliness he saw, he wants to believe in the beautiful things. It’s precisely because he wants to continue liking humans that he wants to save them—that might be how he thinks.” “…I see.” That’s a reasonable conclusion, Sieg thought. But Rider objected while wriggling his feet on the sofa. “But would he reach the conclusion of ‘saving humanity’ in that case? Hmm… like, wouldn’t he wish something like erasing bad humans and leaving only good humans?” “That isn’t salvation, but selection. No saint or hero has the right to choose who should and shouldn’t be saved.” Sieg titled his head curiously at Ruler’s words. “But you yourself fought in the past, didn’t you? In order to protect your homeland and defeat the enemy. Isn’t that selecting the people who should be saved?” “…Yes, that’s true. I don’t think that was mistaken. But even if it wasn’t mistaken, my actions were a ‘sin’. I didn’t think of myself as a saint; I’m merely a commonplace woman who heard God’s laments.” Therefore, that wasn’t selection, but a choice. She had decided to save these people and destroy those people . That was the nature of how humans saved other humans. One must never classify those who should be saved and those who shouldn’t from high above. “Shirou Kotomine—Amakusa Shirou Tokisada should also understand that. He obtained the Greater Grail not for the sake of saving only those who should be saved, but to save all humans. However, that is a mistake. That’s precisely why I’m here.” “A mistake… huh? Then, if it wasn’t a mistake, you would also choose that salvation of his?” Ruler stiffened at Sieg’s question. The coffee cup in her hand trembled slightly. “…Ruler?” Hearing Sieg’s curious voice, Ruler frantically shook her head. “N-No. It’s nothing… Yes, I think I would consider it if that salvation was perfect. But there is no such thing.” “Right? It’s impossible! If there were such a thing, some much wiser guys in the past would have already done it! Living beings can’t live just being saved by others!” “…Then does that apply to me who was saved by you?” Rider glared at Sieg after he spoke. “Geez! That’s not it! You weren’t saved. You simply saved yourself! I just helped a little! To reverse the question, would you have thought of escaping by yourself if you had known that you would eventually be saved?” Sieg became at a loss for words. …If he had known he would be saved for a fact, would he really have fought so desperately? If he had known that someone would save him if he just waited— “—That’s right. It’s certainly true that you were saved by Rider of Black, Sieg-kun. But when you consider the process until he did so, you were the one who saved yourself first. You shouldn’t disregard that.” Sieg felt an emotion that was really hard to describe after hearing Ruler’s words. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, but some odd emotion that mixed happiness and shame and tickled his heart somehow. Though he understood it was ‘embarrassment’, Sieg still took a little while to respond. “…Is that so?” “It is, it is.” While saying that, Rider picked up some Yakigashi 1 . “Oh, strawberry. What luck!” “Muu. Rider, haven’t you been eating nothing but the strawberry-flavored ones since earlier?” Ruler glared at him. The sweets that she had bought along with coffee so they could enjoy it together were drastically decreasing in the strawberry-flavored ones due to Rider’s very specific eating preferences. “I’m just randomly grabbing from the pile… Oh, another strawberry.” “A-Aren’t they all gone now!? Rider, you! Gluttony is a grave sin!” “I-It’s fine! The chocolate ones are also tasty! I’m going to bed, good night!” Perhaps sensing his disadvantage here, Rider suddenly went into spiritual form and ran away. “Geez…” While watching all this, Sieg grabbed one of the chocolate-flavored sweets. Putting his dulled sense of taste to work, he managed to taste the chocolate. “I think it’s plenty tasty.” “Yes…” He threw one of the sweets to her as she acted downhearted. When she ate it, Ruler’s cheeks loosened into a happy smile. “Ah, it’s like I’m falling into decadence…” “…I think you’ve already plenty falling into decadence when it comes to eating, though. No, sorry. That was a slip of the tongue.” When Sieg reflexively pointed that out, Ruler pouted. “This is a unique form of summoning for me, so it can’t be helped. Besides, my calorie consumption is quite fierce, so she doesn’t have to worry about getting fat either.” “She? …Ah, you mean Laeticia.” Ruler—Jeanne d’Arc—had been summoned using the girl known as Laeticia as a core. “Yes. She’s a very good girl.” The instant the topic turned to Laeticia, Ruler’s expression relaxed. “I would think so. Even if she isn’t fighting, she has the necessary character to follow you into this situation.” “Yes. Though she seems to have become interested in something else—” Ruler smiled in amusement. Something else… Certainly, amidst the unbelievable fantasies of the Great Holy Grail War, magecraft and most of all Servants, an ordinary person could easily become interested in any of them. “Ah, I know. You’re surely misunderstanding, Sieg-kun.” “…Did you read my mind?” Sieg tilted his head in confusion, making Ruler smile all the more. “Yes. After all, what she’s become charmed by is—!?” Before she could say any more, Ruler covered her mouth with her own hands. “What’s wrong?” “N-No. It’s nothing. More importantly, Sieg-kun, would you like to talk with Laeticia? We’re not in a pressing situation right now, after all.” Sieg tilted his head curiously at Ruler’s question. Even if she asked if he would like to talk, it would actually be his first time meeting her. “I felt like she kept her distance when I first met you, but is it all right to talk with her?” He didn’t mind being hated, but he wouldn’t force someone who hated him to talk—so Sieg tried to be considerate of Laeticia. “It’s fine!” —Ruler suddenly stood up and shouted loudly. Sieg stared at her in puzzlement, and Ruler covered her mouth with a shocked expression. Silence. After a while, Ruler sat back down on the sofa. “…Could it be that you’re Laeticia ?” When Sieg asked that, she tried to feebly shake her head—but then nodded. Her expression was somehow helpless, unable to calm down. The way she anxiously clenched her hands was certainly like that of an ordinary girl that could be found anywhere. “Umm, yes. That’s right, I’m… Laeticia.” “Nice to meet you, sort of, I guess.” Laeticia smiled and nodded at Sieg’s words. Her smile seemed a bit sad to Sieg. “Yes, nice to meet you, Sieg-san. I’m truly glad to have gotten the chance to properly meet you. I’ve only watched you up until now, after all.” “I see. Umm… are you all right with me? Sorry, that was vague. Err…” Laeticia giggled and nodded at Sieg’s ambiguous question. “No, it’s not a problem. It’s just that, how to put it… I was nervous before. It’s fine now. I’ve been watching Sieg-san for a while.” She displayed a soft smile that was slightly different from that of Ruler—even though their facial features were exactly the same, the atmosphere they gave off was clearly different from each other. “Then that’s good… But you’ve really gotten dragged into something serious.” Someone who lived a normal life had suddenly been possessed by a saint one day. Moreover, she got involved in a war over the Holy Grail and witnessed cruelty that one normally wouldn’t be able to endure seeing. Even if she could simply put her mind to sleep inside, there were probably times when she saw things she didn’t want to see. “The holy maiden Jeanne-sama treats me very preciously. Besides, truth be told, my heart is dancing with excitement a little as well.” “You heart is… dancing?” Sieg tilted his head curiously, and Laeticia nodded. “Umm, I realize it’s imprudent of me—but, I was someone who didn’t know about magecraft or anything really until now. If Jeanne-sama hadn’t descended upon me, I probably would have lived my entire life without knowing any of it.” She clasped her hands together as if in prayer and continued to speak. “But I was able to learn through this experience. I’ve met heroes who are only told of in myths and legends face to face. Whether they be enemies or allies, it’s all been a precious experience for someone ordinary like me. And I also, umm, got to meet… you too, Sieg-san.” “…It’s true that homunculi are a rare sight.” After some thought, Sieg nodded in understanding—and Laeticia’s became downcast at those words. “It’s not because you’re a homunculus. It’s because you’re Sieg-san.” “…Hmm.” Sieg tilted his head. His reaction, which could only be described as naivety itself, showed how he just didn’t understand. +++ Laeticia thought. This person dispassionately assessed his ‘personal’ value to a frightening degree. He was a Master, the Servant Saber of Black, and a homunculus that could use magecraft. And he probably thought he was nothing else besides those things. He treated his kindness towards others, his bravery which didn’t lose to that of heroes and everything else about him—as non-existent. He thought it was natural for anyone to have those qualities. Laeticia found that unbearably sad. +++ “…Umm, Ruler… No, Laeticia.” Laeticia raised her face. Sieg stared at Laeticia with a serious gaze. He straightened his back and looked straight at her. “Did I say something rude to you?” “Huh? Umm, why do you think that—?” “No, it’s just that you were looking at me sadly. Ruler would probably correct me or get angry if I did something rude. But right now you’re Laeticia. I thought you might get sad instead in such a case, but is that wrong?” So it’s like that, Laeticia thought. She became saddened again, but immediately understood. In the end, this was something that had to be conveyed with words. Because Sieg couldn’t see that which anyone could naturally understand or boast of in the depths of their hearts. This might be her best chance. Be brave, she reprimanded herself. If she didn’t say it here, she might never get to say it—Laeticia hated the thought of that. “No, that’s not it. I… That’s right, I simply don’t want you to make light of yourself, Sieg-san. Umm, I’ll only say it once, okay?” “Sure.” Laeticia sucked in a deep breath, leaned forward and spoke to Sieg. +++ “Sieg-san, even without being a Master, Servant or magus, you are a truly wonderful person just for being yourself .” +++ Those words left Sieg with a dumbfounded expression for a little while. Laeticia nodded in satisfaction and then quietly closed her eyes— “—I also think so, Sieg-kun. And I pray that you’ll eventually think of yourself that way as well.” Ruler lightly patted his hand. Completely dumbfounded, Sieg nodded vaguely. Ruler hoped that Laeticia’s words would act as some kind of impetus and help him understand little by little. “I—” Sieg couldn’t continue his sentence. He questioned the world, he questioned humans and he questioned good and evil. But he still hadn’t questioned himself . If he continued questioning the world while remaining empty inside—he would probably one day conclude that he was a worthless being. The value of his life wasn’t something to be decided by others; he had to decide it for himself. And when he acknowledged his own value, it would help form the path Sieg would walk. Ruler wanted to believe that. She wanted to protect him. Even if they wouldn’t walk alongside each other, if she could at least help him find his path— +++ “…” She was hit by a headache similar to vertigo. You have no right to speak of dreams, a voice growled inside her mind. You brought him here—you led this homunculus to the battlefield as if it were completely natural. By the Lord’s will. “Ruler, what’s wrong?” Sieg asked her worriedly, and Ruler frantically shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she answered, and Sieg then fell into deep thought once again. Watching that, Ruler thought once more. —I certainly brought him here. She didn’t know what would happen next. But she had a responsibility. Ruler bore responsibility for not having made him run away. As such, she would continue to protect him… even if she had to wager her own life to do so. As she swore that within her heart, Ruler felt relieved. She could wager her life for him. She felt relieved at that part of herself. There was one thing that she didn’t notice… These feelings that seemed to burn her body from the inside out consisted of not just guilt. +++ Laeticia found that sad. Even if she pointed it out to her with words, the holy maiden probably wouldn’t acknowledge it. And by the time she did acknowledge it, it likely would be far too late. +++ Thus, the final night would end with everyone passing their time peacefully. +++ —The night wore on. Archer of Black clenched a fist and raised it towards the starry sky above. He wasn’t thinking of his coming opponent as his former student. The enemy was a great and matchless hero, the strongest warrior Achilles, who ran across the battlefield over the course of the Trojan War— His heart cheered. And at the same time, he resolved himself. There was no proof he could win even if he fought Achilles in perfect form. When he considered it coolly, Archer was at a 7:3 disadvantage. Achilles’ spear was certainly swift. Even if Archer completely grasped his abilities and habits in battle, the possibility that he couldn’t process the data fast enough in real time was extremely likely. Moreover, that was based on the assumption of first annulling the disadvantage of his foothold and his opponent not using his chariot. To bring about such a convenient development, considerable luck and planning was necessary. But that was precisely why Archer engraved the fact that he had to win in his heart. Because victory was the final lesson he could teach to his Master. How strange, he thought with a smile. He would never have thought he would pass the final night feeling so calm. Only one pair could win in a normal Holy Grail War. In such a situation where it would be natural for him to die amidst regret, he was lucky to have fortuitously met so many comrades—unbelievably so. We’ll definitely win. With his heart full of overflowing feelings, Archer of Black reflected upon that simple conclusion. +++ —The night wore on. Rider of Black slept. He slept regardless of the fact that he was a Servant. He fell asleep despite not needing to. And he saw a dream. Naturally, it was a dream of his Master. …However, Sieg’s life was so short and condensed it was only a fleeting twinkle. The first person he met soon after being born was none other than Rider of Black himself. And so, Rider met himself as he watched Sieg’s past. He felt Sieg’s feelings and thoughts as he watched. He experienced just how happy Sieg had felt when Rider appeared—and said he would save him. Ah, I’ll protect you, I’ll protect you, I’ll protect you, I want you to become happy! Rider’s heart danced. Rider had forgotten that they would part soon… or rather, he blocked it off from his thoughts. He understood. It would surely be painful and sad. If Rider could physically incarnate, he would be able to stay by Sieg’s side, but that was quite difficult. Whether or not they managed to get back the Greater Grail, there was no telling whether it would be able to grant a wish at that point. But, he could vaguely tell—it was already too late for that. His instincts were quite reliable at times like these. So, for now, let’s only think of fun things. I’ll do my best as a Servant. Rider thus swore. His chest was hot and his head swirled with formless thoughts, and that was why he could understand as he became unbearably excited. He would fight with his life on the line for his Master. He couldn’t help but feel happy about that. As he surrendered himself to sleep, Rider of Black’s lips slackened into a slight smile. +++ —The night wore on. It was late at night. Unable to sleep, Caules absentmindedly gazed at the courtyard outside from his window. His human eyes could only faintly make out the contour of things in the darkness at best. But he managed to make out the silhouette of the rubble that hadn’t yet been cleaned up outside. Caules had often watched his Servant from here. She had usually followed him everywhere from behind, but the only independent action she took was flower picking in the courtyard. Though it was only a few days ago, it felt nostalgic to him, and he hated himself for feeling that way. At the same time, he was surprised at how clearly he recalled that scene. Within their scarce conversations, Caules had only once asked Berserker of Black a certain question. +++ “I thought you would have hated flowers?” +++ She had tilted her head, as if not comprehending what he had said. Caules had smiled bitterly—perhaps that was only natural. The episode about her throwing flowers into a lake was only a fictional production from a movie. When he apologized and told her to forget about it, Berserker had nodded and began engrossing herself in flower fortune-telling once more. Holding the peeled petals in her hands, she then stood up and threw them up towards the sky. The flower petals had danced downwards on a gentle breeze. It only lasted an instant—but that scene was vividly engraved in his mind. She had seemed unbearably ephemeral as she stood there amidst the falling petals. He should have talked with her a bit more. Anything would have been fine, about the things they each liked, the things they each hated; he should have talked with her about anything without reserve. Even if she couldn’t exchange words, she should have been able to convey something in her own way. But she was no longer here. Caules had let her die in an manner that was the same as if he had killed her with his own hands. The piece of rubble that was stabbed into the ground of the flowerbed couldn’t help but look like some kind of gravestone to him. And then his thoughts began to turn into an even worse direction. “Idiot, stop it.” He knocked his head. He didn’t have the time to be soaking in sentimentality. Everything would end tomorrow night. He didn’t even know whether he would be alive then. But—he still had a responsibility as a Master. Even if his Command Spells were gone and his Servant had vanished, Caules had participated in the Great Holy Grail War by his own will and fought by his own will. So he would ascertain the outcome right to the very end, as far as he could go. Those were the shackles Caules had placed on himself. “…Let’s sleep.” Caules decided to try sleeping even if he had to force himself. Naturally, he had stimulant-type herbs and spells at hand, but those were only for use in emergencies or when his research was making progress. If he managed to fall asleep, then that was fine. Still, he’d had the Magic Crest transplanted into him not long ago. His body was hot and in pain, so he wouldn’t be able to sleep well anyway. Additionally, there were also spells and herbs for preventing nightmares. Should I use one? —Caules wavered over it a little, but decided not to in the end. He accepted the nightmares about the past and the near future without running away. He knew it was terribly self-righteous of him, but he believed he should face at least this much. Caules fell asleep, while praying that he and, most of all, his sister would manage to get through tomorrow safely. +++ —The night wore on. Unlike her brother, Fiore decided not to sleep. Part of it was that she had trouble falling asleep, but she was also scared of seeing dreams. Her resolve was like soft pudding—it would collapse with the slightest shake. Unlike usual, Archer was still in materialized form at this hour. “There’s something I want to think about while maintaining this physical body for a while.” It wasn’t that large of a burden on her, so Fiore had gladly allowed it. Most likely, he was thinking on a castle lookout not far from here right now. Fiore thought about Archer. Even though tomorrow would be their final farewell, she felt strangely calm. Only, she felt an indescribable sense of transience, feeling that something precious was gradually getting further away. Was it because she would give up magecraft after tomorrow, because of her coming parting with Archer, or was it perhaps both? She thought about it absentmindedly. Before she had transplanted the Magic Crest, she had thought it would be fine this way. Immediately after the transplant, she felt regret and worry over the fact that she might have done something terrible. And now, her feelings wavered little by little like a pendulum. She had thought about discussing it with Archer. About how she might be regretting her choice. But she stopped herself from doing so. This wasn’t something she should speak of in this situation. Most of all, her Servant seemed like he would give advice without changing expression at all right now. —She would do her best on her own. It was quite disheartening, but also something precious. A person’s life was a path chosen even amidst a repetition of regrets. Those regrets would also probably melt away little by little every day. But even so, she would continuously make new regrets one after another. She would forget them, cover them up, and live while always glossing them over—Ah, how human of her that was. There were only three things in her life that she had decided to never regret. The first was how she had loved that dog. Its irritated expression when she washed it in the shower and cleaned off the dirt. Its softened expression when it dried in the hot wind. The way it wagged its tail when she patted its head—its final days were precious memories to her no matter how tragic it was. The second was her summoning and meeting Chiron as Archer of Black. It was one of the few events she could proudly call a success in all regards in her life. The third was having learned magecraft… She had enjoyed it. It wasn’t depressing or completely pointless. The joy she felt when she successfully used spells burned in her chest even now. She would be able to live proudly with just the memory of that alone. Even if she lamented what she lost, she still felt pride over having once had something more precious to her than anything else. “Ah, but I might die tomorrow.” She murmured that aloud to herself, and then giggled. Naturally, she would feel regret if she died—but she felt like she would be able to take pride in it even if she only managed to make a single step forward. Without sleeping, Fiore quietly waited for tomorrow. 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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 ### 027. Chapter 3 Ch3-2 —The night wore on. Saber of Red and Shishigou Kairi had left Bucharest and were heading by car to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Force base, which lay about three hundred kilometers away from the city. The items Shishigou had requested through the Association of Magi were there. They would no longer return to Bucharest, as their plan was to head to the battlefield next—in other words, to the Hanging Gardens. The driver Shishigou and Saber of Red in the passenger seat rode the car without exchanging any words. As some melancholy country music flowed out from the car radio, neither of them felt any awkwardness at the silence between them. Saber thought that in itself was strange. When she’d been alive, she’d never experienced such a silence with anyone else. In most cases, people ran from her, she stood up to take action, or she and the other party hated each other to the point that they were on the verge of killing each other. There was no one who had let their guard down with her, and there was no one she had let her guard down with. She had thought that was what life, what a knight and what the being known as Mordred was. “…Hey.” “Hmm, what?” She didn’t even find his curt way of talking all that irritating. There were very few cars on the road right now, and even the few sounds on the road merely emphasized the calm and silence. “…Hey, I said, what is it?” Shishigou voice was dubious—speaking of which, she had merely called out to him without any question in mind. Perhaps she had merely thought, Now then, what should I ask? “Ah… I forgot what it was.” After turning silent again for a little while, Shishigou tilted his head in confusion and muttered. “…That happens a lot to humans, but does the same apply to Servants?” “It does, doesn’t it? After all, we’re so real that this is called our second life. Thought we don’t need to eat or sleep.” “And yet you eat quite a lot—” “Shut up. That’s not because I’m hungry, but because I’m curious about the taste.” “As expected of someone born on the island known for having the worst cooking.” “Stop it with the insults I can’t refute, Master.” She continued talking with him about this worthless topic even while thinking it was worthless. It was fun, so fun that it made her think it would be even more fun if they had alcohol too. Why hadn’t she been able to talk like with anyone during her life—? It was obvious; it was because her father hadn’t. As the one who would succeed her father, she couldn’t do anything that her father didn’t. But the things that her father hadn’t done were so fun. Did her father never converse with others because it was fun? Or because her father didn’t find it fun? Or did her father merely think it was unnecessary? It might be all of those reasons. Her father always looked too far ahead. Her father had freely devoted all efforts to build a peaceful country. Naturally, her father’s knights had always devoted their efforts to that cause. But they were too short-sighted. Though it was necessary to first make a foundation in order to build a castle, they didn’t understand that and merely asked for the castle. Or perhaps it was the opposite. They were unable to understand what their efforts in the present would bring in the future. To dry up a village within their territory was a callous and cruel act… They didn’t move a single step from that viewpoint. They didn’t see the victory that lay beyond it. That was only natural; the possibility that they would lose if they didn’t dry up their own territory was merely a hypothetical future. Naturally, the king had explained to them. They had heard the king’s words that the village was being sacrificed for the sake of victory. But— +++ —Maybe, maybe they could have won even without drying up their villages? +++ When they thought like that, distrust towards the king always took root in them… After all, it had been none other than the Knight of Rebellion herself who had said that to instigate them. The king was isolated, the king was alone—that was a natural, unmistakable fact. But… maybe it would have been better to talk to each other. If they had been frank with each other and deepened their mutual understanding, maybe a different path would have appeared— “What’s with you, suddenly turning silent?” “Shut up. A future king like me has a lot of worries that ordinary people can’t understand.” “Yeah, yeah, the imperial court magus will be quiet now.” When Shishigou said that, Saber of Red suddenly imagined it—Shishigou wearing a robe that just emphasized his suspicious appearance and bending his back like an old man. She couldn’t help bursting out with laughter. “It doesn’t suit you at all! It’s no good, Master! You should start by rectifying that fact of yours first.” “Hey, don’t say things about other people’s faces. Despite how it seems, I’m sensitive about this frightening appearance of mine!” Saber of Red was a little surprised by those words—and then she realized again. It was a trivial detail, but she had once again learned something new about the person known as Shishigou Kairi. Just by spending a few days together, she had learned a ton of facts about someone else. How much would she have learned about others if she talked with them during her life? If she had talked with the king—would she have been able to understand the king? Even though it was already in the far past, she couldn’t help but regretfully think that way. “…Are we there yet?” “Just a little longer. I know you’re bored, but—” “No, I’m not bored. More importantly, talk to me more, Master. Talk about something trivial and worthless.” +++ Shishigou smiled bitterly at her pestering tone. In truth, they still had a long way to go. He was worried that she would be bored, but if she was satisfied just by talking, then that was perfect. “Can’t be helped. Then let me tell you the story of a man I met on a certain battlefield—” The Master Shishigou spoke of a trivial tale, and the Servant Saber laughed as she listened to that trivial tale, and then recounted her own few absurd stories from when she was a knight. This might be the last time I laugh, Saber thought. She wasn’t scared of dying, and she would feel no despair even if her wish wasn’t granted. She would merely say “That’s how it is” with a light sigh and shrug. Even if the two of them were blessed with luck in every aspect, made a perfect battle strategy, thoroughly displayed their abilities and got the Holy Grail, their parting would still eventually come. “…Hey, Master. Is parting sad?” As a slight urge of weakness sprouted in her, she involuntarily asked that question. She already expected his answer. ‘Parting isn’t sad. If people have memories, they can live on.’ Shishigou, of course, betrayed her expectations when he replied. “Of course it’s sad. All the more so if it’s an eternal separation. Listen, Saber. To part with someone means you can’t talk with them. Being unable to talk with them means you’ll eternally lose the chance to understand each another. No matter how strongly you’re connected to them—as they fade away into the flow of time, the things you remember about them will also disappear.” “Then meeting other is pointless?” “Completely pointless. If we were perfect beings, we wouldn’t need to meet anyone else in the first place. The reason we meet and talk with others is in order to try and fill something we lack within ourselves. But sadly, we’re far from perfect. That’s why we have to fill up our feelings of loneliness by encountering others. In other words—encountering others is a luxury. If you think of it that way, you can endure meeting even the most unpleasant of people.” “…What contrary logic.” Saber’s amazed voice made Shishigou heartily laugh. Indeed, what he said wasn’t mistaken. It was a trivial conversation without any potential for anymore more, an act that wasted time in a completely pointless manner. It was such a luxury, such precious time spent— All the more so for a Servant. Normally, a Servant would only fight, fight and fight until everything was over, after all. “So well, let’s enjoy this luxury while we have the chance. Now then, back to my story—” Shishigou continued talking—and she listened to that trivial story while closing her eyes. +++ —The night wore on. Like Rider of Black and Caster of Red, Archer of Red didn’t like going into spiritual form very much. She preferred perceiving the feel and smell of the earth. There was practically none of the smell of iron which she hated in the Hanging Gardens, but she couldn’t sniff the smell of trees or earth either. And most of all, she couldn’t hear the laughter of children here. Since the dawn of history, the ones who were most exploited in this world were children. Many children simply cried and died without ever being able to smile and laugh. Each time she thought that, Archer was struck by despair strong enough to tear out her heart. The world should have been simple. A world where all children laughed only required adults to give a little concern and help. And yet they trampled over, abused and never gave love to the young ones born into this world, who they should have been considered half of themselves. Having once been one of those children, Archer could understand quite well. How cruel and painful it was. And also—how joyous it felt to have her pleading hand grasped by someone else. “—That’s right. That’s why I won’t deny you all. I’ll accept you. I’ll love you. I’ll truly love you all.” Looking at her discolored right arm, Archer smiled. The vengeful spirits continued to whisper. +++ Kill, kill, kill, kill everyone, kill every last one of them. +++ …It was abnormal. Low-class vengeful spirits could only repeat the desires from when they were alive. If they wanted to ‘return’, they would continue to earnestly seek to return. Even if a hundred or a thousand years passed, as long as they existed as spirits, that wouldn’t change. But the vengeful spirits possessing Archer’s right arm had changed their wish. Was it born from Archer of Red’s own desire, or was it because the vengeful spirits actually understood Archer’s love and hatred? Even Archer herself didn’t know. She was certain of only one thing. Her wish was absolutely correct, and the fates of the children in the world hanged in the balance. She couldn’t afford to lose. Even if—she became a beast that froze the hearts of those who saw her. That’s right, she had that power. Not her power as a hero, but the power of a Monstrous Beast of punishment sent by the gods—but if it was for the sake of these children, she would happily become a beast. So just wait a little longer. It’s all right, I’ll gladly become the cornerstone for you all. She whispered while holding her right arm closely. Her right arm replied to Archer’s words with a faint “Thank you”. At the very least, she [heard] it. As long as she had this voice, she could fight. She could kill. She could trample over all obstacles and destroy all evil. Even if she was exterminated as a monster, she would let herself fall into destruction while smiling— +++ —The night wore on. Rider of Red took the ‘poisonous serpent’ stance with his spear. It was an effective style where he held the middle part of the handle and could use quick thrusts while warding off the enemies attacks. He aimed at the stomach of his enemy, Chiron, with that stance. However, the attack was avoided quite naturally by the enemy screwing his body with a side step. The enemy saw through Rider’s movements. The moment he took this stance, the enemy understood where he would aim. —How should he respond as he pitched forward in readiness? After remaining vigilant for a counter and dodging to the left or right, the enemy used a punch or kick. There was an 80% chance the enemy would do a roundhouse kick and attack at the same time as he twisted his torso; that was the most logical course of action. That’s why, now that he was pitching forward, the enemy would be forced to aim at his head. How should he defend himself? He could draw back his spear and thrust it again… but it wouldn’t make it in time. He could lower his head and dodge… but that would cause his stance to collapse even further. Cut and retry. He resolutely set up his first move by jumping and then thrusting—Retry. He tried to thrust after tripping his enemy up—Retry. He swiped his spear horizontally, turned around as the attack was blocked and swiped his spear again. He aimed at the knees and thrusted downwards—No good. Retry. “Damn it, nothing works.” Rider of Red closed his eyes with a sigh. His palms were soaked with sweat. The back of his neck was cold, and his entire body hurt as if he’d actually been punched and kicked everywhere. Rider was imagining a hypothetical one-on-one battle against Archer of Black in a situation where they were on a flat field without any obstacles. In the end… he had gone over five battles, and made mistakes and lost each time. As long as he fought with the spear that Archer had taught him how to use, all his combos were seen through. Additionally, Archer’s power of observation was practically on the level of future sight. If Rider tried to use a surprise attack, Archer would read it and deal him a counterattack. Naturally, the situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed. The way Rider lunged with his spear was truly divine speed incarnate. Even if his attacks were seen through, they couldn’t all be avoided. In the hypothetical battle just now, he had fought in a situation where his speed was not taken into account. But he couldn’t say for sure that it wouldn’t actually go that way. Archer of Black’s skills knew no depth. He was perfectly balanced in all aspects; that was precisely why all heroes sought to be trained by him. Moreover, Servants were summoned in the form of their prime. Though his appearance was human, his stats were of that when the being known as Chiron was at his most perfect. If he ignored all their feelings and bonds in the coming battle and simply considered and compared their respective power, Archer of Black was the enemy wanted to fight the least. Therefore, Rider always imagined the worst situation as he fought—and continued to lose each time. “…I feel like I keep making a mistake right from the first move.” Since his opponent had greater battle power than him, making a mistake right from the start was fatal. Since they both knew almost all of each other’s moves, he could tell the fight would end in this manner by logically thinking it through. Since both of them moved completely logically, the first one to make a mistake would lose. However, there was a strong possibility that such a situation wouldn’t occur. The only thing that the Black camp had which could deal with his chariot was the other Rider’s Hippogriff. His opponent couldn’t fly no matter how he struggled. These conditions wouldn’t be overturned unless something significant was done. But on the other hand, the enemy should also be desperate to overturn this situation. The Black camp might use a plan that he himself couldn’t think of. In that case, his opponent would definitely aim for him. He knew that since he would definitely do the same if he were in the same position. That was because he possessed a body that couldn’t be harmed except by those with divine blood—and “he” was the only Servant on the other side who had divine blood. …No, such reasons didn’t matter. Rider knew. His quivering muscles, creaking bones and boiling cells whispered to him. +++ —The one to fight that man will be you. —You are the only one who has the right to fight him. +++ It wasn’t that he wanted to kill his opponent. He didn’t hate him either. This was a pure contest of strength; he wouldn’t hate his opponent even if he lost, and he wouldn’t bear a grudge even if he was killed. He just wanted to fight him, to swing his clenched fists, to kick and to pierce him with his spear. How strong was he compared to the teacher he had once loved and respected? He wanted to show him. In life, he had been extolled as a hero by everyone. But his teacher had never seen his exploits after their final parting. He was proud. Just like other heroes such as Heracles and Jason, he was incredibly proud of having been taught by Chiron. And yet, his teacher had always merely smiled calmly. He felt no pride in granting wisdom and strength to young heroes like Achilles. Neither did he feel jealous of them for being praised as heroes. +++ “Of course. Even without me, they would have naturally become heroes on their own eventually. I merely gave them a little push from behind. But you know, Achilles. That act… that act of giving them a little push is something I take great pride in—” +++ Chiron had once said that to Achilles when he was young. This might be a thought that suddenly came to Achilles at that time. Or perhaps it was something he always thought about while he was being taught— Achilles thought to himself that Chiron, who continued to teach and guide others, had never once fought seriously. And at the same time, he also thought that he wanted to drag out his great teacher’s—full power. The Great Holy Grail War truly was a miracle unto itself. Depending on the situation, they both might not be able to display their power to perfection. But that moment would come. It would definitely come. Rider intended to devote this final remaining day to training. The night wore on, and the sun would soon rise again. But Rider continued to glare through the darkness without closing his eyes. Error, retry, miss, retry. Rider of Red continued to repeat hundreds of battles in order to take down Archer of Black— +++ —The night wore on. In a small spring within the confines of the Hanging Gardens which ruled the sky, Lancer of Red bathed himself out of habit. Naturally, Servants had no need to clean themselves, but his habits from when he was alive wouldn’t go away. Karna silently washed his body while gazing at the mysterious phenomenon of the water flowing upstream. In contrast to his magnificent armor and dazzling spear, Karna preferred the simple life. In the first place, he himself had never wished for his armor or spear. His armor was given to him due to his mother’s supplication to the gods, and he received his spear in exchange for giving up his armor. The reason he had lived after being abandoned by his mother was due to the power humbly bestowed upon him by his father and the armor he had received thanks to his mother. He always lived without ever sullying his father’s name. That guiding principle of his hadn’t changed even now in his second life. So naturally, he had to obey his Master as a Servant. Lancer of Red refused to commit any act that would sully his father’s name. However, his Master had already been restrained even before Lancer had been summoned, a problem that went beyond merely the matter of how he acted. His Master continued to view a dream with empty eyes. He couldn’t communicate with him, and there was no chance of mutual understanding. The only thing Lancer understood from his ramblings was that his Master mistakenly thought that he had obtained the Holy Grail. Knowing that was enough for Lancer. He would obtain the Holy Grail and grant his Master’s wish… Of course, he knew full well how difficult that would be to accomplish. He probably wouldn’t manage to get it. The Holy Grail was right before his eyes, but this wasn’t a situation where he would take it away that easily, and most of all—Lancer of Red’s Master had been changed to Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, the one who currently possessed the Grail. He had no intention of betraying his former Master, but he couldn’t go against Shirou. He was completely cornered in every direction. However, such a situation was par for the course for Karna, the Hero of Charity. He held no grudge against his former Master or his current Master Shirou. He merely did what he could within the range of actions that were available to him. He merely give the things that were asked from him as long as it was possible. And he always accepted everything solemnly no matter the result. —No, perhaps not quite everything. Lancer of Red recalled the one thing he had continued to obsess over. There was person, one hero in this world that had continued to stir up Karna’s heart. His name was Arjuna. ‘Kiritin: The Shining Diadem’, ‘Vijaya: The Victor’, ‘Dhananjaya: The Prosperous One’—he was a man who had various names and was loved by all. If Karna was a man who had everything taken from him in exchange for his spear and armor, Arjuna was a man who had received everything with no compensation in return. Was the emotion Karna held within him envy? Or was it something else entirely? Karna had never known the answer to that right until the very end. After all, as someone who had never envied anything or anyone, he had been unable to concretely put a name to the feelings that stirred his heart. …Soon after this Great Holy Grail War began, he had received another chance to find out. Saber of Black—Lancer could tell that that man held traces of Arjuna somewhere in him. When he heard of his true name from Shirou Kotomine afterwards, Lancer had understood the reason for that. The tragic hero from a royal bloodline who had obtained wealth, prestige and everything else—Siegfried. But unlike Arjuna, his end was terribly tragic. An untimely death due to a sneak attack. Without even the time to swing his dragon-slaying sword, the invincible Siegfried had his only weak point attacked and lost his life. Karna thought of all the various Heroic Spirits participating in the Great Holy Grail War as unique and rare beings. He thought of his allies as comrades to work with and his enemies as rare warriors of valor. In that sense, Karna ‘comprehended’ the other Heroic Spirits more deeply than anyone else. But the only one he held a personal interest in was Saber of Black. Though they had exchanged few words, Lancer had glimpsed into the man after exchanging hundreds and thousands of blows with their respective weapons. A man who was very similar to Arjuna, but at the same time hungered for something. A man who held no regrets over his untimely end, but instead sought something new. And—a just hero, so evident that anyone could tell. He had wished to fight Lancer of Red once more and saw him as an enemy that must be defeated. That was the greatest honor and joy for a warrior like Lancer. That battle, and that promise. Had there ever been anything else that made him boil so much with excitement before? He felt gratitude for the actions and warm conversations of humans. But that was far removed from ‘selfishness’. He had never possessed a desire and joy that made him seethe. But he found it on the battlefield. Now that he thought back, Karna had only encountered joy on the battlefield. His entire existence was focused on the tip of his spear. It was the only instant where he was released from the thoughts of the people he allied with and could freely run forth as his ‘bared self’. The sparks of clashing weapons were twinkling stars to Karna. A worthy enemy who could easily push back his bared self and told him to give it his all. Thought it was arrogant of him, it was enough to make him think that his entire life had been for the sake of tasting the joy of that moment. That’s why, when Saber of Black disappeared, when the prospects of another fight vanished in the empty sky, Lancer had felt unspeakable regret. Saber of Black had disappeared. But— he still hadn’t died . Lancer didn’t know the reason behind it, but Saber was still in this world even now. In that case… their promise was also still valid. Naturally, Lancer understood that ‘he’ was a being far removed from Saber of Black. Lancer understood that ‘he’ was a being who had been born with everything taken away from him, even more so than Lancer, and yet still struggled to live. But a promise was a promise. It couldn’t be changed. Back then, Karna and Siegfried had wagered each other’s lives, battled with deadly technique and put off the conclusion for later. —They had sworn on their names to definitely fight and unleash their utmost power against each other. It was a trust founded on their very lives. To break it would be equal to insulting that man’s life. He had surely entrusted something to the one who had now become Saber of Black. Lancer believed that ascertaining that was would tie to the promise they’d made. +++ Thus, Lancer of Red lived, in order to protect his Master to the end of the war and fulfill his promise with Saber of Black. 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 ### 028. Chapter 3 Ch3-3 —It didn’t feel like nighttime at all to me. The calm air became filled with a heavy heat, burning my skin. —Here again? I touched the coarse rock surface with my hand. Just how many times had I encountered the evil dragon Fafnir already? No matter how many times I swung my sword, my blade never pierced its skin. I had to constantly avoid its attacks by a hair-breadth; failing even once would mean instant death. There was no showy heroic tale in that battle. It was a hellish comedy where I had to swing my sword just in order to survive, no matter how unsightly and ridiculous it looked. I know that I can’t beat it. I had no experience or spark in me; inside, I was merely a soft homunculus who had taken on the outer shell of a hero. But right now, I was the dragon-slayer Siegfried. I had to challenge this despairing battle once again. The dragon opened its jaws and released a bluish-white light. Flames burst out. I determined that it was impossible to dodge. I released the power of Balmung and blocked the attack by pushing forward—! The dragon’s breath was a surging blast of extreme heat, extreme impact and extreme pressure. A normal human would die in an instant from either being burnt to ash or having their lungs torn out of their very mouths from the wind pressure. …Even so, I managed to survive it. I tried to suck in a breath and ended up coughing violently. I seemed to have survived thanks to the sturdiness of my shell and the sword blast from Balmung . The great pain and suffocation I felt could be endured as long as I had this shell. But— My arms couldn’t move. Even though my entire body was as hot as if I had been bathed in boiling oil, the heat of my body was frozen in fear. I couldn’t win; even with a hero’s body, it was impossible for ‘Sieg’ to beat it. What should I do? There’s no way I could know. Fighting, escaping and negotiating were all impossible against this enemy. I had no option besides giving up. —As if I could give up. Even after scolding myself like that, I couldn’t think of anything. Perhaps sensing that, the dragon sidled forward as if to bestow fear onto me. And then, it suddenly opened its jaws and attacked. I reflexively counterattacked with my sword. Perhaps the inside of its mouth would be softer than its skin… That faint hope was easily smashed. “Wh… at…?” If my hopes had merely been smashed, then I still could have dealt with it. But what the dragon aimed for wasn’t myself, but the great sword which had blocked its breath earlier— Balmung . The dragon’s teeth, whose hardness far surpassed any steel, clamped down on the sword and bite off the blade. The legendary sword which had been bestowed to Siegfried by the Nibelung. The dual holy and cursed sword which released a blast of twilight— If it was held not by a hero, but by a homunculus… then it could also break easily like this. I… really wasn’t Siegfried after all. That hero had managed to come out with a plan to break through even a situation like this. And yet, the only thing I could do was resolve myself worthlessly. I was going to die. I don’t know what will happen in reality, but the me here would be torn about by the dragon’s teeth. Losing this battle is inevitable; I was merely unlucky. I wanted to explain it away with such swords. I was merely unlucky—for being here, in this situation and at this moment. That’s only natural. Just what do you think you are? A homunculus, an artificial lifeform created through magecraft, and a mass-produced one at that. I merely survived by relying on fortunate chance and clinging to the kindness of others. +++ —My soul is pure and untouched, and therefore I can become anything . +++ My self-torturing thoughts halted at that sudden revelation. But, before I could understand what exactly it was, the dragon clamped down on me with its mouth. Its fangs bite into me. I writhed in pain so great I couldn’t even scream. I let go of the handle of my sword and feebly hit the dragon with both hands. I was being devoured while alive. The experience was more painful and terrifying than I had ever imagined. As I struggled, my gaze happened to meet the eyes of the dragon—and it seemed to be laughing smugly at me. Ah, this dragon has surely devoured thousands of humans. It had probably tasted their fear and despair. Even though it was of the dragon race, the very top of the Phantasmal Species, it was unbelievably avaricious. It continued to gather up possessions and devour humans who presented themselves as sacrifices. No matter how many times it was hit, the hands of humans couldn’t even be felt by it, let alone hurt it. Its fangs crushed and pierced my armor and body. This armor’s hardness wasn’t ordinary, but it was like paper before the fangs of a dragon. I want fangs, I thought. I want fangs to fight. I want fangs to win. I want fangs so as not to lose. I want this dragon’s fangs. Before me was the dragon’s upper jaw. I opened my mouth and bite into it like a starved wolf. A howl rang out—the dragon was shocked, unable to believe it. I couldn’t believe it either. I realized. And then I laughed. +++ Thus, my path was settled. I threw away all other options, not knowing if I’d ever had them in the first place, and cut open a path. The [Dead Count Shapeshifter: Dragon Revelation Command Spells] on my left arm, which governed destruction. There was no longer any need to count down to my death. The result would be the same no matter how many Command Spells I use. Since I decided to participate in this war, the countdown would definitely reach zero . But I was already resolved to everything. I bit into the upper jaw and bared my fangs at the dragon. +++ ——And then, Sieg opened his eyes. His consciousness was clear and free of pain. He looked out the window from his bed. It was still dark outside, but the sky was becoming slightly bluish. Dawn wasn’t far away. Determining he couldn’t sleep any further, Sieg decided to get up. 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 ### 029. Chapter 3 Ch3-4 —The night came to an end as dawn broke. Ruler gazed at the gradually changing sky through the window without getting tired of it. She had already finished her morning prayer. If she were to consider Laeticia’s physical health, it might be better to go back to sleep—but even so, she didn’t feel like sleeping at all. Her heart felt uneasy for two reasons. The first reason had to do with Amakusa Shirou Tokisada… and his plan to save humanity. Certainly, at a glance, it looked as if she had been summoned as Ruler in order to prevent his plan. But currently the Greater Grail was in the possession of the enemy, and at this rate she wouldn’t be able to prevent his plan. At this point, wasn’t it as if she had unconsciously acted to the benefit of her enemy? …No good, she was starting to think about the threads of destiny. The threads of destiny were complex, twisted and intertwined all over the place. Thinking about it would only lead to doubt and uncertainty. The plan to save humanity that Amakusa Shirou had declared he would accomplish was merely the mutterings of a madman. His plan would definitely bring about destruction—that was why she had been summoned. It was precisely because she thought that way that she clearly opposed him, and averted her eyes from the countless doubts that ran through her mind. +++ What if his wish truly is correct? +++ Could she really say that the answer that a hero like him had reached over the course of sixty years was truly mistaken? A way to save humanity without hurting anyone and without spilling a drop of blood certainly does not exist —Did she really think that? All humans should have dreamt of achieving it at some point during their lives. Why did she say that Amakusa Shirou Tokisada couldn’t do it? If his wish was correct. If his words were true. What should Jeanne d’Arc choose? And there was also the other reason for her worries. In a sense, it might be the more serious problem. She had always continued to think about it, the role ‘he’ was meant to fulfill in this Great Holy Grail War— +++ “Can’t sleep?” The moment she heard those words, Ruler stifled the unease in her heart and turned around. Sieg stood there wearing plain pajamas. “Yeah. The night is almost over. Most likely, today will be the last. We will head towards the Hanging Gardens and fight. In order to stop Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.” “Yeah, we have to stop him.” “…Is it okay if I ask you one last thing?” Ruler spoke in a somewhat stiff voice. When Sieg nodded, she asked hesitatingly. +++ “Sieg-kun, are you really sure you should be on this side ?” +++ It was a question she had asked him several times before. Being on this side, being part of this war, participating in a battle of kill or be killed— How conscientious of her, thought Sieg as he replied in the affirmative. “Yes, of course.” There was no hesitation in his voice. But Ruler continued questioning him. “…Rider once told you that ‘You can do anything now’, right? That’s exactly right. Your current self can go anywhere and do anything. Your greatest worry, your fellow homunculi are embarking on a new life. Yet why must you still fight? You don’t have to fight; it’s fine if you don’t fight , Sieg-kun.” Sieg felt a strong pressure as if his heart were being gripped. You don’t have to fight, there’s no need— Those soft words and kind voice were things he had wished for somewhere in his heart. But he shook his head as if to shake off the warm temptation. “I… have a duty as both a Master and a Servant.” He had become a Master and could even become a Servant. There was surely meaning in that— “Sieg-kun, merely acting according to a higher purpose isn’t everything there is to life.” Ruler said that in a somewhat self-punitive tone. Sieg felt like those words were extremely heavy and important. “Ruler…” “It’s true that you obtained power. That power is necessary, and that might be precisely why you’re here. But even if you’re here by your own will, it isn’t your fate to be here. That’s why—that’s why it’s fine for you to run away, Sieg-kun.” Ruler trembled, as if enduring some violent emotion. Being guided here by destiny, being here because it was necessary—there was something wrong about that way of thinking. When Sieg started to ponder on it, Ruler placed a hand on his cheek. She looked at him with a sad smile. “…Sorry. I seem to have confused you. Please be at ease. You’ll surely be fine, Sieg-kun.” You’ll be fine —Ruler whispered that and looked out the window once more. Faint light was starting to pour it through the window. The dawn of the end had finally arrived. +++ The night ended for everyone, and the sky gradually became tinged with the light of dawn. The result of the war over the Holy Grail wouldn’t determine whether or not the world was destroyed. But the world would be pressed to choose between undergoing a transformation or not. Amakusa Shirou Tokisada would save humanity ‘righteously’. Jeanne d’Arc would deny that ‘righteously’. They each had their own justice and things they wouldn’t turn over. There was no evil in this battle; there was only justice and faith. However, most wars might be like that. Every human who has a great cause to fight for and dreams of a world that blesses them and their comrades with happiness chooses to fight. In the end, this Great Holy Grail War was the same. You didn’t win because you were just and correct. The victors were just and correct because they won. Both Rulers understood that. Therefore they wouldn’t censure each other, but merely fight to kill one another. If there was a way for this war to end without any further blood being spilled, it would only be by one side understanding and accepting that the stance of the other side was correct . And that situation was impossible nine times out of ten. Too much blood had been spilled for either side to understand each other. Even so, one camp held a naïve hope. That perhaps they could understand each other by talking— ### 030. Chapter 4-1 # (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 4-1 VOLUME 4 Chapter 4 Ch4-1 —Thus, the day of the final battle arrived with gentle rays of sunlight. Right after dawn, Fiore, Caules and Archer of Black boarded a limousine along with a homunculus driver. “Then, Gordes-oji-sama, please take care of things here while we’re gone.” The one to see them off was the only remaining magus at the Fortress of Millennia, Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia. He was in charge of looking after the castle in their absence and conducting negotiations with various organizations in order to find a way for Yggdmillennia to survive after this war. It could only be described as the miserable job of dealing with the aftermath of defeat, but oddly enough, Gordes was most skilled in those kinds of negotiations. “Yeah… Well, err, you know. Come back alive, all right?” Gordes’ farewell was quite half-baked. The impression that stood out the most about him was the fact that his stubble and loosely hanging bangs had become frayed and messy in the last few days. However, for some reason, Caules actually felt that that Gordes was more likable like this. “Yes, returning alive is the major premise of this mission. Please take care of the homunculi here as well.” “Don’t dump these guys on my lap. They’re already living quite fine on their own as they please.” “—Fiore-sama, don’t worry. No matter what he may say, Gordes- sama is a man with a generous and kind heart who saved us all.” Next to Gordes, Tool spoke while emphasizing the “sama”. Gordes turned and glared at Tool bitterly, but she feigned innocence. “Ufufu. In that case, we’ll be off.” “See ya, Gordes-ossan. Try not to argue with the homunculi too much.” “Fool, who would start an argument they’re clearly going to lose? Just go already!” Lastly, Archer of Black bowed his head courteously, and then the limousine departed. As Gordes watched it leave, he had a sudden thought. +++ —The Holy Grail War is beyond the means of us magi. +++ An omnipotent wish-granting device… A parasitic magical tool that connects to the leylines and continuously absorbs vast amounts of mana. However, to put it another way, it was the same as the nuclear weapons made by those who’d been drunk on science. Moreover, it was uncertain whether it could even be properly controlled. It couldn’t even be activated without conducting the ritual of the Holy Grail War. And to finish the ritual, you had to take down six pairs of incredibly strong Masters and Servants— The whole setup had too many holes to count. Yet even as he thought that, Gordes was self-aware enough to acknowledge that he lacked talent. Not talent as a magus—perhaps it would be better to say he lacked the resourcefulness to fight and win. He didn’t think that he lacked skill as a magus. But he hadn’t sincerely tried to deal with things like strategy and tactics. It was too late for him to regret it now. He knew that. He knew that, but— “Hey, what are you moping over? We don’t have the time to slack off here, remember?” “I know, damn it. I know already.” Gordes drowned out those pointless thoughts. That’s right, it was already too late. No matter who won or lost next, and regardless of whether or not humanity was saved, none of it had anything to do with Gordes. Those were things for saints and heroes to think about. Right now, Gordes had several problems that he had to deal with as soon as possible. The first thing he had to do—was notify the entire clan that they had effectively lost in the Great Holy Grail War and then send a message of surrender to the Association in order to try and bring an end to the conflict with minimal sacrifices. The whole prospect of it was depressing, but he convinced himself by saying it was better than dying. Gordes was used to receiving insults, ridicule and scorn, and he had tasted humiliation several times in just the past few days. Bowing his head in shame and apologizing to their sworn enemy the Association was practically nothing for him at this point. However, he had far too few advantageous cards to bring to the negotiation table. This negotiation might drag on for a long while— “Hey, what are you daydreaming around for? Hurry up, we’re starting the castle repairs today.” Recalling that particular matter thanks to Tool’s words, Gordes changed his plans. First, he would start with the work that was right in front of him… It wasn’t like he wanted to push off the unpleasant work for later. Not at all. 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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 ### 031. Chapter 4 Ch4-2 It was already past evening by the time Fiore arrived at the safe house Sieg and the others were staying at. After she knocked, Rider swiftly opened the door with Sieg and Ruler in tow. Fiore sat in her wheelchair before the door with Archer of Black behind her. “Ah, it’s that time already?” “Sorry for making you wait. Then, shall we get going?” Rider of Black tilted his head in puzzlement. “Get going where?” “Ah, I still haven’t informed you all. We’re going to the Henry Coanda International Airport. There, we’ll board airplanes and head to the Hanging Gardens. Please come board the car, everyone. I don’t mind if you change into your armor now.” Fiore guided the three of them to the limousine. Ruler and Rider followed her suggestion and changed into their armor. “All right… Are you sure you haven’t forgotten anything, Sieg-kun?” “Of course not. This is the only equipment I have, anyway.” Sieg patted the sword hanging from his waist. It was the sword that Rider of Black had lent him. He probably wouldn’t even have a chance to use it in the final battle. By the time he resorted to using this, the situation would likely be hopelessly bleak. Even so, Sieg felt reassured when he carried this, like an iron rod supporting his back. Not because having a sword was reassuring, but because it made him remember the warmth of the person who had given it to him. “I plan to keep it with me, but is that all right with you, Rider?” Rider readily agreed as if it were only natural. “Of course. I gave it to you, after all.” While feeling slightly reluctant to part with the safe house they had stayed at for a short while, the three of them joined Fiore in the limousine. “Wow, it’s so spacious inside!” “Umm, is it really okay to wear my armor in here? It’s hard to sit here without damaging the seats—” “I don’t mind. This car and everything in it are merely appropriated goods,” Fiore smoothly replied, as she skillfully sat herself down on the rear seat with her already activated Bronze-Link Manipulators. “Now, let’s be off! We should arrive…… in about five minutes.” It was so close that they wouldn’t even have the time to properly enjoy the limousine. “…Couldn’t we just walk?” Fiore firmly denied Ruler’s suggestion. “We rarely get the chance to use this limousine. This might be the last time we get to ride it.” And with that, they arrived at the airport in the blink of an eye. +++ Unlike Sieg, who was a homunculus born in the Yggdmillennia castle, and Rider, who was a Servant summoned in the castle, Ruler had arrived in this country from France through this airport, and thus she recognized just how abnormal the current situation was. It wasn’t that anything had changed here. There was merely no one else around . The taxies in front of the airport, the customers, even the security guards… They were all gone. “Ah, yes. It’d be a problem if we were seen by anyone, so naturally, I reserved the whole place. From the next twelve hours, we’ll be the only ones using this airport.” “Reserved, you say…?” Ruler was left completely speechless in the face of Fiore’s casual words. Sieg and Rider seemed to be thinking ‘We can’t afford to involve any outsiders, so that’s a wise decision’ and thought no more of it. In Ruler’s eyes, though, reserving an entire international airport went beyond the realm of the ridiculous. In front of the airport entrance doors, men in suits stood imposingly as watchman in place of the airport’s security guards. When Fiore approached them and swiftly said what seemed to be a password, the men nodded and opened the doors. “I’ve set up a Boundary Field to keep people away around the airport. No one will be able to approach within a several kilometer radius around this area. “Wow, it really is completely deserted,” murmured Rider of Black in amazement. Just as Rider had said, there was no one besides themselves in this vast airport. There were no receptionists at the counter, the always-running baggage claim conveyor belt was halted, and even the electronic display boards were off. “Even I can’t help but be amazed by my own sister…” Caules murmured in astonishment, as someone who had the common sense of an ordinary person. “Just how much money did you spend on all this?” “It wasn’t that much. The price of arranging this was only five times the cost of the Mystic Code I designed. The bigger problem was the money to purchase the airplanes. Really now, I asked for old second-hand planes since they’re going to be scrapped anyway , yet why did they cost so much? We truly are lucky to have the fortune that Grandfather Darnic left behind.” “Well, that’s… because they’re jumbo jets.” Sieg looked down at the visible airfield through the window in amazement. There were a total of ten old jumbo jets which Fiore had bought. Fiore said that they were going to use all of these with their destruction in mind from the start. True, it was a valid decision, since a single plane would be completely annihilated by concentrated attacks. So instead, they would send out several decoy plans to increase their chances of survival… It was quite reasonable, if you didn’t take the accompanying cost into account. “Then, we’ll deploy in the formation I explained in the car… Rider.” “Yes, yes?” “Your tome is our final hope. Have you remembered its true name?” “Err…” Rider awkwardly averted his eyes—the faces of everyone else present turned pale. “Hey, don’t tell me you still don’t remember!? After coming all this way, that’s—” Fiore drew close and pressed Rider, who waved his hands frantically. “It’ll be fine, it’ll fine! Once it’s night, I’ll remember it! But look, it’s still evening right now. Just give me a little more time, okay?” “We can trust you, right?” “Leave it to me!” Rider confidently placed his hand over his chest—however, dubious stares remained fixed on him. “Aha, ahaha… Master, help!” Rider ran behind Sieg’s back to protect himself from the stares. “Rider… I’d like to talk with you about something with just the two of us, is that all right?” “Eh? No, umm—” Rider tried to say “Wait a minute”, but Sieg grabbed his arm without bothering to ask for any further permission and moved them both away from everyone else. “…What is it?” “A love confession, perhaps?” The two siblings present both tilted their head curiously and conversed without any sense of tension. “Maybe if it was Rider, but there’s no way Sieg would do that.” Archer of Black joined their conversation as well, equally unconcerned. Meanwhile, for some reason, Ruler had gone off to follow Sieg and Rider. +++ “W-What, what, what?” Sieg pushed Rider against the wall next to a paper cup coffee vending machine as if to hide him in its shadow—upon which Rider stared at Sieg with open confusion. That’s a rare expression for Rider, thought Sieg. “Rider. I’m asking this to make sure.” “Y-Yeah?” “—Are you scared?” The question was blunt and sudden, and that’s precisely why it caught Rider off guard. Rider stared at Sieg dumfounded for a short while, but then his shoulders discouragingly drooped. “…Yeah. But how did you know?” “You told me before, remember? That you became scared the instant you regained your senses . The brighter and fuller the moon is, the more your sense of reason vanishes. But to put it another way, you regain your reason on dark nights when the moon isn’t out, enough that you can remember your tome’s true name.” “Despite the situation, I’m still happy that your remembered those casual words of mine… Yeah, it’s exactly as you guessed. Master, I’m… scared. I know you’re probably disappointed at hearing words completely unsuitable for a Servant, but I’m scared,” murmured Rider with a gloomy expression. “Do you mean… you’re scared of dying?” “Hmm? No, not that. I’m not scared of dying. This much is true. I really don’t like pain and dying, but it’s not scary.” “Then what are you—?” Rider sighed in lamentation. “Obviously, I’m scared of you dying. Seeing someone you care about die and understanding that they’re dead really takes its toll. When my sanity evaporates, I can forget about it for a while. It’s precisely because I forget about it that I can take absurd risks. But when my thoughts become clear like they are now, I keep imagining terrifying outcomes.” Even if he released the book’s true name, what if the enemy had some means to counteract it? The only thing the tome could block was magecraft. It couldn’t block the physical attacks of Rider and Archer of Red. If one of them managed to land a hit on Rider of Black—it would be a fatal blow. He’d die. And everyone else would too. All because he was weak. “I wish I were stronger. I wish I could stay a fool who even forgets the fact that he’s weak. But on nights of the new moon, it’s no good. When my reason returns, I’m—” Sieg grasped Rider of Black’s hand. He spoke while looking at Rider right in the eye with the same perfectly transparent gaze he’d had when they’d first met. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re strong or weak. I think and believe that you’re an amazing person, Rider. After all, you saved me. You would have done the same thing regardless of whether or not you had your sense of reason, right?” Though surprised at having his hand held, Rider managed to vaguely nod. Yes. That’s why you’re fine the way you are, thought Sieg. “Whether we fail and die or succeed and live, nothing would have begun for me in the first place if you hadn’t saved me back then. I wouldn’t have met Ruler either. The very fact that I’m standing here right now is already miraculous. That’s why you’re fine the way you are. Just do as you please like always.” “…It’s okay if I fail?” “I don’t mind.” “You might die, you know?” “But I might not die too. Either way, I won’t stop now after everything that’s happened. I’m fine as long as you continue to be yourself, Rider. The way I see it, the fact that you’re scared of what might happen to me if you fail… is also very much like you, Rider.” —Rider sighed in relief. In other words, that was all he wanted to hear. That Sieg wouldn’t be disappointed in him for becoming scared after regaining his reason. He absolutely hated the thought of disappointing the Master who he had chosen and who had chosen him in turn. +++ “—As long as you continue to be yourself, Rider.” +++ Both the way he fears failure and his foolishness that fears no one is just like him. That’s what his Master was saying. In that case, the answer was simple. Rider would just do his best. Whether he succeeded or failed—doing his best was truly like him, after all. “I see. You’re saying that it’s fine if I stay the way I am.” “Yeah. That’s more than enough.” Rider of Black tried to gloss over the tears in his eyes as he frantically wiped them. “Yeah, you’re right! …Yeah. Huh, how strange. Even though I was thinking of nothing but failure just now, suddenly I feel all calm. I feel like everything will go well!” Sieg smiled happily at Rider, whose depressed expression had completely disappeared. “All right, let’s depart! Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, Master! We’ve made it this far already, so let’s charge in boldly and grab our happy ending!” In complete reversal from when they’d come here, Rider grabbed Sieg’s arm and pulled him along to go back to the rest of the group. Though a bit confused, Sieg understood that his Servant had somehow cheered up, making him feel relieved. And at the same time, he held an unexplainable, sad conviction—that having his arm pulled along again and again like this would soon come to an end. Even if everything went well in every way—Sieg was certain that they couldn’t avoid an eternal farewell. +++ …Ruler wanted to believe that the pain in her heart was just her imagination. But the hot ache spreading in her chest told her that it wasn’t. It wasn’t that she was hurt by Sieg and Rider’s conversation. The two of them completely understood each other as Master and Servant. That was a good thing. Mutual misunderstandings between Master and Servant could only lead to tragedy. She wasn’t narrow-minded enough to be jealous of that. What pained her was just one thing. The words that Sieg had casually said. +++ “The very fact that I’m standing here right now is already miraculous.” +++ That’s right. It truly was a miracle. Ruler had brought him all the way here. Of course, it was a path that Sieg had chosen himself. She hadn’t forced him. She’d even rebuked him for it. But in the end, he had arrived here. It was both his choice and her choice. And yet, she still couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he had arrived here as if intentionally guided here . Ruler wanted to know the reason for his presence here. …At the same time, she didn’t want to know. If she learned the reason, she felt as if she would be crushed by guilt for bringing him with her this far. But what pained her most was the thought of what Sieg himself might think. If he understood that she had intentionally guided him here, he would probably scorn her. He would loathe her. He would probably see her as a reaper who had pushed misfortune unto him— She couldn’t bear it. She was used to being slandered. She’d even experienced people using her and then suddenly coldly abandoning her. But she couldn’t endure the thought of betraying someone who had believed in her with innocent trust. Even more so since he was the boy who the girl insider her, Laeticia, had feelings for. Aah—her heart hurt so much it felt like her very veins were in pain from the blood pumping through her heart to the point of bursting. She wanted to reveal everything to him. She wanted to confess and ask for his forgiveness. But that would just hurt him instead of her. Besides, it wasn’t certain yet that the worst would happen. Even if it was true that he had reached here due to some higher ‘will’… Even if he was chosen to be the ‘destroyer’ of the Holy Grail, it wouldn’t necessarily require his life to accomplish it. True, he could turn into Saber of Black, but he wasn’t Saber of Black himself . All she could do was hold onto that faint hope. Those black Command Spells, and the impossible phenomenon of a homunculus turning into a Servant, even if for only three minutes. That was a frightening miracle that chipped away at one’s life and had to be sacrificing something in exchange. Ruler was filled with dread at the thought of what result it would ultimately lead it. An ending filled with nothing but sorrow—she absolutely wouldn’t allow it to happen. +++ “…It’s time. We should get going now.” “Huh? Now that I think about it, what about the pilots? I can pilot a plane, but the remaining nine…” “Don’t worry. We’ve put golems installed with the skill to pilot in all ten planes. They’re golems that Roche originally created, so their ability is guaranteed.” Being capable of ‘expanding’ their techniques and abilities after their initial creation according to need was one of the advantages of golems. Fortunately, they still had some humanoid golems that Roche had made left, and it was simple to install abilities that he designed beforehand into them. +++ “We’ll be boarding this plane, so this is where we part.” From this point on, Fiore would be acting independently of her Servant Archer. Since they would surely clash with Rider of Red, who could fly through the skies, before they reached the Hanging Gardens, it was very likely that Fiore would get caught up in their battle if she stayed with Archer. As much as it made her feel lonely, having Archer ride a different plane was the correct decision. “…Archer. May the fortunes of war be with you.” “Thank you, Fiore. I will obtain victory for you.” Fiore shook her head at her Servant’s words. “There’s no need to do it for me. It’s you that matters most here. I want you to fight to your heart’s content. —I permit you to use your Noble Phantasm as you see fit. There’s no need to wait for orders from me. If you feel that you should use it, please do so.” Archer solemnly nodded. Her words meant that she was abandoning any intention of interfering in his battle and was entrusting everything to him. This wasn’t an act of irresponsibility, but rather proof of her absolute trust in her Servant. “Then, we should get going.” “Yes… Let’s meet again at the Hanging Gardens.” They were very curt words of farewell. Fiore stifled the regret at parting inside her—and gave him a final smile as she left his side. She thought that bursting into tears would be shameful. Her Servant also understood that, which was why he didn’t speak to her more than necessary, in order to protect that resolve of hers. “Archer.” “Yes. I wish you luck as well, Caules-dono. And, about my Master—” “No need to even ask… Go beat Rider of Red, Archer.” Caules ended his farewell with a last wave of his hand. As if nothing had happened between them at all, he then pushed his sister’s wheelchair towards their plane. “Don’t die, you two!” The two siblings couldn’t help smiling wryly at Rider of Black’s rude farewell. Caules turned around and called out to him with an exasperated expression. “Right back at you, Rider. Don’t get carried away and die by mistake.” “I-I never get carried away! Stupid, stupid!” “No, you do,” murmured Sieg next to Rider. However, it was certainly true that Rider was stronger when he got carried away than not. “Caules… Are you really fine with coming?” Fiore questioned her younger brother one final time as he pushed her wheelchair. Fiore was going off to a deadly battleground out of her sense of responsibility as a Master. But even if Caules was technically Archer’s second Master, it wouldn’t pose much impediment to Archer’s prana supply if he didn’t come. …That reasoning was correct. It was correct, but Caules still rejected it. “I’m your younger brother. Isn’t that reason enough?” —What truly human-like words. Fiore smiled at that thought. Normally speaking, such upright, human-like words should be avoided by magi. A proper magus wouldn’t and shouldn’t stick their heads into such an absurd situation. “Besides, it’s not often that a mere magus gets the change to witness magecraft from the Age of Gods.” And in contrast, those were truly words befitting a magus. Magi wouldn’t risk their own lives so easily. But it was a different matter when it came to magecraft. And the magecraft used by Assassin of Red—Semiramis—were truly miracles from the Age of Gods. If magi could get the chance to witness it, risking their lives was a cheap price. Hearing that, Fiore nodded, feeling slightly relieved. Compared to the likes of Fiore, Caules seemed to have much greater self-awareness as their family’s successor and resolve as a magus, irreplaceably important things to have when walking the path of magecraft— +++ “Then, I’ll be heading off next.” After seeing off the two siblings, Archer chose the plane he would ride. To him, any plane besides the one his Master rode was fine with him. In the first place, the planes were merely footholds to Archer, whose job was to intercept Rider of Red. “Archer!” Archer turned around at Rider of Black’s call. Rider made the victory sign with his hand at him while wearing a beaming smile. “Make sure to win! It’s embarrassing if the teacher loses to his student!” “—Yes, it’s just as you say. I lived a long life, but I’ve never allowed myself to lose to my students even once, at least. In that case, I have to make sure to win.” After replying that in a light tone, Archer boarded his plane. “Yeah, in that condition, he’ll probably be fine.” “In that case, I’ll be going as well.” After performing consecrations on the planes loaded with explosives, Ruler would be boarding a different plane. To her, the one unfortunate aspect of this plan was that she would be acting separately from Sieg from here on. To act as the flagbearer who led the front charge—that was Ruler’s duty in their plan to board the Hanging Gardens. “Be careful, Ruler.” Ruler smiled faintly at Sieg’s words. Sieg felt that that smile was oddly sad for some reason. “Sieg-kun, please try not to anything excessive. I know it goes without saying at this point, but—” “Transforming a third time is forbidden, right? I know.” Ruler had repeatedly told him that at every opportunity over the past several days. The way she said it was always strangely pressing, so even Sieg had to nod in acquiescence. —However, this isn’t a situation where I can likely afford not to transform at some point. Suddenly, Ruler’s expression became downcast. “…Even I understand, you know. Under these circumstances, there’s no way you won’t transform, Sieg-kun. You’re unmistakably a Master, and you chose to fight. There’s no way you won’t end up using your power.” She spoke as if she’d read his thoughts. Sieg sighed. Just as expected, Ruler also seemed to understand. There was no way to stop him besides making him withdraw from the Great Holy Grail War. The homunculus Sieg had chosen to fight out of his own will. Even Ruler couldn’t stop him with words at this point. +++ Ruler couldn’t say it. She was too scared to say it, and she understood that, even if she did—his determination would remain unchanged. +++ Even if you chose to fight not out of your own will, but because of fate? +++ What if you’ve been caught up in a great unstoppable flow and are subject to a destiny that can’t be resisted? And what if what aided that process was none than me due to having received a revelation ? “…What’s wrong?” —What would you think of me then? “It’s nothing. Then, Sieg-kun, let’s meet again at the Gardens.” After bidding farewell to him with a smile, Ruler turned her back on Sieg and Rider of Black. She went to board the plane that Fiore had instructed her to, and Sieg tilted his head in puzzlement as he saw her off. “Is it just me, or did she seem like she wanted to say something?” “If she had something she wanted to say, Ruler would properly say it. Just now, she probably had something she wanted to say but couldn’t.” “Do you know what it is, Rider?” “I don’t. Ah, but, well—” Rider looked at Sieg with a pleased expression. “She cares deeply for you. That much is certain!” Rider grinned and hit Sieg on the back, apparently amused by something. The hit didn’t hurt, but Sieg coughed from having been taken by surprise. She cares deeply for you. Sieg repeated those words in his mind. Just the fact that she cared deeply for a homunculus like him made him feel happy somehow. “Now then, Master. Let’s get going too!” “Yeah… Let’s go, Rider.” Sieg swore to himself that he would survive this battle. He had to properly ascertain the right timing to use his remaining three transformations—no, if he followed Ruler’s advice, then it was only two transformations. When they boarded the plane, the interior was naturally empty of any other people. His curiosity-filled Servant went to peek at the golem in the cockpit, but Sieg wasn’t all that interested himself and so just chose a random seat to sit down and wait for their departure. As he looked around the plane, what caught his eye was an Ouija board that clearly didn’t belong in an airplane. The board had old-style alphabet letters and numbers carved into its surface. Attached on top of it was a needle like that of a record player and a cable, and the other end of the cable was attached to an old-fashioned metal pipe. Sieg surmised that it was a wireless communicator used by magi. Besides the board, there wasn’t anything else in the plane that had been added or remodelled. There were no defenses against magecraft installed either… Though, considering the power of their enemy, even if Fiore had spent Yggdmillennia’s entire fortune on reinforcing and upgrading the planes, it would only increase the time it took for the planes to be destroyed from ten seconds to fifteen seconds. Though Sieg had some basic knowledge about airplanes, he hadn’t thought the interior would be so big and spacious. A flight spell was so simple that even a novice magus could learn it. But it had taken ordinary humans two thousand years to create this kind of aircraft without magecraft. Their advancement was slow, but certain. Meanwhile, magecraft kept going further and further beyond humanity’s limits—but where was that path leading to now? “Sorry for making you wait.” As Sieg was internally marveling over the differences between science and magecraft, Rider came back from the cockpit. He cheerfully reported that a big stone spider-like golem was in the pilot’s seat. “It’s almost time, Master.” Sitting in the seat next to Sieg, Rider waved his legs up and down in unconstrained excitement. “Ah, right, it’s probably better to summon him now. Come out, Hippogriff!” Before Sieg could stop him, Rider summoned his hippogriff. The materialized hippogriff was, as expected, confused by his current surroundings and gazed over the cramped plane interior restlessly. “Sit!” Seeming to be well trained, the hippogriff sat down, conspicuously destroying several seats in his way in the process. “All that’s left is the book.” Rider materialized his Noble Phantasm— Luna Break Manual: Universal Magic Guide (Temporary Name). Both the hippogriff and the time were Noble Phantasms containing enormous power, and as a result—they were easy to detect if the Red Servants choose to search for prana signatures. This was another part of Fiore’s plan. Both Archer of Black and Ruler were powerful Servants with strong prana signatures. By having them each protect different planes, it made it harder for the Red camp to concentrate their attacks on a single target. Archer of Black would intercept Rider of Red and Ruler would intercept Archer and Lancer of Red. And Rider of Black—would tackle Assassin of Red’s temple Noble Phantasm, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Aerial Gardens of Vanity , as a rematch after his defeat against her last time. However, he had been shot down completely after a single attack last time. Therefore—this time, he had to draw out the tome’s true name. “…Ah. Looks like we’re about to depart.” Rider noticed that the plane had begun to move. Sieg, who’d been reading the in-flight manual to kill time, dutifully put on his seat belt. “Is there any point in that?” asked Rider. “Probably not. If the plane falls, it’ll be due to a Servant’s attack, and even if it falls without being destroyed, you’ll save me, right, Rider?” “Ahaha, of course.” As they chatted nonchalantly, they felt a slight pressure weigh down on their bodies. The jumbo jet’s four giant turbo fan engines began to roar loudly. Suddenly, the Ouija board’s needle began to move. The needle pointed at certain letters and numbers while releasing a creaking sound. After a while, a voice came out of the board. “Can you hear me, Rider?” said Fiore’s voice. Rider picked up the transmitter to respond. “I can hear you. Can you hear me? Testing, testing.” “…Your voice is too loud. Please move your mouth away from the communicator a bit. Ruler has roughly grasped the location of the Hanging Gardens, but she can’t say when and where we’ll reach it. Make sure to keep on guard, okay?” “I get it, I get it! It’ll be fine, don’t worry!” “Naturally, you’ve already remembered the tome’s true name, right?” “……Yeah!” “Wait. What was that long pause for—!?” Click. Rider flipped off the Ouija board’s power and turned his face away in feigned innocence. Then, he seemed to remember Sieg’s presence and trembled a little. “…It’ll be fine, right?” “Don’t worry. I believe in you.” Sieg neither got angry nor laughed, but merely nodded with a serious and honest expression. Of course, he already knew that this was the most effective way to put pressure on Rider. The hippogriff squawked as if to express agreement with Sieg. “Ufufu. As long as my Master understands what kind of Servant I am, everything is good.” Rider of Black’s smile was clearly stiff as he replied. Immediately afterwards, the plane lifted off the ground gently. Sieg looked out the window—the lump of metal they were riding was soaring through the sky at several hundred kilometers per hour. Below, Bucharest became tiny in the blink of an eye. The people on the streets weren’t even the size of dots at this point. Their forms were indistinguishable amidst the dark town with only the tiny blinking lights from lamps visible. The plane ascended further. Eventually, nothing could be seen outside the window—Sieg guessed that they were above the clouds now. The plane interior was brightly lit by the cabin lights, but the outside was painted completely black. For the next while, all they could do was wait. Rider began eating treats he apparently got at the airport while sharing one with the hippogriff. The hippogriff scowled after one taste and spit it out, but Rider continued eating with a beaming smile. After a while, the Ouija board began moving again—another communication from someone was coming. “…Sieg-kun, are you there?” This time, Jeanne’s voice came from the communicator. Sieg picked up the receiver. “I’m here. What is it?” “…” Even though she was the one who had called, Ruler awkwardly sank into silence. “Ruler?” “Umm—why do airplanes fly?” Then, without warning, she threw out that fundamental question. “Err. They fly due to the flow of air released by the wings, I think. It’d take a while to fully explain, but why do you ask?” “W-What would happen if the wings were torn off?” “The plane would decelerate and fall. Of course, the same thing would happen if the engines stalled.” “Wouldn’t that be really serious!?” “…It would. Though, we probably wouldn’t have the time to think about that if it actually occurred.” —More importantly, based on Ruler’s stressed tone… “Ruler, could it be that you’re bad with airplanes?” “Yes!” Her reply was quite vigorous. “I see… It’s unfortunate, but try to endure it. We can’t stop at this point, after all.” “Uugh, I know that. I know, but—” Even if she understood, scary things were scary and unpleasant things were unpleasant. Sieg pondered a little, and then tried to speak to her reassuringly. “It’ll be over soon… Though, it’d be a real problem if the Hanging Gardens is also no good for you, considering how it floats in in the sky.” “Ah, that’s not an issue for me. The Hanging Gardens is powered by magecraft and prana, after all.” From Sieg’s perspective, something flying using magecraft was more untrustworthy than an airplane. A machine didn’t make mistakes. A machine merely got work out and tired; as long as a proper machine was made properly using the proper procedure, it would merely abide by physical laws. However, it was true that, from the perspective of someone from the 15th century, machines were probably far more untrustworthy than any kind of mysticism. It was common sense to them that metal cracked and broke. Humans had spent hundreds of years making durable metals and advanced to the point of making materials that could withstand precise flight—but its appearance hadn’t changed at all. “You should trust humans and the science that humans have cultivated a bit more. Well, I might not be in a position to say this as a homunculus myself, though…” After Sieg said that, Ruler turned silent, as if his words had caught her off guard somehow. After a while, she let out a small sigh of admiration. “…You’re right. There’s no point if I don’t believe in what humans had cultivated. The fact that airplanes fly is the crystallization of hard work that doesn’t rely on magecraft. Making a lump of metal like this fly truly is a miracle!” “Yeah, I get the feeling your trust in it is still a bit shaky, but as long as you understand—” Sieg cut off his words as he heard Ruler suddenly draw in a sharp breath. “Ruler?” “Tell Rider to get ready.” The hippogriff growled in apparent warning. “—Oops, looks like this is it. We’ve arrived, Master.” Upon hearing Rider’s grim tone, Sieg took a moment to take a deep breath. He felt like the air itself was burning. His acute sense of smell as a homunculus detected the huge swirl of prana lying ahead of them. “All right, get on, Master!” Rider lightly tapped the hippogriff’s neck and lightly jumped on its back. Rider held out his hand, and Sieg firmly grabbed it. 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 ### 032. Chapter 4 Ch4-3 The very existence of the temple Noble Phantasm Hanging Gardens of Babylon was miraculous in itself, but the basement room containing the ‘altar’ that stored the Greater Grail was an especially strange room within the gardens. First, its size was clearly abnormal. Considering the total size of the Hanging Gardens, there was no way for there to be any space within so huge its wall were out of sight, but even someone with eyes accustomed to darkness couldn’t see where this vast room ended. Most likely, space was being distorted here through some form of magecraft. The floor and walls were all rough and uneven like mortar, except for the area at the center of the room, where the floor was completely smooth. Beyond a series of sun-dried brick stairs that led to the very center, the stolen Fuyuki Greater Grail hovered motionlessness in the air. It faintly radiated a pale light, looking as if the moon itself had been summoned into this room. But what was even more astonishing was this room’s ceiling… in other words, the part that served as the ‘sky’ here. There was ‘water’ running along the ceiling. It was an upside down lake. Upon its surface floated lotuses of a myriad of vibrant colors—it was like looking at rainbow-colored sky. This phenomenon was brought about by the concept of reversal that ruled over the Hanging Gardens. The water flowed upwards from the ceiling to the space above, and that water went on to fill the ceiling in the throne room. In other words, the water-filled ceilings of this alter room and the throne room were linked, and it was impossible to tell which one was actually located in the basement of the gardens. “Dear me… I feel like my sense of reality turns topsy-turvy every time I come to this place.” Caster of Red smiled wryly as he looked at the ceiling. Ripples occasionally spread through the water in the sky due to the mana filling the Greater Grail. Caster of Red—Shakespeare—was a man who’d been born in an era where magecraft and mysteries weren’t openly exposed to the public. He’d had virtually no opportunity to witness shamans cause a miracle through prayers to their objects of worship or famous magi display impossible phenomena. Clairvoyant witches and curses were commonplace in his stories—but those were merely products of Shakespeare’s imagination. The range of his imagination was limitless and could perform terrifyingly huge leaps that could picture anything in detail. That’s why it was rare for him to express amazement and awe like this. However, that was perhaps only natural considering the sheer abnormality of the Hanging Gardens and the Greater Grail. Shirou Kotomine was standing directly below the Greater Grail in the center of the room. Upon noticing Caster’s arrival, Shirou lightly waved his hand in greeting. “Caster. My Noble Phantasms are ready.” “Yes, Master. I’ve also finished preparing my Noble Phantasm.” Amakusa Shirou Tokisada’s Noble Phantasms— Right Hand, Evil Eater: Right Arm, Transgression Consumption and Left Hand, Xanadu Matrix: Left Arm, Foundation of Heaven’s Gift . Caster of Red’s Noble Phantasm— First Folio: Let the Curtains Rise to Thunderous Applause . Their respective Noble Phantasms were neither weapons bestowed by the gods nor famous mounts obtained during adventures. Shirou’s Noble Phantasms were the materialization of the miracles he had bestowed onto people in life. Caster of Red’s Noble Phantasm was the [book] he had never managed to write during his lifetime. Either way, these Noble Phantasms were merely the embodiment of their legends. Neither one could face an army, let alone destroy a fortress. In terms of Servant rankings, they were both undoubtedly third-rate. But, only at this very moment—only when they combined their Noble Phantasms together was their value completely upturned. A holy sword or a divine spear could destroy the Greater Grail. But among the Servants in the Great Holy Grail War, the only ones who could take control of the Greater Grail were these two. “I’ve already connected the ‘thread’. It’s what supplies the prana to you and the other Servants, after all.” The only Servant who Shirou Kotomine actually supplied prana to as a Master was Assassin of Red. The other Red Servants were merely connected to him through the basic Master-Servant contract, while their prana supply was provided from the Greater Grail, which he’d himself linked to after stealing it. Just creating that link had required significant time. He’d searched for a method to accomplish it for several days after stealing it and had only managed to finally form the prana supply connection through the help of Assassin. An ordinary mage like Darnic, who wasn’t from the great alchemist Einzbern family who had created the Greater Grail, had likely required decades just to touch the Grail’s system. But both the Einzberns and Darnic had merely adjusted its system rather than control the Greater Grails itself. In other words, they had merely activated or slightly improved its original functions. Basically, their actions had been limited to switching it On and Off. But what Shirou was about to attempt was something fundamentally different. To put it simply, he was going to create a new switch. He wasn’t adjusting the system, but adding in a new system. He was remaking it into a Greater Grail that suited his needs. Servants were summoned to the present age through the Greater Grail. Therefore, reprogramming the Greater Grail went beyond dangerous and into the realm of sheer insanity for a Servant like Shirou. Even if all his preparations were perfect. That’s why, to Shirou, this was his true battle. All the battles until now had merely been preparations and groundwork. Even if he lost them, he could still make another move. But this was completely different. If Shirou lost here, he would come to an end . And if he was gone, everything would be brought to naught—the salvation of humanity would end in failure. The light tremble in Shirou’s hands wasn’t from excitement. It was from the fear of knowing everything would end if he lost. “—Even so, you’re still here, Master.” “Yes. After thinking and agonizing over the correct choice for sixty years, I chose to be here. Even if I feel fear, I have no regrets. Then Caster, let’s begin the preparations—but before that.” “Oh?” Shirou held out one arm towards Caster. His Command Spells were faintly glowing. Caster’s face immediately stiffened. “…Master?” “Caster. I respect and trust you as a writer from the bottom of my heart. And that’s precisely why I understand. You surely want to write a tragedy . Therefore, this is a necessary piece of insurance.” With a radiant smile, Shirou used up a Command Spell. “I order you with a Command Spell. Caster, don’t write a tragedy for my story .” “Guh…!!” The expended Command Spell bounded Caster like a chain. The Command was an order with absolute authority created by the Makiri and capable of firmly binding not only a Servant’s body but even their mind. And wording the order not as ‘forbidding betrayal’, but as ‘not writing a tragedy’, made it bind Caster of Red even more tightly. “Master… Such treatment is too awful. This is cruel, far too cruel.” Caster of Red loudly lamented—but that was only natural. “No, I already told you, remember? I trust you as a writer. You want to write a tragedy. But if I questioned you about it, you would have to lie. So I never once asked you ‘Do you want to write a tragedy?’ until now… If never questioned, you would have no reason to lie, after all.” Despite his groaning, Caster of Red had to acknowledge that. It would be a lie if he said that he didn’t intend to write a tragedy. He had thought about not writing one—but when the time came to write, his pen would naturally plunge towards writing a tragedy on its own . The only way to prevent that was for him to decide to write a comedy from the start. Caster loudly sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Very well, I will do as you wish. After all, [Sweet are the uses of adversity, which like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head].” “Thank you. I thought restricting the genre of a story would be rude towards the most famous writer known today, though.” “Fufu, being called a famous writer is embarrassing. I’d prefer it if you gave me such praise after reading my works—” “Yes, I made sure to read your Four Great Tragedies, at least, before today. That’s why I decided to use a Command Spell.” “…I see.” What a blunder, thought Caster as he held his head in his hands at the irony. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told him to read my works… No, no, having others read one’s stories is precisely what makes a writer a writer. In the first place, this man had already experienced the worst possible tragedy. The thirty-seven thousand people who followed him were massacred and he lost his own life as well. His was a tale of crawling out from the pit of despair and overturning that fate of misfortune. In that case—he had to continue to climb up even now. Even if God allowed him to walk away from his path in this situation, a writer never would. “I promise to use all my might to write a happy ending instead of a tragedy, Master.” “Thank you, and sorry for the imposition… Now then, let’s begin.” “—You’re so slow. I was wondering when you would finally start.” Assassin communicated her clear displeasure through telepathy. Her words were heard by Caster of Red as well. Shirou looked up at the water canopy and apologized with a smile. “Sorry. —We’re beginning now.” “Worst comes to worst, I will discard you. Understood?” How terrifying, thought Caster with a slight chill down his back. There was not an even the smallest trace of emotion in her words, words which a Servant should never direct at their Master under any circumstances. “Of course. That’s only natural.” …And even more terrifying was Shirou’s reply, far too bright in face of such unfeeling and merciless words. He wasn’t unworried because he thought his Servant wouldn’t do such a thing. There was no way that Assassin was that naïve. In the worst case scenario, she really would choose to abandon him in order to protect herself. Which one could be considered madder, a Servant who would unhesitantly betray her Master or a Master who would happily accept that? “Good. Then begin, Shirou. And win. Failure is not allowed.” Assassin’s words remained unfeeling, but Shirou Kotomine expressed gratitude from the bottom of his heart. “—Thank you, Assassin.” Shirou smoothly took of his stela and mantle. He took off his cassock and undershirt as well, leaving his upper body naked. His tanned skin had countless sword scars and fire burns carved into it. In Caster’s eyes, his body expressed great sorrow rather than ugliness. Shirou then lifted his arms up above him. He opened his palms, as if to make the Greater Grail his by grabbing it. His arms were filled with a different radiance than that of the faintly shining Command Spells—Shirou Kotomine’s miracle, his dual Noble Phantasms, were activating. “Then I’ll start first.” Shirou began to walk with graceful footsteps towards the Greater Grail hovering in the air. As Caster watched him, he was suddenly beset by the illusion that Shirou was walking on a staircase made of corpses. The corpses that served as building material for the stairs were the victims who had been eradicated for believing in a faith different from the native religion and following Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. They didn’t feel sadness at being trodden over. In fact, it was clear that they felt joy, even. They were grateful from the bottom of their hearts that they’d become sacrifices for saving the world—. It was an illusion, just an illusion, but if these corpses from the past knew of what was happening now, wouldn’t they say the same thing? That was what Caster of Red believed. +++ As he walked towards the canopy and the Holy Grail, Shirou thought back on the seventeen years of his first life and the sixty years of his second life. He had devoted everything for this moment. He had lived with the resolve to sacrifice everything. Right now, hundreds of millions of lives, and human goodness itself, rested on his shoulders. It was so heavy he felt like was going to be crushed, but there was no sign of agony on his face. —I won’t lose. Shirou took the first step, and connected to the Greater Grail through the ‘thread’ he’d made while establishing a prana supply connection— +++ Instantly, his world turned upside down. +++ His existence was instantly fused with it. He was overcome by a comfortable feeling like when one is about to fall asleep, and the sensation continued infinitely. He was engulfed by something soft, and kept sinking without end—down, down, down. Any malice, no matter how strong, would vanish here. Any desire to kill, no matter how great, would be useless in the face of this. This entire space, filled with happiness, peace, pleasure, order and purity all mixed together, felt like sweet milk dripping over his entire body. His brain’s functions halted. His brain’s functions became unnecessary. Thought and instinct are unneeded. So melt away. Melt away and become one with it, until you’re reduced to mere sweet, formless milk— “…You’re in my way.” Shirou rejected that supreme pleasure with extreme ease. He scrunched his face at the great pain that ran through his arms, but he felt relieved at the same time. Shirou had touched this several times while linking with the Grail to connect the prana supply. He had clearly understood from those brief touches that he would likely become unable to think of anything and merely dissolve into it if he plunged his entire body into it. To prevent that, he’d made his arms feel pain. The reproduced pain came from the despair which he’d experienced in the past—and his black rage which sought to overcome it. Shirou Kotomine couldn’t forgive humans. He couldn’t forgive human evil, nor human goodness either. It’s precisely because humans possessing contradicting aspects of good and evil, greed and compassion, that they continue to exist as beings that repeat an endless spiral. …He couldn’t forgive that. As long as he had that rage and pain, Shirou could withstand even such comfortable pleasure. The interior of the Greater Grail was still swirling with enormous amounts of prana undyed by anything. To maintain his ‘self’ while inside the Greater Grail was the first trial. Images of various scenes whirled around Shirou like a revolving lantern. It reminded Shirou of a fast-forwarded film. The images appeared to show the history of the Einzberns. Their origins went back two thousand years, and the start of their quest began one thousand years ago. They were a clan that had repeated a trial-and-error process of every possible method for the sake of their dream of completing the Holy Grail. They glorified every gruesome sacrifice they made and flung off every setback. Simply calling it ‘obsession’ wasn’t sufficient; in fact, their struggles could even be likened to the journey of a saint. Endless days without joy, of only battling with despair head on. The span of one thousand years made it seem like madness, but in truth it was merely a simple repetition of the same process. Trial and failure, setback and restart. Even though it wasn’t even clear whether they were moving forward or backwards, they just relentlessly continued to walk on. Shirou honestly felt respect for them at the sight—and smiled wryly at the same time. Receiving sympathy from someone like him who wasn’t even a member of the Einzberns was merely a bother for them. Even more so since he was the culprit who had stolen their Greater Grail. It’s true that the sight of their history was moving—but that’s all it was, nothing more and nothing less. He remained silent until the fast-forwarded film ended. A pale light engulfed the world once more. If he let his attention slip, he would dissolve in it, so he had to keep affirming his own existence every second. There was no real direction here. Ahead laid the origin point of the Greater Grail. As he reinforced his strong determination to reach there, he began to walk. Normally, the Greater Grail activated by using the Lesser Grail as fuel after it had absorbed the souls of Heroic Spirits. Once activated, the Greater Grail would create energy from it. Seven Servants were needed to fully activate it—but no Servants souls were absorbed into the current Lesser Grail yet. The Lesser Grail, which had a hole gouged into it, was sealed in a small room within the gardens, where the concept of ‘up and down’ didn’t exist, and was continuously leaking out prana. No matter how many times the souls of Servant entered it, they would keep leaking out from the hole. But the leaked souls were unable to follow gravity in the room, and so they continued to be absorbed into the Lesser Grail and leak out again from the hole in an endless cycle. Currently, Saber of Black, Lancer of Black, Berserker of Black, Caster of Black, Assassin of Black and Berserker of Red had all been killed, so the Greater Grail would automatically activate using the Lesser Grail as fuel after one more Servant was killed. This setup with the Lesser Grail was meant to prevent that. If the Lesser Grail was destroyed, the Greater Grail might sense the abnormality and malfunction in some way. But if Shirou left it to operate normally, the Greater Grail would activate before he could finish changing its system. Even he wouldn’t be able to touch the Greater Grail once it fully activated. He couldn’t let it activate—not yet, at least. +++ Shirou Kotomine wasn’t a magus. But still, he’d had sixty years to work on his objective. At this point, he was pretty much as knowledgeable as possible on the Holy Grail War and the magecraft connected to it. With what he’d learned, he had to agree that the Greater Grail truly was the ultimate wish-granting device whose almighty power reached God’s domain. Its system, having been designed minutely and elaborately to an abnormally high degree, definitely had the power to grant any Master’s wish—and even reach the ****. But no matter how enormous, divine and almighty it was, what lay at the core of this Greater Grail was a single woman. Her name was Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern. The head of the Einzberns who had become the nucleus of the Greater Grail. The Saint of Winter who had sacrificed her own life and given up everything for the sake of realizing a miracle (Sorcery)—that was Shirou Kotomine’s goal and destination. She held all of the grail’s functions under her control. There are stories of weapons that were made by sacrificing human lives, enchanted into true cursed swords by throwing a maiden into the hot molten iron. But the Greater Grail was different from those. The Justeaze wasn’t sacrificed to the Greater Grail. First, Justeaze existed, and then she became the Greater Grail . Yes. The Greater Grail was both an almighty wish-granting device and also a giant pipeline (Magic Circuits) for the sake of reproducing the lost miracle of the Einzberns. Normally, three things were necessary for a magus to perform magecraft. A spell foundation, Magic Circuits and prana. A spell foundation was the foundational system needed for any form of magecraft. Magi produced prana through the inner pathways known as Magic Circuits and performed spells based on a specific foundation. And it was no different from the Greater Grail. This enormous Holy Grail was basically a cluster of Magic Circuits, and it could produce any miracle by using prana it absorbed from leylines. The title almighty wish-granting device wasn’t just for show. The Greater Grail was a meticulously-made and extremely precise device that contained an enormous store of prana worthy of being called ‘almighty’. But Amakusa Shirou Tokisada knew. The Greater Grail was impartial . Justeaze’s personality was already gone—only her Magic Circuits still lived. No matter what wish it was asked from the outside, the Holy Grail would grant it all. Then, if Shirou asked it to ‘save humanity’ from outside of it, would the Greater Grail bring about that salvation? —Of course, the answer is no. The Greater Grail can’t do what’s impossible . That’s why Shirou was risking his very life to invade the Greater Grail. He had a wish that was impossible for even the Greater Grail—in that case, he merely had to overwrite its system from the inside and forcefully make the Greater Grail grant it. He was attempting to adjust and reprogram the Greater Grail itself, something that would never be allowed in a normal Holy Grail War. If it wouldn’t grant his wish, then the Holy Grail was the one that was mistaken . So he would merely correct it. Shirou walked towards what he had long sought—which surely lay beyond this expanse. 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 ### 033. Chapter 4 Ch4-4 Several hours had already passed since Shirou had dived into the Greater Grail. He would probably require an even more considerable amount of time to complete his task. The Greater Grail was a work of art on the level of the divine, and Shirou was trying to modify it from its very foundation. There was no way he would finish quickly. For the time being, Caster had returned to his study and resumed writing. It was then that he received a telepathic message from Assassin of Red. “Caster, has Master already dived in?” “Yes. Have there been any changes to his prana?” “No. There’ve been no changes to the prana being supplied to us and the prana accumulating in the Hanging Gardens from him. I suppose this means that, even if the interior of the Greater Grail is another world entirely, the Line connecting Master and Servant can’t be severed so easily.” Shirou had been most concerned about the moment he dived into the Greater Grail. If his link to the rest of the world was cut off, everything would immediately fall apart. “In that case, I shall continue with my writing.” “Wait, Caster… There’s one thing I want to ask you. Is the end that you wish for my Master glory, or failure?” Caster just barely managed to stop himself from doing a spit take at those words. “Glory, of course.” “I know, but I’m making sure just in case. If things go wrong and this plan is setback because of you, I’ll have you take responsibility—quite painfully so.” “O Empress, have no fear. Our Master took precautions against that just earlier with a Command Spell. To my bitter disappointment… Ah, no, I of course didn’t have any intention of writing a tragedy from the start, though!” “…Hmph. As if I could trust the words of a clown like you. Listen well, Caster. Your value as a writer lies only in the books you write. And the moment I judge that your books are not beneficial to us, I will lose any reason to keep you alive.” Caster felt as if he’d been captured by a viscous carnivorous plant—though of course he kept that thought to himself. If he said the wrong answer, he would be melted and digested in an instant. Assassin of Red was most likely the most skilled Servant in terms of cruelty in the Great Holy Grail War. From what Caster saw, Assassin of Red was likely always evaluating whether to stealthily kill anyone and everyone in this world, including even her own Master. Even if someone had no killing intent and only the slightest ill will towards her—if she judged from their every word and attitude that they would cause harm to her, she would unhesitantly move to assassinate them. This was the greatest reason why Rider and Archer kept their distance from Assassin. Of course, the fact that she was a figure of authority with the position of empress was part of it, but more importantly, she was always planning to kill them from the start. Telling them to get along with her was the height of difficulty. That’s why the two of them detested her. The neutral Lancer should have noticed the empress’ nature as well. However, he merely thought ‘That’s just how she is’ and accepted it without reproach. And to Caster, it was only natural that she be that way. She was an empress who reigned far above others. She definitely wasn’t a weakling, but she was better described as a person of undisputable and absolute authority than a strong warrior. And as a woman who had tricked and deceived everyone throughout her life, it was only self-evident that she wouldn’t let her guard down even the slightest bit in the presence of others. “I’d like to fervently advocate my existential worth as a court jester. I assure you that, while my books and writings are always imperfect, that is precisely what makes them beautiful stories.” “Imperfect? Not perfect?” “That is only natural, O Empress of Assyria. A perfect existence, a perfect human being, and a perfect story constructed through only order and logic—are completely shitty and boring ! [My salad days, when I was greenin judgement, cold in blood!] My stories are imperfect and therefore beautiful, are imperfect and therefore genuinely entertaining. Failures means death? I don’t mind! There’s a chance of failure, and we will have to pay the price if that happens! And that’s precisely why I can rouse myself to excitement and write a masterpiece.” “Enough! Even through telepathy, your voice is loud and grating! I’ll repeat myself one more time: failure is not allowed. Make sure to write Shirou’s—Amakusa Shirou Tokisada’s story right until the end.” Caster coolly smiled at those words, and chose that moment to pose a question he’d wanted to ask for a while now. After all, their Master wasn’t present right now. This was his best chance to hear her true feelings. “Then allow me to ask you in return. O Empress, which do you want? Would you rather our Master’s dearest wish be realized, or would you enjoy trampling over his wish more ?” —For a brief instant, Assassin’s breathing stopped as she was caught completely off guard by the question. “The realization of his wish, obviously. A Servant serves their Master, after all.” “…My, my.” Though silent, Assassin was clearly dissatisfied by Caster’s response. He was definitely the weakest of the remaining Servants that currently survived, and yet he feared no one. “Such a perfunctory answer! Assassin, I’m asking if you want to see his destruction or not. Now, answer me!” Pierced by the Caster’s words, Assassin realized that this was actually a serious question for a clown like him. In that case, she also had to answer sincerely as an empress. If she spoke falsely, that would make her an even worse fool than a clown. There were no retainers of hers present, so she had no choice but to reveal her true feelings. But, strangely enough, that seemed like an act of tremendous courage to her. But she had no one to rely on. Caster wouldn’t overlook her answer if she tried fawning upon him. Focusing her nerves like never before, Assassin stripped away her many layers of falsehood—and spoke the truth. +++ “—I won’t deny that part of me wants to see him fail. I’m a woman who has no interest in virtue and generosity and enjoys the destruction and despair of others, after all. I’ve seen kings proud of their power fall into unsightliness and brave generals despair and run away in fear. But I’ve yet to see the despair of a saint. So I will admit that I want to see it.” Assassin chuckled. Caster urged her to continue by remaining silent. A clown sometimes had to be patient and listen to a king’s words. “But there’s something else I want to see. The scene that that man wishes to witness from the bottom of his heart. The salvation of humanity. A possibility that no one seriously considers, and that even heroes and saints have given up on. The same goes for me too. As someone who stands above others, I have witnessed various things, like untimely death, dazzling beauty, ugliness, pure integrity—but that is the one thing I have never seen. It might be boring. It’s possible that it might be a dull and dreary ending. But—I’ll never know unless I see it first.” “I see. In other words, you mean to say that you want to see that ending not out of loyalty to your Master, but out of pure curiosity.” “Exactly. Of course, I also have my own wish to ‘rule’. But, more than anything else—right now, I’m looking forwarding to seeing how far that man will go.” Just like a child playing with a toy —Caster just barely stopped himself from saying that out loud. Most likely, he’d be killed if he did. “It seems you were about to say something insolent, but you did well to hold back for a man like you. As a reward for your silence, I’ll forgive you.” Suddenly, Caster felt like a line was cut in his mind as Assassin closed the telepathic communication. But it was then that Caster remembered that he’d forgotten to ask one last question. “What a blunder. I should have asked her if I could add in the love story of an empress. Now then, what to do—well, I’ll just write it anyway. This will be well-received by readers, for sure.” Shakespeare took out a paper from his breast pocket and scribbled a note on it. The empress fell in love. And thus, he went to resume writing the main plot. Since he was linked to Amakusa Shirou Tokisada as a Servant, he was able to record what happened around Shirou and Shirou’s own mental state in great detail with his Master’s permission. This meant that his Master’s thoughts and feelings were all laid bare to him, something a normal Master would never allow. +++ —And of course, Shirou Kotomine was far from ordinary. +++ Shakespeare was indisputably the most famous playwright in the world. Anyone who made him their Servant would be forced to make the ultimate choice. Would they allow him to write down their story, encompassing their thoughts, habits and entire life, or not? If they allowed it, Shakespeare would recount and extol their extraordinary life as far as his voice could carry. And that story would sublimate into a Noble Phantasm. Shakespeare’s pen could affect even events and phenomena , no matter how absurd or preposterous it may be. The only thing he couldn’t write were uninteresting events . If he believed something was interesting as a writer, fate itself would be overturned to make it happen. +++ He wrote, wrote, and wrote. Amakusa Shirou Tokisada was encountering various hardships and trials within the Greater Grail. His dead father, his dead mother, and the comrades who had sworn to stand by his side. All of them were appealing to him. Take up a sword in your hand and use it. We have that right. You have the responsibility to avenge us— +++ Even while beset by anguish, he continued onward. Then, if his comrades failed, what about his enemies? The ones who had violated, trampled and thoroughly disgraced his comrades while laughing, manifestations of this world’s malignant cancer. They were more than enough to make someone give up and despair at humans. In the face of them, Amakusa Shirou— +++ “…Hmm!?” Caster stopped his pen at the sudden tremor that rocked the gardens. The time was midnight. For a sudden tremor to occur in this situation—there could only be one reason. “So you’ve come, holy maiden!” Heartily laughing, Caster stood up and ran out of his study. “It’s a battle against time now. But our Master is ignoring sleep and hurrying to speed up time as much as possible. Even if they make it in time, we’re protected by invincible swords and indomitable shields, and are encased in fortress as hard as a diamond. Now, what shall happen next!?” 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 4 Ch4-5 At almost exactly the same time, Assassin of Red opened her eyes as she sat upon her throne. “—Hmm, so they’ve come.” She’d anticipated the enemies to come eventually, but they were slightly later than she’d predicted. Did their preparations take more time than expected, or was there another reason for their late arrival? Either way, it didn’t change what had to be done. “Archer, Rider… They’ve arrived. Intercept them. I don’t know what means of flight they used to get here, but there’s nothing that can withstand your attacks. Rider, crush them with your flying chariot.” “Ah, I plan to, but it’ll probably take some time to take them all down.” “…What? Did they use such a large-scale spell?” “You’ll understand if you see.” Assassin projected an image of the outside world onto the throne room’s ceiling—and was dumbfounded by what she saw. “What is this——?” From the knowledge she’d been given by the Holy Grail, Assassin knew what an airplane was. A mechanical bird that petty humans had put together somehow or other to fly through the sky. They were heading towards the gardens using that. That much was fine. It was a far more rational choice than using an enchanted tool that could go malfunction. But—there were far, far too many of them. There were a total of ten large jumbo jets, approaching the Hanging Gardens like a flock of ravens. The prana signatures coming from them were vague and ambiguous, making it impossible to precisely detect who and what was on each plane. And furthermore— “Those damn Black Servants…!!” Archer of Black was standing on the roof of one of the planes. His preparations for battle were already complete and he was searching through the surrounding skies with eyes that overlooked nothing. Rider of Black was riding on top of the plane next to Archer’s. He was atop his hippogriff, with the homunculus who was his new Master sitting behind him. And standing atop the center plane was the arbitrator of the Great Holy Grail War and the absolute enemy of the Red camp. The young woman who was acknowledged as a true saint and who opposed the young man who never managed to become a saint. Class Ruler—Jeanne d’Arc. “Relying on pure numbers… Hmph, what a foolish plan. But that’s precisely what makes it hard to deal with .” The ten planes were approaching fast, so close they were almost on the verge of colliding with the Hanging Gardens. But conversely, felling one plane wouldn’t be enough to destroy their foothold. With Archer and Ruler’s physical abilities, they could jump to the next plane before the one they stood on fell. “However… even that’s not enough to approach my Hanging Gardens.” It was true that Assassin would have some difficulty dealing with this. But that was all . She could destroy all those lumps of iron merely by activating the garden’s defense functions. However—that wouldn’t be tasteful. Proudly displaying her great power was soothing in its own way, but the other heroes of the Red camp wouldn’t agree to just slaughtering the enemy like that. “Rider. I don’t intend to attack until the enemy reaches a certain distance near the gardens. However—” “Hey, Miss Empress, is that supposed to mean that I’ll also get caught in the crossfire if I get close too?” “Precisely. Does that dissatisfy you?” Assassin of Red replied calmly. Rider of Red happily accepted that provocation. “No, no problem at all… I’ll kill Archer of Black, and while I’m at it, I’ll take apart those flying pieces of scrap iron too.” Rider’s voice, like that of a ferocious beast, caused a chill to run down Assassin’s back. A demi-god born from a hero and a goddess, the great hero of the Trojan War—but if you peeled those titles away, he was actually a monster who devoted everything to battle. “Very well, I’ll leave it to you.” However, that was an indispensable component for a hero. Cruelty, arrogance and a sense of pride that asserted that one’s strength was absolute were what made heroes truly heroes. “Archer. I’ll leave the rear support to you. Make sure to shoot down each one of those planes.” “…No. I’m going to kill that annoying girl first.” Archer of Red’s voice sounded as if it rang out from the very depths of the earth. Rider’s voice had been that of a beast excited in a blazing frenzy, filled with only joy—the pure delight at fighting someone strong. But Archer of Red’s voice was different. It was clearly filled with hatred, decisively different from the cruel cheerfulness that most heroes possessed. “—What?” It was only natural that Assassin furrowed her brow suspiciously. From her point of view, Archer of Red was the type of hero who was easy to understand. She enjoyed fighting the strong, had no dislike for battle in and of itself, and had no interest in good and evil or government. She treasured invisible things like honor and pride— If she hated someone, it would only be the killer of her loved ones. However Ruler—the holy maiden of Orleans, Jeanne d’Arc—was far from being a person who would do such a thing. In the first place, Archer of Red shouldn’t have had anyone she cared about enough to love in this world. “I’ll kill that woman! I have to kill that filthy murderer who pretends to be a saint. Don’t get in my way, Assassin…!” And yet—Archer’s voice was filled with rage. Assassin understood. This kind of hatred couldn’t be controlled. It was the kind that took precedence over anything, most likely making Archer deem not only the Red camp but even her own life meaningless in comparison. Such hatred always caused chaos on the battlefield. Of course, if she could successfully defeat Ruler, then it wasn’t a problem. However— “Let her be, Miss Empress. Either way, my own opponent remains Archer of Black.” Rider interjected into the telepathic conversation. Just as he said, Rider’s pride made him desire to fight his former teacher. “…Very well. Rider of Black likely intends to try and invade the gardens with that meager monster of his. I’ll take care of him.” In her eyes, Rider of Black was no more a threat than a fly. “Lancer, you are to remain on standby until any of them manage to board. I’m busy with controlling the gardens, and it goes without saying that Caster cannot be relied upon. You’re entrusted with the final defense line.” “—Understood.” Hearing that quiet reply made Assassin feel relieved. Even if one of the three Red Servants in charge of intercepting the enemy were defeated in the worst case scenario, as long as he was here—the enemy wouldn’t be able to take even a single step near the Greater Grail. “In that case—slaughter them. The Greater Grail is ours!!” “Aye!” Rider and Archer replied affirmatively. The Black camp would win this battle if they reached the gardens. And the Red camp would win if they prevented them from reaching the gardens. Amakusa Shirou Tokisada aimed to save humanity, while Jeanne d’Arc was trying to prevent him from doing so. The final battle between the two sides began in a magnificent manner at the dead of night, seven thousand and five hundred meters above the Black Sea. 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 ### 035. Chapter 4 Ch4-6 The holy flag in her hands fluttered violently in the fierce and piercingly cold wind. The young woman stood majestically atop one of the planes. The superb view around her was a hell in the sky where ordinary humans couldn’t exist. Most likely, the prana from the Hanging Gardens was interfering and causing the planes to slow down the more they approached, with their current velocity now at a mere three hundred kilometers an hour. However, it was still fast enough that any human would be immediately blown off by the violent headwind. But as a Servant, Ruler was able to concentrate prana into her feet to remain firmly standing on the airplane’s roof. She was filled with maddening worry, but for this moment alone she concentrated on only what was in front of her. Both now and in the past, her duty was to be the flag bearer—to receive all attacks onto herself. That was her contract (curse). As long as she stood holding this flag, she wouldn’t lose to any hero from any time or place. Saber. Archer. Lancer. Rider. Berserker. Caster. Assassin. Not conforming to any of these seven classes, she was the aloof, absolute arbitrator. Ruler—Jeanne d’Arc—stood at the vanguard just as she had in her first life. In the sky at high altitudes that surpassed human reach, the Black camp at last caught sight of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon . “—I see it!” “Yes, me too.” “I can see it too! Wow, it’s an amazing sight no matter how many times I see it!” Inwardly, Ruler agreed with Rider of Black. Assassin of Red’s Hanging Gardens could be best described as a huge, gold-shining birdcage. Seeing it fly through the sky was a wondrous sight straight out of fantasy. And that birdcage was protected by not only the Red Servants, but also eleven pure black plates over twenty meters in length floating around the gardens, the Tiamutomu Umu: Eleven Black Coffins 1 which had shot Rider of Black down to the ground before. In contrast, Ruler and the others were riding giant birds of steel flying straight towards the Hanging Gardens at full speed. Fortunately, the trajectory of the planes was extremely stable. Strangely enough, despite having been so nervous inside the plane, Ruler was now the height of calm as she stood on its roof. It appeared that her basis of fear lay with whether or not she could see the outside scenery. Ah, how truly like a bumpkin country girl —She even had the composure to think such foolish jokes. But it was about time for the laughter and smiles to end. What waited ahead was every form of despair that none could laugh at. And that was precisely why she was smiling now while she could. She smiled humorously as she thought of Rider of Black, she smiled pleasantly at the charming relationship between Archer of Black and his Master, she smiled in admiration at the courage of Fiore’s younger brother—and lastly, she wore a different smile as she thought of him . Then, she suddenly stopped smiling. Her gazes narrowed and turned grim. With her holy flag raised in one hand, she shouted out boldly and loudly. “Amakusa Shirou Tokisada—!” Ruler yelled out his name—but the one to respond was not him, but his Servant, Assassin of Red. “What an unsightly howl. My Master is busy accomplishing the ‘salvation of humanity’ with the Greater Grail. Come, you might still make it in time if you hurry, you know?” The telepathic communication forcefully rang through her mind, annoyingly loud. But there was more important information there to be concerned with. “…He seriously intends to save humanity?” In response to Ruler’s question, Assassin snickered. “Who knows? Whatever the results of his actions are, it is no concern of mine. If you want to stop my Master, you’ll have to reach him. Though… only if you manage to get past the Red Servants first!” Suddenly, an intense light flashed through the sky from the Hanging Gardens. That incredible torrent of prana—it was the three-horse chariot ridden by Rider of Red, the steeds neighing as they soared through the sky. “Come, Archer of Black! It’s the promised time. Let’s enjoy ourselves!” Soaring through the dark sky in a zigzagging pattern like a huge snake, Rider of Red charged at Archer of Black—! +++ Archer of Black’s eyesight possessed clairvoyance that could accurately grasp everything even in the midst of a pitch black night, but it was next to impossible even for his eyes to follow Rider of Red’s chariot. Whether it be strength, technique or speed, when one of these abilities in battle reached a level that far surpassed common sense, they became more than mere stat numbers—they were pure ‘weapons’ in their own right. In that regard, the speed of Rider of Red’s chariot truly was a weapon. It was impossible to avoid and impossible to defend against, and its charging power was tremendous. It was virtually perfect in both attack and defense—one of the pinnacles of what heroes could accomplish. Moreover, Rider’s steeds weren’t ordinary horses. Two were the immortal divine hoses Xanthus and Balius, given to him by the sea god Poseidon, and the third was Pedasos, the famous horse he obtained when capturing the city of Eetion. The chariot’s name was Troias Tragoidia: Tempestuous Immortal Chariot . It was a Noble Phantasm possessing divine speed that could overtake everything in this world. Who could possibly stop this comet that soared across the sky at light speed? Any living being that touched it would be instantly turned into crimson paste. And the same applied even to giant whale-sized precision machines created by humans. The chariot soared up and then dropped down towards one of the airplanes like a shooting star. Naturally, he was aiming for the plane Archer of Black was standing on. “I’ve got you!!” Rider of Red’s yell was filled with confidence. Just as he’d said earlier, airplanes were mere scrap iron before him. The unpleasant sound of metal tearing apart rang through the air. Its fuselage was pierced during impact and the two torn halves of the planes lost control and immediately fell toward the sea below. Rider didn’t even have to watch to know that it would crash against the sea and shatter into thousands of small pieces. But there was no sign of Archer of Black on the felled plane. Figuring he had moved to one of the other planes next to it, Rider temporarily stopped his chariot and looked around around—but at that instant, one of his steeds neighed. “What…!?” Rider reflexively turned around—and he saw Archer of Black holding his bow ready and aiming straight at him. No, wrong. He had already fired an arrow! It was virtually impossible to catch sight of an arrow shot on a night without moonlight and only the faint lights from the Hanging Gardens for illumination. But Rider detected the swirl of prana and slight disturbance in the air, and he swiftly turned his head to the side. Suddenly, the sound of grating teeth rang out—Rider of Red smiled fearlessly. Even Archer of Black was left speechless by what he’d done. Rider had caught and crushed the arrow between his teeth. He had predicted that it was aimed for his forehead and, instead of avoiding it, stopped it head on. “So there you are!!” Rider of Red whipped at his steeds and resumed charging his ‘chariot’ that was more like a jackhammer. His acceleration pierced the sound barrier in a mere instant. He flew in a spiral and ascended—and then did a sudden descent. The plane Archer of Black was standing on was crushed as if by a giant fist from the heavens. Archer of Black ran and jumped off the crushed plane—and simultaneously fired mores arrows as he did so. He shot three arrows in quick succession, all aimed straight at the nape Rider’s neck as he halted midair for an instant. But that wasn’t enough to stop the chariot. There was no way it could be stopped. —Just try and stop me, Archer of Black. Right now, I’m the indisputable fastest in the world! The chariot charged as it cleaved through the darkness. Archer of Black softly jumped onto another plane from the destroyed one, acting as if the dozens of meters between them and the whirling winds were nothing to him. At the same time as he landed, he activated the program that had been installed in the piloting golem beforehand. “Spin.” Just as Rider of Red moved to chase after him, the whole plane performed a barrel roll. The reversed underside of the plane served as a shield that blocked Archer of Black from Rider’s sight. Archer used that chance to stealthily move to another plane again. The plane blocking Rider’s vision ascended, but Rider didn’t chase after it. Achilles wasn’t the type to keep falling for cheap tricks. He saw through it— Archer was no longer on the ascending plane and was now on another plane aiming at him! Don’t underestimate me. Rider of Red charged and crashed straight into the ascending plane—a three hundred ton lump of metal. Archer of Black, who had drawn his bow in order to shoot Rider down along with the bait plane, was astonished at the sight. It was one thing he Rider had merely pierced through the plane with his chariot. But… Archer couldn’t believe that he was pushing the whole plane in front of him as he charged …! However, in reality, this now turned the plane into a huge shield that protected Rider from Archer’s arrows, and he was trying to crash it into Archer…! Archer immediately leapt back while firing his nocked arrow. He used the enormous prana emitted by it as a form of propulsion, while the arrow itself simultaneously pierced through the plane with the force of a missile and destroyed it. However, that didn’t stop Rider of Red. He struck the wrecked pieces of the plane with his spear and even used punches and kicks to launch them as projectiles. They were more like machine gun fire than pellets. Archer of Black was forced to retreat back even further. —Rider was certain that he was cornering Archer into a corner. His initial hesitation was gone now as well. The only thing that ruled his heart was the unimaginable joy of fighting the man he had once strived to match up to. Rider wouldn’t kill him. He would beat him. It was merely unavoidable that his opponent would die in the process. If he fought with all his strength and the result was the death of his enemy, then it couldn’t be helped. His opponent was also surely excited at the prospect of beating him in return. They were fighting each other with everything they had. There was no room for sorrow there. They ran, chased, shot and smashed. The great sage Chiron—Archer of Black—and the great hero Achilles—Rider of Red. The two Servants ‘used up’ yet another two jumbo jets with no hesitation at all. In just a few short minutes, six planes had already been destroyed. There were four left. At this rate, all the planes would be felled within several minutes, and the Black camp would be forced to retire from the Great Holy Grail War as a result. Of course, Rider of Red was at full strength, and even if he was reluctant for their battle to end in such a boring manner, he would still accept it as something that couldn’t be helped if it decided the battle. Archer of Black didn’t wish for such an ending. And he knew that Rider of Red was using all his strength and taking advantage of the situation as well. And then—at last, Archer’s adjustments were completed . Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) This isn’t a Noble Phantasm per say, but rather a part of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The name is presumably in either Ancient Sumerian or Akkadian considering Assassin of Red’s identity, but since I have very little knowledge of those languages, I can’t guarantee correct spelling. 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 ### 036. Chapter 4 Ch4-7 “She’s come.” “That hateful woman has come.” “That woman who killed those children has come.” Someone whispered those words. In response to that voice, Archer of Red grabbed her bow. She still hadn’t realized that the whispers of the evil spirits had turned into her own words. Low level evil spirits could only repeat the same whispers. They shouldn’t have even have had the intelligence to change their words according to the situation. So this was her own wish. +++ “Kill.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “Kill.” +++++ “Kill.” +++++++++++++++++++++++ “Kill.” +++ “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill.” “Kill—” Archer of Red smiled gently at the whispers and kissed her blackened right arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely kill that woman, that fraud of a saint.” Her killing intent had already become as sharp as a blade. Servants possessed strength and abilities that far surpassed humans, but at the same time, they were extremely human in nature. Love strengthens people, and hatred grants even more power. Of course, both emotions could also lead to self-destruction at their most extreme—but the power they granted was more than worth it to Archer of Red, even if it came at the price of her own destruction. Atalanta laughed and knocked an arrow on her bow. Even in the pitch-black darkness of night, her eyes accurately locked onto Ruler. Ruler was holding up her holy flag on top of an airplane in a fearless and majestic manner. Naturally, Assassin of Red activated the defense functions of the Hanging Gardens in response. A barrage of EX rank of orbs of light was fired from the black plates in quick succession. Each one was as devastating as a meteor falling from the sky. Its pure destructive power which carved through the sky was worthy of being called [Anti-Army]. —However, to put it another way, it was merely an interception spell that “had no merits besides its destructive power”. Ruler swung her flag at the flood of light orbs—and just that was enough to make the concentrated prana disperse. Her EX rank Magic Resistance skill was part of it, but as expected Ruler’s worst ability lay in that holy flag. +++ As long as the holy maiden continues to swing her flag, we will know no defeat. +++ The pure and simple faith of the soldiers who had followed her. That faith had spread across the world along with Jeanne d’Arc’s fame and had taken form as a Noble Phantasm unique to the holy maiden. It didn’t matter that the length of her history was shallow compared to Rider, Archer and Assassin of Red. Jeanne d’Arc was a saint who was, without exaggeration, known by everyone in the world. In that case, the flag she now held was capable of brushing aside any and all harm no matter where she was. Archer of Red figured that Assassin of Red was surely furious right now. After all, even if the Hanging Gardens was ‘vain’, it was still her pride. An unrivaled and invincible floating fortress that could crush all enemies. Heroes could win against a chariot. They could win against a flying horse, or maybe even a dragon. But they couldn’t win against a fortress. In the first place, the terms ‘victory’ and ‘defeat’ were meaningless in the face of a fortress. A fortress was something to be invaded and interception attacks were meant to be dodged; smashing an interception attack head-on shouldn’t be possible. +++ “How annoying…!!” +++ In concert with that angry shout, more blasts of light danced hysterically through the air. They were completely in Archer of Red’s way. The barrage wasn’t pointless, but it was too wasteful. …However, though it was wasteful, it wasn’t pointless. Ruler was a top-class Servant, but she wasn’t all powerful. Even without her Command Spells, she exceeded the average Servant, but she still had her limits. That was why Ruler had chosen to run away back when she first confronted Shirou Kotomine. Even excluding Archer and Rider of Red whose allegiance hadn’t been decided back then, if Shirou attacked her in concert with Lancer, Assassin and the yet-unseen Caster of Red, it was extremely likely she would have lost even if she used her Command Spells. Even her holy flag Noble Phantasm wasn’t invincible. Archer of Red could see that, while it was very gradual, her flag was starting to crack and tear. It was likely the cost of preventing all attacks from coming near her. Jeanne d’Arc wasn’t invincible in her legend. Though there had been various tricks and evil schemes involved, she had been turned into a prisoner at the end of her life. In that case, Archer would keep firing arrows until Ruler’s body could no longer endure it and she finally died. “—Here I come, Ruler. I’ll feed your corpse to the bears.” She drew back the bowstring and concentrated an enormous amount of prana into the arrowhead. Her beast eyes precisely grasped the instant when Ruler looked at her. She released her fingers—and the arrow instantly shot out with the arrow gushing huge waves of prana. It looked just like a swift, hungry wolf attacking its prey. A direct hit from that would wound Lancer of Red, who boasted the greatest physical defense in the Greater Holy Grail War. +++ However, Ruler’s holy flag expertly crushed the arrow in a swing so fast it looked like a flash and used the momentum to repel some of Assassin of Red’s spell blasts while she was at it. She likely had consciously chosen the direction to scatter the blasts in, as the plane beneath her remained unharmed at least. However, there was no way Archer of Red’s attack would finish with just a single shot. The instant after she fired the arrow, she nocked another one and filled it with prana. “Second and third shots ready. Set—Subjugate, Twin Stars.” She fired two arrows at the same time. If the previous shot was like a wolf, these twin shots, whose trajectories Archer freely controlled with prana, attacked Ruler just like wriggling, poisonous snakes—! +++ There’s nothing she can do to defend, thought the ultimate huntress. There’s one thing I can do to defend, thought the arbitrator. +++ There were two enchanted arrows coming at her, and more light orbs had been fired from the Hanging Garden’s defense mechanism Tiamutomu Umu as well. At this point, it was impossible for Ruler to take conscious action. It was impossible to calculate which of the two arrows were flying at her faster. Therefore, she partly cut off her thoughts and simply followed her instincts. She swung her holy flag in a side sweep—and she repelled the light orbs which were shot from a shorter distance. However, now she couldn’t block the arrows which were falling straight at her from above. However, even if she couldn’t block them, she could guide the course of events. “What—!?” It was only natural for Archer of Red to be shocked. Her arrows, which she was certain couldn’t be avoided, had been intercepted by light orbs from the gardens. Immediately after Ruler had intercepted the light orbs, she’d shifted direction and reflected them above her head. It was an unsightly display of intersecting fire by allies—Archer of Red became enraged. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!” With that roar, Archer jumped out. Her fastest sprint using her divine feet, which no one had ever been able to catch up to during her lifetime, resembled the running of a beast with her body bent forward at an extreme angle. In a single breath, Archer of Red crossed a vast distance that was impossible for humans to cross even with all their diligent research and training. At her approach, Ruler held her flag ready—and the two of them glared at each other. “I’m going, to kill you.” That repulsive, hate-filled voice belonged to Archer of Red. “—Unfortunately, that’s impossible.” And Ruler replied with a great solemnness, as if to stamp out that hatred. This was how the fight between the two female Servants began. 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 ### 037. Chapter 4 Ch4-8 “You have your back to the wall now, Archer of Black!” As Rider of Red’s booming words echoed through the sky, Archer of Black smiled coolly and shot an arrow. However, Rider’s chariot closed in on Archer faster than the arrow could reach him. From the start, it was a battle Archer had no chance of winning. There was no way a bowman who had to fight at long range could stand up to a mounted warrior who could close the distance between them to point blank range in an instant. —However, Archer of Black wasn’t a bowman who was limited to fighting at long range . Even if one possessed the fastest speed, there was a drawback that accompanied it. “The proper time, the proper coordinates, and the proper speed—those are the only things I need.” Archer knew the speed of his arrows. He could calculate the time it took to reach its target. And he could predict the coordinates it would pass through. Then, if he could figure out the speed of the chariot as well, the rest would be simple. No matter how overwhelming fast the enemy was, he just had to fire his arrow before Rider moved. This was a form of future sight, but it wasn’t a particularly special skill. It was simply a technique naturally gained from accumulated training over time without being discouraged by setbacks and thorough calculation that predicted what would happen next. “What—!?” However, from Rider of Red’s perspective, it was just as if the arrow had suddenly appeared before his eyes. Right after Archer had shot the previous arrow, he’d shot another arrow at the coordinates Rider would definitely pass through. It truly was a nightmarish situation for Rider. The arrow hadn’t been fired after Rider moved. Rather, Rider had moved to the coordinates that the arrow passed through— There was no way for him to dodge. It was as if Rider had moved to stand in the bull’s eye himself. Blood gushed out as the arrow pierced his shoulder. The arrow penetrated down to his bone. “Tch…!!” Rider of Red pulled out the arrow and glared at Archer of Black, who had already swiftly moved to a different plane. He steered his horses to chase after him—and immediately after, the head of his horse Pedasos jolted. “What!?” Two of Rider’s three steeds were immortal divine horses. However the third one—Pedasos—was a famous horse who was legendary for his swift feet, but was not immortal. A single arrow had pierced Pedasos’ head, where his spiritual core was located. Even if the horse was a Noble Phantasm, this killing blow forced him to vanish and die. Gritting his teeth, Rider of Red glared at Archer of Black. His options were limited now. If he continued to destroy the airplanes with his now two-steed chariot, he could easily force the enemies to withdraw. Most likely, Rider of Black alone would remain with his hippogriff, but Archer of Red could probably shoot him down without much trouble. However—this was only if Rider of Red was able to destroy all the planes . His actions were anticipated. After the battles in the open field, in the forest and now in the air, Archer of Black could predict what he would do with virtually perfect accuracy. That presented a much bigger problem. However—was it really best to discard this current situation in the air that was overwhelmingly advantageous for him? As his thoughts pondered over his options in the span of an instant, his instincts as a warrior whispered to him. You don’t need to ride your chariot. You’re a warrior stronger than anyone else . “—Xanthus, Balius. You’ve done enough. Leave.” He lightly tapped the heads of his horses. The horse called Xanthus turned to face his master and opened his mouth. “That’s a wide decision, my master. If you continue to fly through the air in this chariot, you will eventually end up facing the same fate as back then.” Xanthus had been given the ability to understand and even speak human language by a certain goddess. However— “Hmph. Then you mean to say that what I’m about to do is the right choice?” “Who knows? I don’t know such things. I only know which choice will lead to your death if you do nothing .” However, his personality was completely rotten. As Xanthus let out a laughing neigh, Rider hit him with the butt end of his spear. After letting out a shriek, Xanthus vanished along with Balius in a clearly exaggerated manner. And that was it. Having discarded his overwhelming advantage in the air, Rider of Red jumped down to the plane where Archer of Black was with only his spear in hand. The jumbo jet was at an altitude that would make any normal human lose consciousness, but the two heroes stood on it unperturbed as they finally faced each other directly for the second time in this war. The two Servants slowly began to walk over the steel roof to approach each other. Then, Rider of Red let out a hearty laugh that seemed to blow away the wind itself and asked a question. “Now then. Did you already predict that I would come stand here, sensei? Or is this outside of your calculations?” In response, Archer of Black smiled calmly. However, he already had an arrow nocked on his bow. If Rider tried to leap at him, he would instantly sense it and shoot the arrow. Meanwhile, Rider was waiting for an opening to attack. Depending on the situation, he would leap forward in an instant. They were at a stalemate—but it wouldn’t last long. There was no way they would be able to hold themselves back from the feast before their eyes after they had waited so long for this moment. Keeping his ferocious and eager fangs at bay for the time being, Rider of Red waited for the answer to his question. Archer of Black spoke up. “Hmm, who knows? Though I did think it might come to this .” “If possible, I hope that this was outside your calculations. I’m tired of having my path decided by the gods. This time, it doesn’t matter whether my side is right or not. I’m fighting because I want to fight.” “So that’s why you sided with Shirou Kotomine… no, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada? And chose to help accomplish that absurd, delusional dream?” Archer of Black’s gaze was stern. Amakusa Shirou had spoken of the pipe dream of ‘saving humanity’—and yet Rider had overlooked the absurdity of it and chosen to help him. Before he had his showdown with Rider of Red, Archer had to question him on this matter at least as his teacher. But Rider refuted his words in a firm tone. “It’s true that it’s an absurd dream. But it can be done . At the very least, we were convinced so after hearing our Master’s explanation.” “Don’t be foolish. Something like saving humanity—” “With his method, it’s possible… It really is a plan that’s worthy of the word ‘salvation’. He doesn’t intend to annihilate humanity, select the chosen from the unchosen, or destroy anything. It truly is a method you’d expect from a saint.” Unlike his usual calm attitude, Archer’s voice turn heated. “There’s no way such a method exists! It’s something many sages, heroes and saints have continued to search for and piled up various thoughts and actions to achieve without any success! Even if he’s a saint, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada shouldn’t be able to achieve it either!” Rider of Red waved his spear and pointed straight at the Hanging Gardens. +++ “It’s possible—using the Fuyuki Greater Grail, sensei.” +++ When summoned to this world, each Servant had been granted some general knowledge about the Holy Grail besides common knowledge about the current era. Archer of Black in particular had managed to figure out the Greater Grail’s original purpose with his great discernment. Using his vast knowledge, Archer dissected Rider’s words, connected the information and constructed a conclusion. The Holy Grail War, and its origin and source. The three familiars who had created the Holy Grail, the Einzberns, Tohsaka and Makiri. Their true objective. The Greater Grail… and its true power. Seven Servants, and the true meaning behind that number. And the five Outsiders 1 who still existed even in the modern era— Archer turned speechless. Everything led to one conclusion. It was impossible . Impossible, but… That might actually bring about the salvation of humanity “…It, can’t be…” Archer of Black involuntarily let those words slip out—while Rider of Red laughed. Previous Page Next Page TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1) Here, it says “Outsider” in furigana above and “crystallization of abnormality” in kanji below. 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 ### 038. Chapter 4 Ch4-9 Perhaps swimming would be a better analogy for what he was doing than walking. In any case, Shirou Kotomine determinedly advanced while feeling as if his skin was being peeled off and his flesh was meting away. This place wasn’t within the Hanging Gardens. The interior of the Greater Grail was a space separate from the real world. Physical laws, the laws of magecraft and even himself were mixed and churned together to form something else entirely. However, his arms hurt to the point of grating—that alone allowed him to maintain his awareness of himself as Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. Shirou felt relieved that he’d been right to connect to the Greater Grail beforehand for the sake of obtaining the Grail’s prana supply. If he had plunged into this abnormal space with no countermeasures, he would have dissolved away in an instant. His arms continued to cry out in pain. But that pain was what connected his sense of self to reality. The world was still filled with pain and anguish. To indulge in pleasure all by himself was truly the act of a fool. Shirou Kotomine desperately focused on maintaining his self-awareness. He remained conscious of the fact that he was within the Greater Grail, which had no sense of place or direction, and kept walking towards the other side of this space. By establishing a landmark, a path was created. Shirou believed that that path would lead to his destination. The path was long and far, with no end in sight. He felt like he could hear whispers that kept saying “Give up and break”—but he withstood the temptation. In the end, it didn’t matter whether you were a Servant or human in this place. Even if he had all the power possible for a human to possess, it made no difference. Even if he could cut through dimensions and jump across space, there was no way to progress down this path except by walking. And merely walking—wasn’t enough either. He was the one who determined the destination, and he was also the one who determined where the goal was. He believed he would definitely reach it, and he had a wish that he would definitely accomplish, so he walked. It was an extraordinary distance. A distance that might even be infinite. And there was even the fear that he might be walking in the opposite direction without realizing it. But he threw all those feelings away like garbage. “I’ll walk, no matter where the destination may be, and no matter how long it takes.” He took one step. He took a second step. He took a third step without hesitation. He didn’t care if he had to walk a hundred thousand leagues, walk up a ninety degree slope, or walk a path of thorns. He had already resolved himself for all that long ago. His father, mother, older sister and his massacred thirty-seven thousand followers tried to stop him. “Listen to us,” they said. Their voices called out to Shirou from behind. —You’ll feel a bit better if you stop. So stop. And please listen to us. He rejected those words of sympathy. He denied the invitation to halt and come to a standstill. He blocked his hears so as not to hear them. He had assumed that such voices temptation would bombard him. If I waver here, your deaths will be for nothing. With that thought, he shook them off. There was no way that it wasn’t painful and sorrowful for him. Next, in place of the massacred behind him, their killers appeared before him. The strong who devoured the weak countless times throughout history. Using the shaky reason that we and they are different , they continued to kill other people. They whispered to him with faint smiles. “What’s wrong? We killed them, you know? Your father, mother, comrades; we killed, killed and killed them all. Don’t you hate us? ” The people behind him shouted out in sorrow and anger. “They killed us. So please, kill them in retribution! Avenge us so that our souls can rest!” Shirou remained silent. He didn’t open his clenched fists. If he did—he felt like he would spit out something at the same time. Of course he hated them. Of course he felt anger. He wanted to rip those smiles off their faces, stop their breathing and crush their hearts. But—he had thrown away his sorrow and rage. He had decided that he wouldn’t fight to give peace to the souls of his comrades, but to save everything instead. He had thrown away forgiveness, compassion and love! “You’re in my way!” His heart hurt as if it was being torn out. From the bottom of his heart, he wanted to hate himself for lending a hand to evil despite not being dyed in evil himself. Even so. He wouldn’t change his decision. The dice couldn’t be taken back after being thrown. There exists a method to save everything in this world. So I want you all to believe in me. It doesn’t matter whether you’re enemy or ally. Let’s all head to that paradise which should lay beyond the horizon. …However, he needed its power in order to save everything. As long as humans remained the way they currently were, saving them was impossible. If ten people constructed a world, at least two people would be expelled from that world. A world made by ten people couldn’t support all ten people. By sacrificing two, eight received happiness. And that was the minimum limit; in reality, there were even times when nine people went through a path of hardship for the sake of one person’s happiness. This was the system of the human world, which should continue unchanged for eternity. He was going to destroy that system. He would save the two sacrifices and the eight happy people alike. He would save both the one happy person and the nine people who struggled through hardship. In order to embark towards the heavens, a special power, a miracle was needed. And that is— +++ “That is the Cup of Heaven—Heaven’s Feel. The final and ultimate Mystery for universally saving all of humanity. In other words, the Third Sorcery.” +++ Shirou Kotomine at last laid hands upon humanity’s salvation.