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CHP 11: My King?
🕑 Added 2023-03-02 19:56:59 +0000 UTCRin Tohsaka bit her nails, ignoring the fact that her servant was holding her in one arm and leaping from building to building to navigate back to her mansion, "That was a servant?" Her tone carried clear disbelief, of course it did, she'd faced something that was abnormal even in it's absurdity, with parameters and skills only few servants could ever hope to actually contend with.
"This is why I wanted us to retreat right from the start." Archer shared his thoughts, ignoring the pain all over his body. He did NOT initially recognise that servant, he was an irregularity in the timeline itself. He would know, he'd been through this exact same scenario before minus the Knight of Atrocity summoned in the Lancer Class, "But well," He paused for a moment, "I suppose he wouldn't have let us run either way."
Or maybe he would have, knights and their chivalry and all that. It was the only thing that let Archer rest easy, knowing that the Lancer wouldn't give chase.
"Are all knights from the round table like that?" What monsters, then again, they were legendary for a reason and this was understandable if the tale of King Arthur was anything to go by.
"No, that's most likely not the case." Archer disagreed, shaking his head as he looked around for where to go next, "The Knight of Atrocity, I know of him." Of course he did, how could he not when the man was constantly mentioned by King Arthur HIMself? He'd been through this before after all.
"Among the strongest of the knights, Aston is possibly the next best thing after his King in his true glory. Unrankable agility, immense strength and endurance enough to give the best of heroes a run for their money in a battle of attrition. And.." He paused again, slightly, no scratch that, incredibly annoyed, "He possibly possesses some skills from the Berserker Class too."
"You seem to know an awful lot." Rin crossed her arms under her chest, narrowing her eyes at her servant. The strangely bountiful knowledge aside, "Head for Kirei's Church, just in case he's tracking us." She couldn't give away the location of her home could she? Though, if his Master was half as competent as she seemed, they already knew where her base of operations was.
"A wise decision." Archer gave a small nod of approval, changing directions and heading for the Church where the Overseer of the current Grail War resided.
Rin hmph'd, averting her gaze, who did he think he was? Complimenting her like that after insulting her so much? "I think we need to properly research him." It wasn't like information was hard to come across in the age of the internet, "It could give us some weakness. There can't be an invincible hero right?"
Archer doubted such a thing but didn't share his thoughts, from what he remembered, Aston's prowess could hardly be matched, his defence completely impregnable. He'd even been playing around in their 'fight', probing him much like one would an unknown creature.
As he moved by the lights of Fuyuki City, Archer couldn't help but release a small sigh. This was going to become a headache.
"Ugh."
Nevermind, it already was a goddamn headache. He'd hit him in the head way too hard!
* * *
Shirou Emiya disorientedly ran through the streets of Miyama Town, the district of Fuyuki reserved for the high class of society. The thuds of his brown shoes against the road accompanied by nothing but an eerie silence that only served to mess with the teenager further as he occasionally looked over his shoulder afraid someone would give chase.
His academy uniform was drenched with sweat, strands of his short auburn hair stuck to his forehead due to the sweat he'd worked up running.
Shirou had just been cleaning one of the club buildings late into the evening and was about to leave when he happened across a commotion in the academy grounds. While he was aware of the existence of the magical world, taught of it to some extent by his late adoptive father, Kiritsugu Emiya, this was his first run in with something so, for lack of better words, blatant.
Two men, one in dark purplish armour with a cape covering the right side of his body wielding a dark jagged spear and the other in a strange red combat suit of sorts, wearing black pants underneath.
They'd ripped open the ground under them, clashed in the air above them and tore to shreds everything around them. Evidently super powered individuals, if that was what magus were like then Shirou felt he was a complete failure of one.
The two men stopped fighting when he took a step back and the knight-like one moved elsewhere giving the one in red just enough time to speed away from the place, clearly on the losing side of the confrontation.
Though, Shirou felt if he were to be like them, then there was no end to the number of people he could protect.
He was the sole survivor of the disaster that had taken numerous lives a decade ago and felt it was his duty to help others for the so many that died in his place, and for his father who sought to bring peace to the world.
All his and musings thoughts went right out the window when the very familiar clanking of metal against hard ground re-entered his ears prompting him to look back with wide eyes as he ran.
There he was, only calmly walking forward with his spear nowhere in sight, his helmet repaired even after he'd broken it earlier. Shirou noticed it was either the person was very arrogant or he was just far too weak for him to even be wary, most likely the latter was the truth.
When he turned to face ahead, the teenager saw a magenta haired woman standing in his way.
Fortunately or unfortunately, his house was right next so he picked up the pace, running for her to alarm her momentarily before abruptly changing directions and bursting through the wooden doors to the compound.
"My Master, I do believe he's a Master as well. Your eyesight might be lacking but mine is most certainly not."
"You really do get a kick out of being a weirdo."
Their idle conversation didn't irk Shirou Emiya, he knew they held the upper hand in such a situation and ran into the storage shed, looking for a weapon to at least defend himself with. The actual house most certainly didn't have any in it.
"I think we should stop him before he actually summons someone." Bazett proposed with crossed arms, scrutinising the shed the young boy had disappeared into. She could feel the magical energy being used inside.
"My Master, if he doesn't summon one how will there be six servants to power the Grail for your wish? I do sincerely hope your frustration is still somehow clouding your mind." Aston held up a finger, scolding his master as if she were a child. There was actually merit in letting the summoning proceed and felling the servant that came of it. What was the point of murdering servantless Masters?
Light exploded outwards from the shed as a sense of irregularity washed over Bazett, informing her that a servant had been summoned. Her suspicions were confirmed when a blue blur shot out of the open doors, straight at Aston whose eyes widened under his helmet.
Bazett half shouted, worried for her servant, "What's wrong, Lancer?" He wasn't doing anything at all! The fact that something had gone terribly was cemented when the servant dropped his spear, the weapon crushed blades of well-kept grass under it's weight as it landed.
So did Aston, falling to one knee before taking off his helmet and letting it dissipate into nothingness as if it was instinct.
Under three shocked gazes, he knelt the way knights knelt to their Kings, his movement refined and fluid, with not an ounce of hesitation.
"I have missed you greatly." The servant paused for a moment before releasing a relieved sigh. Bazett was shocked when a smile of genuine happiness crossed her servant's face, "M..My King."
The unknown servant retracted her blade long before she'd even swung it, stumbling back with wide eyes,
"S...Sir Aston? I-Is it truly you?"
