Chapter 40: And so it begins Part 1

Beta read by Shigiya, Fluffy Slayer, Fabled Life and Paragon of Awesomeness.

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--???-

She had this premonition that it was coming to an end.

Celestine had finally learned the young boy's name. Shirou Emiya... Fatally wounded in the inferno, he not only lost his family but his innocence as well. The only thing keeping him from death's door was the desire to live — that is until the man she knew as Kiritsugu Emiya intervened. Taking him under his wing, his savior became a shining beacon of hope in this unforgiving world. But that hope evaporated when it ended up being the catalyst dooming him to a lifetime of hell.

She was powerless to intervene as she watched this altruistic child fall prey to the promise of a dream that belonged to his father. Becoming a hollow shell twisted by the world, yet despite that, he found a way to push forward through the darkness.

Celestine also witnessed the unveiling of the Holy Grail War, an event she could only describe as horrifying and disgusting. Nevertheless the magic unveiled there shook her to her core. Legendary beings, some eclipsing even the gods were used as… Servants? It was a notion inconceivable to even the brightest mage in Eostia,so foreign yet so terrifying that she feared for what would become of those possessing malevolent intent.

The only piece of good fortune here is that Shirou was still alive, the hole in his chest having healed but he still remained in danger. For the many days she remained by his side in this dream sequence, the goddess was witness to scenes that marveled her to no end.

A beautiful King of Knights who yearned to change the fate of her doomed kingdom. Carrying herself with regal and charisma that surpassed even Claudia's, valiantly facing all danger with steady hands and an unbreaking will. She became the boy's sword and shield, keeping both his life and wish safe from the hands of death.

The spear wielder, a warrior from the far past who desired something similar to the one known as Saber. To continue living the life of the Hound of Ulster.

A powerful mage who could summon armies with the wave of her hand. Gifted with a barrage of spells capable of obliterating anything in its path. Yet she was demonized as a witch, for her supposed actions and betrayals. In a way, this reminded the goddess of Olga, who was betrayed and turned into a force of evil by the will of mankind.

Then came a mighty demigod, similar to the one she saw before. Impervious to death, but trapped in a vessel of boundless rage. So potent was he that his presence alone petrified her… For even if this was but a broken memory of the past, the being's apparition still held unfathomable weight. Yet in spite of this, Celestine saw a glimpse of purpose within this frightening Servant: the desire to protect.It didn't appear to originate from his role as a Servant, but from his past as not only a great hero, but that of a genuinely kind soul who lost far too much.

Every single one of them could easily change the history of Eostia, titans in human skin that wielded the power to reshape the land in any way they saw fit. It was a level of power that vastly surpasses her current state, making it futile to oppose them in any possible… unless she was in her original form, but that would mean recouping the powers she entrusted to the Shields, ultimately killing them. It was a measure of last resort she prayed would never come to pass.

To think that there existed a place in this world where god fearing beings were summoned from beyond the grave to wage war, all for the sake of a single wish.

"It's blurry… the memories are breaking apart."

This wasn't the first time this had happened; Oftentimes, the picturesque scenes in front of her became fragmented. People whose faces were masked by black smoke, their voices distorted to the point of incomprehension. The passing of the days started accelerating brusquely — the result of her visions catching up to the more preserved memories.

The boy had turned into a participant at one point, working alongside the beautiful Knight with a golden sword that brought the light of hope to all living beings under its rays. She herself wept at what she saw, holding on firmly to the hope that the bleak future that awaited the boy wouldn't come to be.

Yet strangely enough, she never saw the ending of the war. It was clear that he had survived, for she was standing in a large grass field where the outline of long demolished stone structures could be seen.

"Maybe… he himself doesn't remember how it ended…"

Shirou was sitting under the shade of a tree overlooking the grave. He was with someone else, a young girl Celestine had seen appear a few times during the war. Out of everyone, she was one of the few whose facial features remained perfectly intact along with both the King of Knights and his father.

By now, it was obvious that the reason this was the case turned out to be simpler than she expected.

"Shirou himself does not want to forget her…"

Was it love? She couldn't tell, even now Shirou continued to stare at the grave with an artificial smile. Eyes still holding the same shine and darkness as before, her divination powers showing that he hadn't changed. events from the past only proved to further strengthen his resolve to walk the path his father had wanted to.

And thus, she became a spectator bound to the simple task of watching his life unfold, powerless to intervene. All the progress she made previously was erased, reverting her back to this ghostly and ineffective form. The dream had pressed on, ignorant of her presence.

She saw him start working in some sort of organization that pursued outlaws and villainous mages. Even then, everything was all foggy, the only thing that remained crystal clear were some of the weapons he encountered and nearly died from as time progressed.

He had become so dashing. Towering over the others, forcing her to crank her neck up to see his eyes. A bewitching face that still retained a dazzling innocence; something she found so mesmerizing and beautiful, enough to make the goddess' heart flutter whenever she felt like he was gazing at her, despite being a ghost.

"He's going to steal the hearts of many young maidens if he's not careful." She enviously noted, tracing the contours of his now defined jaw. Her mood soured from being deprived of the same warmth that she had experienced before. Frustrated to no end,she went so far as to push her divine energy inside this world — yet it was pushed back immediately.

"Eh?"

How peculiar. She was once able to call upon her divinity at any point, but now with the world resisting her, it has turned into a fruitless endeavor. No, most likely it was now aware of her presence and she wasn't welcomed. But Celestine remained stubborn, she knew if her presence were to be removed then she would perhaps never return.

"No, I must hold on!"

Flushed with a twisted sense of curiosity and desire for the boy that has captivated her for weeks, Celestine galvanized her divine energy into anchoring her to the dream world. In the hopes that it would give her enough time to search out any clues to his whereabouts, if by chance he was somewhere in Eostia.

Holding on firmly, she watched the days turn into weeks, months and even years.

Her resolve stemmed from the belief that all of his problems would fade away after the War, but it turned out to be an oversight on her part. She could see it happening bit by bit, like a curse seeping into his life unknowingly. The people who he spent time with slowly started to scatter; the girl who he bore a special bond with became less and less prevalent in his life. All of this continued to happen while he focused on one thing and one thing alone — saving as many lives as he could.

She then saw a scene that changed everything, one that cemented the path she feared most for Shirou.

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"Haa… Haa… Haa…"

Leaning against a black railing lay Shirou, exhausted and injured, with blood streaming down his face. The equipment that was protecting him was in disrepair,and barely holding on due to the battles he went through.

The surroundings were flashing blood red, a sign of imminent destruction. The place was bound to explode at any moment, encompassing itself in a ball of fire that would engulf and incinerate everything in its path. A cruel reality brought on by the machinations of a mad mage pursuing answers to questions that have none, incurring the wrath of those who came to put an end to his vile experiments.

Shirou fought valiantly, using the knowledge of combat techniques he acquired over the years, his unbending willpower slicing any obstacle that obstructed his path to save everyone. It was a cycle that he grew accustomed to, believing it a sign that this was his purpose, the dream of becoming a hero.

Yet this mission ended up being too much for him.

"Shirou…" Worry flooded Celestine's core as she lamented no longer having the capabilities to help him in even the smallest of ways as she had before. Time and time again she was reminded of how powerless she was to save him from a fate that has long since happened— no matter how much she desired otherwise, there were things that even a goddess couldn't stop.

He was panting, trying to muster up the last scrap of energy left in his body. The alarm was hounding in his ears, the smell of his own blood soaking his clothes and face, the foreboding of a failed mission where hundreds would die.

"I… I can't…"

It was a hard pill to swallow, this was a situation that he had nightmares about, where all hope was lost. This calamity could not be averted, guaranteed to happen at any minute now. No amount of Tracing from legendary weapons could help him here. What he lacked at this very moment was time and a literal miracle. Two luxuries that were not available to him — no matter how hard he wanted to deny it. Shirou Emiya was stubborn, hardheaded and relentless when it came to saving people, a path always existed for him. If not, then all he needed to do was pave one.

Yet in spite of his overwhelming optimism, there comes a moment in one's life when they must accept that there was truly no way forward.

Devastation and despair, those were the emotions that plagued his being.

It pained Celestine to see what the boy was going through, no less the fact that she was unable to intervene.

But before she could say anything more, her senses went awry. A myriad of strings of power merged on a single point. Bending both space and time until the very reality started to break apart to give way to a being she couldn't understand. It wasn't a god, not even close, nor was it any species or even spirit she was familiar with. To call it living felt like an understatement, more like an endless amalgamation of thoughts and desires all gathering to form a living representation of their existence. The presence of two wills and energies transcending all aspects to form a singularity.

Fwish!

Shielding her eyes from flooding lights, she witnessed an orb burst into existence with two individual concentric rings floating around it. A great amount of fog settled around the area, mellowing the intense red light with a calming blue light that even affected her. There was no threat associated with this… being, no gradual feelings of xenophobia or wariness towards it— because at her core, she knew what this was. Yet that sense of familiarity did not grace her with an understanding she could put into words. Her powers recognised it but the person known as Celestine still remained in the dark of how this anonymous entity made her feel safe.

Shirou looked up, unsurprised as if he knew this embodiment of two different wills was going to appear at some point — almost like he was waiting for it.

[Enti-y: S-irou E-iya… Location: Ɔ̶͙͝ɒ̵̤̓l̴̝̚b̵͉̅ɘ̸̫̊ɿ̵͔͗ ̴͖̀Ḧ̶̠́ɒ̴̢͝l̷͖̽l̶̼̒ ̷̻͝ɒ̸̰̎Ɉ̷̨̿ ̶̗̽W̸̙̍ï̷̱n̴̝̄b̸̬͑ƨ̶̪͋ɔ̵̺̎ɒ̵̘̈́l̴̪̔ɘ̴̬͌,̵̢̎ ̸̘͛Ǝ̴̛̣n̴̈́͜ϱ̴͓̅l̴̝͑ɒ̶̱̿ǹ̷̙b̴͇̆]

It didn't speak with authority, but rather the voice materialized in her mind, words modulated for her comprehension. It sounded… weird to say the least, a sound that no living being could emit whether they be human, elf, beastmen or even demons. Anything it said after his name was incomprehensible, like two sandpaper rubbing together, the world breaking slightly as even this memory wasn't completely intact.

[Danger level: M̴̢̌ỉ̵̗n̶̝͒o̴̹͆ɿ̶̼͂… Number of pos–ble casualties: 101… ETA from exp-osion T-156 se-onds.]

"This is the third time you talked to me." Responding tiredly, Shirou held onto his injured arm with listless eyes. The same gaze as someone who had long since given up. He failed, that had been clear the moment he heard just how much time remained till everything went up in flames.

The scene became clearer, the importance of this event staying ingrained in Shirou's mind regardless of how long ago it was. A moment that shared similarities with the fire and the promise he made to take on the mantle of his father's dream. Pivotal points in their lives that one could not forget, no matter how much they desired it. This was a bad omen in Celestine's opinion, as the past events only served to ruin the boy's life and this… she knew that this would be no different.

[Affirmative… Request re-distributed to entity: Shirou Emiya… Protocol 43-47-20 will be taken.]

She did not know what that meant, and from the boy's own words, this wasn't the first time they've crossed paths. Visibly asking for something, but what it was she couldn't figure out. Nevertheless, whatever it was, its nature couldn't be remotely good and she wanted Shirou to turn it down like before. It was for his sake, as the contrary would only bring him misery and regret.

"Don't do this," She pleaded, knowing the outcome of such a decision. "Please, for the last time… let my voice reach you."

He did not listen, couldn't in fact.

"Will you save them?" He asked the entity floating up above, his voice tired and desperate, having already given his answer the moment he asked that question.

[Possibility of nuclear detonation will be halted indefinitely. In exchange, entity Shirou Emiya will be required to accept the contract.]

The voices and speech patterns continued to fluctuate , never resting on one pattern. From an unnatural sounding tone to a human one, it baffled the goddess. She couldn't tell who or what she was looking at, nor discern the main essences of this being. Maybe it was trying to act accordingly to what Shirou was used to dealing with, to make him more accepting of it.

"What… No…" she gasped, watching as hundreds of tiny light tendrils leaked out from the sphere, only to surround the boy. Like roots, they spread quickly all over his clothes, skin and face. Like chains coiling around his very soul, the fate of the young boy was sealed forever.

While she was staring in horror, Shirou's eyes regained that fire in them.

"If that means that no one will cry, then…"

He had to make a life changing decision, there was no way around it. Confronted by a calamity which had the potential of killing hundreds before him, his answer was quite clear. She knew it, having grown to truly understand his character and being, Celestine knew what his answer would be. Still, what this contract entailed remained unknown to her… was it power? Possibly, or even something else entirely, but the weight of such a decision did not go unnoticed by her.

Whatever it was, she only hoped for one thing.

"... I accept."

That Shirou didn't end up regretting it.

Fwish!

Everything turned dark, her visions no longer revealing anything remotely clear afterwards. She would see glimpses that barely lasted a second before breaking down into motes of light. So much of his past was missing that there was no longer any understanding of the time and years that had passed. She'd seen him change drastically, his skin growing from a pale white to a tanned dark color. His once vibrant red hair bled away before turning snow white, giving him an exotic look — even his eyes went from fiery amber to pure steel gray.

From what she could gather from the scraps that remained, the boy still believed he could save everyone, no matter what obstacle presented itself, the dream of becoming a hero still burned within him. Although her breath became labored when she saw an older version of him wandering in a desert while taking part in a gruesome war. The few images she could perceive, Celestine saw endless conflicts of humans killing one another for petty reasons. Be it politics, greed or even the basics like hatred, it caused her to look away in despair. They paved a road filled with the bodies of the innocent and helpless in order to reach their goals. She'd seen it all thanks to his perspective, the result being that this war had no end. Entire deserts were turned into cursed lands tainted by hellfire and mountains of corpses.

'Why are you even protecting them?' A dark voice loomed in her mind, corroding her beliefs as the dream flaunted a series of atrocities that Shirou bore witness to. She saw vast swathes of destroyed cities, with the surviving population on the brinks of starvation. There was a young child in one of them, crying over the dead bodies of their parents. There were many more scenes after that, which only served to flood her with feelings of anger and distraught.

She'd seen similar sights in Eostia during the past hundred years, yet those were the repercussions of her battles withOlgaor pillaging demons. Here, the conflicts weren't between demons or goddesses— just humans engaging in a cycle of chaos and destruction.

'Are you still willing to save them even now? You know this is nothing more than a taste of humanity's duplicity.' The voice spoke in whispers, melodic but leaving traces of doubts within her mind.

She was inconsolable, forced to witness the anarchy and depravity humans had gorged themselves in. Worst of all, Shirou, the gentle soul, the one who just wanted to save people, had to face all of this with a heart as pure as crystal. He was in the frontlines of all this carnage, risking his all to save every single person he could, death always a whisper away. He learned to fight against enemies wielding strange but devastating weapons, using his body as a shield and his words to sooth the hearts of those who lived to see another day thanks to him. To them, the young man was a shining beacon of light in these dark times, with the children smiling and laughing whenever he was around — a scene that cemented Celestine's appreciation of his selfless and caring nature.

Even after everything, he never wavered once.

For he was already a hero, if not to the world then to her most definitely.

He desperately fought to end a war that was not his own, unrelenting even when the option to leave was offered to him. This selfless but dangerous habit of his brought him closer to death more times than Celestine was comfortable with. Be it valiance or naked courage, it left her constantly in a worried mood.

Still it left her pondering, "He's the embodiment of what the Shields were meant to be." Possessing the skills and qualities that a Princess Knight was supposed to demonstrate. The reason why she gave away her powers was because she wanted selfless people to combat the evils of Eostia, to build a utopia for all that lived in it. But in spite of that, her visions bore no fruit regardless of the efforts she made. The Kuroinu being a prime example of how far she was willing to go to change the future.

Yet as the number of people who were grateful grew, so did the scrutiny of those who were suspicious.

Why would anyone go to such length to help a random stranger?

Who in their right mind would risk sacrificing their own lives without profit or fame?

Whether it be money, fame or glory — Shirou never asked for any of these. But the seeds of fear and desperation were already planted, causing him to be attacked on all sides by full blown accusations. It didn't matter that they were false, as people were already growing restless and desperate from the chaotic surroundings they were boxed into. As they began to hold these falsehoods as truth, Shirou was isolated and demonized, his reputation besmirched by insults that made Celestine clench her hands in anger.

In spite of everything thrown at him, Shirou never cared for these accusations. Regardless of how these people felt about him, he wasn't doing this for recognition or validation.

But unfortunately, it only served to spread the mistrust against him. Was he truly what he was claiming to be? A traveler who just wished to help people? That couldn't be right, he must be hiding some devious secret, caring so much for others was not normal — it wasn't human. One by one, each and every one he knew, those same people whom he saved from certain death turned their backs on him. Leaving Shirou to take the brunt of everyone's hate and accusations.

To her shock, he was in turn branded as the mastermind behind that war.

It was inconceivable to her how blatant they were to accuse him. Even though humans were flawed creatures by nature, this turn of events was something else, a corruption that had spread throughout the masses.

Bam!

"What?" Celestine exclaimed, confused of her surroundings as it changed drastically from what she kept seeing before. Not the crimson red light foreboding an imminent calamity nor the smoke filled battlefields lined with dead bodies and red stained sand.. No, everything was eerily silent as she now stood in the middle of some grimy back alley street.

She looked ahead to see a large crowd gathering, all wearing equally worn out garbs. They all shouted, each coated with vile words and calls for revenge.

An uneasy feeling settled in her heart as she hesitantly walked through the muddy streets, her naked feet covered in mud and dirt. She ignored the polluted air that burned her lungs or the foul stench of rot and decay around her. Walking out of the alley, she arrived at a large open area filled with hundreds, if not thousands of angry onlookers.

Under a sickly pale gray sky, with the sun's light shining through the edges of the dense black clouds.

This…

This felt like the end, her powers reaching their limit as she was running on fumes at this point. Every part was being pushed by an unknown force, though she kept holding.

"Humans are quite a fascinating species, don't you think?" A melodious voice popped out of nowhere, nearly scaring Celestine to tears.

"Who's there!?" She screamed, recognising it from her previous experience with Shirou's memories. This being's voice was previously laced with corruption and heavily distorted in a frightening way — but now it was crystal clear.

Standing behind her, the Goddess looked back to finally put a face to the figure that haunted her. Even though covered by a dirty hooded rag, her mouth was still visible.

"You… W-what are you? Stay back!" Reacting in fear, Celestine swiftly stepped back, haunted by the entity in front of her.

Yet the woman ignored her, walking past the goddess and joining the crowd.

"Humans have the capabilities to create miracles in every possible way when given the chance. A species imbued with imperfections yet was able to revolt against the shackles imposed by nature, quite fascinating indeed. But the brightest light always casts the darkest shadow, for their depravity always surfaces in the end. You agree with me, right?" She said coyly, watching the scene in front of her with a smile, contrary to Celestine.

"What are you talking about…" Celestine had been by her riddles and what they were meant to convey. As a goddess who lived for centuries, she knew the qualities and drawbacks of humanity, elves and many other species that she had the chance to interact with. "What is your purpose here?"

There were many questions she wanted to ask but restrained herself. Whoever this was did not feel safe, the wrongness coming from her eclipsed any fiend or demon she met in the past.

The person looked at her with a tilted head, almost like she was thinking about how to answer her.

"Me? That's a hard question to answer I'm afraid. Any answer I could offer would make no sense, even with your vast knowledge. Tell me Celestine Lucross, how can you know of something if it never existed here in the first place?" The hooded girl said, further confusing the elf in front of her.

"Are you a goddess?"

This prompted the stranger to laugh, her voice sensual and gentle had evoked a strange desire within her. An unnatural occurrence that further put her on edge. "Goddess? Fufufufu, no not even close. Then again, to some I suppose I could be considered one, but that is a terrible oversimplification. For now, just consider me as a stranger you happened to cross paths with due to our curiosity about the same thing. I'm not really your enemy."

She didn't believe her for one second.

Though she sensed no lies, Celestine still couldn't bring herself to trust this stranger. Lowering her guard around this unknown being was the equivalent of a death sentence.

The girl turned around, skipping over the Goddess before stopping very close to her. Even if this was a plane outside of the real world, the Goddess reborn could smell an irresistible fragrance coming from being near her. To any mortal this would have been overwhelming, even at this moment her heart beat like a drum the longer she stayed close to this woman. Goosebumps spread all over her body when a delicate hand caressed her cheeks.

"You're really pretty…" She whispered, staying like that for a few seconds before separating — much to Celestine's relief. "Anyways, my task here is done. I wanted to remain here for a while longer but that old geezer won't let me."

Who was she talking about? Was there someone else involved as well?

Before she could ask any further questions, the crowd behind her suddenly began to roar loudly. The cacophony of vile words increased, almost deafening her ears.

She remembered just who this memory belonged to and a dark feeling settled inside her as she was beginning to have another bad premonition. So she pressed forward, trying to make her way forward until the wall of people became dispersed enough to see just what was going on.

"—!!!"

What she saw was a scene straight out of a nightmare.

Walking in the middle of the crowd, his arms and legs bound by chains, wearing nothing but ragged, dirty white clothing like the rest was none other than Shirou. A prisoner being led to his judgment as a result of the false accusations taking root. Celestine's heart stopped when she saw the platform at the end of the path — an old wooden gallow where a single rope loop hung waiting for it to be tied on someone's neck.

A scene she never expected to see in her life.

They shouted for his death, threw rocks and debris at the man who once risked his own life to save them from certain death. Having changed the vision of what was once a hero to calling him a demon, a traitor and a monster.

"What are you all doing!?" Celestine screamed, her voice drowned out by the chorus of people calling for his execution. People who were once his allies now turned into enemies, having betrayed the one person who was a staunch defender of humanity. "He saved you all! Stop it!"

She pushed through the crowds, desperately pushing everyone while pleading for this tragedy, this roguery to stop. Yet no matter how fast she ran, the distance between them never seemed to close.

"Shirou!"

She called out for him, her breath haggard as the panic inside her grew from watching him walk up the gallows.

"Please, run away Shirou! Get away from them! Free yourself!" Celestine knew he had the means to escape, she'd seen him escape from much more dangerous situations in the past. Yet why wasn't he doing so right now!?

With the sun shining behind his back, illuminating the man's silhouette, she helplessly watched as the rope was being tightened around his neck. Tears ran down her face, her eyes shrunk as she prayed for a miracle that was never going to happen. He was doomed to die, with no amount of Divine Energy or miracle capable of saving him from this horrible fate.

This was the end for him.

Time slowed down for the Goddess, the shouts around her disappearing as her senses focused on the lone man standing in front of the crowd who betrayed him. Allies who brought his fate to an end, because they were unable to accept his ideal as the truth and were blinded by the accusations accusing him of being the mastermind behind their suffering.

His gray eyes opened, he looked forward, almost as if he could see her. And in his final moment, he gave her something she would never forget for the rest of her life.

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Faced with the hate of the world on his back — he smiled.

A genuine one, so full of innocence and pure intentions. While accused of betrayal, Shirou showed that he did not hate mankind.

He forgave them.

His entire life, from when she first saw the young boy trudge through literal hell, trying to find a new goal in life, towards his teenage years and the Grail War. As well as the time he spent traveling the world, including the contract with that mysterious being… every one of those moments flashed before her eyes — all carrying the same smiling face of the man who only wished to save people.

Bang!

The trap door opened and his body fell.

"SHIIIROOOOUUUUUU!!!!!!!!"

Everything turned dark as Celestine got up from her bed drenched with sweat. For even if it was a dream of a distant past, Celestine couldn't help but suffer a breakdown for the next few hours, unable to resist the heartache she felt.

At that moment, for the first time in her life did she feel the seed of hatred germinate in her heart, towards those she had once swore to protect.

Knock

Knock

Someone knocked on her front door.

"Celestine-sama, a letter from Claudia-sama has arrived. It pertains to the discovery of a certain person that may be of interest to you."

She barely paid any attention to the person behind the door, her mind replaying the heart wrenching scene again and again. How could the world be so cruel to someone who did nothing but good? Shirou was a savior who desired nothing but to save people. Calling him a killer was a twisted lie that led to his death…

{Break}

-Dark Lands, Castle of Discordia-

The time had come.

Standing on top of a hill surrounded by dead trees, Archer overlooked a large black castle in the distance. With the full moon shining over the sky, it created a beautiful yet haunting scene that further added to the appeal of the place. It surpassed the ones in Ken and Geofu, nearly double in size with a very gothic architecture. But one thing bothered him the most, this was the area Vault and his men were supposed to appear. Traveling from Geofu's border to the Dark Lands, he had stumbled upon open areas harboring traces of a recently dismantled camp. Suspecting he might have been too late, he rushed to the Dark Queen's land, running nonstop at his highest speed for an entire day — he finally arrived at the place he thought these people would have been at.

"It's… empty?"

There was barely any demon down there let alone humans.

"Maybe I miscalculated the timing and arrived here a bit too soon."

That would be good news, as it gave him time to prepare and recover some of his spent Magical Energy. He wasn't an endless well who could keep using Reinforcement forever, unless he had Alaya's full support.

"Hm, this doesn't seem right." Analyzing the security of the place, it was far too relaxed. Even the entrance of her castle had only two orcs stationed, with no one patrolling the outer walls. The archer towers were unmaintained with only a brazier burning at the top to light up the area. Even in the inner courtyard, there wasn't exactly an army of demons waiting, just a handful of dark elves he saw appearing from time to time. "Is this a trap?"

For someone who was so hated and basically treated as the standard demon king of this world, Olga certainly didn't have the sturdy defense he had expected… No matter what scenario he thought of, there was no reason for the Dark Queen to neglect her own safety. Unless… someone else intentionally lowered the defenses around the castle as part of a deal with Vault; the timing was perfect as the Kuroinu were approaching the area.

"I can use this to my advantage." Even with the castle's forces lacking, Archer still refused to underestimate the defenses of this area; for all he knew, there could easily be a protective or offensive bounded field-like spell around the area. Olga Discordia was universally regarded as a mage of incredible power; someone equal to Celestine at her peak, and from what he had previously felt from her in her current weakened state, that spoke volumes of her power. Overlooking such a fact was foolish and honestly not something anyone who could claim to be experienced in warfare would ever ignore.

And so, he decided to pay a small visit and analyze the Black Fortress' protections.

He disappeared from his spot before reappearing a few minutes later near the outer wall.

"Rah?"

One of the imps lazily flying above noticed a small silver glint in the distance. It didn't have time to process what it was before the entire left side of its head was obliterated by an arrow embedding itself through the eye and out of the back of its skull. The imp fell from the sky, but before reaching the cold hard ground it was caught by Archer who silently placed it somewhere dark to avert any discovery by the guards.

"Hate these things…" The memories of his last battle in the valley still remained fresh, especially his disgust towards the vile monsters inhabiting the region.

He repeated the same tactic a couple of times until he reached the Castle's entrance. He stopped a few meters away while noticing a thin, almost invisible layer of magic surrounding the entire structure itself.

"Humph, I knew it." So there was a variant of some sort of bounded field surrounding the place after all. Wanting to test something, he traced a single jagged dagger in his right hand. A twisted Noble Phantasms created from the legend of the Witch of Colchis, a tale marred with betrayals and tragedies stacked one on top of one another. Superior to Carnwennan, another Anti-Thaumaturgy Noble Phantasm with another handy ability, Rule Breaker was the ultimate weapon against Magical Spells, even beyond Arturia's dagger. He didn't need Carnwennan at this moment despite the powers of stealth that dagger granted its wielder, given that there was almost no need to hide from anyone in the first place with how barren the place had become, and all magical defenses were about to become a moot point.

"Rule Breaker," stabbing the dagger into the Castle's wall, the entire field disappeared in an instant. It created no sound, nothing to alert anyone as even those parts were erased. Almost as if they were never activated in the first place.

He made his way inside, silently evading anything walking through the hallways. Even inside, there was scarcely anyone; the number of Dark Elves were quite abysmal and he almost doubted whether he had come to the right castle. Along the way, he saw Lycans, orcs in full golden armor and other types of demons and beastman. Archer proceeded to rush all the way to the top of the castle, arriving at a balcony with a view of the entire landscape below. And there stood a woman holding a large scepter with long black hair that reached down to her ankles, wearing a purple cape that barely hid her figure.

She wasn't alone, as kneeling beside her was another dark elf with blonde hair and revealing armor. Though somehow hers seemed more protective than what he'd seen Brynn wear before.

'So this is the Dark Queen, Olga Discordia… I honestly expected something more grandiose.'

They didn't notice his arrival, so he blended into the shadows while listening to their conversation.

"Any news about Vault's troops?" She asked, the blonde elf shaking her head frustratingly in response.

"I'm afraid we've lost sight of them, my Queen. It's as if they vanished into thin air, and the scouts can't seem to track their position. I've sent all available soldiers to locate them but to no avail. They're either all incompetent, traitors, or some foul magical trickery is at work here."

Given how the Kuroinu had been stationed at the border for quite a while, it was certain that Olga would have known about their plan to attack her castle given her own lack of offense directed towards them. But for her to also lose sight of them, as he did during his journey here — this meant Vault had procured some sort of wide scale cloaking spell that hid them from view. Or they had possibly taken another route he was not aware of. Given Kin was still alive, he wanted to lean on the first option but couldn't deny the latter as well.

'Should I just… kill them?'

The thought arose in his mind, these were people guilty of as many atrocities as Vault and his group. In a war of this scale, there was no good or evil, everyone was guilty in the end. It wouldn't be that hard, tracing two swords and firing them to their backs, a swift move that would kill both in a matter of seconds. Just to be sure, he could even use Gae Dearg to bypass any defense they might have put around their bodies.

"Chloe… you should leave. I'll handle this by myself, you don't need to endanger your life for me." The Queen said, breaking Archer from his train of thought.

The elf known as Chloe was flabbergasted, "W-What are you saying, Olga-sama!?" She exclaimed in confusion. "Have I done something to fail your expectations? Were my skills not enough?" She slammed her head against the ground. "Give me another chance, I promise I won't let you down!"

Well someone was certainly quite devoted, Archer couldn't help but roll his eyes at the scene. Just from listening to her once he had a basic idea of her personality. He'd seen many of such people, Gaius was one of them.

"No, you have done more than enough." Olga said gently, slowly lifting Chloe's face from the ground. "I remember when I first found you suffering as a slave under that wretched human. I took you under my care to grant you the revenge you needed and to keep you safe, you stuck by my side when many chose to abandon me. For that, I'm eternally grateful to you, Chloe."

Another unexpected side of her Archer wasn't expecting to see. So this blonde woman used to be a slave… interesting to know. He could understand why she served by the Dark Queen's side then, given how many of the dark elves were sold as slaves. Even under the rule of Celestine, such things continued to persist for those with enough power, money and influence.

"I'm the one who should be grateful! You saved me when I held no value, brought me under your care and raised me to become a strong warrior. I will never leave your side, nor will I betray your goodwill like those foolish traitors!" She said with vitriol, wanting to gut every last one of them.

"Don't say that," Olga exclaimed sternly. "I saved them from their fate not because I wanted recognition or to be praised for my actions. I am their queen, it was my duty to keep my people safe no matter what, even if I became the embodiment of evil to this world. I have done many vile things throughout the years, taken an uncountable number of lives, and I would do it again even just to save a few of my kin. In the end, it has always been their choice whether they wanted to stay or leave, I don't resent them for their actions."

"..." Emiya's face turned into a frown, he stood silently while continuing to listen.

"They still betrayed you, my queen. If all of us were to unite, then the Seven kingdoms would have fallen long ago and our race would have been free at last."

"Perhaps, but that is a future we'll never experience any time soon. We are too divided, and I can't go on like this forever. That is why I'm asking you to leave, you're the only one who knows the truth and I can't bring myself to see you die like many have in the past. But Vault is ruthless, his tactics are disgusting and vile. While Celestine is oblivious to his actions, I kept a close eye on him. He's a poor excuse of a human that even using my spells feels like an unworthy act. Using my spells on such a person would only demean my pride and honor as Dark Queen."

The blonde shook her head again.

"I refuse, wherever you go, Olga-sama, I'll always follow. Even something as trivial as death won't intimidate me. I owe you my life and will protect you until the very last second. I will be the one to cut that bastard's head from his body, so that you won't have to dirty yourself."

Olga smiled, "You are so stubborn, Chloe. But then again, I admire that trait in people."

Her words and hand caressing her cheeks made Chloe blush.

Before the two could continue both Olga and Archer's attention snapped over to the west. Where among the trees far away, they witnessed the shadows of an army merging from the shadows.

"Enemies!?" Chloe shouted, stunned how could such a large group appear so close by without anyone noticing.

Olga was quick to act. "Get everyone ready for battle, I will return to my throne and keep the shield active."

"Understood!"

Both rushed inside, not noticing the figure of Archer overlooking the approaching threat from a distance. He couldn't help but sigh, knowing that the time had finally come for him to fulfill his duty as a Counter Guardian, the entire reason why he was sent here in the first place.

"Looks like my vacation has come to an end…" He said before disappearing from the rooftop and searching for a better vantage point in the distance. A few minutes later, he returned to the same spot he was at before while overlooking the Kuroinu who were getting closer and closer to the castle before they started to engage in combat with the demons.

Fire arrows were launched from the mercenaries' ranks, blanketing the sky before raining down on the unfortunate demons and elves. Vault was at the lead, swinging his giant greatsword around, showcasing incredible strength and prowess to his enemies. Even though his swordsmanship was nothing truly impressive in Archer's opinion, he moved quite fast for an ordinary human. At the back of the Kuroinu's formations, he saw none other than Kin providing support to everyone around with potent defensive spells and equally potent fire attacks with his staff. Strangely, he seemed much more powerful than he'd been in their last encounter. Though the display was short, he hadn't indicated he was capable of anywhere near as much power back then as he was demonstrating now.

One by one, the demons were taken care of, the bowman even raised an eyebrow when he saw other Orcs present in Vault's group fighting alongside his men.

They breached the castle, completely taking over the outer area of Olga's territory. Even from where he stood, their cheers still reached his ears, for they thought they had won.

He scoffed, "An amusing show, quite entertaining in fact. Though I might have liked to have had a word with Vault, it would have been a waste of time."

Taking a deep breath, he uttered two simple words ingrained into his being from the beginning to the end. Despite not needing to do it anymore, they remained, maybe out of habit from a past long gone, or just a twisted sense of nostalgia.

"Trace, on!"

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.