Chapter 60: Ally?

Beta read by Fluffy Slayer and Shigiya

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-Feoh- 

In the dimly lit courtyard of the castle, Radomira, the Tiefling, was flying around aimlessly with restless energy — bubbling with excitement for the food that Archer had promised to make for her, especially this so-called "pizza". Though entrusted, or shall we say "bribed" with the task of bringing Brynn to him, the elusive former Knight was nowhere to be found. It struck her as rather odd, since as far as Radomira knew, the brunette had a remarkable tendency to be quite vocal, especially when searching for her. Yet today, she seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"Brynn~!" Calling out her name, Radomira's voice echoed softly through the empty corridors, resonating like a peaceful melody . Still dreaming about the feast that  awaited her, her stomach chimed in with a growl of its own. "I'm right here Brynn~! Flying around the castle without any protection nor supervision~! Hurry before I stumble upon a bad guy along the way… Oh no! I've suddenly found myself in front of the blonde hum— uh, Akic… Anasta… no, what was it again? Oh right, Alicia's chamber! My hand is poised to grab the knob any second now~!" 

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, and Radomira spun around to see Brynn rushing down the hallway covered in sweat, the woman's worried expression ever more evident in the dim light. Notably the blatant terrified face she wore due to her little comment about entering Alicia's room. "Where have you been!? Are you trying to give me a heart attack with how much I was worried about you, Radomira-sama!?" 

"Maybe," though in truth, Radomira knew Brynn's tendency to overreact to the slightest provocation. The Tiefling understood why her friend fretted so, but with Archer nearby, unlike her previous misadventures with Claudia, danger seemed remote.  Besides, she made a concerted effort to steer clear of any passing Princess Knight who wasn't Maia or Claudia. "Don't worry so much~. I'm here anyways, so you don't need to run around anymore."

"That's beside the point, where have you been!?" Brynn exclaimed, her voice filled with frustration and concern, unwilling to let the matter slide that easily. "I've been searching for you for hours! You can't just disappear like this! I'll have gray hair before I'm even twenty five at this rate! And the last thing I want is to disappoint Master. I don't want him to see me as someone unreliable…"

"Didn't you have a box of white hair dye stashed in your room cause you wanted to be like Archer?" She recalled sneaking into the brunette's room the other night and finding some interesting toys hidden in the cupboard including the type of size Brynn preferred. It was there that Radomira discovered the concoction sitting in the cupboard which Olga later revealed to be just crudely made hair dye.

Brynn's eyes widened, a deep blush staining her cheeks as she hurriedly darted forward to cover  the little girl's mouth, panic evident in her actions. "Shh! Since when have you been snooping around my stuff? I keep that place under lock and key!" 

At that, the Tiefling shrugged her shoulders, not willing to reveal the secret pathways snaking through the castle's ceilings and leading into various rooms and the underground tunnels that conveniently connected to the most crucial chamber within the castle… Archer's kitchen. Of course, she could access the throne room and Celestine's room as well, but those spaces held little interest for her. 

She was still looking for the one that led directly to Archer's room. 

"It's fine~! You'd look amazing in white hair, Brynn! Even Archer would like it!"

"Y-You think so? Wait… no! Stop changing the subject!" 

For someone who boasted about being a former Knight of Maia and a seasoned combatant — she sure was easy to mess with. The girl found herself stifling a giggle at Brynn's reaction, finding it rather amusing. 

"Sorry, but it's just hard to stay in my room all day and do nothing." Despite the grandeur of their surroundings, there wasn't much to do in the castle. Radomira often found herself confined to her room for hours, or even the entire day, as Archer was concerned that someone might try to harm her if she ventured out. And he wasn't entirely wrong. The people who had kidnapped her were likely still at large in the capital, posing a constant threat. If she wasn't cautious, she could easily be captured again.

And indeed, history repeated itself. Thankfully, Claudia was there to intervene and rescue her. 

Another aspect she noted was Archer's profound distrust of the Princess Knights, harboring fears that they might exploit or imprison her. This distrust, particularly directed towards the blonde Princess Knight, was evident in his demeanor whenever the topic arose. She found out that something had happened between them from Olga but never got to hear the details. Apparently, it was something funny enough that even the Dark Queen found it entertaining. 

"Nevertheless, you should return, it's already far too late to be wandering around the castle without anyone by your side. Besides, there have been rumors going around about that there are ghosts haunting the corridors, frightening the staffcastle and been scaring the help. I'm sure it has nothing to do with you, Radomira-samaaround about ghosts haunting the corridors, frightening the staff. I'm sure it has nothing to do with you, Radomira-sama." Yet, the suspicion reflected in the redhead's gaze betrayed her true thoughts.. It didn't take a genius to discern the source of such rumors from the staff, especially when coupled with the disappearance of various ingredients from the kitchen.

"You worry too much, Brynn. I can handle myself just fine!" Radomira reassured her friend, though she was well aware  her words did little to alleviate Brynn's concerns.

With a weary sigh, the Knight rubbed her forehead, her expression filled with frustration. "It's not just that. I was tasked with keeping you safe, and it wouldn't reflect well in Archer-sama's eyes if I kept losing track of you every other moment — I'm fairly certain I've shed more weight from running to search for you than I did from my knight training!"

"Ara, Radomira?" Amidst the echoing halls of the castle, a third voice broke the silence, drawing the attention of both Radomira and Brynn. They turned to behold a familiar face, evoking an expression of joy for one and terror for the latter respectively. A certain Dark Elf Queen had decided to adorn herself in a distinct set of armor, which suspiciously concealed a majority of her upper cleavage yet left a hefty amount of underboob exposed, with dark pink nipples nearly poking out from the armor. She was accompanied by her ever loyal retainer, trailing a step behind the imposing woman. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here, I was just coming to meet you. Although I can't say I feel the same about you, human."

"The feeling is mutual." Brynn tensed instinctively, a reaction honed about years of fighting Olga and her enemies. Even if the Queen of the Dark Elves had long since fallen with her castles and armies in ruins — she still represented a danger through her sheer mastery in the mystic arts alone.

"Olga!" The little girl squealed with joy as she rushed to hug the woman, who welcomed her without hesitation, even displaying a rare smile of joy — a sight seldom seen in the few instances Brynn had interacted with her. From her initial expression, Olga seemed to harbor a dislike for the castle's inhabitants, casting icy glares at nearly everyone without reservation. Even Archer didn't escape her stern gaze. As he often did when around her, he ignored her presence altogether and even chuckled a couple of times. But Brynn could not do so; like Archer, she understood that this woman could defeat her in a matter of seconds. Unlike him, she still wasn't adept at dealing with such powerful opponents and that alone made it hard to feel so at ease around her.

It seemed that the other party noticed her reaction and even found it amusing as she smirked, but did not comment on it. Her attention returned to Radomira in an instant, her expression softening. "What are you doing out so late at night? You should be returning to bed. You can't trust the people here not to take advantage of you," Olga remarked again, casting a particularly disdainful glance towards Brynn. Though the girl noticed it, she refrained from responding. She wanted to, truly, but an important piece of advice from Archer had warned her to be cautious of Olga's words. There was no winning against the Dark Elf, and engaging with her in a battle of words would only play into her hands.

'Calm down Brynn, even Celestine-sama ignores such comments, calm down.'

Despite her best efforts to remain quiet, Brynn found it impossible to resist the urge to return a jab. "And what brings you here as well? Celestine-sama and the other princess knights have provided you with your own quarters. You shouldn't be wandering around when you are still considered our enemy," As soon as the words left her lips, Chloe scoffed but offered no further response, leaving Brynn even more agitated.

"You can say that, but we both know that your people need my queen's assistance as much as you need that human," Chloe replied, her tone laced with confidence. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Chloe was referring to Archer, given that he was the only one she addressed as such.

"Oh my, how much you've grown, Radomira. Have you been feeling off lately, perchance?" Olga interjected, her attention now fixed on the young tiefling. Having noticed the slight growth in Radomira's height and the subtle changes in her features, the queen had long since concluded that this change was not entirely normal. The only way to acquire answers was through Celestine and her library, which likely held forgotten knowledge about species like tieflings.

Despite the growth not initially manifesting in physical changes, it seemed to have made her stronger — remarkably so. Her current self likely possessed the strength equivalent to that of an adult human male. "I have been feeling amazing! Archer has been feeding me loads of his strange but super tasty foods. Last time, I ate something he called 'ramen.' You should try it too, it was amazing!" Radomira chirped cheerfully, nuzzling into the older elf's magnificent bosom. 

Olga raised her eyebrow. Despite the impression she got from him or his apparent lack of care for her, he sure did seem to have gained a small desire to spoil Radomira. Did he perchance figure out her origin and was just trying to behave more kindly in order to have the girl become loyal to him? Possibly, a Tiefling of any kind was destined to become a force of nature in terms of magic. But that man alone possessed enough power to put all seven Princess Knights to shame — she doubted he needed Radomira for anything. 

The perplexing kindness Archer showed towards the girl sparked suspicion in Olga's mind. Despite her previous logical thinking saying otherwise, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to his actions than mere altruism. Humans, in her experience, always had hidden motives behind their seemingly benevolent gestures. There had to be a reason, anagenda driving his behavior towards Radomira.

"Where is Archer? I have something to discuss with him," Olga inquired, her tone tinged with a sense of urgency. One of their main topics of discussion was the looming threat of the otherworldly entity that posed a danger to all of Eostia; the Beast. However, upon returning from Celestine's library, she found no mention of the creature in question. The absence of any references to the creature raised doubts in her mind about the man's claims.

'I know he is not lying. I've witnessed the type of devastation that creature is capable of. But why have neither Celestine nor I ever heard of it?' Olga pondered silently, grappling with the mystery. Could it be that this creature originated from a period before the Giants perished? If so, then who was Archer truly? 

But for him to be entangled in a matter concerning beings from centuries past did not make sense. He appeared to be a person in his thirties, judging by the standard human lifespan.

The pieces of the puzzle just did not fit.

Everything about him seemed shrouded in enigma, including his formidable powers.

As she delved deeper into her thoughts, Olga started entertaining the notion that perhaps Archer and Celestine had more in common than she initially assumed. Perhaps he wasn't merely blessed, but rather the inheritor of a forgotten god's powers. With that thought, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, leading her further into a path of uncertainty and intrigue.

"Eh? Ah! I forgot about something important! Brynn, can you come with me quickly? Archer needs to speak with you about an urgent matter." Radomira exclaimed, carefully avoiding any mention of potential consequences or punishments for the false stories she had sung. She had no desire to drag a scared Brynn to the man. 

"Something important?" The former knight couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with her repeated failures to keep track of Radomira. With a somewhat apprehensive demeanor, she nodded. "All right let's go."

"I will join as well," Olga declared firmly as the duo began to leave, stepping forward and gently taking the little girl's hand before guiding her along. "I see no value in squandering my time playing hide and seek with that man. Why can't he just stay in one place for a day? I will never understand. Furthermore, it would be imprudent to leave this child in the company of a human for too long." 

"... Hah… deep breath… she's just trying to get to you…" Despite Brynn's reluctance to remain quiet, she recognized the urgency and refrained from starting another argument. With a resigned sigh, she glanced at Chloe, the latter having her arms crossed. "Not going to take the opportunity to throw another insult?" 

The other party rolled her eyes, "I don't need to. Olga-sama has already voiced it all. But I do have something I want to ask." Brynn found it odd; she was expecting  more insults from this woman behind Olga's back. "Y-You… You're Archer's apprentice, right?" 

"Yes," The answer came out automatically, almost instantaneously even as she puffed her chest with pride. "I'm his one and only student!" 

However, an odd feeling washed over her as Chloe started to blush and averted direct eye contact. "H-How d-does he train you every day?"

'Train her every day? Pft, if only…' Brynn mused inwardly, her frustration evident. She had sparred with the man on a handful of occasions, receiving some actual pointers few and far between. Maia had been the one she trained with the most lately, but Brynn hoped things would pick up with Archer soon. Still, she couldn't admit that in front of Chloe and risk being looked down upon! "I-It's a grueling routine where I am pushed beyond my limits everyday. Sometimes it feels like I'm in hell itself. Even a session feels like I've been battling an army of Orcs for hours."

"W-wow!" 

Brynn crossed her hands, nodding with a stern expression, oblivious to the Half-elf's labored breathing nor her peculiar gait. "Exactly, and it gets worse! Archer doesn't just stop there. Every time we spar, he strikes me with a wooden sword at every opening. In less than a second, I'm hit dozens of times all over my body! By the end of the session, my skin is covered in red welts , and I can barely get out of bed the next morning from the soreness.  It's the same routine everyday."

"Dozens? Everywhere? Everyday!?" The flush in Chloe's voice intensified as her breathing quickened. Brynn found herself bewildered by the extent of Chloe's distress, questioning why  made-up the training routine she made up would terrify the Dark Elf to such an extent. "Will he… will he accept me if I want to join in as well?" z

"Wait what?" That response threw her off, but before she could even ask for the girl to elaborate, both of them suddenly heard a shout coming from the outside. "Radomira-sama!" 

"My Queen!" 

Their legs moved, running as fast as they could towards the outside, where their eyes spotted a bright flash of light in the distance. It wasn't until both of them reached the courtyard that they sensed something amiss. 

"Where… where are they?" 

The place was empty, with no one in sight.

{Break}

-???-

In the end, he yielded to it—the power he seldom invoked, even when confronted with adversaries capable of snuffing out his very existence, as well as those surpassing his own prowess on the battlefield.

Reflecting on his experiences in the Holy Grail War, Emiya could recall only a handful of instances where he had truly unleashed his Reality Marble to vanquish his foes; wielding his magecraft with extreme prejudice. As far as he remembered, most of those encounters involved formidable opponents such as Berserker, Lancer, and notably, Saber. 

Admittedly, there were times when he unleashed the Reality Marble just to prove a point rather than overwhelming them with a near infinite amount of swords. Those occasions when he employed it against Emiya Shirou weren't borne by a desperate need to secure victory; indeed, he could have subdued the boy without it, regardless of whether the bleeding effect aided the boy in bringing the gap between them. 

At the end of the day, he wasn't a Servant, recognizing that mere skills could only carry an ordinary human so far before being outmatched in every other aspect. Unless that particular human was a freak of nature who held the power to defeat the average Servant —yet such anomalies were either wandering the world, cloistered within the Clocktower or missing in action.

Ultimately, against Shirou Emiya it became a tool, a means to illustrate the folly of the boy's aspirations, to reveal the misguided path he had chosen and the dire consequences it would entail if he continued down the path of a hero. 

But at certain times, Emiya wondered if that truly was the reason. A part of him questioned whether his actions in the past had been driven by such intentions. After all, he knew the red-headed idiot better than anyone. Such a tactic would have never convinced him to give up… Perhaps it was just his way of venting his anger. 

Actions that didn't really hold any meaning other than being fueled by pure frustration and anger.

"So as I pray, Unlimited Blades Works! " 

Unfortunately, this scenario presented a stark contrast. 

He wasn't embroiled in a clash of ideologies, nor was he deploying his magecraft to its limits to dismantle the psychological defenses of his adversary. Instead, he summoned it out of sheer survival instinct—a visceral understanding that he was confronting a force far surpassing his own, wielding powers surpassing those of a Grand Servant… a Beast. It draped him in a shroud of uncertainty, a stark realization that despite these abilities, he couldn't guarantee his survival in the end. 

'I just need to buy more time.'

Time… Time for what exactly? This question echoed through his mind as the previous illusory blue flames intensified with a wave of Magical Energy, unleashing a blinding white light that spread throughout his surroundings, engulfing the blonde girl who's appearance mirrored that of Saber's. Yet she didn't even attempt to evade it and just stood there with her hands crossed. 

His mind raced through countless scenarios, envisioning the possible weapons, and tactics he could employ to shift the tide of this battle… yet, each path led to the same grim conclusion, a brutal death. 'That man claimed it to be merely a shard, not the true Beast. Let's see just how true that statement is… but even so… confronting a weakened Beast is a daunting prospect, one that even my Servant self would hesitate facing.' 

"Hm," he murmured, already sensing his Magical Energy reserve depleting exponentially. The space around them had turned into the familiar vast expanses of what could be described as a lifeless wasteland, filled with smog under an endless twilight. Massive gears defying gravity as they hung and turned within the gloomy sky. Yet, amidst this desolate landscape, an endless array of swords could be seen, protruding from the earth like gravestones, stretching into the distance without end, no matter how far one's gaze could penetrate. 

The entire expanse served as both the apex of his magecraft andalso a poignant reminder of the path he had taken. It represented the viewpoint of someone who had been betrayed by their ideals, reduced to  nothing more than a mere tool to be used — a machine with a single purpose.

His younger self in the far-forgotten past had needed decades to attain the ability to cast this spell unaided. As it took time for his Magic Circuits and body to mature and develop sufficiently for such a feat. 

"So this is the world that resides within you, your very soul laid bare for this Emperor to judge and bear witness. I must say, the view certainly has its charm, the aftermath of a brutal and bloody war in my opinion, where there stands no victor at the end but an endless river of blood and destruction. How many years has it been since I last witnessed such a sight?" To his dismay, the Beast did not seem the least bit apprehensive or even worried. Without even needing to look back, Draco's tail moved before covering the left side of her face as a loud clanging sound reverberated, the sight of one of his swords getting destroyed the next second with a swipe of the draconic appendage. "Though as expected, while I have yet to see what abilities this Reality Marble possesses in the first place, the fact that you already have one is an impressive feat of thaumaturgy. Be honored, for you will be facing this Emperor at your best, and I give you my word that I shall not disappoint."

"..." He did not grace her with a response, issuing a mental command as four giant zweihanders appeared around him. Those formidable weapons, once wielded by a Frisian hero, were all aimed towards Draco before immediately firing the giant slabs of the Noble Phantasms at mach speed.

"Quiet are we?" 

Unlike the previous sword, these ones were not so easily broken. "Hm?" A quick swipe of her tail led to a loud impact that forced the girl to slide back a couple of steps. Then came the second and third strikes, hitting the same spot, forcing Draco to shield her face. "Heavy…" 

A resounding crash reverberated as the fourth blade struck the ground beneath Draco, 'This isn't enough!' Emiya seized this opportunity to rush forward, Kanshou and Bakuya held firmly in hand as he poured a steady stream of his energy into them. 

"Spirit and technique, flawless and firm."

With the dust providing a brief window of opportunity to blind his enemy, Emiya made his move, opting for the most efficient route to inflict as much damage as possible. Once again, holding back was idiotic and practically guaranteed to bring death upon him if he didn't bring everything to the table. 

"Ergh, nothing more I hate than dust on my clothes." Draco muttered, as she snapped her fingers. A gust of crimson wind cleared the dust, revealing glowing crimson eyes staring right back at him. 

'Tch, not even a scratch on her body… why am I not surprised.' He noted grimly, before continuing to charge headfirst towards his enemy. Draco grew curious at this action as his hands shimmered with a secondary pair of Kanshou and Bakuya held firmly within his palms.

"Our strength rips the mountain."

His moves were swift and timely, attempting to hack at her tail and scale armor as much as possible — hoping to slice away through the layers of defense of the creature. "Aaaah!!" His muscles bulged, each slice carrying all of his strength, as he did everything in his power to cut through.

"—!" Draco staggered, having been hit in the middle of her back with Bakuya first, forcing her to lose balance and nearly fall flat on her front. Her tail, used as a shield, added more weight, causing further imbalance on top of that. "Pesky trickster!" 

But Emiya wasn't dismayed by the lack of any substantial damage so far. Each following slash was lethal and served a single purpose; to prohibit escape or defense of any kind. A technique he'd used against Berserker in one of his summons, one that rarely let him down.

'Her tail is acting as a balance of sorts, she's not as stable as it seems without using it to keep herself from falling. That can be exploited, but it won't matter if I can't cut it.' With determination, he channeled more Magical Energy forcing their way into the blade, altering its form. The metal strained, cracking, and lengthening into a shape resembling winged longswords. Morphing into another creation reinforces their ability to cut through any obstacle, giving them a new form and new purpose. The metal shards gathered around the hilt and ran along the back of the blade as they glowed from his Magical Energy, as it saturated every inch of the surface. 'Overedge!'

"—!?" Once again, Draco sensed an acute sting from her back as Kanshou came back and struck her from behind again, momentarily immobilizing the girl which gave Emiya another window of time to continue his move set. "Persistent aren't you. A play of deception and mere tricks will not be enough!" 

"We'll see about that," would it have been wrong for him to agree with her words verbally? Perhaps it might have gotten him a wave of mockery by the girl, finding his attempts foolish. 

"Our names reach the imperial villa."

Sparks flew in all directions with each strike, yet they were barely able to make a dent upon the crimson scales. Their very nature offered a level of defense reminiscent to that of a heavily plated suit of reinforced armor. Despite his arms and legs glowing from the usage of Reinforcement, they still trembled under the force exerted by Draco.

"The two of us cannot hold the heavens together." 

He watched as her eyes squinted at the sight, most likely analyzing him and his magecraft just as he had done with her. Each side gained more knowledge about one another, though in his case, the girl had barely revealed anything thus far. 'She has shown the ability to cast a dense concentration of condensed energy to blow up an entire area.' 

Though unlike before, he had better means to protect himself this time. Unfortunately for him, he could not tell when she was planning to use it or if he could even stop it in the first place. From the looks of it, this girl just continued to be amused by his actions, finding genuine joy in the entire fight — mirroring his current state of mind.

"Ah!" The blades struck his opponent in an x-shaped pattern. A thin line appeared on the scale's surface on his hand before disappearing, surprising the girl herself at the outcome as she stood there stunned to even speak for a few seconds. Though the slight amount of damage healed, it still surprised her that he managed to do so in the first place. 

'This would have been far more efficient if I was a Servant. The results are less than satisfactory.' Thought the man, replacing his twin blades with a newer, undamaged pair.

"Argh!" Spit erupted from his mouth as, in the blink of an eye, Draco whirled around, delivering a powerful blow to his stomach with her tail that shattered his black armor upon impact, instantly cracking a couple of ribs in the process. Sent hurling through the air, the distance between them widened once more — affording her the chance to use that blast attack of hers was something that he couldn't allow. 

Woosh! 

A wave of swords shot up from the ground, raining towards his opponent, keeping the latter occupied while simultaneously erecting a wall of steel between them. A series of coughs escaped his mouth, "Hah… so, close… hah close quarters is not an option a-ah…" blood trickled at the corner of his lips, voice raspy from a single strike. Despite possessing a physique akin to that of a Servant, a Rank D in terms of strength no less, it was entirely plausible she was still withholding her full power. 

"A mere barrage of steel is the best you can do? It seems like you are holding back against me, Guardian. Not a wise choice — an offense I may perceive it as." A dome of concentrated crimson flame-like energy burst from her body, simultaneously  shielding herself and laying waste to the barrage of swords. Yet the rain did not stop, Emiya deploying an ever increasing number of Noble Phantasms and Mystic Codes, reaching tens of thousands, all crashing against the red dome relentlessly. 

'Faster.' Another mental command reverberated within his Reality Marble, propelling the latest waves of swords at twice their previous speed, "More…" Emiya's teeth clenched as he pushed the velocity to its limits, each projectile detonating on impact through sheer force, unleashing a weaker version of a Broken Phantasm. 

The sky became adorned with streaks of red, the constant explosions ringing in his ear as his body started to feel heavier and colder. The draining of his energy intensified with each passing moment. "I… I can't… maintain this pace for much longer…" For the first time in generations, Emiya actually missed having Alaya's support or better yet, Rin. 

Though the latter would have most likely employed her Command Seals to ensure Archer has a means of escape rather than confronting the girl directly— she wasn't an idiot like him to challenge such an overwhelming entity head on. 

"How long will you persist in this folly?" Despite the cacophony of explosions and the raging inferno, Draco's voice cut through it with crystal clarity, sending shivers down his spine. "Why exert yourself so tirelessly  for these mortals when you haven't been summoned as a proper Guardian by the Counter Force? This world is pitiful. You've witnessed its deficiencies firsthand, how it diverges from our own. It falls upon me to rectify this error. After all, they summoned me for this purpose and as the Emperor, I cannot tolerate such decay. Even Roma at its darkest hour never stooped to such depth. Succumbing to petty depravities and refusing to evolve, they are… a profoundly flawed and feeble people. Yet, in my benevolence, I extend my hand to aid them, despite their undeserving nature. I will guide them onto a nobler path, even if it requires me to tear everything asunder and rebuild anew." 

A few clues gleaned from her words further cemented his realization that this was not Artoria, nor any possessed incarnations of hers. The similarities were superficial, their methods of combat diverged  too greatly. And most tellingly, her last words shifted  the image of Artoria into that of an Emperor who ironically was also once summoned as a Saber. 

Unfortunately, those memories were far too distant and bleak for him to remember the details. He was certain he'd also met the Emperor in other instances during his tenure as Alaya's dog. "You talk too much, Nero." A wayward emperor as mentioned by the few Heroic Spirit who met her, a bombastic persona that no longer reflected upon the girl before him. 

"—!" 

His words, though silent enough to be a whisper, reached Draco's keen senses nonetheless, causing the Beast to falter for a second. A second being all that he needed to swiftly drop to the ground before propelling himself back into the air, a crimson radiance pulsating from his hand as a suffocating aura of bloodlust emanated from the Noble Phantasm. "Gae…" he intoned, recalling its devastating efficacy against an entire army; the perfect weapon to reduce their ranks to dust. Yet, despite his mastery, it would never quite attain the same status as the legendary Irish warrior hero. "... Bolg!" 

Once more, the ground erupted in a blaze of light as the thrown spear fragmented into multiple copies, each brimming with murderous intent as they carpet bombed the surrounding area. The very fabric of his Reality Marble grew hazier, weaker, as Emiya struggled to maintain a continuous supply of Magical Energy and focus. Another reason why he opted to stray away from constantly firing Broken Phantasms. 

Gae Bolg lived up to its legend, a smirk finally graced his lips as he discerned a small detail before Draco herself. 

Crack!

"—!?" A small crack formed, a subtle chip in the armor of a god-like being in his eyes. It was faint, yet enough to leave Draco standing there, shaken, her eyes wide open before frowning heavily. "Tch, I overestimated my recovery. This is draining my accumulated reserves, and if I'm not careful…" If she had taken another week to recover, then none of this would have been a problem!

But right before Emiya's eyes, as he grabbed onto a second copy of Gae Bolg to shatter the shield completely — Draco disappeared from her spot. "Urgh!"

His vision spun as powerful claws grabbed onto his face, crimson eyes staring back at gray with but a few inches between them. The prior amusement vanished, replaced by a cold detachment devoid of any emotion he could discern or hope to reach. "It is unfortunate that  our dance must end prematurely This Reality Marble of yours is powerful indeed for a creation filled with nothing but advanced Projections, I'll give you that. But don't delude yourself into thinking  you can exploit the leniency I have given you out of pure boredom. Sadly, I can no longer indulge in this game. My power has yet to fully recover and I'd rather not risk undoing all the progress I made."

At those words, Emiya couldn't suppress a chuckle, his expression betraying no hint of fear despite being ensnared in her vice-like grip, under the looming threat of being squashed like a melon. Every single muscle in his body strained against the urge to react, knowing that yielding to panic would alter nothing — he needed to maintain composure and devise a solution. "This is actually the first time I've deployed Unlimited Blades Works on someone of your caliber. Beforehand, I've used it against a variety of individuals, from mere mortals to demigods. I can't say I'm thrilled to have you here, and I doubt you were particularly impressed by the outcome." 

Another volley of blades shot forth straight towards her in order to free himself from her grasp. Yet they were all intercepted by a beam of energy firing from the tip of her tail, effectively blocking all of the attacks.

"Umu, I must commend you for discerning the face belonging to Nero Claudius — my foolish self, though I doubt you truly know what kind of naive fool she was. I am called Draco, not Nero. Nevertheless, I clung to hope that you would not disappoint me." the girl remarked as an ominous red glow enveloped her hand. The burning sensation reached his skin and made him flinch from the pain, though on closer inspection it wasn't fire. "I am curious about one thing, why did Alaya even deign to dispatch you in a human body? You are no Grand Servant. While a Counter Guardian you may be, that power is not at your fingertips. Do not tell me that I am being underestimated here? No, that doesn't make sense. Alaya would never do such a thing, it would never underestimate an opponent." 

Truthfully, even he did not know the answer to that, a perplexing outcome that diverged from Alaya's usual modus operandi. To grant his request for a vacation? What a joke. Perhaps that entity had developed a twisted sense of humor for once, thrusting him into a confrontation with a Beast at his weakest just to witness his failure. 

"Even this attempt to harm me was pointless. While the Human Order may be non-existent in this world, granting you some respite to maintain this Reality Marble of yours for longer, it still wouldn't have been enough and you knew this." She leveled a piercing gaze at ARcher as the space around them grew further weaker. "You make no sense." 

"Humph, I don't need to. For a failed emperor like you, there isn't much danger the world should be worried about." He uttered, uncertain from where those words came from. Perhaps his final attempt at inflicting some semblance of damage–regardless of how superficial it turned out to be. Or it was simply just his mind no longer having any desire or strength to hinder thoughts that he just wanted to vent out. Whether they were deemed insults or not, he did not care anymore.

Her gaze narrowed at that remark, the grip upon his face tightening, constricting his breath. "You are no longer worthy of my time." 

{Break}

(A few minutes earlier)

She didn't know what happened. The first thing Olga remembered was walking with Radomira towards the courtyard before an ominous sight met them. That of Archer standing in a defensive position facing a blonde young girl who seemed to be around Radomira's age, yet the unease on his face made it clear that this person was no random child. This, further backed up by the sensation of her instincts screaming at her to stay away.

"Archer?" Radomira, clueless at what was going on, tried to fly towards him — only to be swiftly pulled back by the dark skinned woman.

"Careful!" Olga exclaimed, her warning falling on deaf ears. Before they could react, cracks in the ground formed as blue illusory flames erupted from them, this followed by a bright unnatural flash of light expanding outward.

There was no time to conjure a shield, especially without a staff to accelerate the process. So without thinking, she hugged the little girl protectively and faced her away from the light. Using her own body as a shield, an action that made no sense and unnecessarily put her own life in danger for a child she just met. But strangely enough, the woman didn't care. Closing her eyes, she prepared for the impact of the intense wave of Magical Energy that washed over them.

.

.

.

"..."

Nothing happened. The woman waited for a painful sensation, expecting fire to burn her skin, but instead sensed something strange — the surroundings suddenly getting warmer with the air somehow feeling heavier. 

"What?" As Radomira lay nestled within her grasp protectively, Olga slowly turned her head upwards. Yellow eyes watching in shock as their surroundings underwent a complete transformation. Gone was the beautiful star-filled sky with a full moon in the background illuminating the Kingdom of Feoh, replaced instead by a darkly lit sky with heavy clouds creating a somber atmosphere. 

A chill ran up her spine as she gazed at the giant gears suspended above, massive constructs that even dwarfed her own castle. They didn't seem to be attached to any mechanism, yet they hung ominously, casting shadows that seemed to stretch endlessly across the desolate landscape.

Her lungs burned as she started to cough, the heavy wall of smog and dust around them making it nearly impossible to see their surroundings. "Ah!" Reaching out her hand, trying to make her way into this strange land, Olga hissed as a sharp pain cut through her hand. "A sword?" 

As the dust started to clear, she watched in horror as what lay before her was a familiar greatsword once used by the leader of the Kuroinu. "Get back!" Flashbacks of their last encounter rushed to her head, forcing the woman to crawl away hastily until her back struck something cold and sharp. 

"Watch out, there is another sword!" Radomira pulled her back, their senses equally befuddled by the surreal surroundings. Olga spun around, her brows furrowing in bewilderment as she tried to make sense of the mysterious object looming behind them.

Another sword?

This longsword differed from Vault's massive slabs of steel, featuring a standard hilt. However, this one felt far more intimidating, exuding a subtle aura infused with inexplicable magic that left her bewildered. 

Then she saw another blade right beside it. 

And another one.

Swords…

Dozens of swords. 

Hundreds?

No, far more than that. Gradually more and more kept showing up as the smog took some time to clear up enough for Olga to realize that the entire landscape was blanketed with nothing but blades. All of them, she could sense, were powerful artifacts that made Vault's blade along with  those that she had found and studied, felt no different to a mere pebble surrounded by mountains. Some emanated demonic energies so palpable  that it felt as though she stood next to a ravenous beast, eager to tear into her flesh. 

Others held the same aura as the sun itself, with an unprecedented level of concentrated magic. A potency so overwhelming that she feared even a single graze from one of these weapons would consume her in flames. 

"What is this place…" 

Countless  precious weapons lay before her, each possessing the potential to ignite wars and reshape kingdoms Yet here they were, abandoned amidst the endless sea of blades thrust into the ground, left to decay and rust. Discarded in the battlefield, left to be forgotten despite holding powers capable of slaying god-like entities. 

It was overwhelming, to the point that a wave of nausea threatened to empty her stomach. The realization of how narrowly she came to inadvertently getting cut by one of them sent shivers down her spine. 

What kind of entity could own so many of these priceless weapons and allow them to waste away in this desolate wasteland? She feared to speculate, as not even the god Luu-Luu worshiped held such a disgusting yet terrifying domain.  

"Are you okay, Olga?" Her solace came when Radomira gently nudged her shoulders, bringing the Dark Elf back to her senses.

"Ah!" A tremor ripped through the ground beneath their feet, followed by the high pitched chorus that could only be described as blades colliding.

A cacophony of metal clashing against metal filled the air as Olga and the little girl turned towards the direction of the source and gasped in astonishment. There he was, Archer, locked in a fierce battle with the mysterious woman, his swords clashing against a transparent crimson wall with deafening intensity. As the skirmish unfolded before her eyes, Olga's senses were assailed by a familiar and haunting feeling as she looked closely at the power emanating from the blonde girl. 

"I remember this," she murmured under her breath. "This magic... it's the same as that time." The memory resurfaced vividly in her mind—the entity that had once laid waste to her castle, capable of inflicting grievous harm upon Archer. "Is she…" 

It was surely her, the sheer sensation she got from her powers was sickening. As if she was thrown in a river of blood, left to fend for herself against a bloodthirsty monster exuding an intense pressure that surpassed anything she sensed from the Goddess herself. And this same person was holding onto a wounded and battered Archer, a person she views as a monster in his own right. 

"Archer!" Radomira's voice rang out, her shock palpable as she watched Archer engage in combat with an unknown assailant. The scene unfolding before her was beyond anything she had imagined, leaving her to wonder: who was this girl, and why she was hurting him. "Leave him al—!?" 

She couldn't shout out his name anymore as Olga immediately silenced the girl by covering her mouth with her hands. Her legs trembled at the thought of drawing this monster's attention. Even if she had a staff, Olga doubted her ability to contend with it. 'A-Archer must have a plan… Y-Yes, that must be the case! He can handle it!' 

She attempted to reassure herself while Radomira intensified her efforts to break free. Her attempts getting more frantic as she noticed Draco's frown deepen as she held onto Archer, clearly displeased with something he had said. Her hands started to glow a deep crimson hue, what resembled fire instantly engulfing Archer's body and causing the space around to start fading. However, Olga had a tight grip on her, summoning every ounce of strength to prevent the girl from plunging headfirst into danger. 

Unfortunately for her, Radomira started to get desperate. "Lem mhe GO!"  A purple glow encompassed her body as the wings behind her back grew twice their size and broke free from Olga's grip. Falling onto her knees, she swayed around before grabbing onto a random sword and rushed forward without hesitation, a thick mist forming around her as it surrounded the steel blade as well. "Get your hands off him you pipsqueak!" 

"You fool!" Mortified by Radomira's action, Olga watched in despair as the young Tiefling swung the weapon in circles before chugging it straight towards the unsuspecting Draco. 

The blade spun through the air with no precision, completely missing Draco's head, which Radomira had been aiming for. Instead, it struck the tip of Draco's red tail , causing it to stagger and  Draco to tilt backwards. The fire surrounding her dispersed as her arms flailed in an attempt to  regain her balance. "Wah!" 

Pa! 

Radomira came swooping in, tackling the baffled Draco to the ground and forcing her to releaseArcher. Both girls tumbled down one of the hills within the Reality Marble, the space around them shattered into shards. Suddenly, they found themselves back in the courtyard — none of which Radomira paid any heed to heed to as her thoughts were consumed by terror and anger towards her thoughts were consumed by terror and anger towards this little girl who was hurting Archer. 

"Stay away from Archer!" She roared as she released a barrage of strikes at Draco, but it was no different to hitting a brick wall. "Ouch!" 

As for Draco, the blonde found herself entranced as some of the mist reached her nose, causing a portion of her anger to dissipate in the process. "Aaah, there is that beautiful scent I was searching for. Who would have thought for you to come straight for me?" She remarked, prompting Radomira to recoil upon hearing those words. 

"You did all of this because you wanted my scent!? Why did you have to hurt Archer then!? I could have given you everything and even other variations I've been practicing if you had just asked! Stupid kid!" 

Draco's eyes twitched, "I don't take kindly to your words, child." 

Radomira had no time to exchange words with Draco as her mind was preoccupied with Archer's state. She tried to fly towards the man but found herself immobilized as a red claw clasped around her wrists. Draco's frustrated voice rang out in frustration, echoing through the area.. "You come here, disrupt my battle against the guardian who insulted me and proceed to do the same. Now, even with my never-ending generosity to not kill you right here at this very moment, you have the audacity to ignore me. I'll eat you up if you dare to disrespect me again." 

Her heartbeat grew louder, Radomira knew the entire time that she was no match for whoever this person was but did so anyways. She came here for her too… Why did those she grew close to have to suffer just because of her presence? She hated how it happened to everyone she knew, Claudia and even Archer now.

She slowly stopped putting up a struggle, 'Perhaps it's better if I…'

"Move, Radomira!" From the background, Archer roared, making the Tiefling jolt awake from her thoughts. A magic circle appeared right beneath her feet, one which Draco scoffed at. 

"Trying to flee? Not on my watch." Another red shield materialized around them, the crimson eyed blonde observing with disdain as the spell started to weaken. However, her attention was diverted when she spotted the man in the distance holding onto a bow with a bright dot heading straight for her. "Again with that nonsense? If it took your entire Reality Marble's arsenal to breach my previous defense, then what makes you think a single arrow shot by a bow will hel—!?"

The crimson dome vanished the moment the projectile touched its surface. As if time came to a standstill, the Beast got a clear look at the 'arrow', resembling more a ceremonial dagger contorted and stretched into a crude arrow. The magic circle activated once again and teleported Radomira away. 'It destroyed it? That doesn't seem like it… my spell was simply unmade… he had an anti-thaumaturgy Noble Phantasms this entire time!' 

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to comment on it as right behind the first shot lurked another projectile. This one was brimming with immeasurable power and force.With the shield dispelled, it honed in directly for her chest. Incensed, Draco raised her fingers at the last second and unleashed the remaining scraps of energy she collected this past week. 

At least she managed to converse with the person who had piqued her interest before deciding to pay these two a visit. And she did have her fair share of entertainment from this little fight.

"Humph, I'll admit, you are indeed quite capable. But you're still a stubborn idio—ough!" The Noble Phantasm hit its target, not detonating immediately but instead propelling Draco off her feet, sending her hurtling away past the kingdom and beyond the walls where it imploded upon the grassy hills. A similar fate befell Archer, lacking the time or energy to use Rho Aias, the man defiantly confronted the beam of energy, only to be sent crashing down the castle, through the buildings and finally into the outer walls, leaving behind a deep crater. 

"Urgh…" he tried to breathe but found the task to be painful. The burns on half of his body from Draco's attack still continue to eat away at his flesh. "I… I can't believe that worked." 

From the outset, it was never his goal to kill that woman right then and there as it was just impossible without being given the proper amount of time to prepare. If he was a Servant then they might have been on more equal footing, but his current self just wasn't enough. "Hah…. She's… hah… she's running on fumes… if I can reach her now… " 

Turned out the old man was right, the Beast was severely weakened and their fight had only served to drain its strength, leaving it vulnerable for the moment. However, given enough time, she would recover again and edge  even closer to her original strength. He could not allow that to happen, he had to reach her now and finish the job. 

'I say that, but I'm not sure if I'll even survive this day.' he thought, feeling numbness spreading from his chest and across half of his face. Even if he survived this day, the recovery would undoubtedly be agonizingly slow. "Argh!" He tried to get up, but his muscles and bones were too battered from the fall. From start to finish, the battle had been painfully one-sided, and only through a surprise attack, and likely Draco's restraint, had he managed to fend her off. 

He doubted the girl would return for another round today, he hoped so at least. With Olga and the other girls present, perhaps they could muster some semblance of a fight if they actually tried hard enough. Or at least, buy enough time to allow the others to escape and find refuge somewhere around the world. 

As his strength waned and darkness encroached upon his consciousness, Emiya struggled in vain to move. Uncertain if he would awaken again, he resigned himself to lying on his back, his breaths shallow and feeble. His vision turned red from the blood streaming down his head. "E-Eh?" 

But what he found staring back at him was not the star-filled sky of Feoh. Instead it was something that made him question whether he was going mad or if Draco had cast an illusion spell upon him. 

Archer's gaze fell upon a pair of naked breasts, unadorned by f clothing, with nothing but long blonde hair concealing the woman's intimate regions. But from his angle he saw everything nonetheless. Sitting beside him on her knees, Archer felt a gentle touch on his cheeks as a soothing voice spoke, "Rest now, Guardian. You will be fine, you will not perish with me by your side."

Who was this woman? His vision was blurry, but even then he could see a striking resemblance to Celestine. However, her features were more mature than the Goddess Reborn, even the warmth he felt slowly coursing through his body felt very similar to her. She cradled his head on her thighs, gently wiping away the blood with her own hands. 

"I'm sorry I failed to make it in time, I only hope this will make up for my mistakes."

Rays of light flooded his vision, and with no energy left in his being, Emiya had no choice but to comply with her words. Slowly, he closed his eyes. 

From the looks of it, she didn't appear to be his enemy.

The last sound he heard was a soft hum emanating from the woman, reminiscent of a soothing melody. As he closed his eyes, Archer decided to trust her for now. "Don't you… dare… pry… into my… soul."

He didn't need another Celestine's case to deal with — one was enough already. 

-------------

The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 2 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 commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.