Chapter 397

Raikou POV

Master didn't need me for his reunion. Instead I was interested in these people he had spoke so highly of, but I knew where I would best be put to use.

I would not help on the technicalities of this Singularity, but corralling unruly Servants was something I was more than capable of.

It seemed my suspicions were founded as Lancelot and the dark reflection of Artoria were staring at one another.

"M-My King!" Lancelot immediately collapsed to his knees in front of the Darkened Saber.

She stared at him silently.

Lancelot waiting, each moment was excruciating for the Knight as Saber silently judged him.

"I am not your King." Saber said simply.

I believe her dismissal did more emotional damage than anything she could have done with her sword. The anguish on Lancelot's face was enough to even make me feel something despite sharing a  similar sentiment to Master.

I held a strong dislike for this man who brought so much pain to Master's other woman. Even if I made sure to limit how much he expressed his distaste, I did not feel any pity for him previously.

"But you –"

"I am the Tyrant of Knights." Saber replied, in clear disdain. "The ideals you fought for were not mine. Do not presume to speak to me as if your existence means anything to me."

"Your Lover, he spoke – "

Barely with enough time to blink, I stepped to interfere, because Saber had her fist reeled back, ready to attack him. I grabbed hold of her gauntlet, not letting her budge.

She glared at me. "Remove your hand."

"You have a much fierier temper than the Artoria I know." I did not. However, that only seemed to set her off further.

The Mana around her erupted, And I had seen it enough to know it was her Mana Burst Skill. In response, I activated my own, my Lightning answering my call as we fought, neither budging.

Eventually, she scoffed, dismissing her Mana Burst. With a jerk from her, I let go of her arm. It seems her anger subsided enough that she wasn't going to lash out any longer.

Instead of attacking him, she instead reached down, and pulled him up by his armor until her face was even with his. "Do not bother me again."

I admit to feeling the slightest bit of pity for him now. "There is a misunderstanding here, Lancelot."

Lancelot looked at me and he was still confused, as no one had properly explained things to him thus far. I just mentally shrugged as it was not my duty.

"….I will take my leave." He said dejectedly. He wasn't a fool, he could at least understand that the situation was not what he had assumed, merely the details escaped him.

"Halt." Saber commanded as he was about to turn around. She did not give him a chance to respond, she grabbed him again, jerking him forward and put her hand on his chest. I was going to question what she was doing until a familiar light manifested. Avalon was pulled from him, and she held it protectively in her grasp. "Now, leave my sight." She demanded.

Lancelot, with slumped shoulders, didn't argue and disappeared amongst the array of tents around us.

"Master put that inside of him intentionally." I voiced.

Her nostrils flared as if she were about to lash out at me, but she calmed herself. "It will return to where it belongs."

"Are you going to take possession of it?" I questioned.

"No." She scoffed angrily. "He will resume possession of it as he is supposed to. If he is foolish enough to nearly die, then he is not allowed to walk around without it."

"And why do you get to decide that?"

"I have more of a say than you do!" She growled. "You, a Servant –"

"I am also his Woman." I interrupted, watching all the anger she was working up with immediately dissipate into nothingness as she blinked at my abrupt declaration. "Amusing, you still have similar mannerisms as the Artoria I know. She has that same look when she gets confused about something."

"What do you want?" She finally grit out.

"Are you not going to ask me for clarification?" I tilted my head.

"Why would I care?" She huffed, turning her nose up.

"Very well, if you do not wish to know, I will not bore you."

She twitched slightly in annoyance. "...was it a lie? That he said he loved….her?"

"It was not." I smiled, knowing that she couldn't help herself. "They are very cute together."

"…..but you said..?"

"Yes?" I returned. "Why can he not be with both of us? Rather, what makes you think it's only us?" I hummed, watching her try and understand what I was insinuating. "Master is going to be upset that you took the Sheath from Lancelot. He will most likely revert to his Berserker state soon."

"I do not care." Saber grunted. "He is a fool, and obviously requires extra protection."

"Strangely, that is something I think we can both agree on. Master often does foolish things that end up going wrong. But very rarely is it also something dangerous as well."

"Why?" She asked.

"Pardon? Why what?" I asked for clarification.

She looked at me with obvious confusion and an array of emotions that seemed utterly foreign to her. "I was hated throughout my life, a Tyrant that used forced submission to all my foes. I did not hold back my blade and attempted to slay him just as I did everyone else. So why was my death mourned by him and tears shed? Why did he do something as foolish as he did due to grief? I don't understand. I am not her, I am a vile and oppressive Tyrant. So Why?"

"It is the same reason that Master accepted an Oni like me without a second thought." I felt myself relating to her very much.

"You did not answer my question." She frowned. "Why have you sought me out? To mock me?"

"I merely wished to inform you of a few things. What you desire to do with it is your choice." My interference ended here. "But if you want to know, you can ask the person directly."

If someone told me that there was a corrupted version of Artoria, I would not believe them. And I would especially not believe that this 'corrupted' version of her would be shy.

Because that was all I could perceive once I brought up the notion of her talking to Master herself.

[***]

Wilhelm POV

"You disappeared rather quickly." I walked up to Cu who was sitting on a rock, carving Runes into some stones he had laying around. "After we started talking about the details, I didn't even notice when you slipped away."

"All that crap doesn't matter to me." Caster shrugged dismissively.

"Or you already know, right?" I questioned, eyeing him. "Solomon, that is. After the whole singularity talk, we backtracked to him and everything he was involved in, that was when you up and vanished."

"Hey…" He threw his head back to look up at me. "I was upfront when I said I knew things I wasn't gonna be telling you."

"That you were." I nodded. "Scoot over." I nudged him to the side as I sat down on the large rock as well, taking up a few of them unused stones and helped him out.

"It's good you're back though. The kids could use the morale boost. They've been holding it together, but it's a pretty shitty thing all around."

"Really? I'm questioning if I should have even come back so soon."

"You shouldn't have." He said as a matter of fact.

"Well, thanks for making me feel guilty." I snorted. "But are you fucking with me or serious?"

"I see what you're doing, y'know. The Holy Shroud, and shit. It's cute, but won't work for long." He began to explain, still carving his runes. "We're already teetering on a knife's edge."

"Yeah, I get that." I sighed, looking at the stone in my hand. "I fucked up pretty bad before, walked right into the Dragon's Lair, as it were. I was so far over my head that I'm lucky to be alive. But you know that too."

"Yeah." He just nodded.

"If I used everything I had, do you think I would have stood a chance?"

"Honestly? I'm not omnipotent or anything, I mean, I know a thing or two I shouldn't, but….eh, you want me to be honest?"

"I already know the answer, but just say it." I waived it off.

"Nah. What do people say in the future? You would have been rektd."

"I'm more confused how you even know something like that rather than the cryptic bullshit you're spewing left and right."

He chuckled to himself, decidedly not answering.

"Odin is fucking bullshit." Time is more a suggestion to powerful enough Divine Spirits. Odin was more than capable of looking into the future for fun at any time he desired. Hence, why Cu was here in the first place most likely.

"How about how I am now? What do my chances look like?"

He paused, turning his gaze to me. It was different from his normal, the almost lazy look he normally had. It was now filled with something indescribable as he peered at me with more than what his presumed title would suggest. "You're stronger than before. Some new things you got recently, yeah? You would still lose."

"Thought so."

"But…..you did close the gap a bit."

"Progress is good."

"It is."

"Will it matter?'

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Once you entered the equation, things turned messy. Which is why you being here makes things…difficult."

"….I couldn't just leave them on their own."

"I know." He turned back to me, that ancient gaze of his returning back to his normal one. Instead he adopted a rather warm smile. "You're a good kid. Would have been fast friends during my life if you were around."

"Huh…"

"Could have double teamed that bitch together." He shot me a cock grin.

"Fuck you." I kicked him, rather awkwardly considering we were sitting next to each other.

"You modern folk." He shrugged helplessly. "Don't know why you're kicking up a fuss. It'd have been considered brotherly bonding in my time for a pair of siblings to share one of their wives."

"Alright Mr.Any-Hole-is-a-Goal." I snorted again. "Scáthach is mine, don't get any ideas."

"Hah!" He laughed mirthfully. "That Bitch actually settling down with a Man. I still don't know if I believe it." He shook his head. "How's she doing?"

"Good. She's been exploring a bunch, going to a few different worlds, having fun just living."

"Mmm." He nodded, not commenting further.

"I wanted to ask, by the way. I mean, you pretty much confirmed it, but I figured I would clarify. I'm still unnoticed, right?"

"Probably."

"Right, I'm filled with confidence now."

"Even Odin in his prime would be cautious against him" Cu looked at me seriously. "So me saying probably does hold a lot of merit to it."

"Alright, alright." I put my arms up in surrender as he was half glaring at me, and I think that was his Odin bits being peeved that I was questioning him.

"Got a random question for you that's been bugging me."

"I might not answer."

"Does Odin know Izanami?"

He blinked, looking at me in confusion. "Japan's Death Goddess? Why would you think they know each other? Just because they existed within the same time frame, it doesn't mean they interacted. Especially with the distance between worshippers and such." He paused. "Huh….I do have a small impression of her. For some reason, I think I think…..Odin and her had some small conflict or something? I told you before, I'm not entirely him, so I'm only getting some impressions here."

That's funny, I guess even in this world, Odin and Izzy have that kind of relationship.

"Why'd you ask?" He questioned.

"Odin in my birth world, he and Izanami have a sort of antagonistic relationship where they constantly snipe at one another." I briefly explained. "Oh, I just brought it up cause I'm dating Izanami back home."

"….I don't even care anymore." He threw his hands up. "You get a bunch of girls, and that Bitch slaps me around for even thinking about another one when I was near her."

"Jealousy is an ugly look."

"Screw you." He pouted.

"Is it a bad time to say that Scáthach told me she loves me?" I asked.

"I kind of hate you right now."

"I know, and I welcome it."

"No wonder she settled for you. You're both absolute cunts."

"That's for the sharing comment from before."

"Yeah, I got that." He snorted. "By the way, I've been teaching the farm boy some Druidism and Runecraft."

"I noticed the staff, but we were focused on the bigger stuff. He has talent in that sort of thing?" I was mildly surprised. "It's not something popular in the modern era."

"Wouldn't be surprised if his Origin has something to do with it as just being a Farm Boy isn't enough. Definitely helps, as he's closer to the Earth and all that, but he has some alright talent there. Just said something cause I want you to teach him a few things with Runes if you get the chance. Looks up to you a bit, I think it'd help if you gave him a pointer or two."

"kind of funny considering you're more knowledgeable on Runecraft than me." But it was an easy enough request. "Do you think we'll have enough time? I'm worried that the wrong pair of eyes may fall on me and cut my visit short."

"His gaze is not on this Singularity, so you don't have to worry about abruptly getting a visit or anything like that." He assured me, head suddenly turning back towards where everyone was gathered. "Something's going on."

I noticed it as soon as he said something, people began running around with a purpose. And a Saintess coming towards me with haste.

"Will!" Jeanne yelled as she got closer. "She's coming."

"Who?" I questioned.

Jeanne grabbed my hand, pulling me back towards where all the tents were set up, weaving through them as she pointed over towards the horizon.

I reinforced my eyes, and even still, they were barely dots in the sky, but they nearly blotted out the sun.

"I could feel it as soon as she got close." Jeanne whispered. "I don't know why, but I have this connection and I can sense her. It's the Dragon Witch, she's coming."

"…..phrasing."

"Neeeh!" She puffed up, hitting my shoulder with her tiny fists.

Well, I guess it's finally time to see who exactly it was going around using Jeanne's identity.

[***]

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