[FDJ]Chapter 52: Similar Individuals

Historical records state that the combined forces of Aetius successfully pursued Attila's army to the Catalonian Plains, where the evenly matched armies engaged in a decisive battle. The result was the defeat of Attila's Hun army, with Attila himself managing to escape with a portion of his remaining forces.

Following the teachings of Chaldea, Suzuki placed greater emphasis on the achievements of historical figures themselves. As a result, there is limited information on this particular war recorded in the Chaldea institution, unless the commanders of both sides were renowned, or the casualty rates among the soldiers were exceptionally high.

According to the customary teachings of Chaldea, "students" are advised to accept their fate and wait for death when facing particularly powerful Servants. Chaldea did not expect disposable individuals like Suzuki to confront Servants of Attila's caliber. Such tasks were reserved for true human Masters, preferably of pure bloodline and descended from distinguished magus families, possessing the qualifications and capability to defeat them. Just as one would not expect a lamb to overpower a bear and then proceed to feed the lamb to a tiger, the chances of success increase when similarly ranked beasts battle against each other.

However, in this instance, Suzuki Yuki came alone to an undeveloped Singularity, without the opportunity to sacrifice oneself as a true Master and provide intelligence or serve as a reserve sacrificial offering. If the formation of the Singularity needed to be prevented, Suzuki Yuki was the only choice.

After observing Suzuki Yuki closely for a long time, Aetius had discerned his true nature, including his slightly unconventional thinking and actions compared to ordinary people. In Aetius' view, Suzuki Yuki possessed a human body but had internal flesh and organ components that functioned mechanically, like the parts of a puppet, activated by programmed instructions from its designer. He harbored no favorable impression of such artificial beings.

"I have a general understanding of your affairs at Chaldea. Whether it's for the sake of possible righteousness or to defeat Attila, I can assist you. The Holy Grail holds no attraction for me; I simply want to defeat Attila here. Can we cooperate, young man of the future?"

Although Aetius looked down on Suzuki Yuki's true identity, he maintained the respect befitting a nobleman.

It was at this moment that Suzuki Yuki seemed to fully regain his senses, looking around and noticing that while the curtains blocked the sunlight outside, the room was now much brighter, illuminated by magical crystals that were the sole source of light. The drowsiness that had enveloped his body was completely gone.

"I would be grateful for any assistance I can receive. However, at the moment, I am helpless. I have lost my Servant..." Suzuki responded.

"No, due to your involvement in this Holy Grail War, there are two Sabers. I recall that the other Saber, in fact, has no Master. You can talk to him separately. Also, do you know why Brunhilda took your Servant away?" Aetius asked.

Suzuki pondered for a moment and shook his head, indicating that he was unaware of the reason.

"I heard clearly in the dark. Brunhilda, in her transformed state, issued a command spell to Berserker, instructing him to subdue the women around him. Berserker followed the command spell and merely knocked out your Servant. Can you still sense your Servant now?" Aetius didn't give Suzuki much chance to respond and believed that he had already provided all the information Suzuki needed during his self-introduction.

"Yes, I can. I still have remaining command spells, and I can sense Jeanne's presence through the connection of the command spells."

"I haven't seen your Servant use her Noble Phantasm. Can you tell me about it?" Aetius couldn't believe that a Saber-class Servant would not have a Noble Phantasm. Considering Suzuki Yuki's description of Jeanne d'Arc as a future famous saint who fought on the battlefields of Gaul, combined with her class and the fact that she possessed a Christian-themed holy sword, Aetius speculated that she had a military-oriented Noble Phantasm.

"Her Noble Phantasm..." Suzuki Yuki hesitated and took a moment to think before continuing. "Her Noble Phantasm is ranked as EX (indeterminate). It can only be used once. After using it, she will self-annihilate."

"A self-destructive Noble Phantasm?" Aetius, based on Suzuki's description, roughly guessed the reason. "Perhaps Brunhilda took her to utilize her unique self-destructive Noble Phantasm and create great chaos."

Suzuki had glimpsed Jeanne d'Arc's despair in her dreams, being judged as a "witch" amid flames, with no one extending a helping hand to her. The Noble Phantasm held by the saint who had nothing left but faith was filled with tragic implications. After understanding all the information about Jeanne d'Arc, Suzuki never considered using her Noble Phantasm.

"If possible, I want to rescue my Servant," Suzuki said something that Chaldea had never taught him. He, too, feared the flames, loneliness, being abandoned. In Suzuki's subconscious, he compared Jeanne d'Arc's flaws with his own and admired the glorious side of Jeanne d'Arc.

If he had the chance to become a great hero like Jeanne, Suzuki would have such an illusion.

"You want to rescue your Servant?" Aetius contemplated Suzuki's words and sensed a difference in judgment from his own. A tool should not possess self-awareness. Aetius was curious about which direction Suzuki would grow in, and what human affairs would fill his empty personality. He became curious about Suzuki and understood why Attila took an interest in this young magus who came from the future.

It is not just about saving the Servant; Aetius is convinced that Suzuki wants someone to save himself, hence the thought of saving others. Aetius remembered a conclusion he reached while studying the Holy Grail War: there is usually a connection between the Heroic Spirit that responds and the Master, similar to summoning a ruthless killer for an assassin or summoning a knowledgeable sage for a scholar. In his case, without using a relic, he summoned a peculiar 'demonic' jester. Initially, Aetius was dissatisfied with the weak power of his Servant, but disregarding the difference in strength, he and the ostentatious 'demonic' jester were quite alike. Both were playing the roles that others desired, but Aetius considered himself more successful, turning the fake into reality. At the age of 50, he truly became a top-tier magus of this era, surpassing his role as the heir to his family and becoming a grand duke of the Western Roman Empire.

Therefore, he would not ridicule Suzuki's wish. He recognized that at Suzuki's age, he was just a hostage sent to the Hun tribe, a person waiting for death without even a fantasy. Who had ever placed bets on his younger self at that age? It seemed some truly foolish people couldn't see others.

"Do you think it's possible, Suzuki Yuki?" Aetius asked seriously once again, although any normal person could deduce that it was impossible, just as no one took notice of Aetius, who had already lost his Roman noble demeanor, during his time with the Hun tribe.

["Are you Aetius? You look completely different from the image I heard about in the Roman court. If not for your impeccable Latin, I wouldn't believe you're Roman."]

Just as Aetius looked down on Suzuki now, he had once been treated with such disdain, seen as a mere entertainer by those in power. He still remembered the time when he had almost forgotten he was Roman, and suddenly, a strange girl appeared in the Hun tribe, wearing a Roman noblewoman's dress.

["Your magic performance was interesting. Thank you for your hard work. So, what reward do you want, Roman?"]

["...None."]

["A person cannot have no desires. Just say anything; I'm in a particularly good mood today. Are you married? Shall I find you a beautiful woman to be your wife?"]

["I want... to go home."]

Aetius remembered being mocked by the Hun people back then. Even if the Huns sent him back, it still required approval from the Roman side. After so many years, Aetius' family agreement had expired, and his family didn't come to retrieve him. It was evident that they had abandoned Aetius. What was the point of someone who had already been abandoned wanting to go home? He would stay in the Hun tribe, continue performing magic and acrobatics, never worrying about food, clothing, and having beautiful women by his side.

["Do you think it's possible?"]

That's how the person asked Aetius as if wanting to make him understand reality, yet also waiting for an ignorant response.

["I want to save my Servant, no matter how low the possibility. Because she is my Servant."]

["I want to go home, regardless of whether my family wants me or not. I want to go back because I am a Roman."]

Aetius heard the responses and underestimated the magnitude of the situation. He was convinced of his intuition that someone who could earn Attila's appreciation was truly interesting.

"That's interesting. What plans do you have? I'll help you as much as possible."

["Alright, Roman. Tell me what you need. I'll fulfill all of it."]

Whenever Aetius meditated alone, he could recall the strange Hun girl wearing a noblewoman's dress, rough and barbaric yet unexpectedly showing warmth. He had never imagined that among the uncivilized Huns, there existed someone with knowledge comparable to scholars within the city of Rome. She spoke eloquently about the philosophical theories of ancient Greek sages and the scandalous anecdotes of various Roman emperors. She even diplomatically secured an opportunity for him to return to Rome. The way she conducted herself during diplomatic negotiations was nothing like a Hun. Aetius felt that he, standing behind her, was the barbarian, sold back to Rome for the price of a small box of candies.

For those who held power, many unimaginable things could be achieved. Simply extending a helping hand could yield future benefits whose outcomes were yet to be revealed. Aetius listened to Suzuki Yuki's plan, which was no different from a reckless charge, and suppressed a smile as he nodded in agreement.

Just like himself back then, he believed that once he stepped foot within the borders of Rome, all problems would be effortlessly resolved, deliberately ignoring that it was merely the first step.

"You can't do it alone. Go talk to Saber Gilles de Rais. You need a Servant. Leave the rest to me."

"I know information about Archer. Perhaps we can devise a counterattack trap and defeat Archer, who currently holds the advantage in action." Suzuki Yuki was still approaching this Holy Grail War with the combat techniques he had learned, unaware that the knowledge taught in Chaldea's textbooks could only serve as a basic reference. In a true Holy Grail War that involved the principles of humanity, it was difficult to survive with immature experience alone.

"Alright, but tonight, leave the specific strategy against Archer to me. Do you trust me, Suzuki Yuki?."

Suzuki hesitated for a moment, contemplating his words, and expressed his respect for Aetius.

"I trust you because you're the Roman general who defeated Attila in history."

=====