Under The Night...

Chapter 3 - Under The Night...

He felt a cold sensation around his wounded cheek and hissed in pain. Seeing that Emilia gave him a concerned look and said, "I'm sorry but please bear with it, it isn't a pleasant sensation but it will heal you."

Not pleasant is one way of putting it. He could feel his numb muscles slowly regaining their sense, however it did not feel natural but more like the muscles were forced to wake up because of the pain.

He did not know how severe the damage was, but it was probably quite bad as there was a lot of blood coming out. He felt like a part of his flesh was going to fall, he did not even dare to touch it, fearing it will fall off.

Just imagining such thing was enough to make him blanch.

"Hm?" murmured Emilia.

"What's wrong?" asked Aaron.

"Your wound… It is already healing itself…" she commented with a slight surprise. "It's not completely healed but it is already starting to mend itself," she exclaimed. 'The spirits, the lesser spirits around us are healing you," she said sounding very astonished by that.

"Excuse me?" he blinked in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"It means you have an affinity for spirits," she explained.

Aaron gave a small look toward Reinhard, who was approaching them from the corner of his eyes. The red haired Astrea seemed quite interested by what he was witnessing.

"Lesser spirits have the ability to heal injuries, and if they like you they will gladly help you. Just like what happened to you," Reinhard explained while gesturing to his injured cheek. "It's quite a surprise to see someone else having that kind of affinity."

"…I take it you have one too?" If Aaron remembered well Reinhard has his own healing ability.

"You can say so," chuckled Reinhard. "Although my ability is nothing major, it can certainly help, trust me."

Aaron did not make any comment and let out a grunt of agreement. He knew well how Avalon's regeneration helped Shirou. It was very helpful even if it was not at full power because the young man was not its owner.

"It's strange thought…" commented Emilia with a perplexed expression.

"What's strange?" asked Aaron.

"I'm a spirit contractor, so I can communicate with them and feel their emotion even if only a little," informed Emilia. "And I know that the spirits were not very fond of you–they were plain neutral– but now they are beginning to like you," she said with confusion. "And you said you had a bad history with spirit in the past so…"

"That's… indeed strange," murmured Reinhard in agreement while rubbing his chin. "Do you know something about it Aaron?"

"No, I don't."

And he was honest here, he truthfully didn't know what the elf was asking, he didn't have the slightest idea.

But… If they were willing to heal him then, who was he to deny their generous offer?

It still bore investigation though, who knows, maybe there was some kind of payment that these spirits wanted. He would ask the next time he would meet Beatrice.

"Thank you…"

Aaron blinked once, snapped from his stupor and turned to Emilia.

"Huh?"

"Thank you," repeated Emilia in a softer voice, "for helping me. You're being nothing but polite and helpful, even if you were a bit rude and demanding. But you're a kind person." She expressed her gratitude sincerely, giving the man a warm smile.

"I was feeling skeptical and wary of you at first. However after experiencing all this I do believe that while your way is rough and harsh, it's all to help and keep me safe."

She then tilted her head slightly. "Seeing that we both barely know each other and only met for a short time, this means something."

Aaron looked at Emilia with a surprised expression, obviously taken back by her sincerity. Truthfully he did not help her out of the goodness of his heart, rather it was for his own gain. But with such a kind and genuine attitude, it made him feel ashamed and guilty for trying to trick the girl.

'No… while I did this for my own gain, I did save her life. So it's normal that she is thanking me like this. Life is something precious after all,' Aaron said to himself.

That was right, he did this for his own purpose and she was thanking him, this was just a logical behavior.

But still, it was kind of nice… To get such a heartfelt thank you from someone…

He felt his cheek redden slightly and turned away from the beautiful girl who kept on smiling at him. Damn her good-looking face, if it was someone else who said that he sure as hell could have shrug it off!

'Where's Reinhard?! He was here just a moment ago. Did he leave so we could have our moment? What kind of flag did I trigger here?!' He thought with annoyance seeing the red haired knight missing.

Romance was the last thing he wished to have in this place, considering how it was going to hinder him when he goes back to his world later on.

"Here, it is healed already," said Emilia as she retracted her glowing hands. She inspected the previously wounded cheek to make sure it was completely healed and found herself satisfied.

"Thank you Emilia-dono," replied Aaron with a polite voice.

"Is there anything you wish?" asked Emilia. "You helped me so much today, and if you were not there I could have lost my life. For that I want to repay you."

"…Well truthfully, I helped you because I had nothing to do," answered Aaron, giving a half lie. He really did not have anything to do.

"And while it would be good to get a reward –I guess– for now I don't want anything from you. Besides, you also saved my life," he said while tilting his head.

"I guess seeing you safe is already enough for now."

He knew he had to choose his words and act carefully. With Puck on Emilia's side he couldn't pretend to be a nice guy. One way or another the spirit would soon notice his mask, not to mention they started on the wrong foot. He also wasn't like Subaru who was known as a good and sincere man. Aaron just…was not.

Besides, if he was too kind, Emilia would be suspicious too. For all her naivety and lack of common sense, she actually was far from stupid.

Knowing all that he tried to give her a half truth. In one way he really felt happy that she was safe. It meant he didn't have to face the wrath of a being on the level of a Phantasmal or Divine Beast– in the worst scenario.

"I see…" Emilia sounded uncertain for a moment. "You are a strange person Aaron."

And indeed, in Emilia perspective this man just came out all of a sudden, offering to help her and then refused any sort of rewards. Oh make no mistake, she knew he was hiding something, it was not hard to see after all. Puck himself had told her that while he didn't have any ill intentions toward her, the man seemed to wish to 'use' her somehow.

Then when the argument about letting Elsa go appeared, she could sense his sincerity. He was not lying then, he really felt at fault for the Bower Hunter's escape.

Which was absurd considering it was her who got her insignia stolen in the first place.

She couldn't decide whether he was a good man or not. However one thing was sure, he had a decent personality. He was not a man who let someone get killed in front of him if he could help it– of that she was sure.

Oblivious of the half-elf dilemma, Aaron felt his lips twitched a little at her comment, "Not the first time I've been called that."

The half-elf, hearing this, let out a soft, gentle and angelic laugh. And what a laugh Aaron noticed, no wonder it got a full scene during the anime.

This made him blushed a bit and he turned away as he realized where his thoughts were leading him. Damn her, she wasn't only very beautiful but also very nice. It was too Mary Sue in his opinion! Someone couldn't have all those traits! Nerf her down already damn it!

"Hey…" Aaron heard.

He gave a grateful prayer as someone decided to butt in. In his opinion, if this was continuing, the atmosphere between Emilia and him would go down an awkward direction. And having such a moment with a beautiful girl like Emilia made him feel quite uncomfortable.

Don't get him wrong, he did not fall for her or anything like that. But nice girls always have their own charm and aura. It was kind of bothering him actually.

He just…wasn't good with girls. No, it was more because he still felt bad about trying to trick her. Granted, he still gave her a half-truth but still…

He may be cynical and a jerk, but that did not mean he had a wrong moral sense.

"Yes?" asked Emilia to Felt who was fidgeting under her and Aaron's gaze.

"Uhh… I want to return this," Felt extended the royal insignia and only then the duo realized that no one had picked it up from the floor until now. "This is yours… Sorry for stealing it."

"Like I said, it's okay, I forgive you," chuckled Emilia in a kind manner as she retrieved the badge. "But if possible, I would like it if you stopped your thievery altogether."

"This's something I cannot do," Felt said in a flat voice, "just so you know, I'm only returning this to you because I owe you all my life. I don't think I did anything wrong and I have no plans to stop."

"Then you will meet someone like Bower Hunter again in the future," Aaron dryly pointed, making the petite girl grimaced.

"Look I won't tell you to stop since I'm aware of your condition. But at least please be careful, do some research before deciding to steal something. Obviously if they hired you to steal a Royal Insignia, you would have to face someone in high position and quite dangerous," he lectured.

"Uhh, yeah, I guess you're right," Felt rubbed the back of her hair sheepishly. "You seem pretty good at things like this Onii-chan, were you also a thief in the past?"

"I'm good at it because it's called common sense you dunderhead," replied Aaron while pinching Felt cheek and making the girl yelped in pain. "You need to learn more about the World if you want to survive living like this."

While on Earth there was no gigantic beasts or crazy cults that threatened to destroy the World, they had their own bad guys. Those did not have such raw power but rather reached their goals through cunning and sly strategies.

Politician…

Gods know just how damn many poor souls they sucked dry so they could fill their own pockets. They use nothing but smooth words and their cunning mind, but it is more than enough to make sure the World can't touch them.

"Huh, your cheek is kind of soft," commented Aaron while he was rubbing the blonde girl's cheek at the same time as pinching it. "You make a good stress relief."

He always had a soft spot for cute things, especially children. That was also the reason why he could easily talk to Puck despite knowing its real nature.

He still could remember his little sister always being mad at him whenever he pinched her cheeks. She even called him "Cheeks-pincher". In his defense, it wasn't his fault that his sister happened to be so cute!

"Thwat's swound vwerwy disgwusting Onwii-chwan! Lwet gwo of mwe!" The thief shouted while trying to pry the armored man's hand from her cheek.

Indeed it was, however Aaron didn't care about any of that, he only was pinching her cheek after all. Nothing was wrong in his opinion.

"I admit you have a pretty face but I don't think this figure of yours is helping," he commented as he released her cheek, making the girl instantly start to rub it to sooth the stinging sensation.

"Aaron!" chided Emilia, her face turning slightly red at his blatant vulgar words.

"What? I'm telling the truth," defended Aaron.

This time it was his cheek which got pinched by the half-elf, eliciting a yelp from him. The gentle looking girl for once looked stern.

"You really have a rude behavior, don't you? Especially with that mouth of yours," she admonished with a glare. She knew that Aaron was capable of being polite, she had seen this side of him. However it seemed this guy was in reality quite rude and had a sharp tongue. It was very unfitting for someone who was proclaiming himself a knight in training or wished to be one.

"Get him back for me Onee-chan!" cheered Felt while still rubbing her own red cheek. That had hurt! He really was not holding back while pinching her!

"Am I interrupting something?"

Reinhard who was gone for a moment returned. He looked very amused at the sight of Aaron reprimanded by Emilia– who was quite shorter than him, barely reaching his nose.

"No you don't," answered Emilia releasing Aaron, who rubbed his cheek instantly while mumbling incoherently under his breath about how 'He didn't do anything wrong in the first place' or 'Women and their sense of justice'. If the half-elf heard him, she didn't show any sign.

"Where were you Reinhard?" continued Emilia.

"I was sending a message to some knights to come check around here. We can't be too careless, the Bowel Hunter is quite famous after all," answered Reinhard. "I also asked for some men to escort you back to your mansion, though I can cancel if you disapprove."

"No, I don't mind," said Emilia. "Normally I would have refused but after what happened, it is good to be careful."

"Understood," Reinhard nodded.

"What is your plan after this then?"

"We will have to declare the area off limit for a while and spread wanted poster of the Bowel Hunter. I don't think it'll help much since she is already an infamous person, but renewing the warning of her presence might do some good," Reinhard gaze then turned to Aaron.

"Tough I doubt she will cause more problems, the wound on her arm looked quite bad,' he said recalling the injury received by the killer. "You must be very talented to manage to injure her like that. The Bower Hunter has killed many knights in the past."

"It's mostly thanks to the element of surprise. She underestimated me and paid the price," said Aaron trying to escape.

"Yet you were still able to stand on the same ground as the Bower Hunter herself. This isn't an ordinary feat. Many knights can't even hold their ground against her," pressed Reinhard.

That was because he was fairly stronger than a normal human. This was the only reason he could exchange blows at an equal ground against her. To compensate his lack of skill, he used his superior strength and speed.

But even so, it still wasn't enough. Nowhere enough in Aaron's opinion.

"And that sword in your hand…" Reinhard eyes immediately went to the invisible Excalibur. He knew it was a sword the moment he laid his eyes upon it, despite its invisibility. "I must say, I never saw a sword of that kind and it makes me very curious."

Since Reinhard came from a line of master swordsmen, this clearly mean something. Just by being close to it, the red haired man could tell that the sword must be legendary like the one on his own waist. Moreover its power right now was suppressed, meaning it was very powerful as he could sense it even in this state.

Such idea was bothering him. He always had a soft spot for swords, even for a badly crafted one. And now he found a sword that rivaled his own… However he felt in his heart, that he could trust the man in front of him for an unknown reason. There was some sort of aura radiating from Aaron that made Reinhard trust him.

"You can say it is… a gift," answered Aaron as he glanced at his invisible sword. Now that he mentioned it, he seemed to have lost the original sheath, the one that used to cover it. The sheath itself was not Avalon, merely a simple one. But in this new world it became a seal that could hide the invisible sword. Now that he unleashed the sword, the sheath was no longer needed.

How was he going to hide the sword now? Of course it was invisible but he wanted to be able to store it and call it for battle. After all, it would be very convenient if he could call it whenever he wanted! Especially as it was invisible, he himself was going to have a hard time finding it if he put it down somewhere!

When he hold Excalibur… no, the moment he grasped it before the battle he became aware of its real size, look and length. When using it he could see it for what it really was and not covered by wind.

It was as if he had spent all his life with the sword and its exact features were rooted deep inside his mind.

It felt strange… the sensation was very foreign and yet not unpleasant.

'Let's see' thought Aaron.

He closed his eyes and began to focus. He felt something surge inside him, flowing from the surface of his skin, crawling through his clothes and gauntlet. Then it reached the invisible sword, slithering like wires, began to cover it whole and then…

What occurred next was something indescribable. To put it in words as best as he could, it felt like dropping an object into the water while at the same time touching the surface of the liquid and feeling the rippled the act caused with his other hand.

That was what he felt when he released Excalibur from his grip, and then the sword was gone, disappearing from the living World.

"…!? What did you just do?" Reinhard seemed aware instantly of what happened despite being invisible to the naked eyes. The sword was already invisible, so it was almost like nothing happened. The Saint Sword could catch a glimpse of the sword even while invisible, but now?

He could not see it anymore.

"I just hid it," answered Aaron in a calm voice. He was quite proud of his act because inside he also felt dazed by the sudden event.

"A simple trick I learned, very handy I might say. By the way, what are you going to do with Felt and this old man?" He quickly asked when he noticed Emilia looking at him with curiosity. He didn't want to talk about his trump card after all.

Still… Could he do the same with his armor? If yes then… Okay he was going to test it later obviously, not now. What if it left him naked? That was something he didn't want to happen.

Hearing him say that, Felt stiffened as the Saint Sword sky blue eyes fell upon her.

Reinhard feeling that Aaron didn't want to explain his trick, decided to continue with the discussion.

"It's hard for me to grasp all that has happened, but given my occupation I don't think I can ignore what they were doing. However…" he paused and then shrugged his shoulders with a knowing smile. "Today happens to be my day off so…"

"Hahaha, you really are a terrible knight," joked Emilia with a laugh while Felt showed a relieved expression.

"Do you hear that? Make sure you are careful next time girl," commented Aaron patting her head.

"Stop treating me like a little girl!" yelled Felt squirming under his grip and trying to pry his hand away. "You don't look that older to me!"

"I'm eighteen going on nineteen, and you're what? Twelve?" answered Aaron.

"I'm fifteen! You aren't much older than me!"

Aaron could only shake his head and released the girl. His green eyes twinkled with amusement as he looked at the glowering thief.

"Well you have a pretty face, one that makes you look young," commented Aaron. "I mean, forgetting your dirty appearance I could see you in a dress. I'm sure it will suit you well."

Felt's cheeks reddened a bit, this was the first time someone praised her for her look. She didn't care much truthfully but she was still a girl.

"Like hell I would wear a dress!" she huffed. "It looks strange and it is too frilly for my taste."

While Emilia smiled in amusement at the duo interaction, Reinhard saw something flashed in the thief red eyes.

He then recalled what Aaron just said, 'Wait could it be…' His eyes widened a little. He watched from a distance when she returned the insignia but thought it may be only his eyes playing a trick. However now that Aaron mentioned it… He suddenly reached out and grabbed Felt's shoulder. His action made the trio turned to him with a surprised look – though one seemed to already know what it was about.

And it just went like how Aaron imagined. Reinhard interrogated Felt on her identity and insisted on her coming with him. He was tempted to butt in to improve his image in front of Emilia – and also because Felt shot him several desperate looks. But that decision was taken from him when Reinhard knocked her out just like in canon.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth, however he wisely refrained himself from making any comments.

"Thank you Aaron," said Reinhard, making the blond blinked. "If it wasn't for your comment, I wouldn't have put it together."

Aaron didn't know what to say. After a moment of consideration he chose his words carefully. "I had my own suspicious when I looked at her, your action however seems to prove I was right."

"Right?" asked Emilia still oblivious. "What's right?"

"Well…" Aaron rubbed his chin in an uncertain manner. "I guess you have a right to know, though I think it's better if you find out by your own later."

"Eh? But-"

"Besides, it is still only a guess. There is no solid proof, right Reinhard?"

"Yes," answered Reinhard. "There's still a certain procedure that needs to be done to be sure. Though I have my own suspicions just like you."

Hearing both sword-wielder speaking seems to be enough for Emilia to relent as she gave a slow nod.

"As for the old man, I will bring him to the nearest post and tell him about this new suspicions," informed Reinhard.

"By the way, what are you going to do Aaron?" he asked. "You're a tourist right? What did you come here for?"

"… Truthfully I never intended to come to the capital," said Aaron, already prepared for this conversation. "I took the wrong ride and I realized it too late. Moreover the ride to the capital is more expensive than my original one… As a matter of fact I'm sure I got scammed,' he added with a grimace. It was a lie but he actually never wished to come here so it had some merit…right?

"I don't know about the currency here so I brought goods. But what I trade them for is more than it should have been" continued Aaron.

In other words, he was moneyless, homeless and didn't know where he was going to go now.

That was what crossed Emilia and Reinhard's mind but they refrained from saying it aloud as it would be rude. 'Well, it's not like he would care' thought Emilia. Aaron seemed used to talk in such a way but she still was too well mannered to say it.

"Well," chuckled Reinhard. "You can come to my house then, I wouldn't mind having you as a guest."

"No, allow me to provide you shelter," suddenly said Emilia. "You've been very helpful to me Aaron and I have yet to repay you. So I insist that you come to my place to rest."

Aaron was silent for a moment, seeming to consider both offers deeply but in reality his decision was already made from the beginning.

"I guess… Giving my current predicament it would be foolish of me to not accept your offer. Very well then Emilia-done," he said with a nod of acceptance.

He then turned to Reinhard, "No offence, but I prefer Emilia-dono company, she is more appealing to the eye."

Emilia face turned red at the obvious compliment while Reinhard laughed in a good-nature manner. "It's okay. Here, this belong to you right?" he asked rhetorically showing a bag, prompting Aaron to remember he left it behind at the start of the battle.

"Thank you, Reinhard."

"No problem, oh and here, this is for you too."

After accepting his bag Aaron caught a pouch that Reinhard tossed him and took a peek inside.

"This is…"

"The money that the Bowel Hunter brought with her. I don't think she has a use for it now, and since you are going to need it, you can have it," replied Reinhard. "Consider it a payment for guarding Emilia-sama, it is supposed to be my job as a knights to guard the Royal Candidate after all."

Well… He didn't know how to respond. He didn't even know the currency of this World, how much the money he got was worth and what he could buy with it. However if he remembered well, Felt sounded pretty awed when Elsa showed twenty holy coins – the amount in the pouch – which meant the amount must be quite large.

"I will take half of it then," he said as he took out ten coins. "Give the rest to that old man, he is going to need it to fix his place." He handed it back to Reinhard who blinked.

He noticed that not only Reinhard was looking at him but Emilia too. And her smile seemed approving.

"You're a good person Aaron," confirmed Emilia.

"I agree, you may appear rough but you have your own way to show your good side,' nodded Reinhard, with an approval gaze of his own.

This made the armored man's left eye twitch. The only reason he gave the money back was because he didn't know what to do with it! And he also didn't know how much money it represented in the first place!

"Hn." He only grunted and turned away from the duo praising look. His eyes wondered to the moon that shined down in an alluring way. 'I guess this is my first checkpoint then? Speaking about checkpoint, this is the first day I'm here and yet…'

And yet he already almost died for God damn many times and faced a deranged assassin. Great, just great… He had a feeling things will only be more complicated the next day.

"That would be your ride," said Reinhard, prompting Aaron to turn toward where he was looking. "I guess I should be going as well," he added.

Aaron saw a well-designed carriage pulled by a… lizard. This type of lizard, if he remembered well were called earth dragon in this word. Though in his opinion it almost looked like a dinosaur rather than a dragon. Nonetheless he still found himself captivated for a moment, it was quite a sight for someone new to this world after all.

"Yes, thank you for your help Reinhard," replied Emilia in a grateful voice.

"There's no need for that, I barely did anything." Reinhard responded back while shaking his head.

"Your presence was enough to repel the Bowel Hunter," chimed in Aaron. "If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't have retreated that easily." And that was the truth, judging by how Elsa was looking at him before she ran away. It seems he managed to enter the assassin's black list.

"Yeah, but I still barely did anything. The credit actually goes to you Aaron, you're the one who protected Emilia-sama and sent Felt to call for help."

At such response Aaron allowed himself to sight, not in the mood to banter about who should be thanked. He only nodded and said, "Let's just agree that we both did the right thing."

"I like the way you put it," laughed Reinhard. Such a unique way of phrasing words! He might be using them in the future.

Exhausted would be the right thing to say about my current condition.

I did not speak about my body. No, as a matter of fact, I was sure I still could run around the city without problem. But my mental state was something else entirely…

It had been almost thirty minutes since we left the slum and we were now on our way to Emilia's place. In this short time nothing much happened, Emilia herself was leaning on her seat, trying to relax. She must have been exhausted. The strain from both healing Rom—who had fatal injuries—and supporting Puck who seemed to be half serious while facing Elsa. Unlike in canon where he underestimated her.

I didn't think she had exhausted her mana but it was more a mental strain. Just like what I felt right now.

Myself, I was also leaning on my seat in a relaxing manner while staring outside. The seat was quite comfortable and the ride was smooth. I was afraid that the carriage would be one used for trading merchandise but it appeared Reinhard made sure we got the right one. Though it was still a bit hot here with no AC, I could open the window but the night wind isn't healthy so… Oh how I missed you my precious AC.

AC was one of the main necessity on my life and now it was taken away from me…

Curse you and your backward technology Medieval Age!

Deciding that I didn't have anything special to do, I opened my bag and was about to play with my cellphone. However I suddenly remembered that I might need it in the near future and that it was best to save battery.

Well… I did have portable charges and emergency batteries, and right now I was also not that bored but quite exhausted so…

"Emilia-dono, do you want some water?" I offered as I pulled one bottle of water from my bag and extended it to Emilia who blinked at me.

"Ah yes, thank you." She took it graciously and drank.

I took another and began to drink too. Water wouldn't be a problem since I was going to live at the mansion, so I could drink them all.

I then noticed something that caught my attention. A book, one that I had no memory of bringing. I still remembered when I bought this snack, but this book? I never brought or bought it when I was at the cosplay show.

I picked it up and began to observe it. It was the size of a novel book but it was its design that interested me. It looked a little old and tattered, as if it had been used many times. But at the same time it was also clean and it seemed to have been used with care.

I tried to open it in the middle, however to my surprise it refused to budge. I added more strength and tried again but it didn't open! What the hell?! I could break a knife with this amount of strength, but couldn't open a book?!

Deciding that using more force would attract unwanted attention and make me look stupid, I relented and tried to open the book from the first page this time. But to my surprise it did not open on the first page but a few page after the first one.

And when I read it, needless to say my jaw dropped in astonishment

#Data Sheet#

Identity: Aaron Wilson/Pendragon

Alignment: True Neutral

Class: Saber

Height: 177Cm

Weight: 80kg

Strength: B

Endurance: C

Agility: B

Mana: A

Luck: D

N. Phantasm: C - EX

#Class Skills#

Magic Resistance (B)

Cancel spells of B-Rank or chants below three verses. Even if targeted by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for Aaron Wilson/Pendragon to be affected. Originally it was supposed to be A, however it degraded to B since the heart of the dragon has not yet awaken.

Riding (B)

All vehicles and all creatures but those of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast-rank can be used as mounts. This rank is high enough to have aptitude for the Rider Class.

#Personal Skills#

Charisma (B)

Suitable for the king of a country or to command a country's army.

Instinct (B)

This person sharpened sixth sense is closer to reaching the realm of predicting the future. Through this ability, it is possible to halve the penalties inflicted by visual and auditory interference. However for Aaron Wilson/Pendragon this Instinct is mainly only active in combat or in few case when negotiating with people

Mana Burst (A)

Increase attack power to the point where a normal weapon that is not on the level of a Divine Mystery can be destroyed in one solid blow. Raises defense several times over. Speed is increased to allow high-speed movement. Prana expenditure is very efficient, and Saber can maintain high level performances even throughout prolonged battle.

Beloved by Spirits (C)

Skill that was only attained recently. Aaron Wilson/Pendragon is the wielder of Excalibur, Sword that was forged from crystals of the Planet itself. It draws lesser spirits who are connected to the Re:Zero Planet and while they particularly do not like Aaron, their love for Excalibur is enough to make them take a liking to its wielder despite his rough personality. Lesser spirits will heal him if injured, albeit they can't heal severe wounds. If their quantity is large enough they can heal fatal injuries and even restore limbs or organs that are missing. Spirits though can't be ordered by Aaron since they hold only a small love for him, only wishing for Excalibur's wielder to be safe so the sword keep existing for them.

#Noble Phantasms#

Excalibur - The Sword of Promised Victory

Type : Anti-Fortress. Rank : A++ #A/N: Same as Canon, it's pointless to write it description, check it on wikia if you don't know#

Invisible Air: Bounded Field of the Wind King / Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King

Type : Anti-Unit/Anti-Army. Rank : C #Same as Canon#

Return by Death - Blessing and Curse of Satella and the Witch of the Envy

Type : Support. Rank : EX

Ability to Return from Death. To put it simply it acts like a Game Save File but the Save Point is decided by the Curse in a random manner. Whenever Aaron Wilson/Pendragon dies he will return to the 'Checkpoint' that was designed. The nature of this Curse has yet to be known entirely, however it makes him smell like a Witch, attracting Demonic Beast that are nearby.

This Curse and its nature also can't be spoken aloud, if it does then it means instant death for the victim or someone that is precious to him. However one might be able to use this Curse to attract Demonic Beast, the 'reek' will be intensified when spoken, and the 'smell' also can be detected by those who worship the Witches.

It also can be used to repel possession since the 'body' of the victim that is Cursed have their soul connected to Satella and the Witch of Envy directly. Thus the spirit that tries to possess the victim would be cast out by them.

This Curse also degrade Luck by one parameter, Aaron Wilson/Pendragon's Luck is supposed to be C but due to this Curse it became D.

I blinked, once, twice, before I openly balked as my mind registered what I just read.

This was my status… This was my data…

This was the status for Type Moon Servants and now I had one too?!

I knew I was stronger than Humans, my fight with Elsa was more than a proof. But reading it directly like this… Well I guess, I shouldn't be shocked that much. After what I went through today, this is the last thing that should shock me.

I began to further investigate the book. In the next page there was a picture of myself in my current Saber costume. It was a pretty good picture in my opinion, I stood in there in my armor, it is almost like a picture drawn and painted by a professional.

Then I focused back on my status.

It appeared that my data was not like Saber at her prime except for Mana. It looked like when she had Shirou as master save for Agility and Luck. Saber won in term of Luck while I had more Agility.

Next I read my Class skills, and much to my surprise, instead of the famous A-ranked Magic Resistance, mine was only B. Dragon heart had yet to awaken? What did that mean? This made me feel quite disappointed. With an A-rank Magic Resistance I would not be afraid of Puck anymore when I could repel his ice while in his Beast Mode. Though I still needed to worry if he tried to trample me to death and flung ice boulders the size of houses at me.

From the Skills part, two caught my attention. Instinct and Beloved by Spirits. My Instinct was not as strong as Saber's, perhaps this was because I was not a fighter originally. But I was not complaining as I was perfectly aware that this skill had saved my life when I fought Elsa. I was quite sure it warned me when she was close to killing me a few times.

Beloved by Spirits… Now this was a big surprise. I never thought I will get something like this. This explained why spirits healed me, they were not drawn to me but to Excalibur. And since it was made from the heart of the planet… I guessed spirits that are connected to it felt happy and joyful near Excalibur. My left eye twitched though when the book mentioned my personality. Well, fuck you too! Whoever created you, I never wished to be flung here after all!

Charisma… Well this explained what Emilia meant by regal air and how she was not upset by following my 'order'. This also reminded me how easily I made Leon and Samuel answer my questions just like I wished. Also, that explained how I spoke in… a medieval manner, something that was uncommon for me.

This certainly would be useful in the future. I was sure.

When I read the Noble Phantasm, I was disappointed that I did not get Avalon. Well, damn, that was one of the things I hoped to get the most because Avalon would have given me instant regeneration. Like Ulquiorra from Bleach, I only would be able to be killed if my head was blown up.

Excalibur… I got Saber's from Fate Stay/Night instead of Fate Prototype despite the fact that I was cosplaying as him. Well, while Excalibur Proto was far more powerful than the normal one, its activation was more complicated. It needed seals and special conditions before it could be unleashed.

Then… Return by Death – Blessing and Curse of Satella and the Witch of Envy…

The description was exactly like the one in Canon. How it would kill me or someone close to me if I mentioned it aloud, it could be used to repel possession, made me smell like a Witch and everything else. That it degraded my Luck by one parameter surprised me. No wonder Subaru always went through shits, this Curse also made him unlucky.

Consequently, having the Curse made him very attractive for the Witch Cult and Demonic Beasts… Yeah, it was no surprise that he had it bad in anime.

What part of it could be categorized as Blessing? I guessed Return from Death and being able to fix things could be considered as one.

But still, in the Beloved by Spirits descriptions it was written that I only recently got it. What did it mean? Did it mean I could get another skill in the future?

There were so many things that stayed unanswered, even with my own data book. No, it was more like I was still confused about what I should do after discovering this.

This was not normal information after all.

"Aaron, what are you reading?" Emilia interrupted my thoughts.

"Huh?" I turned and saw Emilia giving me a curious look. "Oh this? It's nothing just notes I write." I answered while closing the book and putting it back in the bag. I would research it later when I was alone. "How long before we arrive at the mansion?" I asked.

"It is quite far actually." Emilia pursed her lips in a thoughtful manner. "It depends on the speed mostly, when I came to the capital it took about three hours. I guess to return it will be the same."

Three hours… That was quite a long journey…

"You look very tired," added Emilia. "Perhaps you should rest a little. You did just have a big fight after all."

"You can say so but…" I was tired, exhausted, but my body was fine. It is hard to sleep in this condition, especially in a carriage. I thought it would only hurt my back. I couldn't say that aloud so I chose my words to make a good impression on her, Puck was asleep so he couldn't sense my intentions.

"I don't think it is wise to sleep right now. I'm worried that we might be attacked."

Emelia showed an exasperated look at my words. "Arron, there are knights all around, I don't think anyone is going to attack us."

"You would be surprise just how stupid people are sometimes," I replied smoothly. "How about you? Aren't you tired yourself?"

"A little, but I'm fine," said Emilia with a smile. But I could tell it was strained and a bit forced.

"You really need to work on your lying skill Emilia-dono." I let out a sigh. "While your kindness is very endearing and refreshing you also need to learn this kind of things."

Emilia face turned slightly red, she seemed embarrassed that I caught her lie so quickly. "Was it that obvious?" she muttered.

"Unfortunately, yes."

I chuckled when she huffed her cheeks and began sulking. It was then that I noticed her body trembling slightly. 'Huh? Is she cold? But I barely feel anything, is it because I am wearing an armor and heavy clothes?' Well that could be the reason.

Wordlessly, I pulled my spare cloth–my coat precisely. Before wearing my costume, I actually wore the casual outfit of Saver Prototype. Black coat, red t-shirt, brown pants and matching shoes. It was a decent and clean outfit so why not wear it?

"Here," I offered her my coat. "You can use this if you are cold."

"Eh? No, I'm not cold it -" she paused, noticing the look I gave her. For a moment she squirmed before sighing and taking my coat. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I answered. "Though it is strange to see you can actually get cold. I mean, you're an ice magic user so…"

"I'm actually more a spirit contractor than a magic user," replied Emilia. "Even ice magic users are not immune to the cold. I'm a bit resistant though but since Puck was quite serious and I had to heal that injured old giant…"

"I see," I nodded in understanding. I leaned forward a bit from my place and gave her an interested look. "What are the difference between a spirit and magic user? I mean in their spells."

Emilia looked at me with surprise, probably because I didn't know such simple things but she explained nonetheless.

"Magic users cast magic with their own mana, but those who use spirit arts draw mana from the atmosphere," she explained while waving one finger in a 'lecturing' manner. "In our body there is something called the Gate. It works as a conductor for mana. Magic users produce their own mana by eating, resting and absorbing it from the atmosphere. Whereas spirit users directly use the mana that is in the atmosphere."

"… So who is the best?" I asked, sounding more and more intrigued.

"It depends for each person," answered Emilia as she wrapped my coat around her. "Some people have a Gate that is fragile and can't handle much mana. Moreover if the Gate collapse it would be dangerous for them."

"Meanwhile spirit users do not depend solely on the Gate, but rather on the spirit they contracted. True they can use magic using their own Gate but the spirit they are bonded with usually doesn't like when their power stay unused."

"So, it is safe to say that spirit user are actually better," I concluded with a nod. Magic users could only depend on themselves, but spirit users could use their own magic plus the boost from their spirit's powers.

"In one way yes. However the problem is contracting the spirit itself. Not all spirits are benevolent and kind like Puck. I'm sure you know what I mean, so some magic users think that making a pact will bring more drawbacks than advantages.

"And there are some people that see it as a sign of weakness since most spirit contractors don't have a strong Gate. Thus they can't cast proper spells by themselves and depend on their spirit to help them," Emilia finished to explain.

I see… So there were also downsides like that. If I remembered well magicians here could only use one or two elements with their Gate. So while spirit users were dangerous there also were limitations.

Still… Calling Puck benevolent and kind, I did not think you would think like that if you saw what he would do if you die.

"You're very knowledgeable on this topic, as expected from someone like Emilia-dono," I said with a nod of approval.

Emilia looked a bit embarrassed from my praise and shook her head slightly.

"It's nothing much, most people know about this."

"Don't think like that, the way you explained it make it so easy to understand. So accept the compliment since you deserve it," I pressed.

After hearing that–just for a moment–she looked at me as if I have sprouted an extra head. She then shook her head with a smile and said, "Very well, thank you Aaron."

"You're welcome Emilia-dono," I responded with a smile.

"…Emilia."

I blinked when I caught her voice. It was low and I almost couldn't hear it. "Excuse me?"

"… You can call me Emilia," she said in an uncertain voice. Why did she sound so uncertain?

But I guessed that was fine, calling her with honorific was beginning to be uncomfortable. Not to be rude, but after what we went through today–fighting a dangerous criminal together and saving each other life–it made sense to call her in a more informal manner. I noticed that she also didn't like when she was called with such honorific.

"Emilia then." I nodded with agreement. "But that's only when we are in an informal area alright?"

I couldn't call someone who was a Royal Candidate in a careless manner right? It could bring problem both for Emilia and me. For Emilia because people would look down on her by allowing herself to be called in such a way. And for me because people would think I'm an arrogant person.

The silver haired half-elf seemed satisfied with my answer as she smile beatifically.

"Yes!"

I felt my left eye twitch in irritation at her smile and quickly turned away. God damn it! One was not supposed to be this cute! Seeing it in a movie and experiencing it directly was really different! Gah! Someone nerf her down damn it!

There was no further conversation between us, but the atmosphere was not awkward like before. Emilia was relaxed and looked peaceful, I also found the silence comfortable myself.

This will be my first Checkpoint then… Well, at least I survived though Arc One far better than Subaru. I have yet to die after all, and I had no intention to do so in the future…

Though Elsa words kept haunting me. According to the script she was supposed to return in Arc Four, yet with her hating me now, I had a feeling I might see her sooner than that.

That meant I needed to be stronger and ready for when she come.

Another thing that I needed to worry over, haaaah…. Things really won't be easy in the future…

She bit her lip to not let out a scream as she clutched her injured left arm.

Even now with the pain already reduced, she felt it was beyond painful. Dare she say it was a miracle she did not scream when she felt it the first time? The pain had hurt so much that she lost her mind temporarily and snapped at him, her very soul and blood craving to destroy that boy due to the intense pain he caused her.

It was kind of embarrassing to show to people that side of her.

But it couldn't be helped, it really had hurt after all.

Even now her left arm was still throbbing. Thinking about this painful sensation was enough to make her feel the burn in her arm once again. It was so painful that it made her arm totally useless and took a lot of energy only to move it a little!

She probably would need to rest for more than one week to get it back to normal. Moreover she was sure that the scar would not leave even if she cut the disfigured part and regrew it.

Aaron…

Ooh she would remember that boy, alright. His face, his eyes, his outfit, his weapon, his snarky attitude and his sharp tongue. Everything about him. He would regret it. He dared to hurt her like this. Pain from fights was something she could tolerate–she even enjoyed it sometimes–however what he did to her was pure torture, there was no glory like in battles.

She briefly glanced to her dagger, there was still some blood on it. It was dry and not fresh but still there. She felt her tongue become dry at the sight of it.

She was a rare breed, a special one even among daywalker. She could walk under the sun without having her strength decreased, she also didn't need to drink as much blood as her kin usually needed. She could compensate by using normal foods–albeit not well-cooked ones. And while it was true she needed blood–pure blood– she only needed to drink once or twice in six months.

She actually didn't like the taste of blood. Maybe it was only her own taste since she was a different breed, but to her, blood was like wine. Drinking too much at once left a bad taste, besides she didn't even like wine.

The red color sure was beautiful but it was… not touchable. It couldn't be caressed or cuddled, unlike bowels that had a soft and special texture! And they also couldn't be knitted into a doll. What can you do with blood? Bath in it? No thanks, it would make her smell weird, she still cared about her figure. She was a lady after all.

'Old lady.'

For an unknown reason she could hear that annoying boy's voice and she glared at the empty space in front of her. Just remembering him was enough to piss her off.

But… She couldn't be picky now, she had many jobs in the past and what happened today could enter into the category of 'exhausted to near dead' despite having only a small wound.

Seriously, what did that boy do to her?! Was it his sword?! Was that what made it so painful?! Was it some magical sword that hold the power of the sun and thus was capable to burn her from the inside?!

Ridiculous, she had been injured before, she had wounds bathed under sunlight and she had been fine!

No… It was something else… She didn't know what, but it clearly was something more than sunlight…

She could think about it later, she had better things to do right now. She felt so tired and exhausted. She needed energy as she was tired from escaping–she didn't dare to stop, Reinhard van Astrea was there after all. But if she didn't drink there was a risk of going berserk again, something that was highly unwanted right now.

'Well, I might as well be done with it.'

She raise the bloody dagger, even if there was only a small amount she needed all the energy she could gain now. Bringing out her tongue, she extended it and gave a tentative lick to the blood and–

Her World was consumed by darkness.

For a moment she found herself falling through some sort of dark tunnel, endless darkness that seemed to stretch beyond anything visible.

Suddenly light came again, it shone like a beacon of hope, a roaring volcano, it washed over her whole body like a tidal wave of magma and–

"GGGRRROOORRRHHHWWW!"

She heard a roar. Not just a simple one but a powerful one. Elsa had heard many animals letting out fierce howls, from magical beasts to demonic ones. But all of them were like mewling kittens compared to this one.

She snapped her head up and saw a beast. No, not a simple beast, it would be an insult to call this…this creature hovering above her a beast. It looked like a dragon, but bigger, with a serpentine neck and four sturdy limbs. Its scales color was so beautiful. Blood red like an expensive gem. Its eyes were glowing with an emerald light and shimmering with vast power. They reminded her of His eyes. Its extended wings seemed to cover the light of the sun itself.

This creature of power was looking down at her. It was like a mountain compared to her, and before she could do anything, it opened its maw wide and swallowed her whole.

She then felt her blood beginning to sing. She felt every veins and arteries in her body pulsating as if becoming alive. Her muscles spasmed and twitched. An indescribable sensation was flowing into her whole body like electricity slithering around each of her nerves.

She let out a gasp. Unware, she had fallen to her knees. Her violet eyes had already turned crimson and they were blinking like a beating heart. Trails of drool could be seen from her mouth. If anyone saw her like this they would described her as a euphoric woman.

"That… That…"

That was… shockingly pleasant. Like really, really pleasant. She never felt such a good sensation in her life! It was pleasing, delightful and! And! And…Powerful! So Powerful!

Her dazed mind tried to comprehend what just happened. What just happened to her?! What did she just saw?!

After a while, her mind managed to focus back to the World and she found herself staring at the dagger on the ground. It had slipped from her fingers when she was lost in her euphoria and was now laying peacefully on the ground.

'Blood…I was drinking. No, I was licking Blood and…'

After fighting that old giant she cleaned his blood from her dagger. It was unnecessary but she did it so she could see clean blood from her prey when she gut them. Besides, that old giant's blood was dirty and out of date.

So that meant… The blood on her dagger belonged to…

"Aaron…"

She rolled the named on her tongue, her cheeks reddening as she recalled the young man's handsome face.

She was going to get him alright, what he did made it personal after all. However this… This changed everything! By the Dragon, Magic and Witches! Never! Never in her life! Never ever had she tasted blood that, that was so…

Was this what other vampires felt when drinking blood? She doubted it would be this delicious but… Was it this addictive?

Forget killing him! She was going to imprison him and drain him dry! She was going to chain him into a cage and would come personally to suck him by herself! Every. Single. Day! She was going to leave him weak, pitiful and barely alive! Like an animal in a farm!

Oh yes! Yes! That was a better fate! He also struck her as a prideful person! Yes! That was clearly a better punishment! She was going to break him! She will demolish that snarky attitude of his into pieces! Turning him into her pet! Her obedient pet that obey all her commands!

Yes!

She felt her face flush further, blood colored eyes stared at the dagger on the ground, at the dry blood still there. For a moment she was tempted to pick it up and lick the rest of it–even if it was dirty– however she threw that thought away.

She still had her pride, licking food on the ground like a dog was beneath her. Besides, it would be better to taste the blood directly from the source.

Yes, yes. She was going to chase him. Yes! Just the thought of sinking her fangs into his neck already made her shiver in pleasure and anticipation!

She needed a plan though… She had to find a way to capture him. If they met in combat once again she could knock him out. However such a thing was close to impossible as he was probably on his way to… to her…client's mansion.

Oh…Crap…She almost forgot about that…

This…was going to be a problem…Roswaal L Mathers was not someone that was easy to fight. His genius and talent in Magic were famous in Lugnica and other kingdoms. Besides Reinhard, the other Human to be considered dangerous was him. He was also a major figure, so ruining him by employing her political power would not be easy either.

She knew this man must have planned for this. How and why, she didn't know. But she was sure it was his intention for Aaron to meet that half-elf girl. After all, why would he hire her to steal the Royal Insignia of someone he was supporting in the first place?

'I'm going to need help, but it can't be another vampire.'

She didn't like to share and other vampires would lose their mind after tasting his blood–unlike her who had better control over her thirst due to her heritage.

Yet she will need help to face her client… former client now that she was going to betray him–unless he handed her Aaron.

"Mine…"

Her lips curled into a smirk, fangs protruding, red eyes gleaming with unholy light as an image of the young man crossed her mind once again.

"You're mine Aaron. No one else is going to have you. You are mine."

Under the alluring and bewitching light of the moon, a vampire made her vow to repay the one who had hurt her the most.

Under the light of the moon, a man was watching the guests entering his mansion with a smirk while thinking about his plan to release his beloved Mistress from her prison.

Under the light of the moon, a half-elf clad in her sleeping outfit turned off a lantern and laid in her bed before sleeping peacefully, unaware of the hardship waiting for her.

Under the light of the moon, a young man arriving in a room that would be the place he would live for an unknown time–began his own plans for the dark future he knew was waiting for him.

And so, the future slowly began to change, fate was altered, and the path was becoming clouded by mist.