Chapter 8: Day 1, Afternoon ②



The Wandering King's Rock'n'Roll

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

X X

In the forest.Ayaka Sajou asked herself for the umpteenth time in twenty-four hours.She wondered absentmindedly as she stroked the fluffy belly of the beautiful animal snuggled up beside her.The silver beast rubbed its head against her, keening.The creature was warm. Ayaka decided to think over what she had done in the past half day.Half a day earlier. Central Snowfield.Ayaka was walking briskly, trying to put as much distance between herself and the police station as she could. The sun was barely up. Behind her, she heard Saber let out a sigh of relief."What is it?""Oh, nothing. I just got a friend of mine to check out the police station, and they tell me the prisoners have been temporarily evacuated.""So?""I gave the police officers my word that I would remain in their custody until dawn. I was thinking that I ought to return, but I was worried about leaving you alone. I was just wondering whether I should leave someone with you. But if the police station has stopped functioning, then, well, I suppose I can consider my obligation fulfilled. I did remain confined there until just before it closed," Saber explained cheerfully.This time it was Ayaka's turn to sigh."You actually planned to keep that promise?""Contracts are important. Breaking one brings misfortune not only on the breaker, but on those who get involved with him.""I don't really get it... And what did you mean, 'leave someone with me'? You're on your own.""No I'm not; I'm with you."Saber tried to deflect the question with a joke. Ayaka shot him a withering look."Ha ha. Glaring at me won't get me to show my hand here. Oh, but if you're really curious, I could give you a hint...""Don't need it."Ayaka shot an even icier glare at Saber, then let out another big sigh."I guess it is true you were worried about me, though... I still think it's none of your business, but... thank you."Ayaka's thanks trailed off. Saber smiled and shook his head."No need to thank me. I really am poking my nose in where I'm not wanted. If you thank me just for acting on my whims, it might encourage me to be even more officious. I know; if you're tired of walking, why don't I fetch you a horse? I'm sure William will produce one if I spend a bit of magical energy...""No, I'm fine, really!" Ayaka remonstrated with the Heroic Spirit. She did not know what he might do if left to his own devices. Then she voiced a question that had been on her mind for some time."Wait, who's William? If you don't want to tell me anything, why do you keep throwing out names of people I don't know?"Saber looked away for a moment, then responded with a disarming laugh."Oh, it's just that you were looking so glum and lonely. I thought it might cheer you up if I hinted that we have lots of invisible friends, so...""That's just creepy. Stop it.""Understood; I'll stop. It doesn't really matter; I'll tell you about 'everybody' in good time.""You really don't have to... But there were the lights, and they might have helped with other things without my knowing, so would you tell them 'thanks' for me...?"Saber's eyes widened for a moment, then he smiled."You have a surly look, Ayaka, but I see you're a kind girl.""Sorry for looking surly..."An unexpected voice broken in on the conversation."Yo, little missy!""Huh?""I knew it; you're the girl from yesterday. You look like you're coming from over by the police station. You okay?"Ayaka turned, sure that she had heard that voice somewhere quite recently, and saw a young man with hairstyle too gaudy for anyone who had seen it to ever forget. He was a man in flashy punk fashion with a mohawk, a neck tattoo, and piercings all over his face and ears — the drugstore employee Ayaka had asked for directions to her hotel when she first entered the city."You're that...""Man, what a coincidence running into you here. Who's he? Your boyfriend?""No, nothing like that. He's... just someone I know."Ayaka could not explain a Servant to an ordinary passerby.As for Saber, he stared intently at the man with the mohawk and the other young punks nearby before asking an innocently:"I apologize for asking such an ill-bred question, but did you sew those theatrical garments yourselves, or are they the work of a specialized craftsman? Would you mind if I also enquired if it was yourselves who did up that hair, so full of rebellious spirit?"Saber's eyes shone. The band looked at each other."Where's your boyfriend from?" The mohawk man asked Ayaka."I told you he's not my boyfriend," Ayaka began by repeating that denial."England," Saber answered, ignoring her. "Although, even if you include London and Winchester, I wasn't there for very long.""Huh. I thought they were pretty real over there."Saber's eyes lighted on the guitar case slung over the bewildered mohawk man's shoulder, then widened as if he had put something together."Might you be minstrels?""Minstrels? Man, that's a weird way of putting it.""Oh, my apologies; the knowledge I've been granted is far from impartial... Where might I hear you play? A church? A tavern? The theater? Oh, but I just destroyed it...!"It would be easy to take Saber's words for mockery. To Ayaka's ears, however, they sounded oddly free of malice. Before now he had always acted just a little aloof; now there was a childlike innocence to his questions. The sight made Ayaka realize something.The mohawk man and his friends seemed to have taken Saber's questions the same way Ayaka had — she could not tell if this was the influence of the charisma he possessed as a Heroic Spirit — and to have recognized him as an eccentric music-lover."I don't really get you, but us, play in a church? Ha! That's a good one. Reminds me of that Whoopi Goldberg movie.""Is that the name of a famous singer?""Well, something like that," the mohawk man shrugged. "We were playing an all-night gig, when there were gunshots or explosions or something. The cops put out some kind of evacuation order, so our audience got kicked out.""...What a disaster," Ayaka nodded. Remembering what she had seen of the fight between the priest and the vampire made her break out in a cold sweat."Hey, you guys want to hear us play? It's free.""Oh, umm..."Ayaka, aware that they were supposed to be in hiding, and self conscious about accepting anything for free, was about to decline, when..."Are you sure? Thank you! You're fine fellows. Even once I've returned to the Throne, I will not forget this debt!"When she saw Saber with a blazing gleam in his eyes, looking as delighted as a child who has just met a movie star for the first time, Ayaka was sure.reallySeveral minutes later.The mohawk man and his bandmates were showing Ayaka and Saber into an underground nightclub."The stairs are pretty steep, so watch your step. Sorry, but this building's too old for an elevator or anything fancy like that," the mohawk explained apologetically. He had apparently mistaken Ayaka's intention in asking whether the building had an elevator. Ayaka felt a little guilty about that., she thought,Pessimistic but having nowhere else to go, Ayaka let herself be swept along in the wake of Saber and the band members. She resolved that if Saber shouted, "This is no music!" Or something and made a scene, she would try out the power of these "Command Seals" and drag him away by force.Fake Command Seals, created solely to usurp the rights of a Master. These five designs had been planted in Ayaka's body by the "white woman" immediately before her arrival in Snowfield. The white woman had said that they possessed the same power to command as Servant that genuine Command Seals did, but Ayaka doubted how much of that was true. This Holy Grail War had, after all, turned out a lot different from what the white woman had told Ayaka.Weighed down by anxiety, she descended the stairs, prepared to find a fresh hell waiting for her at the bottom of them.Ayaka's fears turned out to be groundless."Astounding...!"Ayaka, Saber, and the remaining staff were the lonely concert's only audience. The instant the performance came to an end, however, Saber's thunderous applause was enthusiastic enough to match a hundred fans."Marvelous! Moving! I must present this feeling in an ode to Avalon — No, it needs no ornamentation! Simply 'marvelous' will suffice! Isn't it wonderful, Ayaka? Do all the minstrels of this era play with such intensity?""Huh? Oh, umm..."Ayaka fumbled for an answer."What is the music they just played called?" Saber, eyes shining, asked quietly, so that only Ayaka could hear. "It's unlike anything heard in my time. What genre is it? I can't think why the Throne didn't give me this knowledge; nothing could be more important! It's possible that something may be amiss with this Grail War after all.""I'm pretty sure the only thing 'amiss' here is you... This is, umm... punk? Or maybe metal...?""Oh, you can call it whatever," the mohawked guitarist broke in. He had walked over once he was done playing and overheard Ayaka. Seeing the pair whispering must have sparked his interest."There were a bunch of guys in here a little while ago fighting about whether its metal or punk, but we just do what we feel like. Plain rock and roll's fine."Seeing Saber simply enjoying their music without quibbling over what to call it seemed to make him a little embarrassed."'Rock and roll'! I see!"Saber then turned his eyes to the electric guitar in the mohawk mans hands."So this is a modern instrument! It sounded peculiar when I first heard it, but that thunderous roar harmonized wonderfully with the melody! It felt like it reached through my guts to grip my soul!"The mohawk man seemed mystified to hear Saber speak as if he had never seen an electric guitar before."...Man, I thought you were just talking about subgenres. Was this actually your first time hearing rock?""Oh, so 'rock and roll' shortens to 'rock.' Yes, ashamed as I am to admit it, I've never heard it before. I may have, in another time and another place, but my present self, at least, has no memory of it. I never imagined I would have a chance to be so impressed!""I don't get you, man... What rock in England have you been living under?""You sure you didn't time slip out of the Middle Ages?" The woman who played bass joked. A wry grin was the best Ayaka could manage.The mohawk man proffered his electric guitar to Saber, who was watching it with childlike glee."You want to give it a try?""...May I?"After that, Saber's solo performance began. Seeing him begin to master the guitar within moments of touching it for the first time confirmed Ayaka in the slightly misguided notion that, as he had what it took to become a hero, he could do anything. She had to take care to avoid being captivated by the notes he played.While Ayaka was doing nothing in a corner, the band members — including the mohawk man, who had brought out another guitar — began to harmonize with Saber's sound. They even started recording the performance with a video camera by the time they were done.The band seemed so taken with Saber that the conversation eventually turned to what they should have for breakfast. Not only that, but they must have given up some suitable unused clothes from the dressing room to him, because at some point he had removed his armor and could now be taken for a more reserved member.The fact that, coupled with the red streaks in his hair, the outfit suited him fairly well only further exasperated Ayaka.When the band members announced they were going to change and filed into a spare room, Saber came up beside Ayaka, who was sitting on the edge of the stage."Are you alright, Ayaka? Aren't you going to sleep?""I'm wide awake. Hard not to be, after all that electric guitar.""Ha ha. Sorry about that."Smiling merrily, Saber took a seat beside Ayaka."Here underground," he informed her in a low voice, "there are no Mystic Codes, and no surveillance devices linked to the outside. If you're going to sleep, now's the time."When she heard that, Ayaka's eyes widened behind her glasses. She had been sure that Saber had been carried away by the music and completely forgotten that they were on the run, let alone the Holy Grail War. She had never imagined that he was thinking that far ahead."Then, it was all an act?""What was?""Well... the way you acted like you were blown away by the music, and...""Perish the thought! I was truly and deeply moved! Weren't you?"To be honest," Saber continued, staring around at the audience seating, "at first my idea was to slip into someplace out of sight of enemy mages, and have a little fun hearing modern music while we were at it. I was truly fortunate to encounter such altered tunes. I want to thank you for not stopping me.""Well, I couldn't, the way the mood was going. That guy with the mohawk's nice, despite how he looks."Ayaka sighed."To be honest, I didn't even mind the music. Although you were making so much noise I had to back off a bit.""I see. Sorry about that... But weren't they incredible? They put their depression and anger into their lyrics without turning them into simple complaints! I've only been accustomed to hearingof the great King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table."Saber sounded nostalgic for his past, but his eyes were still shining.This hero's the opposite of me, Ayaka thought, watching him. He talks about all sorts of things like he genuinely enjoys them, while I can't seem to think positively about anything...He probably won't be able to get the Grail because he's tied to someone like me."Hey.""What is it? If you're sleepy, I can ask if there's any bedding for you.""Not that... What do you want to wish on the Grail for?""Now that's a surprise." Saber sounded a little startled. "I never expected you to ask about anything to do with the Grail War.""It's not that weird. I was just thinking that, if you've got a really important reason... I'd have to apologize to you. I mean, it doesn't seem like I'll be any help to you in getting it."Saber looked taken aback."You were worried about that? You supply me with the magical energy to remain corporeal. How could you not be helpful?""Well, sorry. I'm a coward, even if I don't look like it."Ayaka turned her face away from Saber. Seeing that, Saber looked troubled for a moment before speaking."Why do I want the Grail...? I'd like to know that myself.""What do you mean? You answered the summons because you wanted the Grail, didn't you?""That's how it's supposed to be, but even now that I've been summoned, I don't have a clear idea what I want it for... What mages call the 'Throne' is a special place. Even time and world lines are all mixed up, to say nothing of space. It's possible that I might find a reason to want the Grail when I'm summoned in another time or place, but at the very least I don't have those memories now.""I don't really get what you mean about time and memories, but... isn't there something? It can grant any wish, right?""I'd be lying if I said I have no regrets about my conduct in life, but that's nothing to wish on the Grail about. Well, if I do get it, I suppose I could always incarnate and set about studying this era's music and theater in earnest. It might be meaningless, but I'd like to take as many songs and tales of valor as I can back with me to where my soul was — the 'Throne' I mentioned earlier."Ayaka could not tell if Saber was joking or if he was serious. When she turned back to look at him, a serious, pensive expression met her eyes. When she saw that, Ayaka knew at least that the words had not been a ploy to mask his real intentions — Saber genuinely did not know why he had been summoned as a seeker of the Holy Grail."Heroic Spirits must have all sorts of reasons for desiring the Grail. There are probably even some with plans for it other than making a wish... Destroying it, for example. I wouldn't be surprised if the Assassin who was there when I was summoned had something like that in mind."It is the Grail that the great King Arthur sought. As I hold King Arthur in high regard, I would like to obtain it myself," Saber continued, reminiscing about his past. "It want to present it at King Arthur's true grave... but not enough to crush the ambitions of other heroes, or put others in harm's way."When Saber had finished speaking, there was a brief pause. Then, with a wry smile, he nodded his assent to empty air."Yes, you're right. I'm not one to talk. I did, after all, let you shoot me while I was dazzled by treasures tied to the Round Table. But couldn't you also say I've learned my lesson admirably?""You're talking to somebody I can't see again..." Ayaka sighed, wondering what the point of his earlier promise had been.The next instant, her sigh became a gasp."I'll introduce you. The mystic pass will get a bit stronger..."The words were barely out of his mouth when he touched the tattoo on Ayaka's right hand."Hey, what are you—"Just then, a vivid "scene" invaded her mind."Oh..."She could see what looked like the watchtower of a European castle and, in its center, a man wrapped head to toe in bandages, with a crossbow in his hand. He was staring at her. The eyes that peered out from between the bandages were piercing as the eyes of a hawk that has sighted prey, but also kind.The man looked at her, averted his eyes awkwardly, then nodded.As soon as he did, Ayaka saw the nightclub again."What was...?"Ayaka was bewildered by the unreal scene she had been shown."Pierre Basile. A master archer.""Who?"He had called it an introduction, but the name alone meant nothing to Ayaka. She was about to ask for further explanation. When she heard Saber's next words, however, she ended up just flapping her lips wordlessly, like a goldfish."The man who killed me.""...What?""I can use two Noble Phantasms — my trump cards," Saber began to explain his peculiarities as a Heroic Spirit to a dumbfounded Ayaka. "One of them is to take the souls of several fellows I choose — with their consent — transcribe them from the Throne, etcetera, and make them accompany me."I can't manifest them and keep them materialized from throughout. If I wanted to make them corporeal as well, it would require an unreasonable quantity of magical energy. So much that any ordinary mage would run dry in no time at all.""Oh, umm...""On the other hand, I can use my own magical energy as a medium to have them assist me with their skills and magecraft. Like the arrow that deflected that woman's arm in the opera house, or the glowing droplets I used in the police station when it was pitch black. Also, they can converse normally with me, but it seems they can't talk with you, Ayaka, unless we make a fresh transfer of magical energy, like we did just now.""...Okay, wait."Ayaka's face stiffened. It was not as though she had not understood his explanation. She was ignorant of magecraft, but the white woman had pounded the bare minimum into her head, so she knew what his words meant. It was because she understood that Ayaka could not accept what Saber was doing."As for my other Noble Phantasm...""I said wait! Wait!""What's wrong?"Saber stopped, startled by Ayaka's raised voice."What are you thinking, telling me this all of a sudden?" Ayaka went on, fingers pressed to her temples. "Telling me the name of the guy that killed you is like telling me your true name!""Oh, you know about Pierre?""...No. Sorry, but I don't know who Pierre is, and to be honest, I haven't figured out who you are yet, either. But if some mage who knows their history better overheard you'd, they'd know for sure!""Maybe I'm not very well known..." Saber muttered, tilting his head quizzically. He made a stark contrast to the flustered Ayaka."Well, I suppose they would," he nodded, looking grave. "But that's not really an issue; I intend to tell you my true name.""What are you thinking!?""I told you back at the police station that I'd tell you when the opportunity presented itself, didn't I? There's no fear of mages overhearing us now; it strikes me as the perfect time. It will be difficult to block all prying eyes in an inn or on the city streets."In the nightclub, on the other hand, there were at least no familiars or listening devices. Saber himself had said so. In which case, now, while the band was back in their changing room, was probably the time to speak. But there were still a heap of more fundamental problems."...I understand your reasoning, but you'd better stop.""Why?" Saber asked. He sounded curious."You and I are just linked by magical energy, right?" Came Ayaka's forceful rejoinder. She was trying to stop Saber more seriously than ever before. "We're not even formally Master and Servant! So you'd better save your true name for when you find a better Master. Telling someone like me will only bring you—""Our name is Richard, Duke of Normandy and King of England!"Saber's face turned suddenly grave. He cut short Ayaka's protestations by clearly speaking his own true name."...""Well, add a 'former' to both now that I'm dead," Saber shrugged, flashing another impish grin at Ayaka, who was staring speechlessly at him with her mouth hanging open."My epithet, 'Lionheart,' is probably more famous than my true name or my titles."The present. In the forest.Even after revealing his true name, Saber's attitude toward Ayaka remained unchanged. She had been nearly bowled over when she first heard that he was a king. After seeing him impressed by the fast food the band had bought them and single mindedly listening to music in the club, however, she had decided not to pay any special mind to what he had been in life.The club was equipped with a huge collection of music CDs from all over the world — possibly a hobby of its owner — and Saber had new words of heartfelt praise for each one he heard.The more of that she heard from Saber, the less he seemed like a king who demanded respect. Thinking that she could, however, respect him as a human being, Ayaka ended up listening along with him to a wider variety of music."The music of England, too, is enthralling in its great diversity, from nostalgic hymns and folk songs to 'progressive rock'! It brings home to me all over again that music is freedom!"He had finished by watching the Woopi Goldberg movie the mohawk man had mentioned on DVD, saying:Ayaka had succumbed to sleepiness around the time Saber had started watching musicals, and had ended up napping on the nightclub sofa. Before she knew it, it was noon.Once they had said their thanks to the mohawk man and his bandmates and left the club, Saber had suddenly announced:After that, they had entered the forest, from which he claimed to sense the presence of a Heroic Spirit particularly strongly, and encountered a long-haired Servant beautiful enough to take Ayaka's breath away, although she could not tell if they were a man or a woman. Saber had launched into conversation with considerable familiarity for a first meeting, but the other did not appear to take offense."And? What do you want with me?" The Heroic Spirit asked, facing him.Saber glanced at Ayaka before replying."Well, I don't know your true name, or what sort of Heroic Spirit you are... but I thought I'd walk around and ask the first Servant I came across."Then Saber made his proposal. Even Ayaka, who had heard it beforehand, thought it too unreasonable."Would you care to form an alliance with me?"Ayaka heaved a little sigh and escaped from reality as she stroked the silver beast's back.While she was busy playing with the animal she took for a dog, the Heroic Spirit facing Saber replied with a gentle smile."I wouldn't particularly mind... but myself aside, what benefit would there be for my Master?"At that, Saber shot another look at Ayaka and shrugged."If you care for your Master, wouldn't it be better to avoid approaching an enemy thoughtlessly?""I could say the same to you... Or so I would like to say, but it seems neither of us need be concerned about that.""Yes, I'm sure we've both taken defensive measures... but our all-important Masters are as you see."Ayaka, sitting at the foot of a large tree, was puzzled by the conversation, but she became engrossed in the feel of the fluffy silver beast resting its head on her lap and set her doubts aside for the time being.The silver beast seemed not unsatisfied itself. It lay on its belly across her thighs and allowed her to massage its fur as she pleased.Saber, watching the girl and the beast, sighed."I thought they were more wary of humans.""My Master's relationship with people is a little unique. He doesn't like humans, by any means. I think your Master is a special case; mine seems to think of her as a friend or ally.""Maybe because they're both unusual Masters. Well, she isn't one, actually."When he was done with what sounded like jokes, Saber said:"So, as for the reason I brought up an alliance... Last night, I spotted ain the city.""A monster?""I don't know if you know them, but they're called vampires, and they feed on humans' life blood. They're humanity's natural enemy and the Holy Church's sparring partners. Oh, first, do you know about the Holy Church?"Saber started with the basics. The long-haired Heroic Spirit shook his head."Only the information I received from the Grail. There was not yet a Holy Church in my time. As for these bloodsucking monsters... I wonder. There were monsters that fed on flesh and blood, but I do not know if they were the same.""Oh-ho. Might you be my venerable predecessor in history, then?""There's nothing impressive about that; it just means I was born first and I died first. As far I'm concerned, it is the people who were born later who deserve respect. They blaze a trail to the stars without relying on mystery.""Flattery will get you nowhere," Saber laughed. After a brief pause, however, he wiped the smile from his face."There's something strange about this Grail War. I have a feeling something is happening that the knowledge I received from the Grail cannot fully explain. Do you have any ideas?""...""Only, I was thinking that if the Grail War has been caught up in — or is being used for — some calamity, we ought to eliminate that first, then make a fresh start."Saber glanced at Ayaka as he spoke, then lowered his voice so that she could not hear."As things are, I can't be sure of Ayaka's safety, even if she seeks sanctuary with the Church after my defeat. A vampire would have no scruples about attacking her there.""I see your Master means a lot to you.""Oh, I wouldn't show this much concern for her if she'd been a willing Master from the start. She refused to participate in the Holy Grail War, but she got dragged in anyway because she was linked to me. If I were to abandon her without taking responsibility for that, it would sully the names of the nations that succeed to my line and the great kings of the past."The other Heroic Spirit chuckled at Saber making such a grand proclamation in such hushed tones and nodded."How funny. You must be a king, but you're nothing like the king I know. Especially the way you seem to make more friends than most.""Is that so? I'd say you've got more friends than me.""I consider every living thing in this world a friend, although the feeling is often one-sided."As he spoke, the long-haired Heroic Spirit gently shut his eyes and spread his arms, palms up. As he did so, the ground seemed to bubble, and from those bubbles sprouted innumerable weapons — swords, hammers, axes, spears — one after another."But I have decided that there is only one friend to whom I will lay bare the depths of my heart."Saber greeted the sight with a broad grin."Hey, are negotiations established, or breaking down?""Established, of course... Or so I'd like to say, but there are two problems," the long-haired Heroic Spirit continued, still smiling gently. "You see, that one best friend of mine is rather hard to please. Whenever I try to make friends or form an alliance with someone, he says, 'I will test you to see if you are worthy of my friend,' or something like that and chases them off with unreasonable demands."Recalling the distant past, his smile took on a nostalgic tone."In your case... I think he'd normally demand a test of strength. You're not a citizen of Uruk... so if you failed, I believe he'd kill you on the spot. From his perspective, you're a thief with an eye on his treasure, after all.""I see where this is going. Is the punch line that this 'friend' has been summoned for this War as well?""I'm glad you're so perceptive. I can't bring myself to give you hope only to disappoint you later. I'd like to test you to see if you are capable of fighting that king. If it seems impossible for you, I'll exterminate this monster alone; you should just hide yourselves somewhere until then."The myriad weapons rising from the ground turned to point their tips at Saber.Even so, Saber grinned — once he had made certain that none of their points were aimed at Ayaka and the silver wolf, who were lying a little ways away."How kind of you. If you can do it alone, hadn't you better kill me here? You'd be more certain of obtaining the Grail that way.""Unfortunately, my wish is already granted. All that remains is to fulfill my promise with my friend. It therefore means little to me whether you live or die."It would be impossible to imagine a gentler smile, and it never faltered, but its owner might as well have said, "If the mood strikes me, I will take your life."Saber grinned cheerfully back."I love it when things are simple. I just need to show you my martial prowess, correct?""Hey, what are you two—" Ayaka started to call out, seeing the situation, but Saber casually threw up a hand to stop her without turning around."Be at ease, Ayaka. It's only a test of strength preparatory to forming an alliance. I doubt any normal person would want to ally themselves to a weakling.""...You're saying you aren't normal, then?"Saber greeted the long-haired Heroic Spirit's words with a wry grin. Then he raised his voice so as to address both Ayaka and the Heroic Spirit before him."It does indeed seem that I am not so 'normal' as I thought. Actually, as king, I was always making trouble for both my people and my younger brother. I ended up being called a wicked and unjust king by my foes as well; the polar opposite of my distinguished rival."Saber's words sounded self-flagellating, but the wild gleam never left his eyes."Even when I understood the logic of rule, I could never manage to restrain my wild gut impulses."As Ayaka heard those words, she became aware of a sense of discomfort in her own body.A huge volume of magical energy and unmistakable "tremors" were passing through Ayaka's unique Command Seals, the source of her connection to Saber. It was as if, in exchange for the energy she supplied him, Saber's uncontainable heat was flowing into her."...More impressive than I expected. You must be an incredible Heroic Spirit. All those weapons growing out of the ground... and every one of them represents the pinnacle of human craftsmanship. To have all of them pointed at me..." Saber broke off with a little. Then another, and another, and an instant later, he loosed his pent-up fire in a peal of wild laughter."Superb! You must be a great hero! There could be no greater honor! We give Our heartfelt thanks to you, to the Holy Grail... and to Avalon, the far-off paradise of the forefather of Our nation's kings, for granting me the opportunity to challenge a legend who walked the earth in the age of the gods!"Somewhere dark."I still can't figure it out."Francesca lay snacking on her bed."Figure what out?" Came her Servant's voice out of the darkness."Oh, why that weird Saber showed up instead of Artie, even though I usedcatalyst.""What catalyst is that?""Oh, well, her legendary sword's scabbard is gone... so I used the box it was sealed in. It had the same pattern on it as the scabbard.""A box?"Francesca rolled over on her bed and cocked her head quizzically at the unseen Heroic Spirit's question."Yeah; a beautifully polished stone box that the Einzberns apparently found in Cornwall. There were traces of magical energy on it, and it had the same pattern as the scabbard, so I figured it must have been Artie's too."The great forest.As if in answer to Saber's sudden excitement, the long-haired Heroic Spirit smiled and began pouring powerful magical energy into the ground and the numerous "Noble Phantasms" stabbing out of it.Ayaka gasped.Saber had removed his armor, which was composed of magical energy. He was still wearing the clothes he had gotten at the nightclub. Ayaka did not know how much good armor would do against the vicious-looking weapons, but she was at least sure that in ordinary clothes he would be skewered in no time.Ignoring Ayaka's panicked attempts to stop him, the long-haired Heroic Spirit fired all his weapons from the ground in unison.At the same time, Saber gave the ground a powerful kick and launched himself into the swarm of blades. As he charged, still elated, he uttered a single, joy-filled sentence:"Now... let's get started."The police station."Well, Caster? Have you learned anything from the sword I sent you?"The response the chief of police got from the Heroic Spirit on the other end of the telephone sounded exasperated."To hell with it all. This thing's not a Noble Phantasm; it's just a fancy-lookin' sword. I do like the design, though. Can I keep it?"The chief had sent Dumas the ornamental sword that Saber had left in the police station. The chief had never expected Saber to abandon his weapon and prioritize flight. So much so that, when he had returned to his office and seen the sword still on his desk, he had suspected some sort of trap."It's technically evidence. I can't give it away as I please.""As usual, you're harder than an over-boiled egg!""More importantly, he apparently fired lightning-like blasts from that sword, destroying falling rubble from the opera house. The officers who witnessed it have already undergone memory manipulation, but one of them even described it as resembling a 'beam cannon.'"The chief had surmised that the power of that sword had also been responsible for destroying the ceiling of the opera house in the first place. As far as he had been able to judge, it was no more than an ornate sword. He had thought, however, that Caster's analysis might uncover something. He had even hoped that, if things went well, he might be able to exchange it for an agreement with Saber. But if it was not a Noble Phantasm, that strategy was probably unrealistic."A blond knight with a bit of red in his hair? Odds are that's Coeur de Lion.""...So you've come to the same conclusion, Caster.""Yeah. And speaking of Lionheart, guy was a huge King Arthur fan. Grew up hearing legends about Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table for bedtime stories. His court minstrels were always singing about how great Arthur was, too. Guy was a bit of a prodigal son when he was younger, and some even say he roamed all over the place looking for relics of King Arthur.""I've heard that as well."The chief considered it just another of the anecdotes with which later generations inevitably embellish the life of any hero and did not put much importance on it. Caster's response, however, was almost grave."Minstrel culture grew out of techniques for passing on the oral traditions of the druidic mysteries to posterity... Or so one theory has it. Either way, you'd best not underestimate contemporary song and poetry. If you make someone here something every night as a bedtime story, it's plenty possible for it to alter their soul like a curse, or a blessing.""...Isn't Richard the Lionheart a hero from an age of relatively weak mystery?""I'm sure it was, on the continent. But while he may've been from modern France, it's England he was king of, and England's an island nation. Hard for the mystery to leak out when you're surrounded by water. I wouldn't be too strange if he touched some of it while he was alive and kicking. The 'Clock Tower,' one of the big mage headquarters, is there right now. That ought to give you an idea."At that point Caster paused, then continued his lecture to the chief in a solemn tone."Say, bro, do you know what they called Coeur de Lion back in my day? Though they might still call him that, for all I know.""There are too many anecdotes about him; I don't know which you mean."The chief suspected it would be more of the usual pointless banter, but Caster's talk did occasionally contain valuable information. He did not expect much, but he decided to wait for the Servant to speak."They called him... 'The Wandering King.'""Oh, that's what you meant. True, I have heard that during his ten years on the throne he spent less than a year in his own country, but—""That's not it; I'm not talking about how he was always headed off to a battlefield or on his way back from one."Caster sounded as if he accorded some importance to what he had to say."I don't understand," the chief asked doubtfully. "Where did Richard the Lionheart wander, then?""Over the border between history....""..."There was power in those simple words. Enough to make the chief fall silent in spite of himself."Means he was the last king with one foot in an age when faeries and runes were still out in the open. Not something you want to take lightly."In the forest.There is an expression, "lightning quick."It is normally intended metaphorically, but the scene that burned itself into Ayaka's eyes in that instant was so intense that it really did remind her of flashes of lightning.Innumerable weapons, born from the Earth, launched themselves into the air. Threading his way through all of them, Saber closed in on the long-haired Heroic Spirit and unleashed a sharp right hook.His opponent quickly dodged back, but Saber stepped in to match him and threw out a slanting left uppercut.Again the Heroic Spirit dodged, but Saber's fist past through a lock of his waving hair, and several strands fell, neatly severed, to the ground. The force of the blow had turned Saber's fist into a blade sharp enough the slice through hair swaying in the breeze.Saber kept up his advance, sidestepping the tendrils of earth his opponent threw at him, and occasionally using even the weapons at their tips as stepping stones. All the while unleashing a flurry of blows worthy of a pro boxer.The long-haired Heroic Spirit was impressive in his own right. He continued to repel the vicious fists closing in on him with perfect timing.Saber had the slight edge in actual speed, but his opponent appeared to have the better of him in immediate physical strength and deadened Saber's speed to the extent that he knocked his blows aside. The result was an even contest.Another volley of earthen weapons flew at Saber, causing him to fall back and make a fresh start."You're fast. I'm surprised; I didn't think you'd be faster than me. Was that reinforcement magecraft?"The long-haired Heroic Spirit shook his head in amusement."Well, it isn't mine," Saber answered, his eyes still blazing. "More importantly... it looks like I really can't get through to you with my fists.""So the magecraft is your 'friend's' doing... Have you studied boxing as well?""A little. I tried combining techniques I saw in a movie earlier today with the fighting I've learned, but I knew it wouldn't be that easy. I can't go killing someone I'm trying to forge an alliance with, so I thought I'd try knocking you out with a punch, but...""Moving like you just did after only a little training and spectating is quite impressive in its own right," the long-haired Servant laughed, and his presence subtly altered.Saber noticed that his opponent's manner, or perhaps his overall balance, had imperceptibly changed."I'm going to come at you a little more seriously, as a member of the Lancer class," the Heroic spirit addressed him."Saber. Pleased to meet you."Once they had announced their classes, both grinned broadly and sprang into action.Again, the sight of the exchange seared itself into Ayaka's eyes like dancing sparks.She recalled what Saber had said when the black-robed woman had leapt around the opera house fast enough to leave afterimages in her wake:Ayaka did not know much about lightness of foot, but when it came to pure, instantaneous speed, she suspected he outpaced the woman in black.Saber, meanwhile, had doubts of his own as he threw out flurries of punches.He had no way of knowing, but when Lancer's aura had changed a moment earlier, he had used his Transfiguration skill to lower his endurance and magical power by one rank each and boost his agility.They were now equals in speed, but, as Lancer had not lowered his strength, his deft strikes were gradually pushing back Saber's rapid blows.The next instant, Saber's right hand threw a water droplet infused with magical energy instead of a punch, releasing a flash of light and creating distance between him and his opponent. He used that distance, however, not to launch another attack on Lancer, but to retreat further himself.Scanning the ground, he bent down — evading tendrils of earth and flying weapons all the while — and with one hand lifted a thick tree branch lying beside him. Then, pointing it at Lancer, he grinned."It looks like my thrown-together boxing really won't be enough. From now on I'll use a sword, as befits my class.""Is that branch in place of a sword, then?"Lancer sounded deeply interested."I always wanted to give it a try," Saber shrugged. "You know, playing at being the Knight of the Lake, saying, 'A knight does not die with empty hands,' and beating off my enemies with a tree branch I picked up."Ayaka had been standing beside the silver wolf and holding her breath as she watched the two Heroic Spirits fight. When she saw Saber confidently brandish his tree branch, however, she became more than a little uneasy.A bead of cold sweat rolled down Ayaka's cheek. As if at its signal, another massive volley of weapons launched from the earth, their points trained on Saber, who was brandishing his branch. The blades were so densely packed that it did not seem possible he could evade them all, even at the speed he had just been moving.To Ayaka, the situation looked desperate.The next instant, however, the scream that had been about to escape her throat was intercepted by an even greater shock:What should have been an ordinary branch had begun to give off a dazzling light.The police station."Oh yeah, according to the documents you guys put together, King Arthur's Excalibur blows everything away with a big slice of light... In modern terms, I'd guess that's a 'beam cannon.'""Yes. That's precisely why I assumed that the Heroic Spirit was King Arthur, and that sword was Excalibur, but..."The chief brooded on Dumas' comment.It was said that Excalibur was no human Noble Phantasm forged by smiths and mages in the age of mystery, but a Divine Construct created by the will of the planet itself. If that was true, could that really be the extent of its power?At that point, Dumas' amused voice sounded over the phone."Man! You might be surprisingly close, bro.""What do you mean?""You see, old Coeur de Lion took his Arthur-mania too far. Didn't even matter if he was on the battlefield or going about his daily business... Apparently he named every sword he ever owned 'Excalibur.' By the end it wasn't just swords; everything he could hold in his hand and fight with was 'Excalibur.'"Even the knife he used for cutting up his food, or a rolled -up parchment... or a stick he found lying on the ground."In the forest."Ex... calibur!"That must have been the third time Ayaka had seen that light. The brilliant slash that had collapsed the opera house ceiling and cut through the falling rubble in front of the police officers.This time the streak of light was smaller than it had been then, but the compressed heat it wiped out the myriad weapons hurtling toward Saber in an instant.He kicked off the ground with the same speed as before, and a moment later he was inside Lancer's guard. He swung the branch, still coated in vestiges of light, to cut down the startled Lancer.That blow, however, was intercepted by the supposedly bare-handed Lancer."Man... Those look like they'd come in handy for cracking walnuts."Saber sounded impressed. He was looking at the right hand Lancer had used to block the tree branch. Lancer had turned his fingers into sharp blades and skillfully stopped Saber's slash by half-burying them in the branch through its thick coating of magical energy."This much power with a tree branch... I'm shocked.""And? Do I pass the test?" Saber asked without lessening the power he was putting into the branch. "From what I can see, you're not using even half of your real strength."Saber did not know who Lancer was, but those few minutes had been enough to convince him that Lancer was exceptional even among Heroic Spirits, himself included."You are strong. I don't know what my friend will say, but I think we'll manage if you run while I hold him off if it comes to that.""...Is this 'friend' even stronger than you?""He might be. In the old days we fought for three days and three nights without settling it."They both gradually relaxed as they conversed. Finally, Saber lowered his branch. No sooner had the magical energy coiled about it dissipated than the wood crumbled to dust."Oh, I knew it," Saber sighed. "Once is the limit with wood."Then he started walking toward Ayaka."Hey... Are you okay?"Realizing that the "test of strength" must be over, a flustered Ayaka rushed over to make sure Saber was not injured."Don't scare me like that! What were you thinking...? That wasn't a 'test of strength'; that was a death match!""Oh... Well, some tests of strength do require you to risk your life. I knew a knight who headed off to Scotland, saying he was going to test his strength in the Land of Shadows, but on the way he was surrounded by eight thousand bandits and killed.""Don't try to worm your way out of this with made up stories!""You could tell? Of course... No knight was killed by bandits, and the people were never tormented by a band of eight thousand of them... I'm so glad...!"Seeing Saber struggling to force the conversation onto another track, Lancer addressed Ayaka with an refreshing smile."Forgive him. He just can't bring himself to tell you the risks he's been running for your sake.""What...?"Lancer's words made Ayaka freeze."Has anyone ever told you you can't read a mood?""The gods told me that all the time. Like when I slew their bull; I got an awful talking-to that time.""You slew a bull? Oh, I'd love to hear more about that!"Saber was still attempting to force the conversation onto another topic. Ayaka grabbed the braid at the nape of his neck and pulled with all her weight."Ow! Hey, Ayaka, stop that! It hurts! I get it; I'm sorry!"When Saber turned around, teary-eyed, he found Ayaka angry, but with her eyes full of tears as well."Why... would you do something like that?""What do you mean, 'why'?""I know. I don't know the specifics, but I know that you've been trying to do something for me... But I didn't ask for that!""Didn't I tell you? I'm going to help you, whether you like it or not," Saber shrugged."If you needed energy, you could've just used magecraft or whatever to trick me and turn me into a doll for giving it to you!" Ayaka shouted back. "But you looked out for me... and saved me... You truste me with your true name... Oh, this is all wrong. I'm grateful to you. I really am."Saber was on the verge of saying that he had done nothing she need be grateful for, but he decided to hold his tongue and let Ayaka speak."But... I'm not worth it! I'm not worth protecting or trusting!"In the back of Ayaka's mind as she shouted was a little girl in a red hood. Every time she remembered the bleeding girl, a voice rang out inside her. A voice shouting at her how vile and cowardly she was."Even though you've been so nice to me, I'm sure I'll betray you! I'll probably abandon you or sell you out for my own convenience!"Yes, that's right. I betrayed her.I abandoned her.Back there, in the Semina Apartments, I...Remembering the past made Ayaka's head ache and her heart race.Saber gave a little sigh."You might sell me to my enemies...? You really do worry about such little things, Ayaka.""'Little'...?""Miniscule. It happens all the time. Even my younger brother, my own blood, once sold me to Rome. And he didn't just abandon me; he actually paid my enemies not to let me go."Saber talked of his relatives not as if he was trying to console or sympathize with Ayaka, but as if the story really meant nothing to him."Your own brother did...?"Ayaka was shocked to hear something so depressing."Well, it was rough, but when I got back home I found that my brother had gone as far as declaring me dead to usurp the throne, but he totally failed. The nobility and the people all turned their backs on him. I actually ended up feeling sorry for the poor guy. I mean, my reckless spending was the start of all the trouble...""B, but that has nothing to do with me, and—"Ayaka started to speak, sure that Saber was trying to change the subject again, but he swiftly cut her off."It has everything to do with you! The way I've lived, it's no surprise when anyone betrays me, or sells me out, or runs off on me. I doubt I have to worry about this, but you haven't mistaken me for a good person, have you?""I don't care about that. I mean, whatever you've done—""War."Saber spoke the word with a little pride, but also with an indefinable sorrow."You see, that was the only thing I could do."Unusually for Saber, he seemed hesitant to say more. Ayaka was unable to speak. She was on the verge of sinking deeper into self-loathing, when a short whimper came from her feet.The silver beast rubbed its cheek against Ayaka's shins. It almost seemed to be trying to soothe her.At that point, Lancer, who had been silent until then, placed a hand on the silver beast's back and said:"Come now; it won't do for the people I'm forging an alliance with to look so down. Would you like something to eat? I can prepare nuts and fruits, if you like.""Yes, thank you. I'll have some."Lancer placed a wild fruit in Saber's outstretched hand, then turned to the trees a short distance away, and asked again."Would you like some as well? You've been watching us for some time; you must be hungry.""...Huh?""What?"Ayaka and Saber turned, wide-eyed, just in time to see a lone figure emerge from the trees. It was the black-clad Heroic Spirit who had been present when Ayaka and Saber first met."Ah!""I'm surprised. Not even I noticed her," Saber said, steeling every nerve in his body to fight at any moment.The probable Assassin stared uncomfortably at them through the gap in the cloth that covered her face. Then, without warning, she spoke."Are you Richard? The Lionheart?""I am indeed.""Hey..."Ayaka rushed to stop him, but Saber shook his head."Now that she's heard this much, hiding it will be more trouble than it's worth."Saber's indifference prompted Ayaka to let out a larger-than-usual sigh.Still facing the pair, Assassin continued."I heard... what you said."As she spoke, the girl Assassin clenched her fists so hard that they bled. The gesture seemed to speak of the effort the words cost her."Will you... slay the monster?""If it harms humans," Saber answered seriously. "When I was alive, one of their kind not only interrupted a battle between me and my distinguished rival, but also slew a number of my followers..."Saber paused. He sounded both nostalgic and regretful for the past. He seemed to resolve himself before continuing."Although that time, my rival — with whom I had planned to have an interview on the battlefield — and I... along with your chief, the 'Old Man of the Mountain,' somehow managed to destroy the creature together.""...I have heard the story. How...you must have been at that time."Assassin seemed ready to pounce at any moment. Saber remained on his guard as well. The situation seemed critical.Lancer, however, failed to read the mood."This, by the way, is the second problem I mentioned when you proposed an alliance.""...I'd forgotten about that.""As a matter of fact, there are some 'monsters' I'd like to remove from this city myself. In order to keep my appointment with my friend, you see.""...I have a feeling the 'monsters' you're talking about might be more dangerous than any bloodsucker.""Oh no. At the moment, they're just a black 'curse'... and a lump of reddish-brown 'mud.'"Lancer's usual smile dropped from his face, to be replaced with a look of anguish, as he told of the presences he had sensed in the past day."But if they fused and seeped into the Grail..."Not just the Grail, but this whole world might be in a bit of trouble."