The hall was heavy with tension, every Master and Servant of the Black Faction gathered. The absence of Siegfried and Astolfo was felt, but the atmosphere stemmed from something else.
Arthur stepped forward, his presence commanding the room. His gaze swept across every face before settling on Vlad III.
"You want an explanation? Then I'll give you one." His voice rang firm, brimming with authority.
"Saber did not betray us. Rider didn't either. Both simply acted as true heroes: they protected a life that was about to be sacrificed by the foolishness of a Master."
A murmur rippled through the chamber. Arthur raised his hand, silencing them all.
"What happened is simple: Gordes refused to treat the homunculus. If I hadn't intervened, Siegfried would have ripped out his own heart to save him. Do you understand what that means?" His eyes gleamed with a threatening light. "We almost lost our Saber."
Color drained from several faces. Darnic rose abruptly, his expression one of sheer disbelief.
"What!? It came to that!?"
Arthur merely nodded.
"Yes. And all because of Gordes."
The man in question, pale as death, erupted in fury.
"You dare blame me!? Insolent servant! I am Saber's Master! You are nothing but a… a—" Consumed by rage, Gordes raised his fist, aiming to strike Arthur.
But before his hand could reach him, it simply vanished. His arm was erased from existence in the blink of an eye. The scream that followed was pure agony and terror.
[A/N: Think Gilgamesh being summoned in Fate/Strange Fake.]
Arthur hadn't moved a muscle. He simply stared down at Gordes with absolute coldness.
"I warned you, Gordes. I said I would show no mercy if you ever raised your hand against me again." His voice was sharp as blades.
"You should be thanking me. If not for me, we would have lost Saber. Your arrogance nearly doomed this entire faction."
Gordes collapsed to his knees, trembling and bloodied.
Arthur lifted his chin, his gaze sweeping across them all.
"Remember this: I am not here to tolerate the mistakes of a spoiled, incompetent Master. I am an Avenger. I do not forget, and I do not forgive. The next time anyone puts this faction at risk with such foolishness, there will be nothing left of them to bury."
A deathly silence fell upon the fortress.
Arthur turned away from Gordes as though he were nothing but dust, and shifted his gaze to Vlad III and Darnic.
The silence following Arthur's outburst still weighed heavily. Gordes gasped on the floor, clutching his bleeding stump, but Arthur gave him no notice. His crimson eyes locked on Vlad III's throne.
"It's simple," he continued. "The homunculus was condemned to death by a Master's idiocy, and we nearly lost Saber because of it. I intervened, healed him, and ensured the survival of a valuable resource for this war. If anyone wishes to question my actions, speak now."
No one dared. Not even Vlad.
It was then that Darnic, attempting to regain control, cleared his throat.
"But… that homunculus could be the core of Avicebron's Noble Phantasm. We cannot neglect that possibility."
Arthur slowly turned his head toward the Caster. His stare pierced like a spear.
"Then speak, Caster. Is he the core of your Noble Phantasm?"
Avicebron hesitated, then answered gravely:
"No… I cannot say for certain."
A cold smile curved Arthur's lips.
"Exactly. You are not certain." His tone sharpened like steel. "So to sacrifice a life and risk losing Saber for something uncertain is the height of stupidity. A magus's Noble Phantasm may be powerful… but it does not surpass the value of a hero."
He stepped forward, his overwhelming presence filling the chamber.
"And remember: Avicebron's Noble Phantasm is not invincible. It may be useful, but it is not irreplaceable. Siegfried, Vlad, even I… we have strength enough to crush our enemies. Sacrificing a life for uncertain power is nothing but cowardice."
Avicebron lowered his eyes. He knew no one would support him.
Arthur's voice rose, like a decree handed down.
"The homunculus will live. And since you insist on debating his future, I will decide: he will be protected until the end of this war."
But Arthur was not done. His gaze cut like a blade across them all.
"Understand this: this is not an act of kindness, but of strategy. That boy has already shown the will to live. That alone makes him more human than many I've known. And should anyone dare raise a hand against him again, they will face my wrath."
The silence was finally broken by Vlad III, who gave a slow nod.
"Understood. The homunculus will live."
Arthur then cast one final glance at Gordes, still bloodied and humiliated on the ground.
"Learn this, cur. You are nothing. Not a king, not a hero, not even worthy of commanding Saber. If you endanger this faction again… there won't even be dust left to bury."
The hall remained utterly silent. They all knew this was no empty threat, but a promise.
---
"Thank you so much, Gil-kun!" Astolfo exclaimed, throwing himself onto Arthur's left arm with the spontaneity of a delighted child.
Arthur froze on the spot. For an instant, his mind, moments ago ablaze with fury, was consumed by less noble thoughts.
He's a man. He's a man. He's a man… He repeated the mantra desperately, trying to keep his composure in the face of Astolfo's boundless cheer.
But the knight's joy was far from frivolous. It wasn't the relief of avoiding punishment or reprimand. The sparkle in his eyes came from knowing that, at least for now, the young homunculus was safe. That was the true source of his happiness.
Beside them, Siegfried allowed himself something rare: a faint smile. Not wide, not open, but sincere. On his stern face lay quiet satisfaction, as if a small part of his heart had briefly found peace.
Arthur, however, cut the moment short. His voice sliced through the air.
"I understand your happiness, Astolfo. But there's something that must be considered. What about his future?"
Astolfo blinked, surprised. Still clinging to Arthur's arm, he looked up at him, puzzled.
"His future?"
Arthur gently freed himself from the pink knight's grasp, restoring distance. His golden eyes settled gravely on the sleeping boy.
"Exactly. Do not forget: that body was built to last only two years. That is the limit of his existence. If we wish to 'correct' this, to rebuild his body and grant him a full life, we must wait until the Holy Grail War ends."
His words weighed heavily on the two knights. The cold clarity in Arthur's voice left no room for delusions.
He continued:
"Unfortunately, by then, you may no longer be here. You will not be able to protect him on your own."
Astolfo clenched his fists like a sulking child.
"Then… what should we do?"
Arthur did not hesitate.
"Entrust his safety to one of the Masters."
Siegfried raised a brow, surprised by Arthur's reasoning. Astolfo tilted his head, intrigued.
Arthur crossed his arms.
"Among Yggdmillennia's Masters, only two have the reliability to take on such a task: Caules, Berserker's Master, and Fiore, Chiron's Master. Of the two, Fiore inspires me with greater confidence."
Immediately, both Astolfo and Siegfried turned their eyes toward Chiron. The wise centaur, ever serene, simply arched his brows in silence, already foreseeing where this was heading.
Arthur faced him directly.
"If we entrust the homunculus to Fiore, he will have not only her protection, but that of all Yggdmillennia. That would be enough to ensure his survival."
"All of Yggdmillennia…?" Chiron murmured, realization dawning.
Then he looked into Arthur's eyes, understanding why the Avenger seemed to know too much.
He can see the future… Chiron thought.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully before answering with a faint, almost teasing smile.
"I can bring the matter to Fiore. But tell me, King Gilgamesh… and you two as well," his gaze slid to Siegfried and Astolfo, "what do you offer in return?"
Astolfo, ever quick to act with his heart, raised his hand as though the answer were obvious.
"We'll help you once we defeat the Red Faction! After we win, we'll join forces!"
The words carried the lightness of a child's promise, yet their weight could not be ignored. It was more than an alliance: it was the declaration that heroes from different paths would choose to fight side by side.
In that instant, the idea of an absurd union took shape. Arthur, Siegfried, Astolfo… and Frankenstein herself, whose loyalty to Caules bound her to this equation.
Four Heroic Spirits, one of them known as the King of Heroes and perhaps the strongest Servant in this war, marching beneath the same banner.
That left only two figures outside this pact: Vlad III, Lord of Transylvania and leader of the Black Faction, and Avicebron, the reclusive Caster who preferred to hide behind his constructs and creations.
(End of Chapter)
A/N: As I said at the start of this arc, his personality can shift abruptly depending on the situation. Remember that he constantly struggles to restrain his fury (being of the Avenger class), so certain moments can push him into losing control and acting very differently than usual.
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."