Chapter 109
- Who are they? – murmured Shirou Emiya, lying on the floor of his home. – They're clearly not ordinary people.
- And I was almost killed. – The schoolboy nervously touched the place where, from a recent wound, there was now only a cut on his uniform, along with blood that had soaked most of his jacket, ruining it beyond repair.
- No… not almost. – Shirou muttered with a slight tremor in his voice. – I was actually killed.
- But… I'm here, and I'm alive. – Moving into a sitting position, Shirou continued to think aloud. – Someone saved me, someone who came later.
- Who was it, I wish I could thank him. – As he said this Shirou involuntarily shivered because he felt a sudden displeased gaze upon him. However, the very next moment, it became unimportant.
Materializing right out of the air, Lancer attacked him. Only thanks to incredible intuition and a trained body, Shirou Emiya managed to dodge at the last moment, hitting a table corner and knocking rolled-up blueprints off of it.
As if that would help, the schoolboy grabbed one of the tubes, quickly got to his feet, and held it like a weapon.
- Damn. – sighed Lancer, resting his spear on his shoulder. – I really tried to hit gently, so you wouldn't suffer.
- I'll have to kill you for the second time today. – Lancer ominously spun his spear at high speed and pointed it at the schoolboy. – Your world is the bloodiest place I've ever been.
- Bullshitter. – came a woman's voice from somewhere in the street, but the two men facing each other didn't hear it. While one planned to end it easily, the other decided to finally show magic, which, surprisingly under stress, came to him more easily than in peacetime.
- Trace on. – whispered Shirou, and what seemed to be an ordinary blueprint sheet was suddenly lined with magic green stripes of reinforcement.
- Oh? Hm. – Lancer was slightly surprised, clearly not expecting that his opponent was a mage, before he grinned. – Well, this time, at least try, kid.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lancer began to approach the schoolboy deliberately slowly, before making a sudden thrust at his heart. But there was a metallic clang, and with a shower of sparks, the tube in Shirou's hands, now stronger than steel, managed to deflect the blow, so instead of his heart, the spear's blade only slightly cut the boy's arm.
- Ho? – Lancer pulled back briefly, looking at Shirou who was holding the tube like a sword. For a moment, he thought he saw in him a shadow of the unusual archer he'd met recently, who, instead of using a bow at a distance, fought nearby with swords. – Strange style you have.
- Weak as it is, I can feel mana. That's why you're still alive, even after I skewered you. – he invented an explanation for the mage who was now backing away from him.
- You can't even call this fun. – Lancer swung his spear hard enough to knock the schoolboy to the other end of the corridor.
Thrown back, Shirou immediately sprang up, smashed the window in the corridor, and jumped out into the yard. But as soon as he got up, a strong kick hit his side, throwing him towards the workshop.
- I gave you a chance, and you wasted it. – Lancer grinned.
- You know, you could at least die like a man. – he said, watching as the schoolboy shot him a glance and hurried into the shed.
Deciding to end it in one blow this time, Lancer instantly appeared next to the schoolboy and struck with his spear at full force, but Shirou still survived. He opened the reinforced sheet and threw it in the path of the attack, managing to withstand the full force of the blow, although it was torn to shreds in the process.
- Kid, I have to admit, now you've surprised me. Not that it matters now.
- You may be a decent runner, but as a mage, you're a complete zero.
- Still, there's something about you. Looks like you were supposed to be the seventh master, but now it's over for you.
- Hell no, someone already saved me today, and I can't just throw my life away so easily, there's so many people who need me, if I die, I can't help them.
- I can't die here, without doing anything. – Now starting to get angry, the schoolboy didn't notice the red glowing command seals appearing on his left hand, but Lancer, who noticed them, hurried to attack even as the justice-obsessed schoolboy shouted. – And at the hands of someone like you! Human life means nothing to you!
But Lancer was not destined to finish this blow. To his side, a short armored girl appeared, glowing with magical light.
- What? Seventh servant?! – Lancer exclaimed in shock, barely having time to shield himself with his spear shaft from the incredibly powerful blow of an invisible blade. He was blasted out of the workshop into the yard by a gust of wind.
The winds swirling around her and the almost tangible bursts of magical energy gave her a truly magical look. She turned to the schoolboy and asked one question.
- Answer me: are you my master?
- Mas-ter? – Shirou blinked dumbly and repeated.
- Your servant, Saber, has come at your call. Master. – said Saber, but upon seeing the marks on the boy's hand, she quickly realized her master had no idea what was going on, so she simply turned toward the enemy servant.
- My sword now belongs to you, your fate is now mine, the contract is formed. – Taking her invisible sword, Saber dashed into the yard, breaking the sound barrier, and in the next moment, there was the sound of clashing metal.
- What does she mean by contract!? – exclaimed flustered Shirou, who immediately ran after them.
***
- Mordred, your father is such a cutie! – I couldn't help but say, watching the adorable face of the serious Artoria.
- Yeah… – nodded Mordred, who was transfixed by Artoria's appearance, before realizing my words. – What?! Don't call my father a cutie!!!
- Uh-huh, sure. – I agreed insincerely, watching the rapid escalation of the fight. There's so much power packed into that little one. Despite the obviously botched summoning and a rather lousy master, her truly excellent swordsmanship and explosive power still allowed her to push Lancer back.
- Coward! Hiding your weapon from the eyes of others?! – shouted the irritated Lancer.
- What's wrong, Lancer? Going to prattle and shame the proud name of spearman? – Saber, full of martial zeal, grinned. – If you're not attacking, prepare for my own assault.
- Before we continue, let me ask. – Lancer still didn't rush to attack. – Your Noble Phantasm, it's a sword, isn't it?
- Who knows? Maybe it is. Or maybe it's an axe, or a spear. Perhaps even a bow. – the knight-girl smiled.
- Ha! Very funny, swordswoman. – the spearman smiled back, taking up a special stance.
- One more question, since this is our first meeting. Can't we part without a fight?
- I don't think so. You'll fall here, Lancer. – Artoria answered firmly.
- Are you sure? Because we could just run off. – Lancer asked, his voice full of threat. He suddenly filled his Noble Phantasm with enormous magical power, so the spear tip seemed to burn with bloody red fire. When he saw his opponent wasn't changing her mind, Lancer took a step forward.
- I'll pierce your heart! – Lancer screamed.
Meanwhile, on the roof of the neighboring building.
- Oops, my turn! – I exclaimed, seeing the perfect moment to intervene. I instantly teleported in front of the surprised Saber.
- Gáe Bolg! – Lancer screamed, hurling his spear at us with enormous force, not the least bit troubled by another new target. Knowing the power and history of that Noble Phantasm, one could expect it to pierce my body without slowing down and then strike Saber's heart. But alas.
When the spear came close, it abruptly slowed—not completely stopped, as one might expect from infinity, but just as I expected of Heroic Spirits. So, opening my upgraded left eye, the world before me was tinged with red lines and dots of death. If you look at them, you can see the result of striking each one. I made a single stroke with my katana, and in the next moment, the spear and the entire spectacle vanished, as if it were an illusion.
- Everything has its end, and today so does this battle. – I said calmly, sheathing my nodachi.
- Who are you? – asked Saber, who was standing just behind me, warily.
- Who am I? – I replied calmly, turning toward Saber and ignoring the fleeing Lancer, who was muttering about monsters appearing from nowhere. – I'm the one who saved that guy's skin.
I nodded toward Shirou.
- So it was you who healed me after that maniac stabbed my heart?! – exclaimed the schoolboy.
- Yes. – I nodded at him, and then looked at the girl before me. – Why don't you put your sword down, Artoria? I actually planned to have a family reunion today.
- How do you know me? – the girl frowned. – And what do you mean by a reunion?
- Wait a second. – I raised my hand as a signal to wait and shouted at the solid fence surrounding the Emiya estate.
- Mordred, stop hiding and get over here.
- What makes you think I was hiding! – Mordred immediately jumped into the yard, clad in armor but with her head uncovered. – I was just… Yeah, I was just making sure the approaching servant wouldn't get in your way.
- Mordred? – Artoria said in surprise.
- Hello, father. – Mordred replied, a bit awkwardly, not knowing what to do.