VOLUME 4
Chapter 2
The Masters and Servants of the Black Camp had once more gathered in the castle’s conference room.
After much trouble, Assassin of Black had been taken down, thereby getting rid of any lingering worries before they departed. There would be no problem leaving the other Yggdmillennia clan members to deal with and cover up the injuries from the fog. The fact that the children that Assassin had controlled were all alive and well was a silver lining within it all.
“We’ll leave Trifas and head to the capital Bucharest at noon tomorrow. Once there, we’ll board an airplane and commence our air-raid against the Hanging Gardens.”
—So Fiore’s declaration shouldn’t have been surprising, but…
“Nee-san. An air-raid means attacking the ground from the air, so I don’t think that phrasing applies in this case, strictly speaking.”
“Muh. I-It doesn’t matter. Caules, make sure you finish all your preparations in time.”
“Well, I will, but are we really going by air? Using a normal plane?”
Fiore nodded with a frown.
“After all, no matter what plans we think up, it’s impossible to avoid being intercepted by the enemy, right? In that case, it’s more efficient to go there using the cheapest method and disguising ourselves as much as possible.”
“Hey, hey! The airplane! I can pilot the airplane!”
Rider of Black enthusiastically raised his hand—but Fiore shook her head.
“We’ll have a golem pilot the plane. We can’t have a Servant’s hands occupied with piloting it in the middle of battle.”
“But I have a rank of A+ in my Riding skill! I wanted to show off how I can ride anything and not just my Hippogriff, you know!?”
“Ufufu. Such a shameful motive gives me all the more reason to say no… Besides, if you’re not riding your Hippogriff when things turn bad, you won’t be able to protect you Master, right?”
“Ugh, that’s true, but…”
“The members going to the Hanging Gardens are Archer of Black, Rider of Black, Ruler, the boy who can become Saber of Black… and me as well.”
“But Master—”
Archer of Black tried to object, but Fiore coldly refused.
“We’ve gone over this, Archer. I also have my pride as the head of Yggdmillennia. And we can’t risk the possibility of my prana being cut off from you in the midst of battle either.”
Archer silently withdrew his protest. He appeared to understand from Fiore’s obstinate expression that his words wouldn’t change her mind. Fiore continued speaking to persuade them everyone else as well.
“…I must accompany you all in case the worst should happen. I have a duty as the head of Yggdmillennia. Additionally, unlike a normal Holy Grail War, fourteen Servants were summoned this time. It’s possible that the Path between Master and Servant is weakened as a result. It’s not a good idea to become separated from each other.”
In a Holy Grail War, the relationship between Master and Servant was, logically, the same as between magus and familiar. There existed a Line connecting the familiar and magus, which was essentially unaffected by distance. However, the prana channel between Master and Servant was a pseudo-version of this Line that was created during the summoning. Prana flowed across the Line, but Fiore conjectured that it might become cut off if they became too distanced from each other. Even more so if they left Romania, the base of Yggdmillennia’s magecraft.
In other words
, it would be the same as if the Master didn’t exist for the Servant. Unless they had the skill [Independent Action], Servants wouldn’t be able to last even a day in that condition.
“Nee-san, me too—”
Fiore quickly spoke up to cut Caules off.
“Caules. You must remain here… You are the successor of the Forvedge family. I can’t allow you to be exposed to danger.”
“—That’s wrong.”
When Caules replied like that, Fiore glared at him with cold eyes. Her eyes weren’t those of his older sister, but of a magus.
But, though that would normally be enough to make him withdraw his opinion, Caules glared right back at her without retreating a single step.
“…Caules. We will talk about this later.”
As if to shake off the bad atmosphere hanging over the conference, Ruler spoke up to ask a question.
“An airplane, huh…? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it in terms of speed, but have you thought up any countermeasures against making us an easy target for the enemy when we approach them?”
Fiore frowned and pressed a hand to her head as if very troubled.
“We have come up with three tentative measures. If you’ll all listen, then—”
Fiore laid out the full details of the strategy she had refined together with Archer. Among the three measures she had devised, two of them were extremely valid and effective plans that anyone could think of.
The problem was the last one.
‘It’s a bit forceful, but it’s not a bad idea’—so judged Rider of Black. Sieg also agreed to it, saying, ‘It will slightly raise our chances of reaching the Hanging Gardens.’ When Archer of Black heard the idea, he was also satisfied, saying, ‘It will reduce our disadvantage in the air even if only by a little bit.’
And lastly, Ruler, the only one among them who understood the common sense of regular society, became pale-faced when she heard it.
“…Ruler, is something wrong?”
Fiore tilted her head and asked her curiously. Ruler breathed out a sigh and shook her head.
“No, it’s nothing. I just painfully realized the gulf that lies between magi and normal humans.”
Even with this plan, though, they would only be able to get close to Assassin’s enormous Noble Phantasm, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
“It still isn’t enough. I’d like at least one more countermeasure to have in play.”
Sieg groaned at the difficulty of what Fiore asked.
In the first place, the preconditions were harsh. An impregnable floating fortress, along with Atalanta, Karna, Achilles and Semiramis—all of them Servants of the strongest rank.
The problem wasn’t a matter of winning or losing, but how to feasibly approach that floating fortress—
Ruler raised her hand first. She cleared her throat, gathering everyone’s attention towards her.
“How about preparing a second airplane loaded with explosives and enhanced through consecration and making it dive and crash into the gardens from a high altitude?”
Ruler, who had run through numerous battlefields, proposed quite an extreme plan.
“…H-How bold.”
Fiore stiffened. Archer of Black exclaimed “Oh!” in admiration and clapped his hands.
“But the Hanging Gardens is an autonomous moving fortress. It’s most likely Assassin of Red’s greatest and most prized mystery. Even if you consecrate them, I have doubts about how much damage mere explosives will be able to do…”
“However, if we don’t manage to damage it at least a little, even infiltrating the gardens will be impossible. The situation is far different from the last battle. This time, they’ll definitely counterattack with all their might.”
Ruler was correct. Back when they were stealing the Greater Grail, the situation hadn’t allowed the Red camp to ambush the enemy Servants while the Hanging Gardens was so close to the surface. In the first place, Shirou had intentionally led the Black Servants and Ruler into the Gardens back then.
This time would be different. The Red camp would move to eliminate the Black camp with all their might.
“Even if we use that plan, it still isn’t enough.”
After Archer of Black stated that, the gathered Servants, Masters and even the homunculi standing by for orders exchanged various ideas, but none of them were worth pursuing.
“Not a plane, but strategic bombing aircraft… Hmm, either way, we need a weapon with great destructive power… missiles… or a bunker-buster… or, though the name is disrespectful, perhaps the [Rods of God]1…”
Fiore and most of the others couldn’t understand even half of the things that Ruler murmured. Only Gordes trembled in fear, saying, “Does this holy woman intend to end the world…?”
“Hmm? In that case, how about this homun—”
The instant Caules tried to point at the homunculus Sieg after suddenly thinking of something, Ruler glared at him. Caules frantically hid his hand.
Sieg then raised his own hand and spoke up.
“I really don’t mind using my Noble Phantasm as Saber of Black… But, if I end up clashing against the Hanging Gardens’ defense functions—in other words, against Assassin of Red’s spells, the Gardens will likely survive the attack even if I don’t lose outright.”
Sieg could accurately calculate the power of that spell attack which Ruler blocked with her holy flag. If that was all there was, he was confident that he could overwhelm and beat it with Saber of Black’s Balmung.
However, they had learned from Rider of Black that the Hanging Gardens had eleven interception spells prepared and ready for Assassin of Red to fire at any time. If the spell that Ruler had blocked was a ‘one’, then it was basically multiplied by eleven when fired in combination.
Even then, Sieg probably wouldn’t lose, but he wasn’t confident that he could defeat it either. The odds were likely that it would turn into a contest of power—clashing against each other with all their might and merely resulting in both of them exhausting themselves.
And, though the Red camp could afford it, that was the worst possible outcome for the Black camp.
“Turning it into a contest of power is the same as wasting Saber of Black’s power. That’s a very poor plan.”
Archer of Black stated that, and Ruler agreed. Sieg also wanted him to use his power as little as possible. But it was also true that he wanted to help them reach the Hanging Gardens if his power was necessary.
If the odds were high that it would end up being a contest of power, then it couldn’t be helped.
There were no holes in their plan itself. There weren’t, but—in order to reach the Gardens, they had to get through Lancer, Rider and Archer of Red’s interception attacks. The Gardens also had its own defences, so taking that into account—
“…As I thought, the odds of us surviving are low.”
At Sieg’s intuitive words, a gloomy silence enveloped the conference room. Just as Sieg said, even with all their plans, the odds of success were low. A plane was, in the end, merely a flying lump of metal. It would be easily torn apart by any attack from Archer’s bow, Lancer’s spear or Rider’s chariot.
“—That’s true. The fact that I’m so inept that I can only think of something like this is the problem. However, there aren’t many methods for us to oppose the Hanging Gardens.”
Though it was called a ‘garden’, it was already on the level of a fortress. Even the Fortress of Millennia, which had required hundreds of years to build, was but a fragile balloon in comparison.
Assassin of Red—Semiramis. The legendary empress born from the goddess Derketo and a human man. Famed for her peerless beauty after she grew up, she was sometimes regarded as an incarnation of the goddess Ishtar.
She could probably put up a good match against Lancer of Red, Karna, with the strength of her mysteries. And then there was her Noble Phantasm, the Hanging Gardens. Even if it was a temporary miracle that would only last for the duration of the Great Holy Grail War, airplanes, which were the crystallization of modern science and technology, were nothing when compared to it.
“It’s fine, it’s fine! At the very least, I can protect Master and one other person!”
In order to break the gloomy atmosphere, Rider of Black spoke up in a bright voice. His words weren’t a simple show of courage. They were full of confidence, truly the kind of words that only a hero could shout.
“You mean with your Hippogriff?”
“Yeah! I couldn’t display its special ability in the previous battle, but this time I’ll use it for sure! After all, you’re my Master now! Ahaha.”
Rider laughed while slapping Sieg’s back repeatedly. Ruler felt the atmosphere in the conference room flip around and become half-amazed, yet also brighter. Those words were quite carefree, but they were sincere as well. Rider hadn’t tried to forcibly cheer them up; he was a warrior who truly thought that way from the bottom of his heart. That was enough for the atmosphere to change.
“And besides, I’m completely impervious to magecraft! I have a tome that can counter any kind of spell!”
After all, Rider of Black had an abundance of reliable Noble Phantasms to make up for his own weak abilities.
“Well, I did forget its true name, so it’s can’t display its real ability, though.”
Yes, even if he had forgotten the Noble Phantasm’s name and couldn’t activate its full power——
“No, please wait a second, Rider. What did you just say?”
Everyone’s gazes, including Sieg, converged on Rider of Black. Rider tilted his head with a puzzled expression—
“Eh, like I said, I have a Noble Phantasm tome. I’m really troubled since I’ve forgotten its true name.”
Looking completely untroubled in his demeanor, Rider of Black spoke cheerfully.
—Rider of Black took out a book which suddenly materialized of nowhere and placed it on the conference room’s table with a thud. All the magi of the group, including Fiore, Caules and Gordes, gulped at the sight of it.
“This is Astolfo’s Noble Phantasm…”
Unlike Rider’s Hippogriff or lance, which had little to do with magecraft, a grimoire like this was a familiar sight to them.
And because they were familiar with grimoires, they could comprehend the enormous magical power hidden within this tome.
“…I see. So the reason your Magic Resistance is only one rank below mine is because you have this.”
Ruler nodded in understanding. She had certainly thought it was strange. The Magic Resistance of the Rider class was usually low-ranked, and she had never heard any legend of Astolfo originally having such a trait either.
But there was a legend about a tome that could destroy all spells, which had been given to Astolfo by a good witch. Indeed, if he always had this in his possession, he wouldn’t be harmed by most spells.
“Yeah, it really is convenient. After all, just possessing it protects me from spells.”
“…Umm, Rider. May I ask something?”
While taking a deep breath, Fiore spoke up.
“This tome can activate its true abilities by speaking its true name. According to legend, this is a grimoire that can destroy all spells, right? …And you forgot its true name?”
“No, actually, it’s just on the tip of my tongue—”
“Remember it, please remember it! We might be able to take down the Hanging Gardens if you do!”
Fiore shook Rider’s shoulders with her Bronze-Link Manipulators.
“Wah, wah, wawah, wawawah! Wait, wait! I’ll remember! I’ll remember it! No, actually, I just remember it! Really, really!”
“Truly!?”
Not only Fiore, but even Archer and Ruler got excited and pressed near him all at once. Even someone like Rider could feel the pressure here, and he took a step back while sweating.
“Err. Umm. What I remembered isn’t its true name, but the requirement for me to remember it, though…”
“Requirement…?”
“Yeah. The requirement is—a moonless night. If it’s on a day when there’s no moon, I can definitely invoke this grimoire’s true name.”
Everyone exchanged glances at those words.
“Moonless—in other words, a new moon, huh?”
Fiore wondered aloud, and her Servant Archer of Black voiced his agreement.
“The moon has been treated as a guide of madness since ancient times. If we consider that the reason that Rider’s reason evaporates is due to madness, then it’s only on a night when the moon his hidden that Rider’s reason returns.”
“The next new moon is… five days from now. What will you do, Yggdmillennia?”
Sieg asked the question. In truth, their plan was to depart tomorrow, but if they waited until the next new moon, Rider would be able to activate his Noble Phantasm.
The longer they waited, the farther the Hanging Gardens would get from them. If the Red Camp managed to leave Romania’s borders, the ownership of the Greater Grail would become a contested issue. Even if they managed to take back the Greater Grail outside of Romania, it would be considerably difficult to reconnect it to the land’s leylines since it would be outside the territory that served as the base of Yggdmillennia’s power.
The head of Yggdmillennia, Darnic, had once used the power of Nazi Germany in order to transport the Greater Grail, but the clan didn’t have any such power or connections now.
Yggdmillennia’s level of influence was completely different inside and outside of Romania. If they were within Yggdmillennia’s territory, they might be able to gather the survivors of their clan and, if necessary, utilize Romania’s government to take the Greater Grail back to the Fortress of Millennia.
But, once they took a single step outside of the country, Yggdmillennia’s ‘power’ was weak. It would be impossible for them to transport the Greater Grail back. And it wasn’t like the Association of Magi had given up on the Greater Grail after losing in the Great Holy Grail War.
In other words—even if they won this war, the Greater Grail wouldn’t return to Yggdmillennia’s hands.
But, if they didn’t wait five days, they would have to shoulder excessive risk in order to get back the Greater Grail.
Fiore was pressed into making a decision.
…As a magus, she should go after the Greater Grail even if it meant ignoring Rider of Black’s Noble Phantasm.
To reach the Root. To make Yggdmillennia’s power known to the world. For the sake of those objectives, activating the Greater Grail was absolutely necessary.
What would happen if they let the Greater Grail fall out of their grasp without resistance? It would mean the end of Yggdmillennia. At the very least, letting the Greater Grail be stolen would almost certainly mean the end of her life as a magus.
As the head of Yggdmillennia, that alone was—
“…Sorry. Please let me talk with Nee-san for a while. Sieg and all the Servants, please go back to your rooms for tonight and rest. We’ll come to a decision by tomorrow.”
Perhaps sensing that Fiore’s thoughts were in a deadlock, Caules raised his hand and spoke up. Gordes merely said, “This isn’t an issue that I have any say in anyway,” and he left before any of the others.
Rider of Black seemed like he wanted to say something to the Forvedge siblings, but Sieg and Ruler grabbed his shoulders and forcibly pulled him out of the room.
Lastly, Archer of Black looked at the conflicted Fiore—and then looked at Caules. Caules nodded silently. Seeing that, Archer smiled in relief, and silently left the room.
And then, only the two siblings were left in the conference room.
Fiore moved her wheelchair to look at the pitch-black darkness outside the window—as if she were trying to run away.
“Now then. Nee-san, what will we do?”
That cold tone was completely unlike the normal Caules; it was the voice of a magus. Fiore replied while still facing the window.
“We must shoulder the greater risks. We—Yggdmillennia must take back the Greater Grail through any means pos—”
“I think this is a watershed moment.”
Without waiting for her to finish speaking, Caules cut in and said that.
“Watershed… what do you mean?”
“This is a turning point deciding whether you’ll become a magus or a human, Nee-chan2.”
—Those words sent a horrible chill down Fiore’s back.
“…What are you talking about?”
“Based on the movements of the Greater Grail that we heard from Ruler, the Red camp is definitely heading towards the Black Sea. I have no idea where they intend to go from there. Maybe they’ll go north or south, or maybe they’re heading somewhere specific—in any case, if we don’t catch up with them by tomorrow, the Greater Grail will fall out of all of our hands.”
“I know that.”
“Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia devoted everything for the sake of this rebellion. He put our blood, our magic power, our fortune and property, everything last thing we have on the table. If we lose here, everything will come to nothing. Even if we wait five days and win with better chances, it will all come to nothing.”
“I know that.”
“So if we want the Greater Grail, we have to leave by tomorrow.”
“Like I said, I know all that! Caules, what are you trying to say!?”
Irritated, Fiore turned around and glared at Caules—and her anger immediately vanished like mist.
Caules’ eyes were as dark as the depths of the deep sea.
“However, that is the choice of a magus.”
“…Of a magus?”
That was obvious. That was the premise behind everything. Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia was a magus, after all.
“The Greater Grail can’t be allowed to be used by someone evil. That’s why we have to win. For the sake of that, we’ll raise our odds of winning even the slightest bit. We have to lower the risk and increase our chances… even if it means we can’t obtain the Greater Grail.”
Caules calmly said that.
“I won’t change my mind. Yggdmillennia—”
“Who cares about Yggdmillennia? Forget the fact that you’re the head of our family too. Nee-chan, the issue here is whether or not you’ll continue to be a magus.”
Understanding the meaning of those words, Fiore turned pale and moved back from Caules. Her anger had disappeared, and in its stead, she felt fear, looking at her brother as if he had become a monster.
“…Are you telling me to stop being a magus?”
“That’s something for you to decide, Nee-chan.”
“The answer is obvious. I—”
I will continue being a magus. I must continue being a magus. After all, our parents and relatives expect that of me, and I have to unify our clan. I also have to use the Greater Grail to grant my wish to have my legs healed—
“…Do you remember that dog?”
—Fiore’s breathing halted. Memories that should have sunk to the bottom of her consciousness suddenly rose to the surface.
The peeled skin of the dog. Its cries of pain. Its black eyes that seemed to ask “Why?”—
Just remembering it made her feel like vomiting.
“…I remember. I could never forget it.”
Tightly gripping the armrests of her wheelchair, Fiore replied as if spitting out blood. She had thought about forgetting it time and time again. And each time, she had sworn not to forget and continued to endure the flashbacks.
“I see… In that case, you really aren’t suited to be a magus, Nee-chan. It would have better if you just forgot it.”
Memories of the past were important.
If it was for the sake of living as a magus, then she should hold onto them. But Fiore’s memories were merely a form of trauma that gave her no benefit. Even if it raised her chances of communicating with low-level spirits within her specialty magecraft, what good would it do? Her success was natural in the first place, and even if she failed a spell, she could think of a hundred ways of dealing with it. As someone trained thoroughly as a magus, she could reject any trivial spiritual possession just by using her Magic Circuits.
…That’s why memories had no value for her. If a memory was so sad, painful and unpleasant that it blinded her, she didn’t have any problem with forgetting it.
—Except for one. The memory of those peaceful days spent with that dog.
“There’s no way I could forget.”
“Why?”
Caules’ voice was calm as he asked that. Fiore forgot about resisting, and simply answered honestly.
“Because, if I forget that little one, where else would he have to go?”
In this world, the only ones who remembered that dog—were probably only herself and her brother.
If she forgot him, that dog would disappear in that instant. The certain awareness that ‘he had existed’ would disappear.
People make graves in order not to forget the dead. Each time they saw the graves, they recalled those bygone days.
Proving that ‘those people were alive in the past’ was just as important as proving ‘I’m alive in the present’.
That’s why, if she forgot that dog…
He would have nowhere to go—
“Isn’t that sentiment completely opposed to the reasoning of magi? …That’s why you’re not cut out to be a magus, Nee-chan.”
Hearing those words, Fiore stopped breathing for an instant—and then she nodded.
“…You’re right. I’m not cut out for it. I might have hesitated over it a little too much.”
She should have forgotten it. But even if she didn’t forget it, it didn’t impede her that much. She had used her talent to continue dodging the issue between her detestable sentimentality and her life as a magus.
But that was also at an end. Her childhood was long past, and she had to decide whether to take the path forward or backward now.
…She should go forward. She should continue as a magus.
That was the correct choice. That was unmistakably the logical decision.
Ah, but—
She had made a grave for that dog. She didn’t know whether it had been worn away by the all rain and wind since then. But still, she and her brother had made a grave.
She had grieved for that dog and felt sad over his death. She didn’t have the courage to erase those feelings and call herself a magus with a calm face.
Yes, that’s right. She had no courage. Cowardly, timid, always worrying and fretting; that was her true self.
Something warm filled her heart.
She thought herself foolish and weak, not for being unable to keep moving forward, but for being unable to change the part of her that didn’t want to ever forget that dog—but even so, she didn’t regret it.
“—I can’t go forward anymore.”
“…I see. Yeah, I think that’s for the best, Nee-chan.”
She was at her limit.
Hearing Caules’ words, Fiore bent forward and began to sob.
Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia decided to quit. Not the Great Holy Grail War, but her life as a magus.
“…We’ll wait five days. If Rider can utilize that tome’s true power, it will decrease the risk of us getting shot down when we attack.”
“I see. Then Nee-chan, you’ll stand behind here—”
As Caules patted his chest in relief, Fiore tilted her head curiously and interrupted him.
“What are you talking about? Of course not. Naturally, I’ll also be going.”
“Huh!? Didn’t you quit!?”
“Caules, what on earth are you talking about?”
As if her tears just now were a lie, she spoke to her brother with a composed expression.
“I’ve certainly quit being Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia the magus. But I still have a separate duty as someone chosen as a Master in the Great Holy Grail War.”
“Ugh. That’s…”
Caules groaned. Just as she said, regardless of whether or not she was a magus now, she still had her responsibility as a Master.
Furthermore, Archer of Black was still alive and required prana.
And it wasn’t like she could give up on the Great Holy Grail War here. She had to fight, not as a magus, but because of her pride as a Master.
“You listening, Caules? I will also ride the plane. You will remain here with Gordes-ojisama. I will entrust everything to you both should the worst case scenario occur.”
“…No, I’ll go. I’ll go too. I’m the same as you. I also have a duty as a Master.”
That’s right, Caules was still a Master. Though only to a small extent, he was supplying prana for Archer of Black. But that was simply as a backup. In reality, he was merely a Master that had already dropped out of the Great Holy Grail War.
“Even though Berserker is gone?”
When Fiore asked that sadly, Caules looked straight at Fiore and responded.
“Even if Berserker is gone, even if all my Command Spells have vanished, I’m still a Master. And above all, I’m an Yggdmillennia magus. Since I bear that duty, I’ll also go.”
Fiore sucked in a surprised breath when she heard those words.
An Yggdmillennia magus—she understood what those words meant. They were a proclamation of their separation, and a kind of decisive declaration.
For a short while, the two of them fell into silence.
“……I see. You’re going that way, Caules.”
Fiore whispered in a lonely manner, and Caules shrugged calmly.
“I myself don’t care either way. But well, if Nee-chan is going over to that side, I should stay on this side.”
That wasn’t Caules’ own desire. He was merely acting in accordance with Fiore’s actions. But he had no regrets over it.
In the first place, he had always led an aimless life. He was a completely half-hearted person who didn’t care whether he was a human or a magus either way. If that could help his sister settle her own life—well, that was fine with me.
“You won’t come with me…?”
“Is there a need for me to go with you?”
Caules unhesitantly rebuked Fiore’s imploring words. It’s better like this, thought Caules. Fiore would be lonely and lament that he was no longer by her side. But it was still a parting that she would eventually recover from.
She had decided the path she would follow. There was no way to know what lay ahead of her. But she had decided.
She would lose many things—that was only natural, since she was throwing away the glory and life of a magus. Even so—Fiore wanted to follow that path.
It wasn’t about whether it was right or not. It was a decision wrapped in regret.
“…I’ll be lonely.”
“I wonder about that. We might both end up dying in five days.”
“—Yeah. Naturally, such a future is also possible.”
Perhaps because she had been absentminded, she had completely forgotten it was far more likely they wouldn’t live to see the future—and when she realized that, Fiore involuntarily laughed.
Caules also started laughing with her, and from there on, their faces twisted in mirth as they convulsed with laughter.
Wiping tears from his eyes, Caules spoke.
“It’s the final battle. Let’s make sure to go all out, Nee-chan.”
“It’s all right. I—have Archer to protect me, after all,” Fiore replied.
The sky was filled with dazzling stars.
Though the occasionally blowing wind was cold, it wasn’t so bad that it made the body shiver. Seen from the lookout of the Fortress of Millennia, Trifas looked to have finally regained its peace.
Many Yggdmillennia magi were running around, using hypnosis on the people to suppress the panic, acting as doctors to give medical treatment, and acting as policemen to publically announce what happened as a spontaneous outbreak of poison gas. Fiore, who was the acting clan head, had immediately negotiated with the government to bring the state of emergency to a close. Apparently, it had also been announced that the serial killings were resolved.
As he was looking up at the stars, Archer of Black felt a strange sense of disconnection. It wasn’t that anything abnormal had occurred, but rather that a certain thought had suddenly come to mind.
“—The stars haven’t changed even after more than two millennia, huh?”
He had thought that the sky he saw in Greece in the past and the sky he saw now in Trifas would be different, but it hadn’t changed that much.
The lives of humans have changed. History continues to advance. But the way the world works hasn’t changed that much, thought Archer.
People fight, love, think and give directions—Those known as kings may have entirely died out, but the act of ruling itself hadn’t changed that much from when Archer was alive.
…It can’t be helped, he thought.
People could accumulate wisdom and convey knowledge down the generations. But that didn’t mean that their inner instincts changed as well.
If that part of them changed, they would no longer be human, but something else entirely.
Even so—should people aim to become something beyond human?
“…Ridiculous.”
That whisper he unconsciously muttered was heard by someone behind him.
“Archer?”
Archer turned around at the sound of that clear voice.
“Ah, Sieg. What is it?”
He looked behind Sieg for the figures of Rider or Ruler, who were the first and second most likely people to be with him. Noticing Archer’s gaze, Sieg spoke up in a slightly miffed tone.
“The two of them are speaking with your Master. I was just told to bring you a message.”
“A message?”
“Yes… It seems we’ll be departing in five days. You should talk with your Master later to hear the full details.”
“—Is that so?”
Archer understood the meaning of those words very well. It meant that his Master, who was both a magus and a normal human, had decided to live as a normal human.
But despite everything, she had chosen that. Though she would lose many things, she had still chosen that path.
No matter how normal they might be, everyone was pressed to make a choice eventually. The choice of what path to take in their life.
There were exceedingly few people who didn’t regret or waver. But Archer knew that never wavering was not necessarily correct.
No, he wouldn’t mind even if she wavered and made a mistake.
“Archer. I have a question to ask of you with your wisdom.”
Archer was a bit surprised to find that Sieg was still there, since he thought the homunculus would leave right away after delivering the message.
“Yes, what is it?”
Sieg’s handsome, doll-like face was tinged with faint distress.
“I don’t understand.”
His whisper was faint beneath the starry sky.
“What don’t you understand?”
“…Assassin of Black showed me something.”
Sieg spoke of what he had seen.
There were those who exploited and those who were exploited. And at the end of it all were pure lives that were merely plucked away.
It was complete and perfect as a system; no one was in the wrong, and there was no justice to be found anywhere.
The spectacle he had witnessed was one form of hell.
“It’s true that that might not be all there is to humans… But then, I realized. If humans continue to sacrifice the few for the sake of the whole, simply because it’s not very visible… the world might not be that different from that hell.”
With those faltering words, Sieg denounced the world.
The world isn’t beautiful. The world is ugly. Those words—contained a grain of truth.
“…Of course, I don’t know anything about the world. So these thoughts of mine might be absurd to you.”
He said that in a somewhat sulky manner. Archer found that slightly charming.
Now then… it would be simple for Archer to reject what Sieg had said, and putting it into words would be easy for him as well. He could destroy Sieg’s conclusion in just ten words, and with a hundred he could easily persuade him otherwise. After all, Sieg himself wanted to deny his own conclusion. He wanted to believe in Ruler’s words that ‘The world is beautiful’.
But Archer rejected that option.
“…Perhaps so. Sieg, I walked on the earth more than two thousand years ago. People have multiplied since then. They have continued to overcome disasters and battles and to prosper. In the Earth’s long history, the only race to have prospered this much is humanity. But that doesn’t mean that humanity has changed much over those two thousand years. They haven’t changed in the most fundamental sense.”
Sieg looked at Archer in surprise. Archer shook his head as if to say how unbearable it all was.
“I have raised and trained less than a hundred humans. Many of them reached the level where they were called heroes. Of course, that was due to their individual resourcefulness and efforts. I merely gave them a push to support them, but—”
Even so, he felt pride in the pupils he had taught.
Asclepius, who became revered as a god of medicine; the famous hero Heracles; Castor; and the hero who had been summoned as Rider of Red, Achilles. Both those who left their names in history and those who remained buried in anonymity were splendid humans, one and all.
“Even though there were once such great heroes, the world still hasn’t changed. That’s only natural. No human can change their basic instincts.”
No matter how much people trained themselves, there was no human who never felt hunger in their life. If such a feat were achieved, it would probably be some kind of curse.
Humans possessed both reason and instinct. It was impossible to live by reason alone, and living by instinct alone merely made one a beast.
Reason has developed due to the advancement of knowledge. Techniques to restrain instincts have also increased. But—it was impossible to completely negate them.
“However, everything is washed away before the large river of history. It can’t be helped. It can’t be helped, but… As I stand here again in the world two thousand years later, I wonder if there was any meaning in my life. I think such foolish thoughts.”
It truly was foolish.
Archer of Black immediately denied the thoughts that welled up in him. There was no such as a life that had meaning in this world. And there shouldn’t be.
Because your life’s meaning was something that you had to create yourself by moving forward.
“…There is meaning in it. You left your name in history. Your life’s brilliance became part of the stars in the sky and the name of your constellation remains even two thousand years later. I find that enviable.”
The way Sieg seemed to pout as he murmured that was quite amusing to Archer.
“Thank you, Sieg. Now then, I can’t answer your question. But I will give you one piece of advice, if you’ll allow me. Right now, you don’t know what’s good and what’s bad, but you should think about it while following your heart. Accepting the advice of others is useful, but you mustn’t simply obey it.”
“…In the end, I guess I have to think for myself.”
“Is that troublesome?”
Sieg should his head silently. He never once thought it was troublesome. But he felt like he shouldn’t think so much that he came to a standstill.
“That’s true. Simply thinking will merely make you go around in circles.”
“…So I have to act, huh?”
Archer nodded at Sieg’s words.
“That’s right. Act and decide. Right now, you are a living creature that can step firmly upon this earth with your own two feet.”
“…I understand. Archer, living is quite difficult, isn’t it? If even I’m like this, it must be even harder for heroes like you.”
Archer shook his head in denial of Sieg’s words.
“It’s true that living might be difficult to some extent, but not so much as you imagine… Rather, the place from which you started was much harsher.”
Sieg gained self-consciousness within a prana supply tank. The fact that he thought of breaking out from there in the first place was abnormal.
He might have despaired once he understood his situation. He might have been at a loss over what to do. But even so, he chose to move forward.
…That wasn’t an act that anyone could do. Most heroes possessed power, talent and divine blessings from the moment they were born.
He had none of those. Yet even without them—he was continuing to fight in the cruel situation of the Great Holy Grail War. If humans had possibilities hidden within themselves, then an artificial lifeform that was extremely close to humans—a homunculus might also have infinite possibilities hidden within himself.
“…Not really, I think I was just desperate back then.”
However, it seemed the boy himself wasn’t aware of that.
“As long as you have that desperate urge, I’m sure that your worries will be settled someday.”
“I see… Thank you, Archer.”
Sieg honestly thanked him, and then began walking away with a pondering expression. He seemed to be diligently considering Archer’s advice.
“That’s fine, but please do watch your step.”
“I know… ah.”
As soon as he said that, Sieg stumbled. Hearing a muted cry of “Kyah” at the same time, he saw that he had bumped into Archer’s Master as she passed by.
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine.”
After that brief exchange, Fiore moved out onto the lookout where Archer stood. Since her wheelchair couldn’t ascend the stairs, she was using her Bronze-Link Manipulators.
“Did you hear the message from that homunculus?”
“Yes… I heard about how we’ll be leaving in five days.”
Archer of Black understood very well what that meant.
“The Greater Grail will be—”
“Yes, I know. Archer, there are several things I wish to discuss with you. Will you listen?”
“Of course, Master. Shall we go inside?”
“…No, I don’t mind staying here.”
After saying that, Fiore looked up at the sky. Archer looked at her face from the side under the faint illumination of the castle’s lamps—and at the faint traces of tears on her cheeks.
“It might be able to grant my wish, but it will be difficult to take back the Greater Grail itself. It will most likely be retrieved by the Association of Magi.”
Though, even leaving that aside, it was difficult to say whether or not the Greater Grail would be able to grant her wish anyway. The Black camp had no idea what state the Greater Grail was in after being stolen. It probably wasn’t broken, but that was still merely conjecture on their part.
Besides, the enemy was a minor hero of the Far East who had continued to seek the Greater Grail over the course of six decades. Just what on earth was he planning—?
“That is extremely disadvantageous to Yggdmillennia.”
Archer struck at the truth of the matter with a quiet voice. That’s right, if they launched their attack in five days, it would effectively mean defeat for them.
Sooner or later, the other clan members would also find out about this. In that case, Fiore would be completely cornered by them.
“Yes. That’s why I will take responsibility… No, rather, because I won’t take responsibility, I will give up magecraft.”
“…”
Silence. Even though he had already understood, Archer uneasily kept silent.
For a magus to give up magecraft—it meant giving up not only their life, but the entirety of their family’s long history as well.
That was unimaginably painful and terrifying. Because she would be destroying something precious that had been gradually accumulated over time.
“Don’t look at me like that, Archer… This is fine. I was finally able to understand. Archer, you realized that I was unsuited to be a magus, right?”
“No, that’s—”
Fiore’s gentle smile didn’t allow Archer to lie.
“…I apologize. After I was summoned, I vaguely became aware of it as I talked with you. Master, you possess excellent and unrivaled talent as a magus. Even now, that is without a doubt true.”
Archer apologized with a sincere expression. Fiore faintly giggled.
“Thank you. Those words make me very happy. But—I never had any talent as a magus. I wasn’t able to think rationally and devote everything to the study of magecraft.”
“I think it would have been fine if you were at least only an isolated magus, Master.”
In that case, she wouldn’t have gotten involved in the Great Holy Grail War, and would never have been installed as the head of Yggdmillennia.
In the first place, magi did not fight out of preference. There were simply battles they had to fight as a result of something they couldn’t give up. If she were isolated, the danger of that would have been low. She might have made the best use of her ability as a magus and eventually left her work to the next generation without ever noticing the truth about herself all her life.
But those were all empty assumptions.
Fiore had been born as the eldest child of the Forvedge family and was made to shoulder various expectations as the candidate for the next Yggdmillennia clan head. She would have noticed it herself eventually. Or someone else would have noticed.
That would have likely led to an unstoppable and fatal situation. Just as Caules had said, this was definitely a turning point for her.
“However, though it may be arrogant of me to say—that makes me happy.”
“Archer…?”
“You acted not as a magus, but as an individual human towards me. You regarded me not as the deadly weapon known as a Servant, but as a comrade who fights alongside you. No, perhaps it’s precisely because you’re such a soft-hearted person that I was summoned by you.”
Those were extremely unnecessary feelings in a Holy Grail War. She would definitely part with her Servant in the end.
No matter how much they bonded, that alone would not change.
It was a relationship that would eventually end. In that case, it was better to treat each other that way from the start. The Master would treat the Servant as a weapon and the Servant would use the Master as fuel.
Even though it should have been better that way…
“That’s not it at all. I was just afraid of being hated by you, Archer…”
Archer smiled wryly, finding that to be such a human-like answer.
Perhaps noticing it herself, Fiore became shyly embarrassed.
“I’d like to ask one more thing. Archer, are you all right… with fighting Rider of Red?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I saw a dream about you and Achilles. When he was young and you were raising him.”
Fiore spoke of the dream she had seen. The young Achilles had earnestly revered and respected Chiron. And Chiron had also treated him as his own child—and trained him to be a hero.
Family… That truly was the spectacle of a family.
“Archer, Rider was a beloved pupil to you, wasn’t he? I don’t think it’s right for you to fight him…”
She gave a human-like response out of human-like emotion.
She really is a good Master, thought Chiron with a broad smile. But she misunderstood. She wasn’t wrong—but she wasn’t right either.
“Master. It’s true that, just as you say, it might be painful to fight him to some extent. But it also brings me great joy that exceeds that pain.”
“Joy…?”
“Achilles left my tutelage at around the tender age of ten. And just as promised, he acted as a hero, fought as a hero, and remained a hero right until the moment of his death. The fact that I contributed to those great achievements even a little brings me tremendous joy. And—”
Archer gave a bold smile and clenched his fist.
“I can’t help thinking. His fists were once small and weak, unable to even hit me, but could he beat me now? Has his formerly clumsy skill with the lance become good enough to face my arrows?”
That was the instinct of a warrior. The selfish and pure desire known as fighting spirit that sprouted in all those who cultivated the art of battle in this world. It was the simple wish to fight someone strong, even if they were family.
“I want to fight Rider of Red… Those are my honest feelings.”
“You mean not as a Servant, but as a warrior?”
“…Yes. Of course, it’s also true that there’s need to eliminate him as a Servant.”
“—I see. Hey, Archer. I might be unsuited as a magus, but could it be that you’re also unsuited as a Servant?”
Fiore started giggling.
When she saw Archer think over his own words and then nod meekly, her laughter grew even greater.
“…Do you have regrets over giving up magecraft?”
Archer suddenly asked her that. Fiore cast her eyes down with a slightly sad expression and whispered.
“Of course. It feels painful enough to pierce my heart. Magecraft was something precious to me. So much so that giving it up makes me want to cry in pain and regret.”
When this conversation ended, Fiore would probably cry.
And when she transferred her Magic Crest to Caules later, she would probably cry again.
She would probably suffer through tearing heartache for a while after the war was over.
“…That’s good, Master.”
Though Archer’s words were extremely inappropriate as a reply, Fiore accepted them.
“…Yes. My life wasn’t a waste. Magecraft was such an important part of my life that I knew joy and the pain of loss from it.”
That was why.
That was why she had to throw it away in order to walk a different path.
She would feel sad and lament over it. But there weren’t many things in life that were held so preciously—so she also felt joy over it.
“Thank you, Archer.”
“I didn’t do anything. You chose your path by your own will. And Caules-dono gave you a push from behind.”
Fiore shook her head at those words. If her Servant had been anyone other than Chiron, she would never have been able to make this choice.
It was because this man, who was as gentle and calm as a deep forest, had merely watched over her from behind that she was able to make this choice.
“I’m truly glad that my Servant was you.”
“And having you as my Master was unexpected good fortune for me.”
“Five days from now. Don’t mind me and fight to your heart’s content. That will help in protecting Caules and I.”
They couldn’t break through the obstacles to the Hanging Gardens with just an airplane. Therefore, they had thought up several plans (though there were all brute force strategies).
Having the Master Fiore and the Servant Archer act separately was also one of those plans. The Servant was meant to protect the Master, so Archer’s presence in one place would also expose the location of his Master there.
Therefore, Archer would forget about his Master and act freely.
“Even so, I’ll respond to a summons by Command Spell in an emergency. If something happens, make sure to call me. I may be a failure as a Servant—but I swear upon the stars of Sagittarius that I will protect you.”
Archer took Fiore’s hand and kneeled. Her cheeks turning slightly red, Fiore let Archer kiss the back of her hand.
“Courtesy and etiquette didn’t exist in my era, so forgive me if I’m ill-mannered.”
“Not… at all.”
As she spoke, Fiore laced her hands together as if having accepted something precious.
Their parting was definitely close at hand. Servants were spirits, and even if Chiron were summoned in another Holy Grail War, it wouldn’t be the Archer of Black who was summoned in this Great Holy Grail War.
“Archer, I pray for your victory.”
It was already uncertain what victory or defeat was at this point. But even so, Fiore could only pray and entrust those words to him.
Without saying anything, Archer nodded with a gentle smile.
Sieg and Rider of Black had left Trifas to head to Bucharest. Fiore had furnished a safe house in the city and had asked them to head there first.
…Apparently, she was conducting a ritual that couldn’t be shown to outsiders. Leaving aside Rider of Black who was a Servant, the homunculus would possibly live past the Great Holy Grail War, and so Fiore had requested that he go to a location as far away from the castle as possible.
Sieg didn’t know what kind of ritual it was, but it couldn’t be helped if his presence would be in the way, so he agreed. Fiore also offered to provide him with other homunculi to attend him, but Sieg politely declined.
“I’ll catch up with you soon.”
Ruler said that while clasping her hands together. Her eyes were very serious as she gazed at Sieg. Ruler had to take care of two tasks that Sieg and Fiore had respectively requested of her, so she was staying at the Fortress of Millennia a little while longer. In other words, their group’s greatest safety net would be gone from their side.
“Listen, okay? Please don’t let Rider cause any trouble. This is not just my request, it’s the request of Archer of Black and all of Yggdmillennia as well.”
The homunculi behind her nodded in unison.
“…Understood. I’ll somehow keep Rider in check.”
Sieg clenched his fist as if to show his determination.
“Heeeey, you guys, I am right here, you know? No, you do know, don’t you? You’re doing it while aware that I’m here. Damn it, are you all trying to pick a fight with me!?”
And Rider of Black, who was watching all this from Sieg’s side, lost his temper. But their unease wasn’t unwarranted. After all, he was Astolfo, who was famed for his reason evaporating in his legend. He had caused lots of trouble both big and small while here in Trifas as well.
“Now, now, please do calm down. I have faith in you, Rider.”
Archer of Black spoke gently and patted Rider’s shoulder.
“Archer… *sniff*, you’re the only one who believes in me.”
Rider’s eyes grew moist. Caules spoke up while watching the scene with scornful eyes.
“You were quite troubled over whether you should go to watch Rider, though, Archer.”
“Traitor!!”
Rider of Black repeatedly struck his hands against Archer’s chest. Sieg came forward to calm him down. While watching the two of them with a gentle gaze, Fiore spoke to Sieg.
“Once we rejoin you, we’ll immediately head out towards the Hanging Gardens. Perhaps you should say goodbye to the other homunculi here while you have the chance?”
—Goodbye.
Sieg stiffened at that word as if taken by surprise. What Fiore said was natural, but it was only now that he truly realized that he would have to part with his fellow homunculi.
“All right. Rider, please wait a bit.”
“Sure. Say all your farewells until you’re satisfied.”
“Sieg-kun, partings are a sad thing. Please make sure to engrave them in your memories.”
Sieg nodded at Ruler’s words and then went to bid farewell to the other homunculi.
Most of the homunculi nodded lightly at his words of farewell and replied by tapping his shoulder or patting his head.
Goodbye, do your best, be well, we’ll miss you, don’t die, don’t lose, good luck, take care of your body—All of their words were ordinary, yet precious.
Taking in each of their words one after another, Sieg lastly headed to see the homunculus who basically served as their leader, Tool.
“…You’re going?”
Due to having received great damage during the previous fog incident, she still couldn’t get out of bed. Her consciousness was clear, but she didn’t seem to have yet regained the strength to get up and work. According to Gordes’ diagnosis, she would return to normal in another three days, but—
“Yeah. Whether I win or lose, I probably won’t come back here.”
If he lost, he would probably die. Even if he won or managed to just survive, he wouldn’t return to Trifas.
…He didn’t know what he would do then. Would he distance himself from the evil of humans, or believe in the goodness of humans?
“I see. That’s fine… Go, then. You have a future, after all.”
Tool lightly grasped Sieg’s hand and softly struck it. Sieg nodded with a humble expression.
“Truly, thank you very much.”
“…Hmm? I think I’m the one who should be saying thanks, though.”
Tool tilted her head in confusion at Sieg’s words. Sieg sighed—how should he explain it? He was simply glad that she and the others were alive. That was all.
As he was perplexed over how to express it in words, Tool giggled.
“Well, saying farewell like that really is like you… You can live and survive anywhere. You’re our hope, after all. You’ll surely do something amazing. All the homunculi here believe that.”
Something amazing, huh?
Even now, he was aware that he was an “amazing” existence. Even so, that was only a transient miracle. Once the Great Holy Grail War ended, he would probably live an ordinary life like anyone else—
“No. You’ll surely do something amazing.”
Tool giggled from the bottom of her heart. It soon changed into a spasm-like cough, so he hurriedly gave her water and decided to leave the room.
Even if he gave the same farewell to everyone, there were slight differences among their reactions. Some were sad, some were happy, some were lonely at the prospect of his departure, and some held expectations for his future—
The differences were slight, but that was a result of their individuality, as slight as it might be. Even if they were reared the same way, even if others paid no heed to them, Sieg thought that was something precious.
…He felt reluctant to part with them. But that feeling of reluctance and regret was probably something previous as well.
After bidding farewell to everyone, he joined back up with Rider of Black at the castle gates.
“You finished your farewells?”
“…Yeah, basically.”
“I see. Then let’s go and do our best!”
Rider firmly grasped his hand. That strength of his was reliable and made Sieg happy. And at the same time, he had a thought.
Perhaps someday… no, not ‘perhaps’, I will definitely have to say farewell to Rider as well.
At that time, will I cry or laugh? Or will I not feel anything at all? If possible, I hope I feel something.
After getting on a bus going out of Trifas, Sieg and Rider at last arrived in Bucharest at some point in the evening. They walked through the city following the map they had been given. Along the way, they ended up being surrounded by several men of large build, but fortunately neither of them was injured. They seemed to give up after Rider, using his strength which had once dragged around a giant, bent a nearby light post with his bare hands.
“Then, let’s get going.”
Rider had walked away with a calm face… Since the situation would have turned out much worse if Rider hadn’t displayed his strength like that, Sieg conclude