Week Two

The Hero of The Forest of Sherwood

2. arousal/border equestrian alliance

A journey without a destination;

A voyage at sea with no map

What awaits after drifting lost

Is only a miserable death.

...And yet

You draw sustenance from fish,

Memorize the pilgrimage of the stars,

And land upon nameless shores.

We start as novice navigators, but…

Rudderless boats never find the grail

2nd week
The Second Selection
Combatants Remaining: 128-064

Night

The fight is over...I have won and Shinji has lost. And so, Shinji will meet death...Can it be true? I know what I saw, but it doesn’t feel real. Has his life been lost forever? Just because I won? Without any explanation or greater meaning?

“It appears that the first round is now over.” I wonder how long I stood there, dumbfounded. When I finally came to upon hearing that familiar voice. Looking up I saw Rin Tousaka was staring at me. “Even though Shinji was the one who chose to fight you, he’s the one who ended up dead. The reigning game champion of Asia is defeated. The moron didn’t have a clue how to fight for his life. Such is the fate of any magus who treats the Holy Grail War as a game. A pathetic way to die, no?”

“Maybe, but even he didn’t deserve a fate like that. N-No pony should.”I automatically opened my mouth to defend the dead from desecration. Only to receive a smack to the head by Saber.

“This place is a battlefield. What sense is there in exalting someone who was dealt with defeat?” The look in her eyes and her words drove home a message: on the field of battle, losers die. It should’ve been obvious. But apparently not to Shinji and I. “The winner of the Holy Grail War can be granted any wish. But there is only one winner. Everyone who enters has wishes and dreams, things they desire to have at any cost. Things worth dying for. You don’t seem to have regained any of your memory yet, right?” I looked off to the side for a moment as she lets out a sigh. “...It’s better that way. To lack a motive, that is. But you should at least be mentally prepared. If you’re not ready to kill or be killed, it’d be better to go hide under a rock.”

Much as I don’t want to do this, and I know I should be prepared. But I have no choice but to be ready to take the life of any pony that stands in my way of getting to the bottom of who I am and how did I end up here.” I looked up at Rin and spoke.

“I’m prepared.”

“Right...as long as you mean it.” Rin is right about everything. Everyone who makes a stand here fights with a strong will. There’s not a single one I could defeat without a hard fight first. I have my reasons to fight. And I can’t afford to lose it. Even if I have to trample other people’s dreams. I will make it to the end...even if I don’t like the outcome of it.

[Day One]
Midday

I am a bundle of mixed emotions. I feel ripped apart to the core. There’s Shinji’s death which I feel both satisfied and sad about, and there’s what Rin said. She’s right. I know it’s logical. But emotionally, I can’t deal with it. Unable to let it pass unnoticed, Saber appeared next to me as she placed a hand on my head.

“I understand your need to lament over what you did. I know the feeling all too well when I had to kill someone in the name of Camelot. So do not worry about the way you’re feeling. That Rin girl seems to have gladly abandoned civility, but I will not.” Honestly, I’m surprised. I didn’t think Saber would have anything comforting to say to me.

“W-Why?” I asked as she gave me a grin

“I like those who are kind. Seeing you on the verge of crying really annoys me. I can’t put it into words, but after this fight, I do believe I trust you a bit more...even if you are an egghead.” Saber swells with pride, I can’t help but laugh at the way she was acting. I mean, she spoke so confidently even though it’s something she herself is unsure of. “I’m mostly doing this so I know what your past was like before coming here. Good or bad I don’t really care what your past was. I’m just curious as to what it was...It’s kinda nice having a goal like that. Makes me feel proud to have a master like you.”

...She says that I’m kind. Then am I shedding tears of empathy? I’m not sure I’m that kind. Still, Saber’s words soothe me a bit. But I can’t allow myself to feel too much. I can’t advance through the second round on kindness. Before I could think of anything else, right when I was about to leave the classroom, I hear an electronic noise from my portable terminal.

: :The next combatants will be announced on the second-floor bulletin board : :

Guess it’s time for me to see who my next opponent is. I gather my stuff before heading out to the bulletin board. Just as before, my name is listed next to another on a sheet on the bulletin board. My name is listed first, and next to it was my next opponent.

Master: Dan Blackmore
Battlefield: The Second Chimeric Lunar Sea

“...Hmph. So you are the one who will be my next opponent.” said a voice next to me as I looked over to my right to see an elderly gentlecolt standing next to me. His mane is pure white, and his face withered with marks of aging. But, though he’s clearly aged, he doesn’t seem the least bit frail.

If I had to describe the way he wore his years, I’d say it was like a tree’s rings. His scars have become a solid and tough bark. It is impossible to see his age as a weakness.

“You look like you’ve been and seen your fair share of battles creature. But you’re still green. Whatever you may think, you lack experience. That you have let your opponent’s appearance shake your resolve is proof enough of inexperience. And your eyes...they’re lost...broken...You are beyond hopeless. Entering the battlefield in that state will prove...disastrous.” He said before walking off down the hallway. Once he left, Saber made herself visible to me as she glared at him from behind.

“He is a seasoned warrior, prepared to die should orders dictate it. Fighting this Master will force you to refine your crude fighting style, willing or not egghead.” She doesn’t even mention how outclassed I am here. She probably believes she can overcome my weaknesses. Personally, I’m not so optimistic. Mostly in terms of battle prowess. I lack not only strength, but drive. I hate to agree with what Dan said, I’m lost. Am I really fighting to get my memories back, or am I just saying it for Saber’s sake and mine. I don’t know what I’m fighting for, and that’s an obvious handicap. But, for my reason to have been so easily cast aside, just how strong could they have been?

“Yo! Egghead. You in there?” I blinked upon hearing Saber’s voice as I looked over at her in surprise. “You really need to pay attention to your surroundings...have you been skipping breakfast or something?”

“Oh...Um, no. Just...lost in thought is all. Nothing to worry about.”

“You sure. You still look like you about to fall asleep...or is that how you always looked?” She said in a joking manner as I punched her in the arm. “You really need to work out more if that’s how strong you are.”

“I’m starting to hate you right now, you know that right?”

“I know and I love you too my beloved master. Now, how about we get something to eat before the bell rings for you to return back to class.” She said before vanishing into data...should really get to work on plotting my revenge on her...I just need to figure out what she’s afraid of or what can freak her out.

Evening

After my opponent is revealed, I recalled something. I think of the girl who gave me advice when I didn’t know left from right...Rin Tousaka. Maybe she’s on the rooftop again. I should check to see if she’s there. Once the bell rang, I quickly gathered my books and quickly made my way to the rooftop. Once I pushed the door to the rooftop, I smiled upon seeing Rin in her usual spot on the rooftop. Just as I was about to walk over to her, she quickly turned around in my direction.

“I heard about your opponent in the second round. He’s a decorated soldier, although I believe he’s retired now. He’s a sniper from a kingdom that is allied, whether they want it or not, with the Harway plutocracy. Things, like crawling over a mile or sniping an enemy commander, are par for the course for him.” She said before I notice a stern expression on her face. “Get it pony girl? He’s of a completely different caliber than your first-round opponent.”

“I..Kinda figured as much given how he snuck up on me when I was looking at the bulletin board.”

“Hey, have your memories come back yet?” Should I tell her about the dream I had...I mean she did help me out with Shinji...best wait until I can fully trust her before telling her about the dream. I looked at Rin for a moment before shaking my head no to her question. “Sheesh, you really are pathetic. Your memories haven’t returned, and you’re weak on top of that. I don’t want to preach, but without memories...without your reason to fight...you’re dead in the water.”

The ratio of put-down to advice is kind of wonky there. I do get that Rin says I have a handicap. The Holy Grail is won by individual motivation. To lack the core of that motivation is a problem.

“Only soldiers fight solely out of obligation. For the rest of us, we need to keep our eyes on the prize. You’re not a strong-willed creature or a soldier. By now, you should know that’s a weakness. Even if you’ve got the strongest Noble Phantasm out there, he’ll still make quick work of you.”

“Noble...Phantasm?”

“What’s that confused look for? I’m talking about Noble Phantasm...Don’t tell me you don’t know? It’s like King Arthur’s Excalibur. A Noble Phantasm is a power that makes your Servant a Servant.” Noble Phantasm? Makes my Servant a Servant? Given my confused dumb like expression that Rin’s seeing, I do believe I rendered her speechless. “...You don’t have a Noble Phantasm?”

“No...No I do not.” I answered as I took a step back a bit. I’m a bit worried about how she would react to my reply.

“That would mean you aren’t making full use of your Servant’s powers, and yet you defeated El Draque? And here I thought you’d relied on a really potent Noble Phantasm to defeat El Drague...Hmm. I might have to rethink my opinion of you. But, more and more, I’m getting the feeling that something’s very off about you. I mean, your memories didn’t return after prelims, and you can’t use your Noble Phantasm, either. You’re a troublesome individual, you know that? Maybe a bug damaged your personal data when you exited the prelims. Possibly your Magic Circuit isn’t functioning right. In any case, you have to fix the issue.” She said before pointing a finger at me.

“Meanwhile, you better keep using your Servant and update their Alteration of the Soul. You may be able to use their Noble Phantasm as you strengthen your bond with your Servant. The SE.RA.PH is supposed to treat all masters equally. If the SE.RA.PH sees that you can’t use your Noble Phantasm, it will take corrective action. One more thing. Defeating an enemy isn’t an invitation to forget that enemy ever existed. It’s helpful to know about who you’ve fought, so take the time to look over your Matrix.” She said before turning back around to stare at the sky. Well, she’s not wrong about that...I’ll have to look over the information I got from fighting Shinji and use it to my strategy. Just as I was making my way towards the door to the rooftop, Saber made herself visible next to me.

“Don’t look so pensive. Have those words from that girl struck you that deep?” That’s right. This proud woman is a Servant, one just as capable of displaying incredible powers. Now that I’m a Master, of course, I can’t avoid my curiosity about this Noble Phantasm thing so I simply asked my servant what it is. “A Noble Phantasm is the symbol of a legendary soul. If used, it will disclose my identity. It will be usable in time, but it should not be exposed on small fry in the first round. Plus I still don’t trust you completely to be able to use it. So when the time comes for me to reveal it to you will be the day when you’re in danger.”

“So until you fully trust me, you won’t use your Noble Phantasm?”

“That’s correct.” I guess I can understand how great warrior’s tactics and tools could telegraph their identity to a wise Master. It will be most advantageous if I wait as long as possible to use the Noble Phantasm...Before I could ask her something else, the computer in my bag began to beep. Which means that the cipher key is up and this conversation comes to an end for now. I’ll learn Saber’s identity in due time. She says I’ll know eventually, so I don’t think it’s right for me to keep questioning. Pulling out the portable computer I have I looked on the screen to see what the message it has on it.

: : The Primary cipher key has been generated : :

I let out a sigh before placing the device back into my bag before scratching my head due to an itch I felt.

“Time for our favorite part of the Holy Grail War. Cipher hunting.” I said sarcastically.

“Our task has been laid before us. Completing it is more worthwhile than Noble Phantasms blather.” She said before disappearing into data. Well, she’s not wrong about that. I better head over to the arena and get the cipher key. Once I made my way over towards the arena entrance, I can feel a presence near the entrance of the Arena and crouch down almost instinctively. It was the old man I had spoken to earlier, Dan, with his Servant more than likely by his side.

“I’ve just learned the identity of our next opponent. Though young and mysterious, they did survive the first round. So be on your guard always. And I will not tolerate you acting solely on your gut feelings.” Dan said as his Servant sighed in annoyance.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I don’t care who our opponent is, my only goal is their death. And anyway, they’re already killed once, have they not? Anyone who made it through the first round is worthy of a little respect. Or is that just me…?”

“Your arrogance will be the death of us. I need you to obey my commands if we are to survive. No more acting on your own like the first round. Winning battles is meaningless if we lose the war. Do you understand me? I will not tolerate your insubordination a second time.”

“I got it, I got it. Jeez old man, you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.” said the Servant as I heard Saber appear behind me and began to whisper to me.

“It seems that man in green is our next opponent. It appears that he is more bully than soldier. An ass he may be, he has emerged victorious from the first round. That being said, he might be more a source of amusement than an actual threat.” She said before I notice my opponent enter into the Arena. Just as I was about to follow after them, I felt Saber place a hand on my shoulder as I looked over at her. “Just like with Shinji, we’ll probably encounter them once inside. So be prepared for anything that might happen inside. Got it?” Saber asked as I nodded. “That’s good to hear, Master. This foe will be different from what we faced before. Stay alert.” She said before disappearing as I entered into the Arena.

[Arena]

[The Glory of the Night-Shrouded World and the Defiled Faceless Hero. What is Justice, and at the cost of whose Pride?]

The moment I entered the Arena, the very atmosphere sends warning messages screaming throughout my brain...Don’t stop-. However, I can’t bring myself to move. It feels like both of my feet have been nailed to the floor. It’s almost as if my body and mind have become disconnected and fear has taken over my basic instincts. I know that I have to get away as quickly as possible. The longer I stay here, the faster that death will come to claim me.

“Shit! This area is infused with poison! To think that I would have to deal with another poison user again in this life. Fucking coward!” The sound of Saber’s voicing her opinion brings me back to reality and frees up my previously paralyzed thoughts. I’m okay for now seeing how I can move my hooves and hands. But we need to find the source of this poison before my body succumb to it. “This must be the Servant’s Noble Phantasm. I can feel an aura of death even here.”

“I had a feeling it was that. We need to find the source of it to make the poison dissipates.” I said before we began to walk through the Arena. Once we were further into the Arena, I notice something off in the distance. I squinted my eyes to try and get a better look, but so far it didn’t help. This thick fog of poison is making it hard to see almost anything at a distance. “There’s something over there in the distance.”

“Seems like that Servant’s Noble Phantasm is that tree. That must be the source. Destroy it and we obliterate the poison.”

“Right, time to go lumberjacking....Get it?” I said as I felt Saber smack me upside the head. “Ow! What was that for!?”

“For that lame pun...where did you even learn that from?” Saber asked as I reached into my bag to pull out a book for her to see.

“I found it in the library next to some history books. Puns and Jokes for dummies.” Saber stared at me for a moment before reaching for the book I had and tossed it against the wall as it fell out of the Arena. “Hey! I just got that!”

“Well too bad nerd. You’ll have to find another one, which won’t be happening anytime soon-” Before Saber could finish she placed a hand over my mouth while quickly pulling me near the corner of the labyrinth. Before I could even muffle out a word, I heard the sound of two voices engaged in conversation at the end of the hall. Those voices can only belong to two people that I know of. It has to be Dan and his Servant. “How convenient. Looks like we can take them out before the finals.” Saber said as she started to draw her sword out. I restrain the belligerent Saber while trying to quiet my breathing underneath her hand covering my mouth. Attacking now would be a bad idea since I can learn a lot just by listening.

“What is the meaning of this?” Dan asked as his Servant raised an eyebrow at his master.

“What’s that? I put up this little barrier so that you’d win, boss. Why wait until the Elimination Battle now, it’ll be an easy victory for us.”

“...Who gave you the command to do such a deed? Even scavengers such as vultures that feed upon carrion have at least a single shred of dignity.” It’s obvious by the heat in their voices that they disagree about the strategy they want to follow. “The use of the yew tree is unnecessary for this fight. I thought I forbid you to use it...It seems to me that you lack the most important traits: Pride.”

“Pride, you say? Sorry, but I just can’t see myself seeking something as useless as that. I mean, I’m all for it if that’s all we need to win this whole thing. Really, it’d be the best thing in the world if our enemies would just kill themselves in the face of our Pride! Sorry, I’m not nearly the man you are. I’m just a pragmatist that’ll resort to poison if it’ll guarantee a kill.”

“...I see. Violation of trust. Ambushes. Betrayal. These are the things you rely on in battle.” So the Servant put up the poison barrier on his own. Given the argument they’re having, it’s obvious that there is disagreement about his actions.

“Seems those two do not get along with each other. I can empathize with what that old man is trying to say. But I can also empathize with his Servant’s actions in wanting to get things over and done with depending on the situation. Not to mention, there are far better poisons he could’ve used. Compared to assassin of red’s poison, this is nothing.” I heard Dan lower his voice, although it’s hard to determine whether he’s doing so from scorn or disdain.

“I will not order you to lower this barrier now. However, should you choose to disobey me again-” After a somewhat petulant reply of “Gotcha,” the sense of their presence disappears and I let out a sigh of relief. So there is discord between my enemy and his Servant. While the differences in ability between us are great, this might be my key to victory in the second round. Once they left, I felt Saber remove her hand from my mouth.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t attack them. Otherwise, we wouldn’t get some interesting information from them.” I said before I notice Saber walking towards what I can guess was the Yew Tree.

“This must be it. The source of the barrier, the yew tree.” She’s right. The magic flowing from where the tree towers over the Arena. Kind of amazed that a small tree like this could produce this much poison. There’s so much of it that those who are unprepared would drown in poison...how am I not dead by this much poison. “What an eyesore. Assassin of red had a better-looking means of producing poison.” She said in disgust and in one swing, her blade slices down the source of the poison. The destroyed tree vanishes, as if nothing had ever been there. The moment the source of the poison disappears, so does the pressure and pain crushing my body. This might be a problem. With something like this...we need to watch out for this Servant.

“We need to get the cipher key and get out of here asap.” I said before shaking my head from the headache I’m feeling. “I have a feeling that our enemy Master and Servant have clashing views on battle from what we saw.”

“Guess your reliance on brainpower over ability or philosophy really comes in handy for me. Indeed, I entrust myself to that brainpower of yours, egghead. Since those two cannot understand each other soul to soul, they rely on faulty words and emotions. We can totally take advantage of this and in doing so, we’ll grasp victory. We’ll have to observe those two closely-”

Saber’s voice started to go down in volume as it was replaced with a high pitch sound. I felt my legs give way as I fell to the Arena floor. I notice the same magical circuit lines from when I touched that paper tag thing from Shinji. Only, these lines were green instead of that magenta color one. I notice Saber rushing over towards me, but I couldn’t hear a word she was saying as my vision slowly faded into darkness as I passed out.

Author's Note

Status
Master Level: 10

Equipment
Phoenix Scarf

Servant's Level

Strength: 26 [D]
Defense: 30 [D]
Agility: 25 [D]
Magic: 17 [E]
Luck: 23 [E]

Skills
Rebellious Spirit:
Increases her strength

Blood of the Round:
Inflicts physical damage to an enemy be it close or at long range.