Archer silently watched over the battle on the cusp of becoming a bloodbath, perched atop an excessively tall building in the more, modern part of Fuyuki. He ignored his Master's dubious gaze and went over his own thoughts.
An unknown fact about the Holy Grail War was that it didn't just summon people from the past, it summoned them from the future as well.
He would know, his too was such a case after all.
Archer was who the young stupid Shirou Emiya would go on to become, blinded by ideals and a false sense of justice, becoming a dog so long as it meant he could save everyone and paying the price for it. He was forced into hunting down the very people he sought to protect by offering his services even after he died, killed by those he'd thought allies.
He became a dog for humanity's collective subconscious, hunting down those who would pose even a meagre threat to it's continued existence, cleaning up the remains after catastrophes had already passed because his superior didn't like variables.
So, in a bid to end it all, he wished to be summoned here, hoping that by killing himself in the past before the deal could be struck, all he'd done would be nulled, so he wouldn't have to sacrifice and murder any longer.
What did they call him?
Ah yes, a Counter Guardian.
Moving with the sole purpose of helping mankind, it was all total bullshit.
They were slaughterers one and all, tasked with hunting undesirables across time till the end of everything.
An end that would never come.
Archer was simply tired of the cycle.
But it was because of that very cycle that he knew, he knew that he had to stop lounging about and put in his greatest effort into killing, himself.
The Knight of Atrocity, Aston, was someone he'd faced in the past and Archer was MORE than aware of the threat he posed. If the Lancer were to gain access to his noble phantasm, he could possibly tear every single servant in the city to shreds within the same goddamn instant, maybe even the King of Heroes.
He also knew that the knight was an upright and stalwart man, an actual hero if you would. Aston's justice wasn't blind and his compassion wasn't all encompassing like Shirou's had been.
Archer felt himself lacking compared to the knight.
Here he was, trying to kill himself because he regretted what he'd done and wanted to prevent his 'mistakes' as he called them now.
And, there he was.
Someone who'd until his last breath, held onto his ideals and code and did so even now, even after losing his life in servitude to a King with no self-worth and hate for the way she'd ruled because in the long run, it delivered the common man from tyranny and oppression.
Maybe the two couldn't really be compared because of circumstances but Archer did it anyway, he also came to a decision, "Rin, are you aware of how revisiting certain important places can help the memory of those who lose it?" He glanced at the young Tohsaka from the corner of his eye, crossing his arms.
Moving a strand of hair out of her eye, Rin lit up considerably, connecting the dots in moments, "You remembered something?" She asked hopefully, staring her servant in the eyes as her red coat fluttered in the strong winds commonly found at high altitudes. Her servants amnesia was a significant problem when it came to strategising.
Archer took in a deep breath, his gaze lingering on the starless night sky for a second or two before he pointedly referred to the fighting servants, "Lancer, Aston, I recall a good deal about his capabilities."
There was no other way for them to win here.
The Round Table knight could cut down most servants without his noble phantasm and Archer sure as hell didn't stand a chance by himself, "You think Berserker was bad? Wait until he starts using Madness Enhancement and his Noble Phantasm."
Rin's eyes widened and her smile twitched as she slowly crossed her arms under her chest in a bid for appearing confident, "Are.. you sure?" She spoke between pauses, trusting her servant enough that the following nod was wholly necessary.
"This is really unfair." She complained pointlessly, her arms limping at either side as she sighed, "We can't win alone, can we?" Rin knew the answer but asked anyway.
She'd seen the Knight of the Round Table fight, he'd played around with her servant, casually torn apart Hercules, a DEMIGOD and destroyed an entire building with a wave of his hand, his HAND!
"The Grail shares a fair bit.." Archer closed his eyes, lying with not an ounce of hesitation, it was necessary if they wanted to have any chance at winning, "The Matou, Einzbern and Tohsaka have worked together before.." He knew more than anyone about this particular Holy Grail War and this option was something he regretted even having to consider.
Rin caught on to his implications and shook her head from side to side, clenching her fists, "No, never." She would never work with the seaweed haired trash or the white haired midget.
The Einzbern, Matou and Tohsaka were the three magus families present in the City of Fuyuki and had worked together to construct the Holy Grail War in it's entirety.
But, they weren't close at all.
The heir to the Matou was a goddamned playboy that thought the world owed him or a girl that had been tortured and violated.
The Einzbern representative in this war just took every opportunity to look down on her and had already tried to kill her or worse.
The Tohsaka heir was Rin Tohsaka herself, someone who while gifted and genius, simply couldn't win the war by herself.
"Very well then." Archer shrugged, seemingly unbothered, "We may as well give my head to one of the Masters and you can seek refuge." Winning was out of the question for them, he couldn't attack Shirou because an attack on the teenager equated an attack on King Arthur and he would rather not have a mad ruthless slaughterer that could cross time-space after him.
They also couldn't seek a complete alliance because it would never work, the Grail War could only have one victor.
Rin stomped her foot on the ground and grit her teeth in frustration, he could at least try to be optimistic! After a few moments spent being stubborn and hardheaded, the Tohsaka calmed down and started thinking.
Shinji Matou had a rather open crush on Rin so an alliance wasn't entirely out of the question except for the fact that he disgusted her, claiming an older brother could do as he pleased with his sister when she called him out on his bullying of Sakura.
Illyasviel von Einzbern was, well she was a bit of a conundrum. The girl was assured of her victory but with Archer claiming otherwise and what she herself witnessed, Rin found that to be doubtful.
As versed as she was in familiar magecraft, there was no way Illyasviel felt the same after all that had happened.
Even if she did, Rin felt one could play to Illya's arrogance as a magus for a temporary alliance.
With three servants on one, there was no way Lancer could come out the victor right?
Archer's words could be called into question but, the Tohsaka had seen with her own two eyes the extent of his abilities, "Tsk.." She clicked her tongue and turned to leave, "Fine but it's only going to be for Lancer."
"I knew you were smart enough to figure it out."
"O-Of course!"
Archer chuckled in silence, shaking his head at his Master's flustered form.
Joining Medea's camp was originally a valid option but that was no longer the case with the fact that he'd been made.
Lancer had probably recognised him.
"By the way, does you knowing Aston mean you're from the same era?"
"Don't remember."
"..."
* * *
With a gentle smile practically plastered across his face, Aston jammed his jagged spear into Medusa's guts, impaling her on his weapon momentarily before she came to her senses and leapt away, "The due is paid, you may retreat." He proclaimed in complete confidence, and rightfully so.
Medusa clenched the bleeding gape in her side as she stumbled to the side with gritted teeth, he really was too damned fast, wasn't she the Rider here?!
Moments ago, they'd just been staring at each other and before she knew it, she'd been struck and impaled. Medusa didn't call him out any further or express anger though, she knew better than to give him reason, attributing his willingness to let her go to the supposedly joyous occasion from moments ago.
"You're free to continue with your as- assau.. pardon." The Knight put a hand over his mouth, feigning disgust at calling her attack an actual attack, "I would find it to be far less annoying than having to see your face." Artoria had been wounded, he was well within his rights to be a cunt but being a knight, with his King actually present, reminded Aston of the fact that a retreating foe was not to be hunted down like a dog, it would make them no better than the rapists and pillagers they'd driven out.
The soil buckled and the ground cracked under her feet as Medusa shot away, withdrawing from what was practical suicide the moment she was given the chance. Her idiot of a Master would understand, he'd have to.
"I, thank you." Aston bowed with a hand over her chest, genuinely smiling at the flustered expression on Artoria's face, "You may think over your actions now young lady. I can only hope you stop believing yourself worthless and accept that what happened, was not entirely bad or wrong. You no longer have your duties, nor do I. It truly would be a shame if we could not realise our dreams with this opportunity shoved into our arms." It truly was great, it was all he could ever wish for.
Aston's ambitions had long been realised, as had King Arthur's.
Was he wrong in thinking this was his reward?
The Knight of Atrocity bolted away too, leaving a trail of blue lightning.
Perhaps Aston was more flustered than he would admit by what had ensued.
The object of his adoration had returned his feelings after all, and in quite the astounding fashion too, considering he'd almost lost his footing to her sudden kiss.
Artoria watched on with clouded eyes, feeling a plethora of emotions ranging from happiness, relief to the oh-so-dreaded self-hate and pity. The latter slowly being washed over by the tacit understanding that her Knight was objectively right, past all her 'delusions' and 'misunderstandings'.
Did.. Did that mean it was alright for her to be as happy as she was right now?
Artoria found herself unusually flustered as she lowered her gaze, staring at the ground with a thumping heart, her wound already healed.
* * *
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Jeanne or Gorgon?
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A bit behind cause of fasting but rest assured, I'm trying to fill it back up as soon as possible.