Chapter 13: A Fake Familiar Reborn chapter 13: Phenex Scion
Beta read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness.
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-Kuoh Academy, Occult Research Club-
After looking at Riser Phenex a bit more carefully, Archer retracted his previous comparison and changed it to him merely acting like a certain golden armored king. The arrogance was certainly there; the flamboyant entrance and the luxurious clothing all topped off by an exceedingly smug grin… except this Devil did not possess any actual weight to his presence, unlike Gilgamesh's suffocating aura. For all his hubris, Gilgamesh quite frankly held every conceivable right and then some to be that arrogant, with what he had accomplished throughout his lifetime.
'I have to wonder if this brat has ever even met a god-like being. He certainly hasn't battled one.' The dematerialized Servant pondered.
"Rias my dear, I have come for your hand at long last!"
The man walked inside the clubroom as if he owned the place, while letting out an aura that stated those present should be honored he had deigned to grace them with his presence, swinging his arms around with enough pomp that it made Archer wonder if Riser was a broadway stage actor in secret. He just couldn't take this guy seriously with this initial impression, which had yet to be disproven, no matter how hard he tried, and it significantly reduced the threat level that Riser posed within his mind.
Meanwhile, Grayfia's response to his antics came in the form of closing her eyes and silently letting Riser continue to look around the room as if assessing a new purchase, unbothered by Rias reaction. The Gremory heiress stood in place with her eyes half closed and was emitting a dreadful aura that brought chills down the spines of some of her newer peerage members. Akeno let it wash over her without a care, sporting a blank expression, similar to Koneko and Yuuto peacefully sitting on the sofa. Though the Servant could tell the boy was tensed, ready for anything to defend his Buchou.
Koneko even more so, as she stared at the arrogant blonde with an intense stare that he hasn't seen before from the young girl.
Issei on the other hand wore his heart right on his sleeve, glaring at the Phenex scion with open hostility. The Servant could already tell that the boy would do something stupid if he was not properly handled throughout this entire meeting. 'I'll have to keep an eye on him.'
"Now then, Rias. Let us go and marvel at the ceremony hall together. The date of the wedding has already been decided, so we need to make sure it is up to our standards before then." Quite brazenly honest, this young man was, Archer had to give Riser that much, what with the complete absence of fear or hesitation over his shameless actions. Then again, Emiya saw such behavior countless times amongst Magi, believing themselves to be untouchable and mighty with their lineage and magic crest— only to crumble when their Magecraft were shattered or their connections failed them.
A frivolous and prideful guy… This could work in Rias' favor if she knew how to play her cards correctly. He watched as Riser tried to grab his Master's arm, only to have it be slapped away by the redhead, giving him a disgusted look.
"I'm not in the mood to deal with your antics, Riser. It's high time for you to get this delusion of us getting married out of your head; that future will never come to be." She spoke confidently, almost looking down at the Devil before her with a spark of disdain she didn't even bother to try and hide.
"Hoh, you sound quite confident, Rias. Is it perhaps your new additions to your still incomplete peerage that have caused this?" He said, looking over Asia and Issei. "I don't remember seeing their faces before, I would have remembered such a cute girl."
"Enough!"
Both Asia and Issei, the latter nearly raising his voice at Riser and demanding to know who he thought he was, flinched at Rias' tone. The redhead was more pissed off than they'd ever seen before, her murderous intent showing as she glared at the nonchalant Phenex Devil. "I already know why you came here, and I want to let you know in advance that I haven't changed my stance on this in the slightest. My mother and father can say whatever they want, but I still won't ever marry you whether it be in this life or the next."
This time, his smile fell a bit. "Rias, is it just me or are you acting more arrogant than last time?"
"Say that again after taking a good look in the mirror, you arrogant ass."
"Now now, it's not good for a beautiful young lady like yourself to be so feisty towards your future husband," He walked toward her with open arms. The Gremory heiress stayed in place, not moving away or flinching like she used to do before. Elation bloomed within his heart, as to him it suggested that she must have come to terms with their impending union and that her small hand smack was merely her being shy around him as she usually was. Ah, he'd make sure to have her get used to public displays of affection from him as soon as possible.
"Archer."
"—!?"
Instantly, a heavy sense of dread washed over his body with a strong feeling of imminent danger that crawled around his skin. Hastily taking a couple of steps back, he came to stare into the steel gray eyes of a tall tan man who'd appeared out of nowhere between him and Rias with his arms crossed.
"H-Holy energy…" Recognizing this energy, Riser's body tensed with flames coating his hands. It was nothing close to the likes of a holy sword's level of intensity, but it was there all the same. This quickly earned a hostile reaction from him, but the newcomer spoke first.
"I would rather you give my Master some space, Phenex. Seeing as direct contact with you seems to be the last thing she desires." Archer spoke calmly, noting the blonde's reaction to his shroud. Just how sensitive to holy and light energy were the Devils of this world? Koneko mentioned how their base instincts compelled them to avoid touching his shroud at all costs, but would a mere touch actually cause any major burns or poisoning for them? If so, then even a scratch from a holy weapon might very well prove far more lethal than he would have initially predicted.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Riser shouted, regaining his nerve after seeing the human, "Who are you!?" It was already clear to him that this man couldn't be a Devil, much less a peerage member. He looked fully human, so he couldn't be a Youkai. That shroud gave him the impression of an exorcist… but surely Rias wouldn't be so crazy as to involve the enemy in their internal affairs. "Wait, Master?"
Only then did Rias' single phrase that seemed to have somehow summoned this person register in his head that he started to grow increasingly confused over this new arrival.
Rias could only chuckle at Riser's flabbergasted reaction to Archer's arrival, feeling the creeping fear and anger disappear instantly now that her Servant had made his presence known. While from the beginning, she held utter certainty that Archer would protect her against Riser in every way, shape, and form, old habits just died hard when she saw this bastard teleport inside her club and immediately start strutting around as if he owned the place and treating her as though she was just another of his possessions. The years' worth of stress he caused her just by reminding her of this impending wedding and how it would affect her life if it came to pass had left quite an impact on her. Regardless, there was nothing to fear now. She smirked soon after when she saw he'd finally noticed Archer calling her 'Master' and the implications it carried.
"But of course, I am Archer's Master. After all, he is my precious Servant."
A shame she couldn't hug the white-haired man's arm between her bosom or tell Riser that Archer is the only man that she allowed to join her in bed, just so she could rub it in that smug prick's face. She always did enjoy the feeling of wrapping her arms around any part of Archer's body, and even that was nothing compared to the times when he reciprocated, letting her feel all those toned and sculpted muscles wrap around her made her blood pump. The knowledge that doing so right here in front of Riser would enrage the Phenex scion to untold heights made the idea more appealing than ever. Alas, her Servant's holy shroud — while doing a marvelous job of throwing Riser off his game — acted as a severe hindrance to her Devil body. Perhaps she should have asked him to take it off beforehand…
'Ah well, maybe next time. Though we should practice as much as possible so that we don't mess up. Fufufu~'
"A servant? This must be a joke, Rias. Lying to me is one thing, but to go as far as to ally yourself with a member of the Church just to spite me — how disappointed I am in you. Surely you don't believe your mother and father will approve of this! Humph, I should burn this human away right here and now for his disrespectful folly!"
"You're welcome to try," Archer said indifferently. "Honestly, if a mere 'human' like myself poses such a danger to you by just standing here that your first reaction is to attempt to eliminate me… then that tells me all there is to know of you and your mettle." He could see Akeno hide her mouth behind her palm to cover up an amused smile at him calling himself human. Privately, a part of him was curious about how dangerous the flames of a Phenex truly were. Portrayed as holding the flames from the mythical phoenix itself, a part of him grew intrigued.
Unfortunately, he knew that the possibility of testing the validity of those claims was impossible in the current setting. As the offended Riser grew ready to escalate this conflict between them to one of actual violence, a thunderous wave of Demonic Energy flooded the room, affecting everyone but Archer to the point that they were all brought to a complete halt. His eyes locked with Grayfia for a second, exchanging unspoken words before the maid let her power simmer down.
"Lord Riser, I would like to remind you that this is a diplomatic meeting concerning the upcoming wedding between yourself and Lady Rias, and the agreement involving it between both parties present so that they may negotiate the terms that have been pre-established. In the name of upholding the honor of Lord Sirzechs, I will not hold back if anyone present breaks these rules and will deliever an appropriate punishment." Grayfia spoke with a formal yet cold tone, enough to jolt Riser back to his shaken self. "Also, Lord Archer here is a valued ally of the Gremory and Lady Rias' personal Servant. Kindly refrain from showing him undue discourtesy as though he were an outsider or even an enemy to our race."
The man scoffed, "Count yourself lucky, human. If not for the Strongest Queen then you'd be halfway burned to a crisp and passing through death's door by now."
"Oh, Strongest Queen, huh?" Archer repeated his words, glancing back at Grayfia with amusement swimming in his eyes. "What a terrifying title. I can only imagine the absolute power such a person must hold to gain a title such as yours, Madam Grayfia."
"Tch, it's worse than I thought." Riser sneered. "Rias my dear, not only did you hire a lousy priest of all things to keep me away from you, but an uneducated one who has evidently lived under a rock all his life? I have no idea why you'd do such a thing, is it out of despair?" A red aura surrounded Rias, growing in intensity the more the Phenex scion insulted her dear Servant with that arrogant, disdainful tone of his. "Listen well, human, this woman over here is the Queen of Lord Lucifer himself, Grayfia Lucifuge. A mere snap of her fingers and you'd be turned into dust, so count yourself truly lucky that she has seen fit to keep the peace here, as it's the only thing protecting you from my wrath."
The sheer effort he had to put into keeping his lips from twitching upwards and maintaining his poker face proved to be a much greater challenge than he could have predicted. "Is that so? Then hopefully Madam Grayfia over here can grant some minor leniency toward this ignorant Servant and forgive my lack of knowledge."
The maid now refused to meet his gaze like before, preferring to stare momentarily at the ground before sighing.
"Lord Riser," her voice came out a bit stronger there. "Lord Sirzechs and those from the House of Phenex and House of Gremory knew it would turn out like this. Allow me to make the situation clear to all and state that this was to be the last meeting to discuss the terms of this subject. Both of your families have come to understand that this would not be amicably resolved at the negotiation table, so they have decided to allow a last resort."
It was clear to Archer that she was trying to change the topic of the conversation.
"A Rating Game," Rias stated, knowing the outcome of this conversation from the beginning and wishing not to stretch this meeting out any longer than necessary. "We don't have to waste any time on pointless theatrics, I know you were also aware of this Riser, so let's just agree to it."
"Hahaha!" Riser laughed uproariously. "So you're accepting the inevitable, dear Rias, and have decided to end this charade with a worthy spectacle? I don't mind. But I'm already a mature Devil and have participated in several official games. Most of which I have emerged as the indisputable victor. Even so, do you still want to play this game with me? Fine. If you win, do whatever you like. But when— sorry, if I win, you will cease all protests and marry me immediately."
'He's certainly confident.' Archer communicated through their Master/Servant link.
'But none of what he's saying regarding his past achievements is false. If this was brought up in the past with just me, Akeno, Yuuto, and Koneko alone, then my chances to win would have been non-existent. Even now to any outside perspective, my peerage is less than halfway to being complete and lacks the necessary power to realistically stand a chance at winning a match against Riser.'
'But now…'
'…I have you,' she finished his sentence with a smile on her face. 'Tell me Archer, how confident are you about beating an immortal?' While she had seen him handle the likes of Grayfia, she wasn't sure if it would translate well against the Phenex clan's immortality.
'Where I come from, true immortality is not a curse anyone can actually attain easily. Most who claim such are merely imitating it through the help of external factors and an ungodly amount of resources, being inhumane or just expanding their life at the cost of twisting their soul into that of a monster before losing their humanity and mind. I highly doubt this person before me is a genuine immortal regardless of whether he is a Devil or not. Even if he is, then that doesn't change the outcome of the battle in any way.'
'A curse?' She stared at her Servant's back, wondering what he meant by that. 'In my experience, many would argue immortality is a blessing.'
'Well… I guess that can come down to a matter of circumstances and perspective.'
It dawned on Rias that Archer had previously mentioned to her that all Heroic Spirits found a place inside the Throne of Heroes, forever immortalized and unaffected by the flow of time. She did not know the specifics of whether they stayed awake the entire time or their soul entered a deep state of slumber, waiting to be summoned as a Servant or something similar. Perhaps her Servant could shed some light on this matter in the future
"As I'm sure you're aware, my lady, only mature Devils can participate in an official Rating Game. However, in special cases such as this—"
"When it involves family and household disputes, exceptions can be made." Rias finished the thought before letting out a sigh and continued speaking.
"In other words, Father and the others decided to have a Rating Game as a last resort if I was to decline, right? Just how much are they intending to interfere with my life to feel satisfied!" A bitter feeling arose in her heart, one of which came forth with her family's fixation on this wedding. Why they seemed to rush everything remained a mystery to the young heiress, so preoccupied with their image and status amongst the Devil populace that they overlooked her own well-being and opinion on their matter. "Grr, they are always like this. I accept the terms as well, but I want to add two small conditions."
"So greedy, Rias. The odds are stacked heavily against you though, so I will graciously hear out these two conditions of yours."
"…Are you done?" A vein throbbed on the redhead's forehead, trying her best to not throw a Ball of Destruction into this idiot's face, which was largely possible as she reminded herself that she'd have plentiful opportunities to do so during the Rating Game itself.
…And if that wasn't enough, then perhaps also somewhere more… sensitive.
"Alright alright, no need to get so worked up about it. You just look so cute when you're angry I couldn't resist teasing you a little bit more."
"Why you—!" 'Deep breaths,' She quickly told herself, that command playing multiple times in her head as she pushed all negative thoughts aside. On top of that, Archer was observing the whole conversation along with her peerage, and she could not afford to lose her composure in front of them all and risk damaging their trust in her ability to handle this. "My conditions are simple. First of all, since this will be my first Rating Game, I request a period of no less than ten full days with which my peerage and I may train ourselves in preparation for this. Secondly, during the Rating Game itself, all familiars are allowed on the field. I'm well aware that this is already normally allowed, but I'm not taking any chances of anyone claiming unfairness that I'm bringing everything I have to this fight."
"Again with these pathetic attempts at grasping at straws that will not help you in the least. I know for a fact you don't have a hydra as a familiar, and even if you did, I can easily burn it alive. You are wasting not only my time but our families who worked hard to put in place this union."
Archer wondered if Riser would be able to say those words with such confidence if he knew that a hydra's poison was so painful that one had made the centaur Chiron give up his immortality so that he could die and end his agony. 'Wait, are the hydras in this world the same as those from mine? If Chiron's history remained the same then that would be the case. But what if it isn't? I'll have to ask later.'
"That's none of your concern! As the next heiress of the House of Gremory, I will choose who will become my husband! My father, brother, and everyone in the clan are rushing it! Also, it was promised that I will be free until I graduate from the University of the human world, yet here you are telling me the wedding is to take place before I've even finished high school!"
"That's right, but you will basically still be free even after we're married. You can go to college and do whatever you like with your servants. But your father and brother are worried. They are afraid that your household will become extinct. We lost a great number of pure-blood Devils in the last war. Even if the war has long ended, our rivalry with the Fallen Angels and Angels hasn't ended yet. It's not unheard of for heirs of longstanding Devil lineages to get killed in some worthless skirmish against them, which leads to the household becoming extinct. So for a pure-blood Devil that also happens to be a High-class Devil, getting together with one of your peers would be the obvious solution for ensuring the continuation of Devils. Specifically pure-blood High-class Devils. Even you surely know that our children will be important to the future of our race, right?"
"Do not lecture me about my duty as an heiress, I am well aware of my responsibility to continue the Gremory bloodline — and it won't be with you. Go sleep around with the other women you've seduced that can actually tolerate you. I'm sure they would be more than willing to have your children." As her aura grew stronger, Riser met her on equal grounds with his flames turning up the temperature inside the room by several degrees.
"It seems to me like you don't understand at all. The newly produced Devils, the ones like your servants, the reincarnated Devils, are expanding in terms of strength, but that risks making us High-class Devils with ancient history behind our names, lose our place. There are old nobles who get close to the reincarnated Devils because they are very powerful. Well, that might be alright. The newly produced Devils are certainly important for our future. But we can't allow pure-blood Devils to go extinct, right? You and I were chosen for this in order to prevent pure-bloods from going extinct. My house is safe because I have my two older brothers and my little sister. But there are only two siblings in your house, and your brother had left his house behind in order to devote himself to his current station. This leaves the task of continuing your family's bloodline to you, Rias. If you don't take a husband, the House of Gremory will end with your generation. Are you trying to crush a Pillar household that has endured for thousands of years? Because of the past war, not even half of the original 72 Pillars still exist. This marriage has the history and future of Devils on the line." Despite the nature of Rias' power, his flames did not lose any ground and in fact, showed themselves to be stronger than her power.
"So much mindless babble from you just to accept my terms of allowing familiars within the Rating Game even though it's already an established rule. Ah, I get it, you're dodging the subject, aren't you?" She taunted him, which worked as he stopped talking. "You're reluctant to accept this term because you recently lost your own familiar."
"How do you know this!" Riser demanded, remembering the last scene from his familiar's point of view before its death, showing Rias and her peerage battling against the forces of the rogue Fallens. Then out of nowhere, his connection to the macaw got cut off, outraging him to such a great extent that he nearly went to the human world to find out who would dare harm his property.
"It was obviously gathering battlefield intelligence on my Master and those who serve her. Itwas an unknown factor that made no attempt to identify itself aside from the manner of its death, and I will not allow such risks around her," Archer spoke. "Frankly you should consider yourself fortunate that my Master is not making that blatant intrusion into her territory and privacy into a diplomatic incident between your houses."
"You killed my familiar!" With that realization, Riser's anger soared to new heights along with his flames, stomping closer to the Servant and Master — only to be stopped by Rias.
"Get over yourself, Riser! An unknown familiar spying on me? Of course I'm going to have Archer kill it! This whole city is my territory, and you are standing in my clubroom, in case you forgot about that."
In the background, Issei started to freak out, "Shit, this is scary!" The boy exclaimed, earning a pat on the back from Yuuto in an effort to calm him down.
"Enough," just as Grayfia was getting ready to intervene, Archer stepped between the pair of High-class Devils, pushing both of them away from each and preventing the clubroom from getting destroyed. "Master, I fully understand your outrage at Riser's past actions, but you're letting your emotions get out of control and acting in a manner unbecoming of your station, especially in a diplomatic setting. As for you Phenex, while I can understand being upset at the death of your familiar, if you continue to act in such a hostile manner with my Master, then as her Servant I'll be obligated to put you down. It would do you good to learn some patience and self-control."
Incensed at being touched and getting pushed back by the Heroic Spirit whom he mistook for a human, Riser concentrated the flames around his body. "Who asked you to interfere where you're not needed, human? Touch me again and I'll burn your hands away."
Archer met his glare with a slightly sharpened gaze. "By all means, try it. Give me an excuse to teach you a lesson, assuming Grayfia doesn't beat me to it."
"Don't get cocky just because I can't kill you right here out of respect for the others."
"Lord Riser, do you agree to the terms or not?" The silver-haired Devil demanded, now frowning with a sliver of impatience evident on her face.
Riser didn't respond to the Queen, still staring daggers at the tall white-hair man, who looked back without an ounce of fear or even care. To be treated in such a dismissive manner by someone he viewed as nothing more than an overdeveloped monkey caused his flames to intensify as his anger spiked.
But as soon as that happened, Riser felt a cold chill encompass him, causing his flames to lose most of their intensity, and for fear to swallow him, knowing whose power was overwhelming his.
"…Fine," he whispered, his flames dying soon after, not willing to provoke the ire of the Strongest Queen.
"Very well then. I, Grayfia Lucifuge, have confirmed both sides' agreement to the terms offered for this Rating Game. I will also be overseeing the Rating Game during the match itself on behalf of both households. Is that understood?"
"Yes."
"Yeah."
Rias and Riser both agreed to Grayfia's declaration.
"And with that, all parties have agreed. I will inform both of your households then." As the tension settled down after a few minutes, Riser sat himself on the sofa while looking at the newest additions to Rias' peerage. Asia nervously hid behind Akeno while Issei looked just about ready to blow at any moment with his reddened face.
"Hey, Rias. Would those two over there be your real servants rather than that faker?"
Archer blinked, a bit caught off guard by getting called that by Riser of all people. Perhaps the term had a great affinity with those who were incredibly arrogant?
"Of course, they're part of my peerage. What of it?"
Riser began laughing at Rias' answer as if he found it amusing.
"Then this will not be a Rating Game, but a comedy sketch! Only your Queen, the 'Priestess of Thunder' can possibly fight on par with my adorable servants."
Saying that Riser snapped his fingers, and the magic circle on the floor glowed. Shadows emerged from the ground, the presence of multiple people showing themselves to the group. Archer counted fifteen in total, the number and the Phenex scion's previous words telling him who these people were.
"…Is this a joke?"
He unconsciously blurted the words out, having expected to see a lineup of formidable opponents and wielders of rare Sacred Gears that only someone with the neverending resources from a Pillar clan like the Phenex could hope to find. In reality, though, Riser's peerage just turned out to be…
"A HAREM!!!" Issei shouted, crying tears of jealousy while falling to his hands and knees. "First this white-haired bastard and now him!? Where is the justice in this cruel world!? When am I gonna get a bunch of sexy chicks to rub their giant boobs all over me!?" His outburst creeped out Riser, making the man and most of his harem flinch backward as Issei's tears flew out far enough that they nearly stained his clothes.
"Issei…" Rias palmed her forehead, followed by Yuuto and Akeno chuckling in the background. He certainly knew how to break the tense mood, at the least.
"W-What's wrong with this boy?" Riser blinked, taken aback by the ridicules outburst from the Pawn.
"Don't mind him, he's an idiot," Archer said, grabbing Issei by the back of his shirt and picking him up with ease, the Servant dropped the boy back in his seat with a sigh. "And he was just a bit shocked by seeing… this small harem of yours. Yet personally, all I see is a bunch of cosplayers and girls you most likely picked up from a club."
"Small? Cosplayers!?" Riser's attention returned to face Archer, his annoyance from before having not subsided in the least. "I still don't care for your tone, human. And to speak so casually of the fine collection of beauties of all varieties I have gathered… hmph. You hide it well, but clearly, you are jealous of my good fortune, holding so many lovely jewels you can never hope to lay your hands on, such as my dear Yubelluna here."
"...That couldn't be further away from the truth."
And then, in a clear attempt to further show off his harem, a scantily dressed buxom woman with purple hair eagerly stepped forward, and and sat on her master's lap. Riser pulled her close, and began kissing her with an excessive amount of tongue, while also groping her breasts aggressively, eliciting moans of delight from her that were audible throughout the room. "Hahahaha! I can see your envy! You will never be able to do this!"
The Servant's eyes twitched, having been provoked many times in the past by countless opponents… But he could say with certainty that this display before him was one of the rarer kinds, possibly even the first time he had to put up with anything like this, given he didn't remember such a thing ever happening in his past. Then again, his memories were not exactly something he had all that much trust in, seeing that some memories from alternate realities of himself tended to bleed in every once in a while.
"Hmmm!" Issei struggled to break free of Yuuto's hold as the latter tried to calm the other boy down.
"C-Calm down, Issei-kun! You're going to get yourself in more trouble if you do something that creates a scene!"
'Ah, that little show was much more effective on him than anyone else… Figures.'
"Mmmmm! Puah, get your creepy hands off of me, Kiba! That bastard needs to pay for making fun of people without a girlfriend!" Free from his bonds, his left arm became encased with the red metallic sheen of the Boosted Gear, the green jewel glowing once followed by a single boost before its wielder jumped forward into action.
Only… "Eurgh!"
Issei choked, feeling himself get yanked back by his collar, courtesy of Archer who was sending him a warning glare. "Yuuto told you to calm down, brat. With your meager level of strength, you won't even be able to get close to him, let alone land a hit. Save that energy for the Rating Game." He tossed the boy back onto his seat with a gesture that could only be described as casual.
"Uwaaaaa!" Asia had nowhere to look, both sides of the room having sights that made her want to avert her gaze for one reason or another. She latched onto Akeno's arms, hiding behind the older girl she'd come to view as a big sister to keep from being overwhelmed.
Archer looked back at the duo that continued to make out in front of everyone. Rias by his side had long since averted her eyes to gaze out the window, feeling humiliated and disgusted that her parents chose someone like this to be her husband and was more determined than ever to end this farce of an engagement. As this happened, her Queen watched the display with a dangerous smile on her face, as tiny sparks danced on her fingers. Just like Rias, Akeno was not amused by this outrageous display of disrepect from Riser Phenex, not in the least.
"Tch, all I see is a manchild showing off his toys to anyone who'll so much as glance his way — how disappointing. I was wrong, Rias has no reason to fear battling a womanizer like you. Were it not for her parents arranging this engagement, you wouldn't be worth the time. Honestly, I think a single attack will be enough to beat you."
That did the trick, earning further ire from the Phenex.
"Mira, teach this human a lesson."
"Yes, Lord Riser." A young girl with blue hair and light brown eyes answered before rushing straight for him with her bo staff raised to strike him full force. Unfortunately for her, to Archer's eyes, though this girl moved faster than a regular human, her speed resembled that of a snail in comparison to any Servant — even those on the weaker side. With ease, he sidestepped the downward swing and let the weapon strike the floor instead. Just as she was about to follow up with another attack, he pressed his foot against the staff.
"Bōjutsu. Hmm, you do have some talent, along with some solid years of experience. But you've still got a long road ahead of you before you become a credible fighter, little girl."
"What the… get your foot off!" Mira screamed, trying to free her weapon but with little success as it didn't even budge. Her face turned crimson as she tried to use more force to free her weapon, but still failed to make any progress. Left with little option and the fact that she was losing face before her King and fellow peerage members, the girl attempted to strike Archer's leg with her foot.
Crack!
Only for him to apply more force and easily break the staff into pieces before her stunned face. Splinters of wood flew around the room with everyone staring in dead silence at the casual display of Archer's superiority. As he raised his other leg, Mira's instincts screamed at her to move away as soon as possible, only for her to experience the air leaving her lungs by a solid kick to her stomach. "Guh!"
In that split second, the girl experienced a force strong enough to rattle every single bone in her body and nearly flattened her ribcage as she was sent flying.
"Mira!" Some of the girls behind caught the girl midair, worried about her state and checking for any injuries while staring bloody murder at Archer, who just stared back coldly.
"You have a tendency to ask your subordinates to do all the dirty work for you. If you're not careful, then you might very well lose a few of them, much like that macaw."
"Enough! You have crossed the line, human!!" Flames once again erupted around his body. "At first I was being lenient on you on behalf of Grayfia and my respect for Lord Lucifer. But this is an act of war towards my peerage and I shall not let this pas— argh!" His outstretched hand suddenly lost all feeling, the heir watched in shock as a dismembered hand — his own — fell to the ground, cut perfectly before it even had the chance to touch Archer. "H-How… You didn't even move!"
"You were too slow to even see it." Archer shrugged, curiously watching flames cover his wound and regrow a new hand out of it while the hand on the ground continued to bleed out. "Interesting, high-speed regeneration."
"Stop mocking me!" Riser screamed. "You… I get it now, you must be Rias' contracted mage! An excommunicated priest most likely, who came here to seek refuge! You know what Rias, you can bring this human into the Rating Game too! Do enjoy these next ten days, because when we fight I'll burn him away myself and destroy any and all futile hope you had with this man, Rias!"
With that, the ground around him and his peerage glowed red, and Riser and his group disappeared from sight.
"Ten days… like we even need it," Rias said, having no stress whatsoever about this upcoming fight with Archer by her side. "Though this could be a great opportunity to get my peerage some proper battle experience, and help Issei and Asia catch up to the rest."
.
.
.
As soon as they left, everyone exhaled a sign of relief, feeling exhausted for the most part after having to deal with Riser, no matter how short the actual duration of the meeting was.
"I expected such a reaction from him, but what I wasn't prepared for was you stepping in at the end there, Grayfia." Truth be told, the moment Riser was going to attack him, Emiya planned to use a few Black Keys to immobilize him and pin the boy back along with his peerage members as some of them had clearly been planning to launch another attack on behalf of their King. If they proved to be too stubborn, then a slash or two from the blades would have sufficed given their minor holy attribute. Though a small wisp of concentrated demonic energy came from the maid's fingers and cut through the heir's flesh. "Would that not be going against your purpose of acting as a mediator, and preventing any major conflict?"
"I stayed true to my goals, Archer-sama." She replied smoothly. returning to using the Japanese way of addressing him rather than using the phrase 'Lord.' "If I hadn't stopped him then I fear he would have suffered a worse outcome when dealing with you."
He smirked, "You think I could have injured someone with the power of regeneration? My my, surely you overestimate me. I don't remember showing such a weapon during our first encounter." Further pondering on his thoughts, a stab from a Black Key would have certainly done some serious damage to Riser given their minor holy properties. If his Shroud alone had the heir react this badly then a Black Key would have proven to be much more deadly.
So in a way, Grayfia was right.
"…" She showed not a single trace of suspicion or doubt on her face, fully convinced of her claim and nothing was going to budge her stance on the matter. Her silence acted as a clear-cut answer to him.
Archer shrugged, "It seems you have quite the viewpoint on me. Perhaps some tea will change your opinion?"
"Surely you jest. As a maid, it is my obligation to tend to such duties rather than be the recipient of them. Plus I have already experienced your generosity the last time I was here, so allow me to now repay the favor."
"Please, you're a guest here, and this is a task that my Master has entrusted me to carry out on a daily basis. Just sit back and chat with Master over here. I'm sure you are tired from dealing with people like Riser all the time."
Grayfia shook her head, "There is no need. As a loyal maid to Ojou-sama, I cannot let you do all the work."
"I insist."
"As do I."
"You are annoyingly stubborn over such a small matter." He observed, crossing his arms.
"I could say the same to you, Archer-sama."
"Too late!" Akeno cheerily exclaimed, coming out of the kitchen with a ready-made tray of tea. "It's been a while since I got to serve everyone some tea, given that a certain someone kept claiming the kitchen all for himself ever since he arrived."
Seeing no reason to continue arguing on this minor matter, both Archer and Grayfia let it go and took a seat to let everyone enjoy the silent atmosphere over a cup of tea. Upon finishing her beverage, Grayfia paid her respects and left the club, having other duties related to her husband and couldn't remain for long.
"Now that the Rating Game has been officially approved, and going by what you said to Riser about bringing everything you have to this… are you planning on following through on those terms?" He asked, getting a confused look from the redhead. Having no choice, he decided to elaborate. "I'm talking about your other Bishop piece. I saw previously that one was missing from your remaining Evil Pieces before you reincarnated Asia. This means you have now used them both up and therefore you have another peerage member you've been keeping secret for some reason, Master."
"…Oh," Doubt became evident on her face as she hesitated for a bit before sighing. "It's my fault for keeping this a secret for so long. Well, it's not exactly a secret given that Yuuto, Koneko, and Akeno are all aware of him."
"I'm all ears."
{Break}
(Next day)
Clang!
In a secluded training ground behind the abandoned building, the sun's rays filtered through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor. Archer, his red overcoat billowing slightly in the breeze, stood across from Shinra Tsubaki, the blade of her naginata gleaming in the soft light. The atmosphere was tense with anticipation as the two combatants faced each other.
Gripping a simple spear rather than a sword, he matched her stance, confident and composed. Tsubaki held her naginata with an uneasy expression, her eyes fixed on him with a bead of sweat streaming down her face. Without a word, they both launched into action, the clash of their weapons resonating through the air.
The rhythmic exchange of blows began, each strike met another with precision and skill. Archer's spearwork was fluid and practiced, his movements light yet deadly enough to quickly overwhelm the Devil. Tsubaki's attacks were fierce and powerful, her naginata whirling through the air with grace, but lacked both speed and reaction time to make one move truly flow into the next.
As they sparred, the Servant occasionally stepped back, allowing Tsubaki to take the lead. "Your stance is solid, Tsubaki, but remember to maintain balance and control during your strikes," he advised, his voice carrying a calm authority. "Use your body's momentum to your advantage."
Tsubaki nodded, absorbing his advice. With newfound determination, she adjusted her stance and engaged once more. He deftly parried her strikes, their weapons clashing in a symphony of steel. "Good," he commended. "Now, try to anticipate your opponent's movements. Focus on their posture and rhythm."
Their spar continued, him guiding Tsubaki's growth with insightful observations. "When you execute a thrust, keep your eyes on the target without losing sense of your surroundings," he instructed. "And don't forget to maintain a firm grip on your weapon at all times. Right now it's a bit too flimsy from what I'm seeing. It'll give you better control."
To prove his point, his arm wrapped around her weapon, locking her in for a bash strong enough to unhand the naginata. This followed by him thrusting the butt of the weapon to her guts, lungs, and knees in quick succession, utterly destroying any defense she put up. "..." Her eyes saw black for a second, losing consciousness and only to be brought back to reality with Archer tossing the naginata back at her.
"Get up, you're still not done."
'I'm going to die… but I can't give up!'
After that, Tsubaki made sure to remember each piece of advice, her movements becoming more refined bit by bit as the spar progressed. She made an earnest effort to incorporate all of his suggestions, her strikes becoming more precise and fluid as she did so. As they continued to clash, there was an unspoken understanding between them, the start of a connection forged through combat.
Archer's eyes gleamed with approval as Tsubaki's skills slowly improved. "You're adapting," he remarked. "But remember, combat is about more than just technique. It's about understanding your opponent and using your strengths to exploit their weaknesses while anticipating how they'll attempt to do the same and being ready to counter."
Tsubaki nodded, her determination unwavering. Their spar continued, the forest around them seemingly holding its breath as their clash of weapons echoed through the otherwise tranquil landscape. The Heroic Spirit continued to provide guidance, helping Tsubaki refine her movements and strategies.
As the spar drew to a close, both combatants stepped back, Tsubaki breathing heavily but with a sense of exhaustion. When Archer spoke again, his words carried a tone of satisfaction. "You're on the right path to becoming a formidable combatant, but there is still much room for improvement; your technique is not too flawed, but you are too unsure of certain maneuvers and are hesitant to seize the initiative. This hesitation will cost you dearly down the line if you fail to address it."
Tsubaki bowed respectfully to Archer, a grateful smile on her face. "Tha-thank you for your gu-guidance, A-Archer. I'll… hah… continue to train hard and work to improve… hah… myself."
With a nod of affirmation, Archer dismissed his spear. "Good. If you want to do this again, let me know and I'll see when I have the time."
"I-Ill keep that in m-mind, thank you, Archer-san." Honestly, she was struggling to even stand up at this moment, her clothes were drenched with sweat and the lingering nausea from just trying to keep up with this monster left her feeling unsteady. "You're not tired in the least?"
"I wouldn't be much of a Servant if such a light spar was enough to tire me out. Beings like us can technically fight one another for hours or even days on end so long as our Master can continue to supply us with Magical Energy. Honestly, I doubt you'll ever see me get tired from these training spars."
"A light spar… That hurt my pride more than I would have liked." She said, emptying a bottle of water with her back pressed against a tree. "I gave it my all, and this is all I could manage?" Pushing her body and mind to deliver the strongest strikes and thrusts, only to have them easily handled further affirmed how weak she was.
"It's not that you're weak, quite the opposite. You're just unlucky that you had a Servant as your opponent. If it was Yuuto instead then I can guarantee that even if he won in the end, he'd likely be tired just like you are now."
"Are all Servants like you? Strength, speed, and mastery over weapons I mean. For an Archer, you've shown yourself to be quite skilled with swords and spears as well."
"Hn, it depends on the particular Heroic Spirit at the end of the day. Many have fought using different weapons in their legend, which follows them within the records of the Throne. Also, there is more to Servant classes than just mastery over a particular weapon. Some require additional feats and traits to qualify. So going back to your question, my answer would be: it's complicated." Given Sona and her Queen must have gotten access to the details on Servants in some way or another on top of what he told them, there was no need to go into further details.
"So… out of curiosity, what other weapons can you use?" She asked.
"Drop it, I know you and Sona are trying to find out my true name." At his response, Tsubaki scratched her cheeks with embarrassment from getting caught so easily. "You haven't talked to Yuuto yet, I presume."
He changed the course of the conversation, targeting a topic close to the bespectacled woman before him. "A-Ah," her cheeks reddened, stammering slightly at the mention of the Gremory Knight. "No, I failed…"
Archer sighed, "Hah, are you really here to learn under my guidance or just find a chance to approach the boy?"
"B-Both?" Perhaps it was the exhaustion she felt that influenced her honesty, but Tsubaki felt comfortable admitting her real thoughts concerning Yuuto-kun with Archer. Most probably because he gave off a similar aura to her Kaichou: calm and mature. Patient and understanding of her case without laughing at her face.
"Figures. So what's stopping you from just going up to him now and asking for a date or even just a spar?"
"I-I can't," she muttered pathetically, "I… I am almost certain he will turn me down politely if I make my feelings known to him. And I couldn't bear getting friendzoned if I approached him for anything else." Having gone to school alongside the boy she had a crush on, Tsubaki had used that time to gain some insight on Yuuto's past and his current opinion on relationships. The Knight did not want to pursue any kind of relationship yet, so attempting to have one with him now would fail before it even started.
Archer rolled his eyes. Dealing with their love life was none of his business nor did he wish to meddle in between and get himself involved for no reason. But that didn't stop him from thinking this was all rather stupid.
"Right, do whatever you want. All I'll tell you is stalking Yuuto from afar or just standing next to him for an hour each day won't bear any fruits."
"I know… but I'll find a way." She turned her head, watching Rias return from her classroom accompanied by… Abe Kiyome? Strange, those two never spoke to each other but it seemed they were engrossed in some kind of conversation.
"That's all for today, it's already late enough." With that said Archer disappeared, turning into his spiritual form and most likely returning to Rias' side. Tsubaki stayed there for another ten minutes, waiting for her legs to recover from the strain and slowly get back the strength to walk without too great a risk of stumbling. Making her way to the Student Council room turned out to be a bigger challenge than she would have liked, each step no different from shoving a sharp needle into her tights.
"Had fun?"
The girl nearly jumped in fright from the voice that came from behind her. Sona followed by Momo and Tsubasa all looked at her with a weird gaze.
"Ah… Kaichou, I just came back from sparring with Archer-san."
.
.
.
"So a spear expert as well, huh… Truth be told, that does not narrow down the list that much. Spears were notorious for their dominance in the battlefield along with bows before the common era in pretty much every culture to have existed — few other weapons even come close."
"He also copied my fighting style," Tsubaki stated, still in awe over the man's skills with bladed weapons and his martial prowess. "At first he used basic moves to match me, then transitioned to fighting just like me… but far better."
At this point, she lost count over the amount of losses she'd suffered, easily going over a hundred by now. "He didn't even move that fast, Archer-san purposefully matched my speed and strength but at the end of the day, I was fighting a behemoth with no cracks in his defense." He'd complimented her numerous times, but those words hardly mattered to the girl as she sensed the vast gap between them. Phrases mentioned to console her more than anything else.
"Thankfully we'll have more opportunities to find out his true name soon."
"Kaichou?"
"Rias will be leaving tomorrow for her ten-day training period. It'd be best if we tagged along as well, seeing as Archer will most likely be training them… and he can't escape me forever."
Tsubaki sighed, knowing why her King was so adamant about hounding him. She was still salty over her supposed loss to him in chess and unable to accept what felt like an undeserved win that he just handed to her without a care.
"But about the summoning ritual, Kaichou… It will soon be ready."
"I know," Sona replies. "How far are we from fully completing it?"
"Without Himejima-san here to help us, we are a bit behind schedule but are still making good progress. We will need to recheck everything to ensure it matches the notes so as to not miss any possible mistakes." She looked at the golden box left on her King's desk, one that contained a precious item, a pegasus feather that would be their catalyst. "Are you sure about this, Kaichou? We know Perseus from his legendary feats but know nothing of his personality. Even more so since the one we'll summon will be from another world."
Instead of giving her an answer, Sona instead asked the girl a question. "Tell me, Tsubaki. If you were to enter a life-and-death battle against Archer, holding nothing back, what are your chances of winning?"
"…None I'm afraid. He has shown himself more than capable of defeating me without the use of his magic."
"Now add Tsubasa, Momo and Tomoe."
That made her pause for a second before ultimately shaking her head again. "I want to say that there is at least a small chance, but even I can't bring myself to believe such a lie. Tsubasa and Meguri are powerful in their own right, but nothing compared to him."
"Then what if we all fought him together? Holding nothing back."
"..."
"There is no need to hesitate. Even I know the answer to that. The battle that happened at the mountain during that mess with the rogue Fallens which destroyed a chunk of the forest — that was most likely done by Archer. Unfortunately, our group does not possess anything remotely comparable to such sheer destructive power. I still believe we have a chance to beat him, but the odds are too small for my liking. We'll see a more accurate result by facing him in a spar first."
Tsubaki failed to understand what Sona tried to convey to her. But she continued to listen in hopes of getting an idea.
"That alone should tell you how advantageous the presence of a Servant in a peerage is. This is especially true when they are technically counted as a familiar. Rias knows this, and that girl will take full advantage of this loophole and one day use it against us if we are to eventually compete in a Rating Game. But, we can even the odds by summoning a Servant of our own. As for how dangerous this might be, I'm willing to take the risk, plus the whole point of the Command Seals is to act as a safeguard." The reward outweighed any and all reservations Sona had about this. "We will proceed with the summoning right after the ten-day training period. I'm sure Rias will be in for a surprise after the Rating Game."
Well, the important part in all of this for Tsubaki personally was that the following days would offer her more chances to be close to Yuuto as well as further hone her skills with help from Archer.
{Break}
"Is everyone present?"
Outside the gate of Kuoh Academy, Rias, Sona and all of their peerages were all gathered around while holding enormous camping bags filled with supplies and various necessities.
"I'm sure some of you are questioning why Sona is here, the answer being we have a longstanding agreement to help each other out, so she will be joining us for the trip within the mountains. Let's all give it our best!"
"Yes!" Everyone answered in unison.
Getting inside the luxurious bus which would lead her group to the foot of the mountain, Rias sat at the front already preparing a plan for everyone. "Archer, will you be willing to give us a hand during this small period? I know you've been teaching Yuuto and might not find us suitable with your methods but I'll promise to give it my best."
Sitting next to her, Archer appeared with a relaxed posture, taking a book from one of the bags behind and curiously browsing through the pages. "As you wish, but let me advise you, most people would end up hating me after that."
She met his eyes with a challenging stare, "Bring it on, I'm ready for anything."
Archer just smirked at that, privately thinking that she'd be eating those words in short order.
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 1 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.
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