Fate/Broken Melody Chapter 12: Assassin vs Saber

"That whore!"

Medea exclaimed, slamming her hands down on the table in front of her with an affronted look. Her eyebrows knitted together in an angry scowl. A dark aura seemed to almost exude from her, causing me to tremble a bit in response.

Illya on the other hand seemed much calmer. Humming to herself as she rubbed her chin. Despite looking serious, it was hard to take her as such. Not only due to her natural cute features, but also due to her obviously swinging her legs under the glass table.

I didn't have the heart to tell her we could all see it.

"So you were able to fight her on even ground huh…are you sure she wasn't a master?"

I winced as if I took a blow to the stomach. The worst part of Illya's comment was that she seemed to be genuinely questioning it.

"C-come on, I'm still a servant…"

"Mmm…"

Illya mumbled, closing her eyes before putting her back up to the chair. She opened her eyes to look at Medea. Gesturing her chin towards her before speaking up.

"Caster, your thoughts?"

"Promiscuous harlot, I'll make sure her body is played with by countless-no, she'd enjoy that, wouldn't she? I need to be more-"

Hmm?

Uh, Medea? That line of thinking seems pretty dark, doesn't it? I'm starting to fear a bit on the side of the tall long haired servant now…

Illya rolled her eyes in irritation. Glancing back at me before closing one eye. For some reason, it seemed she was attempting to find something in my face. But what that was I couldn't guess.

A backbone? No, no, Illya. Were you listening to Medea's mumbles? That's some scary stuff!

"…Due to process of elimination, she must be Rider. And not a particularly well known one, either."

I hummed along.

"Or assassin."

Medea stopped mumbling while Illya gave me the universal 'is this guy stupid?' look. Ah right, I had forgotten. We also haven't told Illya about the uh…potential extra servants that may or may not be going to be pouring out of the grail at any time now.

Medea floated the idea of it being possible for her to grant multiple wishes from the grail to Illya, but she had been pretty vague on the details. She had been a bit suspicious and doubtful, but seemed somewhat receptive.

"…You're the assassin."

"Oh yeah!"

I grinned while rubbing the back of my head, only for Illya to shake her head in exasperation. As if she couldn't believe my actions. Even so, her eyes narrowed a bit as she did so.

Mmm, so she was getting a little suspicious huh? That was fair.

Even so, she did have a point. Excluding the things Medea did to the grail, the bounded field had been put up above the school before then. So if she was the one who put it up, which is highly likely, it made sense for her to be one of the missing servants of the original seven.

Though that did leave one small question…

"Did you learn anything else?"

Medea asked, having snapped out of her dour mood. Causing me to tap my lip. How do I play this...

I smiled, folding my hands in front of myself on the table before looking over to my friends.

"I met Sakura Matou, a wi-uh, a magus who I suspect to be the master of Rider."

Medea's eyes narrowed while Illya nodded her head.

"The Matous…that makes sense."

My master leaned forward on the table.

"Did you check to see if she had command seals?"

I nodded.

"I attempted to subtly, but she escaped before I could finish. Shortly afterwards, Rider attacked me on school grounds. An already risky move to do."

"A bait and switch perhaps…"

Medea muttered, only for Illya to shake her head.

"It's more likely that the most simplest explanation is the correct one."

A fair enough assessment. Illya did have quite a surprising amount of insight. Though perhaps that's too be expected with the mages of this world. Er, Magi. They seem to be a bit particular about their terminology.

Medea nodded her head in agreement before beginning to think of a plan. Meanwhile Illya simply nodded with a self assured expression, which caught Medea's attention.

"Do you already have a plan in mind?"

"Of course."

My eyebrows lifted up in surprise. As expected of Illya…Odysseus himself would have difficulty matching wits against her!

"What is it?"

"I'll wait for them to come to me, or if they take too long, I'll go find them with Berserker and crush them."

"…"

"…"

Medea and I were at a loss for words in response. With her right eye twitching and my nervous chuckle. My hand drifting up to the back of my head in an awkward manner.

Ah, well…that also sounds rather like Illya…

Instead of reacting to either of us, Illya simply crossed her arms in a contented manner. Exuding confidence with a prideful look in our direction.

Damn it, I'm happy that Heracles is here, but it's so difficult to be compared to the greatest of heroes! You're making the rest of us look bad you know!?

It's even worse for me! Instead of simply looking substandard and third rate, I'm now relegated to even further than that due to the stark contrast between him and me. Ahhh…wasn't this a bit too unfair!?

"Is that all Orpheus?"

Was there anything else? I wracked my mind, but I couldn't really think of anything else…ah, right.

It was a small thing, but…

"I…don't like her."

"Rider? I'd think not!"

Medea stated, nodding along, but I shook my head.

"No. Even before that, there's something else about her. Something that…is unpleasant."

It was a pretty vague feeling, but one that I couldn't deny feeling. It likely didn't have any real merit behind it, but it was simply the truth. Rider was undeniably tall, attractive, and rather unemotive.

She hadn't done anything to arouse my ire. Even attempting to disrobe me didn't really bother me all that much. Her demeanor albeit cold, seemed somewhat warm.

Even so…

For some inexplicable reason, I couldn't help but to regard her with a small amount of unfounded animosity. It was rather unfair to Rider and made me feel a bit guilty in turn.

No one deserves to be despised for nothing.

Medea and Illya chewed on that for a few moments before eventually calling it quits. Which was quite fair. It was just a vague feeling I got that not even I could make sense of.

"Well, if we're done here…"

Medea started, showcasing her desire to leave the table. Likely to go back to her workshop with Saber. Er, not that she spent all of her time with her, just that Saber was also there.

…And usually being messed with by Medea, but that was besides the point.

"Indeed. I also have some matters of my own to attend to."

Illya stated. Kicking herself off of the chair she was in with a bit of difficulty. Though she tried to cover that up. Perhaps I should go out and get her more seat cushions…

Illya was likely to visit the room that housed her brother and-

Hmm? I felt a sense of deja vu there for a second.

…Medea and Illya were more alike than they seemed, huh?

*~o~*

Artoria Pendragon PoV

I breathed out a sigh of relief. The battle was hard fought, but in the end we emerged victorious. There had been a few casualties, but overall it was a overwhelming victory.

My knights were busy congratulating each other, or in some cases, arguing and butting heads against each other over a silly rivalry. It was good to see them in such good morale, as we'd need it for the coming days.

…They all wouldn't be as good as this one.

Each knight eventually left my side. Bedivere quietly inquired as to my current condition, but I assuaged his concerns. Ushering him to go off and join the others in having fun.

My place wasn't at their side, but above them. Forever towering and standing tall in order for them to have something to look up to.

It's what I had to do to lead Camelot towards greatness. To defend it from all threats.

To be a good king.

"But you failed at that, didn't you?"

My eyes narrowed as I immediately turned towards the sudden voice. Excalibur already escaping it's scabbard in order to deal with this new threat.

There stood a pale white haired figure, yet it was not Merlin nor Bedivere. Instead it was a figure that was entirely unknown to me. No…that wasn't quite right. There was something familiar about him. I must have met this man once or twice in my travels, but when?

He raised his arms as the universal symbol of surrender, yet showed no fear despite being only a few inches away from getting his head cut off.

"Ah, sorry. I hadn't meant to scare you."

"…State your business or leave."

I stated in no uncertain terms. I glanced over to the knights and soldiers, expecting them to have started rallying up again, only for them all to completely ignore the strange man. It was understandable for most, but for not even a single one of the knights reacted to his presence, nor my own.

There was likely some sort of sorcery afoot.

"Sure! But uh…do you mind lowering your sword? To be quite honest, it's overkill. I'm pretty sure you could destroy me with just a few punches if you really wanted to…"

For a moment I didn't respond. Instead carefully scanning him for any sort abnormalities. He did indeed seem rather weak. Lacking any sort of presence and seeming more apart of the scenery than anything else…

But that could also simply be a spell of his. Even so, he didn't seem to be acting in bad faith. Despite his words from earlier, he didn't seem particularly aggressive.

"…Very well."

I put Excalibur back into it's scabbard before waving him on to continue.

"Now, explain yourself."

His eyes widen in surprise before he gently smiled and waved his hand over the crowd of nearby soldiers and knights.

"Oh, have you not realized it yet, king Arthur?"

He grinned easily, as if telling a joke to a close friend. His expressions seemed rather practiced, yet not to the extent I'd call fake. No…it was as if I couldn't call them fake in the first place.

There was something ethereal about him. As if he didn't truly fit in…

I've seen this before…

My eyes widen as I looked back at the party that had gathered. Watching their moves before speaking up.

"This…is a dream."

"It is."

The familiar man confirmed. Nodding along as he took steps to come up beside me. Despite being a dream, everything felt all too real. Yet I didn't feel threatened by his presence.

Why? Was it because he seemed weak? No, appearances could be deceiving. I knew that better than anyone. Was it because it was a dream? Even then, who knew what could happen within one? Morgan could likely attack through dreams if needed.

…So why? Why did I feel almost…relaxed?

"Now that you know that, I'm sure you can control the dream to an extent. Especially with someone as illustrious as Merlin being the one to teach you. Why not make some food, or change the environment?"

"What…do you want?"

I ignored his suggestions. Pressing forward as memories were starting to filter into my mind. That's right, I was no longer the ruler of Camelot. All of this had happened a long time ago.

The man looked up with a bit of embarrassment as he answered.

"Well…I had been a bit rude to you before, and we had gotten off on the wrong foot. I'd like to correct that, if at all possible. As well as get to know you in the process."

The Holy Grail War…Shirou…Caster…and…the other servant! Caster said his name was-

"Orpheus!"

He nodded, ignoring my newfound hostility towards him as he looked around the place. Studying both the soldiers and knights alike. Some of which he seemed to stick around longer to observe, while barely sparing a glance to the others.

"There seems to be some sort of celebration happening. Considering the atmosphere and people, I'd assume a hard fought battle had occurred."

It had been. He was correct in his assumption, yet I couldn't help but feel somewhat apprehensive of his observations.

"There was."

"I see."

He looked at Sir Gareth for quite a while. Observing her from almost all sides before nodding his head with a small smile on his lips. His eyes glanced at Sir Lancelot, only to immediately lose interest and move on.

"This battle…I'm assuming you led them to victory?"

"I did."

"From the front lines?"

I nodded.

"Of course."

"Ah, as expected of the great hero, Arthur Pendragon!"

For a moment it sounded like genuine praise, but this time there was an unmistakable hint of bitterness in his tone. One that betrayed how he truly felt.

After studying Sir Mordred for a few seconds with a frown, he then turned back to me. His eyes holding a weight that didn't exist before.

For the first time in this interaction, he seemed like someone worth being cautious against.

"And what monster did you slay? What great fiend did you put to justice? What did you give your all to protect?"

"…I saved Britain."

My eyes narrowed as he seemed surprised at my answer, before smiling widely. Gesturing with his hands as he opened them up wide.

"Oh! That must be one heck of a monster! A fearsome dragon, perhaps? No, perhaps an evil sorcerer bent on destroying the continent!"

"Invaders. They were invaders."

He didn't respond. He looked elsewhere while surveying the place. Keeping his thoughts to himself while letting me stew in my own.

He was planning something. That much was obvious with the strange questions, as well as the underlying animosity.

Even so, all I could really do is meet him head on.

Servants do not normally sleep, and I was quite certain that I hadn't chosen to do so. Which meant that this place was likely a construct I was forced into, rather than by choice.

"…Ah, people. So this was a celebration of a war. As such, I'm sure it was a rather clean one, then."

"As clean as I could make it, yes."

"What do you mean by that?"

I opened my mouth to respond, only for the scenery to change instead. Now showing a rather tense and harsh battle between the forces of Britain and the invaders.

To be honest I wasn't sure if this had been the battle from earlier, or even another battle entirely. After a while they had started to blend together in my mind.

Soldiers and knights clashed with each other as a village on the coast was descended on. Ships were fleeing in retreat after being shot with arrows. It's passengers barely escaping the front lines of the war.

With the ships departing, it was quite obvious to anyone what the outcome was going to be. A fact that was written well into the confident expressions of knights, and one that was reflected in the defeated spirits of the remaining enemies.

"Oh, how honorable."

Orpheus remarked, drawing my gaze towards a soldier who had just finished cutting down a peasant. One that was not wielding a weapon in his hand.

Nearby was a child who was poorly hiding in the unkempt grass. Yet due to the nerves of the soldier, he didn't notice the kid.

"Yes, I can see why you'd take such pleasure and pride in this."

"…It's war. I can't possibly stop every case of bloodshed, whether wrongful or otherwise."

"Couldn't you? Was this war really needed? Did you do everything in your power to stop it from coming to fruition? From getting this far?"

My eyes narrowed at his comment.

"Yes, but I had to protect Britain."

"Oh, is that right? Well, as long as you were protecting Britain then maybe-"

The scenery changed once more.

This time showcasing a village that wasn't currently in the death throes of it's life through battle. Instead it was occupied by my knights and soldiers. Who were going around and gathering supplies.

I sighed, starting to realize where he was going with this. It was rather easy to do as it's something that I've started to wonder myself.

Which brought into question whether he was the one who was changing the environment of the dream, or if it was me.

"What's this? What's happening now?"

He asked, looking around with a blank face. Surveying the situation at hand before opening his mouth, quicker than I could respond.

"Distributing food?"

"…Gathering supplies. Supplies for the frontlines needed to be gathered at all costs."

"'All costs' huh? That's an interesting turn of phrase."

He turned back to me with an equally blank face. Hiding whatever emotions he was currently feeling, but the questions he was asking were quite indicative of how he was feeling.

Sir Lancelot was in the middle of a doorway as Orpheus approached. His presence completely ignored as Lancelot asked for whatever remained in the house. His expression seeming conflicted as he conversed with a worried mother who was nursing her child.

"It seems you're really clearing the entire place out."

"…Supplies for the frontlines need to be gathered. Otherwise we'd be pushed back."

I reiterated, not able to give another answer.

"And what will happen to this village after you've gathered it's remaining supplies?"

"…"

He looked back at my silence.

"…King Arthur?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? They'll need to relocate."

"Or?"

"They'll die."

His eyes narrowed. The contempt in them only mirrored by one other. A pair of eyes that were more familiar than my own shadow.

"This is what you call protecting Britain?"

I sighed.

"If your purpose is to get me to realize that I was a bad king, then you should know that I'm already well aware of my defects."

He waved his arm as if to dismiss the idea. Causing me to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't care about you being a king. I care about you being a hero. And so far, I haven't see much in the way of being heroic."

…Being…a hero?

The scenery changed once again.

A large field of wheat spread across from every direction. A place that seemed completely common place besides the strange looking stone placed in the middle of it, with a brilliant looking sword sticking out.

There were several trails of footsteps surrounding the area. Showing the area to have had a bit of traffic recently.

But of course it had, as this was the sword of prophecy. And whoever could pull it out would be king.

Men and knights from all over the kingdom traveled down in order to pull it free. Attempting to claim it for glory, wealth, or perhaps a genuine interest in guiding the country.

After a few hours of attempts, a good portion of those who had come by left for a separate area in order to prove themselves. Respecting the area as a sort of sacred ground. Meaning the area was mostly barren for all but one.

A girl in simple clothes. A girl who was unsullied by the weight of a kingdom, and the mistakes that came with it. A girl who did not understand what she was getting into, not truly.

She had watched many others attempt to pull the sword free, and each one failing. Their unworthiness proven each and every time without fail.

…It was hard to believe that I was once that girl.

"…She's beautiful."

I paused for a second in confusion, before glancing at the man at my side. Who's eyes didn't glance towards Caliburn, but rather the girl near it. I had been about to chastise the man for such an uncouth comment, only to realize his eyes had a kind of purity in them.

He hadn't been looking at her with an indecent gaze. But rather…one that likely saw more underneath the surface.

He smiled, one that didn't seem to have any sort of underlying motive beneath. Seeming genuinely happy at her appearance.

So happy in fact…that he started to walk towards her. I took in the sights once more before following behind.

If I could change anything…

…

"…I can't help but agree. She…truly does seem like a aspiring hero. One who hasn't yet reached for the stars…"

…Reached for the stars? What a peculiar turn of phrase. Was he referring to becoming a king?

But why did it feel like there was more to his words than that?

Like the others in the dream, the girl continued to stare ahead. Her hair flowing in the wind as a determined gaze shot into the sword itself. Orpheus's gaze eventually tracked her own before finally resting on the buried Caliburn.

A sword of immeasurable might. One who's power was only surpassed by one other. I've never yearned for another sword while I held Excalibur, but I must admit that upon losing Caliburn, I had been distraught.

It had been a reliable partner to me. One that I could count on. Somehow even my knights had been more worried about the loss of the sword than I had been.

The same sword that Orpheus looked at with a disgusted expression.

"…You know, at the end of many stories, the hero becomes a ruler."

I knew those tales well. I had listened to my fair share of them as a child.

"I always wondered to myself why? What's the point? Why not continue galivanting around the world in search of adventure? And then eventually, I came to my answer. Do you know what that is, Artoria?"

"…"

I said nothing. I knew not what to say.

The wind that blew around the field also managed to catch his own hair. Causing it to flow behind him in an eerily similar way as to the girl next to him. He put a hand over his heart as he stepped forward, as if to meet me face to face with a stern expression. One that showcased his emotions on his sleeve.

"Love. They loved the people so much, that they dedicated their lives to them. To protect, care, and nurture them. That, I think, is the true hallmark of a hero."

Love.

I loved Camelot. I loved it so much that I decided to become the perfect king to rule it.

…No, that wasn't true, was it? I decided to cast off my emotions to become the perfect king. And what is love if not the greatest emotion there is?

Love.

Sir Percival wasn't lacking in love. Willing to stick out his neck for his comrades, no, that was selling him too low. He was willing to fight and die just to protect the people.

Love.

Sir Lancelot loved Guinevere. A love that any fool could see was true and just. Thus I decided to turn a blind eye to their affair.

Love.

Sir Gareth harbored love not only for her friends and family, but even towards her enemies. A tearful face after facing down her foes was a common sight.

Love.

If there was anyone lacking love at the round table…it was me.

If I had truly loved Guinevere, then she wouldn't have had to seek it from Lancelot. If I had loved the knights of the round table, they wouldn't have perished nor taken up arms to fight against me. If I had truly loved the people of Britain I wouldn't have callously pushed them to their deaths in order to win as decisively as possible.

Was that what I had been lacking? Was that what truly made a good king? A love so devoted to their kingdom, no, their people above all else?

Orpheus no longer paid me any attention. Instead focused completely on the girl as she started to walk towards the sword. Only taking a handful of seconds to cross the distance.

Had I not been worthy the moment I cast off my love or…

Did I never have love to begin with?

The girl's hands grasped the hilt of Caliburn. A righteous look claimed her eyes as she took a breath and closed her eyes. The wind died down and it was as if the world itself had stopped breathing for this moment.

And then she pulled on the sword.

Only for it to not budge an inch.

*~o~*

Orpheus PoV

The dream ended abruptly. Causing me to suddenly stand under a starless sky. Or well, perhaps I should say the dream ended the way most dreams do. It's not as if there's a gentle period where everything wraps up in a nice little bow.

Much like the stark reality of most heroes.

…Well, isn't that depressing?

Compassion may help others, but it will never help you.

Thankfully this was no longer the age of heroes. Things were much more peaceful now, with that many people no longer attempting to be true heroes. Because in this world there were no longer great monsters who's presence threatens the safety of everyone you love. There were no great quests to undergo. There was no great evil to stand up against.

While far from a perfect world, as made evident by the lack of music classes, it was nonetheless a peaceful one. And that made it better than my own era, by far.

…Then again, it was my era that created a lovely huntress with cute cat ears, and a beautiful princess who eyes twinkled like gemstones. So maybe it doesn't lose out completely.

It was another beautiful sky tonight. Ah, a man could get used to things like this, even if I couldn't st-

A flash of light sparked, causing me to stare dumbfounded.

The sky immediately pushed it out as if to reject it. It's dim light flickered, showcasing just how weak and on the verge of death it was. Yet despite being that dim, it somehow was strong enough to illuminate the area around it.

It was obvious with just a glance that it wasn't something that belonged here. Not because of the current peaceful era, but because the sky itself was actively rejecting it. Which meant…it didn't belong anywhere.

And just as suddenly as it came, the sky successfully pushed it out of the sky. Making it starless once more.

Well, that was weird.

I missed my chance to see what that was all about. But to be fair, things that don't belong usually deserved to be tossed out.

…Yes, the irony wasn't lost on me.

Even so, I couldn't help but be curious. A 'hero from another world' huh? I wonder what kind of hero would they be…

*~o~*

When I eventually returned to the waking world, I found myself becoming rather restless. Something that often happened when I viewed the lives and dreams of others. They often filled me with inspiration.

Stories to sing, poems to write, art to express.

As it was currently night outside, I decided to leave the Einzbern Castle for the city. In order to walk around for some fresh air. Walking around and playing music for the local wildlife was also enjoyable, but sometimes it was better to mix things up.

The ethereal glow of Fuyuki was mesmerizing. In ancient Greece there had only been a few torches illuminating local villages or cities. Something like this was simply too outlandish to even imagine. And yet, here I was.

Standing amidst the unthinkable. A stranger in a strange land. A simple musician embracing the unknown.

How will I fare, I wonder?

I neared a bridge that seemed to be a short distance from a park. Underneath the bridge wasn't water, but a road for cars to travel through. Presumably to easily cross over to the other side when there's traffic.

I hummed a song while taking in the sights before crossing the bridge. Ignoring the discordant sounding notes that was slowly creeping up.

The advancement of humanity through science was something that was hard to wrap my head around. I was given knowledge of such things, but not of how they worked. Thus in many ways I was much more ignorant than a normal person born in the current era.

I'm sure it doesn't help that I came from an ancient era. Which only further spurred me to feel embarrassed about my lack of relevant knowledge. Even so, I wouldn't wish for the world to regress it's current advancements. It would be a mistake to wish they drop science long ago in order for things to be more familiar.

Because if it wasn't science and technology, it would be magic. Something that would be equally as confusing and foreign to me. Well, from a certain way of looking at things, one could certainly say that magic had also made several advancements as well, just not nearly as much as technology.

…I wonder why that was? Lack of piety, perhaps?

The unsettling sound of an off-key song steadily grew louder as I got about to the half way point on the bridge. Causing me to rub my chin and look around.

Whoever they were, they were good at hiding themselves from sight. Unfortunately for them I didn't count on my sight as much as my ability to hear.

Hmm, maybe I should ask Medea about that sort of thing. It was her area of expertise. Or perhaps Illya? She was a magus from this era, so perhaps she'd know more from first hand experience. I'd try my hand at making her breakfast in order to get her to open up if it wouldn't put me on her maids bad side.

Every time I attempted to help out with chores or making a meal they seemed to take it as a personal attack. And extending a helping hand to make up for that only seemed to further enrage them.

Ah, how confusing. But that's just how relationships between humans are. If everything was easily understandable then things would be rather boring. But that doesn't mean an effort shouldn't be made.

With that in mind I decided to turn around to greet a new friend.

"Hel-"

My fingers on my right hand from the pinky up to the index finger, were sliced off. From the base of the pinky, upwards in an arc to the knuckle of the index. If it had only ended there, then I'd have been rather fortunate.

Unfortunately, I was not.

A knife found itself buried in my midsection, before being carved upwards in a clean arc. Another knife found itself swiftly dipping into my ribs. Cutting through as if my bones were a suggestion.

My blood barely had any time to start falling before I was stabbed several times over. Several more times in the chest, stomach, and even in the legs. Causing me to fall over on top of the bridge.

Thankfully there was handrails on the bridge, otherwise I'd have plummeted down onto the road. Which would have been pretty troublesome for the people of Fuyuki.

"I think…we got…on…the wrong…f-"

Due to facing the bridge floor, I wasn't able to see my assailant close the distance. Continuing their job by planting a knife into my back before carving out my heart. Which left me unable to continue speaking, due to the fact that I had just been brutally murdered.

Well…

They came on a bit strong for a first time encounter, didn't they?