"In recent news, an earthquake has left the countryside of Fuyuki devastated. Local authorities have deemed the area to be highly hazardous, and the public is advised to stay away for the time being. We've been told investigations into the nature of the freak disaster are underway."
I crossed one leg over the other, trying to hold back an amused smile, and averted my gaze from the television broadcasting some channel I wasn't remotely interested in. No, I was having a tougher time ignoring the putrid stench of some drunk homeless man with shaggy hair passed out in the back.
That put me face to face with a curious Altera.
She let her head fall ever so slightly, "Master?"
Perhaps, my luck was finally turning. There weren't that many other passengers on the bus. At least, not any that cared to pay attention to someone dressed like... Altera. Giving her my jacket helped some, as the grey windbreaker went almost to her thighs, but that still left most of her tanned and toned legs bare.
"You told me you wanted to be different?"
"I am-" Her words were slow and drawn out. She shoved her hands in the windbreaker "-... War. Ruin. A weapon. That is my life. That is what is expected. That is what I am seen as. You... want to change. And, I am... curious."
The heroic spirit any master summoned as a servant had their own reason for answering the call. Some were enticed by the wish. Others approved of the ideals of their masters. My knowledge of just what they knew was lacking.
And, Shuwen had never told me his reason.
"If it's any consolation," I rubbed my nose awkwardly, "You don't look like a weapon to me. I get that might sound like bullshit considering you're my servant."
Altera was, plainly put, Attila the Hun.
She was Genghis Khan before Genghis Khan was even born.
So titled, the Scourge of God by the Holy Roman Empire.
Altera's lips parted faintly, as though she was lost for words.
"I've got only one request. Help me fight Gilgamesh. After that, I'll do everything I can to help you."
... Like Li Shuwen did for me.
Her confusion was plain. Her long white hair fell past her shoulders.
"Is... that alright?"
Something about those words hit too close to home.
"The people who made you think you're a tool were shitty. But forget that," I stared down at my hands, clinging to the past was pointless, "You can stop. Put down that mantle... and just be a normal person, I guess. If that's what you want."
She did not answer immediately.
Instead, Altera pressed her hands together, and a ghost of a smile seemed to tug at the corners of her lips.
"But I do not despise the life I led."
I shrugged easily, "That's fine too."
If anything, that was incredibly healthy of her.
"Then, I will fight this enemy for you... Master. And in turn, you will help me think, and process these feelings."
Uh, what?
I couldn't help but chuckle at her absurd words.
Every single servant I'd met thus far was such an interesting person, even Gilgamesh. Perhaps, that very eccentricity was what had made them stand out in their own times, and drawn people to fight under their banners.
"Why laugh?"
I relaxed into my seat.
"How am I supposed to help someone think?"
"That is for you to figure out."
-
After a day of lounging around with an empty head while Altera watched TV at a cafe, I met up with Rin at the intersection dividing Miyama Town in the foreigner and non-foreigner half. Seeing her stand under a street light like before brought a strange sense of deja vu, but the chill wind dragging across my bare arms made thinking of anything else nearly impossible.
Altera noticed, and pulled the jacket closer.
My attempts at getting her to let it go had proven futile thus far.
"You're pretty muscly, huh?" Rin crossed her arms with a foxy grin, noticing me step up to her, "Almost a shame to hide all that under those baggy clothes."
I smiled dryly, "Are you hitting on me because of my family? Trying to increase your station? Is that what it is?"
"If I need to be a girl in the Zen'in clan to get higher up, I think I'd prefer being a commoner."
"Well, there's not much difference anyway, is there?"
Her lips twitched. She grit her teeth, "What is that sup-posed to mean, exactly?"
Rin was so much shorter that it was hard to take her seriously.
Suddenly, Altera was closing the negligible distance between us. She placed herself right under my chin with slightly narrowed eyes. She even raised a hand to her side, as if covering me up. It was a strange feeling, having someone so beautiful press back against me.
"Too comfortable..." She said plainly.
"What's this~?"
Unwittingly, Altera had given Rin even more ammunition to use. The Tohsaka covered her smirk with her fingers, making sure to let some of it peek through. Still, I couldn't help but nod in agreement with Rin.
What was this behaviour from Altera?
"Wait, Enji-kun..." Rin looked at the back of her palm where her two command seals had begun to shimmer, "This girl. She's a servant, isn't she?"
I weighed my options with furrowed brows.
"I was wondering why I couldn't find any command seals on Caster."
...
Rin tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder. "I feel like I should be more upset... but I sort of had that feeling from the start. You looked pretty guilty about Shirou, after all. I thought that was just cause you were a good person but... yeah."
I groaned.
I really needed to work on my poker face. First Bazett, and now her. My face was definitely giving away more about my feelings than I believed.
"But well, it all worked out in the end. You have to pay him back though, okay?"
My shoulders drooped.
"I planned on that anyway."
"Then it's good." She smiled faintly, placing her hands on her hips and leaning forward, "So, who is this? Archer's been talking my ears off about how facing Gilgamesh is a bad idea."
The Tohsaka stepped past. I turned thoughtfully.
Deciding that I trusted Rin enough to share Altera's identity was quick and easy.
"Atilla the Hun-" Altera tapped my stomach with her elbow. When I looked down, I saw the Scourge of God pouting up at me, cheeks flared slightly, "-No. Altera. Her name's Altera."
Rin backtracked instantly, almost falling back on her butt.
"The Scourge of God?!"
Altera frowned but at the same time, her chest swelled with pride too. Then, she grew confused and looked to me for answers like a lost puppy.
"It's natural to be proud of your accomplishments... A title like that is pretty cool."
"I see."
Hm, this was a strange feeling.
Was this what my mentor had felt like?
Rin rubbed her eyes in disbelief, multiple times even, then let out a long drawn out sigh.
"That's pretty impressive... Archer, you still want to test his servant?"
Her servant manifested with a blank upon his face and his arms limp by side. He looked at his master with incredulous eyes. Altera observed him curiously, one hand clenching as if to grip an invisible hilt.
"Fortunately, I am yet to lose my mind like magi." He said, raising his hands in surrender to placate the warmonger preparing to attack, "Her presence alone is telling. I see no point wasting mana butting heads with an ally."
From Rin's words, his stance on the alliance, and me personally, was pretty apparent. That was to say, he put no stock at all in my help or ability. One meeting with Altera had changed him up pretty quick.
Rin and I grinned at the same time.
She hummed, "Ally, huh~?"
"Whatever."
Archer averted his gaze and faded into spiritual form.
Snickering at her servant, Rin turned to me again, making Altera wary once more, "I thought that stuck-up Enforcer would be with you."
"She'll meet up with us at the hotel. She wanted to look into something, hit up her contacts, I think."
It occurred to me then, that of the seven masters in the Grail War, only us three were left now. There were going to be some tough decisions to be made if we actually managed to deal with Gilgamesh.
I let out a sigh.
-
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