A Nascent Kaleidoscope. Chapter 438 - 397

Raikou POV

Master didn't need for his reunion. Instead I was interested in these people he had spoke so highly of, but I knew where I would best be put to use.

I would not help on the technicalities of this Singularity, but corralling unruly Servants was sothing I was more than capable of.

It seed my suspicions were founded as Lancelot and the dark reflection of Artoria were staring at one another.

"M-My King!" Lancelot imdiately collapsed to his knees in front of the Darkened Saber.

She stared at him silently.

Lancelot waiting, each mont was excruciating for the Knight as Saber silently judged him.

"I am not your King." Saber said simply.

I believe her dismissal did more emotional damage than anything she could have done with her sword. The anguish on Lancelot's face was enough to even make feel sothing despite sharing a similar sentint to Master.

I held a strong dislike for this man who brought so much pain to Master's other woman. Even if I made sure to limit how much he expressed his distaste, I did not feel any pity for him previously.

"But you –"

"I am the Tyrant of Knights." Saber replied, in clear disdain. "The ideals you fought for were not mine. Do not presu to speak to as if your existence ans anything to ."

"Your Lover, he spoke – "

Barely with enough ti to blink, I stepped to interfere, because Saber had her fist reeled back, ready to attack him. I grabbed hold of her gauntlet, not letting her budge.

She glared at . "Remove your hand."

"You have a much fierier temper than the Artoria I know." I did not. However, that only seed to set her off further.

The Mana around her erupted, And I had seen it enough to know it was her Mana Burst Skill. In response, I activated my own, my Lightning answering my call as we fought, neither budging.

Eventually, she scoffed, dismissing her Mana Burst. With a jerk from her, I let go of her arm. It seems her anger subsided enough that she wasn't going to lash out any longer.

Instead of attacking him, she instead reached down, and pulled him up by his armor until her face was even with his. "Do not bother again."

I admit to feeling the slightest bit of pity for him now. "There is a misunderstanding here, Lancelot."

Lancelot looked at and he was still confused, as no one had properly explained things to him thus far. I just ntally shrugged as it was not my duty.

"....I will take my leave." He said dejectedly. He wasn't a fool, he could at least understand that the situation was not what he had assud, rely the details escaped him.

"Halt." Saber commanded as he was about to turn around. She did not give him a chance to respond, she grabbed him again, jerking him forward and put her hand on his chest. I was going to question what she was doing until a familiar light manifested. Avalon was pulled from him, and she held it protectively in her grasp. "Now, leave my sight." She demanded.

Lancelot, with slumped shoulders, didn't argue and disappeared amongst the array of tents around us.

"Master put that inside of him intentionally." I voiced.

Her nostrils flared as if she were about to lash out at , but she cald herself. "It will return to where it belongs."

"Are you going to take possession of it?" I questioned.

"No." She scoffed angrily. "He will resu possession of it as he is supposed to. If he is foolish enough to nearly die, then he is not allowed to walk around without it."

"And why do you get to decide that?"

"I have more of a say than you do!" She growled. "You, a Servant –"

"I am also his Woman." I interrupted, watching all the anger she was working up with imdiately dissipate into nothingness as she blinked at my abrupt declaration. "Amusing, you still have similar mannerisms as the Artoria I know. She has that sa look when she gets confused about sothing."

"What do you want?" She finally grit out.

"Are you not going to ask for clarification?" I tilted my head.

"Why would I care?" She huffed, turning her nose up.

"Very well, if you do not wish to know, I will not bore you."

She twitched slightly in annoyance. "...was it a lie? That he said he loved....her?"

"It was not." I smiled, knowing that she couldn't help herself. "They are very cute together."

".....but you said..?"

"Yes?" I returned. "Why can he not be with both of us? Rather, what makes you think it's only us?" I humd, watching her try and understand what I was insinuating. "Master is going to be upset that you took the Sheath from Lancelot. He will most likely revert to his Berserker state soon."

"I do not care." Saber grunted. "He is a fool, and obviously requires extra protection."

"Strangely, that is sothing I think we can both agree on. Master often does foolish things that end up going wrong. But very rarely is it also sothing dangerous as well."

"Why?" She asked.

"Pardon? Why what?" I asked for clarification.

She looked at with obvious confusion and an array of emotions that seed utterly foreign to her. "I was hated throughout my life, a Tyrant that used forced submission to all my foes. I did not hold back my blade and attempted to slay him just as I did everyone else. So why was my death mourned by him and tears shed? Why did he do sothing as foolish as he did due to grief? I don't understand. I am not her, I am a vile and oppressive Tyrant. So Why?"

"It is the sa reason that Master accepted an Oni like without a second thought." I felt myself relating to her very much.

"You did not answer my question." She frowned. "Why have you sought out? To mock ?"

"I rely wished to inform you of a few things. What you desire to do with it is your choice." My interference ended here. "But if you want to know, you can ask the person directly."

If soone told that there was a corrupted version of Artoria, I would not believe them. And I would especially not believe that this 'corrupted' version of her would be shy.

Because that was all I could perceive once I brought up the notion of her talking to Master herself.

[***]

Wilhelm POV

"You disappeared rather quickly." I walked up to Cu who was sitting on a rock, carving Runes into so stones he had laying around. "After we started talking about the details, I didn't even notice when you slipped away."

"All that crap doesn't matter to ." Caster shrugged dismissively.

"Or you already know, right?" I questioned, eyeing him. "Solomon, that is. After the whole singularity talk, we backtracked to him and everything he was involved in, that was when you up and vanished."

"Hey..." He threw his head back to look up at . "I was upfront when I said I knew things I wasn't gonna be telling you."

"That you were." I nodded. "Scoot over." I nudged him to the side as I sat down on the large rock as well, taking up a few of them unused stones and helped him out.

"It's good you're back though. The kids could use the morale boost. They've been holding it together, but it's a pretty shitty thing all around."

"Really? I'm questioning if I should have even co back so soon."

"You shouldn't have." He said as a matter of fact.

"Well, thanks for making feel guilty." I snorted. "But are you fucking with or serious?"

"I see what you're doing, y'know. The Holy Shroud, and shit. It's cute, but won't work for long." He began to explain, still carving his runes. "We're already teetering on a knife's edge."

"Yeah, I get that." I sighed, looking at the stone in my hand. "I fucked up pretty bad before, walked right into the Dragon's Lair, as it were. I was so far over my head that I'm lucky to be alive. But you know that too."

"Yeah." He just nodded.

"If I used everything I had, do you think I would have stood a chance?"

"Honestly? I'm not omnipotent or anything, I an, I know a thing or two I shouldn't, but....eh, you want to be honest?"

"I already know the answer, but just say it." I waived it off.

"Nah. What do people say in the future? You would have been rektd."

"I'm more confused how you even know sothing like that rather than the cryptic bullshit you're spewing left and right."

He chuckled to himself, decidedly not answering.

"Odin is fucking bullshit." Ti is more a suggestion to powerful enough Divine Spirits. Odin was more than capable of looking into the future for fun at any ti he desired. Hence, why Cu was here in the first place most likely.

"How about how I am now? What do my chances look like?"

He paused, turning his gaze to . It was different from his normal, the almost lazy look he normally had. It was now filled with sothing indescribable as he peered at with more than what his presud title would suggest. "You're stronger than before. So new things you got recently, yeah? You would still lose."

"Thought so."

"But.....you did close the gap a bit."

"Progress is good."

"It is."

"Will it matter?'

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Once you entered the equation, things turned ssy. Which is why you being here makes things...difficult."

"....I couldn't just leave them on their own."

"I know." He turned back to , that ancient gaze of his returning back to his normal one. Instead he adopted a rather warm smile. "You're a good kid. Would have been fast friends during my life if you were around."

"Huh..."

"Could have double tead that bitch together." He shot a cock grin.

"Fuck you." I kicked him, rather awkwardly considering we were sitting next to each other.

"You modern folk." He shrugged helplessly. "Don't know why you're kicking up a fuss. It'd have been considered brotherly bonding in my ti for a pair of siblings to share one of their wives."

"Alright Mr.Any-Hole-is-a-Goal." I snorted again. "Scáthach is mine, don't get any ideas."

"Hah!" He laughed mirthfully. "That Bitch actually settling down with a Man. I still don't know if I believe it." He shook his head. "How's she doing?"

"Good. She's been exploring a bunch, going to a few different worlds, having fun just living."

"Mmm." He nodded, not comnting further.

"I wanted to ask, by the way. I an, you pretty much confird it, but I figured I would clarify. I'm still unnoticed, right?"

"Probably."

"Right, I'm filled with confidence now."

"Even Odin in his pri would be cautious against him" Cu looked at seriously. "So saying probably does hold a lot of rit to it."

"Alright, alright." I put my arms up in surrender as he was half glaring at , and I think that was his Odin bits being peeved that I was questioning him.

"Got a random question for you that's been bugging ."

"I might not answer."

"Does Odin know Izanami?"

He blinked, looking at in confusion. "Japan's Death Goddess? Why would you think they know each other? Just because they existed within the sa ti fra, it doesn't an they interacted. Especially with the distance between worshippers and such." He paused. "Huh....I do have a small impression of her. For so reason, I think I think.....Odin and her had so small conflict or sothing? I told you before, I'm not entirely him, so I'm only getting so impressions here."

That's funny, I guess even in this world, Odin and Izzy have that kind of relationship.

"Why'd you ask?" He questioned.

"Odin in my birth world, he and Izanami have a sort of antagonistic relationship where they constantly snipe at one another." I briefly explained. "Oh, I just brought it up cause I'm dating Izanami back ho."

"....I don't even care anymore." He threw his hands up. "You get a bunch of girls, and that Bitch slaps around for even thinking about another one when I was near her."

"Jealousy is an ugly look."

"Screw you." He pouted.

"Is it a bad ti to say that Scáthach told she loves ?" I asked.

"I kind of hate you right now."

"I know, and I welco it."

"No wonder she settled for you. You're both absolute cunts."

"That's for the sharing comnt from before."

"Yeah, I got that." He snorted. "By the way, I've been teaching the farm boy so Druidism and Runecraft."

"I noticed the staff, but we were focused on the bigger stuff. He has talent in that sort of thing?" I was mildly surprised. "It's not sothing popular in the modern era."

"Wouldn't be surprised if his Origin has sothing to do with it as just being a Farm Boy isn't enough. Definitely helps, as he's closer to the Earth and all that, but he has so alright talent there. Just said sothing cause I want you to teach him a few things with Runes if you get the chance. Looks up to you a bit, I think it'd help if you gave him a pointer or two."

"kind of funny considering you're more knowledgeable on Runecraft than ." But it was an easy enough request. "Do you think we'll have enough ti? I'm worried that the wrong pair of eyes may fall on and cut my visit short."

"His gaze is not on this Singularity, so you don't have to worry about abruptly getting a visit or anything like that." He assured , head suddenly turning back towards where everyone was gathered. "Sothing's going on."

I noticed it as soon as he said sothing, people began running around with a purpose. And a Saintess coming towards with haste.

"Will!" Jeanne yelled as she got closer. "She's coming."

"Who?" I questioned.

Jeanne grabbed my hand, pulling back towards where all the tents were set up, weaving through them as she pointed over towards the horizon.

I reinforced my eyes, and even still, they were barely dots in the sky, but they nearly blotted out the sun.

"I could feel it as soon as she got close." Jeanne whispered. "I don't know why, but I have this connection and I can sense her. It's the Dragon Witch, she's coming."

".....phrasing."

"Neeeh!" She puffed up, hitting my shoulder with her tiny fists.

Well, I guess it's finally ti to see who exactly it was going around using Jeanne's identity.

[***]

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