In the destroyed hall within Tohsaka Mansion, Archer slowly stood up as he heard Assassin’s comnt. "And what do you an by that?" he asked, smiling, his fingers twitching.
Assassin narrowed his eyes under the hood and replied flatly. "Don’t be so hotheaded, kid. You are not my match. Another hundred Summons later, perhaps..."
Powerful gusts of wind whistled around Archer, tiny electric sparks dancing in his palms.
From outside the room, Rin Tohsaka eyed everything, mystery and confusion weighing her heart.
No. She couldn’t let it go on anymore.
It didn’t matter why it happened. It didn’t matter how she ended up summoning two Servants. Everything could be explained and found out later after visiting the Overseer.
Also, it wasn’t like gaining two Servants, no matter the thod, was bad, Rin realized.
One way or another, she had planned to win this Holy Grail War anyway.
So, taking a deep breath to calm herself, she stepped into the hall.
"You two—" Rin began. "Stand down."
Both Heroic Spirits turned their faces to look at her as she ca to a stop between them.
"First," Rin said, trying not to stutter, feeling their stares. "Tell who you are. The relationship between Master-Servant... Servants should be clearly defined from the beginning."
Archer raised his brows at her. "Who am I? So Master you are if you don’t even know that..."
On the other side, Assassin remained quiet.
"Well... I..." Rin clenched her fingers into fists. Suddenly, her gaze landed on the clock, which miraculously had survived the destruction, making her eyes wide.
Oh, no! She gasped. How could she have forgotten?! All the clocks had been running an hour faster since yesterday!
"You!" Rin looked at Archer. "You aren’t Saber?!"
Archer looked at Rin with a blank expression for a mont before breaking out into a fit of laughter. "Hate to disappoint you," he said, "but neither I nor that old thing over there is Saber."
Rin’s head snapped behind her to look at the figure with a bandaged face, wearing a tattered, hooded robe.
"How is it possible..." She mumbled to herself.
Yesterday, in the afternoon, Kirei had told her that only two Servants were yet to be summoned — Archer and Saber.
Even if the Servant in a red coat wasn’t Saber, one of the two must have been Saber, still.
"Ugh!" Rin held her head as she failed to make any sense. She pointed at the ragged clothes-wearing Spirit behind her and demanded, "You! Which Class..."
"Assassin," The Counter Guardian said flatly, cutting her off.
Rin pouted, crossing her arms. "Anyway," she said, her gaze shifting between both of them. "No more..."
"Who are you to give an order?" Archer asked, holding a small smile.
"What do you an?!" Rin asked. "I am your Master! You think I am not strong enough to give your order?!"
"Oh, no!" Archer laughed. "Any Mage capable of summoning two Heroic Spirits at the sa ti is more than capable. I am not questioning your authority. What gives you the right to order around?"
Rin blushed.
For a mont, she didn’t know if Archer was praising her or mocking her.
"This—" Rin lifted both her hands, showing the two Servants the back of her hands carrying the Command Seals. "— These give the right to command you two."
Archer held his face, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
"True enough," he said, approaching Rin and standing tall over her. "I will acknowledge you as a Master, but... on one condition. In the war to co, I will disregard everything you say. I will decide all battle policy. I hope you will have no objections to that, young lady."
Behind Rin, the Assassin walked forward as well.
"In this, I agree with the kid," he said, making Archer instantly lose the smile on his face. "You seem too inexperienced for all this. Even the kid looks like he is suffering from so hero complex..."
"I will..." Archer ground his teeth. He didn’t know why, but this person itched his bones with every comnt.
"See—" Assassin said, holding no humor in his voice. "— how easily he let his emotions take over himself? Anyway... I have so urgent tasks to attend to. The best strategy would be to not ntion you summoning both of us, especially , an Assassin, to anyone. In this way, we can gain an advantage over the enemy after evaluating the battlefield."
Archer pushed Rin aside and stood in front of Assassin, their gaze eting each other.
"And what are those urgent tasks, old man?" Archer said, mocking. "Buying a walking stick or going to a hospital for your paining back..."
"I..." Rin closed her eyes, making fists so tight that her knuckles went white.
Archer scoffed. "Go hide in a cellar till the War is over," he told Rin, sitting down on the sofa again. "I will win the War for you. It’s no place for an inexperienced lady such as yourself."
The Assassin nodded, walking back a few steps toward the window.
"I will go and scout the enemies," he said. "You, kid, stay here and protect her as her bodyguard."
Archer’s eyes spewed murder.
"You two ill-mannered louts!" Rin snapped, holding both her hands up. "I will show you!"
Red magical fluctuations erupted from the Command Seals on Rin’s hands, making both Archer and Assassin look at her in shock.
The two Heroic Spirits walked to her, trying to make her stop, but it was already too late.
"On the authority bestowed upon by the Holy Grail," Rin chanted, pointing at Archer and Assassin, "I command you two to show absolute obedience!!"
Boooooooooom!
A muffled sound exploded within the hall, red waves of magic covering both the Servants.
On the other side, Rin lost one of the three Command Seals from both of her hands.
"You thoughtless brat!" Archer chided. "Who uses Command Seals to give such a broad order?"
Rin blushed, putting her hands down.
And, in the very next mont, her vision blackened and she passed out.
There was a reason summoning two Heroic Servants was a taboo, because —
— Two Heroic Spirits also ant the Master must supply double the Mana.
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