Fate Chapter 68-69: The Six

Gilgamesh pointed at Angra Mainyu standing behind Mordred. “That is your Master.”

Mordred couldn’t help but grin at the revelation that her Master was a homunculus. She was created with Artoria and Morgan Le Fay’s DNA, a homunculus who became a teen in the mere span of a decade. Never did she think her Master would be a homunculus.

Angra Mainyu ignored Mordred’s enthusiasm. “I’ll explain everything later.”

Mordred had no other option but to watch as Angra Mainyu summoned the next servant.

A young woman whose half face was covered in a white skull mask. Her short, violet-colored hair cupped her face, half of which was concealed by a white skull mask. Her black, form-fitting outfit only emphasized her lethal curves. Whether it was her attire or the kunai in her hands, everything about her screamed the word ‘Assassin.’

She kneeled before Angra Mainyu, her gaze still on the ground. “I have come to this world because of you. I shall devote my poisonous body, my will—my everything to you.”

“Hassan of Serenity…” Angra Mainyu muttered Assassin’s name with a nod. “I accept.”

Hassan placed her hand on her chest before she stood up and concealed herself in the darkness.

“This process is slow.”

Angra Mainyu thought to try what no mage should ever do—she drew out some magical energy from the Root and took the leftover from the ley lines. She summoned four servants in one go. No matter how she wanted, she couldn’t bring herself to summon another Berserker-class Servant.

‘Stop controlling my actions.’

The underground cave was instantly crammed with several powerful entities. Gilgamesh watched them on a throne as if he was their king. Not every servant took his arrogance lightly.

One particular woman glared at Gilgamesh, her crimson eyes glowing with fierce intent. “You dare show contempt to the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. Shall I take it as an invitation to war?”

The Servant of Archer, who was wearing a military outfit, looked no older than a teenager. Yet, her gaze and her aura lived up to her name, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga.

Gilgamesh didn’t put the newcomer in his eyes. “Another fodder to relieve my boredom.”

“Fodder?” Nobunaga was genuinely pissed, so she summoned a massive number of matchlocks behind her. “King or God, everything will return to this land one day.”

She was a Heroic Spirit from the modern age without much ‘Mystery’ behind her existence. But her skill ‘Unifying the Nation by Force - Innovation’ put her in an advantage against the Heroic Spirits with high ‘Mystery.’

Before Nobunaga could fire one shot, a young man blocked her. His gentle smile was enough to disarm all the hostility in the atmosphere.

“We shouldn’t be fighting among each other.”

He had long, messy white hair and wore high-quality robes similar to a king. He in fact was the very King of Magecraft, who commanded the seventy-two demon gods as his familiars. Angra Mainyu summoned him for his undeniable strength as well as the ten rings around his arms. Solomon’s Rings could nullify any and every magecraft in the world.

“Come on. Come on. Let’s not set fire on the ship we’ll sail to victory,” A blonde man interjected an overly friendly remark into the situation. “Name is Jason, Captain of the Argonauts. The magus who summoned me is one stunning lady.”

Nobunaga didn’t back down in the face of two servants and pulled the trigger of every matchlock on Gilgamesh.

Solomon grimaced and quickly chanted a magecraft spell. The hail of bullets froze in the air before a spark burned them to ashes. It wasn’t his nature to earn others’ hostility, but he couldn’t let a fight break out that could potentially ‘hurt’ his Master.

Gilgamesh wasn’t paying attention to the ruckus caused by Nobunaga. His eyes were locked on the last servant who was kneeling on the ground. Another woman with features similar to Artoria. Instead of blonde hair, she had eye-catching white hair with a single black bang. Mordred only spared the woman one glance before looking away. The woman didn’t have the aura of a monarch like her ‘father.’

“Rider,” Angra Mainyu called the white-haired woman. “What is this ritual?”

“Nothing, Master.” Rider opened her eyes with a grin. “I was feeling nostalgic from this scent. The scent of my land.” She looked at Nobunaga. “Old friend, we met again.”

Nobunaga’s eyes widened at the familiar voice. “Kenshin… what the fuck! We’re summoned by the same master!”

Nobunaga never thought she would reunite with her old rival Uesugi Kenshin in this way. The self-proclaimed avatar of Bishamonten became her sparring partner for a brief time. It was a hard-fought battle with Kenshin’s ‘Armor is on the Chest’ skill rendering her matchlock bullets useless. She always got overwhelmed by Kenshin’s unusual way of using spear and katana at the same time.

“Call me Kagetora… would you? Why must Kenshin be more popular than my real name?” Kagetora said with a wry smile before regaining her bright self. “It’s the will of Bishamonten to reunite us here. Let’s celebrate it with a drink, yeah?”

“Some sake right now would make my day.”

The servants stared at the pair jovially talking while forgetting the rest of them.

Angra Mainyu appraised each servants’ parameters, only to be disappointed at Jason’s low parameters.

‘Why did I even summon him? He is so weak…’

The answer to her question came soon as Jason curiously made his way towards Heracles.

“Oi, who is this brute…?” Jason shivered even though the colossal man was imprisoned by a Noble Phantasm. “No way, Heracles?! Friend, how did you end up like this? Master, free my friend right this instant.”

Angra Mainyu sighed. She ended up summoning Heracles’ friend from the past. Instead of lamenting over it, she gathered all of them and told them their purpose.

Kagetora and Nobunaga whispered to each other.

“Silence, you fools,” Mordred stepped forward, crushing the ground underneath her. “Did you say they summoned my father?” Her voice was full of passionate feelings.

“King Arthur is summoned in this era by that man named Haruki Hayashi.”

“Awesome! Finally!” Mordred stabbed her sword with a bright smile. “It’s time to settle my score with my father.”

She could prove her capability to King Arthur once and for all. Nothing else mattered in Mordred’s eyes.

“I’ll train outside.”

While Mordred cheerfully left the cave to train and get used to the new vessel, Oda Nobunaga stabbed her katana in the ground.

“So we are here to kidnap a girl for you?” Nobunaga spat with a disgusted face. “I’ll leave that part to the rest.”

She wasn’t here for the Grail, just to have fun with a couple of battles and admire the scenery.

Kagetora shook her head. “I won’t do it either.”

She could fight as the revered God of War but not hurt the powerless people of her land. She had lived her life protecting them and she will continue that lifestyle even now.

“It’s beneath a king to implicate a commoner,” Solomon declared in a righteous tone.

‘I’m not fighting the hero who gathered six Servants under his banner.’

His thoughts were very unbefitting of his reputation.

Angra Mainyu, of course, predicted such a scenario. The rune-like Command Spells on her body glowed.

“Nagao Kagetora, you must obey my orders for you are my Servant.”

“Hahaha. You think you can bend the Avatar of Bishamonten to your will?”

Angra Mainyu twisted a massive grin as she poured more magical energy, making her Command Spells glow even brighter.

“I only want you to kill the Servants under Haruki Hayashi. The rest will be taken care of by Hassan.”

She wasn’t the actual Master of these Servants. Bazett was contracted with them, who was submerged in Greater Grail’s manifestation. Being a part of the Grail herself, Angra Mainyu could still use the Command Spells on them.

“I fight to die. This is nothing to me…” Kagetora gritted her teeth as the Command Spell forced obedience upon her soul. Refusal would lead to her demise. The crisis made her laugh even more. These were the times she truly felt alive.

‘Wow. She is crazier than before,’ Nobunaga thought and punched Kagetora in her face. The unexpected punch blew her several meters.

Nobunaga pulled Kagetora with her breastplate. “Stupid, musclehead. Agree for now. We’ll find a way to escape later.”

She couldn’t lose her drinking partner like this. It was hard to find people with good taste for sake like Kagetora.

Angra Mainyu exerted more and more power through her Command Spells, which made her entire body sting. Angra Mainyu, All World’s Evil, felt the pain for the first time in her new body.

‘Everyone will feel it once I fully connect to the Origin of the World.’

“Alright, I’ll work with you,” Kagetora agreed without bothering to conceal the hostility on her face. Honestly, she would rather die than work with a Master like Angra Mainyu, whose intentions screamed evil from the get-go.

Nobunaga took Kagetora and dashed out of the cave.

Solomon looked at Angra Mainyu and sighed. “Will you force me as well?”

Angra Mainyu nodded her head innocently. Solomon, despite having the ability to disarm every magecraft spell, raised his hand as if he was surrendering himself.

“I’ll follow your commands, Master.”

Solomon was, in the end, a chicken at his heart.

***

The guest room of the Tohsaka Mansion.

Haruki was sleeping on a bed, enveloped in a pale glow. Artoria sat nearby on a chair, watching the strange process Haruki was undergoing for nearly ten minutes now. He described it as ‘Awakening.’

‘His magical energy has grown.’

She touched his hand to find it hard as a rock. His skin suddenly distorted, growing white scale-like protrusions.

‘White dragon. Is he the reincarnation of Albion?’

She couldn’t fathom how an offspring of a dragon survived in the current. It just made no sense to her.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. “Hayashi-kun, open the door.”

“Master is sleeping—” Artoria paused and frowned. “Rin, did you feel that?”

“I did. All the mana in the air suddenly watered down. Someone messed with the ley lines.”

“We should wake him up,” Rin said, her voice carrying a sense of urgency. “It’s more important than his sleep.”

Artoria observed Haruki again.

‘He can’t be disturbed now. Rin shouldn’t know about him.’

The situation forced Artoria to go out of the room alone and quickly shut the door behind her.

“He didn’t wake up?” Rin asked. “I can try if you don’t mind.”

Artoria made a serious expression. “He was tired after having sex. He will be out for another three or four hours.”

Rin’s eyes widened. “He had sex with you?”

Artoria furiously shook her head. “The purple-haired girl came…”

“Sakura was here? Why didn’t she meet me?”

“She was in a hurry.”

Artoria made up one lie after another to keep Haruki’s secret. She had bonded with Rin over their meal, which only made those lies even more terrible.

“They must be overzealous after getting rid of the plague called Zouken…” Rin whispered with a nod, imagining a passionate exchange between Haruki and her sister to sate the thirst of a decade.

‘What am I thinking!’

She shook off her perverted thoughts and rubbed her cheeks. “I’ll look into it with Archer. You stay here with Hayashi-kun.”

“I will.”