Chapter 33: Day 8 ④

I lay spread-eagled in the middle of the Dojo (training hall), regulating my breathing.

When I flopped down on my back, a clash of metal scraping echoed in the room. It seemed both of us were wearing our battle attire, having been engrossed in our practice.

As I exhaled roughly, my breath turned faintly white, even though we were indoors. It might be quite cold today. I used to go to the Kyudo Dojo, and Dojos have extreme temperature swings. They are unbearably hot in the summer, yet in the winter, they are as cold as being outside. However, my body was currently flushed, making it difficult to register the cold.

Ah, the floor is cold and comfortable. The heat is escaping from my body into the ground.

I wonder why I can feel the coldness of the floor, yet I can't perceive the air temperature.

"That was completely useless."

—Attempt to escape reality failed.

I saw Lia, who was standing, looking at me in the upper part of my vision. Due to her position, I could see under her skirt. Since I was wearing the same attire, I understood the clothing structure. I also knew that she was wearing shorts under her skirt, so it wasn't a big deal. Therefore, there was nothing to be embarrassed about—or so my head understood, yet I still felt a strange self-consciousness. Perhaps the act of peeking itself carried some immoral implication.

Lining up logic wouldn't change the outcome. Yes, I became somewhat embarrassed and averted my eyes.

Lia had been watching me, but she let out a sigh and sat down properly (seiza).

Lia truly showed no restraint. I was utterly and completely defeated. Thanks to the gauntlets and armor, my hands, chest, and stomach were fine. However, my arms, shoulders, and head, covered only by fabric, were defenseless and took the full, un-cushioned impact.

The memory brought a throbbing pain, centered in my upper body. From an outsider's perspective, seeing Saber utterly beaten in swordsmanship would be comical. I almost wish I could see it.

I noticed Lia was intently gazing at me. Our eyes met. She looked straight at me and smiled.

"If this is how it is with Alto, then Shirou will be even worse."

"Mu." (む) 

"At this rate, the Holy Grail War will end before you can master it."

"Mumumu." (むむむ) 

"What do you mean, 'Mumumu'!"

She delivered the rebuke sharply. And everything she said was true.

Just as Lia said, I was absolutely, utterly, hopelessly useless. If I took a blow with my left, the shinai (bamboo sword) was knocked away; if I tried to counter with my right, it was easily evaded. My upper and lower body coordination failed, causing me to stumble, and in that opening, I took a strike.

I was struck dozens of times. The number of times my shinai was knocked out of my hand was more than I could count on one hand.

Well, I still have a feeling that if I keep training, it will eventually take a respectable form. It's not a physical thing, but it just feels right somehow.

However, there is nowhere near enough time to train this to a combat-ready level. I think I would see better growth in simple combat technique if I were learning from Lia.

The presence of a master really makes a huge difference. Without a model nearby, I'm forced to try to instill the movements into my body entirely on my own. Since I originally had no proper sword experience, I can barely make my body remember them.

Well, the result might be different if I had a master of dual short swords, but there's no point in wishing for what I don't have. Given my current state, I may have to reconsider teaching Shirou as well.

"Honestly. Come on, Alto. Don't lie there all day. Shirou and Rin should be finished soon. Next up is actual combat."

Lia was surely referring to infiltrating Ryuudou Temple. When I looked up, Lia had somehow changed from her armor to her usual clothes.

"You're right."

I slowly, lethargically, sat up with just my upper body. I lightly brushed my messy bangs back with my hand and stood up.

Disarming. In an instant, my armor dissipated into particles, revealing the everyday clothes I had worn before practice.

Simply changing back to my casual clothes calmed my mind. I believe that equipping my battle gear carries the meaning of mentally switching myself into a combat state.

"Well then, shall we head to the living room?"

"Yes."

I leaned the shinai I was holding against the wall and left the Dojo.

I closed the door and, together with Lia who was waiting outside, headed for the living room where Shirou and Rin were likely already waiting.

"Alright? Then let's confirm what we're going to do next."

"Yeah. Go ahead."

Shirou replied, and Lia and I responded with a nod. Shinji also seemed to be listening for now.

After dinner, we were making the final confirmation of the plan in the living room. Since Fujinee wasn't here today, we finished the meal quietly, sipped tea, and then immediately began the discussion.

"Twelve o'clock... two hours from now. We'll head to Ryuudou Temple immediately after the date changes. It might be a bit early, but there aren't many fools wandering around late these days with all the incidents going on. Everyone here will go. Normally, Matou-kun should stay behind, but since our enemy is Caster, we can't guarantee his safety if he remains here."

Yes, that's certainly true. She can fire a Prana bullet like that with just a single incantation. She might possess a means to kill Shinji even from a long distance.

Especially since Shinji is not a Magus or anything, he wouldn't even be able to resist. In that case, having him with us would make it easier to protect him.

Rin looked around at us, and seeing no objections, she continued.

"Then there's Assassin at the gate... I was thinking either Lia or Alto could draw him out."

"In that case, I shall take on Assassin."

It was Lia who raised her hand. After hearing my account from last night, she probably wants to cross blades with Assassin.

Against an opponent claiming to be Sasaki Kojirou, Lia, who has superior swordsmanship than me, should be a better match. I understand that. But...

"No, ...I'll take Assassin."

"Alto? Do you have some kind of plan?"

"Yes, well."

...Saber had previously described Assassin as a great knight—or strictly speaking, a great swordsman—who had continually polished his technique and achieved the Multiple Dimensional Refraction Phenomenon.

I still don't quite understand what the Multiple Dimensional Refraction Phenomenon is, but since even Saber praised him without reservation, it must be something incredible. Thinking that way, my chances of defeating Assassin are significantly lower compared to Lia's.

However, while I don't know if Saber was losing in swordsmanship, she seemed to be preparing to use Invisible Air, so it would likely come down to using a Noble Phantasm in the end.

If that's the case, it should be better for me, who is being supplied with sufficient Prana, to take him on. Regarding Caster, I managed to defend against the Prana bullet yesterday, but there's no guarantee I'll be able to maneuver successfully this time either.

"...I understand, then I'll leave it to Alto. Hurry up and defeat him, then join us."

Rin said that, flashing me a confident smirk. She was probably trying to fire me up.

"Yes, I understand."

In that case, I will simply strive to meet her expectations.

"—Now, for what happens after that, Lia will lead the charge into the grounds. Of course, Lia will take on Caster. As for Kuzuki-sensei... I hate to say it, but we'll have to put him to sleep with a Gandr."

Rin stared at her right index finger and let out a chuckle.

—Yeah. She's terrifying.

"Um, what should I do?"

It was Shirou who spoke up anxiously. Indeed, he was one of the people involved, yet he had no role.

"What should you do, huh..."

Rin paused and pondered. She didn't say "Nothing." She likely knew that saying that would lead to a strong objection from Shirou.

Even though our acquaintance is brief, she seems to have a general understanding of Shirou's nature. It's obvious when watching from the outside. It's a complex feeling since it's about myself.

"Right, okay. Please guard Matou-kun. Since he's the target, they might try to attack him."

"Got it, leave it to me. I'll protect Shinji."

Rin stressed, "He's the objective this time, remember," and Shirou nodded firmly.

Honestly, Shirou is being played so easily. Rin's line just now sounded exactly like she was saying, 'I just thought of that.'

Well, for me, this is safer than having him move recklessly. If Shirou rushes out, I might not be able to save him as successfully as last time.

"Okay, —one more hour. If there are no changes, we'll proceed with this plan, alright?"

"Yeah, I don't mind."

"I don't mind either."

With that, everyone headed to their rooms to change clothes.

Since it was cold, it was suggested we wear something over our clothes, so I borrowed a beige cardigan from Rin. Lia seemed fine, but Rin told her not to let her body get cold, so she put on a white cardigan of the same style.

I've thought this before, but why does Rin own so many similar clothes? She doesn't seem to wear them normally, and I can't really imagine Rin wearing calm colors like white or beige.

Well, that's just a prejudice, so maybe they actually suit her.

When I returned to the living room, Shinji and Shirou had already changed and were waiting.

Shirou was wearing navy blue jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt with blue sleeves, and a leather jacket over it.

Next to him, Shinji was wearing brown corduroy pants, a sweater over his school-mandated white shirt, and a black jacket.

Incidentally, most of the clothes Shinji was wearing belonged to Shirou. Since Shinji came directly from school, he only had his school uniform. Naturally, being a target, he couldn't very well go back to his own home just to get clothes.

I'm not particularly concerned with fashion, so the clothes I owned weren't exactly stylish. Yet, it's strange how they look quite good on Shinji.

While thinking such things, it was already 11:45 PM. It was almost time to leave.

No one spoke, and we headed straight for the entrance. We changed our shoes, and once everyone was ready, we passed through the gate and started walking towards Ryuudou Temple.

Birds stirred and took flight at the sight of the late-night visitors. The footsteps of the five people echoed, but they were absorbed by the trees surrounding the temple.

"..."

Rin surveyed everyone. Shirou responded with a nod, and Shinji stood beside him, hands in his pockets, gazing up at the top of the stairs.

Lia and I also completed our battle preparation and looked at our respective Masters.

We ascended the long, long stairs. Paying attention to traps, the climb that had lasted several minutes finally neared its end. The trees that had dominated our view gave way, and the night sky opened up before us.

We still couldn't detect the presence of a Servant. Had he perhaps not been summoned for some reason, or had he been defeated by another Servant? The lack of any aura or killing intent in the surroundings was enough to make us wonder.

Only a dozen or so steps remained to the top. Just as we stretched our legs, feeling an eeriness that no traps had been set, the man appeared.

A tall Samurai standing with the moon at his back, appearing with a natural grace, like the flow of wind—.

He stood there as if his presence was the most natural thing, making us feel an illusion that he had appeared suddenly, despite the fact we should have been able to see him all along.

"Hoh, I commend your arrival. —Though I suppose you are not mere pilgrims, are you?"

The man smirked, his lips curled upwards, his nodachi (long sword) of over five shaku (approx. 5 feet) resting on his shoulder.

—I shuddered. His very existence was bizarre.

The intensity of a Servant's presence generally correlates directly with their strength. Whether one can win is another matter, but it's a reliable gauge for measuring overall strength. It was one of the few lessons I had learned firsthand from the previous Servants.

That rule was about to be overturned. His presence was faint, and while the length of his weapon was something to be wary of, it wasn't a Noble Phantasm. Therefore, he should be an opponent we could swiftly dispose of. My intuition certainly told me so.

And yet—my instinct kept sounding an alarm, telling me not to underestimate this opponent.

Even so—

"You are not an opponent who would retreat if told to, are you?—"

I took a step forward. Assassin lowered his nodachi and squinted at me.

I had boasted to Rin that I would rejoin them immediately. I have no time to be intimidated here.

"Of course. My role is that of the gatekeeper. I will not allow you to pass alive, nor will I allow you to return alive."

He smoothly pointed his nodachi at me. The blade aimed at my forehead was long, sharp, and beautiful.

"However—"

He stopped speaking there, lowered the blade pointed at me, and smiled pleasantly while looking at the moon.

I could sense Rin and Lia holding their breath. Even surrounded by enemies, this man remained completely at ease.

"Even for me, I cannot handle two Servants at once."

Saying that, Assassin turned back to face me. —Assassin is my responsibility.

Perhaps sensing my determination, Assassin also fixed me as his opponent.

I nodded toward Rin behind me and manifested the Invisible Excalibur in my hand.

"Then, allow me to be your opponent."

"Heh, I couldn't ask for more."

Shirou and the others rushed past me and Assassin, who were glaring at each other. Unlike Rin, who climbed without looking back, Lia sent me a worried look but then disappeared past the gate.

After seeing Shirou and the others off, Assassin and I faced each other once more.