Elimination Battle
As I sit in the school's library, surrounded by books, feeling a hand suddenly resting on my right shoulder startles me. "Shouldn't we have done this yesterday?" Saber asks me. Sure, she is right. But it matters not much, as we still have about half an hour to go.
"Don't you mean me?"
She groans in frustration, then sits down beside me on the floor. "So, what do you have? What's the plan?"
I close the books I have left open, in consideration to read a paragraph or two again. "We're assuming it's Robin Hood. And reading about his tales makes me almost sure it's really him. He would rely on poison."
Saber interrupts me. "No shit."
A soft glare makes her apologise and let me continue. "Don't let yourself get hit by his poison arrows… I know this is really obvious. Sorry. All I know is, his defence would be bad, especially with close combat. Get close and strike."
Saber lets herself fall down on her back. "You really got up earlier for this ? It's not any different from my usual approach."
She is right. I was not of any help this round. "I know. But… Please, be careful."
I expect her usual cocky attitude or to feel offended by me feeling the need to specifically ask this of her, but instead her blueish green eyes just meet mine. "I will. I promise."
As soon as I have the Trigger Codes open the door and we step into the elevator, we meet our opponents again. Dan Blackmore, standing patiently with his eyes closed, while Archer leans his back against the wall. "Good to see you so well, Ritsuka," Dan greets me, nodding at Saber.
Seconds, tense seconds that feel like minutes, maybe an hour pass before Archer, of all people, breaks the silence. "Boring, isn't he? My Master, I mean. No smalltalk. Nothing. Just try," he says to me.
He doesn't sound so happy, though I cannot quite make out why. Dan does not even glare at his Servant, he acts as if he did not notice his Servant's rudeness.
Saber looks at me expectantly. Really? You take him seriously? But this silence crushes even my spirit a bit, so I need to try starting a conversation. I try to think of a normal topic, one people who meet under normal circumstances may talk about. One that would not make this ride more awkward, but more the opposite.
"Do you have any hobbies, Dan?"
That didn't come off well, did it. He arches his eyebrow, before answering. "I do gardening. Though it is not a hobby of mine, but it was my wife's. I tend to her flowers since she died." …Damn. The silent ride just got so much more awkward and even a bit depressing.
"Sorry for… Uhm, my condolences," I say. I really do not know how to handle such a situation. Not at all.
"See? Anything you ask, it'll turn boring or depressing with him." A small glance at Saber shows that even she notices Archer is being really tactless here.
I am sure our expressions show, as Dan continues. "No need to be sorry. I am not sad over her death—I will join her, sooner or later. I am more happy for the years she spent by my side."
As if on cue, the elevator stops and opens. "Well, it's time," says Archer, as he grumpily steps into the Arena. Did he just want Dan to show some emotions for once? I still cannot make sense of this Servant.
"About time," adds Saber and I follow her into the Arena.
"Are you ready?" Dan asks me. This does not feel like a battle to death. This feels like a chivalrous duel, that we both agreed on and where we are keen on not hurting each other badly. Sadly, it is not. I nod in reply, to which Archer starts shooting arrows rapidly.
Saber materialises Clarent in a matter of milliseconds—if at all—and deflects most arrows coming her way, evading multiple ones she could not hit in time with Clarent. She really seems to be taking most care not to get herself hurt, just as she promised, but I still worry. What if an arrow happens to hit me?
"He will not hurt you," says Dan, as if noticing my worries, "This is a battle between our Servants." Saber takes this as a sign to charge forwards. She's been staying closer to protect me! Saber may not show it but it becomes more and more obvious that she cares about me after all.
Archer's lips form a grin. "Gotcha," he says, as he loads another arrow, glowing sickly purple, aims and shoots.
"That one got poison!" I warn Saber, even though I am almost sure she knows it herself. The arrow is aimed at her face, and I could not see it flying away or her dodging it.
But suddenly, Archer's eyes widened in shock. "You gotta be kidding me." There is a snap and two halves of said arrow fall down before my still-standing Servant.
"Archer, your Noble Phantasm," Dan orders, or rather, reminds his Servant.
Archer, however, takes a step back, while Saber charges at him, faster than before.
"Useless. If I don't poison her before, Yew Bow does close to nothing!" Before he can load another arrow, Saber strikes his crossbow, effectively destroying it before the next hit stabs his ribs. "Damnit," he mouths, as Saber pulls Clarent back out.
Dan gives me a warm smile. Well done, he means. Before we can do much more, a barrier is separating us.
"Sorry, Master. I failed you," Archer croaks, coughing up blood. Saber must have hit his lungs. He is going down to his knees, unable to support himself longer.
Dan puts his hand on his Servant's shoulder and shakes his head. "No, I also held you back. It is not your fault."
Archer sinks further down, lying on the ground, his blood loss paling him more every second. "I enjoyed it. Since I was a boy, I've always dreamt to be a cool knight. This was as close as I'd get," he smiles, before his eyes close. I can feel warm tears running down my cheeks.
Archer was not a bad person. His life just did not allow for him to follow a path he would have wanted to follow. I wish I could tell him that, but history is done. There is no way anymore to change his life.
Dan looks at us, the SERAPH's deletion program slowly starting to consume Archer and him, though Archer seems to be lifeless already. "You remind me of a knight, young woman," he says to Saber.
"Don't call me a woman," the hand in which she holds Clarent twitches, but I hold it to calm her.
"Though it seems like… you're lacking something."
Those are the last words of Dan Blackmore, as he disappears right after he finishes this sentence. Saber is trembling, I cannot make out whether it is out of rage or sadness and I can see tears dwelling up in her eyes. I wrap my arms around her, Clarent is dropped but dematerialises before it could hit the ground.
"I lack nothing," Saber mutters.