fate/first order derivative

Part II.13

> continue: iteration 28, day 7, night

"Finally!" Rin erupts. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Watching out for Saber. As per your orders, Master." Archer flicks his thumb at the other Servant. "By the way -- Saber's here."

Rin's verbal response can't really be characterized as words. She gets the overall message across, though, by flipping him off at the end. You know, I'm kinda getting the sense there's been a breakdown in their working relationship...

"But enough of that." Archer stands up straight and points his knife at Gilgamesh. "Last time I checked, it's seven Servants per Grail War, not seven and a hanger-on."

"Oh?" Gilgamesh narrows his eyes. "Do I offend your pride, mongrel?"

"Seems to me there's only room for one Archer in this town." The man in the red coat cracks his neck. "Settling that seems interesting enough. Trust me. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"... bullshit," I croak from the floor.

> talking right now's not the best idea here dude

Eh, blame the blood loss. Besides, snarking with my dying breath... feels kinda right, y'know? Feels like me. Heh... cross that one off the bucket list, I guess...

> ...
> i have never been prouder of you than i am at this moment

"Ex-fucking-cuse you?!" Archer raises an eyebrow.

"You... couldn't resist the whole Batman warehouse entrance... could you?" I cough. Feelin' pretty lightheaded now. "I fuckin' saw that cape action, dude..."

Archer sighs and glances at Gilgamesh. "One second." He jumps down off the table, puts his hand on my... well... stump, and -- OW FUCK AAAAGHHHGHGH HURTS FUCKING HURTS SHIT FUCK GUHUHUHUHUH --

> oooh

"Saber -- catch." Archer picks me up off the floor and lobs me through the air like a sack of potatoes. Saber somehow manages to snag me out of the air with both arms, in spite of her own injuries. I can feel my back pressing down on the pike that's sticking out of her gut.

Archer takes out his knife again and turns back to Gilgamesh. "Anyway -- where were we?"

"I believe you were about to challenge me." Gilgamesh sneers down at him. Wait -- now he's standing on top of the table. Oh, God. It actually bothered him that Archer was higher up than him, doesn't it? How petty can this guy get? "Do you honestly think you have what it takes, cur?"

"Let's find out," Archer says. "I am the bone of my sword."

The wind inside the room picks up. Azure energy swirls around him.

Wait. Did he just say the bone of his sword? That makes no sense.

> it's poetry
> it doesn't have to make sense as long as it sounds cool

Yeah, well, still... why not blade of my sword? Swords don't have bones. That's just confusing, you know?

> bluh
> you are such an engineer

He's saying some other stuff now too... some bit about death and life. Energy keeps building. Lightning flashes around him. "Have withstood pain to create many weapons." Okay, one, emo much? Two, that's just repetitive. He already said that he's made tons of swords. We get it, dude. You're hardcore into blacksmithing. You're smithcore.