Fate: A Dragon's Journey

Chapter 68: Artoria in a dilemma

Kagetora and Nobunaga whispered a lot of things 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."