Chapter 641: Crossover: Sweet Dreams and the Holy Grail (9)

""Goodbye, Master who cannot summon a Servant.""

"Just as the tip of Cú Chulainn's spear was about to pierce toward Stelle—"

"A formless blade wreathed in gale-force winds slashed straight down from behind Lancer!"

"The strike, carrying the Protection of the Wind King, instantly sent the blue Lancer flying to the side. Lancer quickly adjusted his posture in mid-air and landed steadily, the tip of his spear carving a crack several meters long into the ground."

"The blonde girl in the swirling dust turned gracefully, her skirt dyed with a golden halo in the dreamscape."

""I ask of you—" The King of Knights looked down condescendingly at Stelle, who had fallen to the ground; her emerald eyes seemed to reflect the mountains and lakes of Britain."

""Are you my Master?""

——

Today's Menu for the Emiya Family.

""That is, that is… Saber??! *Cough, cough, cough*…!""

Although he had mentally prepared himself with the help of Illya and the others, Emiya Shirou still couldn't help but burst into a fit of coughing when he saw that familiar face of Saber.

""This scene, I, I… *cough, cough, cough*…!!""

Thinking back to the scene of his first meeting with Saber, Shirou's coughing grew even more severe.

""Alright, Shirou, calm down." Tohsaka Rin hurriedly poured a glass of water and handed it to him, patting his back firmly. "Although Archer hasn't appeared, I suspect he has likely already become someone else's Servant.""

""B-but…" Shirou took the water glass, his hands trembling slightly. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the sky screen, especially when he saw Saber summoned by someone else as a Servant, and in a situation so familiar to him. An indescribable, complex emotion welled up in his heart."

""The situation is indeed very strange." Matou Sakura, sitting in the corner, frowned slightly. "Lancer has watched the sky screen with us; he should be very clear about Miss Stelle's character and deeds, yet he attacked her without hesitation just now. This doesn't make sense, does it?""

""I fear that when they were summoned, the Holy Grail sealed a portion of their memories." Rider, who had appeared in spirit form, spoke softly. "After they were forcibly summoned by the Holy Grail of Penacony, their memories from our side—including those related to the sky screen—were sealed off.""

"She paused, then continued: "If Saber still retained all her memories from here, her meeting with Miss Stelle would never be so distant. Given her personality and her… toward Shirou…" Rider paused subtly, "…and the importance she places on this place, she would at least show considerable confusion. But now, she is completely in the standard posture of a Servant facing an unfamiliar Master.""

"Tohsaka Rin crossed her arms and nodded: "Rider makes sense. But Stelle doesn't have the magical energy to sustain a Servant. Setting aside magical energy, how are they anchoring the Servant's existence in reality?""

——

Fate/Zero

Inside the Einzbern Castle, even though the fire in the fireplace was still burning brightly, the temperature seemed to drop to freezing in an instant.

When Saber saw that figure in the sky screen, identical to herself, holding an invisible holy sword and standing in that Holy Grail War in Penacony, she felt as if her mind had been struck by an invisible heavy hammer, instantly going blank.

""This… I… Impossible…""

She muttered to herself, blankly raising her own hands. As a Heroic Spirit, being summoned to participate in a Holy Grail War was her mission, but she could not understand at all why "she" would appear in two completely different Holy Grail Wars at the same time!"

Emiya Kiritsugu's eternally cold expression also showed a rare crack; the cigarette between his fingers was almost crushed by the force of his unconscious grip."

His Servant, the key piece he had summoned to achieve his goal, was actually in another world, becoming someone else's Servant? This was unheard of in any previous Holy Grail War."

His gaze quickly swept over the back of his hand—those three bright red Command Spells were still clearly branded there, without the slightest sign of fading or disappearing. This proved that the contract between him and Saber remained firm; he was still her only, orthodox Master."

""Master…" Saber quickly walked up to Kiritsugu, trying to seek an answer from him. "What exactly is going on? Why would I… exist in two places at once? And what is that 'me'?""

"Kiritsugu was silent, taking a deep drag of his cigarette, before slowly opening his mouth to ask: "Saber, what is your current state?""

""State?" The girl was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized what her Master meant. "I am in good condition; there is no discomfort at all.""

""Hmm.""

It seemed that the Saber in the sky screen would not affect the "existence" of the Saber before him. In other words, the one in Penacony was likely a completely independent "individual"."

Could it be some kind of copy or mirror image?"

Kiritsugu's brain raced, weighing the pros and cons. Although it seemed it wouldn't cause harm to Saber, a moment's thought revealed the massive implications. Saber's true name had always been protected by him and had never been leaked. If that Saber in the sky screen revealed her true name… or even her Noble Phantasm, wouldn't he fall into a massive disadvantage?"

"He exhaled a long cloud of smoke: "I've truly been checkmated by an unexpected turn of events…""

——

"""It's you? Hmph, what a terrible reunion."""

"""I think so too, Lancer. With me here, I will never sit idly by while you harm my Master."""

"""Be grateful, little girl. You hit the jackpot." Lancer put away his long spear and turned to leave.""

"""It should be safe now, Master. Are you hurt?" The blonde girl put away her invisible longsword and looked back to ask.""

"""Are you my Servant?"""

"""Although the power sustaining my existence does not seem to flow from your body, but… I can indeed feel a connection between us." Saber placed a hand on her chest and nodded. "Yes, you are my Master, and I am your Servant."""

"""You seem… not to belong to this world."""

"""I have noticed that as well." Saber looked around the Sand-Gold main venue, watching the cameras and reporters aimed at them. "At the moment of my summoning, the Holy Grail gave me the knowledge necessary to participate in this Holy Grail War. But this knowledge is full of concepts that are difficult to understand. This place seems… completely different from the world I am familiar with."""

"""Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. You may call me by my class as a Servant, 【Saber】, or you may call me by my name, Artoria Pendragon. I was once the King of Knights of Camelot. I suspect you know nothing about this place either.""" ===== CHAPTER 642 =====