My Little Pony: Friendship is Unlimited

by Kujo Blaze

Stop Saber!

“Eh?” It all happens in an instant. There’s a stallion in red in front of Saber. The stallion in red is in an unfavorable position after being attacked by Saber, and he’s about to receive a fatal blow. Behind them… The pony watching Saber from behind that stallion is somepony I know.

“No…” I reach out with my left hoof and call out. I don’t know who that stallion in red is. But I’m sure Saber will attack the pony behind the stallion after she defeats him. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let Saber attack her! “Stop, Saber!” I feel a sharp pain. One of the marks on my hoof disappears. In its place… Saber halts her blow, which should not have been possible to stop.

“……” The silver armor hesitates for an instant. Using that opening, the stallion in red quickly gets away.

“That stallion… he’s…” I’m sure of it. That’s the stallion that was fighting Lancer.

“……” Then the mare behind him is… Um, I don’t want to believe so, but is it really…?

“Are you insane, Storm? We should have been able to defeat Archer and his Master here. So why did you go so far as to use your Command Spell to stop me!?”

“……” What could I have done? I don’t understand the situation at all. I stopped Saber only because I didn’t want to see her slash at the mare who saved me. “Master, please retract your order. If you act like this, I cannot defeat enemies that could otherwise be beaten.” Saber readies the object in her wings again. In front of her is the red stallion she could not slay.

“No, don’t do it. To be honest, I have no idea what’s going on. But the one you’re about to attack is somepony I know. I can’t let you attack somepony I know.”

“What are you saying? She is Archer’s Master. She is our enemy, so we must defeat her here.”

“……” Enemy? She and the stallion in red are enemies? “…I don’t care about that. First of all, I don’t even understand this Master thing you’re talking about. If you’re going to call me Master, you should at least explain to me what this is all about.”

“That is true, but…” Saber hesitates. Then…

“…Hm. So that’s how it is, amateur Master?” She calls out to me with a polite yet harsh voice. When I turn around, I see the stallion in red and the mare in her school uniform.

“……” I gasp. …So I wasn’t seeing things. The pony with the stallion in red is definitely “that” Rarity Jewel. “Rarity… Jewel” How should I put this? Even I can tell that the stallion behind Rarity isn’t human. That thing is not of this world, just like Saber. Then… if Rarity is with him, she’s also…

“Huh? Oh, you know me? Then this should be easy. First of all, good evening, Storm.” I don’t know what her intentions are. But Rarity greets me with a big smile.

“Uh… huh?” I’m troubled. When she greets me normally like that, I forget about all these strange events and just greet her too. “A-Are you serious!? This isn’t the time for greetings! You’re…!”

“Yes, I’m a Master as well. In other words, I’m a mage like you. We’re similar, so we don’t have to hide it, right?”

“Mage? You’re a mage, Rarity!?” My eyes widen, and I point at Rarity. “Oh…” …Crap. I don’t know why, but she’s… She’s looking at me with real irritation… “Uh, no, that’s not what I meant to say.”

“I see. I get it now. So that’s how it is, huh?” Taking a look at us, she turns to the stallion behind her. “Archer. Can you turn into spirit form for a while? I’m pissed right now.”

“I don’t mind, but what do you mean by pissed?”

“It means what it means. I can’t calm down unless I make him realize what kind of a situation he’s in. You won’t have anything to do until then, so go away. Saber won’t be able to lower her sword as long as you’re here.”

“Sheesh, how difficult. Well, I shall obey if it’s an order. If I may warn you, however, what you are about to do is needless.” The stallion literally disappears.

“R-Rarity, that was!”

“Let’s talk inside. You don’t know anything, right, Storm? You can rest assured that I’ll tell you everything, even if you say you don’t want to know.” Saying this, she walks toward the entrance.

“Wait, what are you thinking!?” I stop her. And then… She turns, and the smile on her face isn’t like the previous one.

“Are you stupid? I’m thinking about a lot of things. That’s why I want to talk to you. Storm, it’s okay to be surprised by sudden turn of events, but it might cost you your life if you don’t just accept it. Incidentally, do you understand that now is one of those times?”

“Uh… ugh.”

“It’s fine if you understand. So, let’s go to your place. You’re fine with that too, right, Saber? I’ll explain things to your Master in return for sparing my life.”

“…Very well. I do not know what your intentions are, but I shall restrain myself as long as you are helping my Master.” Rarity goes through the gate.

“…She’s really pissed…” I don’t know why, though. I don’t know, but… “But still…” She’s totally unlike the way she is at school… So, I’m in a strange situation. In front of me is the school’s number-one idol whom I admire, Rarity Jewel. And following silently behind me is Saber, who calls herself a Servant. “……” Oh. The hallway suddenly feels like part of a different dimension. But I can’t be a coward forever. I’m a mage, even if I’m just an amateur. Rarity Jewel, a mage just like me, is acting boldly, so I have to act firmly as well. …But I can only work out a few things. First, about Saber, who’s following me. I’m sure that she’s some kind of a familiar, because she calls me Master and I’ve made a contract with her. I’ve heard that a familiar is a kind of assistant. Most mages transfer a part of their body into something and then summon it as another self. It is something that assists the mage. Consequently, it’s commonly accepted that small animals are the most suitable as to reduce the burden on the mage. …So I’ve been taught, but…

“Hm? What is it, Storm?”

“…No, it’s nothing.” …Saber looks pony no matter how you look at her. And she is clearly superior to me, her master. I don’t have the magical energy to control somepony like that, and, more than that, I don’t have the Magic Circuit to summon a familiar. “……” So Saber must rather be something else than a familiar. She said she’s a Servant. I don’t know what that is, but I think the stallion called Lancer and the stallion in red with Rarity were the same thing. Saber called Rarity a Master as well. I guess mages with a Servant are called Masters. …It seems Rarity is a mage as well, but I have no idea who she is. The Whooves family are just outsiders who came to this town in my father’s generation. That’s why I didn’t know that Rarity was a mage, and I’m sure Rarity didn’t know that I knew magic. …There are several mages in this town that I don’t know about. If Lancer is the familiar of another mage in this town, does that mean I’ve stuck my head into a conflict between mages?

“Wow, it’s pretty big. I am not used to this Ponyville style. Oh, is that the living room, Storm?” Saying so, rarity goes into the living room.

“……” I should stop thinking. Let’s just listen to Rarity’s story. I turn the lights on. It’s already past one in the morning.

“Oh, it’s so cold! Hey, the windows are all broken.”

“I couldn’t help it. I was attack by this Lancer stallion. I was desperate.”

“Oh, I see. Then were you fighting him alone until you summoned Saber?”

“I didn’t fight him. He just beat me up.”

“Oh, so you don’t try to show off, huh? …I see, I see. You’re really just as you appear, Storm.” Rarity walks over to the broken window.

“…?” Rarity takes a piece of the shattered glass, takes a look at it, and…

“…Minuten vor SchweiBen.” She cuts the tip of her hoof and puts a drop of her blood onto the glass.

“…!?” What kind of magic is this? The shattered glass recombines and restores itself in a matter of seconds. “Rarity, that was…”

“It’s just a small demonstration. It won’t be enough to repay you for saving me, but I have to do at least this much. …Well, I’m sure you would’ve fixed it even if I hadn’t, but that’d just be a waste of magical energy, right? All you’d really have to do is replace the window, but we don’t want to talk in this cold, do we?” She says this as if it’s completely natural. But needless to say, her skills are beyond my comprehension.

“No, that’s amazing, Rarity. I can’t do that sort of thing, so I’m glad you fixed it.”

“Huh? Of course you’d be able to fix it. Handling glass is elementary. Restoring glass that broke a few minutes ago is like a simple admission test for school, right?”

“So that’s how it is? I was only taught by my father, so I don’t even know the basics or the elementary stuff.”

“…Huh?” Rarity freezes. …Damn. It seems I said something I shouldn’t have. “…Wait. Then you’re saying you’re just an amateur who can’t even run his own workshop?”

“…? I don’t have a workshop.” …Well, I do have that shed as my training area, but I think Rarity would get mad if I called that my workshop.

“…I’m going to ask, even though it’s impossible. Could it be that you don’t know how to handle the five main elements nor how to make a Pass?” I honestly admit that I don’t know. “……” Wow, that’s scary. She’s so beautiful usually, so this make her look pretty frightening now. “Then what are you, just an amateur?”

“That’s not true. I can at least use strengthening magic.”

“Strengthening… that’s an awfully odd magic. So, you can’t do anything other than that?”

“…Well, to be honest, probably not.” Her glare makes me answer vaguely.

“…Geez. Why did Saber get summoned to a stallion like this?”

“Humph.” It makes me mad. I haven’t been playing around. I know I’m an amateur, but I don’t think it matters right now.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t make any difference. There’s no point in complaining about what’s already happened. More importantly, I have to pay back my debt right now.” Rarity takes a breath. “Well, I’ll begin. Storm, you don’t know what kind of situation you’re in right now, correct?”

“……” I nod.

“I thought so. Well, it was obvious, but I had to make sure, right? It’s only putting flab on my mind if I explain it to somepony who already gets it.”

“…?” I think that was a weird phrase but I‘ll stay quiet, as I think she’ll beat me up if I make fun of her now.

“To put it bluntly, you have been chosen as a Master. You have a harmony sign on one of your hoofs, right? On your hoof or on your legs. There are personal differences, but there should be three Command Spells engraved. That is the sign of a Master.”

“On my hoof… oh, this.”

“Yes. That is also a spell that controls the Servant, so take care of it. It’s called a Command Spell and you can retain control over your Servant as long as you have it.”

“…? What do you mean ‘as long as I have it’?”

“The Command Spell enforces unconditional obedience. That mark overrules your Servant’s will and makes them obey your command. There’s no spell needed to activate it, and it will be activated when you put your mind to using it. You’ll be killed if you lose all your Command Spells, so be careful.”

“What… I’ll be killed?”

“That’s right. Masters killing other Masters is fundamental to the Harmony Grail War. And the Master that kills the other six Masters is awarded the Harmony Grail.”

“What?” H-Hold on. I don’t understand what Rarity is talking about at all. Like the part about Masters killing other Masters. And the part where the winner gets a Harmony Grail… wait, does she mean THAT Harmony Grail!?

“You still don’t understand? To put it simply, you’ve been dragged into a game. A survival game between the seven Masters, a game called the Harmony Grail War. A battle royale that won’t end until you kill all other Masters.” Rarity Jewel states this as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“……” The phrase I heard swirl in my head. I have been chosen as a Master. Rarity says she is a Master. Familiars called Servants. And… A battle to the death between mages, called the Harmony Grail War. “Wait. What’s this? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I understand how you feel, but I’m just telling you the truth. …Besides, you should understand deep down. Having nearly been killed by that Servant twice, you should know you’re in a situation you can’t run away from.”

“……” That’s… Certainly, I was almost killed by that Lancer stallion, but…

“Oh, that’s wrong. In fact, you weren’t almost killed, you were actually killed. I’m surprised you’re alive again.”

“……” Not almost killed, but actually killed. …That’s right. I was killed by that stallion. I should be more surprised about the fact I’m alive than about this situation I’m in. …The wound in my chest. …The escaping blood. …The escaping warmth. And… The pure voice I heard amidst all of that…

“Do you get it now? That is your situation. You can’t run away just because you don’t know anything. But you’re prepared, since you’re a mage, right? We are beings who kill and are killed.” Rarity is in a good mood, maybe because she enjoys watching me be troubled.

“……” …Yeah. I’m already prepared. But… “…You know I was killed by Lancer, Rarity?” I wonder how she knows that fact.

“…Damn. I got caught up in the moment.” She’s acting suspiciously. “That was just a guess. Forget about it, it’s trivial.”

“…It’s not trivial. Somepony certainly…”

“Forget about it! Your main concern should be grasping the situation you’re in. You’re one of the seven Masters of the Harmony Grail War.” Rarity turns her back to me and paces as if she’s a teacher or something. “Look. Every few decades, seven Masters are chosen in this town and are given a Servant. A Master uses his or her Servant to kill other Masters. This is the ritual called the Harmony Grail War. I’ve also been chosen as a Master. That’s why I made a contract with a Servant, and you made a contract with Saber. It doesn’t seem like you summoned Saber yourself, but Servants are given to Masters by the Harmony Grail. So it is possible for an ignorant mage like you to be chosen as a Master.”

“……” Rarity’s explanation is too brief for me to understand. But there is one thing I do wonder about. “…Hold on. You say Saber is a familiar, but I not convinced. Familiars are things like cats and birds, right? Well, I do hear that some use human ghosts, but Saber has a body. Besides, she doesn’t look like a familiar.” I glance at Saber. Saber is quietly listening to our conversation. …She looks just like a pony. I don’t know her identity, but she’s a mare about my age.

“Familiar, huh? Well, Servants are in that category, but they are on a different level. That mare over there is a Ghost Liner, considered to be the strongest of all familiars.”

“Ghost Liner? Then do you mean she really is a ghost?”

“A ghost… huh? She’s similar, but Saber would kill you if you compared her to one. Servants are heroes of the past given bodies. Beings surpassing ponies, more like spirits.”

“Huh? Heroes of the past given bodies?”

“That’s right. A legendary hero that was pulled from the past or the present or whenever and given a body; well, it’s the role of the Master to summon them, and the Harmony Grail does the rest. It’s impossible for a mage to give shape to a soul, so we’re assisted by a strong Artifact.”

“Hold on. So a ‘hero of the past’ means… what!?” I look over at Saber. Then she’s a heroine from the past too? Well, it’s true that nopony would dress like that now, but still… “That’s impossible. I’ve never heard of any such magic.”

“Of course not. This isn’t magic. Think of it as a phenomenon created by the Harmony Grail. It’s impossible to recreate a soul and give it a body without it.”

“…Recreate a soul? Then a Servant isn’t a ghost?”

“No. Haven’t you been taught that all ponies, animals or machines that leave any great achievements behind get removed from the ring of reincarnation and sublimate into beings of higher rank? Heroic spirits are like that. To put it simply, they have been worshipped and made into artificial gods. ’Ghost Magic’ such as supplicating ghosts uses heroic spirits to make miracles happen. But the Servants are familiars made from the heroic spirits themselves. So they accompany you in spirit form, but if need be, you can give them form to make them fight.”

“…Hm. So you mean you can give them form or keep them in spirit form? That stallion that was with you disappeared by turning into spirit form?”

“Yup. He’s keeping watch on the roof now. I think you could tell from that battle, but the only ones who can beat these Servants are other Servants, spirits like them. Well, we can attack them too if they take form, so we might be able to beat them. But Servants are all as strong as monsters, right? So we let monsters deal with monsters. The Master usually supports them from behind.”

“…Hm.” Rarity’s explanation irritates me for some reason. She calls them monsters. I don’t know about the other Servants, but I don’t want her to talk about Saber like that.

“Anyways, somepony who becomes a Master must kill all the other Masters using his Servant. Do you understand so far?”

“…Technically, yes. But I’m not convinced. To begin with, who started such a thing and why?”

“That’s not something I know about, nor should I answer. You should pose that kind of question to the one overseeing the Harmony Grail War. The one thing I can tell you is that all you can do now is fight, and since Servants are powerful familiars, you should use yours wisely.” Rarity says so, and now turns to Saber. “So from what I hear from Storm, you must not be in full form, Saber. You were summoned by an apprentice mage who has no idea how to be a Master.”

“…Yes, I am not in full form as you say. Since Storm does not have the magical energy to give me form, it will be difficult for me to turn into a spirit or to replenish my magical energy.”

“…I’m surprised. I’m surprised that you were in that bad of a state, but I didn’t think you’d tell me honestly. I was wondering how I ought to find out your weakness.”

“I do not wish to let others know of my weakness, but I do not think I can fool you. It would be meaningless to hide our situation from you. So it will be better for us to tell you of our situation, and to have Storm better understand the situation he is in right now.”

“Correct. And you have a good personality too. …Geez, I’m regretting it even more now. If I was your Master, I would have certainly won this war!” Rarity stomps her hoof with anger.

“Hmm. Rarity, do you mean I’m not fit to be her Master?”

“Of course not, idiot.” Wow. She just said something that any normal pony would have trouble saying. “What? Do you have any more questions?” And she doesn’t realize it. Her honor student image from school crumbles inside of me. …Good going, Applejack. Rarity certainly shows no openings, just like a devil. “Well. We’re done talking, so let’s get going.” Rarity suddenly says something strange.

“Huh? Go where?”

“We’re going to see the stallion who knows all about the game you’re involved in… the ‘Harmony Grail War’. You want to know the reasons behind the Harmony Grail War, right?”

“Of course. But where is it? It’s already late, so…”

“It’ll be fine. It’s in the neighboring town, so we should be back by dawn if we hurry. And besides, it’s Sunday tomorrow, so it should be fine to stay up late.”

“No, that’s not the problem.” It’s just that a lot of things happened today, so I want to have a rest and think about them.

“What, you’re not going? …Well, if you say so. But what about you, Saber?” Rarity asks Saber.

“Hold on, this has nothing to do with Saber. Don’t push her.”

“Oh, you’re already feeling like a Master? You don’t want me talking to Saber?”

“T-That’s not it! It’s just that if what you said is true, the Saber is a heroine from the past, right? So she wouldn’t know about this time since she was just summoned. So…”

“Storm, that is wrong. Servants can adapt to any time. So I know a lot about this age as well.”

“Really?”

“Yes. This is not the first time that I have been summoned in this age.”

“Wha..?”

“No way, what are the chances of that!?” Hey, Rarity is surprised too. …So that must mean Saber said something incredible.

“Storm, I agree with her. You lack experience as a Master. As a Servant making a contract with you, I want you to be stronger.” Saber stares at me silently. …It’s a gentle stare that’s worried not for herself, but for me.

“…All right. I’ll go. So, where is this place, Rarity? It’s a place we can come back from, right?”

“Of course. We are heading to Blue Church in the neighboring town. That’s where the false priest, the one who oversees this battle, is living.” Rarity makes an evil smile. It looks like she’s having fun dragging me around while I don’t know anything.

“……” It might be prejudice… But I’m beginning to feel like there’s a problem with her personality… We walk through the nighttime town. It’s past one in the morning and there’s no pony out at this time. The lights in the houses are out, and only the streetlamps illuminate the silent town. “Hey Rarity, are you planning to walk to the neighboring town?”

“Yeah. The buses and trains have stopped running. A walk at night is good once in a while, right?”

“I see, then if I may ask, do you know how long it takes to get there?”

“Well, it should take about an hour walking. If it gets late, we can always take a taxi.”

“I won’t waste that kind of money. And besides, what I mean is, it might be dangerous for mares to walk around at a time like this. You know it’s dangerous, right? I won’t be responsible if something happens.”

“Don’t worry, nopony’s going to mess with us. You may be forgetting, but Saber is really strong.”

“Oh.” She’s right. Whoever it is, if somepony attacks her, they will be counterattacked viciously.

“Rarity. What was Storm saying? I did not quite understand.”

“Huh? Well, he was just making a big misunderstanding or being plain stupid. He’s saying he’ll help us if some pervert appears.”

“What? Storm is my Master. I should be protecting him instead.”

“I don’t think he’s thinking about that sort of thing. He seems unconcerned about mages and Servants and all. I kind of wonder what’s going on in his head.”

“……” Rarity and Saber now know each other well enough to talk to each other. Saber has been silent ever since I stopped her from going out dressed like she was. She said she wouldn’t take off her armor, so I made her wear a raincoat, and she’s been quiet ever since. Now, she follows me and only speaks to Rarity.

“Wait, where are you going, Storm? Isn’t that the wrong way?”

“We need to get to the bridge, right? Then this will be a shortcut.” I don’t want to walk alongside them, so I quickly make my way to the small side-road. They follow me without objection. We come out into a park. We have to cross that bridge to go to the neighboring town of New Ponyville, but…

“Wow, I didn’t know about this road. I see, since you can get to the bridge from the park, all you have to do is head for the park.” Rarity looks up at the bridge, talking happily. Maybe it’s just because it’s nighttime. Rarity’s face, looking up at the bridge, seems even more beautiful than at school… I’m troubled.

“Let’s go. We didn’t come here to play around.” I hurry Rarity, who is standing still in the park, and make my way up the stairs. Once we reach the road alongside the bridge, New Ponyville will be straight ahead of us. There’s no pony on the bridge. That’s only natural as not many people use it even during daytime. It’s more normal to use the bus or the train to get to the neighboring town, so this bridge is rarely used. That’s because it’s so long and it carries a fear that it might collapse on you. That must be why this place isn’t used for dates, even though it’s perfect location-wise. “…That’s stupid. What am I thinking?” Saber is following me silently and Rarity is walking besides me. Trying to ignore them, I hurry across the bridge. Beyond the bridge, Rarity leads us into the suburbs. When I think about New Ponyville, only the office buildings in front of the station come to mind, but there are streets from the older times once you get away from the station. The suburbs are the most extreme of those. There are hilly roads and a high ground overlooking the sea. As you go farther up the hill, there are fewer buildings and the foreigners’ cemetery built on the slope of the hill can be seen.

“The church is up here. You must have been there at least once, right?”

“No. I know it used to be an orphanage though.”

“I see. Then it’ll be your first time today. You should prepare yourself. The priest there is a difficult stallion to deal with.” Rarity starts up the hill. …Looking up, I can see a building at the top of the hill; a church atop the hill. I never thought I’d visit Hasbro’s house for the first time for a reason like this.

“Wow… this is really awesome.” The church is magnificent. The whole top of the hill must be the church’s land as a flat field welcomes me as soon as I reach the top. The church isn’t that big, but it is compelling, towering over its visitors.

“Storm, I will remain here.”

“Huh? Why? I can’t just leave you when we’ve come up here together.”

“I did not come for the church. I followed to protect you. If your destination is the church, you should not go any farther, so I shall wait here for your return.” Saber says clearly. It doesn’t seem like she’ll budge an inch, so I decide to respect her decision.

“All right. Then I’ll be going.”

“Yes. Please do not let your guard down whomever you are facing, Master.” It is a large, impressive chapel. Since it’s so large, many ponies must come here during the day. If he’s entrusted with such a church, the priest here must be a stallion of character.

“Rarity, what kind of pony is the priest here?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain. I’ve known him for ten years, but I still can’t grasp his character.”

“You’ve known him for ten years? That’s a pretty long relationship. Is he a relative of yours or something?”

“He’s not my relative, but he is my guardian. On top of that, he is my senior as an apprentice, and my second teacher.”

“Huh… senior as an apprentice, you mean apprentice as a mage!?”

“That’s right, but why are you so surprised?”

“Because he’s a priest! Aren’t priests forbidden to use magic!?” By their nature, a mage and the church cannot be in harmony. The organization that mages belong to is called the Magic Association, and the other side of religion, the side you wouldn’t see while living a normal life, is called the Harmony Church. The two are barely similar. They cooperate in name, but they’re always trying to kill each other when given the chance. The church hates heretics. They totally eliminate the inpony, and they count magic-using ponies among their targets. For the church, miracles are only given to the chosen harmony saints. Any miracles handled by other ponies are heresies. There are no exceptions, even for those within the church. The higher one rises in the church, the more one is prohibited from the impurity of magic. And for a follower entrusted with a church like this and the more divine protection one receives, the more one should stay away from magic… “…No, first of all, is the priest on our side?”

“Yes. He is the one supervising the Harmony Grail War after all. He is a real Agent. …Well, I don’t know if he has divine protection, though.” Rarity’s hoofsteps echo as she approaches the altar. It’s bad manners to do that when the priest isn’t here, but it’s so late at night. He won’t be in the chapel, so if he’s anywhere, it will be the private room in the back.

“…Hmm. So who is this priest? You said a name like Blue before…”

“His name is Blue Blood. He’s a student of my father, and we’ve had an inseparable relationship for ten years now. …Well, I wish I’d never met him, though.”

“…I feel the same way. I did not want an apprentice who did not respect her teacher.” A hoofstep. He must have noticed our entry as he slowly appears from the other side of the altar. “You didn’t answer my repeated calls, and now you bring a strange guest. …Hmm, so he is the seventh one, Rarity?”

“Right. He’s a mage, but he’s pretty much a beginner, so I just couldn’t let him be. …I believe it was the rules to report here when one becomes a Master, right? It’s a rule you invented, but I’ll follow it this time.”

“Very well. Then I must thank this young stallion.” The priest called Blue Blood slowly turns to me.

“……” …Without realizing, I step back. …He’s not scary at all. …I don’t feel any hostility from him. But this priest still has a presence that makes the air around him feel heavy.

“I am Blue Blood, the one entrusted with this church. What is your name, seventh Master?”

“…Storm Whooves. But I haven’t agreed to this ‘Master’ thing yet.” I glare back at the priest, trying not to lose against his presence.

“Storm… Whooves.”

“Huh?” The weight on my back turns into a chill. The priest slowly smiles as if he’s met somepony pleasant. …That smile. It makes me…

“I thank you, Storm. You have brought Rarity here. If it were not for you, she would not have come.” The priest makes his way toward the altar. Rarity moves away from the altar and stands beside me. “Then let us start. Storm Whooves, you are Saber’s Master correct?”

“That’s wrong. I certainly made a contract with her, but I don’t understand this whole Master and Harmony Grail War thing. If a Master should be a proper mage, then you should go and choose a more suitable pony.”

“…I see. This is serious. Does he really know nothing, Rarity?”

“I told you he’s a beginner. Train him from the very first steps, will you? You’re really good at that, right?” Rarity urges the priest.

“…Oh, I see, I see. That’s how it is, huh? I understand. This is the first time you have ever depended on me. Storm Whooves, I can never thank you enough.” Father Blue Blood laughs. Their conversation makes me feel uneasy. “First, let us correct your misunderstandings. Listen, Storm Whooves. Master is not a role you can give to somepony else nor is it something you can stop being once you are chosen. Those who have those Command Spells carved on them cannot resign from being a Master. You must accept that fact.”

“…Why can’t I quit?”

“The Command Spell is a holy mark. Becoming a Master is a trial placed upon you. You cannot escape it just because it is inconvenient. You cannot be released from that pain until you obtain the Harmony Grail. If you wish to retire from being a Master, all you can do is obtain the Harmony Grail and wish for it. If you do that, everything will be as you desire, Storm Whooves. Your wishes, even cleaning out all the mud inside of you, is possible… Yes, it is even possible to start everything over again. Therefore, you should desire it. If the time comes, you will appreciate being chosen as a Master. If you wish to erase those burns that cannot be seen, all you have to do is to accept that harmony mark.”

“Wha…” I feel dizzy. The priest’s words don’t make any sense. They just confuse me more and more as I listen. …But still, his words soak into my brain and clot like blood.

“Blue, don’t go off topic. I asked you to tell him the rules. I didn’t ask you to open up his old wounds.” A voice cuts in.

“R-Rarity?” That clears up my dizzy head.

“I see. It is pointless to say anything to these kinds of ponies, so I was trying to take away his mortality while he still misunderstood. …Heh, I guess it’s true that compassion is not good for others. And I rather enjoyed it too.”

“What? Does it do you good to help him?”

“Of course. Helping ponies means saving yourself in the end. …Well, it won’t do any good to preach to you now. So, let us return to the main topic, Storm Whooves. The battle you have been dragged into is called the ‘Harmony Grail War’. Have you learned from Rarity that this is an all out war between seven Masters, using seven Servants?”

“…I did. It’s some ridiculous thing where seven Masters kill each other, right?”

“Indeed. But we are not committing these inpony acts because we want to. Everything is a ritual to determine who is the most suitable to receive the Harmony Grail. Because of its greatness, we require trials to determine its owner.” …What trials? I’ll bet this priest doesn’t think of this Harmony Grail War thing as a “trial”.

“Hold on. You keep saying ‘Harmony Grail War’, but what is it? You can’t possibly mean the actual Harmony Grail, right?” The Harmony Grail. A grail said to have received the blood of Hasbro. It is considered to be one of the greatest harmony relics, and said to be capable of many miracles. The most common rumor about it is that the one who obtains the Harmony Grail will obtain the world. …But that’s just an invention. After all, the Harmony Grail itself is almost something that “exists, but doesn’t exist”. “A Harmony Grail that makes wishes comes true” certainly appears in many folklores and legends around the world. But that’s it. A fictional power that doesn’t exist and isn’t possible. That is the Harmony Grail.

“So answer, Blue Blood. Is the Harmony Grail you’re talking about really the Harmony Grail?”

“Of course. The Harmony Grail that appears in this town is real. As a proof, the great miracle of the Servants has occurred. Summoning and controlling past heroes. No, a miracle close to resurrecting the dead is almost a sorcery. A Harmony Grail with this much power shall grant its owner unlimited power. The object’s unreality is worthless in front of that truth.”

“……” So, he means that even if it is a fake, it doesn’t matter if it has powers that would overwhelm even the true Harmony Grail. “…All right. Let’s assume there really is a Harmony Grail. Then why is it required to do something like the Harmony Grail War? We shouldn’t be killing each other if the Harmony Grail exists. If the Harmony Grail is so great, we can all share its power.”

“That is a fair argument, but we do not have such freedom. Only one pony can obtain the Harmony Grail. That is not something we chose, but what the Harmony Grail has decided. The Harmony Grail decides the seven Masters and summons the seven Servants. I told you that this is a ritual. The Harmony Grail chooses the ponies suitable to obtain it, and selects its appropriate owner by making them fight for it. That is the Harmony Grail War… the ritual where those chosen by the Harmony Grail kill each other to obtain it.”

“……” The priest speaks plainly. I have no rebuttal, and I look down at my left forehoof. …There is the mark they call the Command Spell. It must mean that as long as I have this mark, I cannot quit being a Master. “…I’m not convinced. Even though only one pony can be chosen, I don’t like the idea that all we can do is to kill the other Masters.”

“Huh? Hold on. You’re misunderstanding if you think that you have to kill them. There’s no need to kill the Masters.”

“Huh? But you said we have to kill each other. Blue Blood said so too.”

“You will kill each other.”

“You be quiet, Blue. Now, the Harmony Grail in this town is in spirit form. It’s not something with form, so it’s something we have to call forth by a special ritual… meaning we have to materialize it. We can call for it as mages, but since it is in spirit form, we cannot reach it. Do you understand what that means?”

“Yeah. Only spirits can touch spirits, right? …Oh, that’s why you need the Servants!”

“Exactly. To put it simply, the goal of the Harmony Grail War is to eliminate all the Servants except your own. So there’s no rule that you have to kill the Masters.”

“……” Sheesh, she could have told me that earlier! Honestly, Rarity and this priest were being mean. …Now I’m relieved. So even if we enter this Harmony Grail War, Rarity’s not going to die.

“I see. I guess that is one way to think. Then let me ask you, Storm Whooves. Do you think you can beat your own Servant?”

“…?” Beat Saber? That’s impossible. In the first place, magic is useless against her, and she is skilled with her sword.

“Then let me ask you one more thing. It is a boring question, but do you think you are superior to your Servant?”

“…?” What’s he saying? I can’t beat Saber, so there’s no way superior to her. For this question, my answer will always be that I am weaker than my Servant, so… “…Oh.”

“That’s right. Servants are hard to defeat even with a Servant. So what should you do? See, it’s such a simple solution. Servants can only exist with a Master. No matter how powerful the Servant is, the Servant will disappear if the Master dies. So…” That’s right, it’s a natural solution. No pony would choose to take the hard way. If you want to win, the most effective way to kill the Servants would be to kill their Masters instead.

“…Okay. I understand that killing the Master is an effective way to eliminate other Servants. But then, if their Servant gets killed, does that make somepony not a Master anymore? Only Servants can touch the Harmony Grail, right? Then there is no point to a Master that doesn’t have a Servant.”

“No, the right to be a Master still remains as long as you have the Command Spell. A Master is a mage that can form a contract with Servants. As long as you have the Command Spell, you can form a contract with Servants. The Servants whose Masters are killed do not disappear right away. They can stay in this world until their magical energy runs out. If such ‘abandoned Servants’ exist, a Master with no Servant can form a contract with them. That will allow them to rejoin the war. That is why Masters kill other Masters. Because if you allow them to live, there is a risk that they will impede you in the future.”

“…So what if you use up your Command Spell? Then you won’t be able to form a contract with other Servants, and the freed Servant will go off with somepony else too.”

“Wait, that’s…”

“Yes, you’re right. If you use up your Command Spell, you will be liberated from your duty as a Master. …However, I do not think a mage exists that would waste a Command Spell that allows them to use such powerful magic. If there exists such a mage, he isn’t even an amateur, but just a chicken.” The priest laughs, as he knows what I’m thinking about.

“……” I’m annoyed. That priest is making fun of me. I think he’s trying to provoke me.

“You must understand now. So we will finish the explanation of the rules. Well then, let us return to the beginning, Storm Whooves. You said you have no intention of being a Master. Do you still feel that way? If you want to abandon your responsibility as a Master, that is fine too. As you have realized, you may use up your Command Spell to end your contract with Saber. In that case, I will guarantee your safety until the Harmony Grail War ends.”

“…? Hold on. Why do you have to guarantee my safety? I can protect myself.”

“I do not have enough free time to care for you either, but this is one of the rules. I have been dispatched to supervise the repeating Harmony Grail War. That is why I must minimize the victims of the war. Protection of mages who lost their claims to being a Master is one of my biggest responsibilities as the supervisor.”

“…Repeating Harmony Grail War?” Hold on. Repeating… does he mean that this kind of battle has happened many times before? “What do you mean? The Harmony Grail War didn’t just start now?”

“Of course not. Do you think a supervisor would have been dispatched if it were so? This church bears a duty to recover the harmony relics, as we are the lowest of the special agencies. Originally, it was our goal to research and recover the harmony cross, but here, we have a duty to investigate the Harmony Grail. We have to investigate the 726th Harmony Grail that has appeared in this far eastern land. We must recover it if it is real, and dispute it if it is not.”

“726th… that many Harmony Grails?”

“Who knows? It just means that there have been at least that many things that seemed like one. And one of those is the Harmony Grail from the Harmony Grail War observed in this town. According to records, it is said that the first battle occurred about 200 years ago. Since then, the battles between Masters have been repeating in a cycle of about 60 years. This is the fifth Harmony Grail War. Since the last one was ten years ago, this will be the shortest cycle yet.”

“Wha… are you ponies insane? You ponies have repeated this thing four times already!?”

“I feel the same way. As you said, ponies have repeated this event many times. …Yes. In the past, the Harmony Grail Wars were terrible. Masters were driven by their desires, forgot their teachings as mages, and just killed each other indiscriminately. I think you already know, but it is the highest crime for a mage to use his magic in public. A mage cannot allow his identity to be revealed to the public. But Masters in the past have violated that. The Magic Association dispatched a supervisor to caution them, but they only made it in time for the third Harmony Grail War. The one dispatched then was my father. Do you understand now, colt?”

“…Yeah, I understand we need a supervisor. But from what you said, isn’t this Harmony Grail War fundamentally bad?”

“Oh? How is it bad?”

“Because the past mages were ponies who would break the rules of the mages, right? Then let’s say this Harmony Grail thing really exists. What will you do if the one who remains is somepony who uses the Harmony Grail selfishly? It’s bad if such a thing is obtained by somepony who has no problem killing others. If it is the job of the Association to look after mages, then shouldn’t you ponies be punishing those kinds of ponies?” I question, with a little hope. But as I expected, Blue Blood laughs.

“Of course not. There are no mages who will act outside their own interests. We only supervise the rules of the Harmony Grail War. We do not care about what happens afterwards The Association is not concerned about the kind of pony that obtains the Harmony Grail.”

“That’s ridiculous! What if the Master that obtains the Harmony Grail is the worst pony possible!?”

“It would be problematic, but we can do nothing. It is the Harmony Grail that chooses its owner. And we do not have the power to stop a Master who has been chosen by the Harmony Grail. It is a grail that makes wishes come true, after all. The one who obtains it will be able to do as he pleases. …But if you do not want that, then all you have to do is win it yourself. That is the most reliable way, isn’t it?” Blue Blood is trying to hold back his laughter. It’s like he’s enjoying my clumsy inability to accept the facts. “What’s wrong, colt? I think that was a good idea, so will you not accept it?”

“…That’s none of your business. Anyway, I don’t have any reason to fight. I’m not interested in the Harmony Grail, and I don’t feel like a Master even if you tell me I am.”

“Oh. So you are not concerned about what the winner of the Harmony Grail would do, even if it leads to disaster?”

“That’s…” …I can’t answer the question. Crap, his words are violent. They force the truth onto me, whether I want it or not.

“That is fine, if you have no reason to fight. So you are not troubled by what happened ten years ago?”

“…Ten years... ago?”

“That’s right. At the end of the last Harmony Grail War, an unsuitable Master touched the Harmony Grail. I do not know what the Master wished for. All we know is the result of the disaster that came afterwards.”

“……” For an instant. That image of hell flashes in my head. “…Hold on. That can’t be…”

“It is. It is an event that everypony in this town knows about, Storm Whooves. Five hundred killed or wounded. A hundred and thirty four buildings burned down. That inferno, still unexplained, is the remains of the Harmony Grail War.”

“……” …I feel sick. My vision blurs. I lose concentration and I can’t focus my eyes. My body stumbles. But I hold myself firm. I hold onto consciousness by clenching my teeth. I hold back my nausea with the anger boiling up in me.

“Storm? What’s wrong? You’re looking pale. …I know it’s not a comfortable story, but… if you want, we can take a rest for a while.” I must have looked terrible. I think it’s very rare for Rarity to be worried like that.

“Don’t worry. I feel better after seeing your weird face.”

“…Hey, just what is that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, I have no hidden intentions. I meant it literally, so don’t worry about it.”

“Well, fine… hey, that’s worse, you big oaf!” The school’s number one honor student, Rarity Jewels, smacks me in the head. That does it. With that, the nausea and anger go away.

“…Thanks. You really did help, so don’t bully me too much. I have a few more things to ask about.” She looks like she hasn’t hit me enough, but she still lets me continue.

“Oh, you still have questions? All right, let out everything you want to say.” He should know what I want to ask, yet he asks me to go on. Fine, Storm Whooves won’t lose to you.

“Then I’ll ask. You said this is the fifth Harmony Grail War. Then, has anypony ever obtained the Harmony Grail?”

“Of course. A sad event like that annihilation doesn’t happen every time.”

“Then…”

“Do not be hasty. It is easy just to obtain it. After all, the Harmony Grail is managed in this church. If you speak of just touching it, I touch it every day.”

“Huh?” T-The Harmony Grail is at this church?

“Of course, it is only the vessel. It is empty. Rarity said it earlier that the Harmony Grail is in spirit form. What we maintain is a well-made replica of the Harmony Grail. We use this as the catalyst to draw down the real Harmony Grail and transform it into a Grail that grants wishes. It’s like the relationship between Servants and Masters. …Yes, there was indeed a stallion who obtained the real Harmony Grail temporarily, using that method.”

“Then, was that Harmony Grail real? No, what happened to the stallion who obtained it?”

“Nothing. The Harmony Grail was imperfectly completed. It was the result of a foolish stallion, affected by sentiment.” …? With the previous pressure gone, the priest narrows his eyes as if in regret.

“…What do you mean? Didn’t the Harmony Grail appear?”

“It is easy to just make the Harmony Grail appear. Once the seven Servants are present, the Harmony Grail will appear in time. As Rarity said, there is no need to kill other Masters. But that does not complete the Harmony Grail. That thing decides its own appropriate master. And for that reason, it could not be obtained by a stallion who avoided battles.”

“Heh, so that just means it’s useless to obtain the Harmony Grail without settling matches with the other Masters. The Master who obtained the Harmony Grail first in the last war was just a chicken. He just ran away from the Harmony Grail, saying that he didn’t want to fight other Masters.” So saying, Rarity looks away from Blue Blood.

“…No way.” Does that mean Blue Blood was one of the Masters in the last war, and that he retired because he refused to fight in spite of obtaining the Harmony Grail!? “…Blue Blood. You didn’t fight?”

“I did until halfway. But I made a bad decision. As a result, I only obtained an empty Harmony Grail. Well, I guess that was my limit anyway. Because the other Masters were all monstrous. I lost my Servant first and was taken under my father’s protection. …Come to think of it, it was inappropriate for a son of the supervisor to be chosen as a Master. Father died at that time. Since then, I have succeeded the role of the supervisor, and I protect the Harmony Grail at this church.” Saying that, the priest Blue Blood turns around. Before him stands the symbol of worship. “That is the end of our conversation. The only ones qualified to obtain the Harmony Grail are those who have Servants. When there is only one of you left, the Harmony Grail should naturally appear in front of you. Tell me your decision as to if you want to join this battle, the Harmony Grail War, now.” The priest requests my final decision.

“……” I’m at a loss for words. I had no reason to fight until just now. Now, I have a reason to fight and a will to fight. But can I really accept that?

“Are you still undecided? Look, a Master is not something you can be just because you want to be. Rarity has been training long as a mage, but it was not determined that she would be a Master. All that could be decided beforehand was whether to prepare for it or not. Only mages are to be chosen as Masters. If you are a mage, you should have been ready already. I guess it cannot be helped if you say you are not. You and your teacher were failures in that case. It is merely annoying for such a mage to be fighting, so get rid of your Command Spell now.”

“…!” He doesn’t need to ask. I won’t run away. Honestly, this Harmony Grail War and Master stuff doesn’t seem real to me. But still, if I must choose between fighting or running away, I will never run away. The priest said it as well. If I am a mage, I should be ready. That is why I must decide. Even though I’m an amateur, Storm Whooves is a mage. If I have decided to become a superhero in the hoofsteps of Doctor Whooves whom I’ve admire all this time. “I will fight as a Master. If the cause of the fire ten years ago was the Harmony Grail War, I can’t let that happen again.” As if he likes my answer, the priest smiles with satisfaction. “……” I take a deep breath. I have cut away all hesitation. As a stallion, I said I will fight. So from now on, all I have to do is go forward with pride and refuse to go against my word.

“Then I shall approve you as Saber’s Master. In this instant, the Harmony Grail War is accepted. I approve the battle in this town, from now until only one Master remains. Everypony shall follow their pride and compete fully against each other.” The priest’s voice echoes heavily through the church. There is no meaning to that declaration. Only Rarity and I heard the priest’s words. This stallion merely rang the starting bell as the priest of this church.

“So it’s decided. In that case, I’m going home, but may I ask you a question too?”

“I don’t mind. This might be your last chance, so I shall answer most questions.”

“Then I shall ask. Blue, you’re the one in charge of overseeing this, so you should have information on the other Masters. I’ve followed the Association’s rules, so at least tell me what you know.”

“That’s troubling. I really want to tell you, but I do not know the details either. Including Storm Whooves, there are not many legitimate mages this time. There are only two Masters I know about. Three if you include Storm Whooves.”

“Oh, I see. Still, you should know the order in which they were summoned. You are the supervisor, after all.”

“…Hmm. Berserker was first. Caster was second. The rest are pretty much the same. Archer was yesterday, and Saber was summoned a few hours ago.”

“I see. Then that means…”

“The Harmony Grail War has officially started. Rarity, you are not allowed to come to this church until the Harmony Grail War is over. The only time it is permitted is…”

“When I lose my Servant and wish for protection, right? So I pretty much get points deducted if I come here for any other reason.”

“That is correct. You may become the victor, but the Church will not ignore the points deducted. They will take the Harmony Grail away from you after a boring discussion. That would be the worst case scenario for me.”

“You fake priest. A pony on the side of the Church supporting the Magic Association?”

“I am serving Hasbro. That does not mean I am serving the Church.”

“Whatever. That’s why you’re a fake.” And Rarity turns her back to the priest. After that, she just makes her way to the exit without saying goodbye.

“Hey, is that okay, Rarity? He was your fellow pupil, right? So…” Shouldn’t there be a more proper farewell?

“I don’t care. I feel rather relieved from breaking my ties with him. More importantly, you should leave too. You have no business here now.” Rarity walks across the floor without stopping and leaves for good. I sigh and follow her. And then…

“…!” I feel a presence behind me and turn around. The priest, who’s behind me before I know it, is looking down at me. “W-What? Do you have anything else to say?” I back off as I say so. …Just as I thought, I don’t like him. Maybe we’re just incompatible or something, but I can’t get myself to like him. “If you don’t have anything to say, I’m going!” I make my way to the door, trying to escape his stare. As I go…

“Rejoice, colt. Your wish will finally come true.” The priest says, as if declaring an oracle. Those words are… Aren’t those the true feelings I haven’t yet realized?

“What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“You should know. Your wish will not come true unless there is a clear evil. Even if it is not something you approve of, a superhero requires a villain to defeat.”

“…!” I feel like everything has turned black. The priest said it. The greatest wish and the ugliest wish I have are the same. …Yes, the desire to protect something… Is, at the same time, none other than the wish for something to violate it… “Y-You…” But there’s no way I’d wish for something like that. I don’t remember a moment when I’ve wished for that. Such an insecure wish… Just means the target ideals are inconsistent. But the priest says as if to pierce my heart, “Good thing you have an enemy now.”

“No, you do not have to gloss over it. Your worries are normal for a pony.” The priest smiles.

“…!” I shake off the priest’s words and walk to the door.

“Farewell, Storm Whooves. This will be my last warning, but take care on your way home. Your world will change completely from now on. You are now at the point of kill or be killed. You are now a Master.” He says so as I quickly make my way out. …It’s a bit windy now. It must be partly because this place is on top of a hill. The wind is a bit stronger than normal and carries a sharp chill.

“Storm. You done now?”

“Yeah. I learnt more than enough about the situation I’m in. About the Harmony Grail War, about the Masters, everything.”

“Then…” She comes closer and looks up at me. …It’s only natural for her to do so. Her fate is determined by my choice.

“…I don’t know if I’m good enough for you, but I’ve decided to fight as a Master. I’m sorry that I’m only an amateur. Are you still content that I’m your Master?”

“It doesn’t matter. You are already my Master. I have already sworn to be your sword.” That scene flashes through my mind. “You’re right …Yeah, I’m relieved that you say so.” I take a deep breath and look at Saber again. “Then let’s shake hoofs. Let’s do our best together, Saber.” I extend my right forehoof. I don’t care what relationship a Master and his servant should have, nor do I know what I should be doing now. If this is the way things are going to be, I at least want our first greeting to be in style.

“……”

“Saber? Um, are we not supposed to shake hoofs?”

“No, I was merely surprised by this sudden action.” Saber takes my hoof as she says so. “I shall swear to you once more here. As long as you possess your Command Spell, I shall be your sword.”

“I don’t get the situation too well, but yes, please.” Saber is really serious, so I nod. “Hm.” …Come to think of it, this is weird. We’re under the winter night sky. I’m shaking hoofs with a mare I just met, and we’re talking like we’re making a contract.

“Ohhh. I guess I can leave you two, huh?”

“…!” I quickly let go of her hoof. When I turn around, I see Rarity… and that knight in red. “You two are getting along well. You weren’t even talking before, but things have certainly changed. What, you trust Saber now?”

“Um… No, that’s not it… Well, I guess you’re right. I don’t know anything about Saber yet, but I’ll be with her from now on.”

“I see. Then you should be on your guard. Since you two are in this war, I won’t go easy on you either.”

“…?” I tilt my head in wonder. For a brief moment, I don’t get what she said.

“…Hey now. Do you understand that we’re enemies? I brought you here because you weren’t my enemy yet. But you’re one of the Masters now, right? Then I think there’s only one thing to do now.”

“Um… hm?” Well, she’s right. But… “Why? I don’t intend to fight you.”

“…Sheesh, just as I thought. Geez, it was meaningless to bring you here.” Rarity slumps her head.

“Rare.”

“What? I thought we promised that you wouldn’t talk until I tell you it’s okay.”

“I know, but we will make no progress like this. We do not need to find out if our enemy is ready or not. If there are enemies we can defeat easily, we should attack them without holding back.”

“Hey, I know that without you having to tell me.”

“If you know that, act on it. Or what? Are you going to show him mercy again? …Hm. I don’t imagine so, but don’t tell me there’s a ‘special’ reason for this.”

“T-That’s not it! …I just owe him one. I can’t fight him fairly until I repay him for that.”

“…Heh, you sure are difficult. Then I shall be disappearing. Call on me again after you repay him.” The knight in red… Archer, disappears. No, rather, I just can’t see him anymore. According to Rarity, Servants are spirits. Saber says she cannot turn into a spirit form, but I’m sure Rarity’s Servant can since Rarity is a complete Master. Well, that aside…

“Hey, Rarity. The thing about you ‘owing’ me… do you mean what happened back then?”

“Yeah. No matter what the reason may be, you used your Command Spell to stop Saber. So I have to hold back a bit to balance things out.”

“…Balance? You worry about weird things, Rarity.”

“I know. I understand this is just flab on my mind. But I can’t help it. I hate owing ponies.” She turns away. “But this service is limited. I won’t hold back tomorrow, so go and make plans with Saber.”

“…Hm. So the service is only for today?”

“Yup. …Well, I brought you here. Um, so I’ll at least go back to town with you.” Rarity starts to walk without looking at us.

“Let us go, Storm. As she says, it is not good to stay here.”

“……” I nod to Saber and follow Rarity. The three of us descend the hill together. It might be because Rarity is walking ahead, but we go down the hill with few words. There is a forked road ahead of us. One path leads to the main street going towards the New Ponyville station, and the other leads to the big bridge leading to Old Ponyville.

“……” Rarity stops at the intersection.

“Rarity? Why are you stopping? We should head to the bridge if we’re going home, right?”

“No. I’m sorry, but go home by yourself. I forgot since I’ve been concerned with you, but I’m busy. I’m already in New Ponyville, so I’ll go look while I’m here.”

“Go look… you mean for other Masters?”

“Yeah. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for this time. This night, the start of the battles between seven Masters, the Harmony Grail War. So I can’t go home now. Since I couldn’t beat Saber, I need to take it out on some other Servant.”

“……” …Rarity’s eyes show her determination. That makes me realize… Rarity Jewel is a mage. Her mentality and her knowledge as a mage are complete. “……” So why?

“So we’ll part here. I’ve repaid my debt, and it would be troublesome if we stay together any longer. We should part here and become enemies from tomorrow on.” Why does she have this part of her that’s unlike a mage? She did not explain the rules to me out of any sense of obligation. She just supported me, understanding the situation I’m in, and acted fairly. So things are back to normal now that the explanations are over. As a Master, I will just be a target to her now.

“……” But still, Rarity said those words to me. For Rarity, everything that happened tonight is unnecessary. ‘It would be troublesome if we stay together any longer.’ If she’s going to say something like that, she should have left us alone from the beginning. Rarity’s smart, so she should know that all too well. But still, she set aside all thoughts of loss or gain and helped me out. The Rarity in front of me is so different from the one at school. Even when I put it nicely, she’s sour, cranky, unapproachable, and so different that I want to scream. Sheesh, it feels almost like a fraud. Yet, still… Rarity Jewel is just how everypony thought she was. “I see. Rarity, you really are a good pony.”

“Huh? What are you saying all of a sudden? I won’t go easy on you, even if you flatter me.” I know that. She won’t go easy on me, and that’s why she said it’ll be a bother if she feels empathy for me.

“I know. But I don’t want to be enemies with you if I can help it. I like ponies like you.”

“Wha…” Rarity falls silent for some reason. The silent suburbs… The church at the top of the hill and the silence of the foreigners’ cemetery feel surprisingly warm. “A-Anyway, just run to the church if your Servant ever gets killed. If you do, at least your life will be safe.”

“I don’t like it, but still, I’ll take that advice. It won’t happen, though. No matter how I look at it, I’ll die before Saber does.”

“…Phew.” Rarity reacts strangely once again. After letting out a sigh, she glances at Saber. “All right. I won’t give you any more warnings because that’d really be soft. Just be careful. Even though Saber is strong, it won’t matter if her Master gets killed.” She turns her back and starts walking. But… As if she’s seen a ghost, her hooves stop dead in their tracks.

“Hey, have you finished talking?” A youthful voice echoes through the night. The melodic tone is unmistakably that of a young mare. My vision is drawn to the top of the hill. There… I don’t know when the clouds parted, but a brilliant moon is now shining in the sky. The shadow is long and grotesque, like a devil in a picture book. In this gloomy town of shadow-pictures stands a figure that should not be there.

“Berserker.” Rarity mumbles a word I’m not accustomed to hearing. Even though I don’t know what she means, I can feel the giantess’s dreadfulness all too well. That thing is not pony. Then… it is one of the beings called “Servants”, just like Saber.

“Good evening, brother. It’s the second time we’ve met like this.” The mare smiles as she says this. That innocence sends a chill down my spine. The mare looks so out of place next to the thing behind her, it feels like I am dreaming.

“……” No, chill is an understatement. Not just my body, but my mind is frozen as well. That thing is a monster. I’m not even staring at it, but its mere presence roots me to the spot.

“I’m surprised. He surpasses Saber in raw power!” Rarity glares at the monster above her, clicking her tongue. In her, I see despair… and the spirit to not lose to it. “Archer, this isn’t an enemy that can be beaten head on. You should fight it in your unique style.” She murmurs this quietly. The knight without form replies to her.

“Understood. But what about your defense? You cannot defend against his charge.”

“There are three of us. We can manage if all we need to do is defend.” He must have nodded to her words. The presence behind Rarity vanishes instantly. “Storm. You can choose whether to run or fight. …But if you can, try to run away.”

“Are you done? Can I start now?” The mare laughs playfully. She bows in a manner quite out of place in such a situation. “Nice to meet you, Rarity. I am Luna. You should figure it out if I make that Luna Moon.”

“Moon…” Rarity’s body stiffens, apparently recognizing that name. Perhaps she liked Rarity’s reaction, as the mare smiles happily. And then…

“Then I’ll kill you now. Go ahead, Berserker.” …She orders the strange shape behind her, as if she’s singing. The massive form flies through the air. In one bound, the thing called Berserker crosses the dozens of meters from the top of the hill!

“Storm, stay back!” In the moonlight… “Bullets” rain down on the descending giantess like shooting stars! They have extreme accuracy. The silver lights that are shooting through the giantess are indeed “arrows”. No, the word “arrow” is an understatement. It’s like a barrage from a machine gun, and each shot could pierce through the rocks. Eight shots of that. It should be able to mow down houses, but…

“No way! It’s not doing anything!?” It has no effect on the giantess. The two swords clash. The giant sword of Berserker, who came down through a rain of ‘arrows’… And the sword of Saber, who ran to her landing spot. The two blades spark on contact!

“Fuh!” The swords clash. Even though she is overpowered by Berserker’s attack, Saber does not yield. Silver lights run through the darkness. How much magical energy is in that small body of hers? Even though Saber is obviously weaker, she is proving to be a match against Berserker. She blocks, parries, and faces the assault of that giant sword head-on.

“……” I must not be the only one who’s awed. The Master of that giant and the one standing next to me, Rarity, are also fascinated by Saber’s figure.

“…! Archer, back her up!” Rarity screams out at once. In response, a silver light comes flying out of nowhere. The silver light strikes the giant right in her temple. The arrow that came flying through the air is as powerful as a tank shell. No matter what this giant may be, she has to take some damage from that. “Got him!” Saber slashes with her invisible sword right after the shot connects. But… Her attack is countered by a huge blow, and Saber is flung away.

“Guh!?’ Saber slides across the asphalt. A black whirlwind runs in pursuit, and… Silver lights come flashing down to intercept her! But they have no effect. The three arrows hit the giantess square in her forehead, but simply disappear. The giantess does not stop. Saber blocks the giant blade with her own.

“Saber!” My scream is meaningless. As Saber blocks Berserker’s sword head-on, she is flung away like a ball… and she falls to the ground. “…!” Is she dizzy? Saber has her knees on the ground and does not move.

“This is it. Smash her, Berserker.” The mare’s voice echoes. The black giantess charges at Saber with brutal speed.

“Keep firing, Archer!” Rarity starts running as she screams. She must intend to help Saber. She runs up the hill while taking out something that looks like a rock. “Gewicht, um zu Verdoppel ung!” Rarity scatters obsidian jewels in the sky, and numerous silver lights come flying from the heavens. Even with that, Berserker’s charge does not stop.

“What a…” …Monster. …I finally understand how absurd she is. That giantess isn’t just “strong”. She must be protected by some “law” of immortality created from abnormal amounts of magical energy.

“Good, ignore the annoying ones. Archer and Rarity shouldn’t be able to get past your Noble Phantasm.” The mare’s voice rings out. The giantess’s sword is swung. And… Saber bravely blocks it with her sword and is flung away once again. She flies dozens of meters. Saber flies through the air like a pitcher’s fastball and plows into the open terrain off the road.

“……” She must be dead. Once is bad enough. But she can’t be okay after receiving such a blow twice. The black whirlwind moves. The match is already decided, but she’s not done yet. The giantess called Berserker roars and charges onto the open land. “……” She’ll die. Even if Saber’s still alive, she’ll surely die now. …And. As long as I’m here, I’m sure I’ll die as well. ‘If you can, try to run away.’ The one who said that isn’t here. Rarity went after Berserker. She must intend to keep fighting against this monster that is unscathed by all those attacks. “……” I…

...Follow them.

...Stay here.

Do as Rarity said.

Comments

[EchotheWolf]

For the Lunar Repubic, I claim the FIRST POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Luna_lolface.png

[EchotheWolf]

648709 I tried...... :( It wasn't working....

[Kujo Blaze]

648723 There now you are!

[EchotheWolf]

648728 Yay.....I can talk to people!!!!!

[lightenupmyday]

AMAZING MOAR YES! princess luna! ponies dying a battle EEEKKK!

[the other sans]

The person watching Saber from behind that stallion is somepony I know.
Incidentally, do you understand that5 now is one of those times?
does that mean I’ve stuck y head into a conflict between mages?
On My hoof… oh, this.
You’re tone of the seven Masters of the Harmony Grail War.
Well, it’s true that nobody would dress like that now, but still…
Is he a relative of your or something?
The Association is not concerned about the kind of person that obtains the Harmony Grail.
But if you do not want that, the all you have to do is win it yourself.
He says so as I quicjly make my way out.
Rarity Jewel is just how everyone thought she was.
As if she’s seen a ghost, her feet stop dead in their tracks.

1. Pony.
2. That.
3. My.
4. I'm just...
5. One.
6. Nopony.
7. Yours.
8. Pony.
9. Then.
10. Quickly.
11. Everypony.
12. Hooves.

Now I forgot to ask in the previous correction... Hasbro has blood?

[Kujo Blaze]

649053 That is the reason why the Harmony Grail is so powerful.