56 Chapter 56: Lust?

Beta read by Shigiya, Paragon of Awesomeness and Fluffy Slayer.

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-Feoh-

There were many things he expected for his first meeting with Kaguya, including fear, anger or suspicion, all of which he expected to witness on her face. Much like his stance regarding Alicia, Archer did not hold a favorable opinion of this Princess Knight, given the outcomes of his interactions with her colleagues — excluding Claudia, who had only seen him once for a few seconds. 

Maia gave him clues about the woman's personality, or perhaps the absence thereof. A person of equal status to Claudia, regarded as Celestine's advisor for Church related matters. As far as how  Kaguya's worship of a different deity worked, he hadn't invested much effort in exploring that aspect. Nonetheless, Olga had described this maiden from the Far East as akin to something of a glorified messenger. And to that fact, what deeply troubled him were the signs that unmistakably portrayed her as a potentially dangerous individual, armed with significant political influence and formidable magical powers, all while deftly playing both sides for an unknown agenda. 

Her blessing remained a closely guarded secret, known only to  Celestine. Adding to the enigma was her expertise in magic and talisman creation, which provided a way for Maia to store her mana during her first fight against Archer. While he did consider the possibility of her crafting a similar item with Magical Energy that could seamlessly harmonize with his body, the magic system here was very different, both in practice and physical manifestation. These people lacked magic circuits, relying instead on cores as elucidated in the  few books he managed to get his hands on. 

Taking the last bite of his apple, he discarded the core, and then proceeded to wash his face before heading to the garden for his meeting with Kaguya. To say he felt at ease about meeting this so-called 'priestess' or more aptly, a sock-puppet, for a self-proclaimed bug deity would be a blatant lie.

Was he bitter about the whole situation? Undoubtedly. He wasn't one to be plagued by conflict when it came to his feelings. Every time he contemplated Kaguya's situation, it evoked memories of Matou Sakura's plight, drawing a horrible parallel between the two, both having been infested with insects. The mental image was a thorn from a bygone time that resurfaced with a vengeance. 

'The security in the outer area is notably lax,' observed the Counter Guardian, as a priestess greeted him with a small amount of respect before heading off to another location. A few came to view the closer he got.

Regardless, he remained vigilant. Moving past the priestesses, he consciously refrained from mentally categorizing them as cultists, although the journey to the gazebo only served to exacerbate his irritation. 

These people weren't trustworthy in the least, especially after learning about the kind of deity they worshiped and their bug-related practices. Just the thought of each priestess harboring a worm or some other insect within their bodies left a bitter taste in his mouth. Did they all carry the progeny of their self-proclaimed god bug within them? Were they active participants, or hapless victims? Regardless of the circumstances, they had all become nothing more than puppets in service of a parasitic entity, one that he wouldn't have any qualms exterminating. Yet, Archer couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that no matter how much distance he put between himself and certain aspects of his past, were or even the numbness he acquired during his time as a Counter Guardian — some things proved stubbornly resistant to the passage of time. 

As he walked towards the main meeting area, Emiya noticed a conspicuous absence of Knights in the area. Instead, what lay before him were various women dressed in extremely revealing priestess garbs, probably  waiting for his arrival. Although tempted to rebuke them on their attire, he opted to remain silent in the end. This world seemed to be afflicted with a questionable fashion ideology and a few words from him wouldn't change anything. And by now, he had already grown accustomed to their strange perverted tastes.

'...or so I thought.' was the first thing that crossed his mind as he entered the gazebo and laid eyes on the sock-pupp— erh, 'High priestess' of the god bug. 'Other than her stockings, I don't think anything on her could be counted as clothes.'

After all, the priestess seemed to be adorned with nothing but accessories, and was just a few garments short of complete nudity. A golden hair piece, a transparent, light-pink micro robe that did nothing to offer modesty or even bother reaching lower than the girl's belly button, and something that almost passed for a fundoshi but was nothing more than a sacred cord around her waist, with a talisman over the girl's groin. He briefly wondered how far back the talisman covered, but after living in Eostia for as long as he had, it was a question born of nothing but a mild intellectual curiosity, really. "I really should get used to it, no point having a headache about this," 

At least it wasn't nearly as bad as Luu-Luu. The brat only had a cape and pasties on while running around naked.

"Archer-sama, thank you for coming." The priestess stood up and greeted him politely enough, which immediately managed to move her up the 'Princess Knight Ranking' ladder in the Counter Guardian's mind.

'Uhm. And here I thought I knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Then again to be frank, she's the cover and the bug inside her is the book.' Considering this, he offered her a polite but discernible nod in appreciation. "It has always been my intention to meet with you, so it is me who is grateful for this opportunity."

She gestured for him to take a seat across from her on the gazebo, so he did so, and only then did she sit back down in a manner so demure and polished it would have made any etiquette teacher shed a tear. He did notice that there were no drinks or food, but that was alright with him. He didn't plan on making this into a social call, after all.

Not willing to push away such a rare instance, Archer followed suit and slightly nudged his head downwards again to show courtesy despite the disgust in his mind at the situation. Olga's earlier words concerning  the creature dwelling within her body still haunted him.

"I have heard a lot about you." She spoke with a calm voice, gesturing for him to come over to the table and have a seat, an invitation he did not decline. 

"You don't need to phrase it like that, you've seen my actions against the Kuroinu." Maia was never one  to keep secrets to herself, having babbled plenty of rather sensitive information to him when she was dead drunk. "An interesting spell you used back then, I never encountered someone using a familiar in Eostia — let alone a moth of all things." 

"A gift from our god."

"Your god." 

Again, no reaction whatsoever from his rebuttal. Just these few seconds of conversation were able to place Kaguya at a much higher level of threat than most of the Princess Knights. She showed no signs of losing her cool, having a perfect poker face that resembled Olga's. 

"There are numerous matters we should discuss. I have quite a bundle of questions to ask of you, in regards to what you represent for this kingdom." Taking a sip of her tea, she looked him dead in the eye. "May I know the identity of your patron deity? There is no need to hide it from me, I know there is some high power watching over you — my god has sensed it." 

"..." Was she bluffing, or did that bug god truly sense his connection to Alaya? Another possibility arose, perhaps it was confusing his magecraft with the assistance of another higher being. But without proof he couldn't be certain. "I have no reason to hide it, but even if I give you an answer, it wouldn't matter or change anything. So why bother?" 

Regardless, he felt uneasy divulging information about Alaya or the Counter Force so readily, especially to this particular person. Olga, for example, had no use for such information, so it didn't matter if she knew. This applied even further with Maia and Brynn, considering they were likely to forget about it pretty quickly.

"Yet, working on behalf of said deity, you've not only destroyed our most trusted ally, thereby severely diminishing our kingdom's ability to defend itself from outside forces, but also brought the Dark Queen right to our doorsteps without prior warning or reasoning. How and why Celestine-sama so vehemently defends you is beyond my understanding." 

Right, from her perspective, she had every reason to look at him with such suspicion. "First of all, your little black dogs had made plans to bite the hand that fed them. They had planned to create a new kingdom, one whose idiotic name I'm not going to even bother wasting breath stating. For all that talk about them being your allies, they sure were quite eager to beat the Seven Kingdoms into submission and create what can be idiotically called a glorified brothel. Fact of the matter is, they were nothing more than bumbling idiots with an insatiable desire for power, and  you all blindly gave them the keys to the kingdom without considering the consequences.." 

Archer harbored doubts that any of his words resonated with this woman. Were it not for the existence of that shard following the destruction of Olga's castle, he would've spent his remaining time at the Emerald Inn. If even a fraction of what Ayala reported had proved true, he'd call it a victory, enhanced by the added bonus of a small vacation. Unfortunately, he  couldn't afford that luxury at the moment.  Suppressing his genuine opinion and refraining from insults seemed the wiser course of action. As much as he'd like to point out their flaws and call out their stupidity… doing so without consequence wasn't an option. Avoiding the creation of another adversary—one that could potentially complicate his mission—was paramount. 

"Secondly, bringing Olga here wasn't a directive from a higher being or a god. She made a deal with me, and I found it more advantageous to fulfill her request, nothing more, nothing less. In return for valuable information, I agreed to escort her to Celestine, which led us here." His gaze sharpened as Kaguya's hand instinctively touched her stomach unconsciously, a seemingly innocent gesture insignificant to those unaware of the truth, yet one that made him tense up. 

They were communicating with each other. This bug used Kaguya as a medium to ask these questions… he had to handle this matter carefully. 

"What do you stand to gain from all of this?  Your actions have made you an enemy of our lands, yet here you are, taking residence in this very castle, displaying a willingness to cooperate. If it weren't for Celestine-sama vouching for you, then your head would have been mounted on a pike courtesy of Alicia. In fact, Lady Celestine's favor does not exempt you from such charges. As more people uncover your existence, especially the Church —demands for your execution will grow. Even with the efforts of us Princess Knights and the Goddess Reborn, there's only so much we can do to prevent such an outcome." 

"Humph," a scoff was his reply, fully aware this little priestess was merely trying to intimidate him. "People just love the idea of killing me. You won't be the first who threatened me like that, nor will you be the last." 

"That's precisely why I'm extending an olive branch." Here it was, the topic he anticipated to happen. "My god has shown some interest in you, Archer-sama. Consider this an honor bestowed only upon a handful, with the Goddess Reborn and myself included in that list." 

Funny how she proposed an alliance to someone harboring thoughts of exterminatingher little cult to prevent any ritualistic or barbaric actions  within their ranks, actions that might have been the primary cause of his encounter with  a Beast of all things. Yet, the prospects of killing them early on raised concerns about the potential difficulty in tracking down the remaining bug worshiping weirdos . This followed by the certainty of the entire world aligning against him will make his job ten times worse than it has to be. 'While It is an option I'm prepared to consider if left with no alternative, for now, I'll exercise caution. If not… It isn't the first time I destroyed an entire civilization.'

Holding out her hand, she continued to speak. "Join our order, with this I can shield you from such attempts with little effort."

"Quite straightforward aren't you? Not even wasting any time with small talk. However, I must refuse." Archer raised his eyebrow, keeping his arms folded. "You aim to put a leash around me." The idea that the people of this world coveted control over his Magecraft, coupled with the misunderstanding of how it functioned, was not lost on him. 

"No, you'd be an ally." She countered, accompanied by the slightest frown. "We will offer you freedom, resources and status in the form of a title. Naturally, this of course means that you'll be granted land of your own." 

"You're willing to forge an alliance with a 'murderer', who you just mentioned, slaughtered the Kuroinu, and not only that but to also grant him a title and land? How generous of you, I'm truly touched. With my current reputation, I'm sure I'd fit in splendidly with the rest of your so-called 'nobles'. Archer couldn't fathom what or who bestowed Kaguya with such unwavering confidence, especially considering her willingness to align herself with someone who had demonstrated the capability to cause her harm 'Either she's overtly pragmatic, or it could be the bug inside her dictating her actions' 

"There is no need for sarcasm, I am perfectly aware of your natural skepticism towards my offer." Her eyes narrowed. "However, if you insist on rejecting this offer, then a swift execution is the only outcome awaiting you." 

The atmosphere turned cold in an instant. Already he felt plenty of gazes focusing on him from every corner of the garden. Kaguya's subordinates were making sure he understood his precarious position. Though the bowman paid them no mind, such a display struck him as more comical than anything else. "You've seen what I'm capable of, do not think that it can't happen again, Kaguya. Don't try to threaten me, it won't end well." 

"It's not a threat, but a promise. The gods can only interfere to a certain degree in mortal affairs. But if a significant danger emerges, then nothing is stopping them from lending a hand to their followers. No matter how powerful your god is… I doubt they'd be able to handle three. Even your blessing must have limits, you are no reincarnation of a god so your body can only handle so much." 

Three? The third one must have been Luu-Luu's patron deity. She never spoke about said entity in the past, so he never paid much importance to it. Anyway, he nearly chuckled at that answer, tempted to call her naive but deciding it was better to just let her believe in this little fantasy of hers. 

"How considerate of you to gather multiple gods together to face me. I can confidently say this is a first for me." Once again, Kaguya frowned at his lack of emotions or reaction. No fear at the idea of being cornered by deities of immense power or at the possibility of death. 

"What is the reason you're still here?" Finally, she asked the question he had been hoping to hear this entire time. 

Archer tapped on the table, taking a moment to carefully consider how to phrase his next words. Accustomed to throwing verbal jabs almost instinctively, he had to actively restrain himself from expressing how misguided he believed Kaguya's assumptions about him were. Though perhaps it was for the best that she didn't expect anything else. "I have my own duties and obligations. Right now, this is me being honest. Even if your offer interested me, any oaths or promises would be nothing but lies. I have a job to do, and once that job is done, I will leave, one way or another."

"Are you planning to die? Because after killing the Kuroinu, that is the only way for you to leave once due process begins its course."

"It wouldn't be the first time." He smirked, though the only person he was mocking was himself. After all, he didn't really have any expectations but to be forcefully pulled back to that desolate hill of swords, and giant winding gears once his work here was complete. Despite the many... irregularities to his current assignment, it was still nothing but another mission for Alaya. "Though something tells me the Insect God Cult will not make things easier for me. Your little band of lunatics messed up big time and summoned something that they shouldn't have. I'm here to take care of it."

"Wha- how do yo-!?" Yes, she was surprised, but the reason she cut off at the end wasn't because of her visible astonishment, but because Archer's body blurred as he disappeared from her point of view. It was so swift that in Kaguya's mind, he teleported to her side, picked her up in a princess carry, and moved her out of the way before one of the priestesses outside crashed through the flower-and-vine covered lattice that made the walls of the gazebo.

'I didn't even see him move.' 

"Ugh…," groaned the woman on the ground before them, having sustained minor injuries though nothing major. "K-Kaguya-sama, forgive us! W-we tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen and got violent when we tried to hold her back!" 

"What?" Forced out of her initial shock, she wondered if an enemy had decided to launch a sneak attack. However, from the girl's tone, it didn't seem to be the case. "Who would dare to do such a thing?" 

Anger boiled deep within her chest at the disruption. Had the Insect God Cult broken in to kidnap her once again!? Her question was soon answered by a figure walking towards them in the distance, messy blonde hair swaying slightly side to side. "A-Alicia?" Spoke Kaguya with even more confusion than before, "What's wrong with you? This isn't the time for you to let your anger get the bette—"

Archer stepped forward, swiftly silencing her with a raised hand. "Don't. Something isn't right with her." He stated, narrowing his gaze at the girl as he tightly gripped a blade that seemingly appeared out of nowhere to her. But upon registering his words, she noticed a young girl approaching. A strange red tint adorned her cheeks, similar to a blush, and her gaze, though hazy, remained focused on a single person the entire time.

Raising her rapier, Alicia spoke. "Ever since she crossed paths with you, Prim hasn't stopped singing your praises. Even when she promises not to, I see her drifting into thoughts of you, reacting to the slightest mention of your deeds. Regardless of the menace you've shown yourself to be, she still looks at you with bewitched eyes!" Her voice resonated with a growl, releasing every strand of hatred and frustration that had festered within her. "You know what's funny? She urged me to befriend you, to smile at a murderer who killed OUR ally and made a mockery of us! This… this is an outrage!" 

She appeared delusional, almost in a state of intoxication, a revelation that elicited exchanged glances between Kaguya and Archer. "I wasn't aware you all had an alcoholism problem. Honestly, Maia is already too much to handle." He commented, forcing an eye twitch from the irritated priestess, who valiantly attempted to maintain her usual perfect poker face. 

"Please refrain from such insults, Archer-sama. Alicia has been steering clear of alcohol for quite some time, especially after a particular incident involving her and Maia. She steadfastly adheres to her vow to abstain from such indulgences, considering it distasteful to break a promise." 

"Then mind telling me why the woman before me is inches away from stabbing me, while her face is redder than a tomato?" 

"..." 

"Stop ignoring me, you bastard!" Screamed Alicia, surprisingly refraining from attacking him during their conversation and holding her ground. "I-I don't want Prim to hate me, I d-don't want to have her look at me with scorn — that is a nightmare I'm not willing to live through." 

"Calm down, Alicia. I understand your anger but we are honor bound to follow Celestine-sama's decision and trust her jud—" 

"—Shut up you heretical bitch!" 

"Hwah?" The unexpected response shattered the  Princess Knight's typically composed demeanor. "Something is truly amiss with Alicia." 

"You think so? I hadn't noticed." 

"... We'll pick up this conversation later, it's clear our current circumstances are not the most ideal." The recent loss suffered at the hands of Archer seemed to have shocked the blonde more deeply than Kaguya had anticipated. Though she wasn't present during the attack, she had read the reports. The battle proved to be completely one-sided, with Alicia claiming that the man fought with the aid of Olga and her Dark Magic. 

Meanwhile, as she contemplated the probable cause for this change, Archer approached Alicia as her breathing became more haggard. "Hah… hah… I… hate you." 

"You made that very apparent since the first day we met." Initially, he shared Kaguya's opinion that the girl had probably gotten drunk and came over to cause a ruckus. However, the closer he got, the more apparent it became that something just didn't seem right with her. The flushed face, trembling body, and perspiration glossed skin… Something is definitely going on with Alicia. "You need to learn from your cousin there. I've only known Prim for a few days, but even someone like me can see she has a talent for certain things. Especially when it concerns the affairs of managing an entire kingdom — unlike a certain cousin of hers." 

"Don't you dare… hah… utter her name, you mongrel." 

Archer shrugged, "I'm more than willing to keep my distance from you two if that pleases you. I never had any animosity towards your side, despite all the death threats." Disappointment and pity encapsulated his feelings towards this naive, little girl. So full of flaws yet unwilling to acknowledge them or the consequences of her actions. "But you'll need to make an effort  to rein in your cousin too, I won't bother playing hide and seek if she comes looking for me." 

"No!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, sweat dripping down her forehead as if she were trying to restrain herself. "I-I mean, d-don't misunderstand my intentions, you murderer. I will stay true to my promise to Prim, and will not ask you to stay away from us… a-as much as I'd liked that to be the case."

"Before we continue with this conversation, I believe it's better you get yourself checked out first." 

Out of nowhere, Alicia burst into laughter, her voice echoing across the garden. Archer became even more unsettled by this sudden display. "What is this? Trying to act kind towards me so that I might treat you better and let you near Prim!?" 

"..."

"You don't look convinced, hehehe, want to check for yourself? I don't mind!" Now her personality took a complete turn as Alicia became overly excited, almost ecstatic. Her face drew close to his, and the bowman instantly noticed the absence of any smell of wine or mead. Her mouth came uncomfortably close to his, prompting him to grab her shoulders in an attempt to keep her under control, a move he instantly regretted. 

"AH~!" A loud and sensual moan escaped her lips, her body shaking as Alicia used her rapier for support to remain standing. Both Archer and Kaguya noticed a clear liquid start to slowly drip down her legs. The two might have assumed she had an accident, if it weren't for the sound and body language that Alicia was displaying. Speechless, Archer unconsciously took a step back, an uncomfortable realization settling in his mind, a possibility he found concerning. "D-Don't touch me with your vile Black Magic! I won't be subdued so easily!!!" 

Like a stubborn boomerang, her glare made a triumphant comeback, bringing with it the return of her former self. "I-I've realized how t-to keep you away from Prim without breaking my promise to her." A smug smile emerged on her face as she pointed her blade at him. "Y-You obviously stayed here for a reason, y-you need Celestine-sama's help for something, am I right!?" 

With Bakuya remained firmly in his hand, he was starting to piece together an idea of what had happened to her. Looking at the second Princess Knight, he immediately ruled out the possibility of it being of her own volition. 

"Your point?" In an effort to prevent the girl from spiraling further into whatever was happening, Emiya decided it was better to let her speak for the time being. He was morbidly curious to see what she had to say about him in her current state. 

"I-it is the only way I can protect Prim and Cel… Celestine-sama without forcing you to leave this place promptly or through bloodshed. Though it pains me immeasurably, whatever… task or goal you may have… It will be easier for me to handle. And I can keep an eye on you." She acted like her suggestion was a bitter pill, experiencing physical discomfort after spewing it out. 

Admittedly, those were the last words he expected to hear coming out of Alicia's mouth. She wanted to become his sole ally just to keep him away from Prim and resolve whatever issue he had as soon as possible so he could leave? If it weren't for the Beast, then Emiya would have been more than happy to say yes. But unfortunately…

"You alone are not good enough." Alicia lacked the means to track the shard, unlike someone with Celestine's powers, as per his understanding. In addition, her handling of this  kingdom's matters alone was so abysmal, that  placing his trust in her to aid him in this matter would be madness. 'For god's sake, even Maia is more competent in that area somehow.' 

Feoh's state left him with absolutely zero confidence in her ability to utilize the resources efficiently enough to locate the shard without making it too obvious. 

"W-What's that supposed to mean you bastard!?" 

"I'm afraid you aren't good enough," he admitted again without missing a beat, causing the smug smile on the blonde's lips to vanish. "You don't possess the skills nor the requirements I'm searching for. I'm afraid that refusing Celestine's aid is not an option for me. But, I'm willing to stay away from Prim for free, take it as a token of appreciation for going out of your way to help me." 

Unfortunately for him, the smile on his face was interpreted as a form of mockery by Alicia, her complexion now a deep shade of crimson. "You hold me in disdain…" she whispered, the growl resurfacing as she drew nearer. "Then allow me to demonstrate my worth and refute your assumptions!" 

"—!?" Before he could even respond in kind, Alicia disappeared from her spot and reappeared behind him. It wasn't the speed or her movement that shocked him, but rather the cold touch of a blade — he was met with her grabbing his neck in a chokehold. 

"You're mine now," she whispered next to his ear, her voice a blend of madness and sultriness as her lips delicately caressed the outer edge of his ears. Despite the absence of the stench of alcohol, his nose picked up a familiar scent that caused goosebumps to appear on his skin. Didn't help that her hands started to wander around his body, uncomfortably caressing every part she could. Thankfully, her hands stayed above his waist, but she was dangerously close to passing it. He could feel her body nudging closer to his back, letting him feel her modest breasts.  "Hah… Hah… not so high and mighty after all—ugh!" The gloat ended swiftly as Emiya executed the right technique and speed, grabbing onto Alicia's hand and legs with precision. He countered the girl, throwing her a few distance away from him. 

However, unlike their first fight, Alicia recovered instantly. Her feet pressed forcefully  against the ground, generating a loud bang. She closed the distance between them at a record speed surpassing anything she showed in the past. "Damn it," cursed the man as he kicked away the discarded rapier on the group to keep it out of her reach and evaded the attack. Opting for a clean strike to the neck as he preferred not to engage in physical contact and risk a repeat of the previous reaction. 

"Argh!" Her body went tumbling towards the ground; although faster, she lacked the finesse and control she had  exhibited last time. She resembled a rabid animal, with a hint of drool gracing her face. That strike, delivered with ample force,  should have knocked her out, yet it appeared to have no effect. She got back up in less than a second, displaying no signs of pain awareness. "This… this is weighing me down." 

A second later she grabbed onto her vambraces and tore them off without a care. Continuing her frenzied action, she  ripped away other pieces of her armor, from the leggings to even the pauldrons — leaving behind what resembled a blue bikini-like garment and a small piece of armor around her waist. 

"Huh?" At this point, Archer was wondering how he kept getting into such situations as he spotted her drenched groin, speechless to even comment on it. 

"Stop… stop moving!" Alicia burst forward, losing all of her knightly image and instead showing a face that nearly freaked him out. "I'm doing this for Prim! Yes… Yes, it's for her! You'll only focus on me and no one else, I'll protect them all with my body if I have to!"

"You're crazy!" Deciding to get her under control, he pushed back against the uncomfortable sensation and struck her in the guts with a kick. Not giving her any time to recover, Archer pinned Alicia to the ground, ensuring she couldn't get up. As his hands grasped her wrist with a knee pressing onto her midsection, her body spasmed as another sensual moan escaped  her lips. The look in her eyes had lost all semblance of reason, replaced by a lustful hunger for him. "Did she just…" 

No, this wasn't the time to dwell on this. With a stern glare he turned to face the shocked Kaguya, who remained frozen in her spot at the display. "Are you going to stare all day or help me keep your friend under control!?" Rarely did he lose his composure, but dealing with a girl who exhibited immense pleasure while being under some sort of  lustful concoction or spell was pushing him to his limits. 

"I-I'll handle it!" Trying to maintain her composure, Kaguya came over with a talisman in hand which she took out from her cleavage. Slapping it on Alicia's forehead, it effectively calmed the girl down as her body finally stopped resisting. 

Once again, Archer refused to comment on the absurdity of it all. 

"Hah… I hate this." He said, rolling to the side and taking a moment to gather his wits. "Never did I imagine that I would end up defending myself against a rapist who wanted to kill me." He could already hear Rin's laughter from the other side of reality, that former Master of his most likely finding this whole scenario to be a big elaborate prank by Alaya. 

"Kya!" Much to his chagrin, this little moment of peace barely lasted a second before he heard the scream of Kaguya followed by a muffled moan. Turning his attention around, the priestess somehow found herself pinned down with Alicia now completely naked atop her. The blue pieces of armor were now gone and she was pressing her breasts against Kaguya's chest. Her tongue had invaded the frantic priestess's mouth who could barely resist against it, moaning as Alicia started to rub the talisman covering her nether regions.

"..." 

Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to just walk away from this chaos. Ignoring the pleading eyes of Kaguya wouldn't be that difficult for him, he wasn't one to meddle with such things. But alas, having Kaguya indebted to him or owing him a favor benefited him tremendously. 

"You seem to be enjoying yourself there, don't let me ruin the moment." He joked, approaching the duo as Alicia started slowly disrobing what little was on Kaguya and kneading her chest. The priestess glared at him to do something which just made him sigh. "You owe me for this, don't forget that." 

Rather than knocking her out with a forceful kick and to minimize unnecessary contact, Archer placed his hand on her back and concentrated. The people of this world had a different body without any Magical Circuits, so there was a chance it might not even work, but he had to try. 

"This is going to feel a bit weird," channeling his Magical Energy, he sent a quick pulse to invade Alicia's mind and body. It was sufficient enough to make her go still and limp in the following seconds, causing her to fall unconscious as it thankfully worked, while one of her hands was just above Kaguya's groin. "There we go." 

"Hah… Hah… Hah…" Kaguya breathed loudly, crawling away from Alicia with a hint of fear in her eyes. A strange taste entered her mouth which tasted sweet, but unheeded. "What just… happened?" 

"Isn't it obvious?" Said Archer, extending a helping hand, which she accepted without hesitation. As they walked over to the blonde, she saw him carefully checking Alicia's eyes and even frowned as he smelled her scent. "This doesn't look like alcohol to me and I don't think this was some sort of spell or an action she did willingly."

The smell was far too familiar, given he felt the same effect recently and knew how potent it was. But it couldn't be Radomira, she stayed by his side the entire time and had no outburst like last time. "We may have another issue to deal with here." 

{Break}

"This feels better," after that whole disaster, Kaguya escorted the unconscious Alicia back to her quarters with a couple of healers to investigate what happened to the Princess Knight. She refrained from pressing the matter regarding his knowledge of the Insect God Cult and any plans he had for them, likely still in a state of shock after what transpired.

With some time to spare, Archer left to roam the Kingdom of Feoh. Unable to afford wasting any time, he tried his luck in finding clues about the whereabouts of the Beast. "I can't sense any of her Magical Energy, she must have hidden it or is still in her shard form." 

He didn't fully trust the old man, the assurance that he still had time to prepare and rest felt odd. How could it know that when it didn't have the slightest idea of what a Beast was and what they were capable of doing. Blindly believing in him was a mistake. 

The alleyways were filthy, with all waste being dumped in the middle of a road where a small canal led it outside. It wasn't much of a sewer system; there was just too much waste being thrown. The stench alone would make anyone want to vomit, and there were people slumped on the ground riddled with diseases and severely malnourished. 

"Spare some coins, mister?" A young child, barely seven years old from the look of things, tucked on his cape that hid his features. Haphazardly garbed in tattered rags, and smeared with dirt… he'd seen such a sight countless times yet it never stopped him from sighing at the bleakness of it all. Without saying a word, he slipped some copper coins to the boy — the latter initially flinching at seeing his arm move. There were too many eyes on them for him to give anything of value like silver or gold, as that would only result in the boy getting robbed and possibly even killed. "Thank you!" 

Tussling his hair a bit, Archer showed another copper coin. "Hey there kid, I'm new to the town and would like to have a guide to show me around. Think you're up for the job?" That caught the boy off guard, never having gotten such a request. 

"R-Really? You're not going to hit me like the guards, are you?" He said, souring Archer's mood at some of the bruises he spotted on the boy's face and arms. "I-I won't cause you any tr-troub—"

"—Don't worry, I won't hurt you, I promise." He showed a gentle smile, getting down on one knee and raising a pinky finger. "In my kingdom, they make unbreakable promises by linking two pinky fingers like this. Think of it like a magic spell that I will never break." 

The boy's eyes sparkled with wonder, "Woah! There is a magic spell that can do that? Are you a magician!?" 

"Heh, in a way, I guess. So, what do you say? The better you do your job the more I'll pay you." In an instant, the boy copied his actions and raised his small finger before linking it with his. 

"T-This is my first time seeing a magician! Mama always told me stories about how the great magicians fought against the evil queen to keep us safe. She said how you can summon giant dragons and fly like birds!"

"Is that so?" Archer said with amusement as the boy led him around. "I personally have never summoned a dragon or flown around, so those mages must have been powerful individuals indeed. By the way, what's your name? I can't call you 'kid' over and over after all." 

The boy jumped in shock, having forgotten to introduce himself he quickly scrambled around and gave him a deep bow. "M-My name is Kinla, I-I-It's an honor to meet you."

"Kin…la?"

Kinla nodded his head energetically, "Yes, Mama said she named me after the greatest magician in the world. Sir Kin who will one day defeat the Dark Queen with the Demon hunter Vault. She wants me to grow up like them and become a hero as well." His chest puffed up, pride showing at the origin of his name. 

"Is that so," to others those twisted monsters were a symbol of hope, even if the news of their deaths reached these people, most of the world would see them as heroes — forever immortalized through history for their staunch bravery even when it led to their demise. He gently patted the kid's head, "I don't know about the future, but something tells me you'll become someone far better than them. Your mother must be proud to have a bright kid like you." 

How would the boy have reacted if the Kuroinu had truly won the war and he never came to this plane? He couldn't tell, nor did he wish to imagine such a future. 

"You think so? I don't know, she's never at home and always hangs out with those stupid guards…whenever she comes back home with them they don't even let me talk to her and kick me out of the house." His whispers reached Archer's ears with a tinge of sadness leaking through. "Mama has been working a lot lately, she's always tired and crying. So I wanted to help out and ask for money. But most people throw rocks at me or beat me." 

"...Then I suppose that makes me your first customer, and I'll tell you that you are doing an amazing job." The whole time, the boy brought him all over the lower parts of the kingdom. Each sight just kept getting more depressing than the last, with countless homeless people on the streets on the verge of dying from hunger and rotting corpses swarming with flies in some areas. Kinla on the other hand treated them as everyday sights, showing little reaction, which made it much worse in Archer's opinion. "I see a lot of homes are getting destroyed over there."

He noted in the distance, near the east gateway, dozens of houses were now in rubble with knights surrounding the area and clearing it up. 

"I heard they wanted to build a Cathedral of the Celestine Church. Mama told me to not go near that place, but all the rich people and even Princess Knights were spotted there once. If I can sneak past the knights then I can beg for money there and earn more!" He said with almost blinding innocence, pure eyes gazing back at him without any malice. "When it's done being built, I can give you a tour. They won't block me then."

"Then I'll be waiting for that time, though by then you won't need to beg anymore." 

Afterwards, both walked to the other side of the kingdom where most of the merchants set up stalls, famine and hunger still ran rampant but to a lesser degree. An almost similar sight to Ken, with people selling their fresh produce, merchants displaying walls filled with clothes from different kingdoms but it still lacked the general ambiance of Maia's domain or even Luu-Luu's. 

They continued on their tour as Archer once again failed to find any traces of the shard. An expected result which he accounted for, though the state of Feoh made him that much more disappointed in Alicia. No wonder Grace and Anna detested this place, how it still hadn't fallen by now remained a mystery. 

Slowly, they started to make their way towards the upper region of the kingdom, where more and more luxurious mansions started to appear one after the other. Kinla hesitated at first, stating that someone like him wasn't allowed here or else they would start to beat him. Archer assured him that no such harm would befall him and gave the boy a similar hood to hide his face. "Woah, so this is magic! You're amazing, mister! Ah, by the way, that home belongs to a scary monster." He said while pointing at a mansion in the distance. 

"A monster?" Archer commented, watching an old bearded man get off his horse and look around him. Both exchange eye contact, though the older man just snorted in disgust before entering the house. However, he didn't miss the signal he gave his subordinates.

"Yeah, I heard stories of a giant fat monster living inside, kidnapping young girls. I think his name is… Mitchy Panty? Not sure, but everyone avoids this place, especially the pretty ladies. I saw him once before, he's this big!" The boy opened his arms as wide as he could and made a circular motion with them. "They say he got so big and fat that any clothes he wears always rips right away, so he moves around with his entire belly out. How much bread does he eat to get that big? Some people say he eats those young kids and that's probably true… so let's not get too close."

Archer focused on the window of the mansion, for a brief moment he spotted a woman looking at him. Unfortunately, she disappeared before he could get a good look and left him with just the sight of a few strands of blonde hair. 'Still nothing, everything feels normal here and I'm not sensing any bounded field anywhere.' 

In the end, they passed without incident and continued their little tour. Heading near the castle until they stopped in front of an abandoned building resembling a church. Archer's eyes squinted as he realized they weren't the only ones there. Standing in front of the ruins plucking a red flower from the ground. Beautiful platinum blonde hair swaying from the wind as the little white ribbons of clothing barely hung onto her voluptuous body. 

"Woah…" Kinla was mesmerized by her beauty, eyes sparkling with wonder as he couldn't help but mutter, "She looks like a fairy. She's so pretty…" 

A fairy? Interesting way of describing her. 

"Good morning, Shirou." Celestine smiled as soon as she saw him, a smile that showed no signs of her previous distress or breakdown. Walking over to him, he didn't expect for the woman to wrap her arms around him in a gentle hug. Archer ignored the large, soft sensation that pressed against his chest, "I got scared when I didn't see you around the castle, I almost thought our previous encounter was but a dream." 

"Celestine." Showing no change in his emotions, he greeted her back, glad to see she at least managed to recover from the last time. 

The Goddess Reborn then turned her attention to Kinla, her smile growing bigger as she caressed his face lovingly. A motherly aura surrounded her as a dim light glowed around her hand, removing any and all bruises on his face and leaving behind a perfectly cleaned face. This spell spread all over his body and shocked the boy — even catching the interest of Archer who carefully observed it. "What a cute child you are, tell me young one, what is your name?" 

"K-Kinla." He stuttered, unable to even look into her eyes. 

"Ara, what a nice name you have there. Are you friends with Shirou?" She asked, making him look at Archer as if to ask how to answer the question. 

"He's my guide," thankfully, the bowman came to his rescue. Taking out a small bag filled with copper coins and slowly placing it on Kinla's hand. "Here's your reward, you did better than I anticipated." 

"So much!?" 

"That's not all." Archer took out a single silver coin and put it close to Kinla's chest. "This is a bonus, only use it when you absolutely need to, and never show it to anyone else. They might get jealous. This silver coin can help you in case of an emergency." 

"So this is what a silver coin looks like? It's even better than I imagined! Thank you! I'll make sure to keep it hidden from that stupid-head Gus." 

"That guard who's giving you trouble?" Archer asked as Celestine listened quietly. 

"Yeah, Mama always brings him back home the most and they always make weird sounds at night. Sometimes he drinks too much and hits me or Mama, calling her bad names. He's a stupid bully!" Just about when he was about to leave, Celestine stopped him. 

"Whenever you need help with something or when you are bored, come back here. I'll make sure this place is back to its previous state where you can have fun and eat as much as you want to." She said, giving him a small kiss on the forehead which made the boy blush like a tomato.

"I will!" Kinla waved his hand, "Bye mister magician, you too fairy lady!" 

.

.

.

"Fufufu, a mage and a fairy, children always find the most creative way to describe something." As they got some privacy, Celestine didn't hesitate to intertwine her hands around his, doing so while resting her head against his shoulders. "You have a soft spot for children, your smile hasn't changed the least bit." 

Frowning, Archer pulled his arm away and gave her a stern look. "I rather you not call me Shirou." She saw much of his past without his consent, so he knew she understood the reason behind his words. 

"I refuse," she replied with a cute little pout. "No matter your past history, your beliefs or anything you've said to me before… none of that matters to me. Try to deny it as much as you want, but the Shirou Emiya I've seen and held still exists and hasn't died."

"Even when you've seen me being hanged at the gallows?" 

She once again grabbed his arm, much tighter than before, and refused to let go. "Magic works in strange ways, and gods have different understandings of the living and dead. I… I was shocked at first and couldn't bear to accept the reality that I failed you already. But hope is not lost; you are here now, living and breathing. Regardless of what this entity has done to you, I won't let you be taken away again, Shirou." 

Rolling his eyes at the delusional thinking of this woman, Archer didn't know what to say honestly. "You are clinging onto fictional hope and fail to understand that perhaps I would want to go back as well?" 

"Then I'll give you a reason to stay." She replied without missing a beat. A resolute tone filled her voice as she gave him that answer. "I'll make you eat your words and create a world where we'll be happy together. That is my promise to you."

"Humph, for that, you'll need to have a world to begin with." At that, he felt this was a perfect opportunity to ask what he wanted to mention the entire time. "I need your help tracking something from my world that slipped here, as well as removing a certain cult responsible for its appearance in the first place." 

Celestine smiled, "I'm willing to do anything you ask of me." Oh? This might be a more favorable response than what he had imagined. But before he could continue speaking, Celestine placed her finger on his lips. Hazy eyes stared at him with an emotion he couldn't decipher, something that differed greatly from what he'd seen from Alicia just now. "But for that, I have a few conditions first." 

Something about that smile of hers felt dangerous. 

{Break}

-Castle entrance-

"Hah…" Walking up the main entrance to the castle, Claudia sighed as an avalanche of exhaustion assaulted her mind and body. Having suffered countless migraines and insomnia for the last couple of days had made the entire journey here a pain. But as long as it helped in curing her husband, she didn't mind it. "The knights aren't in their posts, those lazy girls!" 

The place felt a bit empty, half of the people she remembered assigned at the entrance were absent. She spotted more of Kaguya's subordinates than Alicia's keeping watch of the place, which in itself felt like an insult. Despite her growing stress, Claudia's pride as a Princess Knight refused to let such a lack of discipline pass without heavy repercussions.

Especially Alicia, she taught that girl how to handle such affairs and keep a tight watch on the knights, yet even she was absent! No one other than Maia came to greet her arrival and that redhead instantly left after exchanging a few greetings. Apparently searching for someone, though who it was she didn't know. 

"At times like these, they slack around and ignore their duties… Maybe I'm getting too soft on them." She decided, after her conversation with Celestine, that she would spend the following days drilling Alicia and the knights back into shape whether they liked it or not! 

"Radomira-sama! Please come out, it's been two hours already!" Out of nowhere, a woman who Claudia recognized as a former Knight ran across the field with a look of helplessness and worry on her face. Having not even noticed her arrival, she ran straight past the brunette beauty whilst continuing to call for this Radomira person. "Please don't make me look bad in front of Master! I swear I'll do anything!"

Her echo spread across the field.

"Just what is going on here?" Did something happen while she was gone? Getting tired of this, Claudia made haste towards the main throne room, spotting a couple of unconscious priestesses near the garden, a sight that raised a giant red flag in her head. 

As she marched through the hallway, she heard the sound of wings flapping followed by a child's giggle coming from above, a face peeked out of the ceiling. 

"Hewwo!" She greeted with her cheeks full of food, her hands holding onto a couple of apples. She descended, having an angelic smile despite the horn and wings. "Can you help me find Mama?" Said the girl with a mischievous smirk.

At that moment, a single thought flashed through Claudia's tired mind. 

'Cute.' 

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 1 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.