Teaching Fate

Mordred Pendragon, Saber of Red, was not pleased with the current development of having a new Master after her old one signed a Geas Contract to have his curse lifted in exchange for her and information on the Red Faction. To add to the situation, her father, Artoria, is the Saber of Black which fills the Knight of Treachery with a complex mix of emotions. Ultimately, she decided to keep her identity hidden as it would be too awkward a conversation to speak with her father about anything.

" Mordred, mind removing your helmet?"

The Saber of Red's thoughts came to a halt at her new Master's request and his knowing her name. She looked at her former Master, Kairi, but he shook his head to convey he had not said anything about her. Mordred stiffened at hearing Artoria calling her name.

" Mordred, is that truly you?"

Oh, how the Knight of Treachery wanted to find a hole to hide in to avoid this situation after everything that happened between her and her father. The Saber of Red's shoulders sagged as she sighed and decided just to confront this matter as straightforwardly as she could and removed her helmet. Mordred then curtly said to Artoria while avoiding direct eye contact.

" Father."

The King of Knights was also feeling awkward in facing her son, and Silva decided to break the tension by asking the Knight of Treachery.

" Mordred, am I correct in assuming your wish is to prove yourself worthy of kingship by taking the same test as Artoria by pulling Caliburn from the stone as she did?"

" How?!"

" I did some research into the Throne of Heroes and the Heroic Spirits residing within through my own unique methods."

Mordred looked at her new Master with a stunned expression, and Artoria frowned as she did not wish for her son to follow the same thorny path she did.

" Mordred, don't-."

" Am I that unworthy in your eyes, father!?"

The Saber of Red lost her temper as she the disapproval in Saber of Black's eyes could finish her sentence. Mordred then declared with finality.

" I will prove myself worthy of being your heir, father, regardless of your opinion!"

Artoria saw that Mordred was going to be stubborn and decided to drop the matter for now. Silva then offered.

" Mordred, if your goal is the Sword of Selection, then I know how to achieve it without using the Grail yourself."

" How?"

The Knight of Treachery asked the Demon King with a look of interest, and he explained.

" My goal is the Second Magic in hopes of returning home but with the Second Magic, it would be possible to find a World Line where Artoria never drew Caliburn for whatever reason, and it remained stuck in the stone awaiting a worthy king. So my offer is for you to work with me in exchange for the chance of facing the Sword of Selection."

" Deal! But double-cross me, and I will make you regret it."

" Says the Knight of Treachery."

Silva shot back with a mischievous smile, making Mordred pout, not that she would admit it. Kairi looked at the interaction between the two with mild interest but shrugged as it did not matter so long as he got his curse removed. The necromancer then interjected.

" About my curse, Lord Branwen."

" Don't worry. The Casters and I will examine it in the morning and then work out the best way to deal with it."

" Very well then, Lord Branwen."

Kairi took Silva at his word since the Geas Contract was in effect, unaware of the Demon King's biggest advantage of being able to break free of Geas with relative ease. Irisveil then asked Silva as Illyasviel yawned and rubbed her eye.

" Should we call it a night, Silva?"

" Might as well since-."

The Demon King picked up on another surge of Mana near Team 3 and wondered what Lorelei was up to with this assault.

***

Bazett Fraga McRemitz was with her Lancer Class Servant, Cú Chulainn, as she followed the plan of Lorelei to test the waters of Fuyuki. She various rumors of the Demon King of Japan's capability but chalked up most of them to just that, rumors. Outside of what the Queen of the Clock Tower already told the Red Faction from her confrontation with the Demon King, the information backed by evidence on him as a Mage was surprisingly limited despite his infamy. The Lancer of Red yawned with a bored expression and asked.

" Master, can we go ahead and get this show on the road already? I'm itching for a fight."

While the God Holder was glad to meet the hero, she was expecting someone more broody than carefree, considering his legend. The Master of Red sighed with exasperation and said.

" We need to wait until another one of the Masters of Black gets closer in order to ensure that we don't have to deal with multiple enemy Servants at once."

" Oh, come now, Master, don't threaten me with a good time."

Cú Chulainn replied with a grin as he was excited to face strong foes. His grin grew wider as he felt the Mana signature of a Servant get closer and alert Bazett.

" Hey, Master, are they close enough now?"

" Yes, they are sufficiently close enough, Lancer."

The Lancer of Black charged in the direction of his enemy, with his Master not far behind. They soon came face to face with Skadi, Scáthach, and Shuten. The Witch of Dún Scáith saw her old student and commented.

" Oh? Sétanta, you were summoned?"

Cú Chulainn broke out in a cold sweat as he asked his Master.

" Hey, Master, am I drunk, dreaming, or hallucinating? Because I am seeing two Teachers in the same place."

Bazett asked in turn.

" Teacher? As in, your teacher?"

" Yep, the one and only, Scáthach, or at least there should only be one Teach instead of two."

The Master of Black saw the two identical women, Scáthach and Skadi, and felt unsure at what she was seeing. The Heroic Spirit of the Witch of Dún Scáith aside, the other woman was a mystery to her, along with the little horned girl. Scáthach drew out a pair of Gáe Bolg, which surprised the blue-haired Lancer, and she said with a smile that Cú Chulainn was all too familiar with as she had the same smile when she decided one day to make his training far more difficult.

" I hope you have improved, Sétanta, as I will be disappointed in you if you have been slacking off for some reason or another."

The Lancer of Black then begged his Master.

" Master, send me to fight monsters or undying fiends, but please, please don't make me face Teach, especially when there are two of them!"

Bassett was at a loss for words.