[FDJ]Chapter 29: Close Combat

Suzuki woke up to find that it was already the next morning, around 10 o'clock according to his phone's time difference. Electronic devices were useless in this era, but he roughly remembered the three Servants in the Hun camp, as well as the history of Attila.

After waking up, a female slave standing by helped him get dressed without needing to ask. Outside, soldiers brought warm milk and bread for him.

"Master, did you have a nightmare?"

It was only when Suzuki turned his head that he noticed Saber was praying as if nothing had happened the night before.

"No."

"But just an hour ago, you kept mentioning fire and burning. It doesn't give the impression of a pleasant dream." Saber finished her prayer and took a few steps closer. "Be optimistic, everything will turn out fine."

Feeling a bit embarrassed under Saber's close gaze, Suzuki asked, "What about Berserker, La Hire?"

At the mention of the Servant who caused a commotion in the camp last night, Saber's expression noticeably changed. Meeting someone from her past in the Holy Grail War was not entirely a good thing. "He's outside the tent. It seems that he becomes berserk and attacks people around him if he stays away from me."

Suzuki could sense the wind attribute mana outside. The berserker warrior was still squandering his mana despite not being in battle. "Why does he let his mana overflow outside of battle?"

"I talked to him about it last night, but he can't communicate. Forcing him would only have the opposite effect. I still don't know who his Master is. With his mana consumption, no magus can sustain him for two days. Even within a day, they would be drained of mana by him," Saber said with concern, glancing at the spot where Berserker stood outside the tent. Since returning to the camp, Berserker had been guarding Saber, never straying more than 10 meters away.

Suzuki immediately understood why Saber brought up mana consumption. They were planning to sever the contract with Berserker and find a new Master, but due to Berserker's high mana consumption, they hadn't taken action yet. While it was rare, such methods of seizing a Servant had occurred in some recorded variant Holy Grail Wars in Chaldea, where dominant Masters and Servants might choose to seize other Servants for themselves, provided they had ample mana.

"Speaking of which, who is Archer's Master now?" Suzuki casually asked, not expecting Saber to pay much attention. "Isn't it Attila? Isn't it?"

"Attila doesn't have a Command Spell. I remember Archer mentioning that Attila specially supplies her mana."

"But even so, it's not easy for one person to supply mana to a Servant. Attila is powerful, but she's not a magus. She can only be considered to have some magical talent."

As they stepped out of the tent, indeed, there stood a formidable and imposing figure of Archer, clad in heavy armor that covered his entire body, leaving only his head unprotected.

"...," Berserker saw Saber and Suzuki coming out of the tent and immediately moved behind Saber, gripping his sword, as if Saber was his "Master" and only she could command him.

"The more Servants, the more strength we have," Suzuki felt a sense of fear towards this berserker warrior. In front of Saber, he pretended to remain calm and walked alongside her towards Attila's tent.

Before they could see Attila, a Hun sorcerer hunched over and approached from the other side, coughing occasionally, spitting out a few colorful bird feathers from his insect-like mouth. Saber remembered that the man called himself Attila's sorcerous advisor and his name was Uwe.

"As the great battle approaches, I wish you all great fortune in your martial endeavors," the old sorcerer mumbled a string of incantations in front of them and cast a spell on the three of them, providing protection against arrows.

"Thank you," Suzuki, who had passed out after being drunk last night, didn't remember this old sorcerer and expressed his gratitude. "It's my first time seeing a secret technique that's different from the regular magical system."

"As a guest from a different tribe, you need not thank me. You fight for the great king, and that makes you our Hun companions."

With only two remaining teeth, the old sorcerer trembled as he rambled on with a bunch of nonsense before leaving. Saber immediately dispelled the pagan sorcery that was attached to her body. The sorcerous spell made her holy garments feel like they were smeared with mud, and she didn't mind if the pagans themselves rolled in the mud, but it didn't mean she wanted to be greeted by filthy things.

Later, Saber first dispelled the spell for Suzuki and then turned around to help Berserker.

"You weren't affected by the spell?"

"Berserker seems to have a special resistance to magic." Suzuki noticed the moment when the spell appeared on Berserker, and the sorcery of the sorcerer did not affect him.

Saber didn't attempt to verify it. She took the lead and entered Attila's tent. Guided by the guards, they came face to face with the majestic king.

"You've arrived just in time. According to the spies' reports, the Romans have once again moved their camp closer this morning. It is expected that the official battle will commence within 3 to 5 days. There are special guests in the enemy's camp, and the spies have confirmed that these individuals are not mercenaries and their origins are unknown. There are also Servants among the Roman army." Many parchment scrolls were piled beside the throne of Attila, the king of the Huns. Several generals were already seated in the tent, having just finished discussing strategies to counter the approaching Western Roman coalition forces.

"So, our battle will be in three days?" Saber didn't like waiting, and she was not adept at commanding cavalry warfare. The experts in this field couldn't even speak properly. She had witnessed the equestrian archery skills of the Hun cavalry and their unique hit-and-run tactics, but she had no idea how to apply them on the battlefield.

"No, I have sent Archer to scout outside. I know Aetius, that cunning old magus, won't allow his army to fight together with his Servants. In his eyes, humans participating in battles with your Servants are no different from sending them to their deaths. As cruel as Aetius may be, he would never exhaust the army that maintains his power. Likewise, if my army can be of use in the battle with the Servants, I won't hesitate to deploy them. Unfortunately, the power of humans is insignificant compared to that of Servants."

"My intuition is sometimes accurate. The enemy's Servants might launch a feint attack today to gauge our strength. Suzuki Yuki, you must not join the battle on the front lines in the first engagement. The Assassin-class Servant's allegiance is uncertain, and if he lurks on the battlefield, your life will be in danger."

Attila's words sounded like they were meant to protect Suzuki, but Saber was familiar with this kind of protection that served as a hostage-taking tactic.

"Do you have any suggestions, Saint?" The battlefield is unpredictable, so it's better to prioritize understanding the enemy's strength in the first battle, right?

"Indeed," Saber agreed straightforwardly. With the idea of seeking stability, she didn't have to worry about the rear and could fight without restraint, without her Master accompanying her.

Suzuki could rely on his memory to recall the true names and information of some of the Servants, which was valuable in battles involving Servants. He wanted to follow and assist Saber and the others on the battlefield, but he was also somewhat afraid of Assassin. As Attila had said, if given the opportunity, Assassin would learn how Archer's original Master died.

--*--

The signal for battle sounded at noon, and Archer's arrows shot into the sky, emitting urgent sounds.

Saber and Berserker left the camp together, approaching the location of the encounter. It was about 4 kilometers away, in a forest, a suitable place for Archer to fight.

At that moment, Archer was being pursued by two female Servants. One of them wielded a giant spear that could cause devastating damage with a single strike, likely a Lancer-class Servant. The other Servant held a staff with religious significance, and Archer sensed that she was an enemy of the Caster class.

The divine projectiles neutralized her arrows, and the two Servants continued to approach. While Archer retreated and maneuvered, she shot two arrows of different colors into the sky, signaling the enemy's classes to the approaching allies.

The wooded area favored Archer in battle. She could rely on her agility to leap quickly and occasionally turn around to attack the two opposing Servants with her bow and arrows. In her view, it made no sense for the two opposing Servants to chase after her. There must be other Servants hiding in the shadows, preparing for an ambush. Based on their classes, there was an unidentified Rider and a potential enemy Assassin. The woodland was not suitable for mounted combat unless the Rider had a flying mount.

Several arrows were shot at the Lancer Servant, and the giant spear effectively intercepted half of them, while the rest fell to the ground or embedded in tree trunks. Archer didn't expect the arrows shot casually to hit the enemy. She observed the enemy's spear-handling habits and reaction abilities, preparing for a deadly counterattack. Archer wasn't someone who relied on assistance from allies. If possible, she didn't mind facing one of them alone.

"Trees, intercept my enemy!" Lancer saw Archer slowing down and immediately raised her hand, drawing Rune symbols. The trees under her control rapidly grew, forming a network of branches that blocked Archer's intended escape route.

Archer didn't try to squeeze through the gaps between the branches. She decisively changed her course and moved in the direction closer to "Caster." She couldn't recognize Rune's magic, but she trusted her instincts.

Lancer stopped her next Rune symbol. She had originally intended to ignite a blaze and burn Archer with her mastery of fire.

On the other hand, Jeanne d'Arc and Berserker had arrived on foot at the outskirts of the forest where the battle was taking place. They had just witnessed Archer shooting two arrows with colored tips.

"Saber, can you hear me?"

Suzuki's voice reached Jeanne's ears through the connection of Command Spells, delivering a message.

"Attila saw the signal arrows shot by Archer. There are two enemies in the forest, a Lancer-class and a Caster-class Servant."

"I understand." Jeanne was slightly puzzled. Why would a Caster-class Servant engage in direct combat instead of constructing a defensive position?

Sensing multiple individuals approaching at high speed, Saber signaled for Berserker to halt. "The enemy is coming. Be prepared."

"Oooohhhhhh!" A gust of wind rose as Berserker's eyes were instantly consumed by a crimson color. He raised his giant sword and let out a roar, ready to fight for the Holy Maiden.

Showing a strength two notches stronger than the previous night, Berserker sensed the exact positions of the enemies before Saber. He charged forward, toppling rows of trees in his path.

Archer appeared from the side at the opportune moment. She evaded the prepared Berserker and turned around to shoot an arrow.

The giant spear smashed the arrow as a silver-haired woman, carrying a spear even larger than herself, appeared in Berserker's line of sight.

"Ah-oh-oh-oh!" Swift as the raging wind, Berserker's massive sword, accompanied by shattered tree fragments, came crashing down on the Lancer Servant.

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