[FDJ]Chapter 84: Extra Class
"Alterego ?"
Suzuki couldn't recall Chaldea ever recording this Servant Class, and it sounded more like a composite entity. Compared to the True Name of the Elderly Knight, Don Quixote, there was nothing particularly attention-grabbing about it.
Confusion deepened Suzuki's doubts. Saladin must know what kind of Servant he had summoned, and it wasn't a Servant transferred due to a lack of magical power. After experiencing the reversal in the previous Holy Grail War, Suzuki had learned to be skeptical. Even the seemingly gentle and magnanimous female monarchs might attempt to disrupt the course of history to change it.
According to Chaldea's teachings, in the Holy Grail War, it was best not to trust either side. To obtain the almighty wish-granting machine, anything—contracts, alliances, emotions, blood ties—was fragile and pitiful, regardless of how great the individuals involved were. Suzuki respected every hero in history who had achieved great deeds, but reality had taught him a lesson. If Attila hadn't been stopped by Aetius, the previous Holy Grail War would have led to the destruction of humanity.
"Master, what do you want to say?" Rider Eleanor noticed her Master's hesitation and silence, particularly regarding the class of the Elderly Knight, Don Quixote. She understood what her Master was concerned about, just as she hadn't considered the possibility of Saladin causing trouble. That cunning veteran politician would never miss an opportunity in the Holy Grail War. Eleanor had come into contact with him during the Second Crusade when Saladin was still the young vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. Over thirty years later, he had become the King of the Ayyubid Dynasty, holding the title of Sultan. He was not someone who could be trusted without reservation.
"The class 'Alterego' reveals very little information. Although it's the first time I've heard this term, I can sense extreme discomfort. The first half of the word represents reversal, while the second half denotes self. Therefore, Don Quixote is not the same as the character in the future books—it's even possible that they are opposite." Merely restating the name triggered an inexplicable sense of vigilance once again. This class was not meant for participating in the Holy Grail War. Intuition told Suzuki that if an "Alterego" appeared in a Holy Grail War, it meant that the war's course would spiral out of control.
Eleanor observed her Master's behavior and perceived his fear of the unknown, especially since he couldn't find any information about the "Alterego" occupation, even in memories resembling the "Holy Grail War Encyclopedia" type. If you knew the enemy was an unbeatable deity, you could accept failure. However, when faced with an additional entity with unknown origins and objectives, it seemed that all the learned conventions would no longer apply. For Suzuki, who relied on following orders to act, it was akin to having all limbs broken—a torment.
"Master, what is your decision while Alterego Don Quixote is engaged in battle with Assassin? If we want to catch her off guard, I am confident in my abilities. That is, if the strength of the Elderly Knight is truly as it appears."
Eleanor practically conveyed, "I recommend staying put for now and thoroughly investigating Don Quixote's true nature before taking action. If you truly wish to strike now, I will respect your command." Unfortunately, Suzuki didn't grasp the straightforward meaning behind Eleanor's words. He was still pondering if he had overlooked any information about the Alterego class in his memories from Chaldea. Even a slight hint would help him determine how to deal with this unfamiliar Extra Class Servant.
"No... maybe..." Like a malfunctioning electronic device, Suzuki couldn't make a decision. He couldn't handle the current situation, which surpassed his understanding and knowledge limits. Although he could normally think through problems like an ordinary person, when it came to matters crucial to the Holy Grail War, he wasn't allowed to exercise independent thought. It was originally a convenient and effective design, but now it was causing trouble for Suzuki.
"You're a peculiar person, indeed." Drawing from the partial memories of the previous Holy Grail War and the explanation given by Alterego Master Aphaf, Eleanor had a rough understanding of Suzuki Yuki's true identity. She didn't mind being paired with a young magus who was designed to be her Master. As long as her summoning brought her enjoyment, it didn't matter who the person was. Even the most outstanding humans would be ruthlessly discarded by her. "And I don't mind your background."
Adding a few more words, Eleanor lowered her voice, blending in with the piercing screeches of Assassin, and Suzuki couldn't make out what she said clearly.
After several dozen clashes between the Elderly Knight and Assassin, Assassin continually exposed openings and was successfully defeated by the increasingly smooth Elderly Knight. The heavily injured Assassin, Jane Grey, turned into multiple blades right where she stood and scattered in all directions. This time, she didn't hope to bypass her opponent. The scattered blades lacked any discernible pattern, seemingly attempting to create distance and escape.
Rider Eleanor took action at the opportune moment once again, with a magical crown materializing in her hand. She pointed it toward the Elderly Knight. "Oh, valiant knight! Bestow upon thee the glory of the Golden Sparrow!"
The cursed armor adorning the Elderly Knight instantly revitalized. Starting from the knight himself, a small-scale blessing spread out in the form of purification, engulfing some of the flying blades.
Out of the dozens of flying blades, only three managed to escape the knight, while the rest were all "captured" and fell around him, gradually being stripped of their curses.
Assassin reluctantly materialized again, creating a 15-meter distance between her and the Elderly Knight. As her hands transformed into blades once more, the swift Elderly Knight rushed towards her and pierced her with a single strike. Eleanor's enhanced blessing greatly increased the speed of the Elderly Knight, and although the curses that could affect the blades were weakened, they proved to be fragile against the empowered sword.
Eleanor initially thought that the Elderly Knight would use his Noble Phantasm, hinting at it through her use of the "Crown of the Queen." However, it was evident that the Elderly Knight either didn't possess a Noble Phantasm or had an extremely high anti-magic ability. Eleanor leaned towards the latter possibility and failed in her attempt to catch a glimpse of the Noble Phantasm of the Alterego Don Quixote.
"Vivar, retreat! That Servant possesses the ability Battle Continuation!"
As Aphaf shouted, a massive amount of curses erupted from Assassin in the form of black mist, engulfing the Elderly Knight and everything within a 20-meter diameter, with the cursed mist extending towards the periphery. Aphaf intended to use a command spell but refrained from doing so, repeatedly retreating while using magecraft to create a bounded field isolating the curses.
Suzuki sensed the danger when the Elderly Knight rushed forward to deliver a fatal blow to Assassin. He had perused Assassin's information and understood most of it. The Servant, who appeared to be an evil spirit, constantly emanated curses and fear. It was precisely because her body was filled with such negative energy that the Elderly Knight chasing after her without any protection would be equivalent to triggering a detonation.
"Rider, can you control the emanating curses?"
"I can, but there's no need."
Within a few seconds, the black mist formed by the curses began to dissipate. Aphaf didn't use a command spell, but that didn't mean the other Master wouldn't use one. If he didn't use a command spell soon, Assassin would truly meet her end here.
The Elderly Knight stood in place within the dissipating black mist, covering his mouth and coughing incessantly. The dense curses caused him some discomfort as if he had plunged into a poisonous gas, but he didn't appear to be seriously harmed.
The other Servant was nowhere to be seen. With the previous injuries she sustained and the added damage of being impaled through the throat, she couldn't rely on "Presence Concealment" to hide. Suzuki immediately realized that the opposing Master had used a command spell and urgently recalled his Servant.
"My precious son is not impulsive when it comes to making prudent decisions," Eleanor didn't shy away from acknowledging her son's actions. She always praised Richard promptly, without delay, regardless of whether the snake familiar lurking in the dark grass would relay her words back to him.
As the tension gradually dissipated along with the black mist, Aphaf hesitated whether to approach the battlefield to check on the condition of her Servant. Fortunately, she remained rational and didn't make any mistakes. The undiffused curses could still kill an unprotected ordinary person.
"Damn it, she got away! Cough...," The Elderly Knight's previous appearance of growing stronger as the battle progressed had vanished as if his body had aged just as it had appeared. He complained about failing to kill Assassin while briskly walking out of the range of the black mist.
Suzuki confirmed once again that the Elderly Knight hadn't been affected by the curses. He kept this information in mind, knowing that if he were to turn against the young girl Aphaf and the Alterego Don Quixote, he must be cautious of Don Quixote's suspected high-level anti-magic ability.
"It seems our ally is not as defenseless as they appear. Assassin has been heavily injured, so we don't have to be on constant guard against hidden enemies anymore," Eleanor returned to her chariot, summoned her ethereal horse, and drove the chariot closer to her allies.
"Thank you for your assistance, Lady Rider. I apologize for enjoying the blessings of your crown. I should address you as Queen Eleanor, shouldn't I?" The Elderly Knight wasn't as constrained as his own Master. One moment he was cursing the enemy in his hometown dialect, and the next he switched back to a respectful knightly demeanor, addressing Eleanor with gratitude.
"Haha, you're too kind. We are allies now. Since I'm not suited for close combat myself, I could only provide blessings and empowerment from a distance just now. Whether in life or death, I only hold the titles of Duchess and Queen, but if we're talking about who is qualified to be called a queen, it would be Assassin who fought you just now," Eleanor's happiness couldn't be concealed by polite refusal. She accepted flattery from others and enjoyed it. Of course, when it came to crucial moments, she wouldn't take any of it seriously. Anyone can be killed when it's time to strike.
"I didn't introduce myself earlier, my apologies. With age, it's easy to forget important things. My true name is Don Quixote de Vivar, but I have descended as an Alterego due to special circumstances," Don Quixote, the Elderly Knight, didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with introducing his name. He didn't explain his current peculiarities and still concealed his information from Suzuki Yuki and Rider Eleanor.