Chapter 135 : A moment of sincerity

Saber entered the bedroom she shared with her Master, when Alessandro saw her in her bathrobe he blushed for a moment but then resumed reading the sheets that Friedrich had left him. Saber, noting that he was very busy with those sheets, asked:

« What is it about? »
« Sheol is stalling, Saber. She's playing with us. Wherever she goes she brings destruction ... but I perhaps know how to destroy her: by destroying the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil. It would be nice if it really worked. » He sighed: « But there's something I have to tell you, Saber. »
« Tell me then, I'm listening. »
Alessandro got up from his chair, put the papers on the desk, and said:
« I never told you about myself and I think I've to apologize to you for this. I have thought about it a lot and I realize that you attach great importance to our friendship. I'm sorry for being such an idiot with you. But you have to understand that these things are difficult for me but ... err .. you want to be my friend, yes? »
« Yes, it's true. I would love to be your friend, Master. I don't just want to be your Servant. » She confirmed, smiling.
« Can I at least ask you why? What do you gain from being my friend? »
« Well ... » Saber approached Alessandro and started stroking his hair: « In Rome friendship was of great importance, in some cases more than love. I know I've never been an expert in love, but ... »
« But what? »

« I want to be honest, Master, I don't know what will happen between the two of us in the future ... but whatever happens I want your trust, after the battle against Rider I know I've disappointed you and I promise that it will never happen again. I promise you not as Servant but as a friend. »

« Saber, I ... »

« I know you look at me like I'm some sort of criminal. I know I shouldn't have killed those people and I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. »

« Saber ... you're not a criminal. »

« So who am I for you, Master? »

« I ... for now I just want to see you as a friend. But ... I want to know you better. »

The girl hugged Alessandro with a heart full of joy, he returned the hug and hugged Saber satisfied with having made her happy.

But then that happiness became restlessness and Alessandro separated from Saber, his head was clouded by inauspicious thoughts, the future seemed dark to him.
« Is something wrong, Master? You seem worried. »
He looked at her with anguished eyes and replied:
« I'm afraid, Saber. I'm afraid of dying. This war really scares me ... »
Alessandro then began to tell of his nightmares, of what he had learned from Friedrich and then he took advantage of that moment to also tell her about how he ended up in the Coven. Saber, at that moment, realized the fragility of her Master, understood for the first time that feeling she had when he evoked her: she was in front of a person who had suffered a lot and who was still living a life full of unhappiness.
She cried.
« Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so pathetic. » Said Alessandro.
« You're not pathetic ... you're strong. If despite all that pain you still manage to go on then it means that you're stronger than you think. As a friend, I swear to you that I'll do everything necessary to guarantee your victory. You won't die, I swear to you. »

« That day ... when I summoned you, I was sad, really sad. I was sad because I had been involved in a war against my will. I don't want anything and I've never wanted anything from the Holy Grail. I just want a peaceful and happy life. »

« I will give you that happiness. With my body, my soul and my blade I, Gaius Julius Caesar, descendant of Venus and Mars, belonging to the gens Iulia, descendant of the First King, Romulus, swear to you that I will dedicate myself to your cause until the end of times. »

« Thanks, Caesar. »
« No, thank you, Alessandro, I'm glad to be your friend. » She hugged him again and kissed his cheek.

Alessandro and Saber by Bikowolf

Chapter 134 : New path

February 2, 2021 - Day 7

It was night. Friedrich and Specter had returned to Alessandro's apartment with their suitcases, he decided to have them placed in the living room and they gladly accepted. After a pizza dinner the two girls stayed in the dining room while Friedrich asked Alessandro to follow him into the bedroom, closed the door and suggested that he sit on the bed because he had many things to report to him:
« This afternoon I met Dorian and he gave me things that terrified the magi of the Clock Tower. Here you are. » He handed Alessandro some sheets of paper which he had folded in his jacket pocket.
Alessandro took a look and saw a map of Sheol's movements, she had been practically everywhere: Japan, India, Russia, Iran, Egypt, China, Brazil, Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, Congo, Algeria, Greece, United States, Canada and Australia. Those had been her movements in chronological order. They were completely random, there was no logic.
« She's stalling. Why? » Alessandro asked, worried.
« For fun, perhaps? I don't know. The Mage's Associations is frightened, wherever she has set foot there have been famines, diseases and natural disasters. We two have not paid much attention but lately the newspapers have not talked about anything else. »
« The Grail. » Alessandro intercalated: « She don't want the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil. If she had wanted it, she would have come here immediately. She's probably not interested in it. »
« Yours is just a guess. »
« But it could be true. In addition ... there's one thing that we've not thought about, it was the Grail that allowed Sheol to manifest in this world. Precisely because the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil is so powerful and anomalous it gave that monster the opportunity to take part in the war. If we destroy the Grail, perhaps we can prevent Nidhoggr from destroying the world and we can also destroy Sheol. »
« What if Yukiko was right? What if we were destined to die again this time? »

Alessandro got up and looked out the window.
« You know ... I have been having nightmares for some time, they're almost always identical to each other, they're very realistic and in these I see the end of the world. I feel like I can see the future. »
« The end of the world? »
« Yes. »
« Who do you see in these dreams? Do you see by chance a girl with pink hair, green eyes and with a black Gothic dress and a long sleeve? » Friedrich asked anxiously.
« Yes, right! How did you guess it? »
« Yukiko. She's Yukiko Kumahira. If you've seen her in your dreams it's probable ... but it's a very forced theory, that you see the previous world through dreams. »
« This is absurd. »

« I know, but there's no better explanation. »

« God? »

« No. If Yukiko wants to bring the end of the world at any cost, it means that even in the previous cycle she must have done it and if you make nightmares about her it's possible that you fought against her in the previous cycle, so maybe ... you can know her way of doing and we can try to stop her. If we stop Yukiko we can destroy the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil without having to worry about Sheol. »
« But how is it possible that I have memories of something that technically never happened? »
« I don't know, I'm not an expert on these things. But maybe I could ask Dorian. Tomorrow morning we will meet him, we must prepare, don't you think too? »

« Yes, good idea. »

Chapter 133 : Sergei Rybakov

January 7, 1995, Grozny

Sergei Rybakov had been sent to Chechen to fight the war that had erupted the previous month. Just three years earlier, he was a novice within the Order of the Blessed and was now in the epicenter of a conflict that seemed endless. That night, in a building completely abandoned and crushed by the explosions of the morning before, Sergei was lurking in a room, sitting a few steps from the shattered window. Three Russian soldiers who were with him got up to change the observation point. Igor Yerzov entered.
« Sergei, I've bad news: Vorobyov is dead. Orders have changed, tomorrow we'll protect the soldiers. »
« And that Islamic magus? What do we do with him? »
« After the clash we had today I don't think he will have enough magical energy to hurt our men, for a while he shouldn't bother us. »
« Why am I here? » Sergei asked, worried.
« You're a good magus. You have a magical energy control that is truly exceptional. »
« Yet I don't feel ready for this life, Igor. Do you believe in me too? »
« I think you're good but ... you have to grow up. You're too naive. »
« What are you talking about? »
Igor closed the door behind him and began to speak in a low voice so as not to be heard by the soldiers:
«Two days ago we were ordered to eliminate all the magi enemies. They were Islamic, they had to be killed, you knew it, yet I saw you save a man that begged you to be spared. If I hadn't intervened ... »
« I'm not an animal. I don't want to kill mercilessly. I want to be compassionate, I want to be a true Christian not a murderer who kills in the name of God. » Sergei said, getting up from his chair suddenly.
« Lower your voice. »

« Why? I'm not ashamed of being a human being. »

« Be ashamed of being insubordinate, Sergei. If you are ordered to kill, you must kill. Don't think, don't ask why, just kill. »

January 10, 1995

The Russian bombing of the Grozny Presidential Palace had begun. Sergei and Igor were commissioned to protect the soldiers from attacks by some enemy magi. During the battle someone hit Igor in the back injuring his arm, Sergei saw the magus run away, helped his friend to get up.
« Igor! Igor, are you okay? »
« Don't think about me! Kill that asshole! »
Sergei was hesitating, Igor screamed again:
« Kill him, Sergei! »
Sergei ran after the magus and then came into a small house where there was only one poor family who was frightened to see him enter. The father stood before his wife who embraced the three children who trembled like leaves; the woman wept and begged for mercy. Sergei apologized, left the house but was hit by a magic bullet that wounded his shoulder. The magus was inside the house.
Sergei was injured, he left. He didn't want to fight the enemy in a house with an innocent family inside. He saw Igor arriving enraged:
« I knew it! I knew you were going to be a fool once again! »
Igor, despite being injured, pushed Sergei and threw a fireball from his hand. The house burned.
« NO! NO! Igor, there were people in there! There were civilians! » Sergei screamed in tears.
« Fuck you, Sergei! There was no one in there! There was only the enemy and the enemy only! »
« No! There was a family! They had nothing to do with this fucking war! They were innocent! Why did you kill them? »
« This is war, Sergei! Deal with it! »

Sergei fell into tears in front of that stake, the smell of burnt flesh together with that of wood gave him a sense of nausea, his wet eyes burned from the smoke, slumped to the ground, Sergei asked for forgiveness for he did to the family:
« I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please ... may your souls forgive me! May the Lord have mercy on me! »

That nameless face accuses me in the night,
That house inhabited by flames calls me at every sight,
My nights in Chechen are red.
I sleep, I die, I breathe, I suffocate.

Sergei Rybakov by Bikowolf

Chapter 132 : The saint and the murderer

Piccadilly Circus. Sergei Rybakov had stopped to admire the splendid luminous signs, enchanted like a cat, he watched the digital writing flow and meanwhile he was thinking about the war. His thoughts were obscure, they only involved destruction and death in the Holy Grail War, he had made yet another nightmare the night before: he was in prison, after being defeated by a girl, and from the small window he saw the stars die, one by one, devoured by black and then death came.

That day Sergei went to St James' Church Paddington where he prayed. Despite being an Orthodox Christian, Sergei, needed to turn to God, even if he was in a Protestant church, he needed to feel safe because nothing was certain in that war.
Leaving the church he met Tetsuya Murakawa who was clearly waiting for him. Sergei immediately sensed that he was a Master but ignored him.
« I don't want to kill you, I just want to have a chat with you. »
« We're enemies, it makes no sense to speak to me. »
« I was very careful to stalk you when I could have murdered you without problems, generally I don't reserve this special treatment to my enemies. »
« Why did you follow me here? Do you like the idea of ​​speaking in front of the house of the Lord? »
« I was just curious. » He lit a cigarette: « I didn't think you were religious. »
« You don't believe in God? »
« I only believe in myself, but I'm not here to tell you the story of my life. I want to know one thing: you're the Master of Assassin, right? »
« Yes, so what? »
« I had the "privilege" to witness the clash between your Servant and Archer, a really interesting battle. »
« Get to the point. » Rybakov exclaimed hurriedly.

« The bad luck of having a Lancer-class Servant is that I can't afford to get rid of the Masters stealthily. Only an Assassin-class Servant can do such a thing. Therefore … »

« You want my help. Why? »
« There are annoying Masters in this war, especially that of Specter. I don't like him and I want to get rid of him but I need you. »
« I had already tried but his Servant is very good and she saved him. »
« Maybe I can help you this time. »
« How can I trust you? »
« Useless question. » He threw the cigarette butt at Rybakov's feet: « We're at war, sooner or later we will kill each other. I'm not asking you to become my best friend, I just want to work with you to eliminate some Masters. Then I'll kill you. »
« I appreciate your sincerity … »

« So? »
« Гусь свинье́ не това́рищ. (Gus' svin'ye ne tovarisch) » He said with a disgusted expression.
Sergei turned his back on Tetsuya and left. Tetsuya didn't tolerate being treated that way and so he followed the man, grabbed his shoulder and turned him over; Rybakov punched him and Tetsuya parried him and kicked back; Rybakov took his leg and threw him in the middle of the street but Tetsuya landed on his feet.
« You made a mistake, Russian. »
« The mistake I made was to have listened to you. »
Tetsuya raised his middle finger in response and left. Sergei Rybakov didn't delude himself that he had finished the matter, he knew that sooner or later he would meet Tetsuya again.

Murakawa Tetsuya and Sergei Rybakov by Bikowolf

Chapter 131 : Frienship

February 2, 2021 - Day 7

Alessandro had just returned to his apartment that morning. There was only Saber in casual clothes who was reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, Friedrich and Specter had gone out to meet Dorian Benard, and so Alessandro was alone with his Servant.
« How's it going, Saber? »
« I finished the book on Napoleon and now I'm reading this. I know that some passed it on orally, in Syria and Egypt, I didn't know that there was a written version of this poem. »
« I've something for you, consider it a gift of reconciliation. »
« What's that? » Saber asked curiously.
« Your imprint. This text is recognized worldwide and is loved by practically everyone. »
Alessandro took a book out of a plastic bag, showed it to Saber and said:
« The Commentarii de bello Gallico. »
« Where did you find it? » She asked enthusiastically.
« They sell it in bookstores, as I already told you it's a very famous book ... »
« "Gallia est omnis divided in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur.". Isn't it beautiful as an incipit? One of a kind. Wait. What's this stuff written nearby? »
« The translation for those who don't know Latin. »
Saber glanced shockedly at Alessandro and exclaimed:
« You don't speak latin ?! »
« No, but you're not either ... »
« Since when?! »
« For some time, but Saber ... you're not talking it either ... »
« And in Rome? What language do you speak? »

« Italian. »

« What the hell is "italian"? Where did latin go? Where did the mother tongue of Rome go? »
« A moment! You're asking too many questions, Saber! It's not easy to keep up ... »
« That's why you told me that this city is not Londinium but London! Barbarians! You barbarized the beautiful language of Rome! The world is over! » She exclaimed theatrically.

« Isn't this reaction a little exaggerated? No? »

« I wrote grammar books ... and for what? My precious De Analogia ... is now useless. Cicero was right, my works have been thwarted by history. This is a nightmare! I can't believe I will have to give it to Cicero! »

« Sa-Saber ... uhm ... you know ... »

« But do you know what it means for me to agree with Cicero? It means questioning my dignitas! Dignitas! Do you know what it means? Stultus! Obviously you don't know! Nobody will ever know because nobody has ever had to endure Cicero's long and endless speeches! »

« Saber, you're exaggerating a bit, don't you think? And then you don't speak latin either, haven't you noticed? »

« Huh? » Saber stopped and looked at Alessandro with two incredulous eyes.

« You're not speaking latin. »

« No ... »

« Yes. »

« No. »

« Look, if no one speaks latin and if you are the only one who speaks it then why does everyone understand you? Maybe ... MAYBE you don't speak latin. »

« Oh ... » Saber realized that Alessandro was indeed right.

« See? Easy peasy lemon squeezy. »

« Oh dear me ... »

« Saber? »

« Oh, Venus, what happened to my fluid latin? What have you done? »
« Er ... I don't know. I don't know how these things work, but you aren't speaking

latin. »
« I need something nice. » She leafed through the book hastily: « "Caesar exposito exercitu et loco castris idoneo capto, ubi ex captivis cognovit quo in loco hostium copiae consedissent, cohortibus decem ad mare relictis et equitibus trecentis, qui praesidio navibus essent, de tertia vigilia ad hostes contendit ..." »
« Okay, I understand! Sorry if I don't speak latin. »
« No, don't worry, I forgive you. I've seen worse in my life. » She said closing the book.
« What have you seen worse? »
« The face of Ariovistus. »
Alessandro then approached Saber and with a more serious expression asked her:
« Tell me one thing: what do you think of Specter? I saw that you made friends. »
« Why do you ask? » She asked, perplexed.
« I want to be sure that you care about this alliance as much as I do. I don't want to fight Friedrich, that's all. »
The boy walked away leaving Saber with that unsatisfactory explanation. She took him by the wrist, Alessandro turned around.
« Did I say something wrong? »
« What do you find in Friedrich so important? Why do you care to be his friend? »
« I already told you: I know he understands me. I feel it. There's nothing more. »

« This gift ...» Saber showed the book and then threw it on the floor: « It doesn't matter if you keep treating me like a stranger. I tell you all about me but you don't tell me anything about yourself. You don't make me share in your emotions. »
« Do you want some latin? » He asked, annoyed: « Here's your latin: firmissima est inter pares amicitia. Give it a reason. The friendship between two similar people is the strongest and easiest. You are a Servant, you're here today, but when the war ends ... you will no longer be with me. Tying myself to you could cause me unnecessary pain, and I don't want to suffer. I want to be happy. So leave me alone. »

« So what does the book mean? »

« I just want there to be no hatred between us. It's not asking too much, right? »

« What about friendship? »

« I'm sorry Saber. But you can't ask me to suffer again. I'm tired. »

Alessandro was about to leave.

« You're wrong. » Saber said.

« What? »

« You're wrong. You're just wrong! Bonding with someone means being ready to suffer. Suffering is part of the passion of life, one cannot live without suffering, without suffering pain, otherwise one cannot grow. Any friendship involves pain, but there is also beauty because there are unforgettable moments full of happiness. You're a boy who has certainly suffered ... I don't know ... but you cannot force yourself to stop suffering otherwise you will never grow up. » Saber exclaimed.

« You're right ... you don't know therefore you don't have the right to give your opinion on my life choices. »

Alessandro left the room. Saber knew she was right and even though Alessandro was stubborn she set herself a goal: to change Alessandro's heart.

Saber and her book by Bikowolf