1.2 Three Magicians plus a Pirate and a Cowboy - Part 2

Accursed guns. Of all the weapons that these fiendish Magicians bring against me, guns are both the most annoying and the most wondrous.

- Sir Galahad de Luc of the Round Table

***

“Nothing personal buckaroo,” says the Servant in a strange accent as he looks down solemnly at me.

I take the opportunity to Analyse his weapon. And I am baffled by the results.

It is made of steel and wood, but beyond that, it is utterly baffling and terribly inconsistent. I can’t make heads or tails of it.

It takes me a moment to realise the problem. It isn’t my magic that is faulty. No, I am Analysing the weapon just fine, but I simply don’t understand what I am seeing. It makes sense I suppose. I do have no idea on what the weapon is so it stands to reason that I would be unable to understand how it works.

Unfortunately for me, that moment it takes me to work out what happened is enough for the Servant to attack me again. One, two, three of the small metal projectiles slam into my chest, burying their way into my flesh.

I cry out in pain as my skin and muscle is broken by these attacks, the metal projectiles being stopped only by my Reinforced Ribs.

This is one of those times that while I am extremely grateful for the Holy Grail healing any wounds or sickness that I suffer, I really wish it also prevented me from feeling pain as well.

At least it still stop me from dying to these wounds, something which no mundane and most Magicians would be incapable of avoiding.

Time to show these guys what I can do.

Leaping off of the ground, I Reinforce one of my knives and slash at the weapon pointed at me, even as I begin to Chant.

“My Hands take!” I begin as knife in my hand tears though the metal weapon wielded by the Servant and I throw my other knife at the Servant’s shoulder.

The Servant jolts back as the Magicians behind all gasp or let out exclamations of their shock. I grin. It is so satisfying to show up these foolish Magicians. While the Servant loses one of his weapons, my thrown knife misses it mark.

Oh well, I suppose that was to be expected. This is my first time throwing a knife.

“Joy in Duty!” I continue as I draw back my hands for another attack on the Servant.

The Servant kicks me in the chest, sending me flying backwards into the group of Magicians.

“Joyeuse!” I finish and the Holy Blade materialises in my empty hand.

I might have been separated from my original target, but I am surrounded by new ones. I slash at the legs of a Witch in red and gold before swing Joyeuse up at the arm of the Witch in blue and silver.

Both witches scream in pain as one of their limbs is detached from their body. I ignore them as I spin around, gripping Joyeuse in both hands, ready to stab the Warlock in the chest.

I don’t a chance as I hear a bang and another of the metal projectiles slams into my side. I’m knocked off my feet and thrown to the side by the impact.

Hades, I completely forgot about the other Servant.

Unlike the previous times, the bullet doesn’t break my skin, merely bruising it instead. When I summon one of the Three Holy Blades, my body partially takes on its aspects. A result of the fact that I carried them over the years, they have become one with my soul.

While it primarily manifests as sharpness in my strikes, Joyeuse does strength my body. And combined with my Reinforcement, it is apparently enough to resist the might of these metal projectiles.

As I get to my feet, I hear another bang before another of the metal projectiles slams into my chest. The shot staggers me and I fall over once again, landing on my buttocks.

I grunt in annoyance. This fight isn’t going well. Sure I’m winning and all, but that is only because I don’t die when I’m killed. If I was, I would have died before I even got a single attack in.

At least in this battle, being outclassed isn’t going to be defeat for me.

“Get us out of here!” shouts the Warlock as the Witches laying at his feet, cry out in pain.

Scrambling to my feet, I charge at the Servant standing by Shiraishi as she pulls out another of her strange weapons.

While the Servants are still the biggest threat to me here, I still need to remember why I am fighting this battle. I need to save Shiraishi before she bleeds to death. And to do that, I will need to beat this sword-wielding Servant.

Scrambling to my feet, I grip Joyeuse in both hands and charge at the Servant. She aims at her weapon at me and fires a metal projectile at me with a bang, but this time I am actually ready for it.

While I’m not fast enough to dodge it entirely, I am able to move quickly enough so that it only glances off of my arm, leaving nothing more than a slight bruise. And it doesn’t slow me down in the slightest.

I swing at the Servant and she raises her own weapon to block. Our weapons clang as the two blades clash and both are knocked away by the force of our strikes. But I quickly recover and bring Joyeuse down on the Servant’s shoulder.

The blade of the Holy weapon cuts through the flesh and I pull the blade out. The Servant’s sword comes flying down at me, but I block it with my arm. I flinch as the steel blade cuts into the flesh of my arm, but the wound is light. While by all rights it should have cut my lower arm in two, Joyeuse and my Reinforcement have prevented the blow from being anything more than minor.

With my opponent’s sword arm occupied and the other arm disabled, I move in for the kill. I stab forward with Joyeuse using my free hand. The silver blade pierces the chest of the Servant.

I grin at the shocked Servant and she staggers back as I yank Joyeuse out and her own weapon exits the flesh of my arm. With the weapon no longer in my body, the Holy Grail gets to work, using its Holy power to heal minor cut in my arm.

I am starting to enjoy this. Who knew battle could be so thrilling?

“Servant!” shouts the Warlock from afar, “We are leaving!”

Despite the fatal injury in her chest and the less fatal injury in her shoulder, the Servant jumps up onto the roof of the building. I pause and glare up at her.

By all rights, that Servant should be dead by now. But that is rather hypocritical of me considering that I should have died at least half-a-dozen times myself.

The Servant pulls out one of her weapons that shoots the metal projectiles. She aims it at me, but doesn’t pull the trigger.

“Servant!” shouts the Warlock again and this time, I look around for him, but he, the other Servant or the injured Witches aren’t in sight, “Now!”

“We’ll meet again,” spits the Servant standing above me, glowering at me as she holsters her weapons, “Make no mistake about that boy.”

I ignore her as I turn my attention to Shiraishi, the whole reason that I fought this battle.

1.2 Three Magicians plus a Pirate and a Cowboy - Part 1

Servants. Beings forged from Magic and given life with a Soul, Servants are one of the greatest creations of the Magical Affairs with each one easily being twice or thrice as powerful as an ordinary Magician.

- Magical Affairs Standard Textbook for Beginners in Witchcraft

***

I was alerted to the battle by the explosion on the other side of the courtyard. In the process of creating another fruit, I ceased that spell in an instant, instead directing my magical energy to Reinforcing my body.

I might have no idea of what I am up against, but strengthening my battle would be a good move in almost any situation that I can think of.

Otherwise, I do nothing else magic wise. While I do have good reserve of Shiki and Ofuda at home, I don’t exactly go around carrying them with me. It isn’t like I have truly needed them before and carrying such things would easily blow my cover.

Not to mention how dangerous it would be to be caught with such things on me. While there are many Warlocks out there, Onmyodo is an effectively non-existence art and is punished by death at the very minimum.

So yeah, keeping such things on me would be stupid and dangerous. Of course, that same could be said of not having them on me, but it isn’t like I actually have had any need for them before.

And as for the Three Holy Blades?

Like I’m going to summon so those casually. I want to save those ancient, holy weapons for when I need them. No revealing my trump cards earlier than necessary.

Now, time to do something reckless.

Moving at normal human speeds as to avoid giving away my Reinforced body since I may need advantage to be hidden, I run out the pantry and to the door leading out into the courtyard.

As I reach the door, I hesitate as I spot a couple of knives laying out on a work surface. Some lazy idiot must have left those out, but it is to my luck for I now have a pair of mundane weapons available to me.

I turn and grab the two blades quickly before heading to the exit again. I hear the swish of a sword followed by a cry of pain and some cruel, haughty laughter. I hope arming myself has not cause a death of an innocent.

I almost pause as I recognise the voice that the cry of pain belongs to. The girl is an older student at the school, a raven haired girl with two years of age on me called Shiraishi Shizuka.

Too easily I pieced together what has happened. Some young Magicians here for the Hunt of Servants have decided to drop by the school in their search and encountered Shiraishi. From there, they must have felt like having some fun with the mundane.

Time to show them exactly who I am and I am able and willing to do.

I burst out into the courtyard and it takes me less than a second to realise how badly I have misjudged the situation.

The scene that awaits me isn’t just a few Magicians picking on Shiraishi, but three Magicians and two Servants. And a dying Shiraishi with her chest slashed wide open.

As much as I want to worry about Shiraishi and the bloody mess that she is currently in, the two Servants are a much higher priority right now.

I don’t know much about Servants, but I picked up a little from my adoptive father and filled in most of the blanks with what knowledge is known by the mundanes.

Servants are magical warriors that serve a Magician and bound to obey the commands of their Master. While they can be mundanes, most Servants are usual powerful and dangerous as a Magician doesn’t want a useless tool.

And they grow stronger over time as well. So not only do they start off more powerful than a mundane, but they will ultimately surpass all, but the strongest Magicians as their strength grows.

Beyond that I don’t know much other than some rumours about some Servants and that knowledge is only applicable to those particular individual Servants.

Not giving the three Magicians a second look, I take in the appearances of the two Servants. The one by Shiraishi is female and wearing brown leggings, leather boots, a scarlet shirt and a strip of red fabric is wrapped around her head, which holds back her fizzy light brown hair.

But what interests me is the unusual weapons and the lack of any armour. She has two belts strapped across her chest, each one with two open poaches containing an object made of steel and wood inside.

And the sword in her hand. I can’t forget that part. The weapon has a slightly curved blade, sharpened on the cutting edge while the hilt has a solid cup guard to it. Without a doubt, the blood on its blade belongs to Shiraishi.

The other Servant is the closer, standing between me and the others. This time a male, he has a stubbly beard and short dark brown hair. A tallish, rimmed leather hat rests on his head while he has some dark, long fabric worn like a cloak and more red fabric is tied around his neck, resting loosely at the bottom. As for his actual clothes, the Servant is wearing brown leggings and a dark blue buttoned shirt.

Two freaking Servants. If I could, I wouldn’t fight this battle. But with Shiraishi laying there, bleeding to death, I can’t just abandon her fate to this Magicians. Not if I wish to lay claim to being a Knight of the Round Table like my father and grandfather before me. Not if I have any legitimacy of being a hero.

And so I charge at the closest of the two Servants, both of my knives held firmly in my hands. With my Reinforced body, I am boosted roughly by about thirty percent. Not too much, but is a noticeable upgrade. Still, I have no idea how I will match up against both of the Servants.

Both the Magicians and the Servants stare at me as I come rushing across the courtyard. I can only imagine how I must appear to them.

A half-Japanese/half-British boy of above average height with good muscles, a slim and lean build, short grey hair and golden eyes. Wearing a black kimono, I am armed with two ordinary knives and I am charging straight at them.

In case you’re wondering, the grey hair is due the Three Holy Blades within me. The gold eyes are a result of the Holy Grail and the holiness of the swords. Or at least I think that is the case. I might have just been born looking that unusual or maybe Dad altered my features with magic. Or some other Magician did.

Regardless of the truth, I like my explanation the best.

One of the Magicians, a black haired lad of reasonable height and width in red and gold robes, is the first to recover from the shock of my actions.

“Servant!” yells the boy, “Shoot this pretentious mun!”

The Servant facing me whips out two objects like the ones stored in the belts of the other Servant, only these two are of a different design. Whereas the ones belong to the female consist primarily of wood with some metal, these ones are primarily metal with some wood. As I close the distance, several small projectiles are fired from the objects in succession, along with quite a bit of smoke.

Most of the projectiles go wide, but one slams into my left shoulder. I cry out in pain as it tears into my body, half-lodged in my flesh. My Reinforced body did nothing to protect me.

I don’t have time to recover before a second one of the metal projectiles hits my gut, tearing into the flesh. Letting out a small cry of pain, I tumble, falling to the ground whilst surrounding by smoke.

Still clutching the knives tightly in my hands, I Analyse the smoke, only to be unable to find anything unusual about it. Nothing that will inform me about what the Hades was that.

As they are ejected from by body by the Holy Grail due the ancient artefact going to work and healing my wounds, I use my Analysis magic on the projectiles that struck me.

And they turn out to be nothing more than shaped metal. Essentially nothing different from an arrowhead or spearhead.

So what was that weapon then? I can’t think of any weapon like it. Except for a bow. A super strange and miniature bow that shoots multiple miniature weirdly shaped arrowheads at once.

Yeah, I don’t know of any weapons like that.

As the smoke begins to clear, I can hear the Magicians laugh at me. The poor Oriental mundane. How I am going to die for daring to attack my superiors.

I glance up at the Servant as he aims one of the strange items at me.