As soon as you trust yourself,
You will know how to live.
One sees in the world
What one carries in their heart.
Combatants remaining: 32
Who holds the devil,
Let him hold him well,
He hardly will be caught
A second time.
Remaining Days: 6
For once, I actually manage to sleep in. I am unsure as to how I could have overheard the Terminal's alarm and especially how there was no nightmare to awaken me for once, but here I am, at almost noon. Saber is still in my arms, her face snuggled to my chest. The sight is too adorable and I feel really bad about getting up, but another week has started and I should check the current opponent on the bulletin board.
I should not really procrastinate it like I did last Round, this time Saber and I will prepare well. We got so far already, maybe there is a chance for us as well. For me to survive this and get my memories back. The chance and especially the thought to have Saber by my side for another week is enough to get my morale up.
Slowly, I move out of the bed, though it still wakes up Saber who mumbles incoherent things into her pillow. "I want to check this week's opponent. Want to go with me?" Though, I am sure she will decline. It is still a bit too early for her.
"Sure," she surprised me and got up.
"Shouldn't we get dressed first?" I ask, though I know Saber is the last person to care about such a thing.
"Nah. Besides, everyone else should be in class, right? No need for even you to care." Well… she has a point.
Maybe going barefoot is not so smart, however, the floor is really cold. But together we walked towards the bulletin board. Next to my name is my opponent's name.
ALICE
"Just Alice ? Doesn't she have a last name?" Saber rubs her eye, it is too early for her after all.
"I don't know. Maybe a bug." Though, honestly, something like this should not surprise Saber anymore, her Master being the probably biggest anomaly in this tournament.
As we make our way through the hallway back to our room to get dressed, we eavesdrop on some students talking. Seems like break time, I think.
"Did you hear about that redhead Master of a blonde Saber?"
"Yeah. She cuts through her opponents with ease, Enemy Programs or Servants. Scary."
"I hope I don't have to face them."
"Maybe someone else beat them before?"
"Yeah. Like who?"
"Tohsaka!"
"Or that Harway boy. Isn't he the most likely to win, anyways? His Saber is really another league."
The remaining talk was mostly girls swooning over Leo. I cannot really understand their infatuation with him, considering he may just be the one to take their life but this should be none of my concern.
Back in our room, we first get dressed. I am really thankful that Saber took my complaint to heart and will not suddenly go nude before I turn away. After she materialized her armour and I got into my school uniform, I remember. "Ah, I have something for you." Saber is instantly curious, like a child anticipating a present, and I almost feel bad considering she probably will not take it well.
I hand her a folded, red piece of cloth. As Saber takes it, gives her thanks and unfolds it, it reveals itself to be a panty.
"Uhm… what for?"
There is not even a hint of embarrassment on her face. I can't believe this girl…
"Wear them, below your armour."
She holds the panties I crafted myself (with a Code Cast, though) up in one hand, eyeing it doubtfully. "But it doesn't seem like it'd protect anything. So why?"
At this I am so close to losing my patience. So close. "The rest of your armour isn't much better! Besides, really, wear it. You can't keep flashing your bottom like this."
"Huh… If you say so," she agrees, probably mostly so I stop bothering her. As soon as she put it on, it is obvious Saber is not really content. "Feels weird."
I groan. "Get used to it."
Finally, we go towards the Arena.
"Isn't it strange that we haven't met our opponent yet?"
I give it a bit of a thought. It is true, we met Shinji as well as Dan pretty early on.
"Not in particular," I say, though. After all, it may have been just a coincidence that I ran into them. "Besides," I add, "We don't even know whether we met her yet."
"Talking about those girls we heard earlier?"
I nod.
"For example, yes. One of them could be Alice. Or a guy, who tinkered with the bulletin board so we can't figure him out."
Saber's expression shows that she did not even consider this possibility.
"You think someone did that?"
"Possibly…"
In the Arena, Saber seems in her element. Especially now that we got access to a new part of the Lunar Sea, one in which the Enemy Programs are more aggressive and stronger. At first, she has some trouble blocking them as well as attacking, particularly when there is more than one Enemy Program to fight, but she manages.
I have to heal her more often than usual and I am glad I worked on my Heal(); Code Cast lately, so now it works faster and more efficient. I can even run more instances of it at the same time, not taking up much of my Mana.
Though, in the Moon Cell, Mana does not work the same way as it does on earth. It is no real energy form that will be drained by casting spells, it is a limited resource the Moon Cell grants every participant so their Code Cast use is not endless. The limit rises with each passing day, granting the surviving Masters more freedom to write really costly Code Casts.
But in the end, no Code Cast I know could prevent Saber from getting exhausted after a whole day of fighting.
"Do you want to look for the Trigger, or save that for later?" I know Saber hates admitting that she is tired.
"Take a guess," she grumbles.
Of course, she would not do me the favour of confessing that she needs rest, but that's fine.
"Let's go back then. The Trigger can wait," I suggest, though I could also just say I decide. Because, in the end, it's what we do.
***
"How was your sleep?" Saber asks back in our room, as we go to bed.
"Hmm… Fine, for once." There is no response whatsoever from her. "Why did you ask?"
She slips below the blanket, almost ignoring my inquiry. "Just wondering. Come on, you need sleep," Saber says, patting my spot on the bed.
I join her, hopefully for another dreamless—rather, nightmare—less—night.