Fanfiction Recommendations

Latest update:July 29, 2024

Summary:After an odd 4th Holy Grail war, Archer finds himself in a world beyond his own. Free of Alaya, Archer was ready for a life of solitude till a woman named Mereleona dragged him out of his seclusion. Across a world yet tamed, Archer will find the flames of life once more, and a rusted blade will be reforged. Now, if only Mereleona stopped smiling that stupid grin. Slow Burn Romance.

Link:https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14089846/1/FateClover

Word count:67k

Chapters:8

Fate/Clover: Chapter One.

The man known as Archer wasn't one for swearing. He found crass language to be redundant and unnecessary. With that said.

What the fuck?

Archer's entire body was screaming at him, but that wasn't unusual as a Counter Guardian Archer was used to being sent on suicide missions. Being ripped in half by Gods, mauled by Primate Murder, and speared through the heart with countless noble phantasms made pain an intimate acquaintance.

No, what was unusual was that he was short. Archer grunted as he felt the thrums of pain through his now childish form. His skin makes Archer's head hurt just from the implications.

"Calm," intoned Archer, "figure this out. What happened?"

Archer's mind echoed memories of his most recent 4th Holy Grail war. It had started simple enough. Rin summoned him as per usual. The difference? Archer had been called in full. As a counter guardian who existed outside of time and space, Archer's sense of time was somewhat skewed. In his countless experiences of the 4th grail war, Archer was seldom appropriately summoned.

Yet, fresh off yet another experience with Chaldea, Archer was summoned adequately and in his entirety as a heroic spirit. It was jarring. In this world, the Grail had a limited but functioning variant of Heaven's Feel, enough of it to offset the unexpected energy costs to summon a Heroic Spirit without using a servant container. Archer wasn't entirely sure what this world's holy grail was initially supposed to accomplish, but it must have been insane to require the entirety of the heroic spirits to fulfill. If Archer was honest, a grail war was a nice break from the complexity of Chaldea. It made things relatively simple. Regardless of whether this was his world, Archer decided to do something with a rigid focus.

This time…he was going to save everyone. He had the information, the skill, and the power to accomplish saving those he remembered caring about. Tricking Rin into thinking he was surveying the Matou residence was easy enough. Freeing Sakura and murdering Zouken had been a task. However, thanks to the noble phantasms he had acquired in his experiences with Chaldea and the fact that he was summoned in his entirety, Archer saved Sakura from the grasps of Zouken. This resulted in a somewhat awkward team-up with Shirou, Saber, Sakura, and Rider. Murdering Shinji by "accident" was just a bonus.

Archer's next goal was to limit the amount of fighting his group would have to undergo. Archer freed the Irish hero Cu Chulainn using Rule Breaker and set him loose on Caster in a suicide rush. Convincing the Irish Hercules to take on Caster was relatively easy when considering Medea's temperament and actions. So, what if Archer had to fib a few things? Not like Cu cared. The fact that Cu murdered that fake priest quickly was merely a cherry on top of Archer's success.

Illya and Berserker had been…awkward. Awkward, but possible. Involving a few magics, Noble Phantasms, and copious amounts of waffles, Illya had turned to join team EMIYA. It had all been so perfect. Archer should have known that shit was going to hit the fan. Gilgamesh had been that shit, a shit that proceeded to beat Archer with a said proverbial fan with the rapidness of a demented chihuahua. Honestly, it didn't make sense to Archer. For all of Gilgamesh's abilities, remaining hidden wasn't one of them. Yet, Gilgamesh's ability to stay in his gate of Babylon was unexpected. Catching wind of Archer's scheme, Gilgamesh went on a rampage. Gilgamesh's temper tantrum got even worse when the King of Heroes realized that even this action was anticipated by Archer and used to the counter guardian's advantage to deal a debilitating blow to Gilgamesh's spirit core. After their final battle, Gilgamesh disappeared only to return on the eve of the Holy Grail war. In a fit of near-apocalyptic rage, dying from a cracked spirit core, the King of Heroes did the one thing Archer never expected.

He had brought Shirou Emiya. How he had managed to capture Shirou with so many servants around him and weakened as he was, confused Archer, but it happened. The King of Heroes dragged Shirou from within his vault and ritualistically sacrificed the boy to the Holy Grail. Archer wasn't sure how; frankly, he didn't care, but the golden douche managed to weasel out a wish with his absurd actions.

"Erase this spirit from the face of creation."

It was ironic. The goal of his earliest self had been realized. He had saved everyone he cared about, only to have the world twist into oblivion. In all honesty, it shouldn't have activated. There were not enough servants, Illya and Sakura were not present, and Archer, Shirou, and Gilgamesh were far away from the greater grail. Nothing about the situation made sense. Even with three heroic spirits in their entirety powering the cup, nothing should have happened. Yet, here was Archer alone in the middle of a forest butt ass naked, the knowledge that the world he had been in was utterly destroyed. His last memory was the sight of the world crumbling apart and the knowledge that he had failed yet again.

"Even when I win, I always lose," grumbled Archer.

The sound of his voice gave the man shivers. It was youthful and childish. His body was too small to be his natural frame. Archer overstepping whenever he managed to stand up certainly didn't help matters. Looking at his hands revealed that Archer's skin matched Shirou Emiya's.

This was by far the worst possible outcome. Somehow, the Counter Guardian EMIYA…had been incarnated into a younger form. This horrific turn of events was only matched by one other annoyance—the inability to summon his prana. At first, Archer had assumed that he awoke in a place where magic didn't exist. That thought was quickly dashed when Archer realized that the atmosphere felt hot and heavy with the presence of magic. Beyond any real sense, the overwhelming amount of mana was not affecting Archer negatively.

Archer sighed and sat on an abandoned log, waiting for Alaya's guardians to pick him up. Archer tapped his thumbs together. His body still felt numb. Certain sensations began to come back, piece by piece. Archer tapped his foot, waiting for the feeling to return to it. As time went on, Archer realized something…Alaya. It was gone. He only realized when he felt…settled into his new form. The presence of hope has long been extinguished from him. Yet, a new flame had been stoked. It was impossible to describe Alaya's grip on him, but Archer was beginning to feel the lack of Alaya's so-called grip…and he couldn't be happier. It was temporary, this much Archer knew, but the feeling of being liberated, no matter how short, was almost addictive to Archer.

For the first time in his vast existence, Archer finally felt what it was like to have no connection to Alaya. His old life had long since withered away, leaving only the feeling of tightness to his existence that couldn't be quantified. But finally, his soul…was freed.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," sighed Archer.

The man (boy?) sprawled onto the grass, enjoying the sun peeking through the leaves above him. The spiny twigs and stones digging into Archer did little to absolve him of his feelings of weightlessness. Five minutes passed. Then fifteen. Then what felt like hours had simply flown by. The sun turned into the moon; Archer slept and then awoke to the morning sun. Archer slowly rose, his eyes narrowed in fear…the fear of hope.

"I should be destroyed," muttered Archer. "Alaya wouldn't let me live outside her contract for even a second. Not like this."

Archer stood and rolled his shoulders. He closed his eyes and attempted to awaken his circuits. Perhaps it was the lack of magic that allowed him to bypass Alaya? To his surprise, it worked—sort of. Archer's trigger still worked, but his circuits' entire design had been altered.

Another impossibility.

Instead of a circuit board, it was as if his entire body was capable of generating power. His mana seamlessly integrating with the mana on the outside was also weird. Before all this, Archer could turn his circuits on and off like a light switch. Now? It was like a breaker flipped, and his body had turned into a mana reactor. There was no stopping the flow of this new energy. The mana permeated Archer's entire body, the power flowing like a raging river. His mana output had almost tripled, and Archer's hypersensitivity to mana made him acutely aware of how his mana was highly compatible with this world. The energy in his body was seamless. There was no Od or Prana anymore; whatever this energy within Archer was, it was a singular component. Archer was hesitant even to try magic at the moment, but eventually, he would have to experiment with his new body. Archer sighed. The idea that he had magic but could not use unlimited blade works was concerning…but he would make due.

Impossibility after impossibility. The absurdity of the situation belonged in some cheesy novel. "Doesn't matter," muttered Archer. The idea of being recalled by Alaya disgusted him to his very core, but Archer knew the extent of her power. He would be brought back into the fold, eventually. Archer wouldn't let the idea of false hope destroy him, not again. The man rolled his neck and got to work. It wouldn't do not to take advantage of the fact that he was alive again. However short this vacation was, he would enjoy it. The first thing he needed was water. Food and shelter could wait until that was located.

Archer grunted as his body struggled to climb a tree. The pain was secondary; the lack of strength in this new body concerned Archer. Archer looked about 13 years old. Even at that young age, Shirou Emiya had been obsessed with achieving the best physique his body could produce. Climbing a tree should not have been this difficult. It would have to be addressed later. Taking a breather at the top of the tree, Archer began to use his sight to look for any water sources. What he saw shocked him.

Rocks were floating in the air, streams of water were flowing from the sky, and raging winds ate away at Archer. Archer gritted his teeth and let out a tch of annoyance. "of course. My freedom is at the cost of my sanity". This world was utterly drenched in magic, so Archer was expecting some…odd natural phenomenon. But this? What the hell was all this? Archer followed the water trail and noticed that it pooled some kilometres in the distance. After climbing down, Archer began to address the magic problem. He had yet to use his newfound circuits, and Archer was sure that things would be different. Archer recalled the sensations, reaching into his body to try and call upon his magic. The first attempt was unsuccessful. The mana moved but not in the way that Archer wanted. It was like a slippery eel compared to the iron control that Archer had before. Archer was not one for giving up, though. Various methods and concepts were used to try and get a handle on the power. This more freeform mana required a different touch, but this was starting to get ridiculous to Archer.

Attempt after attempt yielded no results. So, Archer tried something else. Archer's amount of mana and its utilization differed in this body. Rather than use his original methods, Archer focused more on having the mana flow than being directed. Archer's mana began to flow faster throughout his body, travelling through this body's new channels. Finally, Archer materialized his mana outward, a steel-coloured hue seeping out of Archer's form. Archer grunted, and a blade came into his hand. Its quality was worse than Archer was accustomed to, but Archer attributed that more to the lack of skill regarding his mana manipulation than anything else. Archer smirked, satisfied that his one skill was at least usable. How usable remained to be seen.

But a blade was a blade. Archer had no idea what kind of fauna existed in this world. Having a weapon increased his chances of survival, and Archer intended to survive. It took Archer another try, but he could eventually generate simple clothing. Shoes now covered his feet, and he wore rugged military pants and a blank white shirt. At best, the quality was shoddy, and Archer's shirt was already tearing at the seams, but it would do. Archer's armour would come later. With access to magic, Archer at least had personal reinforcement should he need it. It wouldn't do for his body to shut down.

The road travelled proved to be an odd one. While there were sights quite familiar to Archer, such as trees and shrubbery, there were also colours and images that he had never seen in such a combination before. Fruits and other seemingly edible fauna were well before him. A sack was created, and Archer began to collect fruit.

Amidst the collection of fruit Archer had learned quite a lot about the surrounding area. The extreme levels of mana have invigorated the natural species of the site, resulting in massive plants and animals. Archer had seen worse, but the fact remained that a giant magical boar with flames for fur may very well end him in his current condition. When Archer finally arrived at his destination, the water fell much like a waterfall. It pooled into what looked like a lake. The lake was shaped like a perfect circle and filtered into the forest around it. Flowers and other plants sprouted around the spring. Archer took notice of them, seeing some flowers that were commonplace, such as roses. Others were alien to him. One was a flower with stone-like petals, shaped like a twisted cone. The brambles surrounding some of the flowers were a stark purple, a rather searing colour to Archer's eyes.

Archer narrowed his eyes and projected a cup attached to a rather long stick. Archer inched his creation to the spring. As soon as the water broke the surface, sharp pincers crushed the cup, dragging it under the surface.

"Figures," muttered Archer.

The spring was undisturbed. It was so pristine and untouched that Archer knew something was up. There should have been hoofprints, signs of animals, and other such signs of use. Archer created another item, this time a pole that acted as a funnel. Placing the makeshift funnel against the waterfall allowed Archer to siphon the water he needed without disturbing what seemed like a natural predator. While the idea of hunting the creature had some merits, mainly that of food, Archer decided to leave it be. It wouldn't do to remove a natural deterrent from the area. It would certainly explain why he had encountered only a few animals, all of them of a small size aside from the boar. Archer's stomach growled, but he kept strong. Taking the fruits he had gathered thus far, Archer began testing them as best he could. It was a tedious process. Having the fruit exposed to his skin, then rubbing the fruit's juices to his skin, then his lips, tongue, and finally, he could swallow. He repeated this for another two fruits and then left the others. Now that he had some form of food and water, the important thing was to build a shelter.

Archer thought of using projection to create a small hut of some kind but thought better of it. A solid shelter not sustained by mana was the best choice. There was no telling what long-term exposure to the world's mana would do to his projections.

"Well," smirked Archer, "let's get started."

Week one: 

In the first week, Archer had crafted a rather shoddy hut. It was quick to make and easy to repair. He would be able to focus on creating a more considerable creation with it. Archer didn't need a large home, but the man had to admit that building things with two hands was fun. He had all the time in the world? Why not pursue every hobby or passion that caught his interest? Archer's magic also progressed somewhat, now being able to make swords and spears. His studies regarding his body were far from simple, with structural analysis still having issues analyzing his new form, but Archer kept to it. His latest home was indeed a pain to build, as the foundation kept failing, but Archer's memories from the countless tools of labour in his armoury were helpful.

1 Month: 

By the end of his first month, Archer had officially regained the ability to wield noble phantasms. The legendary weapons of yore were a boon to have, but a majority were still out of Archer's reach. Archer had regained only the D rank section of his internal armoury. However, the versatility of his creations had just increased. Archer's hut had been repurposed, and now he lived in a Cabin, expanding his land for future projects and passions. It was small, with only a bed and kitchen, but Archer would make due. A small plot of land had also been farmed for more of the fruits, vegetables, and various other herbs for cooking. With access to poison-resistant noble phantasms, Archer could test food faster. Archer had created a shower, although calling a bucket and pully a shower was generous. Already, Archer was planning a bigger home, something more exciting to build. While the man could stick it out in the woods with the best of them, Archer saw no point depriving himself of a toilet. That and Archer enjoyed himself, creating something that wasn't designed to kill.

5 Months: 

The new house made the man beam with joy—a two-story western building, complete with a kitchen, toilet, and working shower. A combination of runes and noble phantasms had allowed Archer to create a modern-esque existence in the middle of the woods. Archer ensured that his noble phantasms were kept running at maximum proficiency using a bounded field. Life…was good. Archer looked outside and smiled at the two acres of farmland he had made. Past the treeline of his new 10-acre property was the spring. Archer had never investigated what the creature down there was, but to be fair, Archer didn't care. Archer went to his fridge and pulled out the results of his newest hobby, soap making. Archer washed himself down, placing it within the shower, remaining as hygienic as possible.

Archer had to maintain his hygiene as best as possible with a new living body. The body was capable of becoming sick, and it would be best to prevent such a thing from happening with soap. Archer left the kitchen, a testament of culinary greatness clad in marble and steel. Archer sat at a desk that he kept in his study. He opened a blank book he created a month ago and began writing his observations.

Observation: Day 153. 

Thus far, there has been no contact with anything sentient. A base location has also been created and primed. Bounded fields and several NPS are situated around the building. As of now, my main goal is two-fold. The first half is understanding the limits and functions of my new body. The relationship between the body and soul has always been viewed as distinct. Yet, in this world, it seems as if the recreation of this body has resulted in the alteration of the soul. An impossibility, obviously, but one that makes the most sense in my current situation. From what I can gather, my body results from my transition to this world. The memory is vague, but I can recall the corpse of Shirou Emiya being dragged into the grail along with myself. I believe that the body of Shirou Emiya's base blueprint was altered to fit the common sense of this world. "Human A" blueprint was transitioned into a blueprint for "Human B." My being must have been anchored into the newly reformed body, granting me another chance at living. A rather shoddy theory altogether, I'll admit. It does nothing to answer why this body of mine regressed to a younger age nor why my spirit core is absent. With a missing spirit core, I can only conclude that I am alive, a proper resurrection, and one in which my ties with Alaya have been severed. I should be thankful for that much. 

The second purpose pertains to the journal directly. The manipulation of the time stream is Alaya's specialty. This book is written with the idea that Alaya's knowledge will alert them to the existence of an aberration, i.e. me, and that they'll come to collect. I admit that provoking Alaya does not appeal to me, but I must be 100% sure that I am truly free. It wouldn't be the first time Alaya dangled hope in front of my eyes. I am signing off Counter Guardian EMIYA. 

Archer stared at the book and placed it back on his desk. It had been five months since Archer had found himself in this world, and even now, the idea that it is all some sick joke from Alaya still won't leave him. The journal was a means of venting this frustration while also goading Alaya. There was no sense in freedom if Alaya could pull on his leash. Yet, it never came. Every bit of logic that entered Archer's mind screamed at him. He was free…after all this time. Archer rubbed his eyes and looked outside. The morning sun was still out, and Archer couldn't help but smirk. He got up from his desk and continued his day. His goal was to start building a cold cellar, just for kicks. So far, his building has been immaculate, and Archer had to admit it was fun making something that wasn't a sword. Archer grunted as he created another copy of Gea Bolg and leaned it against his house. Immediately the other reproduction dispersed, leaving only the one spear.

"Interesting," thought Archer. "I could generate as many copies of my noble phantasms as possible in the previous world. Yet, here I can only generate one copy of the weapon at a time." 

Archer rubbed his chin. This world had shown to be incredibly mana rich. Rich enough to the point that Archer, who naturally had average reserves, was now strong enough to summon his noble phantasms at their accurate and complete power. The reasoning behind the world-destroying the copies of anything he created was irritating. Still, Archer had to admit that summoning a noble phantasm like Caladbolg and spamming them against his enemy was a nice thought. Shame it wasn't going to work out in this world. The costs of the noble phantasms also offset the extra mana he had gained in this life. His armoury now cost more to summon but was far more significant in its strength, achieving their full power as weapons of legend. Archer turned his focus to his body, getting ready for another intense day of physical training.

Archer was ready. Survival now would be simple.

Four years later

Archer leapt through the trees, his massive black bow in hand. He was a kilometre away from his home and the spring, his prey blazing through the fire-resistant trees of his house. The flaming boar screamed as it charged through the woods, its relentless behaviour trampling anything in its way. Archer created an arrow that was more like a large steel nail than an actual arrow. As he pulled back, Archer lost himself. He lost himself to the bow and followed the steps of Kyudo. It was the target and him, the bow and the arrow; as Archer's breath left him, his fingers eased on the hand and-

"GET OVER HERE!"

Experience altered Archer's aim from hitting the boar through the spine and heart and hitting its flank instead. He had to, after all, a young woman whose fists were blazing rammed herself against the boar. With a roar of her own, she beat the ever-living crap. Archer felt like he was seeing a Berserker in human form. Her form was wild but unpredictable. Archer could see the benefits her wild attacks had, but they were too direct for his liking. She was talented but untrained in unarmed combat.

CRUNCH!

...although, her lack of training seemed to be a non-factor considering that Archer just heard her shatter the boar's ribcage from a kilometre away. She was indeed a character if her blatant swearing and belligerent attitude were anything to go by. Her clothing was difficult to make out, but Archer could see her long flaming red hair. Archer sighed and dismissed his bow. It was too bad; he was looking forward to eating boar this week. Archer flowed from tree to tree, thinking away about what to do for the rest of the day.

"What should I make today," muttered Archer, "perhaps a medley? A salad even?"

Thump.

Archer stilled on his branch. He turned, unwilling to believe what he was hearing.

"no," he whispered.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Damnit, no," he muttered.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through Archer's ears. His mana-enhanced senses picked up the sound of someone making their way here. Someone with a load on their shoulders was jumping in long bursts. Sure enough, after another moment, the person he had just run away from was glaring up at him.

"This yours?" she grunted, holding up an arrow that was part way through disappearing.

Another annoying fact in this world. His creations took longer to break apart and were more solid. Instead of mere imitations, it was like his magic became more solid…like steel creation or something ridiculous like that. Now that he was before her, a closer look informed Archer of two things. The first was that this woman had wealth in some form. The clothes that she was wearing were of high quality. Their strength and durability for travel were apparent. The second was that this woman was not your typical trained warrior. No, she had somehow lugged a giant boar over her should and chased him down, having seen his arrow from his (current) range of 1 kilometre. No, she was strong…and weird.

"What do you want?"

The woman smirked. Her eyes were ablaze with ferocity. Her crimson hair pooled to her back, framing her face. Her eyes were narrowed, and her smirk showed a sharp canine peeking from her lip. She was young, though. As well built and rugged as this woman was, she was around 16-18 years old, much like Archer was currently.

"I don't want anything. You hit this boar, so part of it is yours!"

Archer raised an eyebrow. He really should just leave. But if she could track him…she was likely going to follow him, and staring at her was like he was staring down a stubborn beast.

"If I recall," grunted Archer, "you were the one who killed the boar by punching it with magic."

The woman shrugged the boar off her shoulder.

"I killed it; you killed it. What does any of it matter? We were both involved in this, so we should both have the spoils! Besides, I'm more interested in what you're doing in a mana zone."

"The hell is a mana zone?" thought Archer.

"I live here."

The woman blinked.

"…seriously?"

"Yes."

"…huh. Thought I was the only one!"

"…Did I just find a neighbour," thought Archer.

The woman seemed boisterous and gestured to the boar. Her wild nature rolled off her in waves as Archer ignored whatever she was saying now.

"…Please don't tell me I found a neighbour." 

"So, wanna eat?" the woman asked.

Archer sighed. The boar was giant. Even the two of them wouldn't be enough to eat it whole. There was also the fact that she played some part in killing the animal. While Archer had a kill shot lined up, her sudden appearance turned it more into a debilitating wound. She did have the final blow and was willing to share her kill. Cooking and splitting the meat was the least he could do. Archer gestured for her to follow without a word, falling to the ground with nary a sound. The woman seemed confused, as if she wanted to devour the beast right then and there. Archer wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, considering how she held herself. But Archer had access to a Kitchen…and Archer didn't care if you were man, beast, monster, or God…you would not keep him from using it.

The walk back seemed even longer now, with the woman pestering him with questions.

"You live here all the time?" she asked.

"Yes."

"All year?"

"Yes."

"Lucky you, I get pestered to come back home every year."

Archer walked past the duel trees that acted as gates to his property. Mereleona stilled as her nose twitched.

"Barrier magic?" she muttered.

Archer turned to her.

"Ignore it; it's just precautions I have."

"I'm more surprised she even sensed it," thought Archer "most magus would have some difficulty."

Archer was far from a master of bounded fields, but the types that he was capable of were difficult to sense on their own.

"..."

Archer felt the woman's eyes drill into his back as they passed his bounded field, a mystery specializing in negative detections. Anything of ill-intent would send his entire defence system into overdrive. The fact it wasn't blaring was a good thing. The woman stopped, forcing Archer to turn to look at her. He raised an eyebrow as the woman's smile grew wider, showing a row of teeth matched with vicious canines.

"The name's Mereleona!"

Archer blinked…before he relented for the sake of manners.

"Archer."

Mereleona, unlike most, took his name in stride and gestured to the house in the distance.

"Yours?"

Archer nodded.

"Nice. Hand crafted, right?"

Archer blinked and stared at her, eyes raised.

"Too many imperfections," smirked Mereleona. "Magic makes everything nice and straight. Your place has got these edges, no magic in its make. I gotta say I'm impressed, Archer; I didn't think someone would be nuts enough to build a house in the middle of a mana zone!"

Mereleona laughed, and Archer wondered if what she said was a compliment or a minor insult. He led her through his farm, past the pit he was still digging for his side project, and finally to an area with a small shed with various tools and a pulley system. Archer grabbed the boar from Mereleona and hoisted it up to a large anchor. Archer placed a bowl beneath the board and raised the carcass. A small but sturdy knife appeared in Archer's hand, and with practiced ease, he slit its throat, followed by the other significant arteries found in each of its legs. A torrent of blood began to fall into the bowl as Archer bled the creature.

Mereleona was watching with interest.

"…you're a sadistic bastard, huh?"

Archer rubbed his eyes and turned to Mereleona. Yet, instead of judgement, he found honest confusion.

"It's to prepare the meat," grunted Archer. "Blood is a breeding ground for bacteria. Before we eat, we bleed the boar and then prepare the meat. Should take about half an hour."

Archer went into his shed and pulled out a few knives and other tools to take apart the carcass. After ensuring their quality and using reinforcement to maintain their edge, Archer turned to Mereleona. He found her staring at one of his fruit trees. He called the fruit a quartz fruit since its appearance was similar to the saint quartz used to power Chaldea. Mereleona turned to Archer.

"Never seen this kind of fruit before. Mind if I grab one?"

"For someone so wild, she has manners," thought Archer.

Archer shrugged and nodded. He never ate all the fruit anyways, only taking what he truly needed. Mereleona bore the fruit and rubbed it against her chest. She took a bit into the sharp-angled fruit, gleaming a silverish blue in the light, and hummed in appreciation.

"Not as sweet as I thought it would be," she said, with her mouth full.

"Never mind about those manners," thought Archer.

"Any preference on the meat?"

She killed the beast, so Archer would at least give her a choice in the cut.

"Surprise me," muttered Mereleona, enjoying the fruit.

Archer went straight to work, butchering the boar-like an old hand. Today, Archer decided to make large steaks, using the prime meat and the flaming boar's broad shoulders. The boars, while incredibly large, had oddly soft shoulder meat. This leads to Archer's decision to make steaks. Several cuts later, Archer was ready to begin packaging the leftover meat. To his surprise, Mereleona was right beside him, rolling her sleeves up.

"There's guest hospitality and then just doing all the work," grunted Mereleona "what did you need?"

Archer pointed to the projected paper wraps for the meat. Mereleona stared at the paper, most likely wondering where it came from but focused on wrapping the pork up. Archer wrapped up certain portions and handed them to Mereleona, scrapping an M on the paper.

"Pick these up when you're done. They'll be stored in my freezer."

Mereleona smirked, and the duo walked to his freezer. Mereleona expected many things. Opening what looked like a giant outdoor shed, only to see a frozen wasteland with shelves and a stick sticking in its middle was not it. If it even was one, the stick reeked of magic, potent magic, the likes of which Mereleona had only felt from masters of the Ice Creation Spells. Yet, this sword had the unmistakable tang of steel…steel that smelled exactly like the man beside her. Mereleona's hand itched, and her smile grew wider as the feeling of battle lust echoed in her chest.

Archer stilled and turned to Mereleona after placing the meats on a shelf.

"What."

Mereleona held her fist out.

"I WANT TO FIGHT!"

Archer blinked.

"No."

Mereleona's grin did not falter.

"Not up for a little spar, Archer?"

The man grunted.

"If you just want to fight, then leave."

He had lived an entire lifetime…no…countless lifetimes doing nothing but fighting and killing for the sake of others. He wouldn't draw his blade so readily. Archer blinked when he saw Mereleona's grimoire at her side. He thought it was a book until it began to glow with her mana.

"….Is that a god-forsaken portable magic crest?" Archer asked.

"….A what?"

"A magic crest. Passed on from family head to family head".

Mereleona blinked.

"…This is a grimoire. Don't know anything about these magic crests of yours…you must be a foreigner in these lands."

Archer said nothing, but Mereleona just grinned more.

"That's even more exciting! Your magic is unlike anything I've ever felt! It's pure steel!"

Archer's mind stopped working.

"You can sense that?" he whispered.

"You can't?" smirked Mereleona "…maybe you haven't tried."

She tapped her chest and wordlessly requested Archer do the same with her. Archer narrowed his eyes and let his senses go. The smell of ash and fire, a sweet note like apple wood, and an unmistakable scent of a wild animal, a roaring and devastating state of dominance and power.

Archer had felt worse…but he had underestimated the amount of raw mana Mereleona possessed. The rules were different here, and Archer was beginning to learn by just how much.

"You smell like a burning apple tree," muttered Archer "…and a lion."

Mereleona grinned.

"Pretty specific?"

Archer grunted.

"Doesn't help that your mana feels like it's roaring at me."

Mereleona just grinned further.

"I want to spar with you! Fight with you! Is that too much to ask? Come on; it will be fun!"

Mereleona grinned and stared into the sky, her smile wide and infectious.

"This is how life should be! Unrestricted, travelling the world and experiencing new things!"

Mereleona growled, her arms blazing into flames.

"Come on, Archer, show me what you got!"

Archer wasn't swayed by her passionate speech…but he had to admit the idea of testing his current limits was appealing. This was his chance to gauge how practical his magic would be in the world should he meet another…less friendly face.

"...Fine. But we fight away from my fields. I don't need you burning my crops to ash."

Archer rolled his neck and followed Mereleona to the open fields that he was preparing for farming. They would have to do. After situating themselves in the black soil, Archer faced Mereleona and gestured for her to move. She rocked forward, using her flames and raw strength to propel herself at Archer.

"Quick," thought Archer.

Archer weaved to the left and jumped, dodging Mereleona's billowing flames. As he landed, Archer conjured both Kanshou and Byakuya. Mereleona saw the steel blades and grinned, engaging him in close combat. Archer dulled the edges of his favoured noble phantasms and prepared for her onslaught. Her strikes were precise, strong, and heavy. They were somewhat predictable, signifying her inexperience with opponents in close range….but.

"This will be interesting," thought Archer.

The man's entire style was built around the idea that whoever he faced was stronger, faster, and more skilled than him. Mereleona was undoubtedly faster.

CLANG.

Archer's blades held firm as he deflected Mereleona's blow. He struck her at the ribs and was pleasantly surprised to find how sturdy she was.

"Reinforcement?" thought Archer "no…this is something different." 

Archer and Mereleona began a contest of strength with a grunt, both measuring the other.

"He/She is strong," they thought.

"Our strength is about equal," thought Archer.

Whatever she was using with her mana was enough to match Archer's mastery of reinforcement.

"Is his…mana in his bones? Is he insane!" smirked Mereleona.

The two kept trading blows for a few moments, with Archer aiming for her body while Mereleona focused on his throat and ribs. Archer threw Kanshou and engaged Mereleona. Archer couldn't help but be impressed that Mereleona's focus remained on him, yet her body was prepared for almost anything. Sure enough, she rolled to the side and fired a spew of flames as Kanshou returned. Mereleona felt the blade graze her shoulder, cutting through the clothing but leaving her skin unharmed. Mereleona let a spew of fire out her mouth as she grinned at Archer.

"FINALLY!" she grunted. "A fight worth having! It was worth it to get out of that idiotic cesspool".

"Not a fan of home?" smirked Archer, preparing Kanshou and Byakuya once more. Mereleona snickered. "Trying to get information?" teased Mereleona. Archer shrugged. Mereleona laughed as she threw her cloak off.

"I'll answer your questions later; now show me more!"

Archer sighed, dismissing his blades and drawing forth the ice blade from the freezer. Mereleona grinned as she realized that what she saw wasn't a frozen stick stabbed into the ground but the handle of an axe with the axe head buried under a frozen floor. The axe before her was pulsating with ice magic, spewing a frost from the blade's edge.

Archer stared at the frozen axe, a side project of a Chaldea technician and Davinci. In one of his many Chaldea experiences, Chaldea was whole when the world went dark. This resulted in supplies and entertainment being readily available. Davinci and a Tech named Arswon decided it was a great idea to mimic popular culture to make new weapons. This was one of the few that was reliable in any form. Based on several axes, this was a nameless axe with the ability to conjure storms and ice from the user's mana and created from the fragments of Nidhogg, a dragon that chewed on the edges of the Yggdrasil. While it was impressive in form and materials, the weapon was, at best, a C+ weapon. In the hands of a proper magus who focused on ice mysteries…it would have probably been a weapon of renown. It wasn't the most convenient thing, but it was a throwaway weapon with no overly unique qualities. Archer didn't mind people seeing it. Archer raised the axe with a grunt and allowed his mana to surge through it. He brought it down as Mereleona charged forward. She was smart, taking advantage of the largeness of an axe to get in close. But in a world filled with mana, Archer had one final trick up his sleeve.

"MANA BURST!" he thought.

Archer's mana exploded at the back of the axe, propelling the weapon and shrouding it in a mana veil of steel. The sudden propulsion forced Mereleona to work on instinct…and mimicked Archer's skill. At the back of Mereleona's elbow, her own mana burst exploded. It wasn't as sharp as Archers, but the combustive nature of fire more than made up for her lack of skill. Shrouded in her mana, Mereleona's fist impacted against Archer's axe, making the area explode in a rush of steam. From behind Archer came a torrent of jagged ice. From behind Mereleona was a sea of flames.

Archer grunted at a slight burn on his left sword hand. Mereleona was laughing as she was sprawled out on the ground. Archer's attack wasn't strong enough to blast her backwards, so Archer dismissed his blades, guessing it was over. Archer rolled his shoulders, and with a burst of mana, his small burn wound began to heal. Within Archer's body was the sheath of Avalon, a spiritual leftover from the corpse of Shirou Emiya that his new life had been forged. A sad reminder of the sacrifice this new life of his required.

"You're done?" muttered Archer.

Mereleona stopped laughing and sat up, her hair curly as she chuckled.

"Hell no! I want more…but now is not the time. I thought you knew mana skin; it would have protected you from my flames for the most part. So no, I ain't sparring until you learn mana skin."

"You assume we're sparring again," grunted Archer.

Mereleona's grin was infuriating, but Archer was an old hand at killing his emotions.

"This…mana skin. What is it?" questioned Archer.

Mereleona smiled.

"Basically?"

"As simple as you can make it."

"Alright. You're shrouding yourself in mana. Think of it as a shield around you."

Archer stalled. That sounded inefficient for a small amount of protection… then again, this wasn't his world. From what Archer could see, mana was a great deal heavier in this world, more potent. The strength of mana skin might have been sufficient enough to warrant its use—experiments for later.

"Now what about you?" grunted Mereleona "how did you strengthen yourself so much? You got less mana than I do?"

Archer began walking to his house.

"I used Reinforcement to enhance my durability structurally. I fill in the structural weaknesses of my body with mana."

Mereleona blinked.

"Huh…never thought of going further with mana skin…I'll call it mana bone. I'll have it figured out for our next fight."

Archer sighed deeply.

"Again, you are overestimating how often we'll meet."

That stupid grin again. Archer chose to ignore it and let Mereleona into his home. Archer was quick to grab his supplies and began to cook, ignoring Mereleona and allowing her to explore the house. Anything important was sealed and hidden away from prying eyes anyways. The sizzling of oil and meat echoed through Archer's kitchen as he created plates and utensils with his magic. Dinner had been a surprising affair as Archer placed Mereleona's plate in front of her, with the remaining slabs of meat between the two. One bite, and Mereleona was slapping the table in surprise as she beamed at Archer.

"This is fantastic!" she growled "damn Archer, you can cook! I will bring some hunting spoils next time I'm here!"

Archer gave Mereleona a blank stare.

"Please. Don't come back."

That. Stupid. Grin.

The remaining time Archer spent asking questions with Mereleona. The specifics of what a Grimoire was, the nature of magic, the world, her home. Archer had to admit…it was a first. A majority of his interactions with people were…biased in a way. Fellow heroic spirits had their entire lives and personalities open to Archer due to Unlimited Blade Works. The average humans had been interacted with so often that Archer felt it was more akin to a dating game than honest interaction. Archer loved Rin, Sakura, and Illya. Truly. But, their responses were all the same after a few millennia. It was challenging to view them as people when anything and everything that they could say, Archer had already experienced. But Mereleona was different. She had no blade for him to trace and learn her history. No countless interactions amidst a sea of blood and carnage. This…was nice. As irritable as Archer was, he would at least admit this much.

Her leaving was also an easy affair. After they ate, the sun was still shining, and Mereleona hit the road, waving her hand at Archer.

"Till next time, Archer!"

Archer rolled his eyes as he leaned against the door frame. It was over. A smile graced Archer's features this night. While he was far from a people person, Archer had still enjoyed his dinner with Mereleona. He had learned a lot in such a short period. But thankfully, his remaining days will be quiet once more.

Eight Days Later

Archer grunted as he used a pickaxe to continue digging into his pit. As Archer created a rough L shape, the shape slowly began to form. He had made a rigid bench in this trench about three feet in. Now, with the body finally taking form, where was Archer going to put the-.

Thunk.

Archer slowly turned to see Mereleona grinning at him, a giant turkey-like creature hanging from her closed grip, her fist having crushed its throat a time ago.

"Can you cook bird?"

Archer stared at her. She grinned back.

"I am not your damn personal chef."

Mereleona's grin got larger.

"NO."

She let go of the bird, and in instinct, Archer caught it. He sighed as Mereleona chuckled. Damnit…what was his life coming to. Unbeknownst to Archer, Mereleona was the catalyst for his time within this world, affecting the others in small and profound ways. As Archer climbed out of his pit, Mereleona began to pester him again.

"You never told me what you're building here. What's up with the pit."

Archer rolled his eyes.

"Come on, don't be a douche."

"I'm making a hot spring."

"Making a hot spring? Why make one when I can just show you one."

Archer stilled and turned to her, his eyebrow raised. Mereleona grinned.

"There's a different mana zone further out east. The mountain's peak is the best hot spring I've ever come across. Pain to get to, but well worth it."

Archer rolled his shoulders as he walked into his home, Mereleona regaling him with other tails of her adventures. She had even brought a souvenir, imagine that. Archer placed the black and red stone near the door and grabbed his apron.

"Why do you wear an apron?" muttered Mereleona, "thought that was for the housewives or something."

"I wear it to protect my clothes from cooking."

Mereleona barked in laughter.

"Why bother when you just conjure your clothes out of nothing! Seriously what magic do you even use?"

Archer grunted, refusing to answer.

"Stingy bastard."

"God, why have you forsaken me so?" asked Archer.

"So, what are you making?"

"Whatever I make you," he muttered.

Mereleona smiled as she shook her head.

"Only you, Archer."

And once again, there was that comfortable silence. Archer didn't know what it was about this woman, but she was equally aggravating and calming. At least it wasn't dull…oh god, he hoped this wasn't a pattern.

END.

Link:https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14089846/2/FateClover