Swordmaxxed I (Spin-off)

A pained grunt escaped Shirou as the impact sent him into the wall, his back flaring with pain. He quickly picked himself up, his heart hammering in his chest. He looked up, trying to find another weapon— 

“That was a pretty surprising move, kid. But we’re done here.” 

The man had already closed the distance, his lance pointed at Shirou’s chest. 

Shirou froze, unable to tear his eyes away from that wickedly sharp spear-tip. 

“I don’t get it, though. You’re quick-witted, but you suck at magic. It seems like you have talent, but I guess you’re just too young,” the man said, but the words only flew past Shirou’s ears, his mind too focused on the weapon in front of him. 

One thrust, and he would die. 

“It’s unlikely, but maybe you were the seventh. Not that it makes a difference, even if that’s the case.” 

The man readied his lance, his arm thrusting forward. 

The movement that Shirou couldn’t even see before, looked like it was in slow motion now, the spearhead aimed straight for his heart, ready to spill blood. 

Another moment, and it would end just like before. Cold metal piercing through him. The taste of blood running up his throat. The numbness spreading as his mind faded. 

He’d go through all that again, powerless to stop his own death— 

A flash of indignant anger sparked in his chest. Bullshit. 

Why did he have to go through this? 

He couldn’t accept this. He couldn’t die here meaninglessly. 

He was saved. He was saved, so he couldn’t die so easily. He had to live and fulfill his obligations. He couldn’t do that if he died. 

But the lance wouldn’t spare him. It would cut into his flesh and pierce his heart. 

Anger flooded his veins. 

Dying so easily… 

Ridiculous. 

Dying twice in one day. 

The storm of emotions roiled inside him, impossible to contain. 

“Bullshit!” 

I won’t be killed meaninglessly by someone like you—!! 

There was a flash of blinding light, and a clang of metal filled the shed. 

“What…?!” 

It happened like magic. A tall figure now stood in front of him, that lance blown away from its trajectory. 

His thoughts crashed to a halt as he stared wide-eyed. 

A person covered fully in armor, their shoulders broad and arm extended, a beautiful sword in hand. 

“Shit! The seventh Servant…?!” 

The spearman readied his lance just in time as the stranger swung their sword again, sparks flying from the impact. A powerful strike that pushed the monster a step back. 

The blue haired man scowled, a flicker or hesitation crossing his face, before he leapt out of the shed with bestial speed. 

The armored figure lowered their weapon, letting out an oddly pleased sigh. A ray of silver moonlight shone into the shed, bathing the stranger in a pale glow. 

In that moment, they looked like a real hero. 

“Today is the day.” 

A surprisingly young voice reverberated from under that helmet. The voice of a man. 

Shirou’s brow furrowed. What was that supposed to mean— 

A sudden thought gave him pause. That voice sounded oddly familiar… 

Who was this person? 

As if reading his mind, the swordsman slowly turned around, the movement graceful as their helmet vanished in blue mist. 

Shirou’s eyes flew wide at the sight, his breath catching in his throat. 

Short, auburn hair. Lightly tanned skin. Amber eyes like gleaming steel. 

It was like looking in a mirror, his splitting image grinning cheekily at him. 

“Hey, kid.” No way. “You look like you could use a sword.” 

He blinked owlishly but that face stayed the same. He wasn’t seeing things. The same kind of being as that man, yet he looked just like him… 

How…? 

“What’s going on? Why do you look like me? What— 

“I’ll tell you later,” the man spoke in an easygoing voice, his head turning towards the yard. “First, I gotta stab the Irishman. It’s tradition at this point.” 

Wha—? 

Before he could even sting a full thought together, an intense pain lanced through his left hand. Gritting his teeth, he breathed heavily as the back of his hand burned as if touched by a hot iron rod. 

“Don’t worry, that’s just the command seals. It’s proof that you’re my Master.” 

“Huh…? Master…?” 

What was he talking about? 

“Later,” the doppelgänger said, and then turned around, leaping out of the shed with inhuman speed. 

Picking himself up, Shirou ignored the pain in his body and walked to the door. With the moon vanishing behind the clouds, he could barely see those two beings as they stood in the middle of the yard. 

“Yo, Lancer!” Lancer? What kind of weird name was that? “Ready for round two?” 

The spearman didn’t answer, the quiet stretching out for a few awkward seconds. 

“Huh. That’s a first,” he eventually spoke, a note of disbelief in his voice. 

“You don’t seem too surprised,” the doppelgänger said, sounding a little disappointed as he rested his sword on his shoulder. 

Lancer stared quietly for a moment, before giving a scoff. “I guess I should’ve double tapped earlier.” 

The pain in Shirou’s chest suddenly flared at the reminder, his jaw tightening. What kind of person joked like this about taking a life… 

“Nah, that wouldn’t have worked. Alternate timelines and stuff.” 

“Figures,” Lancer said with a brief shake of the head. 

Shirou continued to stare at them in disbelief. Why were they acting so friendly with each other? 

“So, Saber, right?” 

Saber? 

His supernatural twin shrugged as if amused. “Something like that.” 

“Trying for that mysterious angle? Sorry to disappoint you, but I already know all the other Servants.” 

Servants? Masters? 

“As if that’s ever stopped the Grail before.” 

Another strange word. 

What the hell was going on here? 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

For once, Lancer sounded as confused as him, but the doppelgänger didn’t elaborate. 

“Nothing,” the man said with a shake of his head. “I guess you’re right. Servant Great Sword.” This name sounded even sillier. “Don’t die too quickly this time, Lancer.” 

At those words, the air between those two shifted, a tension filling the yard like static. The moon emerged from behind the clouds, bathing the yard in rays of silver light as Lancer readied his spear. 

“This time, huh?” 

The ground cracked beneath Lancer’s feet as he suddenly leapt forward like a vicious beast. Saber moved just as fast, a blur in the night as he met the charge head on. 

The clang of metal filled the yard. 

Shirou’s mind went blank at the sight. “What are they…?” 

Sparks flew through the darkness of the night as steel struck against steel, those two trading blows wordlessly. Lancer swung his spear with bestial elegance, but the other man parried each blow with ease. He knocked away all following attacks, driving Lancer back with every strike. 

It was surreal. Watching himself fight like that… could he one day reach that level? 

Lancer twirled around a slash and jabbed his spear with even more power, but Saber deflected it in another shower of sparks. 

With an annoyed sound, the Lancer retreated a bit, holding his weapon vertically to protect his chest as Saber pressed forward with a diagonal strike. 

“Guh…!” 

That blow came like an explosion, Lancer’s weapon glowing as if electrified from the impact. A force of magical energy so strong that it was visible. Each of Saber’s attacks carried a terrifying amount of magical energy. 

Every swing lit up the yard with a flash of light, slowly overpowering the spearman. A being who had killed him not long ago with impunity. 

Unbelievable… 

“I guess you’re not all talk…!” Lancer spoke while avoiding the doppelgänger’s fierce strikes. 

Saber didn’t answer. He kept pressing his advantage, putting even more force behind his blows. A storm of swings without pause, sparks flying in the darkness of the night like a blacksmith striking iron. 

But even so, Lancer managed to block them all, his weapon a blur in his hands. 

“Fuh…!” 

The last blow proved too much though, and Lancer wavered for a moment. Seeing an opening, Saber stepped even closer and swung with all his might as if trying to smash the man into the ground. 

“Don’t underestimate me, fool!” 

Lancer leapt back at the last moment, the movement like a blur as the sword cleaved through empty air, destroying the ground on impact and kicking up dust. 

Shirou’s eyes widened. It was a trap! 

“Ha..!” 

Lancer jumped back into the fray as soon as he landed, his spear pointed forward like an augury of death. It closed in mercilessly, but Saber still had his sword stuck in the ground. 

Saber released his sword, quickly bringing a hand to his chest, but it was too late. The red spear pierced through with a shower of sparks and the sound of groaning metal. 

The yard turned deathly quiet as those two stood there, Saber holding his ground just as valiantly despite the wound. 

Did that armor somehow stop it? 

The smirk on Lancer’s face suddenly vanished. He tugged at his spear, yanking it free just as Saber’s other hand snapped up, closing its grip around the shaft. 

“You fell for it, you fool!” 

Saber pulled with all his might, two sharp edges erupting from both arms and jutting forward like twin spears. 

Somehow, Lancer twisted away from their path, the swords rushing past each side of his head by a hairsbreadth. Before he could recover though, Saber’s other hand came in a swipe towards his face, a mess of sharp metal with spindly fingers like claws. 

Lancer threw his head back, yet couldn’t move enough without abandoning his spear, those wicked claws finding their mark. 

“Guh…!” 

With a sound between a growl and a grunt, Lancer pushed himself away, twisting like an acrobat. Saber had to release his grip on the spear as Lancer flipped over him with inhuman grace, the man landing some distance away, a thin gash bleeding along his chin. 

Such a tiny wound for a stab in the chest… 

Wha—?! 

Saber turned around, and, once again, Shirou found himself speechless. Sharp blades jutted out of his chest like a wicked armor, a small gap on the left side where that lance had struck. A strange magic that managed to prevent a fatal blow. 

From this distance, he couldn’t tell where that armor ended and the swords began, as if the body itself was made of swords. 

Shirou blinked, that thought lingering at the back of his mind like a nagging feeling. Strange. He pushed it away with a shake of his head, focusing back on the standoff in the yard. 

Those two kept staring at each other silently. 

“Nice trick you got there.” Lancer spoke after a moment, readying his spear with an unnecessary movement. 

“Wait until you see the next one, Cú Chulainn.” 

A tense silence filled the yard, those last words hanging heavily in the air. A flicker of annoyance crossed Lancer’s face as he clicked his tongue. 

“Of course you’d know.” 

Was that his real name? 

“My Saber dodged your Noble Phantasm.” More unfamiliar words, and Saber’s voice sounded amused, despite the situation. “I bet I can dodge it, too.” 

Why was this idiot taunting the enemy?! 

Something changed in Lancer’s expression, the atmosphere suddenly thickening with an oppressive feeling. 

“Is that so?” Lancer slid one foot behind, lowering his spear, as if planning to quit the fight. 

But that uneasy feeling grew threefold. 

Saber tensed, as if recognizing that stance—no, of course he’d recognize it. It was the same stance used in that fight a few hours ago. A fatal move that was supposed to end the fight. 

Lancer lowered his stance, the air suddenly distorting around his weapon. 

A chill ran down Shirou’s back. 

It was exactly like back then. Magical energy rumbled in a red whirlpool, centered on the tip of that spear. 

Saber readied his sword, a crisscrossing pattern of teal circuits flaring along his neck. He didn’t look scared in the least. Did he have a hidden ace up his sleeve— 

“I am the bone of my sword.” 

Saber’s voice suddenly broke the tense silence, as if reciting a chant. 

Shirou drew in a sharp breath, those words striking a deep note in his mind. He had no idea why, nor time to think about it. 

A chill ran up his spine, the air thick with a cold feeling of dread. 

“Too slow, boy. I’ll have your heart!” 

 
Lancer jumped like an angry beast. He instantly appeared in front of Saber, thrusting his spear forward with a snarl. It was a poor strike that Saber easily dodged around, but then— 

“Gáe...” 

Words charged with magical energy thundered across the yard. 

“Bolg!” 

The red lance abruptly changed its course. A strike that had been dodged now rushed towards Saber’s heart. It moved strangely, impossibly, yet it would somehow strike the heart. 

But the instant before it could run him through, the man smiled. 

“Avalon.” 

 
A golden light suddenly pierced through the darkness of the night. Bright, gentle, and sublime. It shone around Saber, clinging to his body like an aura of hope given shape. 

The fatal blow struck the golden barrier with a bright flash of light and stopped. For a heartbeat, the world held its breath. The spear struggled against the ethereal barrier, trembling like a leaf in the wind, and then— 

That enormous torrent of magic energy broke like water against a rock. 

Lancer jumped back as a sword cleaved through the space where he’d been less than a moment before. That beautiful golden light had dimmed to a soft glow as Saber stood there, an arm extended, completely unharmed. 

Unbelievable... 
 

Lancer skidded to a stop a few meters away, his weapon held loosely in one hand. He couldn’t believe his eyes either. A fatal blow like that, blocked with laughable ease. 
 

Deafening silence filled the yard. Lancer made no move to attack, both men standing still. 

Saber didn’t exploit this opening to counterattack. He had no reason to. He stopped Lancer’s finishing strike as if it was a joke. He’d already won the fight. 

“That’s bullshit.” Lancer’s voice suddenly broke the silence, tinged with disbelief. The hostility around him was gone, replaced by a frown. “There’s no way you’re King Arthur.” 

“Nah, I’m her boyfriend,” Saber spoke back in a lighthearted tone. 

What?! 

Shirou needed another moment to make sure he’d heard that right. King Arthur’s boyfriend? In what world did that make any sense? 

“What.” Lancer mirrored the disbelief. “Are you mocking me, brat? And what do you mean by her? Arthur was a woman, too?” 

“Yeah.” Saber answered with a nonchalant shrug. “It’s complicated.” 

Shirou’s mind drew a blank. He had trouble following this conversation. In what kind of future would he get together with King Arthur, who was a woman? 

A moment later, Lancer clucked his tongue, looking annoyed. “Looks like I’d screwed up.” Without saying anything else, he turned away, ignoring Saber, and walked to the edge of the yard. 

“Leaving so soon, Lancer?” 

Lancer paused mid-step, giving Saber an annoyed glare. “We would’ve been fighting to the death, but unfortunately, my Master is a coward. He’s telling me to run just because you evaded my spear.” 

The two stare at each other for a tense moment. 

“Alright. I’ll let you off this time,” Saber said with a teasing grin, and Lancer clucked his tongue again. 

“Cocky little brat.” 

“I’m not cocky. I’m confident.” 

“I guess we’ll see the next time who’s right.” 

“Make sure to stay alive.” 

Lancer made another dissatisfied sound as he turned around, resting his spear on his shoulder. Before he could leave though, Saber spoke up again.

“Oh, and mind telling your Master something for me.” 

“Tell him what?” 

Lancer stood there, still facing away as a knowing smile stretched on Saber’s face. 

“Today is the day.”

<[]>

Author's Note: Happy (belated) Shirou Day!

Swordmaxxed SIrou shows up instead of Baeber. This is either the best or the worst timeline, depending on who you ask On the flip side, Lancer survived to see another fight. I guess SIrou took pity on him after killing him so early the first time around.

Anyway, I'll be continuing this spin-off as time allows me.