and two of them are here in this room. It's their favorite meeting place, Danny's, and Emiri has once again ordered some terrible delicious-but-basically-dessert pancakes.
As she kicks her legs, waiting for her food, she tilts her head.]
Thank goodness you two made it through okay against the magic team! [She means Team Caster.]
[ Vaer, on the other hand, has strayed from their crepes of the past in favor of some incredibly savory platter with eggs and bacon and hash browns. Turns out winning by one whole point really takes it out of you! But it's okay. ]
Mm. You two have been attacked consecutively, now.
[ They opt for some plain old oatmeal, with a 0% chance of needing to potentially talk to the waiter again. Anything to reduce their stress levels, at this point? Crona merely nods along with the shared relief that Rider emerged victotious, making themself busy with pushing their meal around with their spoon, so as to not need to look at anyone directly. ]
Assassin probably thought... it was a good time to try to kill us. After Lancer...
[ They mutter, sounding more anxious than usual, and feeling a sliver of paranoia that a third consecutive attack on them while they're tired might be the next logical move for either of the remaining pairs. Even the one sitting across from them now. ]
[He says, bluntly, and as Vergil takes a sip from his mug, it's impossible to hide the pinch of his brows.
This is where things start to get a little complicated. And for what it's worth, he feels no need to dance around the subject. (If he gets straight to the point, maybe he can banish the slight feeling of trepidation that keeps nipping at his heels after these last few developments.)]
We should discuss how we want to move forward. Are we all still willing to let this alliance proceed? I'm sure I don't have to point out that, should both of our teams work together this upcoming week to overcome who's left, it's inevitable that we'll eventually face each other.
[ Vergil puts voice to a reality that they've all likely thought about already. Maybe even Emiri. They'd known this could be a possibility, and yet... This war is progressing far more quickly than they've anticipated. In a matter of two weeks, four pairs have been defeated... ]
I've not met the Master of Archer, but I've gotten the sense that Archer herself is quite competent and level-headed.
[ That said, they don't know how Archer will respond to the circumstances. Will they go for the team that's been attacked two weeks in a row, knowing they may be easier targets? Or... ]
Regardless of what happens with our alliance... You two should do everything you can to protect yourselves.
[ This is where it gets complicated. Because as much as they've kept themself aware of this possibility, tried to regress to their old ways, they can tell that Rider means what they've said. They have no reason to wish the best for they and Emiri, who are their enemies... the fact that they still do settles uneasily and heavily in the pit of their stomach, their teeth grinding together from the discomfort of the sensation. ]
Archer's master... he's kind. And a little loud.
[ They manage, trying to think strategically about all this — it's the burden they're more than willing to bear with such a straightforward and earnest Master. ]
But I... I think... making it to the end... we've already worked together this long...
[ And Archer is alone, no matter how they slice it. Their stutter worsens, feeling terrible about talking so blatantly about colluding to potentially kill people who they agree are kind. It's a familiar sort of disgust with themself, at being capable of such a thing. But ... if they endure this, if they take the Grail, they'll never have to do it again. That's their guiding mantra, at this stage. ]
And if we face each other first... it'll be easier for them...
[ They're too ashamed to lift their head to glance Emiri's way, face draining of color. But every angle they look at it, it feels like becoming hostile with Team Rider now will cause a net loss for them all. ]
[That's what it boils down to, isn't it? Do they fight Ryuji and Fio first, or do they fight Vergil and Vaer? Ryuji and Fio are kind, but Vergil and Vaer have been there at their sides from the start.
... Emiri just tilts her head, ponytails swaying with the movement, and smiles a little, even if the expression is a little more muted.]
So you wanna work together for one more go, Beroppi? And then if we both make it, we'll have like... a duel! One of those super dramatic and epic match-ups.
[... Her expression flickers a little. She doesn't think Vergil would try to kill her, and she knows she wouldn't do the same to him. But even if they agreed to that, Berserker and Rider... there's no outcome where one of them isn't lost.
And that's a lot harder to stomach.
... But Emiri has dedicated herself to Berserker's wish, and that's what's most important.]
It's more strategic for us to continue to work together, yes. Berserker is correct; if we fight each other first, no matter who wins, the remaining team is an easy target for Team Archer.
[He says it in a precise and empirical way on purpose. As though a part of him has to come to terms with the logic of it first, before he lets the heart get in the way. But that he lets emotions play a part in his decision-making process at all is still a huge step forward for this man.
Another long pull of his coffee, letting the scent and taste wash over him. And then-]
That said. It's only a matter of time before personal feelings come into play, affecting our preferences. I'll get mine out of the way first: I would rather see Archer off the board than you two. No matter what our impressions are of them, it doesn't change the fact that I want one of our teams to seize victory in the end.
[Though even Vergil has purposefully avoided thinking about the details of a Rider versus Berserker fight, should it come to that. They can cross that wobbly bridge when and if they get there.]
...Though perhaps everyone would be more confident about this decision if we knew, precisely, what we were all fighting for.
[ Ah. Emiri describes what would ultimately be a deathmatch between themself and Berserker so lighthearted, yet they can't fault her for it. They're just as likely to say something like that, after all, and that only highlights the attachment they've formed to the two young folks across the table all the more... ]
...I agree with my Master. I'll go first, and I won't sweeten my intentions here. You need not be so specific, but...
The greatest wish of my life has already been granted, in the form of a friend brought back to life. Thus, my wish is for... [ ahem. ] The financial freedom to live how I would like, so that I need not burden her in her second chance at life.
[ It's not so selfish as they may think — or rather, Crona doesn't see anything wrong with it. A wish that only benefits them.... that's practically what they're doing, too. If anything, it's a little comforting that not everyone at this table is wishing for something world changing and altruistic.
That doesn't make them less nervous about speaking about their own wish, though. Actually, they look terrified, much more so than any normal person has being just talking about something theoretically. ]
Then, for me... there's something I'm too scared to do on my own.
[ If Rider's wish is selfish, then theirs is a coward's wish... something they could probably achieve on their own, without such powerful magic, were they not so afraid. ]
All my life, I've hunted souls... killed others... so I could become what my mother wanted me to become. But for the first time, recently... I was able to make friends. At a school.
I'm afraid of leaving, like my mother wants me to. I don't want to go back to the way things were... [ Their voice trembles, and a hand raises to wipe away a bead of cold sweat running down their jaw. ] But I don't... I don't think I can say no to her...
[ They know they can't. If they were to go back to their world without a wish, they're almost certain they'll fall in line behind her. Like they always have. ]
[Emiri is quiet for a long moment as she listens to Rider's wish, and then Berserker's in turn. She's known Crona's, of course, but still... listening to them describe their wishes in their own words is different. It has meaning.
The very process of putting your thoughts into the form of a wish holds meaning. She's not the smartest magical girl around the block, she doesn't always understand nuance like her senpai do, but she knows that much. Every magical girl's wish has meaning, even if it doesn't sound like much. Likewise, every wish here means something.
Vaer's wish, Crona's wish... they're both beautiful in their own way, and Emiri dips her head as she listens, and she shoots Crona an encouraging smile when they finish speaking.]
Right, right...! And, well... mine's kinda...
[Hmmm...!!]
I think I changed my mind on mine. [As one does.] Mostly, I wanna see Beroppi's wish come true, but I think... my own wish is just gonna be, like--
[Another pause, her nose wrinkling as she searches for the words for a complicated concept that she doesn't necessarily have the vocabulary for.]
I wanna wish to make everyone else's wishes a lil bit easier to obtain. Like... I'm sure the Grail can't just grant everyone's wishes if I ask it to. That'd be cheating, right?
But... I can ask it to give everyone the ability to get a bit closer to their wishes!
[whoever's, uh, still alive. Though Servants are kind of a special case so maybe it'll still apply?]
And that way, maybe everyone can still get 'em even if they lost. Just... with their own hands, instead.
[He knows Vaer’s wish, of course. And hearing Berserker’s and Emiri’s is… strange, still, adding a bit of weight to the reality that everyone—before and after this point—was more than just an enemy to be felled. They had their personal reasons for fighting, meaningful desires that humanized them in a way that could not be ignored. Perhaps learning of these desires now will be a detriment to himself and Vaer should they have to face them in battle. Empathy is a double-edged sword, and he still struggles to learn how to wield it.
Even so. It’s only fair that he offers his own wish for consideration — and like Rider, Vergil feels like his is selfish in comparison, perhaps the most self-centered of all.
And yet he desires it strongly, all the same.]
…My own wish is simple: I want the strength to defeat someone who I’ve always tried to prove myself to, time and time again.
[The issues run deeper than what a simple statement can convey. Vergil’s frown ticks across his features. It’s clear he’s trying to put words together to explain further.]
By doing so, it would put an end to one chapter of my life, and mark the beginning of another. I could move on.
[(Just like his humanity would want him to.)
He sets down his coffee with a dull clunk against the booth top.]
Everyone here has something worth fighting for. [Emiri’s is surprisingly clever, and perhaps the most altruistic, to boot.] That, I think we can agree on. No matter the victory, if it’s between the four of us… I think I can accept that outcome.
[Very pointedly and poignantly neglecting the part where one Servant will not make it through this, though. There is simply no getting around that.]
[ For just a fleeting moment, Rider's eyes widen as they listen to Berserker's wish. Ultimately, they are wishing for their freedom, aren't they? A familiar pain lances through their heart at the realization that Berserker's journey is not so unlike their own, with some notable exceptions. But that feeling of doing everything they can to become someone that they ultimately are not... That was what their life with the Headmaster was like. It took them so much, too much to be able to break free of those shackles, but Berserker...
They deserve that very same chance. With a contemplative hum, Vaer decides it upon themself. A decision that solidifies all the more when Emiri expresses her own selfless wish. And then the reminder of Vergil's... If they were to fall, and Emiri could use her wish like she is saying to, then... Vergil would be closer to his wish.
Never mind where that leaves them. (In the Shadow Realm?) Vergil may be accepting of any outcome between the four of them, but the same is not true of his Servant. They want to see Crona's wish come to fruition, and Emiri's, and by extension Vergil's even if it's to a lesser extent. Wouldn't that be the best case scenario?
But in the interest of not worrying the babies or their Master, they will simply say: ]
I think I can accept that, too. Thank you for sharing your wishes with us.
[ Vergil is right — everyone is fighting for something important. Vergil for the sake of leaving his past behind, Vaer for the sake of their future, and Emiri for the sake of everyone. And they... are fighting for their future in a way, too, even though their conviction remains wobbly at best. They've never known right from wrong, and had pointedly never been allowed to disobey or make decisions for themself. To defy the greatest power they know with something as otherworldly as a wish... it's really not something they're equipped to do. Even here, at this stage of the War, they wonder if they have the willpower that everyone at this table seems to have. ]
I can accept it...
[ ...Though, they trail off, looking down and away. It seems like there's something else they want to say, but they need to work themself up to be able to say it. Everyone is avoiding mentioning outright that both they and Rider won't survive this War — but this might be their last chance to talk to these two outside of combat. It's now or never. They force themself to lift their eyes and meet both Vergil and Rider's gazes, looking openly desperate. ]
If... if it's just me. If you win.
[ Vergil and Rider have helped them all this time — they want to believe they wouldn't be so ruthless to kill them both. They almost do. But there's the smallest, nagging doubt, born from the last few weeks against other pairs. They've seen both sides of the coin; there was Lancer and Yuki, who only targeted them, and there was Assassin and Kokomi, who probably would have done whatever was necessary to defeat them both. ]
Emiri doesn't look surprised by Berserker's words. After all, they've been firm and open from the start about how they wanted to protect Emiri first and foremost, and she knows she can't fight that. It'd be flying in the face of something that they decided for themself, and that... wouldn't be right. Not when they so rarely choose like that.
Still, she's an expressive girl, and not particularly prone to subtlety. So the misery is plain on her face in response to the thought of Berserker being defeated and killed, even if she doesn't protest.
Because at the same time, she really likes Vergil and Vaer, and they've been with them for the start--so she can't just brashly say they'll definitely win and beat the Rider team either. That doesn't feel right.]
[Ah, so straight to the beating heart of it. The part that they had been circling 'round and 'round, hoping to avoid its sharp edges. Berserker probably has the right idea — better to address it now if there are stipulations.
…Though it is a simple one to acquiesce to, he thinks. Especially seeing the look on Emiri’s face, which even Vergil has to glance away from briefly.
Yet conversely, he thinks that this was never so difficult before. No wonder a part of him believed this kind of thing, these sorts of connections, only weighed him down in the past. Mistakenly, yes, but the burden of it is undeniable in moments such as these.]
Of course.
[A stern, unyielding glance at Berserker, as though his word is as good as steel.]
If it comes down to that, I have no reason to cause more harm than necessary.
[ Vaer, too, finds themself disarmed by the desperation on Berserker's face, coupled with the anguish on Emiri's. Even weeks ago, when the four of them had sat down to discuss an alliance for the very first time, these two already gave Vaer the impression that they were forging something precious. That Berserker would do whatever it takes to ensure that Emiri remains unharmed... is a desire that Vaer can relate to. When they were Crona's age, they would have done the same thing to protect their best friend, to protect her light, like Berserker wants to protect Emiri's.
But now...
Rider's gaze falls sidelong, and their hand reaches over, seeking out Vergil's to gently curl their fingers around it. ]
In that case, I hope it's no trouble if I ask the same.
[ That should it come down to it, Berserker would spare Vergil. ]
[ They chew the inside of their lip, shoulders slumping. They can hear it — the voice of their mother urging them to agree to such a truce, then stab them both in the back. That would probably be the easiest way to claim victory, and to catch them both off guard. But they hate that they even think of it for a fleeting second, privately ashamed and silently wondering if they'll ever be able to not think this way - the way that's been ingrained in them since early youth.
If anything, that these thoughts even occur feels like evidence of the inherent corruption of their soul. But, so long as they're here, they remind themself they need not follow their mother's instructions. ]
I won't... [ They force it out, looking uncomfortable, as though beginning to feel sick. ] If it's that way, that's fine... it'll be easier... for all of us...
[ It's what they say, though it sounds more like they're trying to convince themself of the fact. They can see Rider's hand against Vergil's, and they think of their own closeness and fondness of Emiri. This way, neither Emiri nor Vergil will need to feel too responsible over striking down the Servant across the table from them... they think. All of that should fall on them or Rider. Together, the Servants might save their Masters from one last cruelty from this war, and they're darkly glad for it. ]
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and two of them are here in this room. It's their favorite meeting place, Danny's, and Emiri has once again ordered some terrible delicious-but-basically-dessert pancakes.
As she kicks her legs, waiting for her food, she tilts her head.]
Thank goodness you two made it through okay against the magic team! [She means Team Caster.]
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Once more, Vergil has ordered coffee. This is fine. This is a black-coffee-only kind of conversation to be having.]
Not without a challenge.
[Honestly, they barely made it out, and not without taking much of the warehouse with them. But at least they've mostly recovered by now.]
We could say the same about you two.
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[ Vaer, on the other hand, has strayed from their crepes of the past in favor of some incredibly savory platter with eggs and bacon and hash browns. Turns out winning by one whole point really takes it out of you! But it's okay. ]
Mm. You two have been attacked consecutively, now.
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Assassin probably thought... it was a good time to try to kill us. After Lancer...
[ They mutter, sounding more anxious than usual, and feeling a sliver of paranoia that a third consecutive attack on them while they're tired might be the next logical move for either of the remaining pairs. Even the one sitting across from them now. ]
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Emiri, for her part, just pouts a little.]
We may be small, but we're not gonna go down that easy!
[Yeah!!!]
... Though I guess, like, now it's only a few of us left, right?
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[He says, bluntly, and as Vergil takes a sip from his mug, it's impossible to hide the pinch of his brows.
This is where things start to get a little complicated. And for what it's worth, he feels no need to dance around the subject. (If he gets straight to the point, maybe he can banish the slight feeling of trepidation that keeps nipping at his heels after these last few developments.)]
We should discuss how we want to move forward. Are we all still willing to let this alliance proceed? I'm sure I don't have to point out that, should both of our teams work together this upcoming week to overcome who's left, it's inevitable that we'll eventually face each other.
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I've not met the Master of Archer, but I've gotten the sense that Archer herself is quite competent and level-headed.
[ That said, they don't know how Archer will respond to the circumstances. Will they go for the team that's been attacked two weeks in a row, knowing they may be easier targets? Or... ]
Regardless of what happens with our alliance... You two should do everything you can to protect yourselves.
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Archer's master... he's kind. And a little loud.
[ They manage, trying to think strategically about all this — it's the burden they're more than willing to bear with such a straightforward and earnest Master. ]
But I... I think... making it to the end... we've already worked together this long...
[ And Archer is alone, no matter how they slice it. Their stutter worsens, feeling terrible about talking so blatantly about colluding to potentially kill people who they agree are kind. It's a familiar sort of disgust with themself, at being capable of such a thing. But ... if they endure this, if they take the Grail, they'll never have to do it again. That's their guiding mantra, at this stage. ]
And if we face each other first... it'll be easier for them...
[ They're too ashamed to lift their head to glance Emiri's way, face draining of color. But every angle they look at it, it feels like becoming hostile with Team Rider now will cause a net loss for them all. ]
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... Emiri just tilts her head, ponytails swaying with the movement, and smiles a little, even if the expression is a little more muted.]
So you wanna work together for one more go, Beroppi? And then if we both make it, we'll have like... a duel! One of those super dramatic and epic match-ups.
[... Her expression flickers a little. She doesn't think Vergil would try to kill her, and she knows she wouldn't do the same to him. But even if they agreed to that, Berserker and Rider... there's no outcome where one of them isn't lost.
And that's a lot harder to stomach.
... But Emiri has dedicated herself to Berserker's wish, and that's what's most important.]
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[He says it in a precise and empirical way on purpose. As though a part of him has to come to terms with the logic of it first, before he lets the heart get in the way. But that he lets emotions play a part in his decision-making process at all is still a huge step forward for this man.
Another long pull of his coffee, letting the scent and taste wash over him. And then-]
That said. It's only a matter of time before personal feelings come into play, affecting our preferences. I'll get mine out of the way first: I would rather see Archer off the board than you two. No matter what our impressions are of them, it doesn't change the fact that I want one of our teams to seize victory in the end.
[Though even Vergil has purposefully avoided thinking about the details of a Rider versus Berserker fight, should it come to that. They can cross that wobbly bridge when and if they get there.]
...Though perhaps everyone would be more confident about this decision if we knew, precisely, what we were all fighting for.
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...I agree with my Master. I'll go first, and I won't sweeten my intentions here. You need not be so specific, but...
The greatest wish of my life has already been granted, in the form of a friend brought back to life. Thus, my wish is for... [ ahem. ] The financial freedom to live how I would like, so that I need not burden her in her second chance at life.
[ it's a selfish wish, they know. ]
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That doesn't make them less nervous about speaking about their own wish, though. Actually, they look terrified, much more so than any normal person has being just talking about something theoretically. ]
Then, for me... there's something I'm too scared to do on my own.
[ If Rider's wish is selfish, then theirs is a coward's wish... something they could probably achieve on their own, without such powerful magic, were they not so afraid. ]
All my life, I've hunted souls... killed others... so I could become what my mother wanted me to become. But for the first time, recently... I was able to make friends. At a school.
I'm afraid of leaving, like my mother wants me to. I don't want to go back to the way things were... [ Their voice trembles, and a hand raises to wipe away a bead of cold sweat running down their jaw. ] But I don't... I don't think I can say no to her...
[ They know they can't. If they were to go back to their world without a wish, they're almost certain they'll fall in line behind her. Like they always have. ]
I was going to wish... to be able to stay.
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The very process of putting your thoughts into the form of a wish holds meaning. She's not the smartest magical girl around the block, she doesn't always understand nuance like her senpai do, but she knows that much. Every magical girl's wish has meaning, even if it doesn't sound like much. Likewise, every wish here means something.
Vaer's wish, Crona's wish... they're both beautiful in their own way, and Emiri dips her head as she listens, and she shoots Crona an encouraging smile when they finish speaking.]
Right, right...! And, well... mine's kinda...
[Hmmm...!!]
I think I changed my mind on mine. [As one does.] Mostly, I wanna see Beroppi's wish come true, but I think... my own wish is just gonna be, like--
[Another pause, her nose wrinkling as she searches for the words for a complicated concept that she doesn't necessarily have the vocabulary for.]
I wanna wish to make everyone else's wishes a lil bit easier to obtain. Like... I'm sure the Grail can't just grant everyone's wishes if I ask it to. That'd be cheating, right?
But... I can ask it to give everyone the ability to get a bit closer to their wishes!
[whoever's, uh, still alive. Though Servants are kind of a special case so maybe it'll still apply?]
And that way, maybe everyone can still get 'em even if they lost. Just... with their own hands, instead.
Or somethin' like that.
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Even so. It’s only fair that he offers his own wish for consideration — and like Rider, Vergil feels like his is selfish in comparison, perhaps the most self-centered of all.
And yet he desires it strongly, all the same.]
…My own wish is simple: I want the strength to defeat someone who I’ve always tried to prove myself to, time and time again.
[The issues run deeper than what a simple statement can convey. Vergil’s frown ticks across his features. It’s clear he’s trying to put words together to explain further.]
By doing so, it would put an end to one chapter of my life, and mark the beginning of another. I could move on.
[(Just like his humanity would want him to.)
He sets down his coffee with a dull clunk against the booth top.]
Everyone here has something worth fighting for. [Emiri’s is surprisingly clever, and perhaps the most altruistic, to boot.] That, I think we can agree on. No matter the victory, if it’s between the four of us… I think I can accept that outcome.
[Very pointedly and poignantly neglecting the part where one Servant will not make it through this, though. There is simply no getting around that.]
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They deserve that very same chance. With a contemplative hum, Vaer decides it upon themself. A decision that solidifies all the more when Emiri expresses her own selfless wish. And then the reminder of Vergil's... If they were to fall, and Emiri could use her wish like she is saying to, then... Vergil would be closer to his wish.
Never mind where that leaves them. (In the Shadow Realm?) Vergil may be accepting of any outcome between the four of them, but the same is not true of his Servant. They want to see Crona's wish come to fruition, and Emiri's, and by extension Vergil's even if it's to a lesser extent. Wouldn't that be the best case scenario?
But in the interest of not worrying the babies or their Master, they will simply say: ]
I think I can accept that, too. Thank you for sharing your wishes with us.
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I can accept it...
[ ...Though, they trail off, looking down and away. It seems like there's something else they want to say, but they need to work themself up to be able to say it. Everyone is avoiding mentioning outright that both they and Rider won't survive this War — but this might be their last chance to talk to these two outside of combat. It's now or never. They force themself to lift their eyes and meet both Vergil and Rider's gazes, looking openly desperate. ]
If... if it's just me. If you win.
[ Vergil and Rider have helped them all this time — they want to believe they wouldn't be so ruthless to kill them both. They almost do. But there's the smallest, nagging doubt, born from the last few weeks against other pairs. They've seen both sides of the coin; there was Lancer and Yuki, who only targeted them, and there was Assassin and Kokomi, who probably would have done whatever was necessary to defeat them both. ]
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Emiri doesn't look surprised by Berserker's words. After all, they've been firm and open from the start about how they wanted to protect Emiri first and foremost, and she knows she can't fight that. It'd be flying in the face of something that they decided for themself, and that... wouldn't be right. Not when they so rarely choose like that.
Still, she's an expressive girl, and not particularly prone to subtlety. So the misery is plain on her face in response to the thought of Berserker being defeated and killed, even if she doesn't protest.
Because at the same time, she really likes Vergil and Vaer, and they've been with them for the start--so she can't just brashly say they'll definitely win and beat the Rider team either. That doesn't feel right.]
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…Though it is a simple one to acquiesce to, he thinks. Especially seeing the look on Emiri’s face, which even Vergil has to glance away from briefly.
Yet conversely, he thinks that this was never so difficult before. No wonder a part of him believed this kind of thing, these sorts of connections, only weighed him down in the past. Mistakenly, yes, but the burden of it is undeniable in moments such as these.]
Of course.
[A stern, unyielding glance at Berserker, as though his word is as good as steel.]
If it comes down to that, I have no reason to cause more harm than necessary.
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But now...
Rider's gaze falls sidelong, and their hand reaches over, seeking out Vergil's to gently curl their fingers around it. ]
In that case, I hope it's no trouble if I ask the same.
[ That should it come down to it, Berserker would spare Vergil. ]
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If anything, that these thoughts even occur feels like evidence of the inherent corruption of their soul. But, so long as they're here, they remind themself they need not follow their mother's instructions. ]
I won't... [ They force it out, looking uncomfortable, as though beginning to feel sick. ] If it's that way, that's fine... it'll be easier... for all of us...
[ It's what they say, though it sounds more like they're trying to convince themself of the fact. They can see Rider's hand against Vergil's, and they think of their own closeness and fondness of Emiri. This way, neither Emiri nor Vergil will need to feel too responsible over striking down the Servant across the table from them... they think. All of that should fall on them or Rider. Together, the Servants might save their Masters from one last cruelty from this war, and they're darkly glad for it. ]