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.