A Fake Familiar Reborn

Chapter 18: The First Battle

She’d found herself feeling hesitant at first; during those ten days of brutal training, Archer had mentioned how dangerous summoning a Servant could end up being. While they were the most powerful kind of familiar imaginable, even when a Master had their sights set on a particular Heroic Spirit, it was still a gamble in one way or another. The presence of a catalyst was paramount if they wanted to secure a Heroic Spirit of their choosing, and even that wasn't guaranteed to produce the desired results, as a hero’s personality could very easily differ from what the myths and legends had seen fit to depict, let alone if the Servant manifested as an unexpected class. The fact that the ritual could very well summon a Servant by choosing one deemed to be highly compatible with the Master if no catalyst was provided for the ritual was also a gray area.

“Yet even that doesn't make sense; Archer and Rias don't have anything in common!” She whispered harshly, finding that the man had far more in parallel with her instead of the Gremory heiress. They both took their roles as student and teacher, respectively, very seriously and made sure to not let the supernatural world interfere with their duties.

She liked to read, and Tsubaki had mentioned how the man seemed to be into literature as well, as he’d requested to borrow multiple tomes from Reya at one point.

Hardworking, strict, serious, strategic, thinking critically, and much more. All of these traits aligned Archer with her more than Rias — yet she still got him at the end.

Returning to the previous topic, Archer had mentioned that summoning a mad Berserker or a Servant with an Evil nature could very well lead to the Master's demise by their own Servant if they failed to control it. It was after hearing those words that her desire to call forth her own Servant showed signs of waning — the risks were just too big to ignore. Even with a suitable catalyst for a mighty hero, doubts had plagued her mind. Perhaps it was a moment of clarity after all those beatings or a strange calmness which formed after finishing their training, coupled with the fear that Archer might see her as an enemy if she summoned another Servant. These factors bundled up, making her fear that summoning another Servant would bring her more trouble rather than resolving her issues.

However, these thoughts were thrown out the window when she witnessed the rating game and saw Archer's might against Riser. It wasn't just Archer; she had witnessed how quickly Rias's group had improved under his guidance with less than two weeks of intense training had shocked her even though they'd done so together. She hadn’t realized just how much stronger they’d all gotten until they finally faced off against opponents more on their level of power. Seeing it made her curious as to how much easier the nest encounter with a Stray might end up being.

The moment that truly revived her desire to have a Servant of her own though, was when Archer summoned his bow. It was difficult to put into words, but something about his stance as he brought out the weapon that signified his class made her spine shiver. Then, he summoned a strange sword that lacked a clean edge, an abomination that held a strange sort of beauty to its crimson form. The sword was then twisted into the shape of an arrow, and when released, it detonated in a dome of fire, threatening to completely incinerate Riser Phenex and his Sister. That display of power was the final nail in the coffin in her decision to acquire her own Servant.

She desired to have that type of power and capabilities for herself, to shock the world and influence every Devil's mind. With a Servant of Archer’s caliber by her side, her dream of creating a school for reincarnated Devils would be all but guaranteed.

However, there was another sensation, a pounding heart and deep sense of envy that took hold of her whenever she saw Archer following Rias’ orders or called her ‘Master.’ She now understood the type of monster her rival had at her command, and as long as a Servant stood by Rias's side while Sona had none, her chances of ever catching up to her longtime rival were practically if not outright zero.