[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/271031448755109888/452429537993818112/AchBanner.png[/img]
[h2]’Lancer Prime’[/h2]
[h3][i]Front Yard, Matou Manor[/i][/h3][/Center]

“Well, failures in general are just part and parcel of being alive, Master. Nobody’s perfect,” He chuckled, accompanying her after shooting the other Lancer a final, curious glance. “That said, I would not consider them ‘failures’ to begin with.”

That much was true. He might have teased her about how the actions did not fit with what her ‘ideal of a soldier’ was like, but they weren’t failures as far as he was concerned. Just a little girl showing a bit of fire.

. . .He better avoid the first half of the statement if he ever said it aloud, he thought as he carried the girl’s piano to the place she instructed. 

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” His smirk had regained the cocky undertone. “I can assure you, Master, that my failure should be the last thing in your mind.”

Was it confidence, arrogance, or merely a lack of awareness regarding the situation that gave Lancer Prime the will to make such statements? In a war such as this— 

—Where heroes fought each other for supremacy.

—Where what should be a ‘destined outcome’ could be overturned as a matter of course.

—Where even the brightest stars could find a match or a better.

Yes, in a war such as this, the sort of attitude that prompted one to say ‘failure is not a concern’ could be either of those three options, and only time would tell if glory or ruin awaited at the end of the road.

. . .But, if nothing else, the Servant seemed entirely self-assured, and once Benita gave the command, his eyes lit up once more.

“Alright!” He cheered, twirling his spear and following his Master to whatever battlefield that awaited them. “Just watch, Master — I’ll show you the strength of the man you’ve contracted with.”

And so, they departed, Lancer Prime ready to let his spear pierce the chests of heroes in splendid battle like the days of yore. Ready to— 

 [h3][center] Outside the Bounded Field, Einzbern Forest [/center][/h3]

—Be an errand boy?

As they made their way toward the forest and Benita explained the situation and instructions to him, his façade. . .remained the same, almost as if he really did not mind — a far cry from the previously stated desires to ‘show her his strength’ and ‘fight the other heroes of this war’, both of which he seemed to be rather eager to accomplish.

Furthermore, one would think that someone with his disposition would not find ‘courier work’ to be interesting, or even acceptable. However, Lancer Prime maintained his good cheer.

After all, she hadn’t explicitly told him ‘do nothing else’. 

After all, he could do some scouting on the side.

After all, he was about to venture into enemy territory.

After all, if he met said enemy. . .well, there were just a thousand ways it would go, no?

“Yeah, sure, I’ll get it for you, Master. . .” A smirk once again made its way to his face. “Just to make sure, though, if someone's in the way, you don't mind if I kick their ass, right?”

Lacking the decency to even wait for her confirmation, Lancer Prime broke into a run, leaving behind only a sound akin to the crack of thunder and a trail of shattered ground.

Moving straight through the forest, he deftly avoided the trees and ignored the rough terrain as though it was not even an inconvenience, shooting forward like a bullet and attaining speed even the greatest among humans would find— 

. . .No, that was wrong.

To begin with, Lancers were supposedly lauded for their speed in the first place — it was the hallmark of their class. To say that ‘his speed far surpassed that of humans’ would only be par for the course, and although Lancer Prime boasted of even higher specs, they were not ‘something no other Servant could attain’. Or rather, they [i]shouldn’t have been[/i].

But if anyone were to watch him now, one would have to wonder if even among the renowned heroes of ages past there would be a single one that could hope to match that sprint.

Reaching near the edge of the supposed crash site, he leapt to a tree branch and stopped almost as suddenly as he had started, surveying the area before him and whistling.

“Whoever that was, they sure didn’t hold back.”

Indeed, the craters proved as much, the landscape of the forest blown away around them as though a god had taken offense. His eyes narrowed as he jumped from branch to branch, approaching with more care than he had just a few moments prior and looking down to discern any sort of interesting—

. . .Ah, wait. To begin with, it appeared that he was not alone. Someone had beat him to the place, a Servant in fine armor and carrying a sword — Saber, then? He certainly looked the part of the knight.

Was this another curious party or the Servant of the owners of this place? Regardless, it would not do to try and skulk in the shadows — so he cheerfully announced his presence with a laugh, pleased.

“Well, I would be lying if I said I was fully expecting to meet anyone here, but my luck seems to be great tonight,” Spear slung across his shoulders, he looked at the man before him. “I take it you’re curious about that lightshow from earlier, too? We could compare notes if you like.”

But then, he paused — his smile became sharper, his eyes narrowed, and he brought his spear to bear, pointing it straight at his quarry from across the clearing.

“Or, if you want, we can just skip the pleasantries and start killing each other right now. I’m fine with either.”

[@phonic] [@Cu Chulainn] [@Crusader Lord]