One Piece : Wild Hunt

Sensing Thomas and Caenis rushing over, the faux Artoria turned around, gripping her sword in preparation for a fight.
Holding up his hands to show he didn't mean any harm, Thomas slowly approached the petite Knight King to say, "Roaming around here won't do you any good. This place is a Reality Marble, so you won't find what you're looking for here."
Though she kept her hands on the grip of her sword, the faux Artoria lowered it slightly to ask, "What's a Reality Marble...?"
"..."
Exhaling a tired sigh, Thomas lowered his hands and replied, "It's very complicated. Once we're out of here, I'll have someone explain it to you. The most important things you need to know right now is that we're not your enemies and that you will dissipate if you don't form a contract with me, a girl named Illya, or a girl named Miyu. We're the only three people who possess Mana in this world..."
Raising her sword, the faux Artoria asked, "How is that possible? Mana is one of the fundamental building blocks of life. Do you think me a fool...?"
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "I'm just stating the facts. Once Caenis and I have dealt with the person we came here to defeat, you'll be able to ascertain the truth for yourself. I'm not trying to force you into a contract or anything..."
Sensing no falsehoods in Thomas's words, the faux Artoria slowly lowered her blade. She still had her doubts, but Thomas and Caenis were her only sources of information. There was also the fact that if the former's claims turned out to be true, she would be doing herself a tremendous disservice by treating her potential Master with hostility.
"Very well," said the faux Artoria. Before Thomas could respond, however, she questioned, "You mentioned there is someone in this world you must defeat? How have they wronged you?"
Realizing he had overcome the first hurdle, Thomas exhaled a sigh of relief before adopting a serious expression as he briefly recounted the situation. By the time he was finished, a hint of emotion had manifested within the faux Artoria's gaze.
Holding up her sword like a Knight making a vow, the faux Artoria stated, "If what you've said is true, I will fight alongside you to ensure this tyrant is brought to justice."
Smiling wryly, Thomas replied, "I appreciate the sentiment, but we've all but won this fight already. If I weren't over here trying to explain things to you, we might have already captured Crocodile."
"I...see..." muttered the faux Artoria. Then, catching Thomas a little off guard, she averted her gaze, seemingly embarrassed. Thomas assumed she was, but it was difficult to tell since her expression hardly changed.
Throwing the faux Artoria a bone, Caenis said, "You can protect this idiot while I capture the Crocodile. He or she is bound to be desperate, so they might try to sneak attack Tom to secure a pyrrhic victory. As a Knight, you should be capable of protecting at least a single person, right?"
With a muted but resolute look on her face, Artoria nodded her head and replied, "I am able." in a firm tone.
Adopting a wolfish grin, Caenis remarked, "Good, because if you make a mistake, you'll be fucking over a metric fuckton of people. As unreliable as he might seem, a lot of selfish cunts are depending on Tom to unfuck their situation and achieve their dreams. If you get him killed, I will literally rip you limb from limb..."
Sensing the bloodlust exuding from Caenis, the faux Artoria instinctually gripped her sword. The former gave her a 'very' dangerous feeling, so she began having doubts about whether or not Thomas was someone worthy of her allegiance. Despite this, she maintained a look of conviction as she replied, "A proper Knight never reneges on their promise. So long as he is not revealed to be a villain, I will protect Sir Thomas without fail..."
Snorting through her nose, Caenis retorted, "Actions speak louder than words. Also, if you fuck this up, you can be sure that neither of the girls he mentioned previously will accept you as a Servant. They need Tom's help to restore their friend's world, so fucking him over is the same as condemning billions of people to die. Remember that."
Though she couldn't grasp the concept of 'billions' of people, the faux Artoria's expression became even more resolute as she looked toward Thomas. He wore a wry smile, but there was a hint of exasperation and concern in his gaze. The former was obviously in regard to the present situation, but the latter reflected uncertainty about the future.
Holding up her sword a second time, the faux Artoria pledged, "I swear by my name, Artoria Pendragon, and the Holy Sword, Caliburn, that I will not let any harm befall Sir Thomas under my watch. Should he fall before me, I will accept all due punishments without protest."
In response to Artoria's vow, a series of runes lit up along the length of her sword. At the same time, her Mana reserves noticeably decreased, a sure sign that a very powerful form of Magic had been invoked. If Chiron or Chloe had been present, they would have recognized it as a Geass, a self-imposed restriction that functioned as both a blessing and a curse...
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Once his reserves were exhausted, the Temple protecting Crocodile faded away, followed by him returning to his 'original' form. Immediately after, he sped off as fast as his sand could carry him, convinced that it was only a matter of time before Thomas's and Caenis's 'transformations' wore off.
Though Crocodile was fairly quick, capable of averaging hundreds of kilometers per hour over long distances and several times that in short bursts, the use of Nitocris's Noble Phantasm had left him exhausted. He couldn't even produce a sandstorm to conceal his location, so it only took a few minutes for Caenis to track him down, ahead of Thomas and Artoria.
Seeing Caenis by herself, Crocodile's already grim expression darkened further as he asked, "Why are you helping Alabasta? With your power, you could easily rule-"
Covering the distance between herself and Crocodile in an instant, Caenis gave the purple-haired man a punch in the face as she taunted, "You ain't sneaky, bitch."
As Crocodile was sent flying by Caenis's punch, the tendril of sand he had been snaking toward her through the ground was severed. Several of his teeth were knocked out, but he managed to retain his consciousness as he turned his body into a swirling vortex of sand, creating several blade-like protrusions that attempted to dice Caenis to pieces.
Completely ignoring the blades, Caenis charged through them, letting them break futilely against his skin as she grabbed Crocodile by the neck, negating his sand powers before slamming him into the ground. He tried to stab her in the neck with the gold-alloy hook on his left hand, but she ignored that as well, the tip bending against her flesh as she exclaimed, "Eat shit, you sand-swilling reptile...!"
With Crocodile unable to use his powers or break through her defenses, Caenis had free rein to slam him into the ground repeatedly, continuing even after he had gone limp. It was only once the whites of his eyes had shown that she stopped, allowing him to slump into the blood-filled crater their interaction had produced.
Spitting on the back of the man's head, Caenis mocked, "It's not as fun when you're the one who's powerless, is it? You're lucky my Master is a bleeding-heart buffoon. If it were up to me, I'd shove that hook up your ass and twist it until it came out your pisser."
Resisting the urge to do precisely that, Caenis gave Crocodile one final kick before picking up the two Install Cards that had popped out of his body halfway through her thrashing. She could have stopped then and there, but she still hadn't forgiven Crocodile for denying her the chance to face off against Hector. She could have Thomas transform into him, but it wouldn't be the same as she could never go all out against him.
Reverting to her casual wear, Caenis slipped the cards into the lining of her panties and shorts, intent on having Thomas pull them out once he arrived. Until then, she stood with her left foot on the back of Crocodile's back, preventing him from scattering into sand the moment he regained consciousness. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long, as Thomas still had the EMIYA Card equipped. It only granted him C-Rank Agility, but he was nearly as fast as Crocodile in his weakened state.
Seeing the condition of Crocodile, Artoria's expression revealed a hint of conflict. Thomas also produced a wry grimace, but he knew Crocodile had this coming to him, especially after pissing Caenis off.
Projecting two pairs of seastone manacles and a metal choker, Thomas placed them on the unconscious Crocodile before rising to his feet and declaring, "With this, Alabasta should be saved. I'm sure Crocodile had a contingency plan in place, but we should have bought enough time for the evacuation."
Turning to Caenis and Artoria, Thomas asked, "Are the two of you ready to return?"
Crossing her arms, Caenis asked, "Unless you want to go another round or ten, what reason could we possibly have to stay?"
Shaking his head, Thomas refused to comment and simply deactivated the Reality Marble. Doing so made the world appear as if it was collapsing in on them, causing Artoria to tense, but it didn't even take a full second before they were back in the real world, standing in the chamber where Crocodile had been waiting for them.
Though Benienma was the first to notice Thomas's return, Robin was the first to address him, musing, "It appears everything went smoothly. I was beginning to worry when a full hour had passed..."
While making his way over to where Cobra was receiving treatment, Thomas explained, "Crocodile made the mistake of trying to turtle up in the middle of the fight. We just had to run out the clock, and there wasn't much else he could do."
"I see..." muttered Robin. Then, after briefly exchanging glances with the faux Artoria, she returned her attention to Thomas and added, "The King isn't out of the woods just yet. Crocodile forced him to ingest a rare spider known as a Desert Strawberry. Several days have passed since then, so if he doesn't receive the antidote soon, there is a possibility he might die at any moment."
Furrowing his brows, Thomas turned to meet Robin's gaze, asking, "You don't have the antidote on you? I expected you to be more prepared..."
Returning a smile, Robin reached into her fur-lined coat to produce a vial of yellow liquid. Before handing it over, however, she questioned, "Are you sure you want to give it to him? You already have the heart of the Princess firmly within your grasp. If she becomes the reigning monarch, you could rule all of Alabasta from the shadows..."
Grimacing even further, Thomas remarked, "That isn't funny, Robin, even as a joke. Now, hand over the antidote..."
"Certainly," replied the raven-haired woman, proferring forth the antidote without further remark. She really was just joking, but she also wanted to see how Thomas would react. If he had paused to consider the merits of her suggestion, she would have disappeared the moment an opportunity presented itself. Now, so long as he made good on his promise to let her peruse Alubarna's Poneglyph, she would seriously consider joining either the Straw Hats or his burgeoning business enterprise...whichever seemed more interesting...
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(A/N: Caenis is a very vengeful person xD...)

After administering Cobra the antidote, Thomas took advantage of the fact he still had the EMIYA Card installed to check the condition of the King's body. What he found were several 'specks' that he assumed to be tumors in the middle-aged King's lungs. He didn't know whether it was cancer or something else, but it wasn't a good sign.
Unfortunately, as Reinforcement Magecraft was nearly impossible to use on other people, not without risking extreme harm, Thomas had no way of treating Cobra himself. Instead, he decided to wait a month or two before summoning Asclepius to treat him directly.
Retracting his hand from Cobra's chest, Thomas looked to the nearby Doctor and his team of Nurses, asking, "Are the five of you affiliated with Baroque Works, or was Crocodile forcing you against your will?"
Answering on behalf of his team, the elderly Doctor raised his hands and exclaimed, "We didn't have a choice! Sir&mdash;I mean, Crocodile would have killed us if we didn't follow his orders!"
With Benienma remaining silent, Thomas gave a curt nod and said, "Very well. I'll have you and your team carry the King to the surface. After that, you should flee the Capital or lie low for a while."
Exhaling sighs of relief, the medical team complied with Thomas's orders by gently transferring Cobra to a stretcher. Two of the Nurses were fairly burly men, so they had no problem lifting the somewhat emaciated Cobra and transporting him to the surface. There, they found Astolfo, Vivi, and a large contingent of Royal Guards waiting for them.
Seeing Thomas, Vivi's expression visibly brightened before turning into one of horror as she noticed her father's condition. His wounds had been treated, but he was incredibly thin, and his palatial robes were ragged and bloody.
"Father...!" shouted Vivi, alerting the few guards that had yet to notice the group's return.
Rushing over to her father's side, Vivi grabbed his left hand, squeezing it tightly as she began to tear up. Before the waterworks could truly begin, Thomas remarked, "He'll be okay. He just needs to rest and recuperate a bit."
Trusting Thomas's words, Vivi closed her eyes and muttered, "Thank goodness..." in a sobbing yet relieved tone. At the same time, Chaka and several of the most senior Royal Guards made their way over, their eyes widening when they saw Crocodile, bound in chains, being dragged by Caenis.
Recovering from his momentary stupor, Chaka met Thomas's gaze as he asked, "What's the situation? The Princess informed us that a number of explosive charges had been strapped to the pillars supporting the city. Is that still the case?"
Nodding his head, Thomas explained, "We disabled the detonator and neutralized the explosive charges beneath the palace and the Central City Square. However, as there's a chance Crocodile prepared a backup detonator to be used by someone else, we'll need to be cautious until all the explosives have been dealt with..."
Before Chaka could respond or ask for his assistance in dealing with the remaining explosives, Thomas gestured to Benienma, prompting her to stand next to him as he added, "This is Benienma. She has the unique ability to ascertain whether or not a person is telling the truth. Before we do anything else, you should have each of your men affirm their loyalty to the Nefertari Family and the Kingdom of Alabasta. The last thing we need right now is traitors and saboteurs trying to undermine our efforts."
Looking down at Benienma, Chaka's brows creased. However, instead of challenging Thomas's claims, he gave a curt nod and said, "Very well. I'll leave the Princess and His Majesty in your care until we can ascertain our people's loyalties..."
Immediately following his words, Chaka shifted his gaze to the guards accompanying him, ordering, "Affirm your allegiance to our King."
Though most of his men had no issue affirming their loyalty to Cobra and the Kingdom, two of Chaka's senior guardsmen attempted to protest the vetting process, citing that it was an insult to their honor. When Benienma pointed out this was a false statement, Chakra promptly drew his sword on the men, forcing them to choose between revealing the truth or being cut down.
Seeing their fellow agents exposed, several other traitorous guardsmen took up their arms while others attempted to vacate the room discreetly. A conflict immediately broke out within the chamber, but it didn't last as Robin used the power of her Hana-Hana-no-Mi to grapple and break the bones of those who incited the conflict...
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While Benienma accompanied Chaka and the Kingdom's loyalists to sniff out the Baroque Works members that had infiltrated their ranks, Thomas asked Astolfo to watch over Vivi and her father. He would have liked to accompany them to assure Vivi that everything was okay, but so long as the explosives remained, the Capital was still in jeopardy. Thus, alongside Caenis, Robin, and Artoria, Thomas returned to the underground to begin the arduous process of removing each set of explosives. It took a total of twenty-seven hours, but it was worth it to ensure the people of Alubrana could sleep in peace...
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[Five Days Later]
Standing on the balcony of the room he had been given, Thomas stared out over the city of Alubarna with a faint smile. It was drizzling outside, but the streets were alive with a festive atmosphere as people celebrated the end of the drought.
Though some initially refused to believe that Crocodile was the culprit behind the drought, viewing him as a Hero, the rainfall that followed his downfall was more than enough to convince most. It would take months for things to return to normal, but so long as a gentle rain continued to fall over the parched Kingdom, it was only a matter of time.
Breaking Thomas from his reverie, Caenis asked, "How much longer are you planning to take a break? Didn't you want to expand the raincloud to cover the entire island...?"
Exhaling a faintly exasperated sigh through his nose, Thomas turned around to returned to the bed he and Caenis had been sharing for the past three, going on four days. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since he got up to stretch his back and legs, but he had a 'duty' to fulfill and intended to follow through on it.
Fortunately, just as Caenis pinned Thomas to the bed and hopped on top of him, a gentle rattle echoed from the room's entrance, followed by the voice of Vivi asking, "May I enter...?"
Clicking her tongue, Caenis briefly looked like she was going to tell Vivi to fuck off. Instead, she looked down at Thomas, adopting a predatory smile as she cut his chest with the nail of her pinky finger and mused, "It looks like the Princess has come to your rescue..."
As the shallow cut on his chest rapidly healed, Thomas raised her from his body as he replied, "I'll return as soon as I can."
Rolling onto her back, Caenis waved Thomas off as she said, "Yeah, yeah. Have fun talking to your father-in-law..." before issuing a prolonged yawn. It had been a few days since she slept, and while it wasn't necessary, she had gotten used to it while traveling with the Straw Hats.
Seeing Caenis yawn, Thomas's expression softened until she noticed his reaction and abruptly kicked him in the face. There was very little power behind the blow, but it was enough to knock him off the bed, producing a loud crashing sound that prompted Vivi to shout, "I-Is everything okay in there!?"
While rubbing the top of his head, Thomas replied, "Everything's fine. And you can come in or wait outside. I'll be out in a minute."
Since she was well aware of the relationship between Thomas and Caenis, Vivi didn't hesitate to open the door and enter the room, briefly looking toward the bronze-skinned woman waving at her before directing her gaze to Thomas and asking, "What happened?"
Rising to his feet, Thomas answered, "I fell," in a flat tone that compelled Caenis to adopt a sly grin. Vivi's brows briefly furrowed when she saw this, but she didn't press the matter. Instead, she revealed, "My father is feeling well enough that he wishes to speak with you."
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas asked, "Is there anything 'particular' he wishes to discuss...?"
Blushing every so slightly, Vivi lowered her gaze as she admitted, "There is the matter of the Enma-tei, but he also wishes to discuss the specifics of our future engagement. Now that you have a Bounty, things are a little more complicated..."
With Vivi reminding him, Thomas couldn't help exhaling a sigh. Despite his efforts to have his Bounty inflated, his initial listing was a mere 71,000,000 Berries. This was even less than Crocodile and the Bounty that Robin had as a child, so he was admittedly a little butthurt.
Unfortunately, while many within the palace knew of his involvement in Crocodile's defeat, Thomas had chosen not to publicize it. Doing so would make it more difficult for him to open and operate an Enma-tei within the nation's borders, so he let the Royal Guards and the Marines take credit for the former Shichibukai's downfall. He even went as far as threatening to expose Crocodile's 'secret' if the latter talked, so the only people who knew the truth were those directly involved in the incident.
Shaking his head, Thomas set aside the matter of his Bounty, took a quick shower, and got dressed. Then, alongside Vivi, he made his way to her father's healing chamber, the same location where they had encountered Mr 2, Bon Kurei.
Seeing his daughter, Cobra couldn't help smiling. His feelings toward Thomas were a lot more conflicted, however, so it only lasted for a brief moment before he got serious, exuding a kingly aura as he said, "Thank you for coming to meet with me on such short notice, Sir Thomas. I know you have been...busy as of late..."
Understanding that Cobra was referring to his relationship with Caenis, a wry smile developed across Thomas's face. If he were in Cobra's position, he might have pulled out a gun and told him to stay the hell away from his daughter. Instead, the middle-aged King had no choice but to tolerate his presence, not just because they had recused him and saved the Kingdom, but because Vivi had 'forced' him to accept their relationship.
In an effort to ease tensions, Thomas explained, "So long as no more Dance Powder is introduced into the environment, it should only take a few weeks for things to stabilize. After that, we just need to restore the flow of the Sandora River, and Alabasta should be well on a path toward recovery."
Latching onto Thomas's segue, Cobra asked, "And opening this 'Enma-tei' will help with that...?"
Though he nodded in affirmation, Thomas clarified, "Not directly, but it will help us maintain the river's flow over time. It will also-"
Before Thomas could get into the specifics, Cobra raised his hand in a silencing gesture, calmly asserting, "My daughter has already provided me a cursory explanation of your background, plan, and intent. I called you here for three reasons. First and foremost, to give you my permission to expand your operations to Alabasta. Secondly, to permit you and that woman, Nico Robin, to access our ancestral Poneglyph..."
Shifting his gaze to his daughter, Cobra found Vivi staring at him with an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face. Thus, even though he was 'extremely' unwilling, he exhaled a sigh that appeared to age him by several years as he appended, "Lastly, I have agreed to let you marry my daughter. However, before that-"
Interrupting her father's words, Vivi promptly pounced on and hugged him, exclaiming, "Thank you, thank you, thank you~!" in an overly excited tone. She truly was excited, but it was obvious to everyone that she was attempting to prevent him from listing out terms. Thus, while directing a fatherly glare at Thomas, Cobra embraced Viv and grumbled, "Anything for my beloved daughter..." in a begrudging tone.
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(A/N: If looks could kill, Thomas would be dead a thousand times over at this point xD...)

Midway through Thomas's and Caenis's second session of frenzied lovemaking, the former abruptly pulled away from him, sitting up with a serious expression on her face.
Rising to a seated position, Thomas observed the horizon to find a ghostly blue and black wave approaching them. Since he still had the EMIYA Card equipped, his vision instantly zoomed in on the approaching phenomenon, revealing it to be a veritable tsunami of human, jackal, alligator, bird, and feline skulls.
Furrowing her brows, Caenis muttered, "Spirits of the damned..." before rising to her feet and adding, "Looks like that bitch decided to go all out. If those things touch you, you're fucked."
Manifesting her spear, Caenis was prepared to charge into the oncoming tide to draw their attention. As a Divine Spirit, the wave would invariably be drawn to her to try and devour her. However, while they would be able to drain her vitality, her immortality would allow her to endure. It wouldn't be a pleasant experience, but she would emerge the final victor.
Before Caenis could run off, Thomas called out to her, saying, "Wait. This is a good opportunity to test out True Phantasm Summoning. You've done more than enough as is."
Though she wasn't particularly fond of having someone steal her glory, Caenis only hesitated for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and saying, "Whatever. Just remember, that Crocodile bitch is mine. Man or woman, I'm going to kick their teeth in for robbing me of the opportunity to fight Hector."
Nodding his head, Thomas offered a silent prayer to Crocodile before pulling out a shiny golden card bearing the silhouette of a Saber and the Roman Numeral VII. The card technically belonged to Illya, but he was able to make use of it through a contract with Ruby. He couldn't install it, but he could provide the card with Mana, enough to manifest the Heroic Spirit within.
After fixing his trousers, just in case, Thomas suppressed the feeling of cringe as he held up the card and shouted, "Manifest: Arthur Pendragon!" before throwing the card forward as Ruby had taught him. The card didn't fly nearly as straight as he would have liked, but it ultimately didn't matter. Shortly after leaving his hand, it exploded into vibrant blue light before a petite young woman with golden hair and green eyes popped out. Instead of an iconic blue and silver battledress, however, the woman was wearing subtly pink armor and a skirt resembling the petals of a flower.
Freeing Thomas from his stupor, the petite woman turned to him, her expression and tone emotionless as she asked, "Are you my Master...?"
As higher Grade cards possessed a fraction of their original ego, Thomas wasn't too surprised by the faux Artoria's ability to speak. She lacked the vibrancy of the original, especially for a Lily variant, but it was evident she possessed at least a modicum of personal agency.
Deciding to play it safe, Thomas shook his head and replied, "I'm the one who summoned you, but I'm not your Master. I do, however, require your help."
Pointing toward the rapidly encroaching spirits, Thomas added, "With your Excalibur, you should be able to deal with those Spirits fairly easily, right?"
Looking in the direction Thomas was pointing in, the faux Artoria fell silent for several seconds before abruptly charging toward the approaching tide without fear.
Seeing Artoria race off, a relieved sigh emanated from Thomas's throat as he softly muttered, "Looks like I get to save my final Command Spell..."
Turning to Caenis, Thomas half-expected her to want to continue where they left off. Instead, she asked, "That's the Legendary King Arthur? That delicate little flower child...?"
Smiling wryly, Thomas remarked, "It's complicated," before asking, "Now, what do you want to do? Crocodile should be pretty close to exhaustion. Want to rush over and deal with her now or wait until Artoria has finished cleaning up...?"
Seeing Artoria cut through the Spirits like a farmer harvesting wheat, Caenis returned her gaze to Thomas, specifically staring below his waist as she replied, "My insides 'do' feel a little itchy..."
Exhaling a light chuckle, Thomas began to unfasten his belt. The thought that Artoria might wander over after she had eradicated the Spirits made him a little uncomfortable, but he suppressed it with the notion that she was more like a machine than an actual person. There was also a chance she would revert to her card form shortly after her task was complete, so he wasn't going to keep Caenis waiting when she was clearly in the mood to fuck...
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Demonstrating how 'basic' her thought process was, Artoria, covered from head to toe in a black substance similar to ectoplasm, became statuesque the moment she had destroyed each of the Spirits. It wasn't until Thomas and Caenis walked over that she moved, staring blankly at the former as if anticipating a new order.
Seeing the condition of the faux Artoria, Thomas's brows creased as he asked, "Are you okay? You look a bit...worse for wear..."
Without hesitation, the faux Artoria replied, "I can continue fighting," as if it was the only thing she knew.
Exhaling through his nose, Thomas replied, "We can handle the rest. You should return to your card form for the time being."
Though it didn't show on her expressionless face, the faux Artoria was apparently confused by Thomas's words, responding, "I'm not sure what you mean." in a dull monotone.
Pulling out the bronze-colored Grade 1 Lancer Card, Thomas explained, "You are a Faux Heroic Spirit manifested from one of these. Once you have exhausted all your Magical Energy, you should revert to your card form."
Catching Thomas a little off guard, the faux Artoria responded, "I cannot abide by your request. While I am unable to recall what it is, I know there is something important I must do. Something that can't be accomplished as a card."
Feeling a twitch in his left eye, Thomas took a moment to massage them while Caenis suppressed her laughter at the side. She wasn't sure what would go wrong, but, as it involved Thomas, she knew 'something' was bound to happen the moment he summoned a cute girl.
In an effort to salvage the situation, Thomas met the faux Artoria's gaze and said, "This won't be the last time you manifest. I'm only asking you to return to your card form temporarily..."
Shaking her head, the faux Artoria replied, "I cannot take that risk. While you do not appear to be lying, I can tell you are troubled by my presence. With most of my memories absent, I cannot trust your words alone..."
Pointing her sword at Thomas, the faux Artoria added, "As far as I know, you are the one that has suppressed or erased my memories. If I return to my card form, there is a possibility you might finish the job..."
Inserting herself between Thomas and the Artoria, Caenis's expression darkened as she said, "Lower your weapon before I take it from you and shove it up your ass..."
Furrowing her brows ever so slightly, the faux Artoria muttered, "How uncouth..." Despite this, she lowered her weapon, stating, "You can often determine the quality of one's character by the company they keep. I will not associate with brigands."
Seemingly finished with the conversation, the faux Artoria turned away and began to walk off. She had no destination in mind, but she was certain she would eventually reach her goal so long as she kept going. Something deep within her, so deep no form of enchantment or magical manipulation couldn't alter it, told her she had an important destiny to fulfill.
Seeing the faux Artoria walk off, Thomas was stuck between the thought of explaining the situation and simply letting her peter out on her own. As a Masterless Heroic Spirit, she had no way of replenishing Mana. It might take a few days, possibly even several weeks, but she would eventually revert to her card form.
Freeing Thomas from his thoughts, Caenis asked, "What are you waiting for? You know you'll feel like an ass if you don't at least try to help her. Besides, she might be a short stack, but she's pretty cute. If you become her Master, you may get to experience her Riding Skill directly."
Suppressing a sigh, Thomas shook his head and said, "That would set a dangerous precedent. It would be one thing if she were the actual Artoria, but this one is more like an empty shell. Just teaching her common sense would be a pain in the ass..."
Staring at the Command Spell on his hand, Thomas considered using it to order Artoria to exhaust her Mana. It would be a dick move, but he wasn't sure how else to address the situation. Having an amnesiac with a strong sense of justice on his side just screamed trouble...
Shaking his head, Thomas decided to let the faux Artoria roam around while he and Caenis finished dealing with Crocodile. He didn't trust himself enough to make the right decision, so he would let Illya, Chloe, and Ruby decide her fate. After all, they needed to assemble the Install Cards to save Miyu's world. If he arbitrarily manifested the Spirits within and started making promises, he would be making things infinitely more complicated than they needed to be...
Though it made him feel like a complete ass, just as Caenius said it would, Thomas adopted a serious expression as he said, "We'll let Illya, Chloe, and Ruby decide the fate of the Grade 7 Saber. Our priorities, at least for the time being, are dealing with Crocodile, ensuring Cobra's safety, and preventing the destruction of Alubarna..."
Crossing her arms, Caenis adopted a serious expression of her own as she asked, "Are you sure about this? You know what kind of person you are, Tom. You would be a hell of a lot happier doing as you please than constantly making concessions for others."
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "I'm not the only option as far as Masters are concerned. Illya and Miyu have more than enough Mana to forge a contract."
"Yeah, at the expense of their overall reserves..." retorted Caenis. Then, with an annoyed look, she directed her gaze toward the faux Artoria and added, "If you're serious about washing your hands of her, you should let me kill her here and now. Leaving her alive will only complicate things and make you look like a hypocrite."
Confused, Thomas asked, "What do you mean...?"
Returning her gaze to Thomas, Caenis asserted, "Everyone thinks of you as the type of person that goes out of your way to help others, especially if they're attractive women. Passing the buck on this one contrasts the image you've built over the past few months. I honestly don't give a fuck, but I'd rather not see you beating yourself up before eventually giving in and deciding to help anyways."
"..."
Understanding there was considerable truth to Caenis's words, Thomas fell silent and remained that way for several seconds. He hadn't gone out of his way to make people believe he was selfless, but it was a fact that many of the people closest to him viewed him that way. If he felt like he had disappointed them in some way, he would invariably backpedal to try and fix things...
Exhaling a tired sigh, Thomas briefly regretted not having something like Gamer's Mind to suppress or outright erase his emotions. If he had the mentality of Han Jihan or someone like Ainz Ooal Gown, his life would be a hell of a lot easier. Both cared about what others thought of them, but they didn't have to deal with the emotions such sentiments warranted...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Thomas directed his gaze to the now-distant silhouette of the faux Artoria before muttering, "Looks like I'm setting a dangerous precedent..."
...
..
.
(A/N: Artoria's fate is too powerful...)

Chapter 86: Actions and Consequences