Artoria Caster (Castoria) x Muramasa (One-Shot)

Artoria Caster (Castoria) x Muramasa

One-Shot

Part 1

The warm glow of Muramasa's forge lit up the room in orange hues, as he hammered with precision on a red-hot blade. The clanging sound echoed rhythmically in the makeshift forge that the old blacksmith had built in one of the corners of Chaldea. Although it wasn't exactly a masterpiece like his previous workshops, it served its purpose.

Muramasa, with his usual calm demeanor, wiped the sweat from his brow as he inspected the progress of his work. Suddenly, a soft, if somewhat nervous, voice interrupted the silence.

"Muramasa, are you still working as usual? If you keep going like this, you're going to wear yourself out before someone manages to defeat you in combat," Artoria Caster commented as she entered the workshop with a tray of food.

[Artoria Caster IMG]

Muramasa looked up and, recognizing his visitor, gave a light smile, one he rarely showed.

"Wow, it's Artoria. What brings you here? Are you coming to criticize my methods or just to make sure I don't get stuck to the anvil?"

"Neither of them!" replied Artoria quickly, with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I just thought it would be nice to bring some food. You can't work all day without eating something decent!"

She placed the tray on a nearby table with firm but somewhat clumsy movements, as if trying to maintain a serious attitude, but the slight blush on her face betrayed her discomfort.

Muramasa put the hammer aside and walked toward the table, inspecting the food Artoria had brought.

"Hmm, it smells good. Did you make it yourself?" he asked in a casual tone, though his eyes showed a gleam of interest.

"Y-yes, of course. Why do you ask?"

Muramasa smiled mischievously, something that was unusual for him.

"I'm just surprised. You're good with magic, but in the kitchen too? I guess it's weird that something so... noble like you take the time to cook for an old man like me."

"Don't talk nonsense, Muramasa!" exclaimed Artoria, crossing her arms in indignation, though the flush on her cheeks intensified.

The blacksmith let out a small laugh as he helped himself to some of the food.

"Don't worry, I was just joking. It's good to see that you still have that energy, Artoria. It's part of your charm."

Artoria, who was about to sit down in a nearby chair, froze at the words.

"C-what's 'my charm'!? Don't say things like that so suddenly!"

Muramasa raised an eyebrow, enjoying the young woman's reaction.

"Why do you get like this? I'm just being honest. If you don't want me to say it, maybe I should keep it a secret, huh?"

Artoria couldn't help but cover her face with her hands, clearly embarrassed, as she tried to find a coherent answer.

"You... You're so annoying! Always saying things as if they were jokes. Stop flirting with me!"

"Flirt? I don't flirt! I just say what I think; that's all," Muramasa replied with a calm smile as he continued eating.

Artoria stared at him, clearly frustrated by his nonchalant attitude.

"You are impossible, Muramasa! How can you be so calm all the time?"

Muramasa shrugged, still smiling.

"I guess someone has to be, don't you think? Plus, it's fun to see how you react. You're too serious sometimes, Artoria. You need to relax a little."

Artoria sighed deeply, trying to calm herself as she took a seat across from him.

"I don't know why I strive with you. But at least you eat everything, okay? I don't want you to say that I brought this for nothing."

Muramasa nodded, a faint smile on his lips.

"Of course, of course. I'll eat everything, don't worry. But thank you, Artoria. It's good to have company while I work."

Although she was still a little blushing, Artoria couldn't help but smile softly at the blacksmith's words.

"You're welcome, I guess. But don't get too used to this."

Muramasa chuckled, taking another bite of the food as he thought about how interesting it was to have someone like Artoria as a companion.

In the end, between the jokes and small arguments, the two enjoyed a quiet moment in the forge, a respite in the midst of the responsibilities and chaos that normally surrounded them in Chaldea.

Part 2

Artoria returned to the forge the next day, convinced that she was only making a "chance visit." Of course, not because she was worried if Muramasa continued to hammer relentlessly, nor because the blacksmith's mocking smile had remained in her mind. It definitely wasn't because of that!

When she opened the door, she found him exactly as he had been the day before: leaning over his anvil, striking a blade with a tireless hammer. Only this time he seemed so focused that he didn't even notice her arrival.

"Really... are you going to work until the forge collapses?" she said as she folded her arms, trying to get his attention.

Muramasa looked up, a faint gleam of surprise in his eyes.

"You again? If you keep coming to see me, people are going to start talking."

Artoria felt the blush instantly return to her cheeks.

"Don't talk nonsense! I just wanted to make sure you were... not bad. Nothing more."

Muramasa put the hammer aside, wiping his hands with a cloth.

"Ah, I see. Then you come to make sure that this old man hasn't fallen apart yet?"

Artoria rolled her eyes, ignoring his mocking tone as she took a seat in a nearby chair.

"Whatever. But at least you could take a break. Hammering all day is not good for anyone."

Muramasa shrugged before sitting down as well, watching her curiously.

"I've lived long enough to know when I need to rest. Also, if I stop working, what will I do with my time? Sit and listen to sermons from someone younger than me?"

"That's not a sermon!" protested Artoria, frowning. "It's advice. You should be thankful that someone cares about you!"

Muramasa let out a small laugh.

"Okay, okay. I'll take it as advice then. But tell me, what really brought you here? I don't think you came just to teach me a lesson."

Artoria seemed to hesitate for a moment before pulling out something she'd been hiding behind her: a thick book with an ornate cover.

"Actually, I wanted to give this back to you," she said, handing him the book. "It's about forging techniques, remember? You lent it to me a few weeks ago."

Muramasa took the book carefully, inspecting it as if it were one of his own creations.

"Ah, yes, this one. I thought you had forgotten it. What did you think?"

Artoria looked away, somewhat uncomfortable.

"Well... It was interesting. Although I don't understand how you can read such technical things and make everything seem so simple."

"It's experience, Artoria. When you've been working with steel for centuries, even the most complicated things come naturally. Although, to be honest, I didn't expect you to read it in its entirety. That's an impressive thing."

"Of course I read it in its entirety," she replied proudly, crossing her arms. "If I'm going to understand how you work, I had to make the effort."

Muramasa smiled, clearly pleased.

"So, did you become interested in forging, or did you just want to impress this old man?"

Artoria looked at him incredulously, completely blushing again.

"Don't be ridiculous! I just wanted to understand why you spend so much time on this. That's all."

"Ah, I see. I guess that's your way of showing interest, isn't it?"

"It's not!" exclaimed Artoria, rising abruptly from her chair. "You're impossible!"

Muramasa raised his hands, as if trying to calm her down.

"Okay, okay. Don't get angry. But if you ever want to learn how to use a hammer, let me know. It would be interesting to see someone like you hitting steel instead of casting spells."

Artoria folded her arms, trying to keep her composure as she gave him an accusing look.

"I don't know if you're serious or if you're just trying to make fun of me again."

"A little bit of both," Muramasa admitted with a smile.

Artoria sighed, dropping her shoulders as she turned toward the door.

"Really, I don't know how anyone can put up with you. But I wouldn't be surprised if, at some point, you end up wearing out my patience."

"And yet, you keep coming," he replied with a slight laugh.

She didn't answer, though the blush on her face said more than her words could express. Without looking back, she left the workshop, leaving Muramasa alone once more.

The blacksmith watched the door close, smiling to himself before returning to the anvil.

"What a peculiar girl," he murmured. "Although, I must admit, it makes these days more fun."

Part 3

The sun began to descend on the horizon, dyeing the sky with orange and pink hues. The sea breeze gently caressed the skin of Artoria Caster and Muramasa as they walked along the shore of the beach, their bare feet leaving footprints in the wet sand. The quiet melody of the waves crashing against the shore was the only sound that accompanied their passage, creating an atmosphere that contrasted with the tension they both felt.

Artoria looked at the water, her mind traveling to faraway places. The sea, vast and endless, reminded her of the constant struggle in her life, but also of the peace she sometimes found in moments like that, when there was no one but her and the man by her side. Even if he didn't say much, his gestures and his presence spoke louder than his words. Would it always be so distant?

Muramasa, for his part, didn't speak. His eyes stood firm, looking straight ahead with that same calculating calmness that always characterized him. But inside, he felt that something was beginning to change. The wind fluttered through his hair, and for a moment, he allowed himself to relax his shoulders. Something about that moment, that calmness, was strange to him. It wasn't the battle or the tension he used to know. It was the serenity of the beach, but also the closeness of Artoria.

"Why did we come here?" Artoria asked suddenly, breaking the silence. The question, although simple, left in the air a sense of uncertainty that could not be ignored.

Muramasa turned slowly toward her, his face serene as ever, but with something else in his eyes. "What do you expect to find here, Artoria?"

She stared at him, her expression serious, but without malice. "I don't know. Maybe something that will allow me to better understand what we are doing... what am I for you."

The words were more sincere than he had planned, and instantly, an air of tension crept between them. Muramasa said nothing, but Artoria could see a slight change in his gaze, something that was deeper than his usual indifference.

The wind was blowing harder, and the waves were now crashing harder against the rocks, as if the whole world were reacting to the truth that had just been told. Young Caster took a step toward him, her heart pounding.

"Is that so hard to understand?" she asked, looking Muramasa in the eye. "That after all we've been through together, there's more to it than just mission or duty?"

Muramasa, with his gaze still fixed on her, studied her for a moment that seemed eternal. The sun had almost set, and only vestiges of golden light remained. The sea looked as infinite as his thoughts, but deep down, something inside him began to recognize the truth in Artoria's words.

"I don't always have answers for that, Artoria," he finally said, his voice deep but soft. "I'm not good with feelings, or showing what I really think."

Artoria smiled, a slight but sincere gesture, understanding the complexity of the man in front of her. "I don't need perfect answers, Muramasa. I just need to know that I'm not alone in this."

Muramasa stared at her for a moment longer, his eyes shining with unexpected intensity. The silence between them was no longer awkward; There was a new understanding, a tacit understanding that filled the space.

They both continued to walk along the beach in silence, but this time, there was something different. The distance that separated them was no longer so great. Although they did not say it in words, they both knew that something was changing.

The sun finally sank below the horizon, and the beach was plunged into the softness of darkness, but for Artoria and Muramasa, that shared moment was what really mattered. Perhaps there were still many unanswered questions, but for now, they could enjoy the peace that this moment offered them.

Part 4

The sea breeze continued to caress their faces as darkness slowly took over the sky, covering it with stars. The two walked in silence, the footprints they left in the sand fading with each wave that came, as if the sea wanted to erase even their presence. However, something in the air was changing. Something palpable, but silent, like an echo that resonated between them.

Artoria couldn't help it. She felt a warmth in her chest, a mixture of emotions that she couldn't fully decipher. There was something about the way Muramasa walked beside her, so distant and self-assured, but at the same time so... inaccessible. Despite everything they shared, it remained a mystery to her.

"Muramasa..." Her voice, this time, came out lower, softer, as if she were meditating on every word she was going to say.

He glanced at her sideways, his expression impassive, but his attention entirely on her. "What's wrong?"

Artoria's face flushed slightly. There were no more excuses or evasions. The time had come, and although her heart was pounding, something was pushing her to take that step. An impulse, a desire, a need to let him know what she felt, even if she didn't have the perfect words.

"It's just... that I can't go on ignoring what I feel." She said, and her eyes shone with a determination she didn't recognize herself.

Muramasa watched her in silence, something in his eyes that seemed to read between the lines what Artoria wasn't saying. She stepped forward, moving closer to him, and without thinking twice, raised her hand and gently touched his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin.

"Artoria?" he murmured, his deep voice filled with quiet curiosity, but also a faint warning. But before he could say anything more, she stepped forward even further, and, with a strong blush on her face, approached his lips. There was no time to repent, there was no room for doubt.

The kiss was stolen, not with delicacy, but with the urgency of someone who couldn't wait any longer. Artoria closed her eyes, feeling how the contact of her lips with Muramasa's left her breathless. It was a fleeting kiss, but intense, a clash of emotions that ran through her whole being. When she separated, her face was completely red, and her breathing was slightly agitated.

Muramasa, on the other hand, stood motionless, staring with a mixture of surprise and bewilderment. He hadn't expected something like this, and yet, deep down in his being, something had ignited. A fire that, although small, was beginning to grow.

Artoria, now with her face as red as the fading sunset, could not look him in the eye. "The ... Feel. I don't know what happened to me, just..." The words got stuck in her throat.

Muramasa, at last, broke the silence, and in a deep, calm voice, said, "There's no need to apologize. Maybe... We've both been waiting for something like this."

Artoria looked at him then, surprised, and saw something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before: a softness, a vulnerability that he usually kept hidden. Without saying anything else, they just stood there, together, under the dark cloak of night. The tide continued its course, and their hearts, though altered, also seemed to find their rhythm in the rhythm of the waves.

Part 5

The night was dark, but the soft moonlight illuminated the landscape, creating playful shadows on the sand. Artoria and Muramasa walked in silence, without haste, as if time had given them that eternal instant to be together. It didn't matter what the future might bring; The only thing that existed at that moment was the present, the connection that had been born between them.

Artoria, her face still flushed from the stolen kiss, walked beside him, her steps a little lighter, as if her heart had ceased to be so heavy. Muramasa, though usually stoic, seemed more relaxed, as if an invisible weight had been lifted from his shoulders. From time to time, their gazes met, and in those small moments, it seemed that the world disappeared around them.

"You know?" Artoria began, her voice soft but firm. "I've spent so much time fighting my own fears... against what others expected of me... But I never imagined that something as simple, like a kiss, could change everything."

Muramasa looked at her without saying anything, listening to every word. He knew that for her, those words were not easy to say, but there was something in her expression that confirmed what he already felt: love had grown, not only on one side, but on both sides. It wasn't a surprise, not with him, but a reminder of how deep the feelings of someone who had learned to protect herself could be.

"I understand it more than you think," Muramasa replied quietly, his eyes searching for Artoria's. "Sometimes, the battle isn't just against others. It is what we refuse to accept about ourselves against."

Artoria couldn't help but smile. At that moment, with the breeze caressing their faces, Muramasa's words resonated with a profound truth. It was as if the two had met on a different battlefield: one where vulnerability was not a weakness, but a strength.

Muramasa stopped and looked at Artoria with an intensity in his gaze that he had never shown before. With a steady hand, he took hers, intertwining his fingers. "I don't know what the future holds, Artoria. But I know that if I'm going to keep fighting, I'm going to do it by your side."

Artoria's heart skipped a beat. That statement, simple and unadorned, was all I needed to hear. She did not need grandiose promises or elaborate gestures; just those words, full of sincerity and commitment. And, for the first time, she felt that everything that had happened in her life made sense. The battle, the losses, the doubts... everything had led to that moment, to that encounter with him.

"And I am by your side," Artoria replied, without hesitation. "There's nothing more important to me than that."

Muramasa smiled, for the first time in a genuine way, not for a victory or for the strategy, but for the person in front of him. On his face, the cold determination that had always characterized him gave way to the softness of an emotion he could not control. Without another word, he approached her, and this time, Artoria did not hesitate. Their lips met again, but this time it was not a stolen kiss, but a shared one, full of unspoken, but understood promises.

When they parted, Artoria let out a soft, almost inaudible laugh. "It seems like there's no turning back, right?"

"No," Muramasa said, his voice deep and confident, but with a hint of warmth he had never shown before. "There's no going back."

They both stood there, under the starry blanket of the sky, the waves crashing gently at their feet. At that moment, the future seemed like a blank canvas, ready to be written with every step they took together.

They were no longer just allies in a never-ending struggle. They were something else. A couple, a force that would face the world, no matter the challenges, because they knew that, as long as they were by each other's side, there was nothing they couldn't overcome.

And so, as the moon watched over them, Artoria and Muramasa walked together, ready to write their own story, one that depended not on war, but on something much greater: love, loyalty, and the courage to be who they truly were, without masks, without doubt.

❈•≫────≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫────≪•❈

Note: Well, that's the end of the One-Shot... I was invaded by the desire to include the sacrifice of Muramasa in the creation of Excalibur, and the cries of pain of Artoria Caster.

What a good response from Muramasa of how he lives by the sword, he must die by the sword itself.

Muramasa: "It's a sacrifice I've hoped for, a fate I've accepted. I have given everything for the sword, and now it is time to give my last breath for it. But I won't regret what happens, Artoria. It's my destiny."

Take care of yourselves, I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and whatever. See you in 2025.