1.

"Trace on."

Shirou feels familiar burning sensation of his circuits activating. He imagines soft humming of energy they would be emitting if it was possible. Inhale.

Judging the concept of creation. Hypothesizing the basic structure. Duplicate the composition material. Imitating the skill of its making. Sympathizing with the experience of its growth. Reproducing the accumulated years. Excelling every manufacturing process.

In Shirou's hands materialize pair of short swords. There is nothing special about them. Just two blades he once saw in military museum. But they are good practice. For his magecraft and his skill with weapons. Everyone who knows him believes Emiya Shirou has two hobbies. Cooking and swords. Archery was always some distant third until he resigned from school club. He keeps his magecraft secret and keeps Taiga at arm's distance. Better that way. Less painful.

Shirou clears his mind of unnecessary thoughts and begins his morning practice. He imagines his opponent. Than he moves from one stance to another. Fluid change between parry, block, dodge and attack. Intentional holes he can only test when Taiga is in the mood for practice with her wooden sword. Reverse grip. Rinse and repeat for the next hour. Then shower and preparing breakfast.

"Shirou, I'm hungry!"

And here was Fujimura Taiga, good woman, if exuberant and prone to overreaction. Creature of habits to such extent one could set clock to her meal times. Still, Shirou appreciated her efforts in trying to rise him after Kiritsugu's murder.

"Yes, yes I hear. Sit down, Taiga, breakfast will be shortly."

"Jeez, lighten up Shirou! I told you to call me nee-chan! Outside school of course."

"And I told you just as many times it wouldn't be appropriate. Besides you should accept your victory when you managed to get me to call you by name."

"I won't give up! But now, we eat!"

Taiga attacks food with the same over-eagerness that she tackles everything in her life. Shirou is actually a bit impressed by her ability to swallow large quantities of food and hold understandable conversation at the same time. Then, with startled cry she realizes the time and rushes out to school, while Shirou cleans after meal.

At the gates of Homurahara Academy Shirou is greeted by Issei Ryuudou, monk-in-training, a friend (or as close as Shirou allows anyone) and fellow student council member. Shirou visits shrine quite often but didn't have the heart to tell Issei it was partially because of Masamune blade his family owned. To this day Shirou wasn't sure how Issei managed to convince him into joining council as vice-president and face of it. What ke knew was that he could count on Ryuudou no matter what...

"Tohsaka Rin! What are you doing here, you witch?!" Issei's indignant shout startles few first years that have yet to get used to this side of him.

... and that he will be eternal enemy of Tohsaka Rin. It's frankly ridiculous how paranoid Issei is about her. Shirou has yet to guess if it's just some harmless suspicions or if his friend is subconsciously recognizing magus in Tohsaka. Wouldn't be unusual. Quite a number of shrines were associates of Demon Hunting Organization and had in its training regimes ways of detecting supernatural.

"I am student here, Ryuudou-kun." Tohsaka deadpans- You know, I come here to learn, take exams, that sort of thing?

"W-whatever. I warn you, thought! I observe you, witch."

"Yes, yes."

Daily portion of poison exchanged, Tohsaka breaks off, vanishing into hallways, while Shirou follows Issei to student council room.

Evening chill relaxes Shirou on the way home. Job at Copenhagen is all the socializing Shirou does on his own volition, but it's still taxing. Alleys of Miyama district are quiet and calm, at this our there is very few people around, nothing new. And then Shirou sees her.

Tall woman in brown coat and gray scarf around neck. Long, white hair and red eyes. She projects the air of calm superiority and aloofness. Shirou doesn't care. He remains in shadows, his blood boiling in deep hatred. Von Einzbern. He would recognize them anywhere. His hand twitches. Two words and one swing. It's all it would take to end bitch. Only short blinding pain in his hand stops him from following trough. Sparing glance, his mind grinds to halt. Command Spells. All of sudden he is glad he didn't go for the kill. Von Einzbern must be Master and that means she probably (definitely) has Servant with her. He lets her pass and without sparing second glance rushes off to home.

Shirou closes door of storehouse and only then exhales and tries to calm down. His body trembles in repressed rage and fear. Einzberns send their attack dog to Fuyuki for Grail War. If Shirou wasn't chosen as Master they may have left him alone. Or not. Now woman will definitely try her best to kill him. He need to summon Servant, as soon as possible. Gathering himself, Shirou begins removing boxes from corner of storehouse in which he discovered Magic Circle. This will be big one. Magecraft on scale he didn't perform. Simple projections and reinforcements were no match to Servant Summoning. Shirou stills his mind and prepares for what will undoubtly be painful.

"Trace On!"

Circuits active. Inhale.

Let silver and steel be the essence.

To be a magus is to walk with death. The only lesson Kiritsugu managed to pass down.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Fire ten years ago erased his life and Kiritsugu's murder two years afterwards left him with only foundation of new identity.

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Storm is coming to Fuyuki. And he isn't prepared.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

He doesn't have option. He wanted only to avenge Kiritsugu. He just got selected to participate in battle that still has no winner.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

But now is not the time for indecisiveness. He can only go forward.

Let it be filled. Again. Again. Again. Again.

He has no great magecraft. No old mysteries. Only swords.

Let it be filled five-fold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with every filling.

Holy Grail War begins and he is sword without hilt. He cannot fight without reason. So he will substitute. Copying was always his specialty.

Howling wind and flash of bright blue light fill the storehouse. Shirou's body burns, although not as much as he expected. When he regains his sight, he can only stare in awe. Girl standing in front of him is visibly shorter, with long, blonde hair arranged in single braid, amethyst eyes watching him more out of curiosity than anything. She wears European armor and her left hand rests on pommel of a sword.

"Servant Saber, I answered summon. I ask you, are you my Master?"