Note: This story takes place within an alternate universe where a major divergence occurred during the Third Holy Grail War. Take note that this story features many details that are similar, but not quite equal to canon material. Either way, it features information that is often directly inspired by events throughout Fate/stay night (all routes) and Fate/hollow ataraxia. Heavy liberties were taken with character depictions of League of Legends characters due in part to the general open-ended nature of characters within that universe. If you dislike an interpretation, I request your apologies. Some parts of this story have been edited to comply with rulings and limitations brought by MA-rated material including extreme violence and explicit sexual content. Some parts of the story may thus seem awkward at times due to these modifications. While there is no genre tag for it, this is an action story and will thus carrying itself as one. I hope you will enjoy this choice.

Original Characters

Shizen, Tsubasa: The main character and primary protagonist of the story. Very popular with girls and often the subject of teasing by men due to his cute and effeminate appearance. He is a young man who left the life of a magus behind in favour of a normal life. However, it seems fate has chosen to once again throw him into the world of magic.

Kriegel, Genon: A young magus from a relatively young magus family. Tall and lax in his posture, with a blend of lineage from his two parents that gives him both dark skin and bright blue eyes. He works as a convenience story clerk to blend in with normal society. While he is merely replacing his parents in the war, he has no regrets as he pursues his dreams and meets living legends.

Souza, Estevão: Yet another young magus who killed one of his instructors in a duel. Estevão has the stance, beauty, and authority befitting a noble despite his terrible reputation. His goals are fleeting and inconsistent even to himself, but he still carries himself into the Holy Grail War like a proper noble.

The beginning approaches, but first a memory...

The man looked me in the eyes firmly, enough to shake me to the very core of my being. In all the years of such dull expressions that raised me, this was the first time I felt any sort of firm emotion. And as much as others might not like his serious and impassioned manner, I was almost overjoyed to see my estranged father show any traits resembling human. For sure, this had something to do with the death of my grandfather, but what exactly it might be was outside of my understanding for the while.

"Tsubasa. What do you think of your training thus far?" My father's tone rings in my ears for a moment, but I soon regain enough courage to speak.

"It's hard...and it keeps getting harder every day." I respond, my voice just a little raspy due to my throat having been worked raw the past few weeks.

"And what about school? How are you enjoying life amongst the commoners?" He asks with the same quality as the last question.

"Well... It's been a little rough, too. But I've been doing well in my Speech and Choir classes!" I hurt my sore pharynx as I responded, a little too excited for my own good. The reaction seems to get a small nod from my parent.

"Then let me ask you something else. First off, you already know that to keep up the training your grandfather was giving you up until last week means you will someday have to surrender the hobbies you have in the human world. To join the family profession is to ultimately abandon the outside world to continue building the legacy our ancestors left. This means your hobbies in the outside world are pointless. But... I have no intention of pushing the decision on you." The man pats me on the head, making me confused as to what I should think. Going on with my training makes a normal life invalid? Why can I not simply keep up both? The question I asked myself never got a proper answer, but my father does give me something else to think about. "Tsubasa. Do you want to continue with the training, or do you want to live a normal life? As your father, I am obliged to give you this choice at least..."

I was somehow a little stunned. After these past few years, I had figured that living as both a magician and a regular person was possible somehow. But even if I were to work at both goals, I vastly prefer the one of someone normal. I was attached to my club, the speech classes, and my voice practice. By comparison, the routine training with my grandfather was dull and draining to the point that it was neither fun nor what I consider productive. At first my choir lessons were an escape, but now...that concert marked off on the calendar was part of who I was. So if I must choose one or the other...

"I don't want to live a normal life. I want to live my life in an extraordinarily normal way." I said with a great grin. While it may be what my family considers plain, I had no intention of being a regular person. That fact made me more than certain that I would be fine even if I turned away any further training in thaumaturgy. My father respected this choice and as a result, the training that I had started five years ago stopped completely.

Moreover, everything stopped soon enough. Not long after the concert, my father and mother both decided to send me to live with one of their contacts. Half a country away, I found myself living with a man whom I did not know. Then over time, I would be passed on to another family. Just like that, everyone that connected me to my former life was gone. Aside from that, everything else merely got shuffled around. My friends from my home town still remained my friends. My new parents enthusiastically raised me as if I was their real child. The only thing missing was my true family, which was conveniently written off any documents. If there was any sort of regret, it was there.

Mode: Nobody

Scene: Fuyuki Church

Time: Day 1, Midnight

The Fuyuki Church located in Shinto was always considered the center of activity for mediators. They represent a neutral party of the Holy Church, who would work to bring some balance to the great competition. That being said neutral is a very loose word considering the supervisors' many instances of picking sides. The goal, however, remains the same. Protect innocents from suffering at the hands of the cruel and heartless Masters. A simple job once made difficult by the outside party's lack of Masters. Unlike most wars, one of the two chosen priests was a man named Kotomine Kirei, a surviving Master from the Fourth Holy Grail War.

In this Fifth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki, the Church's pair of operatives include Kotomine Kirei—due to his experience—and a woman who was none other than Kotomine's daughter, Caren Ortensia. While the woman named Caren has been given the honour to oversee and enact the full mission statement as a neutral party and peacekeeper just the same as her father, the glowing red symbol on the hand of Kotomine was a clear sign that he was performing a special duty she was not a part of. Even if he did not win in the last war, the Grail still recognized him as one of its Masters. As such, the Command Seal was forever until someone can finally claim the Great Grail's wish.

What is this Holy Grail War? What does it entail? The answers are many, but for the time being one merely needs to know that is a bloody conflict. Just as its name implies. And for those thrust into this gamble where death is the cost of failure, there is hardly any time to find a true answer to the madness.

Mode: Caren Ortensia

After a few moments of deep thinking, I finally examine the game board at the center of the room. When first placed on its current spot, I remember seeing only four pieces have that eerie glow. While they remained normal game pieces, I could not help but feel there was some sort of life within them. So to see that blasphemy across the board as it was now made it all the more strange. No matter how much I tried to remind myself that they were nothing more than painted wood, I could not help but feel they were fellow occupants of the Church.

My eyes drift over the board once more. I see that most of the Pawns, be they white or red, have chosen to come to life with glows of strange colours. In addition, I began to look over those other pieces behind each line of pawns. The Castles and Knights of Black, a Bishop of Black, the King and Queen of Black, and seven of the Black Pawns were all glowing a faint purple. White was less complete, host to its Castles, a single Knight, no Bishops, the King and Queen, and four of the White Pawns having a blue luminescence to match the opposing purple. For each one illuminated, there was a Servant or a Master that has completed the summoning ritual. To see so many active Servants was worrisome.

"Father..." There was a vague undertone in my voice, acknowledging Kotomine Kirei for both his position as a priest and as my blood parent. It was a convenient word to mask my uncertainty. "How many Servants will the Grail Summon?"

"In the first two wars, there were seven. Then during the Third Holy Grail War, there was an unplanned eighth Servant. After that, it seems the number became unpredictable. This board implies there will be sixteen Servants and sixteen Masters, but even then we cannot be sure. However, today is a rough deadline for new Masters. Even if more arrive later, those already active after tonight are free to begin the war." Kotomine explains everything without missing a beat, his voice deep, but polished in a manner befitting a priest. I took in what he said, but could not give an immediate response.

"Then the only constant are the classes? The battle has certainly become inconvenient. And with so many combatants, the chances of collateral damage are unsettling." I said, recalling already that there were a few cases of people mysteriously losing consciousness due to an unknown source. The media believes it to be gas leaks, but I know better. More than likely, it was the preparations of a Master and his Servant to blame.

For a moment, I recall the various archetypes. The effigies that come to serve as the base for each of the Servants. Each build is called a Class. The ones I was told in advance come to mind for a moment. The many cards that hold great power...

Saber, the Knight of the Blade.

Archer, the Knight of the Bow.

Lancer, the Knight of the Spear.

Rider, the Mounted Soldier.

Caster, the Magus.

Berserker, the Mad Warrior.

Assassin, the Silent Killer.

...and two more. The latter two were special. And my presence in this war was connected to this unique property. During the Third Grail War, the battle ended in a stalemate. The only surviving Servant, Avenger, was left without a Master and returned to the Grail of his own volition. As he did, the Great Grail became split by its internal laws and those of the invader. It was a split significant enough that the Holy Great took on two simultaneous identity. The Great Grail of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, and the Great Grail of Angra Mainyu. Both were truly powerful Grails, but between both of them is still a single wish.

Ten years ago, the conflicting Grails made it impossible for a wish to be granted. In the end, the winner could only watch as the two Grails waged a second war in the flames of the first. Then with a mighty strike, two opposing forces became two separate ones. And with it, a new rule was made. Unlike in the last war, where the two Grails summoned Servants as one... The two Great Grails are left independent to summon their own warriors to provide to the Masters. From there, it is just a question of who will be the last pair standing as with all Grail Wars before.

Should the Masters and Servants of Justeaze (called Blue Team by overseers) be defeated, the Great Grail of Angra Mainyu will be given the right to grant the winner's wish. But shoul Masters and Servants of Angra Mainyu (called Purple Team) fall in battle, the Great Grail of Justeaze von Einzbern will earn the right to answer the victor's desire. There is little difference in the results of the wishes, but it remains a troublesome addition to an already contrived and flawed system.

While most of the Masters need not take sides, there are two Masters who are given no other choice but to ally with the Great Grail's two aspects. I am one such Master. While I lack the necessary Magic Circuits to properly receive a Command Seal that represents one's position as a commander of a Servant, I was still chosen to be the Master of the Blue side's Ruler-class Servant. A great and powerful Servant rivalling and perhaps even surpassing Saber, considered to be the most powerful normal class, in power. As a member of the Church, I was advised to stand as a neutral party as long as possible. As such, I will not be actively participating in battle without direct consent from the Great Grail of Justeaze.

The Purple side of the war is not without its equivalent. Instead of Ruler, the Great Grail of Angra Mainyu has the Servant Avenger to represent its directive in the war. However, while Justeaze's Blue Grail has chosen to speak with outsiders directly, the Grail of those under the unrecognized Purple banner have no word from Angra Mainyu on his personal warrior. From what information there is on the Third Grail War though... Avenger was a weak Servant that had a tiny chance of victory due to terrible combat abilities. It would be naïve to think such of this new Avenger, but nothing can be certain. What can be certain though is that the Church prefers to see the original Grail as the one worth supporting in this new battle.

"Tohsaka Rin is the last Master candidate we will be expecting for this war, so I will be sure to remind her today that she must summon her partner or else give up and take shelter. Until then, we can turn in for tonight. It should be getting quite noisy in the next few days." Kotomine says as he looks over the board one last time, as if watching for movement.

"Yes, Father. Good night." I keep my response short as I give my parting greeting. Once the priest of Fuyuki Church leaves, my attention is drawn to the third entity in the room. Ruler scarcely left the altar most of the time, but Kotomine Kirei's Servant, a relic from the last war, often followed his Master like either a friend or a fellow warrior. Fittingly, he seemed to have the same reaction to the revision of the Holy Grail War's rules as Kotomine Kirei did. And just as fittingly, this Servant—if he can truly be called that—seemed to be eagerly be waiting for the moment when the war began.

The same as with my father, I give a polite "Good Night" to the form seated patiently. He gave only a slight reaction before I left, leaving me wondering what to think about such a being remaining neutral during this conflict. There were numerous unknowns, but the ruthlessness of this war was clear. What warrior would pass up such a competition? The question haunts me until I finally fall asleep.

Mode: Shizen Tsubasa

Scene: Omori Residence

Time: Day 1, Early Morning

Memories of my childhood haunt my thoughts as I finally made my way downstairs. The last big conversation with my blood father. The concert that sealed my destiny as a normal person. And the moving around I did to finally arrive in the home of my current family. As eventful as that one year was, the five years since then have been plain and peaceful. And while the present was plain and simple, I was enjoying myself for the most part. I had recently come home from a concert in Kyoto, so I should have still been in an eager mindset at the very least. It was more of a pleasant life than I could ever ask for from the heavens.

That being the case, I ended up having a dream about my long-detached father. Even though he was my biological father, the only thing left of him that people can see is my surname—Shizen. If not for my decision to keep the name, I might have long ago taken up that of my new guardians, the Omori family. Omori Takumi and Omori Michiko were wonderful parents, far better than the head of the Shizen clan. Yet despite their support and trust, neither of them knew that I was once the potential scion of a magus family.

Yes, that's right. Magicians. Sorcerers. Spellcasters. As fantastic as it may be, there is no other way to say it. I had spent the first five of the last ten years studying magic from my grandfather. It was because of his death that I got the chance to escape that life and live to pursue the much happier one I enjoy now. The only evidence that I had to prove my magical pedigree was the Magic Crest on my chest. I have no regrets passing up that life as a reclusive academic studying arcane arts. I vastly prefer my current hobbies and practices.

My foster parents greet me, not questioning that I was up so early. It was normal for me to be up by six so that I could have lots of time to prepare for school and the choir. A simple routine that has ingrained itself into my lifestyle for the longest time. Fittingly, it meant that I would leave for school just before Omori Takumi would leave for work. And since I often stayed late at school, my return home usually coincided with Michiko's own return. The family was so well streamlined that I almost question how much trouble it might cause when I finally join at a university.

With all that in mind, breakfast goes along without much incident. A few bits of conversation keep me awake throughout the meal, but by half past six I was all set to head to school. Class would not begin for well over an hour, so I had all the time in the world to make it once I made my departure. Making a simple farewell to my parents, I start off down the hill towards the intersection. Just like always, there is no one around to be seen. Since it was so early, I did not expect anything less. On occasion I might give a kind wave to some of the early risers, but little more than that. I was fine with this quiet over being around larger crowds. Being as terrible around people as I am, I would likely still head to school early even if I was not part of a club.

"Shizen-kun?" A small chirp of a voice catches my ear. As I start to turn, I recall one uncommon occurrence that happens a few days out of the week. Saegusa Yukika, a girl from my class, was not that far behind me. It seems that she had just arrived from one of the various streets along the road to Homurahara Academy.

Saegusa was a member of the Track Team and would thus head to practice early like myself. Moreover, she was something of beloved companion to everyone in our class. And in my case, specifically ever since I moved to Fuyuki, she has been a good friend. On a number of occasions, I had even gone over to her house and gotten to meet her parents and younger brothers. If I had to put people into a categories, Saegusa would definitely go into the enjoyable section.

"Good morning, Saegusa. I guess you have practice this morning, eh?" I said in a small voice, laughing nervously. Saegusa seems pleased with my question though.

"Good morning to you, too." She says, not much louder than me, but with far more presence. "You still haven't memorized when I have practice yet? We always meet up, so I thought it was common knowledge to you."

"Oh, well... I guess I have, but I still asked..." I start trailing off, not quite sure how to continue. I speed up my pace for a bit, but soon enough, Saegusa was walking alongside me. Somehow I felt embarrassed at my words, regretting adding that extra question.

"Don't let it worry you, Shizen-kun." Saegusa manages to dispel my worries enough for me to manage a smile. As much as I enjoy my speech and choir abilities, it feels like they were doing nothing for my people skills. I get this flustered from talking to people I know, yet it gets even worse with others. "Are you free this weekend?"

Saegusa's question yanks me out of my thoughts and draws my focus back to her smile. It takes a moment for me to comprehend the question. "Yeah, I am. Why?"

"Well, I was going to go out somewhere with Kaede and Kane this weekend and was wondering if you might want to come, too." Saegusa says without a pause. Makidera Kaede and Himuro Kane are friends of Saegusa. The three of them are seen as an inseparable trio around the school. Since I always end up being dragged along with them, it seems I'm somehow becoming associated with them as well. I am not sure if that is good or bad though.

"Oh... It could be fun, I guess. As long as Makidera doesn't tease me. Last time she made me wear a bow in my hair..." I recall a time when I was in town with Saegusa Yukika, Makidera Kaede, and Himuro Kane and stupidly accepted a challenge from Kaede. All I had to do was win a plush teddy from a prize grabber before she could. I never got a turn though because she won in the first go. For the rest of the day my hair was tied into a side-tail by the most cartoonish bow I had ever seen (courtesy of the nabbed teddy).

"That was just a silly joke, don't let it get to you." Saegusa comforts me, making me relax just a bit. Not completely though given that she was still so close to me.

Scene: Homurahara Academy

Time: Day 1, Morning

It was about seven in the morning when I arrived on the grounds of Homurahara Academy. It was from there that I would soon part from Saegusa who was on her way to her club practice. Around me, I take note of several other clubs going about their morning practice. I might have rushed straight to my club too if I did not spot an unexpected character heading over to the archery building. The archery club captain, Mitsuzuri Ayako, was leading the way for a face I knew all too well. Of course I did. No one at this school did not at least hear of the legendary Tohsaka Rin.

As I blindly stare in her direction, the girl wearing the red coat over her uniform looks at me with the most unexpected of glances. For a moment, I feel my insides freeze over. Yet my reaction was for nothing as Tohsaka faces forward again and continues to follow Mitsuzuri. This girl...was something of an idol many of the men in this school dreamed of. Not only that, but she was every bit a prodigy to add to her charms. The only troublesome thing about her was that she seemed to be disconnected with most people. I am sure she had friends (Mitsuzuri seems to get along with her, for one), but I also could not help but think of her as a loner. That somehow has an allure with me that I would never admit to anyone.

Come to think of it, Saegusa was a big fan of Tohsaka. It was a little strange, but it seems that this girl was popular with everyone for a number of reasons. Not just the obvious attraction. It was almost like she was the main character of some poorly written novel. I will never understand how the world decides things, but at the very least it could have made Tohsaka Rin seem a little more like a normal human. Maybe then I'd be able to approach her. I despair to myself for a little, then take a deep breath. Only a moment had passed during my inner monologue, so I was still within decent range to watch her leave. Or maybe say hello. It was not a wide gap.

In the end, my voice never leaves my lips. And before I knew it, the pair had vanished into the archery dojo. As soon as they did, I regained myself and rushed off for my club meeting. As I arrived, I find that I was among the last to arrive. Not letting it bother me, I excuse myself and join the others.

...after practice...

After an especially long morning practice, I would find myself heading to class. Homeroom would be quite soon, but I had plenty of time to arrive in my classroom. As I enter, I quickly glance over the room in hopes of locating someone. The one I was looking for was nowhere to be seen. With a troubled groan, I head to my seat near the back of the class. Once I get within a few steps of my desk, I hear a familiar voice call out to me.

"Well if it isn't Shizen-kun. You're not looking as pathetic as you usually do." Matou Shinji says in a mocking voice. I take no offense in it, but still I feel a sharp bit of pain in my chest. Glancing back at him, I see a someone off-balance smile on his face. I knew him well enough to know something was bothering him, but since I have no self-destructive desires at the moment so I immediately suppress my curiosity.

"Good morning, Shinji-senpai..." I said before sitting down. Shinji almost seems annoyed with my reaction, but I pay it no mind. He seems to give up his attempts to make me react after a moment, but he does not seem close to done talking to me.

"Can you believe the nerve of that Tohsaka? Not too long ago I gave her a polite invitation to watch the archery club practice, but she just turned up her nose and insulted me. There's stuck up, then there's that woman..." Shinji begins to rant, complaining about something that makes me raise an eyebrow.

"Tohsaka Rin did that?" The thought of Tohsaka saying such a thing was beyond my comprehension, but I quickly remember that this was Shinji after all. Compensating for his exaggerations was almost a reflex by this point. "So that's why you're in a bad mood?"

"Me? In a bad mood? Of course not, I was merely stating that Tohsaka is an egotistical demon." Shinji said one thing, but the way he was tapping his pencil on the desk made it all too clear that he was furious. It might be an especially bad day for someone in the archery club. "Don't worry though, I'm sure Tohsaka will give up that act and show me the respect I deserve. Someday soon."

I seriously doubted what he said, but I nod as if I agree. It was not worth disputing anything with Shinji. His grin bothered me a little, but I shrug off the anxiety I was feeling. Instead, I look up at the clock. It seems that it was getting close to eight o' clock. Class was going to start very soon, but the person I was hoping to see was not in yet. For some reason, I was tempted to go look for him, but the threat of leaving Shinji alone while he rants about his problems was a bad idea. So for the time being, I just stared at the clock.

Then I see the door open up. Then from the hallway, two people enter the classroom. One of them is the head of the student council, Ryuudou Issei. The other is the very person I was hoping to see. The moment I spot Emiya Shirou, the second of the new arrivals, I feel my cheeks flush brightly. Then unable to help myself, I quickly wave at Shirou to catch his attention. The attempt is a success and he gives a simple wave and a smile in return. Just that makes me feel like waiting all this time was worth the patience.

Realizing just how over the top my reaction was, I take a deep breath and recollect myself. It seems Shinji was giving me a strange look, but I was used to it. More importantly, I resume waiting for Emiya Shirou to return to his desk (which was conveniently in front of mine). Shirou was not too outstanding of a figure, as far as I knew. However, ever since we met back in middle school he has done nothing but help me. Talking down people who might mess with me, chasing away the more rowdy girls in a civilized manner, helping my club with our occasional technical issues... Is it any surprise that I somehow place him on a tier of respect slightly higher than my teachers?

After a short pause, the bell rings loudly. In about five minutes, homeroom was going to begin. While Shirou did end up coming to sit with Shinji and myself, I never could manage to raise my voice for more than a greeting. For some reason I was able to talk with Shinji, but now that there were two others conversing, I had sadly melted into the background once again. What did bother me was that Shinji was being especially cruel to Shirou as well, likely for the reason he spoke about earlier. It must be troublesome for him to be this annoyed by a simple rejection.

Shirou on the other hand never seemed to take offense with Shinji's obvious insults. While I occasionally felt depressed or somewhat bothered with his superiority complex, Shirou never broke down and seemed to truly enjoy being in Shinji's company. It was partly because of this that I even started to tolerate Shinji myself. If not for a certain incident the year before, the three of us would likely still be undeniable friends.

"How was your practice today, Tsubasa?" Shirou speaks to me, bringing me out of my subvocal monologues and back into the real world. I could not help but grow nervous for a moment. Shirou waits patiently for my reaction, making me laugh a bit to cover my awkward pause.

"It was fine, Shirou-senpai. The speaker you fixed never gave us trouble again, either." I replied once I was fully able to control my voice. As I recall the time Shirou miraculously fixed a broken speaker, I cannot help but think of Shirou as the ultimate handyman.

For the next few moments, I continue to tell Shirou about my club and our recent concert last weekend. However, before I can get full-swing into my talk, a slowly approaching voice catches my attention. The class soon does the same as we listen to our beloved homeroom teacher dash toward us. As she nears, I realize that she is saying "I'm late!" over and over again. And judging by how quickly the volume was going up, she was running down the hall with all haste. Before I knew it, our teacher—Fujimura Taiga—flew into the door mid-dash.

This woman, who came hurtling in so recklessly that she slipped, fell, bashed her head on her podium, and fell unconscious was the homeroom supervisor for Class 2-C. She was the teacher in charge of the archery club and a close acquaintance of Shirou's. Despite being a teacher, she was often the last person one would associate with an instructor. She was eccentric, yes, but she was also irresponsible in numerous ways. What other teacher would worry her students by falling and cracking her head on...oh, right. It seems she hurt herself...

For all my cool thoughts were worth, I could almost tell that my own face was just as troubled as my fellow students. A number of people began to chatter on about whether or not Fujimura was okay or not. She was not moving, so it was at the very least alarming, but just maybe her living habits have finally killed her…

"Maybe we should try that?" One student says after a while.,

"Yes, that." A girl responds to him, leaving my mind to immediately drift to what they meant by 'that.'

Fujimura Taiga has a nickname that she detests so much, it is likely to bring about great fury. Why she hates it so much is outside of my knowledge, but it seems she simply finds it unsuitable for a girl's nickname. Whatever the reason, our teacher's distaste for that nickname was so high that while everyone began to attempt to call out to her, Shirou and Shinji both seemed to lower their heads in preparation for a storm.

"Wake up, Tiger."

Most of the class said this in a voice so low that it was less than a whisper. The response was a twitch from our instructor on the floor. Then like a bunch of livestock with no fear of death, the class began a simple uproar in an attempt to wake Fujimura with her nickname. Soon enough, she would explode from the floor and scream with the ferocity of...well, a tiger.

As she wakes with a distinct "Don't call me TIGER!" I feel a sense of relief and start gathering my things once again. The distraction was a little bothersome, but I was not one to complain about such things anyway.

Time: Day 1, After School

Despite it being such an eventful morning, the day overall had little to over beyond the norm. And so just like usual, I started gathering my things in preparation to go to after school practice. As I did, I overhear Ryuudou Issei speaking with Emiya Shirou about helping with further repairs. It seems that Shirou could not work on them due to work. That's right, Shirou has jobs in various places in town. Being in a club, it is within my best interest to not have any sort of job. Knowing all this, I feel a bit down about Shirou not being in the archery club.

At least when Shirou was in his former club, we'd often walk home together. Nowadays I tended to never see him because he worked all his jobs. And even more troublesome is the six o' clock curfew that was put in place in recent weeks in response to the murders in town. Actually, it is unsettling to know that Shirou is always out late. Enough that I could not properly focus on any one thought until I made it to my club. Throughout the practice though, I cleared my head of my companion and managed to keep focus on my duties.

As I finally left, I beheld the late evening sky with a bit of a daze. The red sky looked almost like a sea of blood speckled with soaked crimson pieces of cotton, an image I had ever since I was a kid. To begin, blood makes me sick. Back when I was still learning magic, I would always lose face when it came to spells that required the use of those precious crimson drops. This innate fear of something so basic has been a bane for as long as I can remember, making me thankful I was not in a place where blood would be a common substance.

Taking a deep breath, I lower my focus and scan over the visible campus. The track team was still running for the time being, so I am almost tempted to watch. Even though there's still some time before curfew, I might be better off going straight home like one of my other teachers, Kuzuki Souichirou, told the class. That serious man saying such a serious thing made me almost want to give in to his words without question.

Thinking about it though, the track team likely would not keep their members for too late with the things going on in town. With this as my justification, I eventually find a nice spot in the shade as I watch the runners. While the track team had both boys and girls, I found myself looking over the female half of the club. It took little time for me to pick out Saegusa Yukika from the bunch. Not a moment after I saw her did she spot me and give a wave. I felt a little embarrassed over her noticing me, but obediently I wave back to her. As I do, I begin to recall that Saegusa was actually a very good runner. She was a decent role model if there ever was one.

For some reason, I could not completely focus on her running today. Admittedly, seeing her in the light PE uniform she was wearing had me unwittingly staring at the various points of her figure that I sometimes missed when she was dressed normally. She was hardly blessed with the features of an ideal 'fantasy' woman, but she was still stunning to look at. It does not help that she's both reliable and charming. Or maybe I am just thinking too much. Whatever the case, I do not break my focus until it becomes obvious that the track team as finally finishing up.

I check my watch and realize its been only about ten minutes, meaning my little break was over before I could get lost in it. Straightening my posture, I start heading toward the gate before I hear a voice call out to me. I almost stumble when I see Saegusa running towards me. I immediately sink into my shell as she reaches me, terrified of getting in trouble for some groundless reason my mind came up with.

"Heading home now?" Saegusa asks, unaffected by the bit of hesitation I was showing. "If you don't mind waiting a little longer, we can walk home part-way. It has been getting dangerous lately, so having someone around is always nice."

"Walk together...? Yeah, I guess that is okay. I'll just wait by the front entrance then, Saegusa." I could feel my face scorching already.

"Alright, I won't keep you waiting then!" She says, as if somehow overjoyed to hear what I said. It would be nice to think she liked me or something, but I get the feeling she is far too casual for that to be a possibility.

While I had been expecting her to come alone with me, I was met with an unexpected turn of events. Instead of just Saegusa, Makidera and Himuro were also with us. Fittingly, things became confusing fast as they often do. But at the very least, I was able to enjoy the end of my day before settling right back into the usual daily routine.