"All-out? As in, no holding back? Wait a minute Tohsaka, do you know what you are saying right now!?"
"I am in agreement with Shirou. Rin, although he is no longer as helpless as he was during the War…"
"Ugh…" Shirou winced at the brutality of Saber's honest evaluation, but didn't have it in him to correct her.
"…neither do I think it is wise for me to go as far as using Excalibur in today's training session!"
It was rare for Saber to get this adamant about something unless it concerned their health or safety, and evidently this was one such case. Rin merely sighed as she lazily rested her head on her palm, comfortably leant over the table to enjoy her tea after their shared breakfast like always, but her attitude implied that she had expected such a reaction. As for why Rin was seated at the Emiya Household's dining table instead of having breakfast at her own place… well there was no solid reason for that to be honest, but if Shirou had to put it into words, it would probably be because it 'felt right' this way.
After the conclusion of the 5th Holy Grail War Rin had stubbornly extended a renewed pact to Saber as she was on the verge of disappearing, loathe to see such a prime familiar escape her clutches. Together the three of them had traveled to Clocktower to accompany Rin as she completed her education to become a full-fledged member of the Association, Shirou enjoying the privilege of enrolling as her apprentice, until they finally returned home to Fuyuki after long years of study and training. Though Shirou had been worried at some point regarding where Rin would settle down after she was done, it would appear the answer had been quite simple. "The Tohsaka have been Second Owners of Fuyuki ever since I can remember, so why would it be any different with me?" she had matter-of-factly exclaimed after he had approached her on the subject in the past, and it would seem nothing had changed.
Indeed. Nothing had changed.
Rin was busy with doing work for the Association, Shirou continued the practice of his magecraft under her tutelage, and Saber… oh. Nevermind. There was one thing that was different.
"Saber… please don't talk so loud this early in the morning."
"Ah. My apologies Rin, but the point is-"
"Did you never wonder why I restored your bond to Emiya-kun?"
"…" Saber continued staring at Rin with a defiant gaze, but ultimately decided that it would be for the best to go along with what she had to say for now. Shirou, in the meantime, continued to silently wash the remaining dishes whilst listening to their conversation.
"Was it not to aid you in providing for me?" Saber ultimately guessed.
"That is a big part of it too of course. Providing for your mana upkeep just by myself can be quite exhausting, especially after doing it without break for all these years, and it doesn't help that Emiya-kun also happily consumes my magical energy whenever he gets too excited with his Projections. True, the daily boosts he gives us certainly help, but they simply aren't quite as consistent as a traditional bond between master and familiar, which is why I bound you to him alongside me so that you can draw energy from us both," Rin proudly explained, no doubt pleased with herself for having performed the difficult procedure of sharing a single familiar amongst two masters all by herself.
That being said, her audience had other things in mind.
"Daily…"
"…boosts."
Both Shirou and Saber snuck quick glances at each other before awkwardly hanging their heads in shame over the private detail Rin had so openly divulged, and while it wasn't like anybody else was listening, it was still embarrassing to address it so directly.
"W-what? This isn't anything new at this point… and stop acting like that, you are making me feel weird for saying it," Rin hurriedly puffed up her chest and crossed her arms, trying to put on a strong act when in fact it was her whose face was the most flushed.
"A-anyway, my point is that there was another reason for re-establishing the bond between you two."
"And that is?" having finished his work in the kitchen, Shirou had hung up his apron and joined the two at the table, carrying a small plate of sliced fruit to serve as a small snack.
"You should know more than anybody, Emiya-kun. What have you been dreaming about lately?"
"Hm? Nothing worth mentioning. I usually have trouble remembering my dreams anyway, but recently I have been-… oh!"
"Exactly" Rin nodded in the affirmative, though that left Saber alone out of the loop.
"Rin? Shirou? What is it?"
"Well Saber, it might just be easier to show you," Shirou answered with a sheepish grin, holding his hand out and filling his Magic Circuits with mana.
The act came so easy to him now, his magecraft having become as intuitive as walking or breathing, and the quality of his projections likewise reflected his growth. It only took him a mere second to recall the memory he had seen in last night's dream, and as soon as he could picture it in his mind's eye, the pathway of construction instantly become clear to him. Muttering the single aria that had come to define his unique magecraft, Shirou materialized an unfamiliar blade, "Trace on".
A dagger as white as snow manifested in his hands after a brief transient glow; golden faery letters were inscribed on its blade and hand-guard, granting the weapon a surreal beauty one would commonly only expect to find in fantasy novels. And yet-
"Carnwennan…!?" Saber's palpable shock was vocalized by her loud gasp, though alongside it one could discern an almost melancholic familiarity.
"It was your dagger, was it not? Back when you were still King?"
"Yes it was… I never expected to see it again after I died, or have supposed to at least…. Rin. What is the meaning of this?"
"Hmm~" Rin, who had been quietly listening up until now, perked up and opened her eye, "I thought I told you I wanted you guys to fight all-out, and that includes you as well. If Shirou is allowed to use his Reality Marble, wouldn't it only be fair if he gave you back some of your old weapons too?"
"Rin this is no joke! Carnwennan is a high-ranking Noble Phantasm that can split anything it is thrown at cleanly in two, not to mention the cloaking effect it possess. This is not a weapon to be used against someone in a sparring match, even more so in regards to Excalibur!"
"Then let me ask you something Saber," Rin calmly continued, seemingly ignoring Saber's understandable concern, "What do you think Emiya-kun just did?"
"He projected my dagger via his magecraft, or am I wrong?"
"No not at all, if anything you… no. Maybe all of us have become a bit too comfortable as of late."
"What do you mean Tohsaka?" at this point even Shirou grew slightly worried at Rin's unusually serious tone.
"Let me put it this way. Shirou, if I were to ask you right now to trace and replicate one of my jewels, would you be able to do it?"
"Why… yes, probably. I couldn't replicate the amounts of Prana you have accumulated within them just like that, but if we are simply talking about the vessel, then I think I could do it."
"It's not that you think you can, the problem is that you can. To put it bluntly, even just a single one of my gems costs a fortune, but as an upside to that they are capable of immense power. Just one can generate a blast rivaling magecraft from the Age of Gods, and while I never really tried it, I am pretty sure I could have taken one or two of Berserker's lives if I has used all 10 of my jewels at the time... probably."
"But that is…"
"…impossible."
Both Shirou and Saber were shocked by Rin's casual declaration, but Rin was too wrapped up in her teacher-mode to notice.
"Well, you might be right. I never actually got the chance to try it so we'll never know, but I am pretty confident that I could do it. In any case, these gems are a rare resource for me. The Prana inside of them aside, the actual jewels are pretty hard for me to get ahold of, and yet here is Shirou, someone who could mass produce them for me without much effort."
"Wait a minute Tohsaka, that might be the case, but just by sight alone the jewels I could produce would be inferior to the ones you already have."
"Then what if I made you swallow them?"
"Wha-?"
"Ok, bad example. But what if I were to store them inside of you in conceptual form like Avalon? It may take a while for you to become 100% familiar with them, but after a while you should be able to create a perfect replica, no?"
"If you put it that way…"
"Not just that, but even though we never formally tested it, we know that your projections can last for several days without disappearing even without you having to specifically dedicate your focus on maintaining them, so using my gems as an example, I could easily use your projections and pump them full of my Prana, simply re-allocating the stored energy when you feel like they're close to breaking down. So long as I use them up before your projections disappear, I would never have to worry about buying gems for the rest of my life!"
"What are you getting at Tohsaka?"
Rin sighed and peered into her empty tea cup to see if there was still a sip left in it. She probably expected him to have understood what she was trying to say by now.
"What I am getting at is that we didn't keep your Reality Marble a secret from the Association just because I felt like it."
All at once the room was draped in a heavy atmosphere.
"If the Association found out that you have the ability to endlessly replicate magical relics, you'd be marked with a Sealing Designation in no time. It doesn't help that you have mastered a Reality Marble on top of that, they're banned by the Mages Association for a good reason, you know?"
Though Rin had explained herself in a calm and composed manner, it was clear that she too was worried about Shirou's safety. If what she had said was true, in the worst case scenario Shirou could be captured by the Association and turned into a factory that was forced to continuously replicate and/or enhance valuable magical artifacts for them, and once he had outlived his use, his body would be dissected and taken apart for study so that they may preserve the method of his magecraft for future generations. When faced with the twisted brutality of this reality, Shirou couldn't help but break out in cold sweat.
"Do you understand now?" Rin asked, "The people of the Association aren't the type to respect human rights if they have something valuable to gain, and you Shirou, your value is incalculable. Just look at Car-… Carnew-… that dagger in your hands. Saber, you mentioned it can split its targets in half just by throwing it at them and also has some sort of cloaking effect, no?"
"…you are right Rin. So long as I hold Carnwennan, any shadow I step into becomes my cloak, disguising any physical and magical traces of my existence. Naturally the effect dissipates as soon as I step out of it, but other than that the charm bound to this blade is flawless."
"Then there you go. It probably didn't even take a second for Shirou to project this weapon along with its effects, and though it might be a bit weaker than the original, that much is irrelevant compared to the miracle he just performed. This is why I said we have become too comfortable with Shirou's Projection Magecraft; we have forgotten just how absurd it really is. And trust me, if other people find out about his ability, they aren't going to undervalue his Gradation Air like we have."
It was the first time Shirou had ever considered the idea.
He was honestly surprised with himself how little he was appalled by the thought of helping Rin provide for her jewels that way, but the mere consideration of being used as a tool to further the ambitions of magi whose intent was questionable at best, was something he rejected with every fiber of his being. Before he knew it, Carnwennan groaned under his unrelenting grip, and it was only after Saber had gently placed her hand on his shoulder that he eased his tension and allowed the blade to fade away.
They were each dealing with this information their own way. Rin had probably already considered the possibility before, which is why she was currently able to stay so calm, and Shirou couldn't allow himself to aid the selfish machinations of others. And Saber?
"Rin," she spoke loud and clear, her posture and presence befitting a king, "Is this why you suggested us to go all-out for today's practice session."
Like a devil in disguise, Rin confidently smirked.
"You catch on quick. I'm already well aware of my capabilities of course, and as my Servant it is quite easy for me to measure your Stats and abilities as well. Shirou on the other hand is hard to judge. We may be able to use Archer as a basis, but as of now we have no idea how far he can go in his current state. If you go all-out and push him to his very limit however, it will be easier for me to calculate his strength in case we ever need to prepare for the inevitable. That, and wouldn't you prefer to do this in a controlled environment where we can guarantee his safety?"
All valid points, and Saber saw no reason to deny her. Just like Rin expected.
"Wait just a minute there Tohsaka, I can't help but agree with everything that you said, but we are talking about Saber here. She's a Servant while I'm just me. Even when we're just using wooden swords I can barely keep up with her, even after all this time, and now you want me to fight her one-on-one at full force!?"
"You beat Gilgamesh, did you not?"
"This and that are two separate things! It just so happened that we were compatible with each other, and besides, he only used the weakest of his Noble Phantasms against me. Had he taken me seriously like he did with Berserker, I wouldn't have lasted for more than a second!"
"You are really selling yourself short, Emiya-kun. The fact remains that you have beaten a Servant before, and in the years since then you have grown. Become stronger. And don't worry, even Saber will have trouble against your trump card after all~"
"You don't mean…"
"Of course. When I mean all-out, I mean all-out. Just for today, I'll have you push Unlimited Blade Works to its limits!"
"Trace… on"
Just like that, they had transitioned over to the dojo and made the necessary preparations for their fight, though all that meant was that Shirou had changed into a clean shirt, Saber had summoned her armor, and Rin… to be honest Shirou wasn't exactly sure why Rin came along. It was probably just to watch.
And so, after invoking and dragging them into his Reality Marble, Shirou had found the dagger Carnwennan and Saber's past shield beside it, with Avalon being the only remaining item to add to the collection.
"Phew, that was the last of them. Alright Saber, I'm ready."
It was Rin's idea to restore Saber to her full strength by returning some of her old weapons, and this naturally included Avalon. He had removed it from his body just then, but he obviously projected another identical copy which he placed back within him. After all, were it not for Avalon's ability to instantly regenerate severed limbs and crushed organs, the very thought of having an all-out battle would have been impossible to begin with. Had it not been for this guarantee of his well-being, Saber would have never agreed to this fight in the first place.
Turning back towards towards the two, he was surprised to see them curiously inspecting their surroundings.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Well Emiya-kun, don't you notice anything different about your Unlimited Blade Works?"
Shirou raised his eyebrow and took a look for himself, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him. Everything was like it had always been, or rather, it seemed so natural that he couldn't spot anything in particular. That was only to be expected. This was his Inner World after all.
"Shirou," Saber chimed in after noting Shirou's obliviousness to the obvious change to this realm, "Do you not notice the grass? Or the blue skies?"
"Oh now that you mention it… the sky is still a bit overcast though."
"That is what you are concerned about?"
"Why Rin? Is something the matter?"
Overwhelmed by Shirou's lack of awareness only concerning things regarding himself, Rin wearily palmed her face and sighed, "Well, it's not really a problem I guess. Quite the opposite in fact. It is a good thing that your Inner World isn't a dark and dreary place anymore, but the least you could have done is notice that change yourself. Whatever. Let's move on."
Still not entirely sure what Rin was getting at, Shirou merely shrugged it off and motioned for Saber to come closer.
"Well then Saber, Unlimited Blade Works was able to automatically replicate Carnwennan and Wynebgwrthucher from seeing them in your dreams, and I'm sure I could find Caliburn if I wanted to-"
"There is no need Shirou, this much is enough. Caliburn was a blade meant to signify my right to rule, and while I still regard it quite fondly, Excalibur should serve me well enough for now. It remains the better of the two in regards to fighting."
"Ah, ok then. Though I have to admit I was surprised to find that you had quite a lot of weapons back then. In my dreams I could see flashes of Prydwen and something called Rhongomyniad… which can't be right. That lance… whatever it was, it was impossible for me to get a read on it at all. What was that?"
"It was a Divine Construct given to me for the sake of keeping the balance of the world at peace, though you needn't concern yourself with it. As for Prydwen, unless you mean for us to cross the seas, we won't have much need for my ship," she answered with a smile.
"Thought so…" Shirou sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he watched her pick up her dagger and shield, although curiously, she stopped briefly to look at the latter. Her eyes were filled with something other than joy or nostalgia. Was it perhaps unease?
"Saber?" Rin spoke up, "Is something the matter?"
"No, not at all. It's just… this shield. 'Wynebgwrthucher: Face of the Evening' belonged to one of my oldest armaments, a weapon I carried into many wars and battles. As such I would have remembered it fondly like Carnwennan or Caliburn, were it not for…"
Having traced the weapon, Shirou was well aware of its effects and lowered his gaze, lips pressed tightly together and eyebrows furrowed.
"What is it?" Rin cautiously inquired, unaware yet perceptive enough that something was amiss.
"It is an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm when invoked, one with a large-scale passive effect. Much like the legend of Caliburn, or rather, the tale of the 'sword of selection' was derived from the original sword Merodach, so is my shield Wynebgwrthucher based on the shield of the Ulster King Conchobar. It is not uncommon for tales of old to borrow from each other and make use of similar elements, and our weapons are no different. Under the pretense of Divine Intervention my shield is capable of lessening the pain of the wounded under my command, as well as strengthening them and boosting their morale. It is a magnificent shield in that regard… however this is nothing but a method of disguising its true effect. It is a vampiric weapon, one which drains the energies of my opponents and bestows them upon my allies. Their pain is lessened and the their strength enhanced, but this miracle is achieved by the suffering of our enemies."
"That is…"
"Horrible? Fiendish? It is all that and more Rin."
"I have to be honest Saber, you were the last person I expected to use a shield like this. Oh. I don't mean that in a bad way of course…"
"I thank you for you concern Rin, but you are right," although Saber comforted her with smile, her eyes were ridden with sadness and regret, "It was a terrible weapon to wield, even against those that sought to bring my country to ruin. And yet I relied on it. I am not one to make excuses for myself… but I can't help but admit that times have truly changed. Rin. My life wasn't always as filled with happiness as it is now."
"Saber… I'm sorry," Shirou quietly muttered.
"Don't be. This is merely a testament of how the world has improved. For the better. Back then things were… darker, and more unforgiving. 'The Face of the Evening' was a pleasant allusion to the beauty of the setting sun, but its true meaning was of the eventual demise of my opponents. The longer they fought, the closer they would come to succumbing to eternal night."
"How dreadfully poetic," Rin commented with crossed arms.
"Isn't it? Regardless, it is not a weapon I intend to use again, and neither would it would do me much good in my fight against Shirou. It is an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, and with no army to support either of us, its function is solely limited to that of a shield."
Moving on from the subject of her past, Saber fasted the shield to her back while sheathing Excalibur in Avalon on her left hip. Carnwennan remained in the familiar grip of her right hand as she had no sheath for it.
"Not using Excalibur?" Rin curiously inquired from the side as she saw Saber spin the dagger in her hands.
"Even I would be hard pressed to use Excalibur alongside Carnwennan and use both of them effectively. Dual wielding was not a common practice during my time. Carnwennan is lower ranked than Excalibur anyway, so as long as I do not activate its effect by throwing it, it should prove sufficient for pushing Shirou to his limits."
"…"
Shirou was not one to respond to provocations. In contrast to Rin's hot-tempter or Saber's competitive nature, Shirou couldn't remember the last time he let himself get riled up for his own sake. True, while there had been numerous cases when he stood up for others, more often than not getting involved in physical brawls or verbal disputes, he simply never felt the need nor desire to do something as selfish as defending his own personal pride.
And yet.
The fact that Saber would refuse to draw Excalibur against him made him feel… odd.
His fingertips prickled with unexpressed desire and his blood felt hotter as it pulsated through his veins. Furthermore, for whatever reason, it seemed his lips had contorted into a slight frown.
"Shirou?" Saber worriedly asked after noticing his expression, whereas Rin merely regarded him with a devilish grin as if already aware of his inner thought process, hopping away a sizable distance in anticipation of their clash.
"Come," Shirou commanded.
Shrill scraping noises echoed in the empty landscape as two swords were pulled from the earth, their presence announced by a mere shimmer of black and white as Kanshou and Bakuya soared through the clouded skies, ultimately finding their place in Shirou's very palms. As if that was the only place they belonged. As if they existed only to be held in his hands. Together, the monochromatic swords exuded a presence no less formidable than that of the Heroic Spirit who had originally wielded them.
Saber's grip on Carnwennan tightened and her gaze sharpened. Shirou was no doubt ready to fight now, and yet a proud smile was evident on her lips.
Had she maybe offended him by only testing him with her dagger first? To Shirou, who had been training with her for several years now, even if he were to be initially reluctant about facing her in an all-out battle, it was only inevitable for the small embers of a warrior's pride to come to the forefront. Even though Shirou probably wasn't aware of it himself, he likely looked forward to measuring his own growth against her Excalibur. As his instructor, Saber could not have have been happier. As both retreated several paces to allow for enough space between them, the world was silenced by the anticipation of their clash.
Using words to announce the start of their battle was superfluous at this point.
Shirou raised his pair of twin blades towards his chest.
Saber readied her golden-white dagger at her side.
The earth groaned as Shirou tore the sprouting metal from the ground.
The earth burst apart at Saber's violent charge.