"O war! Thou son of hell,
Whom angry heavens do make their minister,
Throw in the frozen bosoms of our part
Hot coals of vengeance! Let no soldier fly.
He that is truly dedicate to war
Hath no self-love, nor he that loves himself,
Hath not essentially but by circumstance
The name of valour."
William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II, Act V, scene 2, line 33.
Friday, January 30th
It had been more than a month since Michael had become a fully ranked Assassin. February began at the end of this weekend; the Holy Grail War was set to begin.
Assassin was hopeful and optimistic. Michael was as well, albeit less so. He was awfully nervous. Unlike when he'd played the visual novel, there'd be no second chances, no Mulligans or do-overs. If he made a mistake, he could very well lose his life. He had to be on his toes from now on.
Michael and Assassin had continued stocking up on supplies. Assassin really needed nothing (though he had come to enjoy Michael's cooking); his supplies were constantly regenerated over time, so he never really had to worry about running out of them. Michael, however, had set limits for everything he could carry. He envied Assassin in this respect.
On the Friday before February, Michael kept an eye on both Shinji and Tohsaka. Neither seemed on edge, so he assumed neither had summoned their Servant yet (or in the case of Shinji, obtained his command spells from Sakura). Still, they might've been acting to conceal themselves... Michael was wary.
Shirou, on the other hand, was completely oblivious. Michael loved watching horror movies, if only to laugh at the overt stupidity of the characters in the movie. He hadn't realized how right Tohsaka and Saber had been about Shirou. It'd be so easy for him to die; obviously, Avalon would prevent that, so long as Saber was nearby, but it was beginning to actually hurt him how Shirou acted. He resolved to ignore it; nothing would be likely to change Shirou.
Michael stayed after school most days, preparing and watching for the beginning of the War. Thanks to Assassin's skill, Presence Concealment, both of them were able to stay hidden from the view of almost anyone who would happen to be nearby.
Assassin seemed not to care, but Michael grew more and more uneasy as time went on. There was a foreboding sense growing in the air. He could feel it.
This routine carried on for almost 2 weeks before anything happened.
Shirou had stayed behind on multiple days as favors to help various people. It wasn't until nearly the 6th time that the incident Michael had been waiting for, Shirou first helping Issei fix the Student Council's television, then Shinji leaving Shirou to clean the archery dojo while he left with his harem, occurred.
Michael and Assassin sat in the rafters, concealed from the oblivious Shirou fanatically cleaning the floor below. Michael hadn't brought his robes with him, opting for the all-black outfit he'd brought to school that day (he had lugged his gear back and forth the first few days, but eventually decided against it; it was heavy and too risky). Assassin was cloaked in his battle garb already. Using the hand language system Assassin had taught Michael, they conversed silently to avoid detection. It wasn't perfect, but they were able to get their general intentions across.
"Is this guy for real?" Assassin's hands asked.
"Unfortunately, yeah, I guess so," Michael flashed back.
"We're seriously going to have an alliance with this kid?"
"Well, Saber is awesome, if a bit stubborn, and she is one of the most powerful Servants who'll be in this War. Aside from that, Rin and Archer will be valuable allies. We'd be stupid to not ally ourselves with them, especially given everything else."
Their hands moved rapidly back and forth for the next few minutes. It was nighttime when all three heard yelling from outside. The clash of steel rang out. Shirou stood and wondered aloud to himself what the noise was, and both Assassins went on edge.
A few minutes later, Shirou gotten his things and left, and the two Assassins made their own way out. They kept to the shadows, Michael keeping an eye on Shirou and Assassin seeking the two combatants that'd be there.
He spotted them not long after they left. The two moved around the perimeter of the athletic fields. Shirou moved over to the fences, staring at the confrontation.
Not far away, two men leaped about, slashing at the other with their weapons. One carried a long, red spear, and was clad in a dark blue bodysuit. The other brandished two swords, and wore a set of black body armor with a red overcoat and skirt.
In the midst of the clash of steel, the spear wielder asked, "What Heroic Spirit are you? I've never heard of an Archer who uses twin swords!" Ignoring the question, the swordsman replied, "It's easy to tell who you are! There's only one Lancer of your caliber in all the world!" They charged at each other again.
Shirou made a startled sound. Both combatants turned towards the source of the noise. Lancer yelling, "Who's there?" They broke off, Archer moving back to protect a figure in the back, Lancer chasing after Shirou, who had fled.
Both could hear Rin voice her concerns. She was evidently distressed that someone was about to die.
"Should we go after Shirou?" Assassin's hands flashed the question.
"Nah, he'll be fine," Michael's hands replied. "I'm not sure how perceptive either Servant will be. Let's stay a bit of a ways behind Tohsaka and Archer and observe for now."
Assassin nodded his consent. The two robed figures crouched in the shadows, trailing the girl and her Servant silently.
Within a few minutes, Shirou had been nearly killed by Lancer, Shirou running into the school and Lancer chasing after him. The assassins didn't see the actual confrontation; they'd been trailing some distance behind Archer and Rin. All four ran, Assassin and Michael far more quietly, through the halls. Archer and Rin stopped up ahead, where Michael assumed they'd found Shirou. Archer took off, heading after Lancer as per Rin's orders.
Rin had healed Shirou next, leaving behind her pendant, just as Michael had expected. Afterwards, she ran, taking off in the opposite direction from the two Assassins.
They decided to stop following Rin at that point, who was heading home, and followed Shirou. Lancer would be focused on the young man; he wouldn't be wary and keeping an eye on the shadows, so it'd be easier to be concealed following those two, rather than having to worry about Archer.
Only Caster-class Servants could detect far off enemies, but Michael didn't want to take any chances of being detected before he meant to be.
Shirou made it home after a few minutes of running, fine except for the fact that he was covered in his own blood. They didn't follow him inside the house, instead opting to perch on the roof of a building near the shed, to avoid the alarm barrier around Shirou's property. They could observe safely from here, safe from being noticed.
It would be a while longer before Lancer appeared. They kept a look out and talked using their hands, chatting for a while longer. Assassin was very intrigued by both Archer and Lancer. Michael hadn't told him anything about most of the Servants, so Assassin didn't have much information aside from what he'd seen himself.
Lancer arrived later, appearing and trying to kill Shirou once again. Sounds were heard from inside the house. A few minutes after, Shirou appeared, having jumped out of a window to avoid a thrown spear.
"This is getting interesting," Assassin noted.
"It's about to get a hell of a lot more interesting, my friend," Michael replied.
Shirou bravely attempted to fight off Lancer with a Reinforced sheet of metal. Assassin chuckled a laugh when he saw this; "Stubborn one, isn't he?" his hands flashed. Michael chuckled softly in response. He ran towards the shed, and Lancer moved swiftly, kicking him in the side and launching him forwards. Shirou stubbornly stood, blocking Lancer's half-hearted strikes, finally being kicked through the doors, blasting them off.
Lancer stopped playing around and appeared to ready the killing strike. They conversed, Shirou's expression being both angry and confused by Lancer's words. The Assassins stayed outside, observing silently, and lights from the magical power began flashing within. Michael heard a faint voice expressing surprise; it seemed Rin and Archer had arrived as well.
A woman, short in stature, but with tremendous power, appeared, and fought Lancer off. Assassin was a bit startled by this; "You never mentioned Saber would be a woman, or that short."
Michael smiled. "You never asked."
Saber forced Lancer to retreat from the shed, then turned towards Shirou. They conversed, and Shirou was a bit awestruck. His reaction was, again, understandable. Saber was a odd figure, for one, and a beautiful woman as well.
Afterwards, she turned and began to fight Lancer once more. Shirou chased after her, yelling for her to wait. The two warriors clashed again and again, steel ringing out. Their blows were powerful; one clash in mid-air was felt by Michael, and he was a few hundred meters away from the scene.
"An invisible sword. Interesting," Assassin commented.
During a brief interlude in the combat, Lancer, clearly irritated, asked, "What's the meaning of this, you coward? How dare you keep your weapon hidden?!" The question wasn't graced with a reply; if anything, it only angered Saber. They clashed a few more times before another short pause ensued.
She taunted him, "What's the matter, Lancer? Stopping mid-fight will disgrace spearmen everywhere." She raised her invisible sword and narrowed her eyes. "If you won't come to me, then I shall come to you."
Lancer grinned. "Let me ask you one thing first: what's your Noble Phantasm? A sword?"
Saber smiled as well. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. It might be an axe. Or a spear. No, it might even be a bow."
Lancer chuckled a bit at that. "Get real, Saber..." He took a step back and grasped the spear differently than he had been before. "This is our first encounter. I say we stop now. Call it a draw?" His spear began to emit mist, wafts curling from the head.
Saber was more angered by this question, something Lancer evidently wanted. "I think not. You will meet your end here."
"My objective here was to gather information. I never planned to hang around until if anyone's Servant showed up." Lancer grinned. His spear began glowing, a bright scarlet light coming forth. With a burst, the tip of the spear poured more mist, a whistling sound as well. Saber prepared herself for whatever Lancer was up to.
Shouting, "But now, I'll have your heart!" Lancer leaped, pointing the spear and stabbing down at Saber. She dodged to the side, and Lancer landed. He turned halfway, twirling the spear as he did so, yelling, "Gáe Bolg!"
The tip of the spear emitted a brighter red light, and seemed to extend rather than be stabbed toward the warrior. With a clash and a flash of light, it struck Saber in the chest. Lancer grinned, sensing victory. Saber was shocked, and Shirou gasped.
The deed done, Saber fell to one knee, clutching at her wound. "A curse? No... Was that a cause-effect reversal?"
Impressed, Lancer said, "So, you dodged the death blow of my Gáe Bolg..."
Saber was shocked at the name. "Gáe Bolg? Are you then Ireland's Son of Light?" She muttered the effects of the spear's abilities, then asked, "That is the cursed spear wielded by the Hound of Culann..."
"Damn it. I always put myself at risk using that. If the person survives... I swear, I hate being too famous sometimes." He shrugged, then turned to depart. "Servants are supposed to fight to the death if their true identity is discovered, but unfortunately... My Master is a coward. I am to return to him if my attack failed."
Angered, Saber yelled, "You're running away!?" Lancer replied, "Feel free to follow me. But if you do, you'd better be ready to die!" He took off into the night.
Saber ran after for a few steps, then stopped, Shirou went after her. She turned towards him, still holding the wound on her chest. They talked, but it was too low for Michael to hear by that point, though he remembered the general conversation.
Shirou appeared more confused then ever, and Saber's face was a mask. His face grew more confused the more Saber talked. Shirou suddenly grasped his arm, his face contorting in pain, and Saber turned to face where Michael guessed Tohsaka and Archer were. They exchanged a few more words, then she leapt into the air. Shirou went after her.
Michael spoke for the first time. "Go! Stop her from killing or injuring them!"
Assassin broke away, leaping between the buildings. He jumped out off the wall, drawing his eagle-hilt sword as he did.
Michael sprinted off on his own, keeping to the shadows and making his way towards Tohsaka. Michael reached Tohsaka at about the same time that Assassin leaped off the roof.
Saber and Archer exchanged blows. It was fierce, more so than her battle with Lancer had been.
"Archer! Disa-" She began to yell a command spell. Michael cut her off, approaching from behind.
"That won't be necessary, Tohsaka Rin," Michael calmly stated. He had apparently caught her off-guard; she jumped slightly and turned, raising an arm to strike him. He caught it.
At nearly the same moment, Saber went in for the killing blow. Her sword met resistance, however, as Assassin parried the blow meant for Archer, saying, "Merda, you're strong, m'lady! You've only just met, and you're already trying to kill him?"
Shirou caught up, exclaiming, "Stop it, Saber!"
Saber turned to Shirou, surprise evident on her face. "We have not one, but two Servants here, as well as their masters! We must kill them while we have the chance!"
Shirou's voice was raised, angry and confused. "You keep going on about Masters, Servants, and whatever, but I don't understand any of it at all! I still don't know who or what you are, but if you explain it to me, I'll hear you out, so stop this!"
"And what might 'this' be?" Saber asked calmly. Shirou was surprised by her reaction. "I will not obey these commands. Enemies are to be slain!"
"Women shouldn't be waving weapons around trying to kill people! That goes double for wounded ones!" Saber was a bit more surprised by that comment.
Meanwhile, Tohsaka had begun arguing with Michael. "Who are you!?" Visibly composing herself, she said, "If you're a Master, why didn't you kill me? You clearly had the chance to." She crossed her arms.
Michael shrugged, pulling his hood down as he did so. "I'd rather not see you or Shirou die. Figured it'd be better if I stopped you from wasting a command spell. With my Servant right there, there was no need for you to use it."
Tohsaka thought about that for a moment. Her eyes widened a bit when he removed his hood; she recognized him, and he was glad for that. She didn't reply though, just stood there, her arms crossed, glaring at him. Michael shrugged again and looked towards the servants.
Saber stood in front of Shirou, arguing with him, sword raised. Archer had his swords out, also at the ready. Assassin had his sword and dagger out, though he hadn't assumed a combat stance; Michael had explained his plan, and he trusted Michael to pull through.
Michael looked at Tohsaka. "He obviously has no clue what's going on. Would you like to explain, or shall I?"
She made a "Hmph" sound (Michael thought he heard her say something like, "I'll deal with you later," but he wasn't sure), then turned toward Shirou and Saber.
"So, are you going to lower your sword?" Tohsaka asked. Saber narrowed her eyes.
"My sword will never be lowered when there is an enemy standing before me." Archer grunted his agreement. Assassin yawned, leaning against the wall.
Tohsaka smiled. "So a Servant, a Saber at that, is saying she'll disobey her Master?" Archer turned to look at Tohsaka questioningly. Archer lowered his swords and stood upright, Saber doing likewise, noting Archer's reaction.
Tohsaka stepped towards Shirou. Michael stood where he was, arms crossed. Shirou's breath caught as he recognized both of them. "Hey, you're... Tohsaka? Michael?"
She smiled. "Good evening, Emiya." Michael nodded his greetings.
"What're you guys doing here?" Shirou asked.
Michael spoke. "We'll explain more later. I say we have everyone calm down a little more first." He pointedly looked at the three Servants as he said it, all of whom still had their weapons drawn.
Tohsaka looked at Archer and nodded. He frowned, but his blades disappeared. Assassin sheathed both of his, but Saber stood there, her weapon still grasped in both hands.
Ignoring her, Tohsaka walked forward to talk with Shirou. "Let's clean things up a bit, then we'll talk, okay?"
Archer and Assassin both went into their ethereal forms. Saber evidently could not.
The four of them walked onto Shirou's property, and Tohsaka headed towards the broken window. She picked up a piece of glass and the window was repaired in second. Michael set both of the shed's doors back on their hinges properly. Shirou gasped at both of these displays of magecraft.
"Well, I expect that you're at least capable of that, Emiya."
"That's amazing! I can't do anything like that!"
Michael feigned surprise. Tohsaka's disbelief was clearly shown. "Are you kidding? That's the basics of the basics, no matter what you study."
Shirou looked a bit sheepish at that. "I was only taught by my dad, so I don't know the fundamentals or the basics."
Tohsaka frowned at this. "So you don't know how to manipulate the five elements or create a path?" Shirou confirmed it. "So you're a complete novice?"
Shirou spread his arms in a sort of placating gesture. "Well, I can do reinforcement spells."
"That's some strange magic you use... So you can't do anything else at all?" Again, Shirou apologized.
She crossed her arms. "How could a guy like you manage to summon a Saber?" Tohsaka muttered. "I'm guessing you have no idea what kind of mess you're in, do you?"
"Mess?" Shirou asked.
Tohsaka frowned, her voice soft and pitying. "You've been dragged into a War, a battle royale between seven Masters called the Holy Grail Wars."
Shirou looked confused. "Holy Grail Wars? Battle royale?" He sounded a bit apprehensive at the last sentence.
Tohsaka raised her hand. "You've been selected as a Master, Emiya. You have a stigma on one of your hands, right? Those are your Command Seals. They mark you as a Master."
Shirou raised his left hand to stare at it. Michael broke in. "Every few decades, seven Masters are chosen. Each Master summons a Servant, and together, battles to win the Holy Grail are fought." He raised his left hand, showing Shirou the back of it. "I was chosen to be a Master. I imagine Tohsaka has as well."
Tohsaka nodded, and continued. "As long as you have your Command Seals, your Servant will continue to obey you. They give you the right of absolute authority over them. The Seals are what bends them to your will... Even if it's something that goes against the Servant's desires."
"But remember," Michael said. He held up his hand, three fingers extended. "You lose a Seal every time you make a command, so make sure you don't use more than 2." Tohsaka nodded her agreement.
Shirou was more confused the more they spoke. "Hey, hang on! What are you two talking about!?"
Tohsaka ignored him and walked over to Saber. Saber gave her a wary look. "It looks like you're still incomplete too. It must be because you've been summoned by an apprentice magus who has no idea what's expected of him as a Master."
Saber nodded the affirmative. "Yes. Shirou doesn't have enough magical power to materialize me. This makes both returning to my spirit form and recovering magical force problematic."
Tohsaka closed her eyes and sighed. "If I were your Master, it'd be simple for you to do either..."
"What, are you saying I'm not fit to be her Master?" Shirou asked.
Tohsaka have him a look. "That's exactly what I'm saying, you idiot!" Shirou looked taken aback by the comment. She continued. "Well, let's get going then."
"Go? Go where?" Shirou asked.
"To see the person who oversees this battle," she replied, walking out the door.
The group made it's way across town to the Church. The three made light conversation, mostly walking in silence. Saber walked behind, not saying a word.
Michael eyed the overcoat Shirou had given to Saber. "Dude, you're going to make her wear that? That's so not cool, man." Tohsaka stifled a laugh.
Shirou frowned. "Don't look at me! She's the one who refused to take off her armor." The four of them walked across town in the moonlight, crossing over the main bridge.
As they walked up the hill, Shirou asked, "The 'overseer' lives here?"
Tohsaka nodded. "The Kotomine Church."
Michael stayed outside, along with Saber; Saber had voiced her intentions of not going inside, and Michael had never liked Kotomine. After a few minutes, raised voices being heard, Tohsaka came out, obviously flustered, and Shirou being bothered as well.
"What was that all about?" Assassin asked, nearby in his ethereal form.
Michael replied quietly, hoping no one would hear him. "I'd tell you, but it'd spoil things." Assassin glared at him. "Don't blame me, you're the one who wanted to be kept in the dark, remember?" Michael laughed a bit. Saber glanced at him. Michael was unnerved; her eyes were shooting daggers at him.
"She's a foot shorter than me, and I'm terrified of getting on her bad side," he thought. "If I were reading a story like this, I'd be laughing hysterically."
The group began making their way back to the other side of town. Shirou was quiet, as were Michael and Tohsaka. The three stopped at an intersection, about to part ways.
"Well, I've fulfilled my obligation to you, Shirou," Tohsaka said.
"You're a good person, both of you," he replied. Michael nodded.
Tohsaka smiled. "Flattery won't make me go easy on you."
Saber suddenly turned around, yelling, "Shirou!"; the moment Michael had been dreading had arrived.
Up ahead, two figures stood in the middle of the misty street. One was short, about the height of a middle school girl. She was giggling, a horrifying sound to Michael. The other was a towering monstrosity, thickly muscled and brandishing a gigantic axe-sword. If Saber has unnerved Michael, Berserker made him shake in his boots.
"Good evening, mister. This is the second time we've met, isn't it?" the girl said.
Tohsaka grimaced. "This is bad. That Servant is way too strong for us!"
Ilyasviel curtsied. "How do you do, Rin. I'm Ilya. Ilyasviel von Einzbern. I assume you've heard of me?" Tohsaka perked up a bit at that, muttering the name questioningly.
Ilyasviel went on, smiling. "I suppose there's no point in any introductions. After all, you'll all soon be dead anyway."
The way she said it, so nonchalantly, set Michael's nerves on edge. Shirou gasped.
Saber immediately went on edge. Archer came into view, a bow appearing in his hands. Assassin materialized as well and disappeared into the shadows. Tohsaka glared at Michael, "Thanks for the help." Her voice sounded murderous. Michael shrugged unapologetically. "He's an Assassin, what do you want me to do?"
Ilya giggled. "Okay, I'm going to kill you now! Go get them, Berserker!"
The figure behind her launched into motion. He roared, a low growl escaping his throat. Saber threw herself forward in response, sword at the ready. Archer began drawing and firing arrows, providing cover fire. They didn't seem to effect Berserker.
Saber charged forth, blocked one of Berserker's wild swings. She dodged back and forth, trying to get a hit in. Archer continued firing arrows; if anything, he seemed to be having less of an effect than Saber was.
Shirou yelled Saber's name. Tohsaka was in disbelief. "He's swinging around that enormous sword like it's a toy!"
Berserker and Saber clashed again, Saber ultimately being pushed back. Berserker immediately launched himself forwards again; there was no technique or finesse in his movements, not that he needed any. This was a pure, brutal assault.
"We need to find some weakness of his. Tohsaka, do you have any ideas in mind?" Michael asked.
"No, I'm not if we can do anything against a Servant like that!" Her voice was shaking.
Ilyasviel laughed. "Rin's right. There isn't. My Servant is the most powerful of them all! He's Heracles!"
Berserker and Saber locked weapons again, Saber losing the conflict and being thrown back, past the three Masters. Archer appeared, grabbed Tohsaka by the waist, and carried her off. Michael tackled Shirou to the side, narrowing being missed by Berserker's mad charge at Saber.
Shirou got to his feet and attempted to run towards Saber. Michael grabbed him by the arm. "Yeah, I wouldn't do that. Do you want to get killed?" Shirou pulled out of his grip and yelled her name again.
As Berserker passed under a tree, a figure detached itself from the shadows and leapt down at him. Dark red-black light, the color of blood, flashed, illuminating the area briefly.
When the combatants and Masters looked, Assassin was perched on Berserker's shoulders, his hidden blades lodged in either side of Berserker's neck. Berserker roared. It had seemed to have no effect, but Ilyasviel gasped.
"You... You took one of his lives?" Her face became a visage of rage and anger. She screamed, "BERSERKER! Kill them!"
Berserker howled again. Assassin attempted to steady himself, but fell over due to Berserker's wild movements. Before anyone could react, Berserker had turned quickly and smashed Assassin in the chest with his axe-sword. Assassin went flying away into the graveyard. Michael cursed.
Meanwhile, Archer had continued firing arrows at Berserker. Saber had charged again, and seemed to be leading him into the graveyard. Her tactics were incredible to Michael, though Shirou was freaking out. She stayed one step ahead, nimbly making her way through the grave markers and attacking Berserker when she could. Due to his large size, Berserker had to smash through the gravestones before he could reach Saber - giving her a small advantage.
Tohsaka had made her way down to stand near Michael and Shirou, and the three of them made their way into the graveyard as well. Just then, Tohsaka stiffened, muttering "What?"
Berserker, meanwhile, had caught up to Saber and finally got a hit in. Saber went flying, smashing through several gravestones and coming to a rest against a pillar. She tried to get up, managing to take a knee and lean on her sword. Blood flowed from a wound in her head, and others elsewhere. Berserker stalked towards her, the kill at hand.
"Saber! No!" Shirou screamed as Berserker raised his axe-sword. The weapon came down - and smashed into Shirou's side as he pushed Saber out of the way.
Shocked expressions and exclamations came from all those in the vicinity. Shirou collapsed, blood gushing out of the wound in his side.
Ilya frowned, waving a hand. "This is boring. Time to g-" She was interrupted as a whistling sound came forth, rushing from the south. Berserker grunted, then leaped away.
Realizing what it was, Michael yelled, "Saber! Protect Shirou!" then tackled Tohsaka to the ground, covering her. With a cry of "Chikyū no Kabe!" a mound of earth, similar to an igloo, covered them and hardened. Michael heard a muffled explosion some yards away. When he let go of his control, the earth fell away., revealing the devastation.
An immense explosion had showered the area with earth, stone, and flames. Michael stood up, pulling Tohsaka to her feet as well. She glared at him and mumbled something resembling a thank you. A few feet away, Saber staggered to her feet as well, before collapsing. Shirou lay in a pool of blood at her feet, a massive wound in his side. Assassin was still nowhere to be found.
Ilyasviel made an annoyed sound. "This is boring. Come on Berserker. We're going home." Berserker grunted and lifted her to his shoulder, and walked off into the flames. She looked back as they departed. "Just so we're clear: next time we meet, I'm going to kill you."
Michael and Tohsaka shared a look. "What the hell was that?" Michael yelled.
"I don't know," she said. They looked around. The graveyard was utterly decimated. Shirou and Saber were both unconscious. Archer appeared, striding towards them out of the flames. Tohsaka began yelling at him.
Michael began searching for Assassin. He found him on the other side of the graveyard, still stunned and unconscious from Berserker's blow. His armor had protected him, luckily, though he'd be out of commission for a while, one or two days at the very least. Michael woke him, and dismissed him into his ethereal form, after casting some healing spells. He'd heal faster that way.
Michael made his way back to the others. He looked at Archer and Tohsaka. Archer was standing a few feet away, while Tohsaka was kneeling besides Shirou and Saber.
Saber hadn't let Tohsaka touch Shirou at all. Tohsaka was currently arguing with her. Michael broke into the argument. "Saber, if Tohsaka or I had wanted Shirou dead, trust me, we would've done so by now. For his sake, let her heal him before he bleeds out."
He looked closer at her as well. "In fact, you could probably use some healing yourself. That wound from Lancer's Gáe Bolg probably isn't healed fully, and those other wounds don't look so good either."
She refused to let either of them tend to her, but reluctantly let them heal Shirou. Afterwards, Michael and Tohsaka discussed where to go from there. Michael's house was closest, but Saber refused to go anywhere other than Shirou's own home.
Archer hadn't liked the idea of help. "We should just leave, Rin. The more who die, the less we have to fight."
Michael had laughed at that. "My, you're an idiot. Three Servants fighting together, and you all barely survived." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm guessing you either have a trick up your barely ruffled sleeves, else you wouldn't be so confident you could solo that monster."
Archer had ignored him. Tohsaka had angrily hit both of them, then begun walking towards Shirou's home, supporting Saber. Michael carried Shirou.
Shirou woke up the next morning. Gasping for air, he sat upright, then grimaced in pain and clutched his side. He pulled back the covers, then yelped in surprise; his entire torso was covered in bandages.
He stood, pain arcing up his spine. He grabbed a shirt and went through his morning routine. When he washed out his mouth, he spied something disturbing "What's this blood?"
A few minutes later, he walked to the main room of the house, wondering, "What happened last night?" He opened the door, then jumped in surprise.
Michael and Tohsaka were there, Michael washing some dishes and Tohsaka sitting at the table, drinking tea. Tohsaka was the first to speak.
"Good morning, Emiya. We let ourselves in."
Shirou struggled for words. "Wha... What are you two doing here?"
Tohsaka continued. "You know, you don't have any decent tea in this place. If you're going to use tea bags, at least keep the triangular kind on hand."
Michael turned around, finished. He dried his hands off, then buckled on the strange bracers he always wore. He chuckled when he heard Tohsaka, then poured himself some tea, sitting down at the head of the table.
"Jeez Tohsaka. The poor guys almost died last night, and your first words are about the quality of his tea?" She ignored him.
Shirou sat as well. "T-Tohsaka... Michael... What are you..." She interrupted him.
"Stop right there!" She closed her eyes and held a hand up. "Don't you think you should thank us first for carrying you home?" She smiled. Michael rolled his eyes.
"Carrying me home...?" Shirou thought about it for a moment, confusion plain on his face. He first lifted up his shirt, looking at the bandages, then scratched his head for a moment. Sudden realization overtook him. "I remember! That huge monster, he... How am I still alive?"
Tohsaka took a sip of tea, and Michael replied, "It was weird, you started healing on your own after." He shrugged.
"What do you mean, 'on my own'?" Shirou asked.
Michael looked at Tohsaka. She nodded. "From what we've seen, Saber seems to have a natural regeneration ability. It's possible you're tapping into that somehow." Shirou looked at his palms, and she continued, resting her cheek on her hand. "It's essentially impossible for a Servant to supply her Master with magical power..."
Michael chuckled, and finished the thought. "But then, you are an impossible Master."
Shirou looked hurt. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Tohsaka closed her eyes. "It's unheard of for a Master to try and save a Servant. And besides, if you die, Saber will disappear as well."
All three were quiet for a moment. Michael fiddled with a clasp on his bracer. Tohsaka idly dipped a tea bag in her cup, and Shirou stared down at his lap.
"Emiya, what do you plan to do now?" Tohsaka asked.
He seemed surprised by the question. "I'm not going to fight. I just don't want to see a repeat of what happened ten years ago. I'm not interested in this 'Holy Grail." Both Tohsaka and Michael looked at him.
Tohsaka sighed. "I knew you were going to say that. Look, Saber will kill you if she hears you talking like that."
"She will?" He sounded surprised.
Michael nodded. "What do you think the Servants answer our summons for? They have their own reasons to answer the summons and fight in these Wars. Whoever wins the Grail gets their wish granted. That includes Servants." He took a sip of tea. "It's not a free bargain for us. They want it as well."
"That's why Saber is doing this? Because she wants the Grail?" Shirou asked. He clutched his head in his hands, then growled and slammed his fists on the table. "But she's just as human as I am! Last night, she was bleeding too!"
Tohsaka shook her head. "Servants aren't alive. If they 'die,' they just go back to where they came from." Michael kept silent; he had his own views on the subject at hand.
Shirou grew more and more angry. "That doesn't make it okay for them to go around killing each other!"
Tohsaka raised her voice as well. "If you leave the other Masters to run around unchecked, innocent people are going to die!"
No response forthcoming, she continued, her voice softer. "Servants use magical power, prana, as fuel. The more they have, the more they can unleash the power they had when they were alive."
"What do you mean?" he asked?
She gave him a deadly serious look. "They're spiritual entities, so they gain sustenance from eating souls." Shirou gasped. "What I'm saying is some Masters will force their Servants to attack people and eat their souls to strengthen their power."
Shirou gasped. His brow furrowed, he said, "Wha...? Servants eat people!?
"No... You're wrong... Saber would never do that!"
Michael stood and refilled the teapot. He asked, "So what're you going to do? Sit back and watch, no matter what the other Masters do?"
"If they try something, I'll have to stop them."
Tohsaka said, "You won't defeat another Master on your own initiative, but you'll do something after they've already done something bad?" She smiled sadly. "You're contradicting yourself."
Michael sit down. "You can't have your cake and eat it too."
Shirou grimaced. "I know, but I can't think of any other way to do this."
Tohsaka sighed. "There's just one problem with that. Mind if I tell you?"
"Like what?"
She raised her cup to her mouth. "The Master from last night is definitely going to come kill us." She took a small sip, then said, "That little girl's Servant is in an entirely different league."
Michael broke in. "If we just sit here and wait... Well, I don't intend to die, I'll leave it at that." He took a sip of his own tea. "She said he's Heracles... Well, obviously, she's toying with us. She doesn't think we can defeat him."
Tohsaka nodded. "Letting your opponent know your hero's true identity exposes their vulnerabilities."
"Too bad Heracles has little to none..." Michael muttered.
"Hang on! I wonder what Saber's true identity is?" Shirou asked.
Tohsaka shook her head. "It's probably best for you to not know. You might be the type to reveal it to outsiders."
"'Outsiders'? You mean like you two?"
She looked at Michael. "I don't recall joining his family. Do you?" He shook his head. Shirou grimaced.
The three of them walked towards the main entrance. Both Tohsaka and Michael put on their shoes.
"You didn't need to see us out, Shirou," Michael said as he laced his shoes.
Shirou bowed. "I forgot to thank you both for what you did. You know, carrying me home. Thank you." Tohsaka smiled. Michael nodded.
Michael slid open the door and stepped through. Tohsaka followed. She turned back before she stepped all the way out.
"From now on, it'll be easier for you if you don't think of us as human beings." she said. With that, Michael slid the door shut and they both left Shirou's home.
They walked up the street. Michael looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She didn't seem to show any emotion. Like what happened last night hadn't happened at all.
They came to a crossing. Sakura crossed ahead, and smiled when she saw them. Tohsaka smiled as well.
"Good morning, Sakura!" Tohsaka greeted her. Michael nodded politely and greeted her as well.
Sakura smiled and returned the greeting. "Good morning. What are you two doing at this hour?"
Tohsaka laughed, and walked closer. "I go to sleep at night and get out of bed in the morning, just like everyone else."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
A look seemed to cross between the two. Michael, even at a few feet away, sensed the tension in the look. He intervened, putting an arm around Tohsaka's shoulders. "We're just out for a walk, and met each other along the way by circumstance, is all." He smiled.
Tohsaka smiled. "That's right! A walk!" She turned away. "Well, see you later!" She pulled Michael away by the arm, and they continued walking, away from Sakura. Michael waved a farewell.
After a few minutes, they made it out of sight. Michael cleared his throat to break the silence. "Ahem... You can let go of my arm now. We're out of her sight."
Tohsaka jumped, startled out of wherever she was. "Oh... Sorry."
"I actually should've turned back there to get to my own home, so I guess I'll be seeing you around." Michael turned to leave for his own home. Pain suddenly flashed in his eyes, coming from his ear.
"Oh no you don't! You're coming with me." Tohsaka had grabbed him by the ear, twisted it, and continued walking. "You have some explaining to do. I told you I'd deal with you later."
"Ow! Ow, ow, ow! What is this about, it hurts!" He wasn't joking; she had a death grip on his ear. "Jeez, do you know how much pressure it takes to rip an ear off?" He grabbed her arm at the wrist, intending to rid himself of her grip.
To his surprise, he found himself on the ground with her foot instead on his chest with the wind knocked out of him, much to Assassin's evident amusement. Michael heard small chuckling from off to his left.
"Oh. Right. Forgot she knew martial arts," he thought.
"Like I said, you're coming with me." She sounded adamant, like she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. No surprise. When Tohsaka wanted something, she usually got it.
"But -"
"No 'buts,' Williams," she waggled her finger at him. "You may have spared my life, but I want answers."
Admitting defeat, Michael nodded, closing his eyes. "Alright, but uh... You might not want to stand like that with a skirt on. It's a bit revealing." He felt his cheeks growing red.
"Don't look, you idiot!" She kicked him in the side.
"Ow, ow! Alright!" He stood and threw his hands in the air. "I guess I can expect to either not go to school today, or show up late, hmm?" She didn't answer him, just continued walking ahead of him.
They walked uphill, into the nice part of town. Michael looked around at all the buildings. He'd known she lived up here, but he'd never realized the neighborhood was this nice. It made his home seem really small and Poor in comparison.
After a long while of walking, they'd entered the grounds of her house. It was enormous, decorative, and looked somewhat antique. The only problem was the gigantic hole in a room on the top floor; Michael assumed that was where Archer had crashed When she'd summoned him.
He glanced around. "Beautiful place you've got here. Much bigger than my place." He knelt and examined some flowers.
Tohsaka didn't answer. She kept walking. Michael shrugged and followed. "Awfully cheerful woman, isn't she, Assassin?"
"They usually are, my young friend," Assassin shrugged, still in his ethereal form. "Women are an odd species."
They entered her home. The entryway was gigantic. A chandelier hung suspended from the ceiling above. She still hadn't said anything. They next walked into what appeared to be her living room.
Archer was already there, tending to a fire in the fireplace. A tea set was on the low table in the center of the room, between three seats. The place was remarkably European in style and appearance.
Archer wasn't wearing his battle attire, so Michael figured that was good. She probably didn't intend to fight him.
Probably.
Archer stood and turned around, staring at Michael. He wore black pants and shoes, as well as a black button-up shirt, which was unbuttoned at the top. "Stylish," Michael thought.
"I assume you're terribly angry with me." Michael bowed. "You've taken a risk, I guess, if you trust an assassin enough to invite him into your home." He smiled apologetically.
Neither said anything. Archer eyed him distrustingly. Tohsaka studied him, like a lioness sizing up her prey.
Sighing, Michael asked, "Do you mind?" No response forthcoming, he raised his right arm in a fist, the way Assassin summoned assassins for backup. Assassin materialized behind him, clad in the casual clothes he liked.
"Cazzo, Michael. You're going to give the poor girl a heart attack." Assassin smacked him on the back of the head.
"Jeez dude, you want to do this now? In front of them, really?" Michael sighed. "Yeah, well, I figured both would be more at ease if they could, y'know, see you." He crossed his arms. "You're an Assassin, after all. Not seeing you is probably unnerving."
Both looked at Tohsaka and Archer. Archer had his eyes closed, drinking some tea. He was sitting on the couch. Tohsaka was sitting on a chair, her chin on her arm. She eyed both, clearly not amused. "Are you two done?"
Michael grew sullen. "He started it..." Assassin punched his arm. Michael hit him back.
"I swear, you and Emiya are the weirdest Masters I've ever heard of! He's a completely incapable magus, and you're the worst Master of Assassin I've ever met."
"Well, that's a bit rude, considering I could've easily killed you and Shirou both." Michael took a seat on the chair opposite her and crossed his legs. Assassin sat on the couch next to Archer. Both eyes the other out of the corner of their eyes, wary.
Tohsaka snorted. "I doubt that. You have no weapons, and I easily took you down earlier."
Assassin chuckled at that. "Really Michael? I thought I'd taught you better."
Michael gave him a look that shot daggers. "You caught me off guard earlier. As I recall, I was a bit blinded by the iron grip on my ear. As for the weapon..." He held up his left arm and flexed his wrist and forearm; the hidden blade sprung forth from it's sheath, audibly making the distinctive shing sound. "... I think I have that covered."
Archer opened his eyes at the sound. He seemed interested in the weapon. Tohsaka's face was a mask. Michael continued. "I've had multiple opportunities to kill both of you. I have not, for reasons of my own."
She voiced a simple question: "Why?"
"Like I said, I have my own reasons. You obviously don't trust me, so for now I'll keep those to myself." He yawned.
"For the time being, I think it best that you, Shirou, and I either avoid each other, or band together. Like I said last night, there's no way any of us can stand against Berserker on our own. As it is, neither you or I want Shirou to die; if you did, you wouldn't have gone through all the trouble you did last night. In fact, I'd prefer if no one actually did die, but I suppose that can't be helped in the end."
Tohsaka was a bit surprised by his last statement. "How do you know I saved Shirou last night?"
Michael shrugged. "I've been feeling the presence of other Masters at school for a while. I'd stayed behind to hope to catch a glimpse of them. We followed you to see what you'd do, that's all."
The group grew quiet. Archer and Assassin had leaned back in their seats, eyeing each other. Tohsaka watched Assassin, studying him.
He glanced at her and smirked. "Excuse me, Miss Tohsaka, but in this day and age, I believe it's remarkably rude to stare."
She didn't look away. "You don't look like how Assassins are supposed to."
Michael nodded. "He's not a normal Assassin, trust me. He's stubborn, he's anything but quiet, and he's quite honorable. I think he'd be a better Saber Servant, but he'd lose his signature abilities."
Tohsaka looked at him, and Assassin gave him a death stare of his own. Michael stuck his tongue out at him in response. "Don't worry, I'm not going to reveal his identity. I don't trust you that much, at least for now."
The silence stretched on for a few more moments. Michael set his tea on the table, then spoke up again. "If there's nothing else, may I go? I need to get ready for school as well."
"Why are you doing things like this?" She gave him a look. He couldn't tell what she meant or what she was thinking.
"What do you mean? Why have I done what?"
"Everything. I want to know why." She tilted her head. "Any other Master, aside from Shirou, would've killed me, or him. You had the chance. You've had multiple chances. Neither you, nor he, make any sense at all."
Michael sighed. He wanted to tell her; if anyone could understand or would believe him, it'd be someone who's family was so closely intertwined with Zelretch.
"I can't tell you why, at least not now. You wouldn't believe me." He took a few steps towards the entryway, and looked back. "The only thing I'll tell you for now is that everything I've done has been because of our creed."
"Creed? What creed? I don't understand." She sounded confused. Archer perked up a bit at the word 'creed.' Michael figured that; doing what he did, he might've had some knowledge of the Assassins.
Michael Waved a hand in farewell. "The Assassins' creed." And with that, he left her staring at him as he walked out the door.
Michael entered his home. He was glad he didn't have practice this morning. As it was, he'd be late if he didn't move fast. Sighing, he went off to start his day, starting with a quick cup of coffee. He ended up having to use Reinforcement to make it to school on time, and even then he was a few minutes late.
Michael sighed. He wasn't wrong with what he'd told Assassin last night. Things were about to get a hell of a lot more interesting.
Hey everyone, welcome the this week's installment of Fate/Creed! Have you guys been enjoying it so far?
A great deal of my inspiration for some things in this story has come from William Shakespeare. If it fits the overall theme of the chapter, they'll usually start off with a quote from a Shakespearean play. This week's chapter is one from the play Henry IV.
So, our enigmatic protagonist has finally started the event he's been preparing the last year or two for. Having met both of our other protagonists, Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya, Michael's got a lot on his hands now.
This week's Author's Note will explain a few things. First off, the series of events have been changed already by Michael's and Assassin's presences. The events from here on will be a mix of all three routes showcased in the original Fate/stay night visual novel. How far these events will be changed remains to be seen.
Secondly, Berserker's loves will heal over time, so the next time our group faces him and Ilyasviel, he'll have all 12 of his lives - and be immune to Assassin's tricks as well, though they won't know that! How will they deal with the raging monster that is Heracles, the greatest hero of all?
As for Assassin's ability itself, when used from Presence Concealment, the hidden blades get a huge bonus to the first attack, essentially making the attack an instant kill. The trick is that he has to stay hidden, and time it perfectly - making someone like Saber a target is a great tactic when he's fighting someone and intending to use this ability.
On a different subject: sub-plots. I have a ton worked out that I could weave into the story, and if you keep an eye out, you might be able to spot the beginnings of those threads in this chapter or the preceding ones! To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if I will include all of them. One that I can say is definitelygoing to happen is the Shirou's and Saber's relationship, among others. The way the sub-plots will be done primarily is sprinkled sparsely throughout the action, with bigger parts happening during lulls in said action.
What do you guys think of everything that's happened so far? I've enjoyed getting this entire idea out of my head and put together, though it couldn't have been done with the help of some friends.
Next week, we'll see the group come together officially, and our enigmatic assassins will return to dealing with the Templars, as well as the introduction of more Servants and sub-plots! Feel free to speculate in your reviews and comments!
How will Michael deal with everything that will be coming their way? What is Michael's overall plan? How do the Templars factor in to the Holy Grail War, and will they force Michael and Assassin to reveal things that they'd rather not To the others? And what is with Shirou's stubbornness and Archer's over-hostility? Keep an eye out for next week's chapter to find out!