DAY 3 - PRIDE AND DUTY

If last night was bad, that one is much worse. My dreams are filled with shadows casting death spells, Archer killing me, Saber turning on me... All mixed up in a confusing haze, with a constant pain as a nice addition.

Although it's mostly gone when I wake up, I still feel tired and anxious. Could this place reject me?

The bright sun blinds me mercilessly. Oh damn, I overslept!

I stand up, ignoring my body's internal screams. I head to the living room as fast as I can, making my way through the silent house. Saber is sitting at the table, alone. Her eyes open and look at me with a disturbing intensity.

"Good morning, Ben."

"Uh, hi."

I'm craving for breakfast but I feel like we should talk first after last night's events. I sit down in front of her and lazily lay a hand on my cheek.

"Did Rin leave already?"

"Indeed. I believe it is around nine o'clock now."

I bow my head. "Damn. I'm sorry for oversleeping."

She softens up and shakes her head.

"You needed rest after consuming so much energy yesterday. We all understand. How are you feeling?"

"I'm... well, tired, though all that remains from the pain is a headache. I'll be better after breakfast. Do you want anything?"

I stand back while she answers.

"I have already had it with Rin."

She stays silent while I prepare myself some eggs, but her stare doesn't leave me even after I sit back down and start eating. Soon I can't stand this awkward silence anymore and speak up.

"What's up? You're very calm this morning."

That takes her off guard.

"What is that supposed to mean? I do not believe I am being calmer than usual."

This reaction is more like her. However, the face she makes right after makes my heart skip a beat.

"Do you realize how close to dying you were last night?"

Her downcast, small voice is much worse than any sermon.

"I... You are right, I was stupid. You warned me against spellcasters, yet I rushed to the most powerful one."

Her expression turns back to normal in an instant.

"Good. Now that it is clear, I can request that you listen to me and no one else, including yourself, during battles."

Wait a minute...

"Hey!"

She tilts her head. "Yes, Ben?"

"You just tricked me into apologizing myself, didn't you?"

She makes a perfect poker face.

"I do not see what you are talking about. In any case, it is good that you regret your awful choices."

I swear, this girl is way less innocent than I thought. I start grumbling.

"I didn't go that far in my apology. I messed up, but I still have a word to say on the incoming battles."

She glares at me suspiciously.

"Normally I would agree, but I have a feeling that the more I allow you to think, the more you will keep playing with your life."

I pinch the bridge of my noise to wake my brain up and justify myself as well as I can.

"It's just that I felt useless in the school fight, and I thought I could at least defeat Caster's shadow. I wanted... to show you that I was useful."

There's a silence after that. Then she stands up, walks around the table, raises a hand and...

"Ow! What was that for?"

"I did not have a shinai at hand, but needed to get a point across."

She puts her hands on her hips and takes a deep breath before talking with a severe and strong voice.

"You saved Rin and yourself with that spell on the roof! Archer mocked it and I defended you, because it was the best call to make! You are a talented Magus and your skills are among the most useful ones in a Holy Grail War!"

I look at her in disbelief.

"But-"

"Don't you get it? You were more useful in that fight than the one after! If Caster's spell had activated faster, you would have died, and I would have disappeared cursing your foolishness."

I stand up slowly and face her. Some of what she said was heartwarming, but I still feel a childish anger in me.

"What was your plan then? Obliterating that dragon with your powers and revealing them to the enemy?"

Her eyes narrow but she doesn't lower her voice.

"I would have found an opportunity to escape it with you to chase her down. You did not even wait a minute before leaving the room!"

"Fine, I rushed! Do you want me to stay behind a boundary field during all the fights? Hell, I could even hide under my blankets here, at least I wouldn't be cold! That would be much more practical for you!"

She looks at me in shock. I went too far with this and I know it.

"Of... Of course I do not want that!"

She takes a deep breath, calms down and gets back at me.

"Master, you are too useful on a battlefield to waste everything on a bad call. I thought we had agreed on the fact that I should handle the Servants and you the Masters. Did I misunderstand?"

My head stops throbbing, and I think about her question. That's exactly what we decided. Who am I kidding with my defense? I look at the ground, feeling stupid.

"You didn't. I'm the one ruining this. I should focus on a more defensive role, or at least on the other Masters. I keep repeating mistakes, perhaps because I'm afraid of screwing up."

She doesn't hide her relief about me calming down. Her smile feels warmer than usual, for some reason.

"You are putting to much pressure on yourself. Leave more to me or you will explode from worrying about everything."

I can't help smiling back. She is sharp.

"That's pretty accurate. I'm definitely being over the top about all this. I forgot for a second that we were a team."

She extends her right hand.

"Master, let us win this war together, as we planned."

I shake it firmly. "Yes. Sorry."

A big silence falls on us while I do the dishes. That argument was our most violent one so far, and I'm really not proud of myself. It's true that I almost died yesterday.

When I'm done, Saber isn't in the living room anymore. I follow her presence and find her in the courtyard, staring at the sky.

"Saber?"

She turns to me with a neutral face, inviting me to speak my mind. I feel like bringing the same topic up would annoy both of us, though.

"I think I've decided what to do today."

"Good. Did yesterday give you some ideas?"

"Sort of. Wait here for a second..."

I turn back and head to our room. After a bit of shuffling around, I find what I was looking for and put it on.

"Is that a school uniform?"

I get back to her while buttoning it up.

"Yup. It's a bit small for me but I was able to get in it, at least."

I look kind of stupid because its previous owner must have been around ten centimeters shorter than me. Saber seems to find that funny.

"Does that mean we are going to infiltrate the school? I thought you would leave that place to Rin during the day."

"I want to have a look myself. Also, I am infiltrating it, not us."

Her smile drops. "I disagree. I shall not remain far from you after all that happened yesterday."

I sigh as we start walking back to the house.

"First, we would definitely stand out too much if we went together there. We look too foreign. I'm not even sure I can really pretend to be a student given my age."

My personal high school time was ten years ago, but fortunately I still look young. I raise my voice a bit to counter her incoming protest.

"Second, if the Master at school has his Servant with them, they will detect you immediately."

She thinks about it and questions me without getting mad, which is good.

"You do realize that two Masters know you, without even counting Rin? What will happen if you stumble upon Caster or the Servant from the temple's Masters?"

I show her my right hand.

"Would anyone be a threat, which is unlikely in a filled school, I'd immediately call for you with a Command Spell. I don't plan on fighting alone."

That makes her hesitate.

"Still... I get your idea and find it interesting, but after yesterday's events, I believe it to be a daring move. May I at least stay near the school?"

"I wasn't finished. I have another thing planned for you, Saber."

She's surprised. "What is it?"

I'm tempted to say "buying groceries" just to mess with her, but the risk isn't worth it.

"I want you to watch over the Matous' mansion for the morning. It's not the most entertaining job, but Rin was very evasive about it."

She furrows her brow in thought.

"It is true that she had an odd behavior back there... What makes you think I should watch over that place in particular?"

"Because they are still a family of Magi, even if Rin says that they lost their powers. As far as I know, one of them was involved in the last war."

She tilts her head. "I do not remember that, though I did not face all the Masters. Perhaps it was..."

A shadow crosses her face, but she quickly regains her composure and turns to me.

"I understand. If you promise me to use a Command Spell in case of danger, I will accept your plan."

Something in her stare tells me that this is my chance to earn back her trust. I feel grateful for that, as she could have refused the plan altogether.

"All right. Let's get going. I want to enter the school during the recess to avoid being noticed."

-.-.-.-

We both leave the house, and I close the boundary field.

"It's too bad though, I would've loved to see you in a school uniform."

She makes an unhappy expression, putting her hands on her hips.

"That is rather misplaced. Are you implying that such an outfit is unsuited for me?"

I scratch my head. "Eh, more like the opposite..."

"...?"

I whistle away in innocence, and she starts walking at my side while emitting a disapproving aura.

The day is warmer than yesterday, and walking at Saber's side always feels relaxing, even if we argued earlier. It's partly for those moments that I wanted to join this war, after all.

"Ben, for how long do you want our mission to go on?"

"Hmm... I will at least spend lunch break there, and check on the archery club. I'll pick you up on the way back. Can you wait for that long?"

She frowns. "I am a Servant. Watching over a place is a part of what I am supposed to do. What do you want me to look for, exactly?"

"Any weird people entering or leaving, any magical energy traces, or a Servant presence. Don't get too close to the house, and I'd rather not have you start a fight in the middle of the day. If you get attacked, though, eliminate the threat without mercy."

"Understood."

"If you feel like you have been spotted, just leave and wait for me further on the road. All right?"

"Yes. By the way, Ben, I tried to avoid talking about your abilities yesterday night, but it is obvious than Rin has a better idea about how your seal works now. I could not hide everything from her."

I shrug. "It's okay, Archer probably noticed it during the fight against Berserker too, so it's not a big deal."

We reach the hill where the mansion stands.

"Good luck, Master. I will do my best to detect anything worthy of interest."

"Be safe. I'll pick you up in a few hours."

I leave her and take a parallel street. If my timing is correct, I should reach the school during recess. I feel much less safe now that I'm alone, but I know that I can summon Saber if things turn badly. I won't screw things up today.

I ponder while walking to the school. I have come to the conclusion that Shinji Matou goes there without his Servant during normal days. If he didn't, Archer would've detected Rider, and I think he wants to be stealthy in order to accomplish his plan.

If I face him, I'll be able to check if that theory is true. A good threat would push him to activate the boundary field early, or at least make a mistake. That strategy is dangerous, though, because he could have his Servant with him for once.

I look at my marked hand. I can instantly cast Saber so it's a risk worth taking if I have the opportunity to.

There are a lot of students on the grounds. I try to suppress my nervousness and enter via the main gate. Other than a few stares, I thankfully get nothing. I can't see anyone I know from here, thus I decide to enter the building. People chitchat around me, oblivious to my intrusion.

The one I should be worried about is a teacher, Kuzuki Souichirou, as known by me as Caster's Master. He's a trained killer and I wouldn't be able to face him alone. However, he's not a Magus so he shouldn't feel my presence. Let's just hope that Caster didn't give him a precise description of me, or that I won't cross his path. I doubt he would attack a student in daylight in any case.

Everything works, at least in my head. I go up the stairs that were destroyed half a day ago. They seem newer than the rest if you look closely enough, but there's no sign of any incident. I guess Kirei is good at his job. Since students are almost all outside given the nice weather, I don't encounter many of them and make my way to the roof.

I don't know why I went there. Maybe to remind myself of yesterday's mistakes, or to start from somewhere. I look at the spot where the boundary field key point is, then head to the border to have an overview of the surroundings.

The bell rings while I'm on my way. I watch the streams of students flowing back into the building and filling it with activity. It makes me nostalgic for a second, but I quickly gather my thoughts and start looking for any suspicious move.

I wonder how Saber is doing. At worst, she will stumble on Rider and I know she can defeat her, so I'm not that worried. There's also Matou Zouken, the ancient man-shaped monster that trained Sakura. I doubt he will be active, but I should keep him in check just in case, at least until Rider and her Masters are defeated.

After twenty minutes of nothing but cold wind, I decide to head back downstairs. Classes are being taught all around me, and it feels surreal to imagine anything dangerous happening. I make my way outside and walk to the archery club, following the walls instead of going straight to it.

As expected, there's no one there. The key point is still in place, near the entrance of the traditional house. Now that it's daytime, I can see the forest facing it clearly. A bad feeling runs down my spine. Being alone here is way scarier than going on patrol with other people. I suddenly realize how frail I am. What if Rider appears and decides to throw her dagger at me again? Would I live long enough to call Saber?

Damn, Ben, get a grip on yourself. I enter the archery range and sit down on a chair to calm myself down. I decide to pull it near the door and focus on my surroundings to prevent any surprise.

INTERLUDE - SABER

Saber does not favor scouting that much. She is a front line knight before all, and such an order makes her feel frustrated, even if she understands the reasons. She would rather have investigated the temple.

She shakes her head, disappointed in herself. After lecturing her Master that much, she is being the impatient one. Rin did act strangely the night before, for a reason she cannot begin to comprehend.

Saber did not feel any lie in their ally's words from yesterday. However, it sounded more like a half truth hiding something bigger. If this house is the property of one of the three great Magi families, it is definitely somewhere that one cannot overlook.

However, after an hour without sensing anything, she starts asking herself if she and Ben did not overthink things. There is still an ominous atmosphere around the place, but it feels more like a stagnant aura than something going on. She wants to explore it, but her Master told her to stay clear, which is probably the best decision. She would instantly feel if he was in danger, so for now she can safely assume that he is doing fine.

Two hours pass. To avoid curious stares, she sits on a bench under a big tree, in a very small park near the mansion, and tries to act naturally. She hears a creaking sound. It is coming from a bug, but isn't it the wrong season for those kinds?

The leaves rustle above her. It is only the wind, but she checks behind her just in case.

"Greetings, Servant."

A man she did not feel approaching at all is standing there. She quickly gets on her feet and take a step back, adopting a ready to strike stance. The man is very small and looks as old as the tree he is standing below. How could she let him sneak on her? The meaning is simple: either this person is completely harmless, or very dangerous.

"My, I did not want to surprise you. A bad habit of mine."

He laughs, his wooden cane shaking along his whole body. Everything about him feels... dry, even his voice. She tenses up and speaks sharply.

"Who are you?"

INTERLUDE OUT

A bell. Damn, I fell asleep! My bad night caught up with me.

I give myself a few claps on the cheeks. I'm still sitting on that chair near the door, and absolutely nothing happened, as far as I know. After drinking a glass of water, I feel a presence approaching.

I silently make my way to the entrance and extend a hand towards the slide door, ready to shoot if I need to.

Someone stops in front of it, and there's a heavy silence. The tense atmosphere stays up for ten solid seconds, and I decide that it's definitely abnormal. I open the slide door with one hand in order to cast a spell with the other one, but the thing behind it has the same idea. We face each other, ready to strike, and the enemy shouts something.

"Found you, you-!"

Black hair, angry blue eyes, two long twintails...

"Oh... It's just Rin."

I lower my hand, disappointed. She steps forward and pushes me inside violently.

"What the hell?!"

"What are you doing here?"

Her voice is hysterical. She closes the door before rushing at me again and starts punching my chest between each word she shoots.

"Scaring... me... like that... find that funny? Thought it would be a good joke?"

I take her hand and hold it away before this gets embarrassing. She doesn't reduce the volume of her voice.

"Answer me!"

"Damn, Rin, I told you I might investigate the school at some point, right?"

"You could've warned me! The last time I saw you, you were pretty much a walking dead body and now you sneak up on me?"

"I didn't intend to. Sorry."

It's a lost battle, so I should just apologize and move on. That works well with people like Rin or Saber, as I'm starting to understand. She huffs and calms down while I let go of her wrist.

"Hmph. Where is Saber? Should I be afraid of stumbling on her in the girls' bathroom?"

"Patrolling. I doubt she will face anything, but who knows?"

INTERLUDE - SABER

The man opens one curious black and white eye and points his finger at her.

"You ask me that when you have been watching over my house for the last two hours? If you have at least some manners, you should introduce yourself first."

She does not let her guard down. The mere fact that this man knows what she is makes him a threat.

"If you know that I am a Servant, you should also know why I cannot tell you my name."

He smiles.

"Such a fierce spirit. I haven't met someone like you in a long time."

She considers arming herself, but there are some passersby and she cannot feel any Servant nearby. She decides against it and trusts her instinct to avoid any potential attack.

"But tell me, how are the Einzberns doing? How is it this time?"

"I am not related to the Einzberns. What are you talking about?"

He raises an eyebrow.

"Oh? I figured you were. Weren't you their Servant in the last war?"

How can he know that? Of course she was their Servant, since Emiya Kiritsugu had been hired by them. She even met Berserker's Master when she was just an innocent child. Her mother was a sweet person.

She does not feel the need to talk about it with this man, though, and decides to answer him as vaguely as possible. Perhaps he holds some information she could use.

"I was, but I am not anymore."

"Hmm... I heard that man betrayed them. It's surprising that they let go of your artifact, but I guess they were too busy mourning."

"Did you take part in the last war?"

His creepy laugh echoes again.

"Surely not. I am too ancient for this kind of playing around. I merely followed the events and witnessed the failure of my own blood."

"Does that mean a Makiri took part in it?"

Since she was not stabbed in the back yet, she decides that it is safe to talk more. Her senses are still sharpened to the maximum.

"Kariya wasn't a part of our family anymore. He ran away and condemned us to remain without magic users. He came back for selfish reasons, and ended up losing the war."

He pauses. "Are you a Tohsaka ally, maybe? I know they have an heir."

His questions are becoming dangerous.

"I will say it again: I cannot tell you who I am the Servant of."

His smile is lifeless, as if that man has lived for far too long.

"Forgive an old man for his endless ramblings. I got caught up in a nostalgic wave."

"I am not buying that. You sound more like an enemy trying to gather information."

His cheerfulness does not waver.

"If I were an enemy, would I openly come to you like this?"

"It might be just a trap to lure me into safety. I cannot ignore someone that can tell I am a Servant."

"Oh, that's only from personal experience, and the fact you have been spying on a Magi house with hidden focus."

A silence falls on them, barely disturbed by the winter wind. Soon, the old man speaks again.

"Since you are so uptight, I shall voice it more clearly. My name is Matou Zouken, and this house is mine and the one of my grandchildren."

His smile drops. "Our family is not related to the Holy Grail War anymore because our bloodline died out. There are no more Magi. The last one died in the previous war when Lancelot was defeated."

"Lan... celot."

Her mind freezes. She killed Lancelot who had been summoned as Berserker. After a tragic fight, he questioned the ideal she stood for, and she was greatly shaken by it. For some reason, her reaction seems to content him.

"You certainly do not need to introduce yourself anymore. Your reaction confirms what I already thought, Saber."

She groans and takes a more aggressive stance. Any Magus would be terrified by such an aura, but Zouken does not react in any way.

"Enough. One more insinuation and I will consider you as an enemy I must defeat, Matou Zouken."

He answers in a calm tone.

"You would attack an old man that hasn't threatened you in any way and told you that his family wasn't related to the war anymore? Your honor must have fallen very low, knight."

"You..."

She glares at him. Of course it is not like her, but this man is definitely hiding something terrible. However, she promised she would attack only if threatened, and her oath defends her to do so because of what he just said. She calms down with some difficulty.

"May I ask you to leave us alone now? I do not fashion having Servants around my home. I want my grandchildren to be safe."

She hesitates before answering.

"I understand. I will leave you be, as you showed no intention of being a threat. However, if that were to change, regardless of when, I would not hesitate to take back these words."

He laughs yet again. "So be it. I trust you to respect that sentence."

It is time for her to leave. As her Master asked her, she will head between this place and the school and wait for him. She turns her back to Zouken and walks away. She hears a creaking sound again and cannot resist looking behind her.

The big tree moves along with the wind, but no one is standing below it.

INTERLUDE OUT

"Took you long enough!"

I spot her sitting against a wall below the water tank.

"Hey, you told me to wait before coming over."

Rin shrugs and throws a soda can at me, which I grab before approaching her. After the archery club encounter, she decided that it wasn't a safe place to chat in and told me to join her on the roof.

"Wait a moment! I don't want people to think I'm dating a weird-looking guy or something! I'll grab food!"

Her voice echoes in my head, along with my meaningless protests because of her jab. Now she's smiling, satisfied after messing with me.

It's a good place for a strategy meeting, indeed. No one comes here in this season, for good reasons. I shiver.

"Sit with me, dummy. You're in the wind."

I obediently sit down next to her. Our shoulders are almost in contact but she doesn't seem to care. She hands me a sandwich and I gratefully take it.

"Thank you. Sorry for surprising you earlier."

"You're lucky I hesitated because you would have been obliterated if I had thought less."

"I doubt that. I can defend myself."

I don't think we will ever stop teasing each other. I don't mind this kind of friendship, though. We eat in silence for a bit, and I think about Saber. I'm sure I would've felt it if she was fighting, but I'm still worried.

On a related note...

"What did Saber tell you when I went to sleep?"

She answers calmly.

"You fought Caster's shadow off and almost died in the process. That's about it."

I let out a forced laugh. "That pretty much sums it up."

She gives me a bewildered look.

"Hey, this is no laughing matter. Do you realize what position you put Saber in?"

"Uh?"

She looks at the ground with a difficult expression.

"She was in a terrible state yesterday night. She could've hidden it from me, since I'm you guys' future enemy, but she didn't even try to."

"Well, I surely noticed how angry she was this morning."

That surprises her. "Angry? That's what she looked like to you?"

I think back about it and it's obvious.

"Yeah, she even smacked the back of my head."

"Then she's good at hiding things. I guess she thought that yelling at you would have more impact."

"What do you mean?"

She makes a big sigh and speaks like an adult explaining how life works to a child.

"Ben, you fought with your Servant and almost died while she didn't take any damage. How do you think you would feel in her place?"

It takes me a while to find my words because the answer hurts.

"... I'd feel like having failed my mission."

She raises her finger and switches to lecture mode in an instant.

"Exactly. She regrets what happened. Of course she knows that it happened because you were extremely stupid, but that doesn't stop her for blaming herself."

She stops and looks away, a bit emotional.

"She was sad. Sad that you didn't trust her enough, sad that you destroyed your nerves in order to save yourself."

"I didn't destroy my nerves!"

After that half-assed defense, I recall our argument from this morning. Was the sad expression I took for a trick sincere? Did I just suppress her emotions to protect my own?

"I understand. I will apologize to her more properly."

"Don't."

"Rin?"

"Act, don't talk. Fight at her side and show her that you have faith in her. That's the only good thing you can do at this point."

"... You're right."

That is some damn good advice. After a pause, she turns to me again.

"More importantly, I want to know how you managed to do that to yourself."

"To do what?"

"Don't try to fool me. Your magic circuits were on fire when you came back. Well, more like an extinguished one. I never heard of any sane Magus doing that."

"It's..."

I hesitate. Should I reveal my trump card to her? Her stare intensifies and I have trouble holding it.

"If you don't tell me, I will immediately stop cooperating with you. I will let you go, but we'll be enemies as soon as you leave the school."

I flinch because of the unexpected words. She is completely serious about this.

"What? Why?"

She crosses her arms.

"I can't fight at the side of someone who self-destructs. Explain or leave."

Yup, dead serious. I stand up, and she looks up to me.

"Leaving?"

I take off my coat, slowly. Under it is a shirt without sleeves. She caught a glimpse of the crimson piece of cloth wrapped around my left shoulder on the very first night, but this time she can see it fully. She stands up too and closes in to me, her curious stare locked on it.

"What is this?"

"My magic crest."

Her eyes widen. "I've never seen one like this!"

Of course she hasn't. Fortunately I prepared an explanation for it before going to war.

"It's pretty much unique, as I was told. My family engraved their power in this, but it comes out with a price. You could call it a prana burst."

She's starting to figure things out, given her face.

"That can't be safe."

I shake my head.

"It's not. I don't want to brag, but I have enough prana to hold a normal fight or two without needing it. If I loosen it, my magic circuits gain additional power, and I'm able to cast faster, and better. It also boosts Saber, as I discovered against Berserker."

She ponders. "That's what Archer was talking about... We couldn't understand where that attack came from."

"I also discovered that it hurt like hell. I only loosened it a bit both times, and the pain was almost unbearable."

That's not a lie. I knew it would hurt, but it went beyond my expectations, and now I dread having to use it more. She makes an incredulous face.

"Rin...?"

"What kind of parents would put such a dangerous seal on their own children? I know Magi are crazy people, but this is going way too far... What if you removed it by accident?"

"Oh, that can't happen. I have to willingly do that, otherwise it would be too dangerous. Other people can do it too if they know what they're doing."

She asks the next obvious question in a small voice.

"... What would happen if you took it off?"

I smile at her. Given the latest tests, I can confirm what I already suspected.

"My body wouldn't take it, and I'd consume myself in a prana explosion. I would die, Rin. I guess that's a perfect weak spot to use."

She steps back in shock and starts speaking louder.

"Why would you tell me such a thing?!"

I raise an eyebrow.

"You asked, duh."

"A Magus revealing his weak spot is nonsense! I'm an opponent you will have to face someday. You telling me that as it's nothing is..."

"Well, you did threaten to end our alliance, and I didn't want that so I fell for it. Isn't it what you wanted?"

She's on the verge of panic now.

"T-To an extent! I didn't expect you to spill your guts like that! Do you even care about your life? What if I sneak up on you one day and remove this seal?"

I genuinely smile at her. "You wouldn't. Because you're a good person."

After these few days together, I can attest that Rin is far nicer than she'll ever admit to be. Her reaction is funny, as she gets more and more embarrassed.

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"I like you. It's not a confession, I just like the way you act as a Magus, and I'm glad I got to fight at your side."

I think I'm blushing too. Oh well. An awkward silence dawns on us.

"You're the worst..."

"Rin?"

She pulls out some jewels from her pocket. Here we are.

"These are my power."

I step closer and look at the gems. I can see around five of them, all of various colors and shapes, before she pockets them back.

"Jewels?"

"My family specializes in storing magical energy into objects. Jewels are the best for this kind of trick. Those all hold the power of an B-rank spell that I can cast instantly."

I play surprised and answer her.

"Oh! That's why Berserker's back was frozen, and what you tried on Saber!"

"Yes. The difference is that I used three jewels at once against Hercules, and that's probably the only reason I could hurt him."

"I was wondering how you could cast a spell that powerful so quickly... Guess that answers it. Saber had a close enough guess too. But why are you telling me this?"

She sulks. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Not really."

She looks away, bashful. Her blush hasn't vanished yet.

"You revealed your weak spot only to keep me as an ally. It would be plain unfair to not give you anything in return."

She's being so cute that I have to counter with mockery.

"You know, you could've just cooked dinner two evenings in a row."

"Hey!"

I laugh and look at the sky. Lunch break should be over soon. She takes a moment to regain her composure and speaks as if nothing happened.

"I'm going to head back before the bell rings. What are your plans, Ben?"

I shrug. "Nothing much. I'll probably check on the archery club once more and pick Saber up."

"Good. I'll see you tonight, then. I have some stuff to pick up at my place, so I'll be back late."

"Okay. Thanks for the food, and be safe."

She walks away after one last glare. I revealed my weak spot to her, and Archer to an extent. It was a risk I had to take in order to keep them as allies, but I should be even more careful now.

I don't want to face the herd of students going back to classes, so I leave the roof early too. I take the same path as before and reach the archery club once again. There is nothing different, as far as I can tell. I look at the key point for a bit then head to the door of the small house.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

The most annoying voice I've ever heard echoes behind me, coming from... the forest? I freeze, and slowly turn back.

I face Matou Shinji, unofficial Master of Rider, and the man responsible for the boundary field around the school. I take a deep breath. This is the one opportunity I was looking for.

"I was checking out the school since I just got here. Is this a club?"

He seems surprised for a second, but quickly turns back to his arrogant, nosy tone.

"Oh, a transfer student? This is the archery club, which I'm the captain of. If you're interested in joining, I will have my word to say."

Being nice to him is the hardest trial I've had to overcome so far.

"Archery? That sounds cool. I've always wanted to try it..."

I look at the house with pretended interest and he laughs.

"I see! I can show you around if you want to. It's not really allowed at these hours but I can make an exception."

My smile costs me a lot. Rider should recognize me, so the fact that I wasn't attacked yet means that she isn't with him. Hopefully.

"Thank you."

We enter the club, and I close the slide door behind us. Shinji turns to me.

"What's your name, new guy?"

I approach him and extend my right hand.

"Oh, where are my manners? Nice to meet you, my name is Yamato."

He starts extending his own too but stops as he sees the katana appearing in mine. I pull the blade out in an instant, take a step forward and place it against his throat.

"What the...?!"

I speak fast, in a low and threatening voice.

"If you yell, you die, if you call for your Servant, you die. If you move a single muscle save for your filthy mouth, you die. Understood?"

"Who are you!? Don't kill me!"

He's panicking. Perfect.

"I won't kill you if you cooperate, Matou Shinji. I know your family, and I know what you did to this school."

"It's just a safety measure! I don't want to fight monsters like you! I need to protect myself."

"By endangering innocents? You are not a Magus, you're just a roach. I should step on you to end your pathetic existence right now."

I can feel rage rising inside me. This man shouldn't be allowed to live, but killing him wouldn't grant me anything right now. I need Rider's head.

"I'm a Magus! I just don't want to take part in this war, I was forced! Please don't kill me!"

"Oh, I won't, if you listen to me. You have twenty-four hours to deactivate this boundary field. If you don't, I will find you and I will cut your precious little head off."

He groans. "You'll still kill me in the end, so what's the point in removing it?"

I give a small push on his throat, which makes him gulp.

"Well, I can kill you right now, it'll save me the trouble. What do you say?"

The school bell rings. He hesitates for a bit, but Yamato seems to boost his train of thought.

"All right, I'll remove it! It was just a safety measure, I wouldn't have activated it! Take out your blade, please..."

I do so, then turn to my left.

"Stay here and check on him. If he calls his Servant to follow me, kill him immediately."

Shinji believes that I have my own at my side in spirit form, so I take a necessary measure to avoid Rider slashing my neck as soon as I leave the club. It seems to work, since he looks at the spot I stared at and shakes in fear.

"I won't, I won't! Just let me go!"

"My Servant will stay here for ten minutes, and you don't want to piss them off. Don't move or talk, and you'll be free. I hope we don't meet again."

My job is done. I leave the house, ignoring his scared panting. I walk to the school gate and leave the grounds. For now nothing attacks me, so I guess my idea was good.

I let Shinji live for a couple of reasons. After that threat, there are a few possibilities.

He can try to kill me before tomorrow. I plan to openly patrol tonight so that he can send Rider on us, and it would be the best setup.

He can activate the boundary field early and try to trick us. It would be a bad call since it's far from completed, but it's a possibility.

He can actually deactivate it and give up, but that's nearly impossible given how arrogant he is.

We'll see how it goes, but in any case I have put him in an unstable state, which will make him take bad decisions. Then I'll kill him and his Servant without mercy.

-.-.-.-

I relax after a few streets. Ten minutes have passed and nothing happened, so I guess he didn't send Rider to chase me down. I take a street leading to the Matous' home and notice a blonde woman sitting on a bench. It's good to see her, but the fact that she's far from the mansion worries me. She looks relaxed and unharmed, and her gentle smile alleviates my tension for good.

"Ben."

"Hey there. Sorry, it took me more time than expected."

She stands up and we start walking side by side.

"Was your search successful?"

"Well, yes. Yours?"

She doesn't answer and makes an embarrassed expression.

"I guess you sitting there means that you were spotted?"

"I was. Sorry, Master. I can assure you that I took part in no fights, if that is your concern."

I nod. "It's okay, but the street is too dangerous for strategy meetings. We've got to buy groceries, so I suggest heading to the shopping district and go to a café."

She gives me a suspicious look. "Are you going to be drinking again?"

"Yes, I will drink. Tea. Come on."

We head to the district I met Ilya in yesterday without talking much. I feel like the argument from this morning still hovers around us.

-.-.-.-

"I would like some British tea, please."

"Same for me."

I ended up choosing the same place as yesterday, but I don't think the waitress recognized me. It's calm at this hour, so we can't talk without being eavesdropped on.

She soon speaks like a soldier making her report. What happened with Zouken is certainly a surprise and it makes taking out Rider an even bigger priority to me now. It makes Sakura a possible threat too.

"He vanished as fast as he had appeared. I do not like him much."

"I see... that is definitely worrying. We'll stop spying on the mansion itself for now, but we should be extra careful during the incoming days."

"We always should be, Ben."

"You got me."

"What about you? You said that your investigation was successful."

I decide to only tell her that I saw Shinji buzzing around the key point. She wouldn't approve of threatening citizens without visible proofs. Damn, my knowledge can be very annoying sometimes.

"Also, I had lunch with Rin."

That makes her smile. "How did that go?"

"Well, she made me realize how dumb I had been towards you, and threatened to end our alliance if I didn't explain how my seal worked to her."

She's shocked for a second, but soon jumps on the opportunity to lecture me. "For good reason. I would do the same if I was your ally and not your partner. Does this mean that we are on our own again?"

"We aren't. I told her about my seal."

"You..."

She seems unsure about how to react. "May I ask why you took such a decision?"

I sip on my tea again before answering. "I asked myself what was worse: losing their help against Hercules or revealing a weak spot that isn't that easy to exploit. It was hard, but I chose the first path."

I ask her with my eyes if it was the right one. She looks at the window for a bit before answering in a gentle voice.

"I will follow my Master's will. If your decisions in battles are largely questionable, so far I have had nothing to say against the strategic ones. Rin is a good Magus and person, thus I can agree with you wholeheartedly."

I sigh in relief. "Thank you. It means a lot."

After a pause, I groan. "I'm more upset about Archer knowing."

"Really? What's with him?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? He taunted me two nights ago, when I was taking a break in the courtyard at night."

"Did he threaten you?"

"Nah. He just wanted to make clear that he didn't approve of our alliance at all."

She frowns. "I had my doubts, but he is surprisingly hard to read. I won't accept any mockery towards my Master, though."

I wave a hand. "It's okay, Saber. Did he tell you anything weird when you two fought Caster?"

I finally find a way to ask her that naturally. That question has been killing my brain since it happened. It seems to be an uncomfortable topic for her, and she remains silent. That is not a good sign.

"Saber?"

"He threw some mockeries that I cast away, but he did ask me an odd thing."

Are my fears coming true? My heartbeat speeds up.

"He asked me if I had been properly summoned."

Damn, he is trying to turn her against me!

"Why would that even interest him?"

"I could not figure that out, Ben."

Her face doesn't light up and I'm afraid she has done some thinking.

"Well I can't either. Let's go now. I have other things planned."

She nods silently and we leave the café after I paid. We buy groceries nearby, and I grab two extra eclairs for the trip back home, which seems to brighten her mood a bit. We walk home quietly, each one with a shopping bag and eclair in hand. Nothing happens on the way, and the first thing I do is to get back to clothes that actually fit me.

"I'd like to train again, Saber."

We've sorted the groceries and are now standing in the living room. She puts her hands on her hips.

"I am against it."

"... Sorry?"

She firmly clarifies her opinion.

"I fear those spars played a role in your overconfidence with Caster, thus I shall refrain from training you in swordsmanship. This will last until I manage to put some common sense back into your head."

That hits hard, probably because she makes a good point.

"I... find that a bit unfair, but I can understand."

I start turning my back to her, but something pops to my mind.

"Hold on. I understand if we don't train with swords, but how about working on my defensive skills?"

She's surprised. "What do you mean?"

"There are some tricks I want to train on, because I don't master them that well. It would help if I had an opponent that can break through my boundary fields."

"That is... a good idea, actually. I will follow your plan, especially if you intend to aim towards defense."

We reach the courtyard, but she stops before reaching the dojo. She looks at me with an uneasiness that one wouldn't expect from her.

"Saber? What's up?"

"I am sorry, Ben, but I have a question."

"Don't apologize for asking me something. I'm all ears."

She looks straight into my eyes. "How did you obtain Avalon?"

"... Not here. Let's get inside."

She follows me to the dojo.

I would be lying if I said I hadn't been expecting this question. Avalon is the lost sheath of Excalibur which grants immortality to its possessor. King Arthur's downfall began when he lost it. It is one of the most powerful artifacts of all time, and an EX level Noble Phantasm.

Saber knows that Kiritsugu had it, but she's obviously asking herself how I put my hands on it after that. I close the door of the dojo while she stares at me.

"Did Archer bring this up?"

"His question about my summoning made me wonder, indeed. If you do not want to answer, then..."

Don't tempt me. I raise a hand.

"It's normal that it bothers you. It isn't something one can obtain easily."

She stops talking and listens to me with attention.

"I haven't told you the entire truth, I guess. As I studied the previous war, I knew Kiritsugu. Not in details, but I knew who his Servant was, and I figured that he had Avalon."

"What happened to him?"

"He died some years after, and the sheath was retrieved by the Association. It was brought back to London to be kept safe, and would probably be given to a high-class Magus for the next war."

"Then, the person who lived here... Emiya Shirou, was it?"

"I have no clue. As far as I know, Kiritsugu had no family, so he must have been an adopted child."

I think for a bit about what I should say next.

"About Avalon... I stole it."

That surely surprises her.

"Ben?"

I look away. "I told you, I'm fascinated by the Holy Grail ritual, and I wanted to take part in it. To be entirely honest, I was also interested in your legend."

She blushes, confused.

"You stole Avalon so you could meet me and fight this war?"

I nod. "Yes, Saber. The Association would've probably sent an old guy instead of me, and probably a better Magus. If this changes your mind about me, I will accept it."

She thinks for a moment, then smiles.

"It does not matter to me. You are my Master, and I am your sword. If you did this, it was because of your strong will, thus it does not change my vision of you."

That makes me sigh in relief. "Thank you."

I feel like I should wash away her remaining doubts while I'm at it.

"And yes, I showed up here because I knew that it was Kiritsugu's home. I figured it would be the best place to summon you. The fact that Lancer had killed the boy was an unlucky event, but it provided us a good base."

She nods. "I see. I have a better grasp of the situation now. Thank you for your honesty, Ben."

A pang of guilt hits me. I can't possibly tell her the truth, but I hate having to make so many things up.

There's a silence after that, and I process everything that we've discussed today. Have I made mistakes? I guess I'll find out soon. Saber walks to the wall and grabs a shinai.

"So, what do you want to do exactly?"

I stretch. I haven't used any prana today save for what I provide her, so I'm in a good condition for experiments.

"I want to try my boundary fields first, and show you what kinds I can produce."

"Understood. Please do so."

I focus and extend a hand.

"Protège et repousse."

A four meters wide cube materializes around me, made of a pink, transparent light. Saber looks at it from the outside.

"This is the basic one. Protège et repousse means protect and repel. If I cast it instantly like that... Well, try."

She extends a hand towards it. It slows her down for a second, but she gets through it entirely without a problem. She looks behind her.

"I see. That would stop normal people."

I nod. "Any decent Magus or Servant can go through this. A citizen would feel an invisible wall and that's it."

I cast it off. "Now here's one you don't know."

This one takes me a few more seconds to cast, especially since I don't use it as often as the defensive ones.

"Le silence est d'or."

A cube as big materializes around us, but it lacks color. It'd be invisible without the direct sunlight.

Saber tilts her head. "This one is definitely different. What does it do?"

I smile. "Leave the dojo for a minute and come back to me."

She tilts her head and does as I say. She meets no resistance when leaving and once she's outside...

"SABER!"

I shout her name a few times. She comes back a minute after.

"Was something supposed to happen?"

I cross my arms. "Damn, Saber, I called you many times, yet you didn't show up."

Her eyes widen, then she quickly catches up. "An anti-noise field?"

"Yes. I can't add it to a protection one, but if I do create one, nothing inside it can be heard from outsiders."

She looks impressed. "That is very useful!"

"Can be. However, anyone can go through it. I haven't managed to merge it with a protection effect. I could technically cast one around the other, but it'd cost me a lot to maintain them both."

She nods. "I see."

"Now the big one..."

I focus before chanting the same spell as last night, while Saber steps back.

"Un dôme sera révélé

Me cernant de sa lumière"

I picture a small dome, as I don't need much space for the demonstration.

"Protège et repousse les énergies négatives."

The execution was correct and I'm surrounded by a pink light. Saber approaches and speaks up.

"This is what you cast while I was facing Caster, isn't it?"

"It's also protecting our house. Try it."

She focuses and takes her shinai in hand.

"Understood, Master."

A quick vertical hit on the dome. Such strength! She cannot break through, though, as the shinai is destroyed. The field still stands. She walks around it, making me feel like a caged animal.

"Can it harm one that would try to break through it?"

"Not really. Its purpose is repelling, not damaging. The shinai was just a wooden item, but a normal person, Servant or Magus will only be pushed back. It also should prevent detection from far away unless the enemy's skill is astounding."

She extends her hand and touches the dome. It starts pushing her back and she groans. I focus as much as I can to push her away, and she quickly retreats.

"Hmm."

She joins her hands, and a soft wind blows. Her sword.

"Prepare yourself, Ben. Ha!"

She hits on the boundary field with a sharp slash. I can hold it for a few seconds, but it shatters under her insane strength and I get thrown on the ground, panting. She runs to me.

"Are you all right?"

"... Yeah. Holding such an attack consumes some of my energy, but you proved my point. A motivated Servant can break through this without much trouble."

She nods and casts off her sword before helping me up. The softness of her hand catches me off guard.

"How are you able to maintain the boundary field around the house without consuming your prana?"

"You saw me stopping at many spots when I cast the spell. They maintain it themselves, thus I don't need constant income to support it. Would a Servant break through it, I'd instantly know. Consider it more as an alarm than anything else."

"That sounds good, Ben. I trust you to use those in priority from now on. Can you assure me that you will defend yourself at all costs?"

I can't really argue at this point, can I?

"I will. I've been reckless enough."

"Good. Would this be all?"

"Uh? No. This isn't what I wanted us to work on."

She tilts her head. "What do you mean?"

"Take the remaining shinai and I'll show you."

She does so, and faces me.

"You do not plan on using a weapon?"

I narrow my eyes.

"Well, you refused to train me in that regard, remember? Now attack me but slowly. As slowly as you can, in a fluid motion."

She looks confused, but approaches nonetheless while I ready myself. She executes a slow but precise horizontal strike aiming for my neck. I bring my left wrist next to it and cast.

"Protège."

The shinai is repelled by a small pink barrier that appears along my arm. Saber takes a step back and lowers it.

"A limited barrier?"

"Yes. I can cast it to protect only an area at a time. It should repel any normal attack, especially against an enemy Master."

"That is good. Your abilities surely are interesting."

I smirk. "Problem is, I haven't managed to do it against attacks faster than this. Thought you could be of help in that regard."

"That is why you asked me to hit slowly... I understand, Ben. I will help you reach a point where you can actually use it in battle, with all my might."

She seems motivated, probably because I want to defend myself.

We keep going and do the same slow motions. I eventually manage to repel attacks aiming at any part of my body, but I'm lacking speed. Whenever she tries to accelerate, I can only reduce the damage at best. After an hour of this treatment, she lowers her shinai. I'm full of bruises again, but they should go away quickly thanks to Avalon.

"I believe we should take a break. You are using too much prana, and I am sure you do not plan on doing nothing else today."

I sigh while panting. "You're right. This is hard."

She makes a difficult expression.

"The idea is good, but its execution is very complex."

"I would pull it off more easily if I loosened my seal."

I just say that absentmindedly. She doesn't take it as such though, as she walks to me and grabs my collar.

"Hey!"

"Do not even consider touching that thing! Power is tempting, but if it consumes you, you will lose everything!"

Saber...

I take the wrist grabbing my shirt with my right hand, and speak softly.

"I get it. You're worried, and I'm touched."

That gesture certainly takes her off guard.

"M-Master? This is not..."

"Rin told me how you were feeling yesterday and I'm really angry at myself."

"Ben, please..."

I'm positive I could fry an egg on her face right now.

"For you to think you've failed your mission because of my own mistakes is unacceptable. I will make sure that you never feel like that again."

She takes a big breath and relaxes a bit. I let go of her wrist and step back.

After a floating, heavy silence, she smiles at me, and I think her expression will be engraved in my mind forever.

"I understand. I won't let you do such a thing either."

-.-.-.-

"There is still something that I have trouble understanding, Ben."

We went back to the living room and brewed ourselves some British tea we found in the shopping district. Saber seems in a good mood and it really warms my heart.

"What is it? You're in a questioning mode today, but I don't mind."

She bows her head to thank me and goes on.

"You said your wish was to witness the Holy Grail's power, but after what you told me..."

She takes some time to pick her words.

"You put yourself in danger by stealing Avalon and studied, trained that much for no particular reason?"

I smile. "I guess I was too vague yesterday. Your question is fair."

I sip on my tea before continuing. "Saber, my wish has already been granted."

She stares at me in shock. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you get it? I told you I was fascinated by the ritual, and interested by your legend. Fighting at your side was my wish. As I said clearly yesterday, my current goal is bringing us victory and doing my best as a Master. Don't worry, my will to fight is as strong as anyone's."

She looks at the table and frowns. "I understand, but it makes you an odd Master. What would you wish for if you obtained the Holy Grail? I need it for my wish, but I am also fighting for your glory."

I shrug. "No idea yet. Perhaps it will come to me later? I mean, the fact that I've won will bring me enough honor, and seeing your wish come true will make me happy, whatever it is."

It's pretty much a repetition of that discussion in the park, but I guess it's really a serious topic for her.

"... You really are a confusing person."

I laugh. "Confusing people are the most interesting ones! Now come on, let's patrol the neighborhood."

I stand up and put the teacups in the sink. Saber is still sitting when I turn back to her, and I can't gauge her state of mind. She gets on her feet and follows me without a word.

-.-.-.-

"Are you feeling better? You used a lot of energy earlier."

She initiates conversation as we walk around town.

"I'll be fine. We have plenty of time until nightfall, so I should recover enough by then. As for my bruises, you know what healed them quickly."

That seems to satisfy her.

"Speaking of that... Saber, how's your wound?"

She puts her hand above her heart, where Lancer stabbed her, before answering.

"I shall be in near perfect condition tomorrow."

"That's great."

An hour passes peacefully. A lot happened today and we have nothing to discuss, yet the atmosphere isn't awkward or heavy. Saber looks at peace with herself, which contrasts with her recent attitude. I guess addressing things was the best thing to do, even if had to partly lie to her.

As we are heading back, a guy on a bicycle passes us and continues towards our base. He is wearing a Fuyuki school uniform.

"Shit."

"Ben?"

If I'm not mistaken, it's the Student Council president, and one of Emiya Shirou's friends. Of course he'd want to check on him! I hadn't thought of that.

I run and stop at the corner of the street. While Saber imitates me, I take a peek at our house. Surely enough, the guy's stopped in front of it.

"An enemy?"

Saber's voice tenses up dramatically. I shake my head.

"Let's see what he does."

I can see him trying to push the doorbell button, but his hand stops midway through, which seems to confuse him. He then tries a couple more times, and goes for the door handle, with a similar result.

He starts walking around the walls and tries to touch them. He's going our way and we will look suspicious if we just stand there, so I decide to walk past him. Saber is surprised but follows without a word.

"... A field?"

I cringe as I get past him. Of course he would understand, as he is the son of Ryudou temple's head monk. Caster set up her workshop there, but I don't know if she's manipulating him.

Should I capture and question him? Do I have a valid reason to do that? I don't. Besides, Caster would see everything if he's already being controlled. Damn, she could be monitoring us right now and figure out where we live! This is bad.

He's lost in thought and doesn't notice us right away. That eventually happens and he gives us an odd stare, towards Saber especially. I step in front of her and glare at him.

"May I help you, pal?"

His face turns suspicious. "I don't think so. I wanted to check on someone, but it seems that he is absent. Now, if you will excuse me..."

He turns his back to me and walks to his bicycle, next to the door.

"Don't try to fool me."

He looks back at me, dumbfounded. I don't let him answer.

"You just said 'field'. A normal person wouldn't name what's around this place precisely. Who are you?"

He freezes for a second, and his stare hovers towards Saber again, for some reason. She takes a step forward.

"Please explain yourself."

Her voice is polite but leaves no room for denial either. Such natural authority is to be expected from a king.

"I don't know who you two are, but feeling that kind of thing is the least I can do as an apprentice monk."

"Ah, I understand. There's a similar one surrounding Ryudou Temple, right?"

I think it's safe to ask him questions. If he were to be aggressive, Saber would take him down in half a second.

"You are well-informed. That being said, I see no reason for the one around my friend's house. Are you involved in this event?"

I glance at Saber, whose eyes tell me that I have to find a reasonable answer.

"We aren't. However, we were sent to investigate on odd incidents occurring in Fuyuki. I take you've heard from those?"

He nods, not as surprised as I expected him to be.

"There is indeed a strange atmosphere these days."

To my surprise, Saber speaks up again.

"Did you notice anything peculiar in the temple or its surroundings?"

He crosses his arms and thinks for a bit before answering.

"Nothing worthy of interest, and it is none of your business in any case. We can deal with our own problems, whenever there are any."

That's a disappointment. I guess he's too hard-headed to trust us. He keeps stealing glances at Saber, though. Maybe he feels that she's something else than a mere human. I decide to play nice, for now.

"Fair enough. Any information would be useful to us given everything that is happening these days though. Murders, disappearances... You said that this house owner was your friend, didn't you?"

Saber tenses up again, probably afraid of what I'm going to say. Issei looks at the door with a worried expression.

"He is. Do you know what happened to him?"

I smirk.

"Tell me the truth about the temple and I will tell you what I know."

He steps back, his face red.

"That is blackmailing!"

"More like equivalent exchange. What do you think?"

I ask that to Saber, who nods sagely.

"It is only fair, monk."

He calms down and groans. "It's not 'monk'. My name is Ryudou Issei. What are yours?"

"This is Sarah and I'm Benjamin. We come from Europe."

I'm not dumb enough to give away her Servant class to someone we don't know. Issei isn't a Master but he's a potential pawn for the witch. Saber fortunately keeps a straight face.

"And you are investigating this town? That's a long way."

"Well, it's because we're good at what we do."

There's a pause as he obviously tries to decide if we're liars or not. I shrug.

"I'll tell you, then. Emiya Shirou disappeared."

"What?!"

Saber's face loses its colors, and Issei's is... well, one you'd expect to get after saying something like that.

"Sorry I was blunt, but there is no better way of saying it. His disappearance is a mystery. As for the field, we are not responsible for it. It appeared after we searched the house in vain. The guy vanished, pretty much."

It hits him hard, apparently.

"Then... what? Are you two looking for him?"

I scratch the back of my head. Saber has chosen the silent party for now.

"Well... it's one of our missions. We have little hope he's still alive since murders are on the rise, but we are working on it. For now we were told to not break through the field, and I'd appreciate if you kept your mouth shut about it."

I look straight into his eyes. I need to get this across.

"Actually, we would appreciate if you kept it shut about all this."

My menacing stare seems to work as he steps back.

"Is this a threat?"

I shrug. "It is if you don't listen to me, but you will, right?"

He groans before looking at Saber again.

"You two surely are mismatched."

She's taken aback by that. What is he even on about?

"I beg your pardon?"

The monk put his hands on his hips and huffs. It's kind of disrespectful.

"Even I can feel that you're purer than any person I ever encountered, and I am merely a beginner. It is quite odd to meet someone like you at the side of one that threatens citizens."

That grinds my gears, and I take a step forward.

"I won't tolerate any insult. Who do you think you are?"

He gets on guard, probably ready to grab his bicycle and pedal for his life, but Saber grabs my sleeve.

"Ben, please."

I step back like a leashed attack dog. My reaction was certainly stupid, but I'm not letting a random guy mock me. Issei sighs in relief, but Saber glares at him.

"We are not here to cause trouble, but if you wish to insult us again, I will be the one to get in your way this time. Do you understand, Ryudou Issei?"

He gulps. "... Fine. It was just an observation."

I tap my foot in impatience. "So? I told you what you wanted. Your turn."

He catches his breath before speaking with caution.

"The temple... there is a new woman there. She is going to marry my stepbrother, which is why she is exceptionally allowed."

Saber's stare and mine cross.

"What does she look like?"

I notice my voice considerably tensed up. Damn, I know that she is there! Why am I getting that worked up?

Issei raises an eyebrow. "She is beautiful. I shouldn't say that as a monk, but I have to admit the truth. She carries such a presence... it's like..."

He looks at Saber yet again and nods.

"In a very different way, it reminds me of you, Sarah. You have an aura of the same type."

She doesn't react but I bet she's hiding her tension. We just confirmed there was a Servant in the temple. I decide to act uninterested.

"That's all? No weird events?"

"Not at all. A woman among us is certainly a big event, but I guess outsiders would take it lightly. Now, if you excuse me, I would like to go."

"All right. Do not tell anyone what we discussed."

He raises one hand and speaks in a measured voice.

"I am not one to spread rumors. Farewell."

He picks up his bike and pedal away. I turn to Saber.

"Can you follow him?"

She was clearly waiting for that command.

"Yes. What are your orders, Master?"

"Stay out of sight. Check where he goes, and try to follow him as far as you can. However, if there is any threat, gauge it and kill it if you can. I trust your instinct on this, but remember, it's still daytime."

I chuckle. "You're gonna kill me for saying that, but don't be reckless."

She gives me a well-deserved glare.

"Understood. I shall return to you soon."

She literally lifts off with a big jump, and I'm left alone. Rin said she would be late, so I guess I'll just wait in the living room for now.

I sit at the table and process what just happened. It was probably a mistake to talk to this guy, but we can't win without taking risks. I rub the shoulder that's wrapped in the seal. I will use it if I need to, whatever they think.

INTERLUDE - SABER

She jumps from roof to roof, trying to be as stealthy as possible. A Servant would sense her without effort, but she cannot do anything about that. Besides, she has not felt anything near the young monk so far.

As expected, he is riding to the temple. Due to the barrier surrounding it, she will need to get through the main gate if she wants to follow him. That suits her perfectly.

The boy parks his bicycle at the bottom of the stairs before climbing them. She waits for two minutes before following him. It is getting late and people are leaving rather than going to the place. A couple of them throw curious glances at her but she does not slow down.

She climbs two thirds of the distance to her goal before hearing a soft, masculine voice ahead.

"You can't get through."

She stops immediately and checks around her. There are no civilians nearby, but the sun has yet to disappear. She arms herself and looks at the spot the noise came from.

A man emerges from the trees. He's wearing a purple kimono and his long hair flutters in the wind.

"A Servant?"

These uttered words do not need an answer. This man is definitely a heroic spirit, although his aura is oddly weak. Her instinct tells her that he is dangerous nonetheless.

He smiles and walks to the center of the staircase, looking down to her.

"What do we have here? A Servant trying to invade this place at day? This is unusual."

His calmness contrasts with Saber's ready to strike attitude. The careless attitude he holds does not fool her, as it is very likely a trick.

"Where are my manners? I am Sasaki Kojirou, also known as the Assassin Servant in this world."

"What-?"

A Servant introducing himself? That is absurd! Assassin is a class made for stealth, yet he is giving his true name as it is nothing.

"As a knight, my duty is to give you my name in return."

He shakes his head, slowly. "It doesn't matter, Saber."

He says that last word with delight. That confirms his dangerosity.

"How would you know...?"

"Swordsmen attract each other. I would love to fight you right now, but as I'm the guardian of this place, I shall only attack if you try to break through."

A mere guardian? She thinks back about her scouting mission and realizes she was not that unlucky, after all. Unsure of what to do next, she takes a step forward. His stare sharpens considerably.

"One more and I will consider you as an intruder. Are you sure you don't want to postpone this? I'd enjoy trying out your skill, but anyone could stumble on us at this hour. I think none of our Masters would fancy that."

He is right. Now is not the time to do such a thing.

"Would you let me go like this, Assassin? This method surely does not fit your class."

He chuckles calmly.

"As I said, I am a guardian. Taunt me as you will, I won't run after you."

She smiles fiercely to him, unable to hide her interest.

"I thank you for now. We shall settle our duel soon, Sasaki Kojirou."

She turns back and heads to the bottom of hill. It is frustrating but she would give herself a bad name if she fought in such conditions.

INTERLUDE OUT

INTERLUDE - RIN

"I can't believe there's nothing about it in my books!"

Rin went straight home after school. She wants to leave this place as fast as she can because the Einzbern knows about it, but she's pretty sure that she is safe until nightfall.

That lunch break has been on her mind for the whole afternoon and she ends up diving into her library instead of gathering stuff as she was planning to.

"Such a seal isn't recorded! There are similarities, but..."

"Shouldn't we be on our way, Rin? The sun has already set."

Oh right, he's here too. She turns around and glares at him through her glasses.

"One more minute!"

But that extra time grants no results. Archer crosses his arms.

"Honestly, I don't see why you waste so much time with that boy. We could have taken him out at lunch today."

She knows that. But for some reason, his story made her upset.

"Archer, I'm not one to stab an ally in the back. The Tohsakas have an honor to defend."

The Servant snorts.

"Fine, but don't complain the day your pride turns on you."

She ignores his sarcasm and closes a heavy book with a long sigh.

"There isn't any mention of a family which used such a seal as a magic crest."

"Books don't hold all the knowledge."

She sulks. "I know that, idiot. But if he really is a member of the Magic Association, there should be some traces. The French Magi I found did not match his abilities at all."

"Maybe you could consider the possibility that he lied to you. It wouldn't surprise me, and in all honesty, I would think of him as less of an idiot."

"I got it long ago Archer, you don't like him. He doesn't seem too bad, and Saber would definitely help us if she could get rid of Berserker."

"Then let her take care of him, and let's take what remains. Even if she loses, I can finish him off afterwards."

He looks at her with confidence.

"Or if you wish for it, just ask me for Berserker's head and I will bring it to you."

She huffs and waves her hand at him.

"You can't beat Berserker on your own. I trust your abilities, but this Servant is beyond us."

He takes the jab silently but quickly comes back at her.

"Still, I need you to realize that this cooperation doesn't make sense anymore. I will be able to fight fully tomorrow, and I should be the only ally you need."

"So far we've identified a Servant, and I'm starting to have a good idea of her base location. This cooperation served us, and if that can reassure you, I don't plan on making it last for much longer."

She interrupts his incoming answer.

"However, there are still some uses for it. If we stick with them a bit longer, we'll probably figure out who Saber is, and learn more about her Master. He's already revealed his weak spot, after all."

She thinks back to when he did, and blushes a bit. It was an embarrassing moment, that's for sure.

"I like you."

"You're a good person."

"How can he say that to an enemy...?"

She mutters that for herself. Archer walks to the window and looks behind the curtains before answering.

"I get it, Rin, and I will follow you to the end. Though remember that I've doubted this Master's honesty from the beginning, and the further we dig, the more troublesome he gets."

"I'll give you that. His abilities don't even make sense. Why would a defensive Magus act like a front line warrior? What is the point of a prana burst if he's good at healing and creating barriers?"

Her Servant turns back to her, more serious than usual.

"There is something else. It's obvious."

She grins. "Which gives us a good reason to stick with them a bit longer, right?"

"That sounds more like an excuse than a valid argument, but I will obey you. I won't forget to tell you when you cross the line, though."

"I'm sure you won't."

She feels lighter than before when they get down the stairs together. She's about to grab her coat and luggage when something comes to her mind.

"Wait..."

It's a bad idea, for sure, and it's not very honest either. She picks up her phone and dials a number.

"Good evening."

A deep voice answers her after a moment.

She hardly trusts Kirei. He transferred from the Church to the Association while staying in the former. He would probably sell information about her to the other Masters, and she's glad that he doesn't know that Archer is her Servant.

"Kirei? It's me."

"You are already calling me? Please, do not tell me you lost your Servant after three days."

He always knows which button to push. She groans.

"Of course not, you fake priest!"

"Then what is it?"

"I was wondering... the seventh Master that I brought you, Benjamin... He was sent by the Association, right?"

"That is how you introduced him."

"Don't play dumb. You should know if that's real or not."

There's a short silence before the priest speaks again. His voice is more cheerful than before, for some reason.

"Perhaps I do, but as a supervisor, I cannot give you information, even if you are my pupil. Forgive me."

"You care about rules now? That's surprising."

"I have a role to fulfill, just like you. Be careful, Rin."

He hangs up unceremoniously as she was about to do the same. Archer raises an eyebrow.

"That didn't help."

She puts on her coat and shrugs.

"It's not a surprise. I'm sure he enjoys watching me struggle. It's better that way... I don't want to owe him anything."

Both leave the mansion, and the red knight turns back to spirit form. He took some rest in his summoning circle, so he should be able to fight normally tomorrow. Rin rubs her hands to keep them warm.

"It's more fun if we find out ourselves, isn't it, Archer?"

His voice echoes in her head. "That we can agree on."

They reach Emiya's former house after half an hour. The boundary field is closed.

"Lay... seh... mah... renteh."

She frowns, remembering Ben's mockeries, and enters the house.

The silence and darkness take her off guard. Archer voices it before her.

"There's nobody here."

She runs to the living room. Empty. The only noticeable thing is a small piece of paper on the table. She takes it and reads.

(We'll be back soon, hopefully with a Servant's head!)

She crumples it and anger rushes to her brain.

"What the hell are they doing?!"

INTERLUDE OUT

Saber and I stand in front of the school gate. Everyone has left because of the curfew so we don't fear innocent casualties in case this goes to hell. She arms herself and turns to me.

"Ben, if we do encounter a Servant, protect yourself."

"I will, as promised."

I told her about my plan as soon as the night fell. We're going to the key point of the boundary field. After what I did to Shinji, I doubt that he will remain passive. Of course, I didn't mention our... conversation, but Saber followed me obediently, since we had a suspect.

I left a note to Rin before leaving, and I hope she'll understand. It's time to act.

We reach the archery club with the cold wind as our only companion, for now. Saber told me what had happened with Assassin, and I'm glad that she didn't fight him. Caster will probably be our next target, and I want a clear plan before trying to attack her.

"Do you feel anything, Saber?"

She focuses. "The boundary field is still up and certainly stronger than yesterday night. Apart from that, I do not."

The fact that Shinji didn't revoke the spell proves that he wants a fight. I shall grant his wish with pleasure.

"Let's head to the forest. I've had a bad feeling about it since yesterday."

I could've sworn that something was watching me from there at some point, although I couldn't point out when. I start walking between the big trees. We wander into it for about fifteen minutes, then Saber stops.

"Master."

She takes out her sword and focuses. Did we catch the prey? As soon as I ask myself this question, there's a metallic sound coming from above us.

As a retake of yesterday morning, a nail-like dagger is repelled by Saber with ease and flies back to its owner. We hear chain sounds as she moves around and lands in front of us, ten meters away.

Rider. Perfect. I don't see Shinji nearby, but I doubted that he'd be here in person anyway.

Saber takes a stance and throws a quick glance at me.

"Get rid of her."

It's time I acted like a Magus at war, so I command my soldier.

Rider laughs softly. Her voice is quiet and seductive. Well, there are other aspects that - calm down, brain...

"Such a sneaky little Master. You could have let yourself get killed yesterday morning and avoided a more painful fate."

Saber groans. "I won't allow such disrespect!"

She dashes at Rider. As she was given an order, talking is the least of her concerns.

The woman in purple jumps back with mind-blowing speed. She outclasses even Lancer in terms of agility. Back in the canopy, she jumps around before throwing her chain at my face again. Saber repels it with her invisible sword thanks to her instinct, but I'm being a burden to her.

That will stop soon, though. I start giving a shape to a spell in my head as she deflects another hit from the opposite angle. The enemy is obviously inferior in terms of strength so she's adopted a hit and run strategy, taking advantage of the trees. She's smart.

"Un cylindre sera révélé"

Another repelled strike, from yet another direction.

"Me cernant de sa lumière."

Saber whispers "I trust you with this." as the dagger flies towards me again. She lifts off and climbs the nearest tree by literally running on it.

"Protège et repousse les énergies négatives."

A cylinder of pink light surrounds me. I made it about my size, so I won't be able to move much, but it cost me less prana and its protection should be strong enough. The dagger doesn't even scratch it as it's a weak weapon, while Saber jumps from the trunk meters above. Her attack is dodged easily.

She lands heavily but without a scratch, then immediately takes back her stance as Rider keeps jumping around us.

After a few seconds, she rushes towards Saber at high speed. She doesn't have the time to counter as the enemy is gone as fast, back in the trees. However, she skillfully dodges the charge. A stalemate.

Rider can't really attack me anymore, and she knows it. Of course, a charge like the last one would destroy my boundary field, but it would slow her down just enough for Saber to cut her in half. My partner's voice resonates with determination.

"Is that all you can do? I do not know what kind of heroic spirit you are, but if you count on such weak attacks to defeat me, you will die here."

Rider speeds up and starts dashing at Saber from every direction at once, or so it seems. My eyes can't follow her at all.

Saber is like a mountain, firmly holding her position. At first she only hits the air, but clangs can be heard more and more regularly as she gets used to the speed.

Rider must have felt the danger since she jumps back on a branch way above us.

"You are certainly strong, Saber, but you lack mobility. Do you think you can catch me? I am sure your Master can't hold this forever."

She wants to play the clock? That's worrisome. If she focuses on her speed, Saber certainly cannot catch her. As for her assumption about me, she's perfectly right.

"May you regret these words in the afterlife."

Saber's ominous tone seems to freeze time itself. Even I am terrified although it's not targeted at me.

The wind around her sword intensifies all of sudden, and she shoots what looks like a small tornado right at her enemy's face.

Her ability, the boundary field of the wind king, can be used as a projectile weapon. Rider tries to jump away but she's sucked into the vacuum and takes a bad hit. She's sent flying with a yell of pain while the moon appears through the new hole in the canopy.

She lands a bit further away, and Saber motions me to stay still. Excalibur was visible for half a second after she launched her attack, but I think Rider was too busy trying to avoid death.

She did avoid it partly. I can see her from here, crawling on the ground. It's not that she can't stand anymore, but more like a spider waiting for its prey.

"This is the end, Servant."

Saber approaches her with her sword pointing onwards, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

"Speak for yourself."

She stands back up and her magical energy rises. It's still below Saber's, but that burst is impressive. A Noble Phantasm? She takes her dagger, and Saber readies herself.

"I will now run away and take your Master's life. See if you still want to fight after seeing this, Saber."

She proceeds to slash her own neck. That act is so absurd that Saber stops for a second, which is enough for Rider to form a spider shaped magic circle with the splattering blood.

I keep my cylinder up and ready myself. This attack is very dangerous, and Rider is emitting way more power than I thought she had.

In the end, Noble Phantasms are what makes a Servant strong or not. Rider isn't anywhere near Saber's level, but hers changes all odds.

A huge ray of light shoots from the circle, sends my Servant flying and breaks my cylinder without trouble. I feel like I'm going to be obliterated but it disappears as fast as it came.

My whole body is pain, but I survived.

"Ugh..."

I get on my knees with difficulty while Saber runs to me.

"Master!"

There's no sign of Rider anymore. She used her mythical mount to escape us, and I'm thoroughly surprised that I survived.

"How are you feeling?"

"Superb. You?"

My sarcasm meets a very much unamused frown.

"... I am fine. Her attack was strong but lacking in some way."

I take a deep breath and decide to use some of my prana to heal myself, along with the power of Avalon. It costs me a lot, but I'm able to stand up soon with her support.

We can see the path of her attack, as everything is destroyed along it. Fortunately we're deep into the forest so it shouldn't raise much attention. A tree falls.

"Let's head home, Saber. I don't think we can catch up to her tonight."

"Understood. You need some rest."

We walk back to the street in silence. I can feel that Saber is still on guard, as we're more vulnerable now.

"I am glad you listened to me."

Her relieved tone surprises me.

"You protected yourself and did not make any rushed choice. It seems that today's discussions were useful."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Without that boundary field, I would have been annihilated at the end, so it kinda proves your point."

I try to laugh it off, but I think I'll have some new nightmares invading my nights. She doesn't add anything.

We're getting near home when we see a figure standing in the middle of the street. It carries such a threatening aura that we both tense up.

The woman's terrifying smile leaves no doubts about her mood.

"So, where is the head?"

I gulp. Tohsaka Rin is mad at us.

-.-.-.-

"How did you even survive that attack?"

Once back in our base, Rin barely calms down but her curiosity takes over as we tell her what happened.

"I think I know."

Both girls stare at me.

"It's simple. We confronted Rider, and she's responsible for the boundary field. It's obvious when we know every other Servant and that she attacked us near the key point."

Saber nods.

"That makes perfect sense. Also, her Noble Phantasm was some kind of transportation. She escaped with divine speed."

She is omitting something.

"You are right, but it wasn't her Noble Phantasm, or at least not its final form."

That takes her off guard. "How would you know?"

"Servants have to name it in order to trigger the attack, right? So it wasn't her final move."

Rin's eyes open widely. "That's true! You're smarter than I thought, Ben."

"Hey now..."

Saber sips on her tea and speaks up.

"It still had the power of one. If her final move is stronger than that, she will be a much tougher opponent than we thought."

"I have a guess... I survived the attack because she's also maintaining the boundary field. What would happen if all that stored energy came back to her?"

There's a heavy silence as we all realize that. Rin sighs.

"That's probably the reason why you survived. We need to stop her as soon as possible. Do you have an idea about her Master?"

Here goes nothing.

"Matou Shinji."

Saying she is surprised would be an understatement.

"Huh!?"

I explain all that happened to her and we come to the same conclusion about the Temple's Servant.

Saber frowns. "Then two Masters teamed up. This is not a threat we can ignore."

She's right, but I don't want her to rush at the temple out of impatience.

"It's true, but I believe Rider is a more urgent matter. We will take care of the temple after that."

No answer.

Rin stands up. "Let's see how tomorrow goes and go from there. I suppose you guys don't plan on fighting more tonight? I'm going to cook dinner."

Saber stares at me, then back at Rin.

"Ben used a lot of energy, thus I believe that chasing after an uncertain target would be a bad call."

It frustrates me to stop there, but I guess we have no choice. Perhaps I'll send Saber patrolling later. Rin makes yet another delicious meal, and we get on it with gusto, especially my Servant who hadn't had an actual lunch.

"How is Archer by the way?"

It annoys me to mention him but I need to know. Rin's face answers my question before her words.

"Good. He will be back to full power within a day."

"Then we'll have to think about Berserker too."

It's easy to forget that we originally teamed up to defeat him. Dinner ends and Rin retreats while I do the dishes. Saber approaches me from behind.

"Ben."

I wonder if I will ever get completely used to her presence. Even if she is wearing her casual clothes, I can't help but recall her tone when she fought Rider.

"What is it?"

"I would like to fight Assassin."

Ah, I was fearing it.

"Tonight?"

"Yes. My energy consumption against Rider was minor."

I sigh and turn the water off.

"All that remains of my own for today is what I provide you. I can't really fight in this condition."

"Then let me do it myself. I shall defeat him quickly and return at once."

"Denied."

"... Ben?"

She's genuinely surprised.

"Ryudou Temple holds two Servants and is obviously filled with traps. I won't let you rush to such a dangerous place tonight."

"Traps are unavoidable when fighting other Masters! I won't step back from my enemy when I know who and where they are. What am I here for if you do not let me fight?"

"I don't doubt your abilities!"

My anger awakens alongside hers. She can be so dense!

"We know nothing about Caster and Assassin's powers. What if they attack you simultaneously?"

"Then I shall face them both. Spells are not a threat to me, and I cannot be defeated by an Assassin Servant in a direct fight. I will not run away from such enemies."

"You aren't running away... It's just not wise to rush at this place on a whim. We could ask Archer to scout it-"

"I am your Servant!"

Ah, damn. I could've worded that better. She is almost yelling now.

"I have agreed on this alliance until now. However, if you consider using another's abilities over my own to help you, I see no point in even arguing about how I should fight."

"Oh, even Saber can turn on her Master, it seems."

Startled, we turn to Rin. She came back without warning and is standing near the corridor door, a towel around her neck and her hair loose. Her mocking smile is answered by Saber's trademark glare.

"This is not your business, Rin."

She walks to us and talks calmly.

"You just questioned our team, so it is. Also, I can't hear such conversation without having a word to say."

Our stares cross and I hope she will support me there. Her blue eyes linger on my own before she speaks up.

"You accused Ben of being reckless but your... plan, if I can call it like that, isn't better. I agree with his call of not rushing at the temple right away. We have the time, Saber."

"Once an enemy is located, it is my duty to fight. Even if this place is attacked meanwhile, Ben can call me back instantly with a Command Spell."

I raise my voice again.

"There are too many unknown factors! The risk is too high for a solo mission."

"I thought you trusted my powers, but I guess my opinion was misplaced."

Her emerald stare is full of disappointment, making my heart skip a beat. Rin lets out a long sigh

"You two are hopeless. Do as you wish, although I didn't think you would question your Master."

She leaves the room while I think about what she said. I am a Master, after all, but do I want our relationship to be like that? Saber takes a breath.

"I do not intend to confront you further, but..."

"Fine, you know what? Just go."

Her eyes widen. "Ben?"

I give up. "Go there and have that fight, if that's what you want."

"Why would you change your mind like this?"

Damn, is she always going to question my decisions? I take a step forward and face her from up close, having to look down because of the height difference. Her eyes widen out of surprise, as I've never behaved so assertively with her.

"I'm telling you to do it. But if you get defeated, stolen by Caster or killed, I won't hear any excuse."

I say an absurd thing with a serious tone.

"I know you can defeat Caster, but we lack info about her. Go there, beat Assassin and come back. The temple will have lost its guardian, which will make our final attack easier."

Before she can answer, I raise my index in a Rinish manner.

"It's my condition. Do not enter the temple. If you don't accept that, you won't go anywhere, even if I must use a Command Spell."

She steps back, confused.

"You don't need such measures to maintain my obedience!"

"Oh, really? That's how defiant you were sounding a minute ago, though."

She gasps. "I..."

After shaking her head slowly, she regains her composure.

"I will do as you say. Thank you for listening to me."

I still think that it's a dumb plan but I can make compromises.

"It's still early though, so I suggest you lift off in an hour."

"I will."

I need a good bath after everything that happened tonight, so I head to the bathroom after the discussion. The heat of the water manages to calm me down, but I'm still anxious. Did I make the right choice? If Saber doesn't come back...

Don't think about it, Ben.

INTERLUDE - SABER

It is past eleven when she arms herself and leaves the house. She looks back at it and promises herself that she will return in one piece. Her Master has put his faith in her selfish request, which only reinforces her will to not deceive him.

The night is fresh and calm, but that should not last for long. She reaches the giant staircase in ten minutes and starts climbing it after taking out her invisible sword.

As expected, the man in purple appears.

"Such eagerness. I didn't expect you to come back tonight."

He looks at her hands and his weapon materializes. It reminds Saber of her Master's weapon, although it is twice as long. It cannot be practical to use. He smiles, still as calm.

"A concealed weapon? That is unusual. I'm sure you have a good reason to hide it."

He walks until being four steps above her. That height advantage is a bother, but his long katana will be worthless as soon as she closes in to him.

"Let us settle this, Sasaki Kojirou."

She reaches the first step in an instant.

-.-.-.-

"What can you see?"

Her voice echoes in the Servant's head.

"Saber started fighting a samurai. He fits the description of Assassin she gave us."

"Good. Analyze their abilities, and if you see an opportunity, take it."

Standing on the top of a nearby big house, Archer sees the Servants as clearly as if he was next to them. He readies his black bow.

"By opportunity, do you mean that I can shoot her?"

There is a silence.

"Archer..."

He sighs. "You are too good-natured."

-.-.-.-

She repels the strike aiming at her neck easily and lowers her body to advance, but another hit comes from the opposite direction and stops her. It goes down like this for a while.

This is nonsensical. He should not be able to hit that fast with such a weapon. However, he has the skill to do so, and every move targets a vital spot. The fact her sword is invisible also seems to be of minor annoyance to him. His counters become deadly accurate after only a few exchanges of blows.

Saber is stronger, her sword is better, but she cannot advance. After more of this treatment, she steps back. That was merely a warmup.

"Reaching such a level with a weapon like this is impressive."

She is not one to praise her enemies unless they are visibly worth it, and she can only feel respect towards that man. His method of fighting is ugly in its effectiveness, and it has been mastered beyond human abilities. He looks at his blade and shrugs.

"I guess I had nothing better to do. I am not an actual hero, you see. My powers come from mere training."

That takes her off guard. "What do you mean?"

"I am a nameless swordsman who was given the name of a legend that no one knows for sure to be real. One says that Sasaki's exploits were more a merging of different people's ones."

A fictional Servant? With such ability? She cannot imagine what he went through. He points at her with his blade.

"I am also in admiration. I usually mock western swordsmen as they lack elegance, but you fight beautifully. Your sword has a good shape too. I bet it is one of the most refined."

Impossible...

"How can you tell? We have barely exchanged blows."

"A few were enough. I wouldn't be a samurai if I couldn't pull such a trick off. But you surely are persistent... I almost cut your head off eight times already."

She smirks and attacks him again. He was prepared and yet again she cannot break through his defense. However, no matter how tricky he is, she can overpower him. It will cost her a lot of energy and reveal some of her powers to anyone watching, but Ben ordered her to win this fight.

She dodges another hit and steps back. Assassin doesn't go after her; as a guardian, he has no need to. She focuses on her sword and a strong wind blows. He looks delighted.

"Finally showing what you've got? Bring it on."

The following charge is incomparable to her previous attempts. With a prana burst, she is on him in half a second. He parries her sword but is pushed back a step, then another, then another... He cannot possibly hold Saber for too long, and as she delivers a large blow, he jumps back. His impressed voice is ragged after such a violent assault.

"I would never have assumed you were a lion. Impressive, impressive... Now is my turn, if you allow me."

She joins him between two sets of stairs, but he stays on the same level. She cannot comprehend his reasons, since the height difference was probably the reason why she could not cut him in half with her last attack. Why would he give up on his only advantage?

"I don't have a Noble Phantasm, but this technique shall suit this duel. Try to dodge it, Saber."

His aura grows as his stare sharpens, and Saber readies herself. If this is not a Noble Phantasm, it certainly feels like one. His stance is strange but she feels like he is leaving no openings either.

"Secret technique..."

The move never unfolds as both realize that something is coming their way. Assassin's eyes widen and he just has the time to parry the red arrows flying at him.

"Who-?"

More come right after, and he slashes them all while stepping back.

They do not target Saber, and for good reason: obviously, Archer interfered. Rage fills her veins as she turns to the bottom of the hill and tries to locate him, but he is shooting from even further than that.

After a few waves, there is a pause and Assassin stares at her. His kimono took some damage but he seems unharmed.

"Is this your doing? A backup plan, perhaps?"

"Of course not! I would dishonor myself as a knight if I had to use such trickeries."

He closes his eyes, visibly saddened.

"I believe you. However, I cannot leave these stairs. I will fight you with this Servant firing at me."

As he readies himself again, Saber shakes her head.

"I shall not face you in these conditions. In that case-"

Both freeze. The amount of energy coming from the direction of the first arrows is gigantic. Archer is preparing a Noble Phantasm.

"Turn to spirit form, he won't be able to aim! I am going to locate him and we will finish our duel later!"

Assassin nods silently, his eyes locked on the energy source.

"Thank you, for now."

-.-.-.-

"Archer? Archer? What's happening?"

Ignoring his Master's voice, he projects a twisted sword.

"I am the bone of my sword."

If Saber can't see the danger and dodge it, well, too bad for her. He places the sword on his bow and focuses. The samurai is about to vanish, and she is starting to run away. Turning into spirit form won't save him against this kind of attack.

"Kalad-"

Focusing. Picturing the arrow hitting the spot Assassin is on. He will vanish in an instant, but that matter is irrelevant in Archer's timeframe. Turning himself into the arrow, he reaches the point where he cannot miss.

"Bolg!"

The sword is shot with insane speed and power.

-.-.-.-

Trying to save an enemy is something she should despise, but she cannot tolerate a cowardly intervention in a duel.

She sees the arrow and accelerates down the stairs. She only has the time to think about how powerful it looks before it lands above her. Assassin is in spirit form so he should-

The arrow explodes and time itself seems to slow down. The shockwave takes her from that far away and sends her flying. Pain and heat assault her body as she crashes two sets of stairs below. She raises herself with a groan and looks behind her.

A large hole has replaced the spot she was fighting on a minute ago. Its shape covers a full set of stairs and a good chunk of the forest around it. Assassin is nowhere in sight, but she doubts he survived that. She would not have done so herself.

Her rage brings back her spirit, and she quickly regenerates her wounds while standing up. The shots made her locate her "ally", but if he ran away, she won't catch up on him. She still puts energy into her legs and chases after him.

He is standing where she thought he was, on a nearby rooftop. She jumps on it and faces him. His bow is still in his hands but he is not ready to shoot.

"That makes one less."

He snickers after saying that. The sword she has kept in hand is pointed at his face.

"Why did you interfere?"

"Isn't it obvious? There was an opportunity to shoot an enemy down, and I took it. As an ally, you should be satisfied with that outcome."

She lowers her body, ready to strike if he displeases her.

"You almost killed me along, and interrupted a fair fight. As a knight Servant, I ask you. Where lies your honor?"

That makes him laugh. A cold, emotionless laugh, that sends shivers down her spine.

"Honor? I never needed honor. It only brings more enemies and troublesome situations."

His smirk turns disdainful.

"I leave it to idiots like most of my fellow Servants, especially the knights. Death isn't honorable. Never been, never will, Saber."

That only increases her rage.

"I will hear no more. Stop insulting what I stand for."

"Or what? Did honor ever bring you happiness, king?"

That does it. She rushes at him, and he barely has the time to summon his twin swords. He steps back but parries her attack without much trouble.

"Who are you, Archer?"

"It doesn't matter. But you- ugh!"

He kicks her stomach, which makes her fly towards the street below. She lands on her feet, and he jumps down to face her again.

"You are too exhausted to fight me, but if you desire to finally act according to your emotions, I will be glad to bring back some common sense to your head."

She feels heavy. The fights against Rider and Assassin were intense, and his arrow was not without effect either. At this moment, though, she does not care. For some reason, everything that this man says has a great impact on her. It feels like an old wound reopening.

"To judge me, you, the one who shoots busy enemies from far away? I cannot believe I ever allowed you near my Master."

"I killed our mutual enemy. I knew that you would escape the arrow, and everything turned out for the better, didn't it?"

She dashes and their swords collide again. As skillful as he is, an archer cannot hope to match her in swordfight, but he defends well and keeps her away with his dual swords. After a few hits, she manages to break one, but he instantly casts it again and goes for her throat. She steps back.

"Projection...?"

It has to be it. A Servant normally cannot regenerate their weapons like that.

"I ask you again, Archer. Who are you?"

"I am nobody. You, on the other hand, did not answer my question. What did honor bring you, exactly?"

She freezes and he attacks her mercilessly. She only defends against his rushdown out of instinct. His loud voice is a mix of mockery and anger.

"What if Assassin had defeated you in that 'honorable' battle? Your Master would have lost while you were stubbornly using your pride as a banner!"

She breaks his swords again, but they keep coming back. His words hurt her more than any attack he launches. He pushes her away and looks down on her.

"Ridiculous. Even I could defeat you in your state. Keep your honor and your selfish wish, drown in them and die desperate along with what you call your Master."

Her rage intensifies. "Do not... insult... my Master!"

She readies her sword. This alliance never was a good idea, and the man facing her is her natural enemy. That is what she would like to believe, but why do his words echo so much in her head? No one should be able to have this effect on her.

"You lost your humanity, your people, and your mentality will make you lose this war too."

"Stop..."

She says so in a small voice, feeling like a child being lectured. Archer looks behind her shoulder and sighs.

"Fun is over, I guess."

INTERLUDE OUT

Rin stormed into my room and told me to follow her. Apparently, Archer went far beyond what he was supposed to do. I didn't even know she had sent him.

We dash through the empty streets, and the scenery awaiting us is the last one I was expecting. Saber and Archer are fighting each other. There are no possible doubts and her state seems much worse than his. They stop when seeing us and I run to her.

"Saber!"

I step in front of her, facing Archer. Her voice is oddly weak.

"Ben... what are you doing here?"

"What are you doing? Fighting our ally?"

I wish she had taken him out while being at it, but this is still bad. Rin walks to her own Servant.

"Archer, explain yourself."

He casts off his swords and adopts a bored, insolent attitude.

"We killed Assassin."

Rin and I look behind him and I put my hand to my mouth. A huge crater covers a quarter of the staircase leading to Ryudou temple. Saber shakes. At first I naively think she's cold, but she's actually containing her rage.

"I fought Assassin as I was supposed to, but Archer felt as it would quicker to defeat both of us with an exploding arrow."

I look at Archer in disbelief. "What!?"

"I knew that Saber would escape it, and she did. Assassin was about to release a powerful blow, and basic arrows were not enough to take him down. Aren't you glad we are victorious, Saber's Master?"

I walk to him and shout directly at his face, blinded by anger.

"You put her in danger during a duel and you expect me to approve of it?"

His glare would terrify me without the adrenaline rush in my veins.

"I don't need your approval. There was a battle and we won it. Go hide behind your boundary fields and lies if you aren't happy with what a war is about."

Rin separates us and speaks up.

"Stop it, both of you. Archer, it doesn't explain why you were fighting Saber."

"She attacked me. I showed no enmity after killing Assassin, and I could have shot her fifty times in the amount of time it took her to reach me."

He snickers. "Still, she was as angry as this boy and rushed at me, so I had to defend myself."

I turn to Saber. "Your version?"

She looks at us all, apparently ashamed.

"I attacked Archer. If you wish to punish me, Master, I will accept it."

I shake my head. "There's no way I would do that. Now, Rin."

I glare at her. "Your Servant used a Noble Phantasm and almost killed mine. Was that your plan all along? Did you wish for that explosion to take her out too?"

She returns the favor in kind.

"I didn't, and I'm really mad that you would think that! I did tell him to take any opportunity he could to kill an enemy. He followed his orders but went overboard. Archer, I told you not to shoot Saber."

"I didn't aim at her, otherwise Assassin would be alive, not her."

Rin makes a pained face.

"Don't play around, you knew that this would happen."

"I thought that she would be able to understand, but I have already discussed that topic with her."

He glances at Saber, who steps back. What happened between them?

"Rin, you threatened me to break our alliance earlier, and I'm afraid I will have to do the same if you can't control your Servant."

She nods. "It's only fair. Do you still want to cooperate with us?"

The big question. I feel like everyone is waiting for my decision.

What if I refused? Rin could just order Archer to kill me where I stand. I doubt Saber could react in her current state. It takes me a bit of time, but I manage to find an answer.

"Archer overdid it but I believe your words. Saber overreacted too. My condition is that you talk with him for this situation not to happen again while we're allies. I'll do the same, obviously."

She smiles. "Okay. Let's leave before every Servant in town runs after us. We should spend the night in my mansion."

I raise an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because if Caster is up there, she'll have us followed for sure. It's better if she has less chances of figuring out where our base is. I doubt Ilyasviel will show up anyway. My house has all the necessary protections."

Archer looks at Saber funnily and vanishes. I sigh.

"What an evening..."

We walk to Rin's mansion. Saber stays at my side, and I feel like she's unusually tired.

-.-.-.-

"Here's the guest room."

Rin grins mischievously. It's a bed for two people... Saber nods.

"We shall spend the night in this room, then."

"All right! You two sleep well, Archer is on watch as a punishment. Good night!"

She leaves and slams the door with a laugh. I'm about to complain to Saber for her quick decision, but that changes when I see the look on her face.

"Saber?"

She looks tired and lost, almost depressed. I'm really worried about what Archer said.

"I will stand by the door, Master."

"Of course not. The bed is big enough, and you need some rest as much as I do."

She blushes. "Ah... Thanks."

I decide to stay fully clothed save for my coat, and she just undoes her hair before going under the blankets.

I said that with assurance but now that she's that close, the situation is embarrassing. We both lay on our backs and look at the ceiling. The silence is heavy and sleep doesn't come at all.

"Ben."

"Yeah?"

"Have I deceived you?"

"Why would you even think that?"

Her voice echoes with shame.

"I attacked our ally, acted on my own, forced my desire onto you and made you expose yourself when you and Rin ran to us."

I sigh. "You were stubborn but Archer did shoot first. I can't blame you for that... I was very mad too."

"I did not attack him because of that arrow. It was more the fact that he mocked my honor as a knight."

"He did?"

She nods slowly. "I was more angered by my unfinished duel with Assassin than Archer's attack. He told me that my oath was misplaced, as I could have lost on my own."

This is a trippy subject. I turn my head to my right side, and I see her looking at me under the moonlight. Her emerald eyes are fascinating.

"Saber... I would have approved of his move if it hadn't been a global attack that had hurt you. Plus I'm sure he intended to damage you as well. He's an enemy."

She makes a difficult expression.

"I... understand. Objectively, Archer's move was the most efficient. I still cannot approve of it from the bottom of my heart. He kept trying to question who I was, and I lost my nerve. I owe you an apology."

"I want to win this war, Saber, but I don't want to dishonor you either. We will find a way to victory by ourselves."

I temper my voice to a whisper. "I accepted to maintain our alliance mainly because Archer was standing a meter away and would've cut my head off as soon as he could have, but we will fight on your own soon enough. I promise."

She smiles weakly.

"Thank you. I do not know who that Servant is, but he seems to know me well, and I dislike the way he treats me greatly."

"It's weird. We shall investigate on this too. How are your wounds?"

"I only was blown away by the wave of the explosion, thus I was able to regenerate entirely. As for my wound from Gae Bolg, it is healed."

She's playing tough. "You still look weak to me."

A blush. "I... It is just that I fought three times, and my energy is not at its peak. It will replenish before tomorrow."

"Okay then. I will conduct a bit more prana into our link before sleeping, so it should help."

"I understand. Please stay focused even while sleeping. I do not trust this place."

How can I even do that? I refrain a laugh before turning to my side, back to her for the safest position. Soon after that, I feel a very light touch on my back, and my heart jumps.

"You came to my rescue. Thank you, Master."

The hand retreats. There is nothing to answer, and I make sure that I'll remember every second of that small moment. Sleep takes us right after that.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

To be continued in Day 4 - The Holy Sword

"Saber... It has been ten years, but only an instant for you."

"I warned you, Shinji."

"Destroying yourself for defense? That is quite ironic."

"It's my duty as a Magus... and a sister."