This world wasn't the way it should be.
I –m t-e –o- -f m- swo-.
All around him, he could see it.
From atop a hill of swords, blood splattered across the dying grass, anyone could.
A desolate field of devastation; a graveyard of blades meant for him.
And there he was.
His body destroyed, pierced with countless weapons; it was hid blood that stained this place.
And yet, even as he lay there dying, he looked up, barely able to move.
He spoke, but no words came out; he mouthed words, but could not speak them.
Was he begging, pleading to live? To be able to save just one more life?
Or, perhaps, was he greeting Death as it came for him after so many years?
He could not tell.
However, on this graveyard of blades, one thing was clear.
This man was dying, but he was dying with a smile.
...What an absolute fool.
February 3rd
"Gah..."
Splashing cold water on my face, I coughed.
That... Was not Saber's life.
Looking into the mirror, I scowled. We met once, twice if you count him standing over my (technically) dead body.
How the HELL was he already effecting me? The merging process...
"Calm... Down..."
Unclenching my hands, I saw the blood on my nails.
"In through the nose," I muttered, "Out through the mouth..."
A few minutes later, my breathing regular and controlled, I walked away from the sink.
"Master. Are you alright?"
I jumped a bit when I heard Saber.
God... Getting used to living with another person is going to be tough.
"I'm fine. Just... Another nightmare." I started walking to the kitchen. A quick glance at the clock and, yup. Four in the morning. I got, what, two hours of sleep?
Great. Just- Just great.
After a moment, I felt her hand rest on my shoulder.
"...Spar with me."
I paused.
"What good would that do?" I scoffed. "Near any Servant of the Sword could crush me in an instant with their eyes shut. Against you, I'd never stand even that long."
"The purpose of it is not to win, Master." Saber stood a little straighter. Across the bond, she felt... Melancholy? Nostalgic? I suppose those work.
"...Fine. We'll fight."
It broke.
She's wielding a god damn Shinai, and she broke my Traced Oni-Hone.
Christ... I really am dealing with a Servant, aren't I?
There's a difference in theory and the real thing, isn't there...?
Well, it doesn't matter.
Saber has one weapon, and can't summon others. Me?
I am a living weapon.
"Trace- GUGH!"
Clutching my stomach, I dropped to the ground, the impact zone from Saber's attack screaming.
"I- I can taste my spleen...!"
Slowly, I forced myself to my feet.
Saber... Doesn't look amused.
"Master... Talking in the middle of a battle is not the wisest course of action."
"F-Fair point..."
Inhale, exhale... Now...
I'll admit, Saber's face contorting in disgust as she watched was rather entertaining. What was she watching, you might ask?
As I slid my hand across my stomach, she skin bent, giving way but not breaking as the tips of my fingers grabbed onto the dislocated ribs and, with sickening crunch, slid them back in place.
A few more breaths, and I was ready to continue.
"Master, was that... Necessary?"
"No," I admitted. "But my healing works faster if the bone is in the right spot, so it was more efficient that way."
Wordlessly, another Traced copy of Oni-Hone appeared in my hand.
"Shall we?"
Saber thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.
"That's enough for today. I must say, what you lack in other regards, you make up for in tenacity."
I chuckled.
"That's the nicest way anybody's called me stubborn." Oni-Hone faded into motes of light. "Apparently, though, it wasn't enough to even scratch your armor."
"To compare a human, however gifted they may be, to a Servant would be folly, Master."
"Shirou." I grinned. "Being called Master by someone clearly my superior in so many regards is... Discomforting. It'd be like me calling you 'Servant' all the time. When we're out of combat, just Shirou'll do."
I offered my hand to her.
She looked at it for a moment, before smiling and shaking it.
"So be it... Shirou. Now... I do believe it is almost time to prepare food."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Of course."
Alaya was, clearly, screwing with him.
This world... It was so close to what he sought, but he knew this wasn't it. The Shirou was wrong, not to mention that he'd nailed Lancer with Hrunting, and he'd just joined an alliance with this world's Shirou and Saber.
That bit, in itself, would not be a problem if it weren't for the fact that Berserker didn't attack.
Whatever this world's Shirou had done, it had far more effects than he'd previously thought.
If something as important as Berserker attacking had been changed, what else was different?
Archer didn't know. But one thing he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was that this Emiya Shirou was infinitely similar, and yet infinitely different from him.
That dream...
Archer scowled. Servants aren't supposed to dream, so why?
Why, for the first time in Gaia knows how long, did EMIYA Shirou dream of something more than swords?
"Good morning, Emiya-kun."
"Good morning, Tohs- Wait a minute."
I frowned deeply.
"Why are you in my kitchen?"
She scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? I began preparing breakfast, given that you were preoccupied with being beaten by your Servant."
"...No, you're absolutely correct. I worded that improperly. To rephrase my question, why, as a guest, are you preparing the food, instead of informing me that you had arrived?"
"...Ah." She nodded once. "Good point, Emiya-kun. I rang the doorbell several times, but there was no answer, so I let myself in. You understand, I'm sure."
"You don't have a key."
"No. No I don't."
"...Did you have Archer come astralize, reform inside, and unlock it from there?"
"You're very sharp, Emiya-kun. I'm surprised."
...I'm not sure why, but that statement felt offensive.
Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to let me help?"
"No, I'm fine."
...
"Did I do something to make you angry?" I asked cautiously. "You sound angry."
There is a single twitch from the girl, and I realize something.
There is actual killing intent in this room right now.
It felt vaguely like I had just kicked a sleeping dragon right in the snout.
"Angry?"
Glancing down at her hands, I saw that her knuckles were white from clutching the pan.
"Now, Emiya-kun, why in the world would I be angry?"
Letting go of the potential murder weapon, she slowly turned around, clasping her hands behind her back and giving me her most pleasant smile.
"I, uh... Uh..." Fumbling for words, I spit out, "Whatever I did, I'm really, really sorry, so please don't be angry!"
To be frank, that smile was infinitely more terrifying than even Lancer's Gae Bolg, and it had the same sort of aura, as if that smile somehow promised death as surely as that red lance.
"Oh, no, it's nothing you did," she said pleasantly. "Rather, it's something in the book you gave me."
...Oh. OH. OH.
"You see, I didn't sleep last night," she explained. "I read the entire journal, cover-to-cover, three times, just to try and make sense of it. But, you see, the last few pages? You know, the ones the Magus Killer wrote after he adopted you?"
"...You're... Not gonna hit me, are you?"
Rin pulled out the journal and slammed it into the counter with enough force that it sounded like a gunshot, her face contorted in rage.
"What the HELL is this BULL about a CORRUPTED GRAIL!?"
I flinched, instinctually taking a step back.
"I-"
"And all of this, explaining it?" She completely disregarded that I spoke, opening the book to a certain page in the first try, as if she'd already done it so many times it was ingrained into muscle memory. "The Avenger class of Servant, summoned by the Einzbern in the Third Holy Grail War? Angra Mainyu?"
She pulled out another book, holding it up.
"This? It's a book on Zoroastrianism. In it, is says that Angra Mainyu is the name of the ultimate enemy, the manifestation of all evils of this world."
"...Rin, I think you need to take a nap. You're not you when you're tir-"
"NO!" She was scowling, anger flooding her features. "You said you wanted me to reach the end of the War with you. Then, you pretty much tell me that this entire War is a farce."
"I wasn-"
"I'm not done."
Her expression went cold.
"According to this, the Grail War, something that my family help create, something that I have spent my whole life preparing for, is something that must be destroyed without leaving a trace, or the entire world will be destroyed. Explain to me, exactly how you thought I'd feel about this."
"...Would you prefer I kept it to myself?" I asked quietly. "That... That I just wait until the end, where the War is over, and we've stained our hands with blood to get it, only for me to tell you, at the moment of your victory, that all you won was a sickening insult to everything your family has worked for?"
Rin clenched her hands tightly, her jaw set.
"...And if I said I did prefer it that way?"
"You'd be lying through your teeth."
I looked to the side.
"My father discovered the darkness, the evil within the Grail. When he found out about it, he was cursed. The Grail killed him." I could feel the blood pooling in my clenched fists, seeping underneath my fingernails. "Then... That man, that sickening, disgusting excuse for a human used it, knowing what it was."
I shut my eyes, remembering what was there.
Those people, the orphans of the flames, burned alive and without anything left in their world. It was his fault. Everything was his fault.
"HE started the Fuyuki Fire. HE used his wish upon the Grail to kill countless people, to orphan and burn alive men, women, and children. HE adoptedthose kids into the church according to the paperwork, but where are they?"
Now, it was Rin's turn to be taken aback.
"I told you that my power was to Structurally Grasp that which I touch; to be able to feel what it is, to even tell its history. And let me tell you, right now, that if I ever walk in that church again, I will destroy it. I will raze it to the ground, I will leave nothing behind, and I will kill that disgusting abomination of a man, and if he survives, I'll kill him again, and again, and again, until he stays dead."
Holding my hands up to my face, I watched as my fingers slid out of the flesh, and as that flesh sewed itself shut.
"I will never forgive him for what he did. For killing countless people... For killing the one known as 'Emiya Shirou.' For him there is no absolution. He alone is undeserving of Salvation.
"I will kill Kotomine Kirei. This will be my payment to the people who died screaming, their skin bubbling and blood boiling, in the flames that HE birthed into this world."
I looked to Rin, and she flinched.
"If this bothers you, tell me. I won't hold it against you if you left without another word, but I won't turn away. I will kill Kotomine Kirei and destroy the Corrupted Grail, and no matter what, I will not regret. This is the only path before me."
Rin was silent for a moment, then two.
Finally...
"...Tch. You really know how to take away my choices, don't you Emiya-kun?" Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood tall as she looked at me. "As Second Owner of Fuyuki City, I can't allow something like this Angra Mainyu exist on my grounds. If what is said in this book is true... Then I will help you to destroy the Greater Holy Grail."
At that, I let out a breath I'd hardly noticed I'd been holding, relief flooding my body.
"Thanks."
I looked over my shoulder, looking at the Servant behind me, sitting stock-still at the table.
She was silent; throughout it all, she hadn't even spoken a word. However, across the bond, I felt it. Her emotions were uncountable; to list all of them would take the better part of a week. However, three stood out, louder than all the rest.
She felt Anger.
She felt Sorrow.
She felt Despair.
There was a part of me that didn't want this, that is screaming that I'm an idiot for telling them all of this.
In the end, though, do I have a choice? This isn't just some game where everything resolves itself with a neat little bow at the end, and I don't have the power to just wake up from a Dead End after a neat little Tiger Dojo.
"So, Archer. Do you have a problem with this at all, knowing that your wish won't be granted by the Grail?"
Rin spoke and, with a pulse of power, the red-cloaked Servant of the Bow appeared.
"...I suppose I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he said with a wry smile. "In the end, my wish can not be granted in this world. However, as Rin said, this Corrupted Grail can not be left alone. The only question is... How do we destroy such a thing?"
"...I am capable of that."
From behind me, Saber spoke softly.
"My Noble Phantasm is powerful enough to destroy even the Holy Grail," she said in a muted tone. "But... To think that the Holy Grail has been corrupted... And you're completely sure of this?"
"I was there," I said, nodding. "I survived the fire, and watched father die slowly and painfully from the Grail's curse after he tried to reject it. I have very little doubt about this."
"Then what's our plan of attack?" Rin asked.
I scratched the back of my head.
"...Honestly? I'm not 100% sure. The Greater Grail should, according to father's notes, manifest in the tunnels under the Ryoudou Temple. There's just one problem with that."
"You said Caster made her base at Ryoudou Temple," Archer said with a sigh. "If there's one class that you don't want to fight on their terms..."
"Exactly. Knowing what we need to do is fine, but this isn't any different from 'kill all enemy Servants' in the first place, so one could hardly call this progress," I muttered, annoyed.
"I disagree," Saber said firmly. "We have knowledge of the goal we seek, and what we must do to achieve it. This way... Even if it is only a single step, it is still a step forward nonetheless, and invariably that is still something to be proud of."
"Heh. Saber's right, Emiya-kun," Rin said wryly. "I never took you, of all people, to be a pessimist."
"Oh, hush," I said, flushing. "What I meant is that we're still stuck between a rock and a hard place, and you can't deny that much. Unless your Archer can snipe a Caster from three kilometers away, without obliterating the entire Ryoudou Temple, we're still stuck."
"As a Saber, my Magical Resistance is without peer," Saber interjected pridefully. "Surely, between myself and Archer, Caster would stand little chance if we organized a proper assault."
"Yeah, other than the fact that the Temple is the perfect example of a hedgehog's defense maneuver." Running my hand through my hair, I continued, "What that means, is that if we attempt to attack it, the costs will be incredibly high for us due to the defenses established. If we attack from any path but the front..."
"The Temple's defenses will drain the power of any spiritual beings like Servants," Rin finished. "And attacking the front is exactly what Caster would be prepared for, making it incredibly dangerous in itself."
"So we must either fight her on her terms, or not at all." Archer sighed. "How troublesome. So what should we do?"
"And that, I'm afraid, is precisely my point," I replied. "We have our options, but none of them will result in anything but our slaughter. There's nothing to do until a better opportunity arises. Until then..."
"We wait, keep watch, and learn as much as we can about Caster," Rin concluded with a sigh. "In short, as Emiya-kun said earlier... Exactly where we started."
I scoffed. "See? I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist."
"Uh huh," Rin said. "That's what they all say."
"...Grumble, grumble..."
"...Did you actually just whisper the word 'grumble'?"
"No, I grumbled it!... Stop laughing!"
After the impromptu strategy meeting, Rin went back to the kitchen to continue cooking. From the smell, I would guess that she's a great cook, but there's just something innately wrong to me for other people to be cooking food when I can do it.
Whatever, though. That's not the important part.
The important thing is verifying that I am, in fact, ready.
Berserker didn't attack last night.
The Holy Grail War is not going to follow the course I know. I need to be prepared for anything.
And that means...
"Aaaaand... Wrapped up tight."
With the blade in hand, I began to focus on 'Understanding' its existence.
However, every time I tried, something stopped me.
Dark magenta cloth wrapped around every visible inch of the weapon, from hilt to tip. Over every inch of the cloth was my Magnum Opus; the highest level of Runecraft I'd ever managed to reach.
Anything wrapped within this cloth could not be seen through any means. It could not be recognized, it could not be Structurally Grasped, and not even Archer's eyes could learn the identity of this weapon so long as the cloth lay between him and the sword.
Three years, I spent on this. Three years to mimic the effects of 'For Another's Glory,' Noble Phantasm of Lancelot du Loc.
A few more years, and I might figure out how to make it strong enough to defend against other Noble Phantasms, but that's a ways away. Besides, if I get into a fight with a Servant, I want the cloth off anyway.
Whatever the case, I sighed in relief.
Four weapons.
If things go from bad to worse, I'll need them...
"Master, Rin sent me. It's time to patrol."
Saber spoke from behind the door of the shed.
Didn't I tell her to call me by name...?
"Alright. I'll be out in a moment."
Picking up the four magenta bundles, I slung them over my back.
I honestly don't know who I'll encounter tonight. I don't know what's going to happen, and that terrifies me.
So why is it, that I can't stop smiling...?
"What are those?"
That was, of course, the first question asked during the patrol.
"A failsafe," I replied, adjusting the magenta straps. "I'd tell you, but even a Thaumaturge has his secrets."
Rin pouted.
"Fine, fine. I won't ask further... But they don't look like much."
"Neither do your jewelry, but I can smell the power in your necklace from forty meters."
"Touché, Emiya-kun. Should we split up, then?"
I looked ahead.
We're not too far from the bridge... About halfway between it and my house.
"We'd scout more if we did, but what if one of us is in trouble?"
"Then the other will come to wherever things are exploding," Rin replied dryly. "Servant battles tend not to be the most subtle of things, you know."
"...I'll ignore the insulting overtones in that and just say agree. I'll take south-west, while you take southeast? It'll be easier to get to the other if we don't head in opposite directions."
"Aww, is little Emiya-kun worried about me?" Rin teased. "I promise not to stray too far. Satisfied?"
"...I kinda meant I want Archer ready to snipe whoever attacks me, but I guess I could rush to save your, admittedly shapely, rear if you were in trouble," I retorted with a shrug. "Saber? Let's get going."
"W-Wha-" Tohsaka was red in the face. "Hey, get back here Emiya!"
"And get thwacked in the head?" I laughed. "No thanks!"
Moving quickly, with Reinforcement, we were out of line of sight quickly, houses blurring as we sped past and, in many cases, over them.
However, the further we went, the more uneasy I got.
I can't help but wonder, is this a gut feeling that something's gonna go wrong, or did I get too used to knowing what would happen before it did?
Whatever the case, my guard was up.
We spent a good few minutes jumping around the roofs of buildings, trying to get a good view around us.
Unfortunately, our eyes picked up nothing, and in ten minutes, we'd reached the edge of where I was willing to patrol; close to the school, and the just shy of the path to the Temple.
Silence.
Sighing, I raised a single fist, gesturing for Saber to stop.
"I need a momentary break." I looked around, my eyes setting on a nearby building. "Get up there; check for enemies."
"Are you sure?" Saber sounded concerned. "If Assassin were to attack-"
"It's fine. Even if I'm killed, I won't die, so it'll be fine." I pointed to the building. "Check and come back."
"...Yes, Master."
She bounded off quickly, leaving me alone.
"...I can smell you, and your Servant too, y'know," I said softly. "Even in spirit form, that stench of death and madness is impossible to mistake."
Smiling at the girl behind the tree, I said,
"Now, what can I do for my little sister tonight?"
Slowly, Ilya came out and into sight.
She... Looks ragged. Not in her clothes, her hair, or even in body; she seems pristine in all those regards.
It's her eyes. She looks like she hasn't slept in days.
"Hello, Onii-chan," she greets, smiling broadly. "This is the second time we meet, isn't it?"
However, compared to the flame of the smile she gave on the night we met, this wasn't even a candle.
"So, here to kill me?" I asked, looking up at where Saber was. Still scouting; good. "I'm afraid if you and Berserker want me dead, I won't be able to just roll over and be done with it."
"Psh, there's no Servant out there that could beat my Berserker," she said, her eyes brightening. "My Servant is the greatest hero of Greece, after all."
"Ooh... That's a pretty good one," I said with a chuckle and a nod. "Heracles, the man who cleaned the Aegean stables with a pair of rivers, and once wrestled the Nemean Lion... To death.
"But..." I leaned forward, patting her on the head. "You shouldn't underestimate your brother, Ilyasviel. He's got a few tricks up his sleeve too, and a Servant to boot."
Suddenly, the soft sound of gravel under foot came from behind me.
"Ah...!"
I looked over my shoulder, smiling.
"Oh, Saber. I was just talking to my little sister." Straightening, I stood and cracked my neck. "She was saying her Berserker could beat the two of us. Do you mind showing off a bit?"
"Heh... You really are something, aren't you Onii-chan?" Ilya said with a laugh. "Alright, let's see. Berserker...
"Show me what he's made of."
For a brief instant, I internally chuckled at her wordplay.
In the next instant, my entire body was screaming as every Runic array within activated at once, surging my body with enough energy to move as Berserker appeared.
I thought the feeling of his astralized form was bad. Being near it was like walking through a blood-stained battlefield where two armies had met, and no survivors were left. It was like choking on blood, death, and your own tears, all at once.
As Berserker appeared, manifesting his form, it was terrifying. His mere existence in my presence was enough that I thought I'd already died.
I rolled across the ground, the energy fueling it lessening.
It was difficult, but still possible to control it, that fear and absolute terror instilled by this giant.
Then, he roared, and I was killed.
But, just like I told Saber...
Even if I'm killed, I won't die.
My heart was raging, my body was screaming for me to run, my mind was going blank. I could feel my heart tearing itself apart as surely as that scream tore through the heavens, but all injuries would be healed before that unattainable utopia.
Only an instant had passed, and I'd already died once.
"Shirou, run!"
Moving past me, Saber struck instantly against Berserker.
With a swing of that slab of stone, the mad titan stopped Saber's charge in an instant, and a second strike had her stepping back. The third, and she was completely on the defensive.
"Ah... See, Onii-chan?" Illyasviel smiled innocently. "I told you, didn't I? That devil Hercules is truly unmatched by any other Servant that could be summoned."
"Maybe so," I said, shrugging. "But Ilya, in War, it's insulting to the other person if you try to play fair. Playing fair means that you aren't trying your absolute hardest to kill them, and that's not very respectful."
In that moment, Ilya looked at me like I was a total idiot.
"But... I'm not playing fair. Berserker is the most powerful Servant."
"No, no, that's not what I meant."
I stood up, pulling off one of the purple bundles from my shoulder.
"What I mean, is that I'm not going to be playing fair."
With that, I started walking.
"Trace... On."
In the confines of my mind, there was a voice.
It wanted me to run away, leave everything to Saber, to not even get close to that impossible titan.
However, pulling at the purple cloth, a second presence began to whisper to me.
It told me, no matter what, so long as this blade is in my hands...
All Force Shall Be Slain.
"Wake up... ASCALON!"
A/N: Well, that took longer than expected. A few things happened this chapter, like Rin and Saber learning about the corrupt Grail, Archer dreaming of something more than swords, and Jumper's first experience in terms of synchronizing with Archer.
A battle plan is made, Caster stands as a menacing Big Bad Evil Girl, and against Berserker, one of the four weapons found in the river Mion makes its appearance. In the hands of a human, will that blade change the course of the battle between titans?
I dunno. I haven't written that part yet.
Anyway, on to the reviews!
The first one is from Ori. You were, as you can see, correct about the journal talking about the corrupt Grail. Hopefully, I didn't mess up the characterization in that scene...
As for Saber, she was definitely surprised by Gilgamesh still being alive. In exchange for the dynamic ending though, I kinda cut off how Jumper 'knows' he's alive, but that'll actually be explained soon enough...
Lastly, Shirou and Archer are synchronizing a little faster than Jumper expected, which is because he already knows Archer's identity and how they're connected. They're both dreaming about the other's existence, which is why Jumper saw a hill covered in swords, while Archer saw something... Different.
As for using Runes to accelerate the process further, that is unfortunately impossible for Jumper without using Runecraft directly onto Archer, a Servant with Magic Resistance, even if it is of a low Rank. The only thing he can do right now is sit back and enjoy the distorted ride that is Archer's fall from the path of Justice.
Finally, for Archer gaining Jumper's abilities... We'll have to wait and see what happens for that one, I think.
The next reviewer, Edus, commented on Lancer's Personal Skill 'Protection from Arrows.' This is a reasonable query, given that Hrunting was in arrow form, but Lancer made a mistake while trying to escape.
His Skill allows him protection from arrows if he can see where it's coming from. Against Hrunting, which can change direction in mid-air, this would not normally be a problem, as long as he keeps it in sight. However, Archer fired two arrows, and to deflect the second one, Lancer turned his back to Hrunting, thus rendering his Skill powerless to save him from the blade.
...Or, at least, I'm pretty sure that's how it works. If I'm misreading it, it'd be nice if someone could point that out to me.
Other than that last bit, that's all the questions, and all that's left for this chapter is to give information on Ascalon. Check that out (and where it came from, if you didn't already figure it out) down below.
Review, favorite, follow, or do whatever; I'll see you guys in the next chapter!
Ascalon – The Blessed Sword By Which Force Is Slain (Anti-Unit) B:
Ascalon is the blade of Saint George, or The Dragon-Slaying Saint. George is a saint of the Catholic Church whose main stories are the Golden Legend, a collection of legends on saints, and in the Seven Champions of Christendom. In the Seven Champions of Christendom, Ascalon is the blade gifted to Saint George by an evil witch who had kidnapped and raised him. It was used to to slay a dragon and save a princess during the time he spent in Egypt.
Ascalon itself is a powerful blade called 'invincible'. However, its invincibility does not come from any ability to defeat foes, but from its capacity to protect its wielder from all harm. However, if one were to reverse its protective power, it can become a sword that pierces through any kind of armor. Unfortunately, this power is unavailable to anyone but Ascalon's true owner.
Ascalon was scavenged from the bottom of the river Mion, where it had been lodged ever since it was fired from the Gates of Babylon at the abomination Caster had summoned in the previous Holy Grail War, along with three other Noble Phantasms.