A note!
Hello everybody! Here's the next chapter... later than promised but still earlier than expected. Let's be honest, how many of you believed this thing was going to be out six to twenty months from now? Jokes aside, I wanted to finish and post this before Feb ended. I'm only off by three hours. Damn.
In other news, ToS fans rejoice! And be afraid! Someone drew upon the deepest, darkest, dankest, and most sacrilegious of magicks and dragged this thing out of the great abyss itself. That's right, someone actually requested ToS be revived. For three whole chapters!
Don't know what I'm talking about? That's probably for the best.
Anyways, here's the next chapter. Wanted to do more but ran out of words. Next chapter though... Ooo.
On with the show!
Chapter Seven
Check
The only sound being made within the room was the clattering of porcelain against wood and Taiga's hard breathing. The tension was thick and no one dared to break it. Sakura looked around, unsure of what to do or say. Rin sipped her tea and pretended all was right in the world. Shirou sat at the table in seiza, like a man who had accepted his sins and was ready for the chopping block.
The silver haired woman continued to stare at one corner of the room. They ignored her.
"So…" Taiga eventually breathed out. There was a lot of heat coming out of that sigh. "Shirou. Is there anything you'd like to say?"
He had a conflicted expression— one where he had swallowed a whole lemon. His eyes shifted to Sakura and Rin, debating where he should start. "There… were some things I needed to take care of. I couldn't leave them be. Sakura will be staying here for the next week or two. I already talked to her grandfather about it. And Rin… I can't exactly turn her away. I owe her for helping me out for the past couple of days."
Rin's brow twitched. Help him out? Was he referring to babysitting him through this Holy Grail War or was he referring to having to babysit his pet goddess? Either way, Rin felt like she wasn't being paid enough. Room and board was going to be the bare minimum she will ring out of him. She will leave Emiya Shirou like a used rag.
Taiga looked like she wanted to say something. She took another deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then released it in a single huff. Her brows were still furrowed but the fire she had been keeping lit all evening had simmered down. "Fine. I'll excuse you for coming home so late only because of Sakura-chan. We can talk about the rest later."
"Sure," he accepted with an uneasy smile belonging to a man whose execution was postponed due to bad weather. He turned to Rin, "Tohsaka-san, how long do you think you'll be staying for?"
"Until matters on my end are settled," she gave an immediate answer. Hopefully the idiot will understand what she was implying. Then again… "I'd like to have everything sorted out by the end of the week. Once I talk to the right people and make sure I can rest easy, I'll be out of your hair. Thank you for putting up with me."
She gave her sweetest smile for him.
"It's no problem," he put up a hand. "But I do have a couple of rules you'll need to follow."
"Of course," she said in a simple tone. "I don't plan on freeloading here."
"My hands are a little tied at the moment," he began as his eyes flicked towards Taiga's direction. They flicked back at Rin's before he could make full contact. "So I'm going to need you to help out around the house. Let's see…" he wrapped a few fingers under his chin. "The garden will need tending to. The mats are going to need dusting during the weekend. The halls need to be scrubbed. Laundry needs to be put out, folded, and put away. Bathrooms cleaned. The dojo needs to be maintained as well as all the equipment. Oh, and someone needs to do the cooking and cleaning in the kitchen."
Rin's brow twitched. Wasn't she supposed to be the one taking advantage of him? How careless of her to fall this far. Now he was dumping all of his chores on her.
"Hold on, Shirou," Taiga blanched. "You can't expect Tohsaka-san to do all of that while she's staying here! Have you no sympathy for the poor girl? She just lost her house!"
Shirou blinked and looked at her with his plain, clueless expression. "Huh? But those are all the things I do all the time, Fuji-nee. Someone needs to take care of the house while I'm grounded. If not me, then who?"
…Grounded. What sort of punishment forced someone to not do chores? Then again, this was the School Janitor they were talking about. Maybe Shirou was just a neat-freak.
Taiga coughed into her hand, "M-Maybe some of those things are a bit much. You should take care of the house by yourself for your guests' sakes. But let them do their own laundry."
"Does this mean I get to—"
"No," Taiga shot down whatever he was about to say.
Shirou's brows furrowed into a rather unmanly pout, "But Fuji-nee—"
"No."
"I can't treat Sakura and Tohsaka-san if—"
"I said no!" Taiga breathed fire once more. She slammed a fist onto the table, rattling everything on the table. Rin had to catch her cup before it toppled over. "Don't think I don't see what you're trying to do, mister! No means no! Sakura-chan can take care of it, or Otoko, or one of Tou-san's men. You just sit there and think about what you've done!"
Rin had no idea what they were talking about. It must have been something important because Shirou deflated. He sulked, sipped on his tea, and grumbled something under his breath.
"It's fine," Rin kept smiling and waved her hand at Taiga. "I don't mind helping out where it's needed. I can tidy up the place here and there and I happen to be a good cook."
Shirou's eyes flashed her way. A shiver swept up her spine. She almost felt threatened until she remember it was Shirou.
Taiga glanced at Rin briefly before looking at Sakura. Her expression was full of concern and sympathy, "Sakura-chan, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it but is everything okay? Should I be concerned as your teacher?"
Rin understood why Taiga looked at her in that instant. She was imposing herself during a seemingly serious moment. It hadn't been intentional; just bad timing.
"It's…" Sakura began in a small and quiet voice. Rin glanced at her and saw the plumb-haired girl averting her eyes from everyone else. Her hands were clenched under the table. It might have looked like someone who was avoiding the topic, but those hands told another story. Sakura was unsure on how to answer Taiga's question. Rin couldn't help but raise a brow.
"Shinji was being more… himself than usual," Shirou answered after Sakura's hesitation. He put in a low growl to his voice. "I spoke to Zou— to Sakura's grandfather about it. We decided it would be best she stays away until Shinji calms down."
"Shinji went that far this time?" Taiga gawked in both skepticism and disgust. Sakura lowered her gaze and Taiga assumed for herself. "I see. I'll be sure to get ahold of Matou-san tomorrow morning."
"Y-You can't!" Sakura burst out in alarm. "Grandfather… He…"
"He…?" Taiga tilted her head.
Sakura was at a loss. She looked between Taiga and Shirou. She had no idea what to say and was stammering nonsensical mumblings. Shirou showed no signs of stepping in to help her. "Grandfather… He… said he has no intention of doing anything to Shinji."
"I wouldn't have brought her here if otherwise," Shirou took this chance to grumble something.
Taiga crossed her arms with a heavy frown. "Is that how it is? I've talked to Matou-san a few times over the phone. I never would have thought he was that kind of person. Maybe it's because of his age…? Hmm. Don't worry, Sakura-chan, I'll put Shinji straight the next time I see him. You're always welcome to stay here anyways."
Sakura put up a weak smile. It looked like something given for politeness' sake. Taiga came up with her own assumption over Sakura's lack of response.
"Alright," Taiga's voice became chipper all of a sudden. She had a fierce grin as she looked over the two girls. "That's enough serious talk for now. Why don't we all get settled and talk about this all tomorrow? It's a little late to be making anything but I can order some take-out."
"Fuji-nee," Shirou spoke up. "It'll take a while for it to be delivered. You'll have to leave before it gets here. It's not safe to go out so late at night. Haven't you been watching the news lately? Someone's been going around draining people of their blood. It's sick."
Rin almost smirked.
"Shirou, Shirou," Taiga clicked her tongue and gave him a crooked grin. "Do you honestly believe I'm going to let you stay here all by yourself with two fair maidens and… that?"
She pointed at the Incarnation, who was swiping a hand at the open air as if to try and catch something. Though she couldn't see him, her bond told her Archer was in that area in his phantasmal form. The woman was trying to get his attention.
"Sakura's been staying over plenty of times without you supervising," Shirou argued back. He said it with such a straight face. A light pink rose from Sakura's cheeks. Rin couldn't deny her own were feeling warm. "If anything, you can trust Sakura to tell you if anything happens."
Taiga's eyes narrowed as she dropped her fake smile, "Shirou. It almost sounds like you're trying to get rid of me. What are you up to?"
He didn't back down, "I'm not up to anything. I'm just saying it's too late to order take-out. I don't want anyone coming down this late any more than I want you to be out there. There are some leftovers in the fridge. I can just whip them up and—"
"Ah ha!" Taiga rose to her feet and jabbed a finger in Shirou's face. His eyes widened as if he was caught red-handed. He leaned away from her but she only pushed herself closer. "I knew it! You just want me out of here so that you can use the kitchen! Shame on you, Emiya Shirou. Even going as far as to make Sakura-chan lie to me about it later. The nerve!"
There was a story there. All Rin could deduce was the face Shirou had lost his rights to be in the kitchen. Surely… this couldn't be what it meant to be grounded, did it? Cooking was as of vital importance as was cleaning. The Tiger of Fuyuki couldn't have barred him from those things… could she?
Shirou put up his hands and looked around. Sakura looked away. When his eyes met Rin's… she debated about helping her new tenant. She was crashing at his place, after all. Maybe she should help him out as down payment for the boarding.
"I happen to know a Chinese restaurant that delivers locally," Rin threw him under the bus. Let him squirm for the past few days she had to deal with him. He deserved it. "If you use my name they might give you a discount."
The look of betrayal on Shirou's face was worth it.
"Be reasonable, Emiya-kun," Rin spoke in a calm voice. "Fujimura-sensei is only taking responsibility as an adult. We're not only minors but also her students. Of course she wants to make sure we're taking care of."
Taiga placed her hands on her hips and nodded a few times with a smug smile.
"That's not the problem and you know it," his voice hardened as he glared at her.
Ah. So he was trying to get rid of her for more than his own reasons.
"Emiya-kun," she smiled back at him. "We can always talk tomorrow. It's not like our project is going anywhere."
Shirou didn't respond. He continued to glare at her and she let him.
"Oh that's right," Taiga sat back down as she addressed Rin. "You never said what it was about. I should have you know that Shirou is grounded and won't be doing any extracurricular activities after school. He's to come straight home."
"R-Really?" Rin tried her hardest to not laugh. Shirou had stopped glaring at her so she indulged Taiga with the story she and Archer came up with. "It happens to coincide with his knowledge on the layout of the school. The school guide seems to be a little out of date so I wanted Emiya-kun's assistance in helping me map out the area and find any discrepancies. Plus we can find any areas that are in need of repair and let the student council or the faculty know—"
"Fine," Shirou said suddenly. He didn't look too happy. "I can't figure out a way out of this so I don't have much of a choice. Just make sure to not take it too far."
"…What are you going on about?" Taiga asked through narrowed eyes. She jerked suddenly as her vision was covered by a pair of gloved hands from behind her.
Rin stiffened as Caster appeared and did something to Taiga. Her hands glowed and their teacher's body relaxed. Her mouth fell slack and her head swayed slightly. Caster pulled her hands away and Taiga steadily rose to her feet. Her eyes were glazed with the pupils dilated. Without a word, she exited the dining area.
"Fujimura-sensei!" Sakura cried out. Her head swiveled between their teacher and the Servant. "What did you do to her?"
"What did you do, Caster?" Shirou asked with all trace of emotion washing out of him. He sat still as he gazed up at his Servant.
"Exactly what I suggested just now," Caster answered in a casual tone. "I placed a mesmerizing charm on her. I wouldn't have had to go this far if you didn't get too greedy. You tried to sneak in some cooking into getting her to leave."
"Is it safe enough for her to drive?" Shirou asked next.
"I'm not sure," Caster admitted. At Shirou's hard frown, she put up a hand to ease him. "I only compelled her to retire for the evening. She'll be in one of the guest rooms. All of this will be like a dream to her."
"And will there be any after-effects?"
"A loss of memory. Perhaps a migraine when next she comes to."
"Loss of memory and migraine…" Shirou muttered to himself as he looked away. He stood suddenly and headed for the kitchen. "Can you do me a favor and call in Saber? I'm going to see if I can whip up something for everyone."
"Of course," Caster said with her usual smirk. She vanished in a flash of purple and silver dust.
The goddess had stopped harassing Archer. She sat with her legs under her, one hand flat on the floor, and the other resting across her lap. Her moonlit eyes were following Caster. They had been ever since she used her magic and continued to even as she was invisible.
"Sempai!" stood up and marched after Shirou. "Was it really necessary to have your Servant hypnotize Fujimura-sensei?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation. His voice was flat as he opened the fridge and started to pull containers out, stacking them on one of his arms. "There are some things that I need to talk about that she can't know. Plus… it's not safe for any of us if Fuji-nee tries to get her in pajamas."
The goddess' head turned as if sensing she was the topic of discussion. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of plastic Tupperware in his arms. She scooted herself over to the table and plopped herself down at the end at Rin's left. It was just like the other night all over again.
The last thing he pulled out was a grocery bag full of canned beverages. It took Rin a moment to realize they were a dozen cans of beer. He set everything on the counter and began to prepare to work; starting by washing his hands.
Sakura was quiet only briefly. She looked over at the goddess with both scorn and doubt before returning to Shirou's side. "Sempai… who is she? How do you know this woman? What… What is she to you?"
Shirou finished tying the apron around his back and began to pull pans from under. He paused to consider her questions. "Like I said this morning, I don't know. She doesn't have a name as far as I know. She's just some stray that comes around every now and then for food."
"But you know what she is, right?" Rin spoke up loud enough to be heard across the room. She watched as the two of them looked back at her. Sakura's gaze was hopeful for any piece of information while Shirou was… observant. Nothing more. "You mentioned it's not safe if we do something that might upset her. That implies you know what she's capable of doing."
Shirou placed the first pan on the stove but didn't move to do anything else. His eyes were locked on Rin's. She couldn't tell if he was trying to find something within her or thinking to himself.
Eventually, he had to say something. He shared a look with the Incarnation that had never stopped watching him. "I know she's dangerous. I know she's not human. And I know she can kill us if she wanted to. I don't know how something like a Servant will be against her, though."
After that, he began to cook. At the same time, Caster materialized and Saber stepped into the dining area. She kept her armor on as she took a seat at one corner of the table, in the perfect position to keep an eye on everyone. Her eyes were sharp, though she gave a nod of acknowledgement to Rin. Rin waved back politely. Caster, meanwhile, stood in the back of the room.
"But how do you know her, Sempai?" Sakura pressed on. "Where did you meet her? If she's so dangerous, why do you keep letting her stay here? All these years you've told me how often she comes… and all the times you've been so badly hurt by her…"
Years? Years?! Emiya Shirou had a goddess in his back pocket for years?! No wonder the idiot was unfazed when he was thrown into the Holy Grail War. He had already been in the presence of something equal or greater than a Servant.
"I can't stop her from coming here any more than you can," Shirou said with an incredulous tone. "She just does whatever she wants. She behaves so long as I feed her. As for how I met her…? I was just unfortunate enough to be there when she showed up."
He gave a very long and weary sigh that drained him of all his strength. His shoulders sagged and his eyes looked away from all of them and into a distant memory. He shook his head and urged himself forward with his cooking.
Sakura had no choice but to let the conversation die out from there. She was unsatisfied and it was written on her face clear enough for everyone to see. She said nothing else as she picked up a spare apron from a hanger and began to tie up her hair. Shirou only gave her a sideways glance before continuing on with his own task.
"Caster informed me your dwelling has been compromised," Saber addressed Rin once things had died down. "Was it from another Servant?"
Rin propped her elbow on the table while cupping her cheek into her palm, "Unless Assassin snuck in to plug in a toaster without an outlet." She had to say something else when Saber took it at face value. The petite swordswoman had the look of someone concocting a stratagem to avoid the same fate. "No. It was a plain, normal toaster. It was probably tucked away somewhere I would eventually forget about it. The firemen said it was the cause but I plan on doing an investigation on my own."
"Then it was by mere misfortune?" Saber inquired next.
"That, or Assassin did sneak it into my house to make it look like an accident," Rin gave a casual shrug. "Who knows? By the way, Saber, I hope there aren't any hard feelings about earlier. I already told Archer off for you."
"I have none whatsoever," Saber shook her head once. Her brows furrowed the smallest margin; it wasn't enough to crinkle her face but still gave the impression she was troubled about something. "Archer confessed to be aiming for the Rider and I will take his word for it. Will you be offering your support in the near future?"
"Naturally," Rin smiled at her. "I was the one to offer an alliance, after all. I'll make sure Archer is on his best behavior and doesn't miss his shots this time."
"Just because I said you can stay here doesn't mean I agreed to your alliance," Shirou said from over in the kitchen.
Rin stared at him for a moment. She blinked; once, twice. "What do you mean by that, Emiya-kun? I think it's perfectly clear we're in an alliance if you're allowing me to stay. You don't see me plotting to steal your Servants away from you. Saber I'd love to have but I don't think I can trust Caster."
"Don't worry," the Servant of the Spell smiled back at her with venom. "The feeling's mutual."
"I told you before, I can't see you as an enemy, Tohsaka-san," Shirou said in a friendly tone. It irritated her. "I'm sorry to hear about your house and I have no problem putting up with you for as long as you need. As for our alliance, I haven't had the chance to talk about it with Saber and Caster. I told you I would give you a definite answer tomorrow."
"This again?" she huffed, sat up, and crossed her arms. "Do you not understand the situation you're in? I could very well kill you the moment you let your guard down. We're in the middle of a war, Emiya-kun. How do you know I won't be taking advantage of your kindness if you won't accept a temporary truce?"
His golden eyes met hers without blinking. "Just like how you can't see me as a threat to you, I can't see you as one to me."
She couldn't withhold her frown. There he was being an idiot again. Caster must have healed his injuries and dispelled the effects of her Gandr spell. She also gave him all sorts of charms to enhance his physical abilities. Rin alone couldn't do anything to him. She was a hilarity compared to a creature who made their legend from magecraft.
Let's see if those same charms can protect him from Archer's Noble Phantasm.
…Scratch that. They tried it. Shirou survived and the Fuyuki Tower was grazed of its top four floors.
Dammit.
"Ahhhhhh," the goddess slammed a fist onto the table with heavy irritation. The force alone should have shattered the table as it had shaken Rin where she sat. Even Saber jerked in alarm.
"I'm working on it!" Shirou said back with a huff. "Just sit back and wait for it. It'll be done shortly."
She growled before crossing her arms over the table and letting her chin rest on the edge. She continued to stare at him while he worked.
Rin, meanwhile, fumed silently. Shirou's dismissive behavior about the war was grating. Once they dealt with the Rider, she and he would become enemies once more. Maybe if they extended their alliance to dealing with the Berserker could they cooperate longer. However, at the end of it all she would be forced to fight him— to the death if needed. Something in his mind wouldn't let him configure this idea.
What? Did he honestly think after all of this things would go back to the way they were? The both of them would be all buddy-buddy after this? What foolishness.
"Shirou," Caster called out to him. "Why are you disposing of those things?"
When next Rin looked, Shirou was popping open beer cans and flushing them down the sink. He answered over his shoulder, "Making an alibi for your hypnotism. You told me she might get a migraine, right? I'm making it look convincing."
"If you're doing that, may I have one of those for myself?"
Without a word, Shirou flung one over his shoulder. Caster caught it with both hands before popping it and taking a sip. Her lips curled with distaste but eased after the second sip.
"Shirou—" Saber began before another one was sent flying towards her. She caught it with one hand. Only a quirked brow was her reaction. "Thank you."
It was cute watching her try to figure out how to open the can. Saber tilted it sideways and tapped her gauntlet on the top. Her brows furrowed up adorably. Caster cleared her throat to get Saber's attention and mimed the action to show her. Saber nodded, dismissed her gauntlet, and used her bare fingers to crack it open. Foam fizzled out and she hurried brought it to her lips. She was able to take a much longer drink than Caster could tolerate.
"Tohsaka-san," Shirou raised another can up before addressing her, "would you like one as well?"
"I see now," Rin smirked. "So your plan was to intoxicate me all along. Get me drunk and loose and then have your way with me? Is that it?"
"I'm just being polite," he returned with his own smile before pouring the last one down the sink. All the while, Sakura tended to the stove while watching Rin. More specifically, she was watching how she behaved around Shirou.
Shortly after, a simple dinner of curry and rice with salad was served. He had prepared enough for everyone, Servants included. His two Servants joined in for the meal but Archer chose to remain incorporeal. A few words were exchanged— mostly compliments to the chef and useless commentary.
As they all ate, Shirou peered around the table. His eyes always flickered around, watching everyone eat and always alert whenever someone spoke. When Rin would notice, he would either pretend otherwise or ask if something was wrong.
The goddess, on the other hand, scarfed down as much food as was given to her. Shirou would scold her if she started to get food all over the table. To Rin's amazement, the silver-haired woman would growl but eat at a leisurely pace. When she was satisfied, she walked away from the table before plopping herself down on the tatami mats. She curled up like a cat… or at least one as physically possible for a human being.
Other than that, the dinner was… reluctantly nice. A calm before the storm, she would say.
"Now then, Emiya-kun," she said as she put her utensils down. "Should we get to the crux of the matter?"
"I suppose we should," he said in a solemn tone. He had been the first to finish and tended to everyone else's needs as the host. "Right after you and I departed from the school grounds, I met up with Caster. She had been examining the Bounded Field from the outside and had chanced an encounter with Rider while she was fleeing. Caster was able to trace a tracking spell on her."
Both Servants had stoic expressions. That's what typically happens when the setting changes from delightful to serious at the drop of a hat.
Rin's brows shot up as she leaned forward. Her eyes flicked over to Sakura, who stared back at her briefly before staring down at her empty plate. "Then am I to assume this is the reason why Matou-san is here? So what you said to Fujimura-sensei…"
"Shinji is the Master of the Rider," Shirou confirmed with a grim expression and a spiteful tone. There was anger in his eyes. Barely restrained anger. He cupped his hands together under his chin. Rin saw them clenching in an effort to control his ire.
"I never would have guessed it," she shook her head. Earlier in the morning she had suspected him but dismissed it on the account he wasn't a Magus. But neither was Shirou. She was the fool this time. "Maybe we can use this to our advantage."
"How so?" he questioned quickly.
"That Bounded Field is a ticking time bomb," she explained. "Especially when someone as rash as Shinji is the one with the switch. I want to dismantle the field but at the soonest sign of tampering he might activate it. I can't just do it all in one night either."
"You're saying he will activate it as soon as school starts the next day," Shirou concluded.
Sakura's head bowed as she made a small noise. She had a pained expression but one also full of expectancy. She must have already known about this. Maybe even tried to stop him to no avail.
"The two of you have a history together," Rin went on.
"If you're suggesting I appease to him, it's already too late for that," Shirou shook his head this time. "In order to get Sakura out of that house, I had to confront him with both my Servants. The argument didn't go as well as I intended. He now sees me as an enemy."
Well. There went that idea. She wanted to berate him and say he should have waited until consulting her. But, as he said, they weren't allies just yet. He was going to do his own thing without her consent.
"Then we stall until the weekend," she went with the alternative plan. Her lips curved as a shudder swept up his spine. "Shinji… has shown an interest in me. It's possible I might be able to persuade him to form a false alliance if I approach him. If I can buy time, we can dismantle the Bounded Field when there will be the least amount of people present. We'd be able to mitigate the damage to a minimum if we're caught."
"I don't mind lending you Caster if it'll mean tearing down that barrier," Shirou said without glancing at the Servant in question. "But that doesn't solve the problem. Suppose we succeed without any casualties. What's to stop Shinji from making another one elsewhere?"
Rin sat still as she took in a deep breath. The thought had crossed her mind before. "We can neither confirm nor deny whether he has the means to do so. Assuming he can… we might have to make a more direct approach. With the barrier down, we're going to have to deal with him as Masters."
Sakura gasped. "No! Nee— Tohsaka-san, you can't! Nii-san is horrible for doing something like this but… Sempai. Please. You can't kill him."
She looked on the verge of crying. Even Rin felt something on those eyes. And, just maybe, it had to do with the slip of the tongue Sakura fixed at the last instant. Whether Shirou noticed or not, he didn't show anything. His eyes were locked on Sakura's.
"I think Tohsaka-san means we'll fight his Servant with our own," Shirou said simply. "From what I understand, if Shinji loses, he's not completely out of the war. He can still make a pact with another Servant."
"Provided there is a Servant who has lost its Master, yes," Rin confirmed.
"Or he can run to… the church, right?"
There were two things that made Rin hesitate in her answer. One, Shirou let slip some sort of raw emotion at the mention of the hilltop church. Considering his last engagement with that fake priest, it was understandable. Rin would still like to know what the hell that was about. Just how did the two know each other?
Second, she couldn't recall ever mentioning him Masters could receive sanctuary should they ever need it. Not that she had been with him during the entirety of the war itself. Perhaps one of his Servants said it to him? Or Shinji threatened Shirou in a way that mentioned it? It was pointless to speculate but Rin put a pin on that thought for later.
"A Master can be given amnesty should they wish to withdraw from the Holy Grail War," Rin answered. "Kotomine will protect them until the war is concluded."
"Then Shinji doesn't need to die," Shirou sighed with a breath of relief. His shoulders relaxed. For a guy who clearly hated Shinji, he also didn't want to kill the weasel. Enforce some personal justice, definitely, but not execute in cold fashion.
"Sempai," Sakura breathed out but wasn't satisfied just yet. "Promise me. Promise me it will never get to that point. I don't want Nii-chan to die."
Shirou sat up straight and looked at her in the eye. All of his being was full of conviction. "Shinji needs to pay for his crimes. For sacrificing those people as well as setting up this deadly trap. I promise you, Sakura."
Sakura deflated as her anxiety left her. She had the smallest of smiles, too small to be anything blissful. It was a bitter smile. A sad smile. It was the only mercy she was asking for.
Rin would give no such promise, and thankfully Sakura never asked her. In a world where such fantasies could be fulfilled, Rin could have Archer fight Rider and be done with it. But if it came down to it, if Shinji wouldn't stand down and accept defeat, Rin will be forced to make the hard decision. She wouldn't hesitate.
Now the question was, when that time came, would Shirou get in her way?
"So then," Rin spoke up before Shirou and Sakura could start acting all lovey-dovey with the way they were staring into another's souls. "Are we in agreement with the plan? I charm Shinji with my womanly wiles long enough for Caster to dismantle the Bounded Field?"
"Until we come up with something better," Shirou shrugged. He grimaced again as he eyed her, "But if he tries anything with you…"
She snorted, "Emiya-kun, please. I'm flattered but I can defend myself just fine. I can have that oaf wrapped around my finger before he knows it. Not that he's clever enough to figure it out in the first place."
"And you'll have Archer watching you from a distance," Shirou conceded. His eyes loomed over her shoulder to where he suspected Archer would be. He had guessed wrong. Archer was further down the wall.
"Something like that," she let him come to his own conclusion. "I think that's everything we needed to discuss. Unless there's more you want to share?"
She meant to gesture towards the lounging goddess. But when she looked, the woman was gone.
"She left halfway through our conversation," Shirou stated plainly. As he was at the head of the table, he had a clear view of the woman when she got up and slipped out. However, Rin was facing one of the exits with the other one at her back. There was no way something with so much raw prana could have slipped behind her without noticing. So how…?
"Emiya-kun," Rin craned her neck back around. "Tell me honestly. How exactly did you get the attention of an Incarnation?"
She wasn't sure how to describe it. Something flashed through him at the mention of that word. His expression had never changed in the slightest but there was something in his eyes. He knew what the word meant or was at least familiar with it. He knew what the goddess really was.
So too did Caster and Saber with the way they both tensed. But they were legendary figures from across time and space. It was very likely they ran across one or two of these powerful beings in their escapades.
Shirou blinked. A dumbfounded blink. "Tohsaka-san, can you tell me more about that? What is that exactly?"
Rin searched him but found nothing. She kept her eye on him as she indulged him, trying to figure out exactly how much he really knew, "They are what you would call living concepts to the forces of nature. Just as you might have a hundred gods of, say, agriculture throughout human history, they all originate from a single source. In this case, they all stem from the Incarnation of harvest, or vegetation, or whichever you prefer to call it. It is the living source of all plants.
"There is at least one for every force on the planet. Weather, seasons, ecosystems, environments, and so on. They all are pieces of Gaia— the Will of the Planet itself. I'm very confident the woman who comes and goes is one of them. I'm just not sure what kind."
He absorbed every word like a sponge. Other than hunger and satisfaction, she couldn't find anything else. He must have heard the term somewhere but knew nothing about it. Perhaps from his father who he mentioned had tried to teach him magecraft at some point.
Once the information processed, Shirou put up a very weak smile, "I… I don't think something like that would care to have a meal with me every so often. Shouldn't something like that be busy running the planet? What makes you think she's one of those anyways?"
"She spooked Rider, summoned a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky, and manhandled Archer with minimal effort," Rin said bluntly. "I can count the amount of things that can take on the likes of a Servant with one hand and fingers to spare. She's either an Incarnation or an undocumented True Ancestor. I'd like to believe she's the non-blood-sucking kind."
He had a very conflicted expression. On one hand, he didn't want to believe her words. True, it was rather silly to see such a potent being come and go from his house just for the occasional human meal. On the other hand, he was piecing together all the things he had dismissed in his long history with this conceptual being. Things were starting to make sense in his head and he didn't like it.
"I…" he began slowly. He had everyone's attention. "I meant what I said earlier. I was just unfortunate enough to be around when she showed up. I mean… if anything… I did bandage her wounds."
"…What?" Rin's voice was flat.
"She wasn't like… that when I first met her," Shirou explained. "She was a wolf once. She was badly hurt and bleeding out. I did the best I could with what I had at the time and went to the nearest payphone to call for help. But when I came back, she was gone. A couple months later, she came strolling through my front yard in what you see her as now."
Sakura's lip twitched. She knew this story and was piecing something together inside her mind. What it meant, Rin didn't know.
"And you knew who and what she was despite the obvious difference because…?" Rin pressed.
"I just did," he shrugged with as plain of an expression as white rice. "I just knew instantly she was the wolf I treated before. I only confirmed it when I saw her transform once."
"And you didn't once think she was an Incarnation?" Rin was flabbergasted.
His brows furrowed as he went on the defense, "No. She could have been anything for all I knew. I don't have as much of an education in magic as you do, Tohsaka-san."
"The struggle has been real," Caster chose to comment with a weary breath of air. She looked a few years older in this one instant.
"Well, now you know," Rin waved it off she sat up straight. She had been on the verge of strangling him. She will forgive him this time due to his ignorance. "I've no way to prove it unless she uses her authority as a force of nature or I get the Magic Association involved. Both of which I'd like to avoid at all costs. Just tell me one thing before I call it a night. Does that fake priest know about her?"
Kotomine had mentioned the full moon before. It couldn't have been a coincidence.
"Kotomine?" Shirou's eyes fell flat at the sheer reminder of that man. "I've never seen them together, so I can't say. You'd have to ask him. But he doesn't strike me as the person who'll give you a direct answer."
Yep. They definitely knew each other if Shirou knew that man's habits.
"Here, let me get that," Shirou said as soon as Rin rose to her feet with her plate in her hand.
"You cooked dinner, Emiya-kun," she refused to let go of her grip when he tried to take it from her. "At least let me clean up the mess."
"It's fine," he said with a strained voice. "You're a guest. I'll have Sakura show you to the spare room. You've had a long day and still going over the trauma of your house burning down. I can't make you do anything like this."
"I said I wasn't going to freeload off of your kindness," Rin's smile was as equally strained as his voice. Neither were willing to relinquish this task. Not because she wanted to clean the mess of such a large party, no. It was a matter of pride at this point. "Let me prove it by letting me clean up after myself."
They both stared at each other. They both knew no words were going to get the other to bend at this point. Their hands continued to tug; the slightest slip would determine the victor.
"If you're so set on this…" Shirou began with heavy reluctance. "You can take care of cleanup tomorrow. For now you're my guest. Let me treat you like one for one night."
…Why did it sound like he was chopping off his own foot for her sake?
"If you insist," Rin relented and released her grip. She expected Shirou to lose his balance by how hard he was pulling. His arm snapped back but that was about it. He was a lot more at ease now that he had what he wanted from her.
"Sakura," he turned to the plum girl, "can you do me a favor?"
"I'll escort Tohsaka-san to one of the spare rooms and get her situated," Sakura assured humbly as she rose out of her seat. She handed Shirou her own plate and utensils before facing Rin.
"Thank you for the meal, Emiya-kun," Rin moved crossed over to the wall behind her to grab her suitcase. It contained what little she had been able to scavenge once the fire was contained. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Have a good night, Tohsaka-san," he said and it almost sounded like he meant it. At least, to anyone else it would have. She had the distinct feeling all of his generosity was an act. After all, why allow another Master into his house without intending to become their ally?
If he wasn't such an idiot, she would have believed he was putting up with her to kill her when she lowered her guard. But several times he said he couldn't see her as an enemy— the look of utmost naivety that was borderline stupidity promised her this was the truth.
Sakura led her out of the dining room and through the hallway. They passed by a set of sliding doors and Rin heard the peculiar sound of snoring. That must have been where Taiga had wandered off to. As they kept walking towards the next room, Rin was reminded of the size of the building. It was quite expansive. Large, wide, and hollow. Empty.
It fit someone as fake as Emiya Shirou to a T. She still remembered how he was when they first met in middle school. So bland. So boring. So… blank.
"Here you are," Sakura said after leading her into the next room over. Rin stepped inside and took note of the furnishings. It was of surprising western style with dressers and a raised bed. The floor was wooden with a few rugs thrown about. Aside from these small comforts, the room was rather Spartan and showed signs of inactivity. Oh, it was cleaned regularly by the looks of things. But just never used.
"Thank you… Sakura-chan," Rin chose to use her name. It got a stir out of Sakura and Rin acted before the girl could think anything deeper about it. "I'm sorry for showing up unexpectedly like this. I promise to not get between you and Emiya-kun. Once my business with him is complete, I'll be out of here. I won't bring the war to your doorstep… but I can't promise the war will find its way here on its own. He is a Master, after all."
Sakura listened to her words intently with a cold and detached look in her eyes. There was no warmth in that gaze. What Rin once remembered all those years ago was gone… or at least reserved only for Shirou.
And maybe that was why she couldn't see Shirou as a threat. Wouldn't see him as a threat. If she killed him… then Sakura would lose the only saving grace she had left. Rin would pretend this was her gift to Sakura. It was the only thing she could do due to that magically binding contract.
"I'm sure Sempai will be fine with his Servants," Sakura said but put no emotion in her voice. "He trusts you, so I will too. He's the type of person who will do anything for other's sake… even if he endangers himself. Please don't ask too much out of him. Have a good night."
With that parting, Sakura closed the door. Rin heard her footsteps move back up the hall.
"I'm surprised you stayed quiet the entire time," she said out loud.
Archer materialized right after. He stood at the center of the room, crossing his arms while examining the lackluster room. "Saber doesn't exactly trust me after today's stunt and I don't trust any of them period. I was waiting for them to make the first move. Plus… I wasn't sure what that Incarnation was going to do if I made myself apparent."
Rin recalled the woman clawing at the open air earlier, trying to swat at an invisible Archer.
"Are you sure it's wise to sleep in the den of lions?" Archer asked next.
"There's a saying about keeping your enemies closer," she returned. "At the moment, Emiya is the most dangerous Master in the war because of his two Servants. If it was just Saber or Caster by themselves, that crown would go to the Einzbern Master. The idiot doesn't see me as a threat at all. It's almost insulting. I can't think of a safer place to be."
Archer hummed in a low tone. He didn't exactly agree but wouldn't argue either. "And what happens when the time comes you have to fight him? I can easily defeat Caster but not against Saber in a fair fight. Maybe under my own circumstances but I doubt she'll let me. And the longer the wait, the more time Caster has to prepare with her craft. This alliance of yours is a double-edged sword."
"Yes, but this is our best choice at the moment," Rin sighed as she sat on the bed's edge. "I don't trust the Einzbern girl enough to show my back to her and I especially don't trust Matou Shinji. We also don't know the identity of Assassin's Master. Above all else, we have that Incarnation to worry about. I don't know if she'll interfere if anything happens to Emiya."
"You think she'll protect him," he grossed.
"I'm terrified of the possibility. I don't know how much she cares about him. I don't know if she'll retaliate violently or dismiss his peril. I'd like to be out of the way regardless."
Rin let out a long breath of air as she rubbed the ridges between her eyes. "Today has just been a long day. I'm going to sleep on it and think of something in the morning."
"Maybe if we're lucky, the Incarnation won't be back until after the war's concluded," Archer commented in his usual sarcastic fashion. He was tempting fate. "Rest up, Rin. I'll stand watch outside."
He vanished in a swirl of red and black dust. The connection between them told her he had fazed through the walls and stood guard at the doorway. With the room all to herself, Rin lowered her guard and let out a long groan of frustration before falling back onto the bed. She was going to stare up at the ceiling for several hours before retiring for the night.
0-0-0
The key was turned, the door opened, a long yawn, shoes kicked off and left at the doorway, and she stretched her arms over her head while moving forward. The house was quiet, as it should be at this early in the morning. The first thing she noticed were the gathering of beer cans inside a plastic bag. There were a lot of them.
"Come on Taiga…" she sighed before moving the bag into the sink. She reached for Shirou's apron and threw it over before letting out another yawn. "Be more responsible. Isn't it a school day? Oh, whatever. She probably needed it after what I heard."
She talked to herself and blamed the insomnia for it. Once things were in order, she would crash and repeat the process tonight. She'd normally be asleep at this time but chose to remain up as a favor to Taiga.
The smell of cooking lulled her out of her daze. Her own cooking, the back of her mind told her. She snapped at attention and began to move the eggs along the pan before they burned.
Oh. The television was also on. When did she do that? It was showing the local morning news. Man, was she out of it. She needed to hit the sack as soon as the kids went to school.
"Tohsaka-san," her adoptive little brother and/or potential future husband called out from the western corridor. "I already said you don't have to… Hota-nee? What are you doing here?"
Hotaruzuka Otoko gave the younger man a sly grin, "Hoh? Who's Tohsaka-san, Shirou? Your girlfriend of the week? Even though you have someone like Sakura-chan."
Shirou stepped out of the hallway. He was dressed in a plain shirt and jeans. It was a little too early in the morning to prepare for school and probably threw this on to appear decent enough. He frowned at her, "Tohsaka's a classmate of mine that's staying for a bit. Her place burned down and I offered to put up with her until she can find a place. And Sakura's stayed over so it's not like it's a secret."
Otoko gasped and threw her hand over her mouth, though never dropping the smile hidden beneath, "Shirou! Two girls at once! You beast! Just because I let you have Sakura-chan right now doesn't mean you get to take another woman. What will the locals say when we get married."
"Please don't make those kinds of jokes," Shirou said dryly as he approached the kitchen. His critical eye watched her work. "But, really, what are you doing here?"
"Taiga told me everything you've done," she said while pushing him away from the stove. "Stand behind the counter, thank you. I came here to help out with the chores while you're grounded."
"Fuji-nee suggested it but I didn't think she was being serious!" Shirou looked appalled. But he at least complied and stood outside the kitchen. Of course, he would never dare disregard a direct order from his precious Hato-nee.
"Personally I'd like to crawl into bed and end my day," she grumbled while flipping the egg onto a plate full of mixed rice. Just like magic, the legendary omurice plate was ready. It was all she could make at the pub when it was just her manning things. She handed it over to Shirou before working on the next plate.
She didn't let go of the plate and made sure to keep eye contact with him. Her tone was flat and as serious as she had ever made it. "You really didn't cheat on me with this stray, did you?"
He matched her gaze with one of her own. His tone was equally as flat, "No, Hota-nee. I never did anything indecent with her. I only fed her and gave her a bath."
She saw the faint lines of claw marks on his face. She had seen them several times throughout the years. Only now did she learn they weren't from claws but from a woman's nails. "That's what you get for stripping down a woman and trying to have your way with her."
"I'd like you to take this seriously," he said before taking his plate over to the dining table. "Thank you for breakfast."
"I am taking this seriously!" she huffed. "Shirou, all these years we thought you were talking about some stray dog! I never knew it was an actual woman! By the way Taiga made it sound like she was a mature woman ten years older than you! Just what were you doing with a person like that?! And giving her a bath!"
"I never lied to any of you!" he threw his hand around. "I never hid anything! I'm sorry if you misunderstood but I described her as best I could."
"You neglected to mention she was human."
"I also never said she was a dog."
"Or a cat, apparently," Sakura quipped as she entered the room. She came from the same hallway that led to Shirou's room, not the one leading to her permanent room on the other side. Otoko's smile was knowing. "Good morning, Neko-san. I didn't expect to see you here. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Good morning, Sakura-chan," Otoko returned the smile with one of her own… before shooting a glower at Shirou. "See. She calls me Neko. Is it too much to ask for you to do the same?"
"Nee-san," Shirou gave a long sigh of frustration. "It's embarrassing. Something like that only belongs to small children or women pretending about their age."
"…Emiya Shirou, I will throw this pan at your head."
He didn't so much as utter an apology as he ate his breakfast. He grumbled something inaudible between bites. Honestly, she was too tired to care.
As she handed a plate over to Sakura and begin working on another, Shirou had finished his own. Or, it seemed like it. He placed his chopsticks down and watched the television with a critical eye. They were showing the weather forecast and a sudden storm had hit the Pacific. It had come out of seemingly nowhere and was harassing the Hawaiian Islands. Otoko couldn't make sense of the different colors used in the map but it looked very serious.
"That reminds me," Shirou said as he stood quickly. "I'll be back. Need to check on the laundry outside."
…Wasn't laundry a chore? One he was forbidden from fulfilling? Eh, Otoko didn't care. His prize— the kitchen— was just robbed from him. She thought that was punishment enough.
0-0-0
"Honestly," Caster watched Shirou storm out of the house with a heavily irritated expression. "Throwing a tantrum like that. What did I do this time?"
She wouldn't materialize with two unaffiliated personnel present. Instead, she chose to inquire through their connection, "Shirou. What has you so upset?"
"Caster, will the barrier you're working on tear if I throw something through it?"
"…It should hold fine. I've not completed it so something like that spear you used when we met should be fine. Why?"
"Good. Don't come near me."
She watched him stare up at the open sky for a few seconds. He raised his arm, pointing at an angle and altering it until he was satisfied with… something. He took several steps back until he was ten meters away from his original spot.
A javelin was in his hand when she blinked. Well, no, she didn't actually blink in her spirit form. It just appeared and she didn't see the point where it began to form. It was just there all of a sudden.
He lowered his stance with his eyes locked forward. He moved, crossing over the lawn in a flash. The wind he created splashed across her face. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped. By the time her head moved to his new position, he was in a throwing position and the polearm was gone.
Her eyes loomed over towards the sky. Did he…?
He stood up straight, rolled both arms enough to crack a few bones, and headed back into the house.
Caster… had no idea what just happened.
0-0-0
"I'm back," Shirou called out when he returned to the dining room. His eyes went straight towards Rin. He put on a face of mild surprise. "Oh, good morning Tohsaka-san. Did you sleep well?"
"Erg…" groaned the school idol while giving him a dead stare. She munched mechanically on Otoko's omurice while sipping on a mug of tea. She was dressed for the day with a light layer of makeup to cover the bags under her eyes. He had to assume she just wasn't a morning person.
Across of her, beside Sakura, Taiga had her face flat on the table. She was alive. The evidence was the empty plate moved to the edge. Taiga never refused food.
"How are you feeling, Fuji-nee?" Shirou asked as he took his original spot. Otoko didn't clear his plate so he resumed eating what remained.
"My head…" cried Taiga.
"That's what you get for going overboard," Otoko muttered dispassionately. "I'm not making another egg but you can have some of the rice left over. It'll help."
"I'm fine," Taiga lifted her head so she could rest her chin. There was a red mark on her brow that gradually faded away. "Why…? Why did you let me drink so much, Shirou?"
"Because you took my kitchen away from me," Shirou returned coldly. Perfect execution. Next, he showed a flash of revelation as someone would when realizing a mistake. He also heightened the pitch of his voice. "I mean… it's not like I could have stopped you. You were so angry and kept downing one after another."
Rin and Sakura's eyes were on him. Rin sipped on her tea quietly. Sakura's eyes were without any light. She disproved of his lying but was complying this much.
"I don't even remember drinking anything," Taiga groaned as she rubbed the side of her head.
"That's usually what happens when you drink so much," Otoko commented.
"I guess," Taiga lifted herself off the table. Her glare fell on Shirou. He assessed she was upset and would be even more if he didn't react. He flinched and made his body shrink in itself. "What am I going to do with you, Shirou? Gosh, what am I going to do about that woman? Where is she anyways?"
"Gone," he said in a small voice. Small to the point she wasn't supposed to hear but just loud enough to where she could anyways. Just as a frightened person should act.
"Gone?!" Taiga shouted in outrage. "What do you mean she's gone?! You let her out of your sight?!"
"I don't let her do anything!" he said back with exasperation. "It's not like I can stop her in the first place! I'm just glad nothing was damaged this time. She normally doesn't stay this long."
Taiga was in too much pain to unleash her noteworthy rage. She gripped the side of her head and let her elbow prop onto the table to support her. "The next time… call the police Shirou. Furthermore—"
"EEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIII!"
Everyone at the table leapt where they sat. Taiga had to grip her head with both hands at the high-pitch squeal coming from Otoko. Her eyes were wide as her hands were clenched into fists under her chin. She was watching something on the television with the excitement seen on small children and teenage girls. Maybe calling her Neko would be appropriate after all? He would need to reconsider with his notebooks for further analysis.
"Otoko, what in the—" Taiga began.
"Quiet!" Otoko threw one hand in Taiga's face before resetting its position under her chin.
Everyone glanced at the television. The morning newscast was giving an interview to… some pop idol. The name was unfamiliar to him and he hadn't been keeping up with the latest trends in this fashion. No one in his class seemed to care about the current stars. Hardly anyone in the entire school cared. Those that did were deemed social outcasts. Ergo, such knowledge was useless to Shirou.
As all pop idols go, she was pretty. Smooth, fair skin. Blonde hair. Red eyes— and that was an oddity of itself but probably a fashion statement than anything. Her posture was regal, if not arrogant; like a queen who was deigning the lesser masses with her appearance alone.
"But why the sudden vacation? Your fans will be devastated to have canceled the concert in Kuoh."
"There is a boy in Fuyuki I need to remind the pecking order. What once was a majestic wolf has become a lowly mutt who has gotten fat and lazy. Without his rightful master to scold him, he thinks he can get away with doing anything he pleases. This cannot be tolerated any longer, which is why I am taking an emergency leave of absence until the matter is settled."
"Erm… T-That is…"
Whatever else the interviewer had to say was dismissed. The idol looked at the camera, smirked with a promise of punishment to whoever she was talking about, and strolled off the set. The interviewer tried to get her back in the seat but she kept going. The camera eventually returned to the original cast and they moved on to another story.
"Taiga," Otoko leaned over and grabbed Taiga's shoulder… and began to shake without taking her eyes off the television. "She's coming to Fuyuki. Can you believe it?! I've got to find a way to meet her and get her autograph!"
"Stop shaking me!" cried Taiga who tried and failed to pry Otoko off.
Shirou looked around the table. Rin shrugged and Sakura shook her head. They had no idea who this idol was. Otoko… was in too much in her own world to look his way. The information wasn't relevant anyways. It was just another thing to pass time and for him to study reactions. He supposed he had something to mimic should he find himself in a similar situation.
But what to use it on? Maybe… He heard rumors of the company that makes his pressure cooker from the housewives in his local market. He could do the same thing when it was officially announced.
That's… what normal people do when they're overly excited… right? He'd have to make a note and compare for a later time.
Eventually, breakfast was concluded and everyone had to leave for the day. Otoko had planned to sleep here while everyone was at school but her previous outburst had given her enough excitement to be able to go home. Sakura was in her school uniform and Taiga was in one of many of her striped dresses. Rin wasn't in uniform, however. She wore a red sweater and black skirt with stockings. He walked them to the front entrance.
"You're not coming?" Taiga turned around and glared at him. Only now did she notice he wasn't in his school uniform.
He shook his head, "I need to stay home and wait for an important phone call."
"Hah?" Taiga blinked. "You're skipping school for a phone call? How important could it be?"
"…It's something I need to take care of," he said in a lower tone without averting his gaze. This expression was stern and unflinching. The drop in pitch signified it wasn't a matter that shouldn't be taken lightly.
Taiga stared at him long enough. She groaned, rubbed the side of her head, and glared back up at him. "You always get like this when it's really important. Fine. Just take care of it. Why don't you go help Tohsaka-san after you're done then?"
He looked over to Rin. He had no idea what she had planned for today.
"It's fine, Fujimura-sensei," Rin said with a small smile. She was starting to come out of her morning funk. She looked over to Shirou, "I'm going to see the damage of my house and see what I can save. That friend of mine I mentioned earlier will be doing most of the heavy lifting. You know, the guy in the red coat?"
Ah. Archer. He didn't envy him.
"Sure, and good luck," Shirou shrugged. "I'll still swing by anyways to see if I can help in any way. I don't know when I'll be done though."
"I'm sure I can find you something to do," Rin said with her plastic smile. He didn't know how he was supposed to read this expression and couldn't determine the underlining meaning in her words.
"Sakura," Shirou called out to the plum girl before they set off. "Make sure to stay near Ayako— I know she'll understand. And let me know if Shinji tries anything."
"I… understand," she returned without meeting his gaze.
Waving goodbye to each and every one of them, Shirou shut the door and returned to the dining area.
0-0-0
Saber sat at the table while her Master served her a small dish of egg and rice with all sorts of confections blended within. The proportions were… disappointing. Caster was also given an equal amount.
"I'm sorry," Shirou said as he sat at the table with her. "This is all I have at the moment. I'm going to try to go to the market later today."
"No, this will do," Saber swallowed that disappointment bloating within her. Servants don't require sustenance and her Master was giving her more than enough prana to be comfortable. It was fortuitous he was going this far as to feed them.
"The egg is scrumptious," Caster said after taking a few bites. "But the rice is left to be desired. Is it because you personally made the egg while your… sister? She made the rice blend?"
"Hota-nee was never the best cook," Shirou said as he picked up the television remote and adjusted the volume. Saber paid little to no attention to it as she ate.
"Perhaps we can use this chance of tranquility to our advantage," Caster engaged. "So, Shirou, what devilish scheme are you concocting regarding the Tohsaka Master?"
"Nothing," he said instantly.
"Nothing?" Caster looked as disappointed as Saber felt about the food. "Surely you can't mean that. You have no intention at all in taking advantage of her?"
"I don't," he said plainly. Unlike last night, he wore no emotion. He wouldn't pretend for them. "I meant it when I said I don't see Rin as a threat. I can kill her and Archer whenever I want. I don't disagree with her wish so I don't have a reason to fight them. And if she wants my assistance in dealing with Shinji and Rider, I am fine with that. I was going to do it anyways."
"No reason?" Caster gawked.
"Shirou," Saber interjected. "Perhaps you don't see any reason to become an adversary, but she is a rival Master. So long as you are a Master in the Holy Grail War will you have to confront her at some point. Assisting her against Rider is well, but there is the future to think about."
"I was going to leave that up to you," he replied, switching his gaze from Caster to her. "Whenever you want to deal with Archer, I will support you. Rather, I will make sure Rin doesn't interrupt your battle against him. However you approach him will be up to the both of you."
She didn't like that idea. She honestly wished her Master would just order something out of them, even if it was an idea she wouldn't agree with. Why couldn't he just order her to attack Archer? Or even tell Caster to lay a trap for him?
No, this was fine. Servants were supposed to be on the front lines while their Masters supported them in the rearguard. That was exactly what he was doing. He said he would face against Rin and that was all she could expect from a normal Master. To ask more would be selfish. To ask him to personally defeat Archer with his prowess… she wouldn't deserve the Grail.
"Shirou… did you…?"
Saber glanced over to Caster, whose eyes were glued to the screen across the room. Saber turned around and spotted the bulletin going across. Breaking News, it said. A meteor had landed in the Pacific Ocean and disrupted some storm that was on its way to the Americas. She watched the report while Caster and Shirou spoke to another.
"She likes to cause natural disasters whenever she's upset about something."
"She? You mean that Incarnation? She's that powerful? That's quite the Incarnation if she can summon storms like that. And you shot her down with a spear? From here?!"
"It was only in the hind leg. It was just enough to calm her down. This happens more often than you would think. Last time I was dealing with a Dead Apostle infestation out of town and didn't know she came over for dinner. Next thing I knew… Japan went through one of our worst earthquakes in history. I refused to talk to her for six months."
"…I'm not sure the punishment is appropriate with the disaster."
"Considering I'm one of the few beings on the planet that can tolerate her, it's a heavy enough punishment."
Saber turned back around after learning the islands that would be hit first were cleared of any danger. They were calling it a miracle.
"Shirou, are you yourself an Incarnation?" she asked out of curiosity. Though her knowledge in arcane affairs was limited, she had heard the term spoken on occasion from the old magus.
"I know for a fact I can't bend nature to do my bidding," Shirou returned. "So, no, I don't think I am. I don't think there's a word for someone like me."
"Then you don't know what you are despite your earlier claims?" Caster jabbed a fork in his direction.
"No, I know who I am," he retorted. Steel was in his gaze… and Saber felt this was a genuine reaction out of him. "The same way you and Saber know what class you are. You can say I know what class I am. But as you know you are both human, I don't know what species I am. I could be an Incarnation like her. Or I could be something else. I don't know."
"And who you are is…?" Caster pressed.
"The defender of this city," Shirou returned without hesitation. This was a prepared answer.
"Cheeky," Caster clicked her tongue and went back to her meal.
"As you are as you claim," Saber began. "How do you propose we deal with Rider? The plan you came up with Rin is flimsy and doomed to fail. I do not believe you intended to follow through with this. Nor do I believe she as well. I believe she has more in play that she is keeping to herself."
"I told her I was going to go along with it just to… play along," Shirou paused to consider his words. Not look away to contemplate like a normal human would. He literally paused as if time had stopped for a moment. "You're right. She is planning something else. That's fine. I will be dealing with Shinji and Rider without her."
"Then what is the plan?" Saber sat up a little straighter. Her face hardened as she focused on his next words.
"Shinji planned on using the Bounded Field as soon as I showed up in school this morning," Shirou iterated. Saber scowled at the horrifying ploy. "Rider is with him on school grounds and keeping an eye out for me. But since I'm not going there, the Bounded Field won't be activated. Shinji will get frustrated and give me a phone call… sometime between now and within the next hour. He'll try to persuade me to meet him at the school and will activate the Bounded Field no matter what agreement we come to."
"Damned if you do and damned if you don't," Caster sighed. "Rider will become a lot more troublesome if the Bounded Field is activated. All that prana from those within will go straight to her. How do you propose we go about this?"
Saber chose to not comment on the morality behind Caster's assessment. So long as Rider was dealt with could it be excused.
"You misunderstand," Shirou said in monotone. "There is no we. There is no you and I. There is only me."
Saber stiffened, "What?"
"I will be dealing with Shinji and Rider," his emotionless eyes met hers. "The both of you individually could defeat her but in a prolonged battle. I had thought the two of you together would be more than enough to put her down. I was wrong. When the Bounded Field activates, I will need to end this as soon as possible. If the two of you were capable of working together, I would let you join me."
"Shirou," Saber's voice was as tense as she felt. "She is a Servant of the Holy Grail War. You cannot just—"
"I can and will," he interrupted her. "I am not stepping in as a Master participating in your game. I am acting as the protector of this city. My duties take higher priority than your need for the Grail. I would act on this even if I wasn't a Master. I will not allow the two of you to endanger this with your lack of cooperation."
"Tell me something, Shirou," Caster cupped her hands together and leaned forward. Her voice was hard and heated. "Are you going to kill Rider and her Master?"
"Shinji will not stop if I only kill Rider and bring him to the war proctor. I will be killing him, yes."
"Dammit all, Shirou!" Caster slammed a hand onto the table, nearly breaking it with how much force she used. Her face was flushed red. "How can you say that?! You looked at that girl in the eye and promised you weren't going to do exactly that! Does she not mean anything to you?!"
"Sakura means a lot to me," he said in a noticeably slower and considerate tone. "But my duties as the city's protector take higher priority than her. I know the threat will reveal itself if I do this. If I don't, not only will Shinji try something else, but the real threat I've been waiting years for will elude me. She's connected to it somehow. I can't stop it unless I know how."
"Shirou, you—!" Caster snarled.
But he wasn't listening to her. His eyes were locked away from them with his attention focused on something else. He was listening to something only he could hear. Nothing they would say would reach him.
She had seen that look before. The look of someone whispering right into their ear before a moment of great peril. The old magus had it. Sir Galahad had it. Even she, in the rarest of times when all of her Knights were together, she could hear the voice as though it were her own.
Saber knew what he was. He was the polar opposite of an Incarnation. He was their mortal enemy. He was—
The phone began to ring.
Pat reon: Arrixam