Awaking the next morning to the same anxieties as yesterday, Shirou willed himself from slumber. The calm quiet, coupled with the lack of a certain blonde haired Servant immediately apprised him of his solitude. He honestly hadn't expected Taiga to take Saber out this early, as she usually woke up much later when given the opportunity. Granted, though people that knew her wouldn't consider Taiga very 'girly' she did have the stereotypically feminine interest of shopping. As he thought about it, it did come to his mind that she had always asked Sakura to go shopping with her. Which she never did. It must have excited her to have a partner that actually agreed to have an outing like this, even if Saber only agreed at Shirou's behest. Not that he minded either way.

As it was an uncommon occurrence that Taiga wasn't clamoring him for breakfast on Sunday morning, he decided to use this time to go over the notes he should have went over yesterday. Peace and quiet are conducive to study, and with the way Shirou's life tended to go, a chance such as this might not happen again for months. After performing his morning chores and hanging out the laundry to dry, he brewed himself a cup of tea and set himself up for his review.

The sound of a lance piercing through armor and flesh was not one unfamiliar to the Dragonslayer. Though, as befitting his title, his spear found its way more into the hides of everlasting dragons, Ornstein had seen a fair amount of battles with the likes of mortals. And, seeing as how he was involved in something referred to as a 'War', he was only slightly surprised when the red hued phantom appeared before him with a bow, challenging him to a duel. It was no challenge, of course, as a single swing of his spear eliminated the phantom, it dissipating in a nondescript efflux of souls. He was surprised, however, to see the same red hued phantom appear before him not five minutes later after being vanquished. Once again, a single strike quelled it. But, like before, it appeared again. And again. And again.

Ornstein at least had to respect his foe's tenacity, but their matches were like a gnat fighting a giant. He had lost count sometime after their fourteenth encounter. If it wasn't for his distaste in following his Master's order to deal with Caster, he would have stopped entertaining this phantom and gone to do something else. However, the Dragonslayer was forcibly compelled to listen to his Master, and thus had to continue this goose chase. Although, there was no strict command that he couldn't take a break at his leisure. Leaning against a tree in the forest, Ornstein waited. He had surmised, based on the number of times they fought, that it was afflicted with the Curse of the Undead. He had only seen those with the Curse a handful of times before; all he knew of them was they were not permitted to die and eventually lost their sanity: a state they called 'Hollow'. He pitied the creature, forced by whatever Master brought it to this world to fight a battle it had no choice of winning until it lost its mind. With a gust of wind, the dark spirit appeared again, pulling the Dragonslayer from his thoughts.

"Well then," Ornstein said. "Shall we go again?" The phantom sheathed the katana it was using up to this point and brandished a greatsword with an accompanying dagger. It crossed the dagger over its sword arm and slightly bowed its head. Ornstein didn't know what this gesture meant, thinking it was some form of etiquette. He couldn't help but find it strangely familiar. Then, it leapt forward. The attack was easy enough to dodge. The Dragonslayer went for a horizontal blow with his spear.

Just as the blow was about to connect, the dark spirit ducked, implanting the dagger at his feet. Like a madman, the dark spirit of swung its blade in wild arcs at Ornstein's feet, landing its first blow out of all their matches. The dark spirit flipped into the air, bringing its sword down on Ornstein. The Dragonslayer was able to recover quickly, taking a great leap backwards.

"I will admit," Ornstein said. "That was a bit of a surprise. But you shan't be that lucky again." Once again, something about this spirit's mannerisms suddenly reminded him of something, but he couldn't place it.

Ornstein dashed forward, spear trained on his foe. He would bait out a few more attacks before he finished it off once again. It attempted to parry with its dagger, which was for naught against Ornstein's might, taking the force of his spear, pushing the spirit back a significant distance.

It ran forward again, making a swing with its dagger. Ornstein didn't attempt to dodge, the dagger missing by a clear margin. It followed through on its momentum with a swing from the greatsword. Ornstein had to take a quick step back, its blade a hair's length from the Dragonslayer, barely missing.

Not done judging the phantom's strength, Ornstein made a showy display of running a powerful electric current through his spear. Falling for his trick, the dark spirit sheathed the dagger and made a powerful thrust with the sword. And that action brought realization to the Dragonslayer, hitting him with an incandescent clarity. No longer wishing to continue this farce of a battle, he quickly charged at the dark spirit, running it's spear through its chest. Lifting it like a rag doll, Ornstein discharged an intense surge of lighting through the dark spirit, sending it back once again to whatever corner of oblivion it crawled from.

Once the deed was done, Ornstein brought a hand to his helmeted temple. It all seemed so clear in retrospect: why its actions were so familiar.

Sparks flew as steel collided with steel, the sound of weapons clashing polluted the area. Facing each other in a large battleground, the Abysswalker and the Dragonslayer crossed blades. Spear thrusts parried by a greatsword, wide sweeping slashes deftly dodged. And yet, on the sidelines, a giant and a young woman spectated this great display of combat prowess.

"Come on Ornstein, kick his ass!" The woman cheered. "Artorias needs to be knocked down a peg or two!"

"Your duels are not nearly as fun to watch if you aren't fighting to kill," the giant quipped.

"Gough is right," The Dragonslayer agreed, grin hidden under a helmet. "You're not even using your shield this time. You finally ready to admit I'm the better fighter?" The Abysswalker scoffed in response.

"Talkative as always, Artorias," the woman said. Ignoring that comment, the Abysswalker held his attention on the Dragonslayer. With a mighty leap, he flipped above the Dragonslayer and brought his sword down with a crash, his target narrowly avoiding being smashed by quick use of a backstep. He followed up with another leap, chaining them together to follow the Dragonslayer as he continued to evade.

"That's a new one!" Ornstein exclaimed, spear building up a current of electricity as he dodged the Abysswalker's next strike.

"Did you know Artorias could jump like that, Ciaran?" Gough asked.

"Not really. He always has his greatshield with him. I guess without it he's less encumbered, allowing for this… impressive display of agility."

"Yes. Quite impressive," the giant amusedly replied.

"A few fancy jumps won't help you that much," Ornstein said. Bolts of lighting discharged from the Dragonslayer's spear. The Abysswalker swatted them away with his greatsword and pressed his attack.

"How many of these fights have they had?" Ciaran asked.

"By my count, this is the seventh time this month."

"You think they ever get tired of it?"

"Of course not. Fighting each other like this helps keep their skills sharp. Mayhap they simply wish to prove who is stronger."

"They don't have to prove anything to prove to anyone! Well... maybe Ornstein does, but that's a special case."

"You say that like you don't enjoy the spectacle."

"I must admit, I do get a thrill seeing Artorias go all out… but therein lies the problem. We're the strongest knights in Lordran, although that fact applies more so you to you three than me. Our strength has been recognized by virtue of being Lord Gwyn's chosen knights. Literally no one in this kingdom can stand up to us. Excusing those in the possession of the Lord Souls. There isn't anything that should pose a challenge to us. What reason do they have to get stronger? At this point, I'm the only one doing any 'knight work', and it's just odd jobs here and there."

"Who can say?" Gough said solemnly. His pause punctuated by the clangorous steel of Ornstein and Artorias. "A new threat may very well appear tomorrow. Ornstein may be fighting for naught but glory, yet Artorias… If he is not readying for a future battle, perhaps he may be trying to impress someone."

"Like who?" Ciaran said. Had the area not been filled with the sound of combat, the others might have picked up on the tinge of jealousy her question carried.

Gough laughed at her question."Who indeed?"

"Pardon the intrusion!" A silver knight appeared before the Four with a salute, bringing the duel to a halt. "Lord Gwyn wishes to speak with all of you!"

"Is that all?" Ornstein asked.

"Yes Sir!" The knight replied.

"Alright, dismissed." With another salute, the knight left.

"I guess that makes this one a tie," Ornstein said. Artorias' only response was to sheathe his sword and answer his summons. Ornstein scoffed and followed him out.

"When it used that sword…' Ornstein said after a brief reflection. The Dragonslayer's grip tightened on his spear at the revelation. "...It was like it saw Artorias fight and then completely bastardized his style." He couldn't quite put into words how insulted he was at that. The action was not only an affront to Artorias, but to all of the Four Knights; Ornstein couldn't help but take it personally since this cursed undead thought so little of them as to poorly recreate one of their fighting styles. If that apparition dared show its face again, Ornstein resolved to end it quickly, showing no hint of mercy. Only the ruthlessness an undead thief deserves.

"...Okay, one more time… Trace on!" Panting and covered in sweat, Shirou activated his one and only magical technique. The magic circuits in his body glowed a bright green as magical energy flowed through them. He placed his hands on the car battery that sat on the table in front of him, the flow of his circuits pouring into the object; knowledge of the object became apparent to Shirou as his reinforcement ran its course. He became acutely aware of the battery's concept of creation, and every material that combined to give it that particular shape and function.

"Now… let's see if I can…" with a grunt of effort, Shirou attempted to alter the composition of the battery. Nothing beyond what he could conceptualize, but a simple increase to its efficiency. After a few minutes, Shirou's magic circuits lost their spark, reverting back to an inert state as he lost his magical glow. He sat back, catching his breath, pleased with whatever result he ended with. Using this reinforcement ability wasn't something he was completely unfamiliar with. His adoptive father had given him a cursory tutoring with this ability, and he often used it to fix various appliances around the school at Issei's request. But he never really used it this much at once. It certainly put a strain on him, but he could definitely feel he was gaining a greater understanding of the fundamentals of reinforcement. According to Rin, he should be able to 'project' the objects he reinforced if he could comprehend the true nature of these objects. Hence his current practice in attempting to ascertain the concept of these items. So far he had worked with an old stereo, a CRT, a typewriter, and the aforementioned car battery. He was nowhere close to truly understanding these objects from the point of their Origin, but so far he had been able to make them sturdier at least. Unfortunately, once he caught his breath, he realized he had no way of testing the efficiency of the car battery he reinforced. In fact, now that his mind questioned it, he wondered why all of this old stuff he toyed around with was in that shed anyway. As he was lamenting his choice of tools, the phone rang.

"Hello, Emiya residence."

"Emiya, it's Tohsaka. What are you doing right now?"

"Tohsaka-san? I was just... practicing magical reinforcement like you suggested."

"Oh? You must be very diligent then."

"I wouldn't really say that-"

"Archer's noticed some suspicious activity all day today. We think it's Caster. You're going to help us confirm this and, if necessary, take her down."

"What?"

"Is there a problem?"

"N-no! I mean, I'd be happy to help, but I just never figured you'd actually ask me."

"Hmph." Shirou could practically see the smug grin that accompanied Rin's dismissive chuckle. "Normally I wouldn't, as someone like you couldn't be of any help other than as a meat shield."

"Uh…"

"But, the Saber class typically has a high resistance to magic. Regardless of your skills, your Servant would definitely be useful in this situation."

"So you don't want me...but you want Saber?"

"That's the gist of it. Although it's not like this won't help you too. At least this way you'll have some idea of how a real Master operates."

"I… guess that makes sense?" Shirou could only assume Rin's odd way of insulting him was meant to push him forward. At least he hoped so, otherwise Rin was just making fun of him there.

"I'm glad you agree. Now, we need to confirm if this activity actually belongs to Caster or someone else, so we're doing reconnaissance first. That means you need to keep your Servant under wraps since you lack the basic ability needed to sustain them in a non physical form."

"That… shouldn't be a problem." Shirou punctuated his sentence with a nervous laugh, as Taiga and Saber still hadn't returned.

"At least you understand the importance of secrecy. I'll be there in half an hour." With a click, the other line cut off. Hanging up the phone, Shirou could only hope that this wasn't too big of a deal. He glanced at the clock. It read 6:30. He mused that Taiga and Saber had been gone for quite a long time, but that wasn't something he was too concerned with at the moment. For now, he needed to get himself ready for when Rin arrived.

"Okay, so I just need to extend an olive branch to him and ask him to talk. There's definitely nothing weird about a guy asking another guy to talk. Nothing at all…"

"Why would that be odd?"

"Shut the hell up, Rider."

"You should respect your elders. Lots of wisdom with age and all that, heh heh!"

"As if a senile paraplegic has anything worthwhile to say. Whatever you try to tell me I probably already know."

"If you listened to me, you wouldn't have gotten lost on your way to the Emiya residence."

"We're here now, aren't we?"

"Two hours later than you wanted."

"Well if your time is so valuable, why didn't you say anything?"

"My dear Master had command me several times to 'shut up'. The command was so frequent I began to doubt that he could say anything else. I was just following his orders."

"You must think you're so fucking funny. Look, I'm gonna ring the bell now. Just… sit there and… be invisible."

"You needn't worry for me. I am quite content watching you play the sad jester in the tragedy known as your life. Truly, I haven't laughed this much in years!" Shinji grimaced at the comment from the intangible Rider. But, not wanting to waste anymore time, he obnoxiously rang the bell to the Emiya residence. And a brief moment later, Shirou opened the door.

"You're here early, Tohs...Shinji!?"

"Yes, Emiya, it's me. You must be very surprised."

"Yeah, I am! I mean… well... Sorry if this comes off as rude… but what are you doing here?"

"..." Shinji stared at Shirou. He honestly didn't think he would get this far and was at a loss for words. "...What are you doing here?"

"I… live here?"

"Uh, right. I-I knew that. Obviously. Look, Emiya, I know we aren't exactly what one would call 'friends', but that can be changed, you know?"

"Uh… yeah?"

"Yeah. So, in the interest of burying the hatchet, I have appeared to give you the opportunity to ask forgiveness for all the times you wronged me."

"That's not how people make peace," Shinji heard Rider say in his mind.

"Uh-"

"Don't worry Emiya," Shinji continued. "I'll be sure to forgive you for everything if you earnestly apologize. Then you don't have to hide from me anymore and I will deign to talk to you in public."

"I don't think I was ever hiding from you…"

"I'll even permit you to talk to Sakura from time to time."

"I already talk to Sakura."

"Don't remind me," Shinji said through gritted teeth.

"Speaking of her, how is she? She called me about a week ago and said she was sick and wouldn't be in school for a few days."

"Is that what she said?" Shinji said with a hint of actual surprise. "It's bad enough she visits here all the time, but she actually called you?"

"She was really insistent on me not worrying about her and practically begged me not to visit her… I mean, I want her to be happy so I didn't press the issue… but I can't help but worry about her, you know? You're her brother so you can understand, right?"

"Forget Sakura!" Shinji snapped. "She's fine and she doesn't need someone like you bothering her!"

"...Okay…"

Shinji heaved a sigh. "We're getting off topic here, Emiya. We both want the same thing here."

"We do?"

"You just need to admit your faults and everything will be square. It's really simple. Then we can-"

"What are you doing here, Shinji?" Shinji quickly turned around and saw none other than Rin Tohsaka standing behind him.

"Tohsaka!? I… I was…"

"Shinji came here to 'bury the hatchet' and let me know how Sakura is doing."

"Really?" Rin asked, a very suspicious eye examining a nervous Shinji.

"Y-yeah. That's exactly what's happening, Tohsaka." That wasn't why he was here at all, but if Shirou was going to make up an excuse for him, he was going to ride it out as best he could.

"Huh," Rin said. "That's something really out of character for you Shinji. If it's true."

"What can I say? I'm a great guy," Shinji gave a nervous laugh. "Hey, wait, what are you doing here, Tohsaka?"

"I'm helping Shirou study. We're going to the library."

"We are?" Shirou asked.

"You're dating Tohsaka!?" Shinji yelled.

"That's... that's not what I said at all," Rin said.

"I come all the way here, to tell you the fate of my dear sister, but you've already made plans to cheat on Sakura with Tohsaka," Shinji said with a hostile glare. "You make me sick, Emiya."

"Hold on! I'm not cheating on Sakura!"

"So you're cheating on Tohsaka, then?"

"I'm not cheating on anyone!"

"Can you two stop with the idiotic banter?" Rin interjected. "Emiya is too dumb to be in a relationship with anyone, and I'm not going to lower my standards for someone like him. But that's beside the point. We're running out of time, Emiya. We need to hurry."

"Uh, right," Shirou agreed. Ignoring Shinji, the two made way to leave.

"Hurry for what?" Shinji called, quickly taking steps to follow them. "Who cares about school? There are more important things to worry about!"

"I'm sure you have better things to do, Shinji," Rin said back. "So you should go home and leave me alone. Preferably forever." Rin made a hasty step away, Shirou having to break into a brisk jog to keep up with her.

"You don't have to be so harsh, Tohsaka-san," Shirou whispered once they were some ways away.

"In case you forgot, Shinji, somehow, is Rider's Master."

"He is?" It took all of Rin's effort not to facepalm at Shirou's forgetfulness.

"Yes. Now, he probably doesn't know you're a Master too, and it's best to keep it that way."

"Why? He seems to get along well with you, so wouldn't it be better if he helped us?"

"My god, Emiya, either you're as naive as a newborn or the biggest idiot in Japan. Though in your case, I doubt there's a difference. If this is what you call getting along, I'd love to see what you call arguing. Shinji's only interested in helping himself. He'd just as soon stab you in the back if he could get something out of it."

"Shinji's not that bad."

"That settles it," Rin sighed. "You're an idiot. But Shinji'll get bored soon enough. He's got the attention span of a tiny dog. He's probably on his way home already."

"Um, Tohsaka-san, he's still following us."

"What?" Rin turned around, and Shinji was a few places behind them, angrily muttering and grumbling to himself. "Go home, Shinji!"

"I can't do that! I have to make sure Emiya doesn't do anything indecent to you!"

"You're not my keeper, you creep," Rin said through gritted teeth.

"I wouldn't dare do anything like that!" Shirou yelled, feeling the need to defend his character.

"Fine," Shinji said. "If you won't leave of your own will, I'll just have to use my trump card."

"What?" Rin said, eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Emiya."

"...Yeah?"

"Ugh, can't believe I'm saying this…" Shinji took a deep breath in preparation. "...If you come with me, you can come see how Sakura is doing."

"What? Really!? Is she well enough to have visitors? That means she's getting better, right?"

"...Sure."

"You can't be serious," Rin said.

"I've never been to Sakura's house before, now that I think about it… should I bring flowers? No, that's only for people in hospitals…"

"Emiya."

"A fruit basket? That should be fine, right? Man, I don't even know what she was sick with. The flu or something? Is her appetite okay? Has she even been eating?"

"Emiya!"

"Maybe I should prepare a soup for her. I should have enough ingredients at home… but should it be a hearty one or a light one? Should I make enough for us too? Not that I think Fuji-nee would want to eat soup anyway, but if you're making soup-"

"Emiya-kun!"

"Huh?" Shirou turned around and saw Rin looking at him with a small grin that he could tell betrayed a lot more hostility than one would expect at a glance. "Oh, I'm sorry, Tohsaka-san, is something wrong?"

"Of course something's wrong!" She yelled, her face contorting into.a visage of rage. "Do you really think Shinji's telling the truth here?"

"...Yes? Why wouldn't he?"

"Yeah, Tohsaka, why wouldn't I? I'm clearly a stand up guy, but you're too dense to see that, apparently."

"Shut it, Matou. Everyone knows how you treat Sakura, except this guy somehow. You showing even the slightest bit of concern for her is extremely suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Shinji said, glaring at Rin. "I am the model brother, I'll have you know. Sakura is lucky to have me looking out for her! I am shocked and appalled that you would insinuate such ludicrous things about me!" Rin scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Now come on Emiya. Sakura could, like, die at any moment or whatever, so let's go."

"Right," Shirou said as he began to follow Shinji.

"Are you honestly going with him!?" Rin yelled in shock.

"Well, this is important to me," Shirou said. "I haven't seen Sakura in what feels like forever, so I want to make sure she's alright." Shirou didn't catch Shinji's disgusted scoff. "Plus, it's not like you really need me for this right now. Oh, but don't worry, I'll catch up with you later, Tohsaka-san."

"Yeah, later Tohsaka," Shinji said, his mouth contorting into a malicious grin as the two left, leaving Rin both dazed and confused.

"...Oh… my god," Rin said once she gathered her bearings. "I literally cannot believe that happened."

"What's the worst part?" Archer said, materializing next to Rin. "The part where you lost to that so called incompetent Master? Or is it the fact that your love interest discarded you like soiled meats to traipse off with another girl?"

"Love interest!? It's nothing like that!"

"Ah, the latter then. You know what they say, Master: 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all," he said with a hearty chuckle.

"I didn't lose anything! Not to Shinji, and I definitely didn't lose Emiya!"

"So you don't deny that you want him?"

"I… I mean… why would I..." Rin continued to stammer as her cheeks flushed.

"Ah, to be young and in love. Worry not, Master, you will have your chance."

"Ugh, shut up you stupid Servant! We don't need him, we'll just have to find Caster ourselves!"

"As you wish Master. I live to serve your whims," Archer said with an ostentatious bow. "But I must say, you do not wear jealousy well."

"Just come on!" Rin growled, stomping away. "We're done talking about this!" Chester laughed at his Master's antics and followed her into the city.

"Man, Sakura sure is lucky to have such a devoted brother."

"...Yeah."

"But is it okay to visit this late? It's almost 9 o'clock. I mean, I wouldn't want to impose, so..."

"It's fine. Yes, everything is going to turn out just fine…" Shinji couldn't help but let out a maniacal giggle as Shirou followed him to what he assumed was the Matou residence.

"Oh, and thanks again for letting me make this soup for her. I hope she likes it. I would like the pot back though, ha ha!" Shinji took a glance back at Shirou. He was carrying a medium sized red pot that currently held a vegetable soup. While he was making it, Shirou offered him a taste. He honestly thought Shirou's cooking was better than the kind you find in most restaurants, but he'd never admit that out loud. Regardless, he definitely wasn't getting that pot back. That soup is gonna taste great.

"You seem really comfortable cooking, Emiya."

"I do cook practically every day."

"Huh. With a big house like that, I'd figure you'd have a servant do all your housework."

"No, that's all me."

"Must be lonely living in a house that big by yourself. I bet beneath your 'nice and friendly' façade you're really crazy and write on the walls in your own blood," Shinji said with a sick chuckle. "At least you don't have to hide your porn."

"Actually I don't live alone," Shirou replied. "Someone else lives with me, but she wasn't there. In fact, she hasn't even been home all day."

"A relative of yours?"

"In a sense. Although she's more like a starving animal."

"Oh, the guy's got jokes!" Shirou chuckled at the perceived compliment, but couldn't see the scowl on Shinji's face.

"You know, your house is really far away."

"Is it now?" Shinji said in mock surprise. "I'm so sorry that I put my house as far away from yours as I could."

"Not that I mind or anything!" Shirou gave a nervous chuckle. Shinji didn't respond. "So... is this how we get to your house? I didn't realize we'd have to go through the park."

"Yup."

"It looks like it's getting pretty foggy. Wonder if it's gonna rain soon. I hope not; I still have to bring in the laundry." Shinji gave a noncommittal grunt in response, his mind wandering as Shirou kept rambling about random nonsense Shinji didn't care about. He didn't really walk through this park often, so the scent of verdure was a foreign experience to his senses that were accustomed only to a musty old manor. If he were a more nature conscious fellow, he would have described this little excursion as pleasant. But, being Shinji, he would only describe his current situation as a nuisance he wanted to get over with as quickly as possible, much like everything else. To his relief, his path happened upon the purple clad Einzbern girl, sitting on a bench. Her eyes were closed and she humming a cheery tune to herself, as if she were in some kind of dream.

"And there was this one time where Fuji-nee wanted to eat only rice omelettes. Breakfast lunch a dinner, for like, two weeks. I had to buy eggs, like, every day. Eggs can be really expensive you know. It was good thing I had all that money saved up from-"

"Emiya." At least now he can stop listening to Shirou's inane prattling.

"Hm?"

"There's someone who'd like to meet you."

"Is Sakura in this park? Is she well enough to be here?"

"It's not fucking Sakura, okay!?" Shinji sighed. "Hey, Einzbern. I brought him just like I said." The girl in question ceased her hum and opened her eyes. Her gaze met the one she had been hoping to see since she learned of his existence. A vortex of emotions spun in violent turbulence within her heart when Illya finally saw this mysterious, elusive creature. Anger at how he had stolen her father. Wonder at what his life had been like. Sorrow at why he had been chosen over her. Relief that Shinji actually brought him to her. Offended that he seemed so casual. Questioning what it would be like to have a brother. Hope that, just maybe, they could have a sibling relationship. Denial that she could ever reconcile with him, too hurt by what her father- their father- had done. Fascination at his appearance: his short, red hair; his black and grey jacket and jeans, the out of place pot he was carrying, his confused expression as he looked at her. None of her thoughts betrayed by the polite smile she regarded him with. Mostly, though, she felt excitement. Her time had finally come. She was meeting with him. The last remaining link to the malefactor known as Kiritsugu Emiya.

"Is this her, Shinji?" The Matou nodded. "And, uh… who is she?"

"I must say, it is a great pleasure to meet you, Shirou Emiya," she said, rising to her feet and giving a demure curtsy. Her small smile brightened an grew at their meeting. Their encounter was no mere dream or flight of fancy; it was actually, finally happening.

"...Likewise?" was all Shirou could say.

"My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, daughter of Irisviel von Einzbern and Kiritsugu Emiya."

"Huh? Kiritsugu Emiya…? Wait, what?"

"I suppose that makes me your sister." To her, the notion was absurd, but just saying the word, the concept of being someone's sister tickled her. Yet it served as a reminder of Kiritsugu's betrayal.

"Sister…? But… dad's been dead for five years… and his health kept deteriorating… so…" Illya giggled in response.

"I assure you, Shirou, Kiritsugu Emiya is, without a doubt, my biological father."

"I… that's really… wow…"

"Do you not believe me?" Illya said, brow furrowing in confusion and slight irritation.

"No! No, I believe you… something in your eyes makes me think you're telling the truth. It's just…" Shirou sighed. He put down the pot he was holding and brought a hand to his head. "I can't believe he never said anything."

"And why would he?" Illya questioned, a harsh tone appearing in her voice.

"I don't know… but, there are a lot of things I don't know, things he never told me."

Illya shook her head. "We were a happy family living in Germany until ten years ago, when he left me. I vividly remember the last time I saw him."

"Ten years…" it was a memory buried in Shirou's mind. Death as far as he could see, screams echoing around him, fire consuming all. And yet, he was saved thanks to the efforts of one man. "I guess something could have happened…" Shirou's contemplative look twisted to one of confusion. "I'm sorry, but did you say 'until ten years ago'?"

"Indeed. That… miscreant left me when I was a young girl of eight."

"...You look like you're eight now…" Shirou involuntarily muttered. The girl… Illya, he learned, stood, her grin replaced with a stern frown, glaring right at him. He found it slightly unsettling, but he supposed that was to be expected. "Shinji, I got to ask: how long have you known… Illya?" Shirou turned around gauge his response. But Shinji was nowhere to be seen. And neither was his pot of soup.

"Do not trouble yourself with Mr. Matou. We are only acquainted due to a chance encounter. I am more interested in you, Shirou. What has your life been like, living with my father?"

"Um… it was fine?"

"Fine?" Illya repeated. "Fine... fine, he says. Fine," her tone grew more and more indignant as she continued. "Yes, yes, of course it was. Fine as well as dandy, no doubt. This country is Kiritsugu's homeland, after all. Of course he would want to come back. He could never have a perfect life with us… not with everything that was happening at the time."

"I… don't think that's the case…"

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Illya spat. "Having lived with him all this time. I bet you had a great father-son bond. Tell me, Shirou, what was it like when he died? Did it upset you? Did it pain your heart?"

"Well… yeah. I was really sad about-"

"Of course you were. How horrible it must be for a child to witness their parent's death, knowing that they will never see them again."

"Um…"

"I didn't know he had died until I came here. All this time, I held on to a sliver of hope that he would miraculously come back. That I would…" She sniffed, her red eyes brimming with tears. "...That I would see him again. That we could be a family again. But, here he was, dead for five years. And during that time he was alive, he clearly cast me out of his life and wanted nothing more to do with me… I was a fool."

"Hey, you're not a fool! It'd be stranger not to hope for that, I think. I'd do the same if I were in your shoes..."

"But you didn't have to. No… you were here, living your picturesque family life."

Illya was shaking now, tears freely flowing down her porcelain cheeks. Shirou wanted to say something to his newly discovered, ostensibly older than she looks sister, but the words seemed to die in his throat.

"It hurts," the girl said. "It hurts to see you. I cannot help but think of what could have been. What my family could have been. Looking at you… it's... it's as if a wound I thought closed has been opened, and all the pain I suffered has returned tenfold."

"I… I'm sorry-"

"I don't want your apologies! They can't change what happened! Nothing will ever change the past! I... I want closure. I want to be healed. I want…"

Shirou's empathized with this girl. Losing your parents at such a young age… He could not imagine the heartache she felt, her father up and leaving her. Had fate turned out differently, this could totally have been him. He had to wonder if he would feel how she did, were their positions reversed. And the thought scared him. If there was anything he could do to help her, he would do it. It was the least he could do, and, of course, he wanted to do more than that. If anyone should be happy, Shirou at least thought this girl deserved it. "What? What do you want?"

"I want you to die."

It was a simple command, one that the Servant readily followed. Before Shirou could ask Illya to repeat herself, the Berserker blinked into existence faster than Shirou could perceive. Effortlessly, he was lifted by his collar and his faceless assailant came clear into his view. The shock this boy held in his eyes did not go unnoticed by the Berserker, nor did his rapid breathing or heart rate: telltale signs of fear. It was a shame, that a tangentially related character had to face retribution for the affronts of another. But, his Master wished for him to die, so die this one shall.

"A-a Servant?" Shirou whispered. Berserker was unsure if his Master heard his statement. Was he another Master in this war? Is his Servant nearby? It did not matter to the Berserker; this boy was going to die anyway, and he feared no new combatant.

"Take it slow, Berserker," Illya said. "I want him to suffer." In his past, the Berserker would usually take down his foes with a display of overwhelming, superior force. Taking things slow was not how he, nor any of the Knights, his memories recalled, operated. Yet, again, his Master wished it, so instead of pulverizing the boy's body into the earth, he opted to throw him against a tree. He hit it with a loud thud, and collapsed on the ground. The Berserker approached slowly and drew his sword. The boy stumbled as he tried to regain his footing. If he were to take it slow, perhaps he should cut off his limbs individually? Dismemberment was a sound tactic: he would regularly take it upon himself to sever the limbs of large creatures such as dragons or demons… but to carve a mere boy like that seemed gauche and disrespectful. But, a Knight has his duty. The Berserker raised his sword to commit the deed. Several swings and it would be over, though no doubt the boy would be dead long before he finished.

The air let loose a cry as the Berserker's greatsword cut through.

"Berserker?" Illya said. "What was that?" She had seen it. He didn't do anything about it because he didn't care to. His Master worried about him, he surmised. The edge of his sword embedded itself in the ground, narrowly missing it's intended target, whose life was no doubt flashing before his eyes. The Berserker released his sword, needing his usable arm to pull out the arrow that lodged itself in his neck. The arrowhead was coated in a thick, purple substance; poison, no doubt. Unfortunately for its owner, such underhanded methods would not work on him. This is what it meant to 'take it slow': he had missed on purpose when the arrow hit. Perhaps this was some kind of joke on his part. He hadn't regained enough of himself to determine that. He was simply following an order.

The Berserker grabbed his sword and backstepped, dodging the flurry of arrows that flew from the side. Once enough distance was between them, a girl ran to the boy.

"Shirou!" she cried. "Shirou, are you okay!?"

"Y-yeah Tohsaka-san… I'm… argh…" he winced in pain as the girl helped him to his feet, but he fell down again, drifting into unconsciousness. Berserker made an evasive maneuver again as a hail of arrows rained on where he was just standing. He retreated to his Master's side as another dropped from the sky.

"I'd say love saves the day again," the newcomer said, adjusting his hat, the moonlight accentuating his plastic grin. "But your stalker tendencies are quite unbecoming, Master."

"Shut up, Archer!" The girl left the boys side and stood behind her Servant. "You can save the jokes until after we defeat these clowns."

"And to think we would come face to face with the Abysswalker himself." Archer's Master noted the never before anxiety hidden in his statement. If the ever joking Archer was hesitant, then this Abysswalker was serious business.

"Oh?" Illya said, a bit surprised that her Servant's identity was known by this sneering jester. "And who might these two be?"

"You can drop the veneer of politeness, Einzbern," the girl said. Illya pouted in response. "You and your Berserker are just a stepping stone to me winning this war."

"Aren't you the haughty one," Illya said. "But reckless abandon will do you more harm than good. Especially if you underestimate your foe. Berserker," Illya said, nodding at her Servant. Berserker grunted, the extent of his verbal abilities. A straightforward fight was much more enjoyable, and better played to his strengths. He readied his blade. The wind howled as Berserker dashed at them. Archer quickly grabbed his Master and leapt into the air, firing arrows as he ascended.

Berserker swatted them away like they were nothing. He readied his sword again and leapt after them. Archer's master clicked her tongue and procured a set of jewels. She threw them down. Berserker attempted to knock them aside, but as his blade made contact, they released a powerful surge of energy, blowing the Servant back to the ground. Archer and his Master landed back by the boy.

"Try not to get caught like that again," Rin whispered. "I don't have enough of those on me to take down a Berserker."

"Well that's going to be a problem," Archer said.

"What?"

"This guy… Artorias the Abysswalker they call him. He was the one corrupted that I told you about earlier."

"That's him!?"

"Yeah… According to what I've heard, he was stupidly powerful before he went to Oolacile… so who knows how the Abyss changed him. Heh, we sure have our work cut out for us." Archer quickly fired two more arrows at Berserker. As if taunting him, the Servant allowed the arrows to hit him, shrugging them off like they were naught but a gentle breeze. "...This won't be fun. See if you can get your lover to bring in his Servant, would you Master? I'll distract him as best I can." Archer reached into his pocket and pulled out a black orb-like object. He threw it at Berserker. Before it made contact, an arrow flew through the air, striking the object and releasing an explosion. Berserker halted for the slightest moment. The next instant, he jumped backwards in front of his Master, taking the full brunt of another flurry of arrows that was headed right for her.

"Berserker!" his Master cried. The Berserker howled as the arrows connected, not because they hurt, but because this Archer had the gall to attack his Master. Wisps of darkness coalesced around the Berserker, gathering into pools that bleed into the ground underneath him. This underhanded attack made the Berserker growl and convulse with rage. Even Gough was honorable enough to attack head on. He had been holding back to gauge his ability, but no more. This one… this one would have a death befitting a coward like him.

The mad knight charged at Archer, just like he hoped. He would have to make his next few moves very carefully, lest he end up cleaved in twain. He deftly backstepped, keeping close to his foe, but far enough away that he could evade and not be taken by a surprise burst of speed. The perfect distance to keep his attention. Another slash, another evade. Archer fired more arrows. They hit their target, but did nothing to halt his momentum. If Archer had the sense to frown, he would.

"Looks like I'll have to play the long game, then."

"Come on Shirou, wake up!" Rin said as she held a red stone to his chest. He didn't move. "This is an A-rank mystic code! Why isn't it working!?" Not seeing any other options, Rin promptly slapped Shirou several times, commanding that he return to consciousness.

"Ugh… ah… ow, Tohsaka-san, that hurts…" Shirou said weakly as he came back to the land of the living.

"No time to lay down, Emiya! Archer's fighting Berserker and losing; bring Saber here now!"

"Uh… she's not here."

"Then Summon her!"

"You know I can't summon her, right?"

"Then use a command seal! We're gonna die at this rate!"

"How do I use them?"

"You can't be serious!"

"Do I just say 'Saber get over here now'" or something? How would she even here me?" And, in a convenient gust of wind, the Servant in question appeared before them.

"No need to speculate, Shirou, I am already here." Rin quickly grabbed Shirou's hand. Somehow, he hadn't used any of his command seals to bring Saber forward. "I have heard your cry for help by means of our covenant, and have answered your call for aid."

"Well get over there and fight Berserker!" Rin said. Shirou nodded his assent to the request. Saber looked at the fight, analyzing the situation: Archer narrowly dodging swings from a greatsword, as tangible darkness swirled around his adversary. Archer might be okay for now, but he was quickly losing steam, and a single misstep would spell death.

"I shall fight for you, Shirou," she said. She stepped forward, neither Archer or Berserker paying attention to her, though the little girl in purple regarded her with an angry expression. Calming herself, Saber brought her left hand to her chest. Sparks of electricity gathered around her fist. She raised her hand, the sparks taking and holding the shape of a bolt of lightning. Taking aim, she hurled the bolt at Berserker, the shot striking true.

Berserker looked at the newest attacker, dropping all pretense of attacking the Archer.

"Gods above, it took you long enough!" Archer yelled. Berserker paid no attention to that insect. Rather, the creature before him consumed his thoughts.

A miracle.

This creature had just cast a miracle on him. The same miracle Ornstein taught the knights in order to better fight dragons. He had been struck by this same miracle many times fighting Ornstein, and the name came to him instantly, a memory forcibly brought to the forefront of his mind: Great Lightning Spear.

Why does it know this? It couldn't be a knight of the land, as it would be wearing the easily identifiable silver armor. So why? Why would it know how to perform this miracle? And it was particularly strong too: strong enough that Artorias felt it sting, unlike the piddling arrows the Archer tired to fell him with. The question remained, and it hurt Artorias not to know. A piercing pain shot through his head at this unknown, and he howled.

"Ah!" Illya fell to her knees as a sympathetic pain shot through her head. Whatever this Servant did, it had affected Artorias greatly, not so much physically, but mentally. She clutched her head and tried to bear the pain.

He wasn't sure why, but this question needed to be answered immediately. He was so close to knowing, the answer formless, but right in front of him. Looking for anything in the formless Dark was a futile effort, but it took all his might to try. But he couldn't grasp his answer. Whatever clutches the Abyss had on him, it was actively blocking his memory and reasoning on this matter, and he could hardly take it. He howled again, a surge of Darkness bellowing out from him. Archer, who thought he was a safe distance away had the full force of the efflux attack him, knocking him back. Saber held her invisible weapon at the ready.

"Ah! What!?" Rin clutched her hand and braced herself against the tree. Whatever attack Berserker just unleashed had just tried to attack her as well, feeling its effect on Archer through their link on her command seals. It wasn't crippling, but it did catch her by surprise. Illya wasn't so fortunate, now lying on the ground and wailing in pain. Berserker wildly swung at Saber, fighting the Servant and the pain in his head. Saber carefully rolled out of the way from his strikes, taking in all of his movements. Whatever answer he sought, he wasn't getting it, and he couldn't help but fight this clumsily, as though he were a puppet of some inept ventriloquist.

"...What's happening?" Shirou said as he saw his sister cry out in pain.

"I'm… I'm not sure. Either Einzbern has something wrong with her summoning, which I doubt… or something from her Servant is affecting her. Considering how he managed to hit me… it's probably the latter."

"Can't we do something?"

"What? Why would you-" Rin was cut off as Illya, stood to her feet, her hands and the sides of her head covered in blood from clutching herself too tightly.

"Berserker!" She yelled as the Servants moved. "I command you to regain your memory!" And, under the impulse of his Master's command seal, the pain in his head vanished, as did the Darkness around him. Illya released a breath she didn't realize she held and fell to the ground. She sighed. At least that pain was gone.

The answer was so simple, Artorias was ashamed he hadn't realized it before. If it wasn't taught… it had to be stolen. And what creatures could steal such miracles so effectively without the years of training required to build the proper faith to utilize such a talent?

The creature before him, the Servant Saber, was none other than a Cursed Undead.

Some people disagreed with my proclamation of the best Saber. Little do they know, that isn't even one of my real controversial opinion. So let's get that out of the way.

1. Souls Trilogy Ranking: Dark Souls II, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Dark Souls III

2. Five Best Girls in the Nasuverse: Shiki Ryougi, Arcueid Brunestud, Ayaka Sajyou, Satsuki Yumizuka, Touko Aozaki

3. Nasu, give me an official English release of the Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night visual novels. This isn't an opinion, but I know he's reading this, so hook me up bro

Man, I could have been playing Monster Hunter World instead of doing this shit.