Chapter 10 – Taiga

Shirou stared wide-eyed at the young Master before him when Waver uttered the completely unexpected revelation.

Waver eyed Shirou's reaction for an extra second before he glanced away to the side after maintaining long enough eye contact with Shirou.

"So I was right then," Waver concluded grimly as worried creases on his forehead could be seen on his contemplating face. "It's Luca all along."

Seeing no use of hiding or denying the information any longer, Shirou asked a critical question to whom he considered as a friend. "What are you planning to do with this information now?"

Waver shrugged. "I don't know," Waver answered. "The other Masters are going to eventually arrive to the same conclusion as I have here while the Grail continues to provide us with more and more information as time passes by. If anything, Luca needs to find shelter as fast as possible within a day's time at most."

Shirou nodded his head in agreement. "Easier said than done though …" Shirou trailed off as he placed his hand on his chin in thought.

"Has that ever stopped you?" Waver asked with a surfacing grin on his face.

Shirou returned the smile with amusement. It seems like Waver is already beginning to develop some of his Servant's personalities in just a little over a week. "You're right," Shirou spoke aloud, "but where should we begin? Any ideas?"

Waver looked down at the floor as his mind raced for available options to take on the immense task. "If this was London, I might be able to provide some formidable places to hide out, however …"

"We don't have the time for that, do we?" Shirou asked.

Waver nodded. "If the Masters here are anything like the Masters of the Third War, then they will do anything it will take just to get the extra command seals. Even if it means shooting down a midflight plane full of unaware innocents just for the sake of killing their subject."

"You mentioned you were living with your grandparents before, perhaps they may be able to provide us with some notable information?" Shirou asked, brainstorming for ideas.

Waver glanced up at Shirou before quickly averting his gaze back to the ground as he gave an awkward chuckle. "They won't know anything, trust me."

Shirou dismissed Waver's odd reaction as he tried to come up with a new solution. Despite living in Fuyuki City for his entire life, Shirou could not think of any place that would be the perfect safe haven to avoid detection from any magi or Servants. If Shirou couldn't think of any place, then Shirou was sure Waver, a person who had only just arrived here recently, would much less likely be able to come up with something good.

"If it's going to be any place," Shirou suddenly spoke aloud after a brief moment of silence in the room, "it has to be out of this city."

Waver nodded in tacit agreement. "Fuyuki is buzzing with magi and Servants, a rural village far away from here would be great. However, how will we be able to monitor him?" Waver proposed a question.

"A familiar?" Shirou brainstormed, having seen Tohsaka Rin utilize those handy puppets of hers to her own will on multiple occasions in the past.

"That won't work," Waver was quick to shoot down the idea. "You need a person to constantly control the familiar at all times for one to monitor someone at all times. You can't put a familiar on 'auto mode' and allow it to send mental images to you which you deem as critical or necessary. Anything less than a Servant will prove this task difficult," Waver swiftly answered.

"Then your idea?" Shirou asked, hoping that the far more knowledgeable Master would be able to shed some light on the matter.

"Don't have one," Waver sighed aloud as he raised both of his hands in a shrugging manner. "Every idea I think of has a critical setback, and if the enemy capitalizes on it, it can put us in a serious disadvantageous position."

"Then what should we do in that case?" Shirou asked with a slight frown, having completely run out of ideas.

Before Waver could answer the question, another voice interrupted the conversation. "Why not let Luca decide for himself?" a feminine voice resounded the room as both Shirou and Waver whirled their heads in the voice's direction.

"Irisviel!" Shirou uttered in astonishment, surprise to see her walking around here.

"Einzbern," Waver briefly acknowledged the homunculus woman in front of him.

"Good evening, Shirou, Master of Rider!" Irisviel greeted both in turn.

"Do you need something, Irisviel?" Shirou asked, hoping to understand the reason behind Irisviel's visit.

"I heard you both talking," Irisviel graciously smiled at the two boys before her. "And it appears that my assumption of Luca being the Emiya Shirou the Grail wanted all along is unfortunately correct."

"You've heard that much," Shirou gave a tensed chuckle at the frightening thought. "You could pose as a pretty good Assassin," Shirou muttered the last sentence from under his breath as Waver absently nodded at Shirou's proven statement.

"Oh, really!" Irisviel beamed jubilantly at the praise. "I hope I meet your expectations, Shirou!"

"Ha ha ha," Shirou gave a strained laugh. "No need to force yourself to do that."

"I agree," Waver found himself nodding with tacit approval, "just because you're good at it doesn't mean you should try it."

"Anyway, since you've heard us talking, do you have a solution towards the problem?" Shirou asked Irisviel who is already by now in her traditional white sleeping gown.

"Why not let Luca decide his fate?" Irisviel asked as if the solution to their unending enigma being obvious.

Shirou nodded. "Yes, ultimately the decision would be in his hands, however, if he chooses to flee …" Shirou trailed off as he gestured for Irisviel to fill in the blank.

"Then he dies," Irisviel answered with a serious expression.

"Wait, what?!" Waver exclaimed as he shook his head to process the unexpected news.

"Even if you do hide Luca, do you think the Grail will simply allow it and let him go?" Irisviel presented a thought-provoking question. "Saber has already told me that the Grail is beginning to give Servants a general image of Luca, if this continues, the Grail would reveal Luca's whereabouts once necessary."

Shirou gave a low hum of agreement as he stood there in thought. He should have known this all along and he had even said so himself in the past. The Grail would never leave its task undone, Angra Mainyu will never simply let his goal slip away just because of mere inconvenience.

"There's one thing I don't get," Waver suddenly spoke as he made eye contact with Irisviel. "Why now? Why is the Grail only giving us the information now at all times? Why not sooner?"

This question had bugged Shirou in the past as well. The idea of the Grail giving limited information on his counterpart's identity because it wants to weed out the weak Servants and utilize the strong Servants has crossed Shirou's mind before. However, if Shirou were to be honest to himself, having known Angra Mainyu and its characteristics, Shirou doubted the Grail will waste time and fool around to play this pointless guessing game. Instead, the Grail will go to insurmountable measures to obtain its wish.

"I don't know," Irisviel closed her eyes as she shook her head in answer. "The Grail's behavior in this war is beyond anything anybody has ever witnessed before. And to think the Grail will target an innocent child like Luca is unthinkable. But if I were to guess, the only handicap for the Grail would be its supplement of mana."

Shirou raised his eyebrows in surprise at Irisviel's confession. To think that the Lesser Grail herself would not know why the Grail is behaving this way is somewhat shocking. However, all things considered, this revelation is also understandable seeing that the Grail is acting very oddly. And for those who do not know the history behind Shirou and Saber using Excalibur to destroy the Grail, the Grail's strange endeavors will simply come across as unnatural, even for the individual closest to the Grail, Irisviel herself.

"Mana?" Waver questioned in confirmation. "Assassin was killed a while ago, why present the clues now of all times?"

"Limited available mana is the Grail's only handicap. Even though the Grail should have been able to accomplish what it has done long before, we need not forget that the Grail has its own agendas and can be very elusive."

"This 'Grail' sounds very much alive," Waver sighed in frustration.

"It is," both Irisviel and Shirou replied to Waver's unplanned comment in unison.

"I know," Waver gave a more audible sigh again. "Just don't remind me. I already have enough craziness to last me a decade."

"And for the record," Shirou added. "It's one Assassin that got eliminated, there are Assassins."

"W-Wha—!" Waver sputtered out immediately as he stared at Shirou with a slack jawed and wide-eyed expression. "You're … joking, right?" Waver asked with a tinge of desperate hope laced in his voice.

"Nope, completely serious," Shirou swiftly responded to the crestfallen Waver who heard the reply.

"He's serious, isn't he?" Waver turned around to meet Irisviel.

"Very much so," Irisviel answered with a smile.

"I just said I have enough craziness to last me a decade and there you go giving me more of this Grail War nonsense. How is this possible? Why are there more than one Assassin Class Servants?"

"Not more than one Assassin Class Servants," Shirou began explaining. "There can only be one per Grail War. However, a Noble Phantasm that allows multiple manifestations of themselves may be possible."

"So, it's like a bundle package then," Waver clarified.

"Yeah … I guess you can call it that."

"How many Assassins do you think are out there?" Waver addressed to both of the people present in the conversation.

Shirou glanced in Irisviel's direction seeing that she should be the only person able to answer the question.

"I would think ten Assassins at the minimum," Irisviel vaguely replied, probably not willing to tell the Rider of Master of her status as the Lesser Grail.

"Ten," Waver repeated with a deadpanned expression as if a joke was not funny at all. "We have to defeat a freakin' ten Servants you're saying. All Assassins no less. What happened to equality in the Grail Wars?!" Waver exclaimed in the end with an exaggerated wave of his hands from above his head.

"That was done away with long ago," Shirou replied. "You can never request fairness in battle."

"Ah," Waver gave another long sigh disguised in a yawn as he stretched his sore back. "So we have Assassins to deal with, an evil rogue Caster to defeat, then we have Luca to protect. And if things can get any worse than it is now, Zouken is still out there alive."

"Oh, that sounds like a lot!" Irisviel noted as if having a sudden revelation.

"Anyway, there's nothing we can do about these problems tonight. I'm going to call it a night, I believe I deserve a rest from all this madness … and a vacation afterward," Waver added as he began to make his way out the door.

"Where do your grandparents live?" Shirou asked suddenly.

"Huh? Up in the mountains right by the city," Waver replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Need a ride back?" Shirou offered.

"No thanks," Waver swiftly denied the kind offer. "You seem to forget I have a Rider Class Servant with a flying chariot."

Shirou laughed at Waver's dry humor as he smiled at the young Master. "No, I haven't. I just thought you don't sit too well with Alexander's midair stunts, thought I should offer you a hand."

"Y-yeah …" Waver trailed off with uncertainty at the reminder. "If worse comes to worst, I can always force Rider to touch land and tread slowly the rest of the way."

"Haha," Shirou gave a smile at Waver. "You have a good rest, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, sure … wait, tomorrow?!" Waver whirled around at the news.

Shirou simply continued to softly smile in Waver's direction as Irisviel continued to witness the spectacle.

"Never mind," Waver waved his hand in a dismissive fashion, "I'll find out soon enough. I'm not in the state of mind to listen to any more plot twists. Night!"

Like that, Waver left the room without another word as he went out to search for his Servant.


"R-IIIII-DDDDDDEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Waver yelled out hysterically as Alexander boomed his signature laugh of joy and excitement while the oxen pulled the chariot through the sky in a nauseating and gut-wrenching fashion.

"DOWNNNN NOWWWWWWW!" Waver cried out again as he resisted the urge to puke.

"Ahaha, you should keep your mouth closed, boy. You don't –"

"RII—" Waver was swiftly interrupted when a flying insect flew into his mouth the moment he opened it. Widening his eyes in horror at the rough and juicy sensation on his tongue, Waver began to spit out strings of saliva in rapid succession while sputtering out curses at his Servant.

"DOWN, NOW! Don't make me use a command seal!" Waver shouted out as he proceeded by wiping his face with the collar of his shirt.

Alexander gave another one of his signature and amused laugh as he eyed his Master with satisfaction. "Hyah!" Rider roared as he shook the reins powerfully while the oxen obeyed the unspoken command by suddenly diving head first to the earth.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Waver's yell of fear could be heard from kilometers away in the still night sky as he held on to the edge of the chariot for his dear life.


"I. HATE. The. Gordius Wheel," Waver punctuated each word in the sentence with a special emphasis on the word "hate" as he stared gloomily at the paved walkway while absently kicking a pebble across the road with his two hands stuck in his pant pockets.

"Ahahaha, don't gripe, boy. You are experiencing conquering like none other in this era! You should be singing praises at the glorious opportunity given unto you!" Alexander stated with a broad grin.

"Singing praises," Waver scoffed at the words Alexander chose to use. "Might as well sing praise to certain death."

Waver kicked the same pebble again as the tiny rock tumbled further across the pavement once more.

"Why are you doing that, boy?" Alexander finally asked after Waver have repeated the same pattern several times.

"I am conquering the rock," Waver sarcastically answered as he looked up briefly with a roll of his eyes while gesturing the rock in front of him.

"The pebble? Boy, you can accomplish grander achievements if you ask to accompany me on my journey of conquest!"

"I'm starting off by conquering this rock," Waver said as he kicked the pebble once again when he approached it. "Plus, I've got to start somewhere. Why not here?" Waver muttered, clearly not amused by the conversation or Alexander's counter-argument.

"Boy, join me as my manservant and we will be able to conquer beyond the horizon! I will even give you half of this land in the east!" Alexander declared with determination as his grin widened at the sheer prospect of achieving that dream.

"Manservant," Waver grumbled under his breath, "How generous, but I think I will begin from the bottom up, starting with this PEBBLE!" Waver kicked the tiny rock on the ground again with all his might as the stone soared through the air, landing beyond Waver's line of sight until he heard a splash nearby.

"Can't even conquer a rock," Alexander shook his head in disapproval. "How disappointing. Heed my words, boy, and I trust you will be almost as great as I was in my previous life!"

"No thanks," Waver grumbled miserably as they continued to walk side by side with the steadily flowing river to their right.

Nothing was said between the Master and Servant for a minute as they entered into the residential area by the river. However, their brief moment of serene – and what Waver thought as refreshing – silence was quickly interrupted when a girl's yelp from above could be heard.

"Wha—no no no no, WHAAAAA!" a girl yelled out in surprise as Waver looked up to the source of noise with dismay.

However, his flash of annoyance promptly disappeared into a look of bewilderment when he saw a girl falling through the air right above him. Frozen in place and not knowing how to respond to the sudden odd scenario, Waver was a split second too late from finding shelter when the girl landing right into Waver with a violent crash.

Waver immediately got pushed down onto the asphalt road as he forcefully choked out the air in his lungs at the sudden collision. "Owww …" Waver grimaced to himself as he tried to nurse his bumped head with his hand.

However, a shift in weight from his lungs to his stomach stopped Waver from any action as he gagged in pain at the unexpected move.

"H-H-H-HEEEY!" Waver stuttered out in exclamation.

The girl on top of Waver slowly opened her eyes as she saw the aftermath of what had happened before coming to a full realization when she quickly got off of Waver.

"W-WAIT!" Waver shouted again when he saw that the girl was going to hastily get off of his lying form. And true to his dreaded predictions, the girl quickly leaped off of Waver as she accidentally dug her heels into Waver's pelvis while Waver involuntarily groaned in pain. Once the girl was finally off of him, Waver couldn't help himself but curl up into a ball on the ground as the lingering dull pain can be felt in his body. Waver at that moment reckoned that this girl must be a demon to inflict this unnecessary torment on his poor soul.

"Interesting turn of events," Alexander commented in thought after the entire spectacle came to an end.

"That's all you have to say," Waver groaned while speaking with disdain.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" the girl with brown hair and brown eyes swiftly apologized with a bow after realizing she must have done something to the teen in front of her.

"W-Who are you?" Waver asked after he slowly got back up on one of his knees.

"Me?" the girl asked while pointing at herself in confirmation, to which Waver nodded for good measures. "I'm Taiga," the girl answered. "Fujimura Taiga!" she announced as if proud of the fact.

"I-I'll … remember that," Waver responded after getting up on his two feet. "So, what were you doing up in the sky?" Waver finally asked the question he's been meaning to ask before she officially crashed into him.

"I was chasing after a thief," Taiga began explaining.

"In the sky," Waver clarified sarcastically, hoping for more information. Thinking back, since when has he been so sardonic?

"No, on the rooftop."

"Rooftop," Waver repeated evenly, as if the entire notion is absurd. "What did the thief steal?" Waver asked, giving up on asking how she ended up on the roof.

"Underwear," Taiga answered seriously.

Waver's mouth opened slightly as he mentally gaped at the revelation. She is chasing an underwear thief in the middle of the night on the roof. Who would believe in this nonsense?!

"You're kidding me," Waver stated at the ridiculously stupid statement. Who would fall for that? And what kind of thief steals underwear? There are far better things to steal!

"I'm not," Taiga replied with the same serious expression she held earlier.

Waver looked at Taiga again before sighing audibly. "I can't believe I'm going to do this," Waver muttered as he dug into his pant pockets before taking out a necklace with a simple cross decoration attached to the end of it.

Taiga stared at Waver curiously at what he is going to do before Waver extended his arms out as he swung the necklace back and forth like a pendulum in front of Taiga's face.

Taiga's expression quickly slackened as she stared blankly at the hypnotizing motion. "What were you doing earlier?" Waver asked.

"I was talking to a weird foreign boy in a suit," Taiga stoically answered in a monotonous tone.

Waver frowned at the lousy answer. "It's a school uniform," Waver said with an unamused gaze, "and … I'm not weird."

Taiga remained silent to Waver's comment as Alexander continue to look at the spectacle with curiosity, having this being the second time he's seen his Master, Waver, performing hypnotism magecraft.

"Fine, what were you doing before that?" Waver asked again, hoping to know the events that transpired before the girl, Taiga, met him.

"I fell on you while thinking you were a hard plushy," Taiga stoically answered again.

Waver for the second time found himself gaping at the what he considered as a relatively beautiful yet annoying girl before him. "Too much information," Waver sighed. "And I mean before that."

"I was screaming before falling off of the roof."

"Before that," Waver said evenly, already tired of the entire cycle. What is in this girl's brain anyway, can she not understand the intent behind his question even when under a hypnosis?

"I was chasing a thief."

"What kind?" Waver further inquired.

Taiga's expression for a split second changed into a grimmer appearance before reverting back to her stoic manner. "An underwear thief."

Waver stared at Taiga for a good minute before speaking out loud. "I can't believe she was telling the truth," Waver sighed, "something must be fundamentally wrong with her head to believe that."

"Anyway, how did it happen?" Waver asked.

"I saw someone taking my und—"

"Skip," Waver promptly interrupted, tired of hearing the pure illogical nonsense.

"I then took my shinai and began to try beating the thief with it."

"Wait, what?! Repeat that again."

"I then took my shinai and began to try beating the thief with it," Taiga repeated though Waver swore he saw a momentary flash of a smug grin on the girl's face.

"Did you … perhaps enjoyed doing that?" Waver asked tentatively.

"Yes, very much so," Taiga answered evenly again that it almost unnerved Waver.

"I think I've had enough with this," Waver muttered under his breath. There was only so much nonsense a man can handle in a day.

"Rider," Waver addressed as Alexander shifted his body to look at Waver in the face, "do you mind acting as my translator?"

"Translator?" Alexander asked in confusion. "You were speaking fine earlier, boy."

"Earlier," Waver emphasized. "I'm completely drained of any magical energy and my body is exhausted. Even something as easy as transmitting intended thought through speech is becoming difficult for me, I can't maintain it much longer."

"Very well, boy, then I shall serve as a translator for you!" Alexander declared triumphantly.

"Okay," Waver nodded in gratitude. "She should snap out of it at any second."

Just as Waver stated, Taiga snapped out of her induced trance as she looked around with a confused expression.

"Who are you?" Taiga asked.

Waver looked over at Alexander as Alexander grinned at Waver while answering Taiga's question as he explained how she fell down and how Waver boldly softened her impact through the expense of his own body. None of this, of course, Waver was aware of what Alexander is saying.

Taiga for a moment eyed Waver from head to toe as if analyzing him to Waver's confusion before nodding her head in understanding at Alexander's statement once Taiga witnessed the torn fabric of Waver's western clothing.

"T-Thunk you," Taiga said in broken English and in a weird accent as she proceeded to gracefully bow with gratitude in front of Waver.

Was it him only, or did the girl's warm smile directed at him just made her more beautiful all of the sudden? Waver quickly shook his head to drive the weird thought away as he maintained back to his normal expression.

"You're welcome," Waver replied. At the very least, he was in the end thanked by the girl in front of him after taking on so much trouble.

After Taiga and Alexander talked a bit more, Alexander glanced over at Waver for his attention in which he complied.

"It seems like she is still adamant in finding the robber," Alexander stated to Waver.

"I should have known she wouldn't change her mind," Waver sighed.

"What do you say, boy?" Alexander asked with a questioning gaze and a triumphant smile.

"I think no," Waver replied dryly. "It must be her imagination. I mean, who steals underwear anyways?!" Waver exclaimed at the absurd thought.

"Are you telling me you are going to spend your life conquering a minuscule pebble instead of delivering justice upon cowardly thieves?" Alexander asked as he roared at the end with a broad smile, to which both Waver and Taiga had to involuntarily flinch to at the unexpected rise in voice.

Waver's eyes shook with uncertainty as he shifted his gaze from Alexander to Taiga then back again. If Waver were to be honest with himself, he is truly exhausted and wanted to go back for a well deserved good night rest. However …

"You are not going to leave a frail madam to her own demise, are you?" Alexander asked for a final time.

Waver glared at Alexander for his unhelpful comment before looking at Taiga's face briefly as he made his final decision. "I get it, I get it," Waver sighed loudly as he placed his hand onto his forehead in lament. "Fine! I'll help okay? Happy?" Waver glared at Alexander with annoyance which Alexander returned with a "pat" on Waver's back.

"I knew you had it in you, boy!" Alexander declared with joy.

Waver sighed for the umpteenth time as he gazed up at Alexander's tall intimidating figure before looking back down with dejection. "Let's … just get it over with."

"Well said, boy! Now let us ri—"

"We are not riding on the Gordius Wheel," Waver stated evenly before Alexander could finish his sentence.

"C'mon, boy! This—"

"NO!" the infamous shout of Waver finally snapped Alexander's mouth shut … for now.


"Let's just call it a day already," Waver groaned as they continued to walk along the path by the river.

"It's only been an hour, boy. Can you call yourself a conqueror without vigilance?" Alexander reprimanded with his same old confident grin he always held during battle.

"We're catching a 'mysterious' underwear thief," Waver exclaimed with an exaggerated wave of his arms. "The whole notion is ridiculous! What is the underwear made from that a thief will even want to bother stealing it? Gold?" Waver gave a long exhale as he crossed his arms in frustration. Of all the things he could be doing right now, he just had to be using his time "productively" on catching what he considered as an imaginary thief.

As Waver has thought countless times in the past hour, what kind of thief steals undergarments for a living anyways? Who bothers doing that? A pervert? That's already given, but does a thief honestly need to go out of his way to steal such an item while risking a jail term?

"Hey, Rider," Waver addressed, bringing his Servant's attention on him. "Ask Taiga does she happen to 'know' this thief she keeps talking about."

Alexander nodded as he proceeded by translating what Waver asked him to say to Taiga.

The only reason Waver could think of any person wanting to steal another person's undergarments is because they know each other and want to throw a silly prank at the other person. While this act of stealing will normally not warrant a person chasing you down in the middle of the night with a shinai, it will still serve as a good provocation to incite a worthwhile reaction from the person getting pranked.

"No," Alexander answered after hearing Taiga's reply, "the lady says she has never met the person before."

"Did she see the criminal's face?" Waver asked.

Alexander shook his head again. "She did not see the villain's face either, however, she said she had a good look on the person's physique and will be able to identify him on sight."

"Sounds … hard to do," Waver muttered with slight disbelief.

Alexander remained silent at Waver's comment before Waver continued from his previous statement. "Well, I figured this was the case. What kind of 'friend' will 'prank' her knowing that she will charge out with a shinai in hand, ready to beat anybody to a pulp with it," Waver noted his observation as he unconsciously shifted his gaze to the brown haired girl to his left who is holding a bamboo shinai. Just by the way she carried herself with the sword, Waver knew he wouldn't want to stand in between the way of her sword and her target.

Silence reigned once again among the trio as they continued walking and searching their surroundings, being constantly aware of what's going on around them. Suddenly, an urgent bark of a dog could be heard to their right as the barking and whining grew more in intensity by the second.

Waver perked up his ears at the sound and veered his head over to the right to see a dog being swept away by the river's current as the water forced the dog under its gushing waves before the dog resurfaced once again, resuming its cry for help.

Waver was not the only one to notice the problem as Taiga quickly understood the situation when she began sprinting over to the edge of the riverside.

"Hey! What are you—" Waver was swiftly interrupted when Taiga removed her sandals and threw her shinai to the side before leaping into the rushing river without a second thought.

"—doing …" Waver trailed off after finishing his sentence. Widening his eyes at the sight, Waver immediately rushed over to the riverside when he witnessed Taiga resurfacing from the water while she made her way to the still barking and desperate dog.

"You've got to be kidding me," Waver murmured with exasperation as he took off his outer jacket with urgency. "Here goes for nothing," Waver muttered under his breath as he dived into the river current behind Taiga.

If things begin to go downhill, Waver knew he could save Taiga without a doubt by using the little amount of magic he has left in his reserves. Of course, he could also call out Rider for help, but Waver preferred keeping the little pride he still has left and accomplish tasks he at least, as a magus, is capable of. If he didn't, Alexander will no doubt laugh and be disappointed in his inability to save a girl when he is a Master of the Holy Grail War.

Fighting against the strong current, Waver could dimly see through wet eyes that Taiga has already been able to rescue the dog but is now having a difficult time swimming back to shore. Is this girl an idiot or what? What was she thinking when she dived into the water in the middle of the night without a strategy?

After having been part of the Grail War for over a week now, Waver knew just by not having a solid plan could very well cost your life. One small mistake could end up turning your entire game plan upside down and get you killed.

Reaching through the torrent of water as Waver reached his hand out blindly until he grasped on what felt like the calf of the girl, Waver began to pull the leg closer to him until he was right beside her.

Taiga blinked a couple of times to get the water out of her eyes as she greedily gasped for air. Glancing at her savior, she widened her eyes in shock to find out it was Waver who dived in after her.

"You're here!" Taiga exclaimed over the sound of splashing and churning waters in Japanese.

Waver spared a glance at the girl beside him with a confused expression. "I can't understand you," Waver said in English, "but grab on tight."

Waver, without permission, wrapped his arms around Taiga's waist to get a better hold on her as the girl yelped in surprise at the sudden contact. Kicking with all he had while using some leftover mana he still had available to perform some basic reinforcement magic on his legs, Waver shot out through the waves as Taiga's brown hair ruffled violently in the wind due to the sudden and extraordinary speed.

"What are you waiting for?!" Waver shouted. "You kick too!" Waver said as he motioned for her to do what he is doing.

Taiga absently nodded her head as she was quick to react to the urgent situation while following along Waver's motion. After what felt like an eternity, Waver and Taiga finally touched shore as Waver first pulled Taiga and her hand-held puppy onto land before helping himself up too.

Waver was finally able to stand up onto the shore as water weighed heavily on his body, dripping in a constant rhythmic splash. Unaccustomed to the weight, Waver slipped when he tried to make his first step forward on the slippery slope that led to the road above. However, a hand latched onto Waver's wrist before he could crash into the unforgiving freezing waters of Japan.

Using the grabbing hand as leverage to get back up on the sloping ground, Waver pushed his hair back to see the same brown-haired girl with piercing brown eyes looking at him with a gleeful smile. "Uh, thank you," Waver finally said once Waver let down his hand back to his side, forcing Taiga to also let go seeing that he was no longer in danger.

"Ya're wel …" Taiga trailed off, not sure how to reply the thanks in English.

"It's 'you're welcome'," Waver said slowly, making sure the girl before him is able to catch the correct pronunciation.

"You're welcome!" Taiga repeated with a larger beaming grin as the dog in her hand shook in her arms, trying to get its soaked fur dry.

Waver smiled. "Yes."

It was not even a moment of tranquil silence when a certain nearby Servant shouted over from above. "Boy, are you alright?"

"Yeah!" Waver shouted over the sound of the river torrents. "No thanks to you!"

Alexander laughed again, knowing that his Master is fully well to be able to make a sarcastic remark like that.

Once both Waver and Taiga finally made their way up the dirt slope and to the paved road, Alexander was there to greet them with his broad and kingly figure.

"I see you have conquered the raging water through a fierce battle!" Alexander declared as he wrapped his muscular arm around Waver's neck in a proud manner. "Was it not exhilarating?" Alexander asked, fully anticipating a positive answer.

"I preferred the pebble," Waver grumbled under his breath. Now that he was out of danger and water, he just had to put up with his Servant's old routine afterward.

"Ahahahaha," Alexander boomed a laugh. "I like your spirit!"

Waver didn't know how to respond to the compliment as he continued to shiver coldly in place. At least he had a spare jacket which he threw to the side before he charged into the water after Taiga to keep him warm. But looking at the shivering girl beside him who had her arms huddled closely to her chest while she chattered her teeth inaudibly, Waver sighed before making a firm mental decision.

Gathering up his resolve, Waver took the dry jacket and placed it in front of Taiga's vision, making it impossible to miss. Taiga looked up at the obstacle in front of her before looking at Waver with a questioning expression.

"For you," Waver stated simply as he placed the dried clothing up closer to Taiga. "Here, take it."

Taiga, understanding at least this little bit of English widened her eyes yet again in surprise as a blush made its way up to her face before she gingerly took the jacket. If Waver understood Japanese, Taiga would have made a witty remark to cover her uncertainty towards dealing with these kinds of situations; however, the generous teen in front of her didn't know the language, therefore sparing Taiga the cover-up much to her chagrin.

Saying a quick word of thanks, Taiga proceeded by wrapping the clothing around her body to keep her warm.

"Rider," Waver addressed. "Ask her what in the world was she thinking in jumping down into the river when she tried to save the dog," Waver stated his question, not entirely in the mood to phrase his sentence a little more politely.

Alexander did as he was told and swiftly translated Waver's question to Taiga. Taiga spoke a few sentences in Japanese as Alexander nodded in understanding before Taiga went completely silent upon finishing.

"She said she knew you would come to save her, that's why she jumped in without hesitation," Alexander relayed the message to Waver.

Waver gawked at the pure absurdity the message held. "She … isn't naïve and stupid by any chance, right?"

Alexander was about to speak before Waver quickly reached out his hand to cover the Servant's mouth. "No need to translate that," Waver spoke with a stern expression.

"Alright, boy," Alexander said in his usual deep gruff voice as he removed Waver's arms off his body.

"Ehehehehe~" a voice interrupted the small commotion going on between the two.

Both Alexander and Waver turned their heads to see Taiga attempting to muffle her laugh but to no avail as tears of joy began to come out of her eyes.

After wiping her eyes a couple times to rid the tears, Taiga gave a beaming smile at the two of them before opening her mouth to speak in Japanese. "I believe in the kindness of others," Taiga began, "that's why I knew you will come to save me if I needed it."

"Translate," Waver commanded.

Alexander promptly did as he was told as Waver sighed once again at the relayed message. This girl is truly naïve.

"You're far too trusting of others," Waver explained. "You're going to meet a world of disappointment if you carried that kind of mindset around everyone you meet."

Alexander, acting as the intermediate between the two individuals, translated Waver's English sentence into Japanese which Taiga could understand. Taiga smiled once Alexander finished as she opened her mouth to speak while facing Waver.

"Is it not always natural to help people out?" Taiga presented a question. "Doubting people's kindness … is something I can't possibly do. Even if it's the first time I've met them, I will always believe in the kindness of others!"

Waver sighed the stupidity the comment held once Alexander translated Taiga's words. "Here's a lesson," Waver said, determined to lay a basic groundwork for the girl to understand from, "if you don't start suspecting people and their 'kindness', you'll one day be punished for it."

Taiga frowned at the statement as she pursed her lips in thought. "It doesn't matter! People's kindness always outshines their flaws!"

"That's … sophistry," Waver stated evenly.

"You can say all you want, but this is what I believe and I won't give up on it! Ehehe~" Taiga covered her mouth as she gave a modest laugh.

Waver looked at Taiga for moment impassively after Rider translated the finished thought before Waver sighed in defeat while Taiga continued to beam at him. "Very cute," Waver said evenly in a sarcastic manner. "But," Waver's eyes began to soften, "if people like you exist in this world, I guess it can't all be bad, right? I suppose, I kind of like a person like you," Waver ended with a smile of relent.

Alexander promptly translated the content before Taiga's eyes widened as her expression swiftly changed to one with a smug grin to mask her surprised reaction. "Wha—hmmmm, you think I will surrender to you so easily? First, you need to …"

"Hey, what did you translated?" Waver approached the topic cautiously, "She's acting … different," Waver finished with the most appropriate word that resembled closely to the word "unnerving".

"I translated what you said," Alexander answered simply though Waver could notice the amused expression Alexander held, something which never boded well for him.

"Hey! You must have translated my words into something weird. Translate properly for me!"

"Hmmm," Alexander placed his hand on his chin in a contemplating manner. "It's fairly boring to translate it that way. So, out of consideration of you, I decided to give you a chance to enjoy a romantic experience."

"Wait, what did you do?!" Waver shouted out in alarm. "I don't need that kind of 'consideration' from you!"

"Ahhh—!" Taiga suddenly yelled, interrupting Waver before he could continue his rant as she pointed in the direction of a residential building.

"What is it this time?" Waver grumbled under his breath.

"That way! There's the thief on the second floor of the building! I'll attack him in the front, you two catch him from the back. Hurry up! HEY! Stop right there you perverted thie—" With that sentence, Taiga instantly took off with her shinai in hand, leaving both Rider and Waver in the dust.

"We better follow her," Waver sighed as he looked at the disappearing figure of the shinai wielding girl.

"It sure is lively this evening," Alexander noted with a confident grin. "Let's go to the alleyway and capture the thief as we plunder all his belongings! Hurry up, boy!"

"Yes, yes, I've heard you," Waver sighed as he began sprinting in the direction Taiga ran.

It was just a couple seconds later when Waver heard a war cry coming from the direction above him. Racing up to the second floor which Alexander told him the thief was at, Waver immediately witnessed upon arriving the scene of Taiga wielding her shinai with expertise as she landed blows after blows onto the scrambling intruder.

The thief attempted to escape in Waver's direction, however, Waver capitalized on the move when he sidestepped to the thief's vulnerable side as he delivered a reinforced kick into the man's ribs, sending him tumbling ten meters away into a curled-up heap.

If Waver had never taken the mandatory class of basic combating in the Clocktower of the Mage's Association, Waver knew he would have never been able to react and pull off that move so quickly as he did now.

"Yatta!" Taiga cheered as she continued to point her shinai in the villain's direction. "We did it!"

"We need to get the police here to handle this," Waver stated as he looked down at the beaten figure. "Ask Taiga does she have a phone to call with."

Alexander translated the message with Taiga shaking her head in answer. It was honestly to be expected considering that most students nowadays did not possess the bulky cellular devices they mass produce now in the market.

"Then it's back to the old fashion way," Waver said as he grumbled an inaudible curse under his breath. "I'll be right back, you both stay here."

Stepping down from the roof and to the front entrance of the house he was on top of earlier, Waver rang the doorbell of the building as he waited for an answer to the door. Standing idly for a little over ten seconds, an elderly lady with a scowl on her face greeted Waver.

"Hi," Waver began, "we captured a …" Waver sighed at his next words, "underwear thief on your rooftop, can you call the police for us?"

"Underwear thief?" the elderly woman eyes widened in alarm. "The infamous thief who's been roaming around town for the past couple weeks?"

"The one and only … I guess," Waver muttered out the last part of the sentence.

"I will call right away!" the lady promised as she rushed back into the house while frantically dialing the numbers to contact the police as she began talking with urgency over the phone.

Waver breathed out a relieved exhale. At least he didn't have to use his hypnosis magic on the lady, in that regards, it was a job well done for Waver Velvet.


"I can't believe that guy was actually an underwear thief," Waver muttered with a mixture of disbelief and disdain.

"The world is full of strange men," Alexander commented on Waver's statement.

"I think I was born in the wrong era," Waver proceeded by shaking his head with disgust. "When has mankind degraded themselves to this extent?" Waver lamented before sighing.

"Speaking of being born in the wrong era," Waver continued, "can someone please tell me why in the world do we still have the dog?" Waver asked as he eyed the dog in Taiga's arms evilly.

"Am I suppose to translate that or answer it?" Alexander questioned with an amused grin at Waver's grumpy behavior.

"Just me venting," Waver replied, "but answer the question."

"Because it would be far easier to transport the creature back to its rightful owner instead of the police doing so now that we have pinpointed the location of its master through what you people call a 'dog collar'," Alexander explained clearly.

"Right …" Waver trailed off in an incoherent mumble. "The collar displayed the owner's name and the police helped us locate the address of the owner. But that's not my question! Why are WE here doing the job?!"

"Then you should ask the lady who initiated this mission," Alexander suggested with a knowing smile.

"No thank you," Waver replied. "I won't be getting a straight answer if I did that. I'll end up getting a brief lecture of believing in others' kindness," Waver paused before continuing when a sudden thought popped into his head. "I wonder what's that perverted thief's 'kind' qualities …" Waver trailed off in thought.

"Hyaku-shite!" Taiga yelled out as she gestured for them to walk faster.

"Do I need to translate that?" Alexander asked.

"No need," Waver sighed as he continued to eye the energetic girl who is jumping up and down in place. "I can understand what she meant loud and clear. I'm sure it means something along the lines of 'HURRY UP!', right?"

"Well done, boy!" Alexander praised with pride as he slapped Waver's back to express it, which Waver, no matter how many times, could not appreciate despite putting some effort in getting used to the unexpected force of the burly man.

After another minute of walking, Taiga finally stopped in front of a house as she looked down on a slip of paper that had the address of the owner written down on it by the police officer they had met earlier. Double checking to make sure both the physical address and the address written on the paper matched, Taiga smiled as she eagerly pointed at the house before them. "Found it! It's here!" Taiga shouted at the two still approaching figures.

The dog, hearing the commotion, perked its ears as it sniffed the air a couple of times before barking excitedly as it tried to wiggle its way out of Taiga's arm which Taiga allowed when she let the puppy down to the ground. The dog didn't waste a single moment of time before rushing to the door, scratching the entrance with an open panting mouth as its tail wagged happily.

The door opened at the prolonged scratching noise to reveal a girl in her elementary age standing in confusion as light from inside the house shone out to brighten up the front entrance.

"Biliz!" the girl exclaimed as she immediately knelt down on the ground to allow the dog to race up her waiting lap. The dog quickly complied to the unspoken request and didn't delay a single second as the pet leaped onto its owner's lap while the girl patted the dog with tender care.

"Huh? What's going on?" Waver asked, having only just arrived at the scene.

"Biliz! Where were you? I … was really worried," the girl spoke to the dog as if it understood her.

"I guess you're the doggie's owner," Taiga broke the bonding time between the girl and her pet when she asked a question.

The girl looked up from the dog and to Taiga. "Yes, Biliz is my treasured puppy," the girl answered fondly. "Are you guys the one who brought him back here, Onee-chan?" the girl asked while cocking her head to the side in question.

"Mmmhmm!" Taiga hummed in confident confirmation as she involuntarily puffed up her chest in pride. "The puppy got lost and we found it when we were walking. The police helped us discover the address after seeing the owner's name on the collar. Ah … and these foreigners helped a lot too!" Taiga stated as she pointed at Waver and Alexander who were behind her.

"Ah, thank you very much, Onee-chan, Onii-chan," the girl thanked everybody in a standing position as she bowed courteously to the trio with gratitude.

"This kid is saying 't-thank you' to you!" Taiga said in Japanese with the word "thank you" in English to make sure Waver understood what she is trying to say.

"Hmmm, I think you can understand that without a translation," Alexander said as he glanced over to Waver's standing figure.

Waver nodded. "You're welcome," Waver replied slowly to the girl. "It … just happened that way, and … this girl, risked her life to save … the dog. So … I can't exactly leave it alone," Waver trailed off, hoping that the message at least carried across even a little.

"You can honestly be happy at the occasion, boy! We have conquered and trampled yet another obstacle that stood in our way! There is no need to get all flustered about helping, or … do you not know how to react?" Alexander asked in the end.

"Shut up!" Waver shouted at his Servant. "Y-You're annoying!"

Alexander's grin broadened at his Master's reaction which Waver responded with a deepening frown.

"I-I'm leaving!" Waver suddenly announced as he left the scene with his hands stuck in his pant pockets. If a man cannot rest from physical burden, could others not let the man rest from verbal torment? Waver sighed at the thought as he continued to walk away from the two-story Japanese house.


"Let's call it a day, shall we?" Waver asked with exasperation clearly evident in his voice. Now that all of the obligatory "responsibilities" are out of the way, Waver knew this was his only time to escape and catch up with some much needed sleep.

Taiga looked at Waver with wide eyes after Alexander translated Waver's sentence as she shook her head profusely as if adamantly rejecting the sheer thought of Waver's proposal.

"We still have another criminal to catch!" Taiga exclaimed as if it were the biggest deal in the world.

"What now?" Waver sighed, knowing the reaction the girl was exhibiting has got to be a news he wouldn't be wishing to hear.

"She says there's another criminal we need to catch," Alexander explained.

"What? Seriously?!" Waver exclaimed, his heart plummeting to his stomach at the unbearable news.

Alexander simply nodded his head in response.

Waver sighed as he lifted up his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "What's her problem anyway?" Waver muttered under his breath, "The world is never going to run out of criminals."

Alexander swiftly translated Waver's words before Waver quickly reacted and stopped the living giant from blurting out something that was never meant to be translated.

"RIDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRR!" Waver shouted in protest. "Don't translate that."

Alexander turned his head to meet Waver's eyes as his face held a neutral expression. "I already did."

Waver just stared absentmindedly at his Servant before looking down to the ground in dejection. "Today is just not my day, is it?"

"Ahahaha, stop complaining, boy! You should see this day as the true beginning of your world conquest alongside me!" Alexander gave a booming laugh as he patted Waver's back a tad bit too hard, with Waver responding to the "pat" with a ragged series of coughs and sounds of choking on air.

Waver, from the back of his mind, could hear Taiga talking to Alexander a bit before she stopped. Once Waver regained his steady breath, Waver looked over at the culprit behind his pain. "What did she say?" Waver demanded, not in the mood to be polite after the trouble and pain he went through.

"She says we should care about the current problems the world has and we should solve it to the best of our abilities," Alexander answered.

Waver sighed. "Yes, while that may be true, the 'problems' she's talking about as far as I'm aware are underwear thefts and lost dogs. And, if she keeps running around trying to solve 'problems', she's going to one day wind up in an inescapable predicament where I can't help her!"

"Are you saying you feel responsible for her?" Alexander asked.

"Of cour—" Waver quickly stopped himself from finishing the rest of his sentence when he saw the mischievous glint in his Servant's eyes.

"Ahahaha," Alexander reacted to Waver's realization with his signature overbearing laugh. "Splendid! This is what we Macedonians call 'lov—"

"Don't finish that sentence," Waver commanded coldly.

"Lov—"

"Stop it," Waver interrupted once again. Not ever allowing his Servant to finish that vile word, especially used in this context.

Alexander just laughed again at Waver's unwavering persistence.

Waver glanced over at Alexander before veering his head to see a still smiling Taiga laced with a confused expression. "Don't you have troubles of your own to deal with?" Waver asked in defeat, after having exhausted all other options to help him escape the criminal chasing girl.

"Hmmm, I still do," Taiga replied after Alexander translated. "I am after all a girl, and a girl has a lot of things to worry about. Like love, school, my future, to name a couple examples."

"Your future," Waver repeated while thinking seriously about the word. "It's true that your ability to act out and not waver in your beliefs is commendable. But despite you often wasting that energy on trivial matters, it still nevertheless shows your charm and desire to help others. Perhaps this strength of yours can be put to good use in the field of … teaching," Waver suggested in the end.

Alexander nodded his head in tacit agreement. "Yes, what this boy says is true. When I see you truly working hard, I can see how your strength can help others in the future. You remind me of a governor I knew in the past, if you are willing to work hard to achieve your goals, instructing and guiding youngsters to the path of wisdom, you may become an even better teacher than that man!"

"Teacher," Taiga murmured pensively before looking up again at Alexander. "Who's this governor you're comparing me too?" Taiga inquired.

"That's not important," Waver swiftly intervened into the conversation while making sure his Servant won't do or say anything stupid. "Anyways, the point is, it's getting late and we should really start heading back."

The word "late" would be an underestimate to how long they had been spending the night outside helping around the neighborhood by catching an infamous perverted thief known in the town and saving a drowning lost puppy and returning to its rightful owner.

"Awww," Taiga made a dejected expression. "We still have the thief who stole a couple of books in an elderly couple's house and destroyed their garage door."

Waver immediately choked at the revelation.

"Huh, sounds rather familiar," Alexander noted with a pondering expression.

"That's you she's talking about, you idiot!" Waver exclaimed.

"Oh, yes, indeed! That was us!" Alexander said. "Oh, you've must be mistaken then, lady. It's a common misunderstanding, but the books were not stolen, they were plundered—"

"SHUT UP!" Waver shouted. For Alexander to be named a prodigy by the most famous philosopher of all history, namely Aristotle, is beyond Waver's understanding. Waver wondered what aspect or talent was the famed philosopher measuring exactly.

"And, it was not 'us', it was purely you! Don't include me as a criminal like it's nothing!" Waver continued in protest.

Waver whirled his head to his right in indignation, refusing to meet his Servant's eyes only to meet a curious Taiga's eyes instead.

"Uh, that was n-nothing!" Waver hastily said to the girl despite already knowing she barely understands the English language.

"If the thief can dent and bend a metal garage door, even with a tool, he must be really, reeeeeeeeeeally strong! Like … him!" Taiga pointed at Alexander as Waver's eyes briefly widened in horror. Even though he is unable to understand Japanese without magical interferences, Waver was able to get the gist of the entire conversation just by the body gestures alone.

"So, it shouldn't be hard to find him!" Taiga declared with a confident and eager smile on her face.

Alexander quickly translated what Taiga said as Waver sighed once more. "It's dangerous in Fuyuki now," Waver explained, hoping to put some sense into the girl's mind, "especially during the night. So wouldn't it be better to leave the searching for another day?"

Alexander nodded as he spoke in Japanese, relaying the exact same message Waver just spoke. "So, in short," Alexander added as he continued to talk to Taiga, "the boy here is worry about you."

A look at Taiga's flustered then smug expression made Waver squint his eyes in suspicion. "What did you tell her, Rider?"

"I added that you are worry about her safekeeping," Alexander answered as if it were no big deal.

"What?!" Waver gawked. "I-I'm … not worried about her!" Waver exclaimed.

"He's not worried about you … that's what this dishonest boy said," Alexander translated in Japanese as Taiga had a larger smile forming on her face.

Looking at the suspicious sight, Waver knew Alexander must have done something contrary to what he would like to have done. He needed to change the subject … and fast!

"Anyway, Taiga," Waver said slowly, dragging out every syllable to make sure she heard him loud and clear. "It's about time for you to go home, don't you think?"

"Huh?" Taiga spoke aloud, as if understanding Waver's English. "But we still have the th— wait," Taiga paused. "What was I saying? Oh … I think it's best if I start heading back home. See you both next time!" Taiga quickly bid a farewell before lifting up her shinai over her shoulder as she began sprinting away from them.

"See you tomorrow, young lady!" Alexander said with his booming voice as he waved his burly hands in farewell.

Waver finally gave out a sigh of relief now that the entire ordeal is over. "Glad that suggestion magic worked fine," Waver commented, his tone finally relaxing.

"Say, boy," Alexander, "is it really okay to leave her like this?"

"What do you mean?" Waver asked. "It's not like she's forgotten about us, I don't have nearly enough magic to erase that much memories in one go. All I did was use suggestion magecraft and compelled her to go back home. It was for the best considering how Fuyuki City right now is not the safest place in Japan."

Alexander nodded in understanding. "Very well, boy. Though I have to say, your frequent panicked looks when you're with an outstanding girl like her is very memorable."

"Grrrr …" Waver growled in anger as his fisted clenched tightly in annoyance. Does his Servant ever understand the concept of giving his Master a break? "T-That's not true at ALL!"

"Ahahaha," Alexander guffawed in response. "Speaking of which," Alexander continued, "the sun seems to be coming up now."

Waver whirled around to the east to see the bright gleaming sun peeking its morning rays over the horizon as the night sky began to brighten in color.

"N-no," Waver stuttered in disbelief at the horrifying news. "Argh!" Waver shouted out in frustration. "We're leaving Rider, now!"

"Should we use the Gordiu—"

"NO! Now hurry up! I need to sleep!"

Alexander laughed in amusement the rest of the way as they continued walking back home while Waver grumbled and complained to himself of his misfortunes in the worst day of his life.


Taiga continued walking back to her home with her bamboo shinai in hand. Never did she thought in the past that she would ever have so much fun and fulfillment in the company of foreigners. And the teen named Waver, how entertaining that boy was, Taiga thought as her cheeks began to tint a slight red. This event proved to Taiga that the future continued with uncountable possibilities, most of them incomprehensible or unpredictable to the human mind. The future is always an adventurous journey one will forever embark on throughout the entirety of their lives.

Thinking of the future, Taiga recalled the words of Waver, suggesting her to become a teacher due to her strengths in character. Teaching students, spending time understanding and build personal relationships with them as they pursue their education. This is what Taiga always considered as something fun, to spend time and help people.

After spending so much time with the two foreigners, Taiga felt like the rich experience is an unforgettable one that she will never be willing to trade away even if the world's riches were offered unto her. But … how she wished she was able to communicate her thoughts clearly to Waver back then. English, the most universal language in the world, if she could learn this language, how many others could she connect and help in the future?

Taiga's grin widened at the thought. It's been decided from the very moment she met them. No matter what, Taiga knew she will try her very best to learn the English language, regardless of how much it takes, she will see to her goal to the very end. She will become an English teacher the world could be proud of!

With that thought in mind, Taiga sprinted the rest of the way back home.


Thank you for reading!

This may come as a surprise to most of you, but this chapter's idea didn't originate from my imagination but instead, this idea is from the canon Fate/Zero story. The chance encounter of Taiga and Waver is told in a side story from a drama CD, namely The Outsiders' Performance.

I know most of you want to see some Shirou action. But I found this chapter necessary to set up the meeting between Shirou and Taiga in the future. So, I hope you don't mind this rare interlude-like chapter.


New story, Blades of Fate, is now out! This story is taken directly from "back in time to Britain idea 2", further details can be read under my profile page for those who have no idea what I'm talking about.
Do note that only the prologue is officially out for the story and chapter 1 is under the rewriting process. Due to most readers being confused on Shirou having already summoned Saber Lily and Saber Alter (both two different counterparts of Arturia) right off the bat, I've decided to change things up a bit and start the story off with Shirou back in time but right before he summoned the two Servants.

That way, readers can follow along with the twisting and complicated story plot easier without getting confused, or worse, bored. I know this fact deviates slightly from what "back in time to Britain idea 2" has written in it just a tad bit, but I believe this will result in a more enthralling fiction and I hope you can understand.

I am currently finding a person who is willing to be a BETA READER for Blades of Fate, so please contact me via PM if you're interested. Obviously, preference will be given to people who have some experience in writing and are well versed in grammar. Thank you very much!


List of future updates:

Next week: Apocryphal Hero

Week 2: Apocryphal Hero

Week 3: Blades of Fate (2 chapters in a week)

Week 4: Fate/Blade Zero

After week 4, I'm sorry to say that updates may be more infrequent due to school semesters starting up once again, so I doubt I will be able to keep up the same pace as I have been going at for the past two months. However, there should definitely be at least one update per month. If I can remain the status quo during school semesters I will, but I honestly have no idea what kind of workload I should expect when school begins. So … no promises. Hope you understand! – SteelBlades333