AN: HA! I told you all I'd never give up on this fic! But I'm still at it, even in the face of work, trying to get a better job, Writer's Block of epic proportions and the waxing and waning of my other interests.
Now this may seem like a short chapter after my impromptu break/disappearance, but this is only half of what I've done. In four days (Friday) from this initial posting, I'll post the next chapter (and yes, it's already done, edited and ready to go). I just want everyone to have a chance to read it and not overwhelm the new readers.
Once again, thank you Murder of Crows for your help. Your tireless research and willingness to put up with my stubborn streak is much, much appreciated. And a hearty thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read, review and favorite this ridiculously long epic I call my first fanfic attempt! You guys all rock!
Witch Hunt Part I: Dawn
Shirou picked his way through his domain of culinary alchemy: the Emiya kitchen, carefully selecting the seasonings and vegetables for the morning's soup. He wanted something filling, tasty, yet easy on the stomach for Sakura. He hoped his little sister figure was feeling better. A hearty soup would appeal to everyone this time of year.
He had just started washing the vegetables when a zombie lurched into the kitchen, its dead eyes locked on the refrigerator. Its shuffling gait ground to a halt there and then pulled out a carton of milk. Shaking the carton once in its hand, the zombie normally known as Rin Tohsaka guzzled the remnants without even having the presence of mind to pour it into a glass first.
The image of Miss Perfect at Homurabara acting so… inelegant made Shirou wonder not for the first time if laughing or crying would fit the situation better, especially given just how many poor souls were so thoroughly deceived by her act at school. Seeing her true self over the last few days shattered more illusions than the Holy Grail War did. "You feeling alright?" he asked, managing to sound simply concerned and not highly, highly amused by the sight.
Apparently the milk was enough to wash away the worst of the cobwebs and Tohsaka replied with most of her higher brain functions working, even if she sounded notably more gruff than normal. "Don't worry about it. I'm usually like this in the morning until I wash my face."
"If you say so. Why don't you do that while I work on breakfast?"
"Sounds good," Rin agreed with a jaw-cracking yawn. She passed Saber on the way out towards the nearest bathroom, and the petite king set herself into a cushion at the dining room table.
"Good morning, Shirou," she said with all of her normal grace. To Saber, the atmosphere of good food amidst good company was one of the simple and great pleasures of life. "Did you sleep well?"
An image of a hill of swords with two warriors trading places at the top passed through Shirou's mind for only a second, but he pushed it down. A Servant's past wasn't something to bring up first thing in the morning, especially when there was work to be done right away. "Yes, thank you, Saber. What about you?"
"I slept well," she lied. Her ability as a Servant to function at her peak with or without sleep allowed her to act like she had, but she had only stolen an hour or so of real rest. "Today we will be gathering information on our enemies, then?"
"After school. It's Saturday, so classes only last until noon and we'll have the rest of the day, and Sunday we don't have classes at all," Shirou clarified while he chopped a carrot swiftly and precisely. He would discuss a more detailed plan of action with Tohsaka once she came back, and the three of them (four if Archer deigned to appear) would start with Ichigo Kurosaki's identity. Rin doubtlessly had the resources to track down an individual's origins using magic, and if the name was not a pseudonym, they could easily find out what they were up against. If the name was a fake, they could at least confirm the fact and adjust their plans accordingly.
Speaking of which… "Saber, there's a phone book in the end table behind you. Could you get it for me?" he asked while reaching for the stove. First off, confirming that someone named Ichigo Kurosaki existed sounded like a good idea. If the Kurosaki name existed, it would then become a question of how many families bore the name and if any had records of a child named Ichigo. Regardless of how much magi looked down their noses at modern technology, searching public records and computer searches at the school library would speed things up notably. Of course, working with the dreaded machines was still a daunting prospect for the third-rate magus.
Even as he started on the potato, he couldn't help but feel he was forgetting something… and then the doorbell rang.
Immediately he started moving, his senses honed to razor awareness as the memories of the previous day flooded his mind. How could he have forgotten? HOW? With all of the chaos in his life over the last week, he had found it difficult to remain entirely within the present. When he should have devoted some of his attention to the here and now, he ended up daydreaming, planning, worrying or otherwise missing important details happening immediately around him. The Holy Grail War was actively conspiring to destroy his sanity before it finished him off, there could be no other reason for him to forget…
"Shirou, hope you're getting a big breakfast ready for me, I'll need it!"
…that Taiga was looking for a match with Saber today. "Good morning, Fuji-nee… You look fired up," was all he could say for several seconds. Under normal circumstances, Shirou would have put all bets on Saber; Servants were far above the abilities of mere humans, and Saber was still widely considered the best Class. Unfortunately Saber's use of her Noble Phantasm all but emptied her prana reserves. Even if she had enough left to function she simply didn't have enough in her to fight off every challenger, especially stubborn ones like the teacher before him. "Listen, Fuji-nee, I know you were planning on having a match with Saber today, but she came down with something-"
"Oh-HO! So she's trying to weasel out of our little contest, is she? I figured she would once she actually found out who she was up against!" the woman crowed victoriously. "I can't blame her for it, but a deal's a deal! If she refuses to fight, then out she goes!"
"Fuji-nee, it has nothing to do with if she wants to or not. She's not feeling her best, and you wouldn't feel right fighting someone with a handicap like that!"
For a split second, it looked like Fujimura would listen to him for once, when she shrugged, and Shirou got the distinct impression that the action had also dislodged the cool hand of logic on her shoulder. "I'll be the judge of that! If she ain't dead she should be ready for this! She did give her word," the irascible teacher all but disregarded the boy's protests and swiftly strode in, barely taking the time to take off her shoes.
Shirou released a sigh when he picked up on the fact that there was one more person heading up the walkway. With her head bowed, eyes downcast with weariness, Sakura Matou's posture brought a minor flashback the first time Shirou had seen her in school. It was actually rather disconcerting: it had taken years to get Sakura to open up as much as she had, and now it looked like something had set her back to square one. "Sakura? Are you feeling okay?"
The plum-haired girl looked up at him with a very slight start before shaking her head. "It's nothing, sempai. I just… didn't sleep well. I'll be okay."
Her slight smile was a little strained, but he wasn't about to turn her away. "If you're sure…" he muttered before stepping aside to allow her in. "Just let me know if you start feeling ill again."
"Thank you, Sempai." Stepping inside, the girl shivered very slightly. "It's just a little chilly."
'Bullshit,' a dark voice whispered within her mind. More voices droned less distinct agreements.
'You can smell the power of this place's spiritual barrier. It sickens you like it does us,' one such voice added.
'He worries for you. How sweet. Of course, that will only last so long as he knows nothing of what you really are,' a third snarled.
Sakura found it extremely hard to lie to Shirou, so she had simply told part of the story. It was completely true that she was not sleeping well for the last three days, and on the surface the nightmares that were plaguing her were perfectly excusable reasons for the trouble. But the voices that followed those nightmares into her waking hours were not so easily explained. Every night more voices were added to the buzz at the back of her mind, each one spiteful, lonely, angry and most obviously hungry.
The nightmares all started the same: she would always wander aimlessly around the Matou manor and its surroundings like a ghost cursed to haunt its grounds for all eternity. It was fitting really, given that was practically what she felt like whenever she had to remain in that insufferable place for any more than half a day. And then she would hear a howl and find herself facing one or more masked monsters. No matter what shape they took, all of them bore a white mask and an evil glow from their eyes. They would always strike at her only to be pulled into her body, drowned beneath a whirling pool of darkness, filth and corruption. And once they were swallowed, their agonized wails followed her for the remainder of the night until she woke up, where they would mumble, weep, whisper and hiss like white noise at the edge of her mind. Bound to her.
Absorbed.
This was also quite fitting in its own twisted way: the Matou magic was built around the concept of Absorption: the binding of different concepts and things to oneself. The way these powers were passed on to her was nothing less than physical and emotional torture punctuated with almost feverish study. Sakura's sense of self-worth and oftentimes even her higher brain functions were constantly strained to their absolute limits, and only Zouken's need for her to live long enough to provide an heir to the family stayed his hand from going even further.
Had her grandfather finally pushed her too far? Was the violation and agony of the pit breaking her mind apart after all these years?
Sakura had to deal with a slowly increasing chorus of voices vying to speak, but usually their pain and arguments with each other kept them at a level where she could ignore them. There were still times where they would all but scream for her attention, especially early in the morning when another masked thing was added to her mental choir, giving malicious voice to every dark thought she fought to suppress on top of their personal invectives.
She silently thanked the heavens that the Emiya household put her mind to happier thoughts, which shoved the voices back into the corner of her mind once she forced herself through the threshold. Something within her did not wish to cross over into the building, but once she was through it was almost like everything was back to normal.
Taiga was attempting to loom over the small form of Saber trying to look intimidating. The girl barely looked fazed, only slightly perturbed by the whirlwind of energy the teacher bristled with. As pleasant a person as Saber was, Sakura could not help but feel a twinge of worry. She knew precisely what the blonde was and what it meant for the danger sempai was in.
'If you removed her, he wouldn't be in danger…' one of those voices managed to whisper before she crushed it down. Even if that was within her power, she knew that most Masters wouldn't care if Shirou was no longer a formal participant, and on top of that Shirou would never run away simply because of danger when innocent people were involved. It just wasn't something he seemed capable of doing even if logic and self-preservation demanded it.
"Shirou tells me you're not feeling your best. From what I see, you're just fine. Getting cold feet?" the teacher taunted the small blonde cheerily.
Saber turned her focus to Shirou. Even though her face was calm and largely expressionless, her disapproval practically rolled off of her in an invisible wave. "Shirou's concern is noted, but I do not go back on my word. I merely had a bout of weakness." Her tone was as even as her expression. "Do you wish to have your contest now or after breakfast?"
"I think I wanna work up an appetite with a little exercise. This won't take too long anyway."
If Saber took the challenge even halfway seriously, it definitely wouldn't take long.
Just as Saber stood up, another face joined the strangely tense room. Rin took one look at the assembled faces before offering a diplomatic smile. "Good morning, everyone. Is there something going on today? I hope it isn't here in the house. That could cause quite a mess."
Taiga turned her mildly stern gaze to Tohsaka before giving her a sly and smug grin. "Oh, don't worry about that, Tohsaka-san. I don't want to EVER risk damaging Shirou's precious kitchen. C'mon Saber-chan, let's take this to an appropriate arena." The unsubtle emphasis on the childish suffix was not lost to anyone present, and Shirou felt the overwhelming urge to place a palm to his face. Only Rin's need to maintain her public image kept her from doing the same. Saber did not react visibly aside from standing with her natural regal poise.
"Shirou, we will be using the dojo."
As much as the boy would have preferred to avoid any sort of fight between Saber and, well, anyone, he could only release a sigh and agree. Trying to oppose Taiga in one of her stubborn moods was impossible, and Saber wasn't doing any favors by humoring her. More troubling, Tohsaka was all for it as well, actively trying to usher him out after the two women. He didn't even have time to do more than extend a confused glance at Sakura. For some reason, he felt a brief thrill of cold dread at the look his underclassman was leveling at Tohsaka's back. "Go on ahead, Emiya-kun, I would like to speak with Matou-san quickly before I join you."
'Why is it impossible for the actual owner of the household to have any control of what happens in it?' Shirou all but wept inside his mind.
Shirou almost trudged to the dojo just in time to see Saber pluck a shinai from the wall and face the obviously energetic Taiga. Taiga happily leveled her own shinai at the smaller knight and gave a boisterous call. "Alright, here's how it's gonna be: if you're gonna protect Shirou, you must be confident in your skills."
"And you wish to test them? What is the point of this challenge?"
"I'm going to protect Shirou until he grows up; I promised Kiritsugu that I would keep him safe! I'm not just going to let some foreigner come in and sweep him off his feet!"
"…" Neither Shirou nor Saber had any way to respond to that last comment. Then again, they had no idea what the heck Taiga was talking about anyway.
Finally, Saber managed to get things back on track "So I must defeat you in order to prove myself?"
"You got it!" Taiga grinned, fingering the hilt of her beloved weapon. "Of course, it won't be that easy!" without any form of warning, the teacher attacked with amazing speed and skill, enough to overwhelm all but the greatest kendo practitioners in the country on top of seizing the initiative. It was dirty, underhanded and ruthlessly effective.
"Fuji-nee, you're out of your mind!" Shirou all but groaned at her actions.
The fact that Taiga's shinai vanished mid-swing wasn't exactly promising for her chances against her petite adversary. "Eh?" For both Taiga and Shirou, the sight was surreal. Shirou hadn't seen Saber move, but suddenly the smaller girl was holding Taiga's shinai in her off-hand and her own weapon hadn't even left its position at her side. She didn't even need to take a stance! With all of the ease of plucking a flower, she had removed the weapon from her opponent's grip without even disturbing Taiga's swing.
Even drained of the vast majority of her prana reserves, Saber was still a Servant, after all.
It was this scene that Rin and Sakura arrived to watch what they expected to be a match just getting started. Shirou glanced back towards the girls and only barely managed to catch the oddity in their postures. Tohsaka looked shaken; maybe even a little pale, while Sakura had just the slightest glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes before they all found themselves staring at the spectacle of Taiga and Saber.
"Will this suffice?" Saber turned to face her opponent, who was still staring rather dumbfounded at her empty hands.
"…No way… Is this real?" Taiga mumbled, biting her lip and looking back to Saber with eyes quivering with unshed tears.
"If that is all, I believe I have fulfilled your criteria. A swordswoman of your skill should be able to tell what this means."
No sooner had she finished that Taiga dropped to her knees and wailed. The sudden cry was so loud and abrupt that Shirou would swear blind in the future that she generated a shockwave with it. "WAAAAAAAAH! SHIROU'S BEING TAKEN AWAY BY A STRANGER!"
Visibly taken aback by the woman's graceless response, Saber gingerly approached Taiga and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder, shifting the two shinai to hold both in one hand. "Do not cry: I have no intention of taking Shirou away from you. I merely wish to follow my own vow to protect him."
Taiga's crying cut off into slightly choked hiccups while she gazed up at her rival. "R-really?" she blubbered hopefully.
Saber offered her a serene smile. "Of course. A knight does not lie when speaking of their oaths."
"You-" Taiga sniffed. "You're-" she tried again. "-WIDE OPEN!" she howled victoriously, her eyes suddenly dry and one of the shinai Saber was holding a second ago again in her hand and poised to strike!
Saber's serene expression did not shift in the slightest when her body straightened, listed just out of the swing's path, and casually swatted the weapon out of Taiga's grip and across the dojo. "That was the second time you attempted to catch me off guard through ignoble methods. I will not tolerate a third act of dishonor, are we clear?" she stated almost brightly.
Taiga gulped. As hard as it was to believe, Saber was just ridiculously good. For someone who was known as the terror of the regional Kendo circuit, the "Tiger of Fuyuki," it was rather jarring to face someone who had no openings at all. Any other human being would drop their guard at some point. Saber was quite simply a monster with a sword. "I understand, ma'am."
"Very well. If there is nothing else," Saber started, leveling an eerie smile towards the wide-eyed Taiga who shook her head fervently, "I believe Shirou was cooking breakfast."
'Women are more terrifying when they smile than at any other time,' Shirou surmised, already turning to get back to the safety of the kitchen, Sakura right on his heels. They would be safe in the kitchen. No one would DARE start any havoc in his and Sakura's personal domain.
They hoped.
Anyone with any shred of ability at reading a room's mood could pick up an unexpected tension within the penthouse suite. Tatsuki, Chad and Orihime were already gone by the time the Servant and Master had entered the living space, but everyone else felt a great temptation to go after them to avoid the potential powder keg.
Ever since Ichigo and Rider had left their respective rooms to grab a light breakfast, they had looked uneasy. There was no hostility between them, but they obviously wanted to talk but had no idea how to initiate the conversation. Ichigo would occasionally send measuring glances Rider's way, sweep his eyes around the room and its occupants, bite back a sigh, and opt to do something else. Rider was more subtle, but her attention shifted to Ichigo the instant the boy looked to her as though waiting for some kind of signal.
Trying to get his plans in order, Ichigo finally noticed the absence of three of their number. Chad was out running as an escort for Lancer's last victim to make sure no one tried anything to tie up the loose end she represented. Ichigo doubted Orihime would go with him on something like that even considering her compassionate nature. That left… "Hey, did Orihime go with Tatsuki today?" Ichigo might not have had the most extensive knowledge of his friends' private lives, but Tatsuki's near-constant training regimen was not something he expected the redhead to join in with, even though Orihime was apparently pretty good at karate herself. Not that he'd seen any sign of that yet.
"Oh yeah, Tatsuki was pretty insistent that she give a morning jog a try. She also made arrangements to meet with McRemitz-san today. They've really taken to her," Rukia explained.
Ichigo grunted in acknowledgement. He could sort of understand that attachment. There was a certain sense of responsibility that he experienced when he found out Orihime and Chad developed powers simply from hanging around him for so long. Frankly he was more surprised it took Tatsuki as long as it did to develop any abilities of her own given that effect. If Bazett's spiritual powers awakened due to exposure to Orihime or Tatsuki's auras, they would feel a need to check up on the older woman while they could.
Pushing that matter aside, Ichigo glanced at the TV and immediately noticed a bit of footage that had him grabbing the remote and cranking up the volume before he even realized what he was doing.
The broadcast was a morning news program and the footage was from a helicopter circling a rather familiar office building. The top five floors of last night's battlefield were shown to have their windows shattered completely, and several pieces of light furniture and many loose papers were scattered haphazardly or blown out of the windows.
"-around 1 AM this morning. Street crews have managed to clear most of the glass, but a minor detour has been placed around the building for the duration, and will be inspected for further explosive devices. The police have not identified any suspects, but the investigation is ongoing. Witnesses claim a brief but blinding flash of light rising into the sky preceded the explosion, but thus far no one has come forward with any more information. Thankfully, no one was injured," the reporter concluded before switching to another story.
Turning the volume back down, Ichigo blew out a sigh of relief. In the heat of the moment the possibility of the damage a clash between him and a Servant might have caused, especially with Noble Phantasms involved, had completely slipped his mind. Then again the last few times he had put absolutely everything he could into a fight he was in a place where collateral damage was not his concern.
Unfortunately Fuyuki wasn't in Hueco Mundo nor was it an empty facsimile of a real city. He was fighting in the middle of the World of the Living, and not only were there innocent people to watch for but damage that the magi decided not to fix would not be simply ignored by the world at large. He got lucky last night. No one was hurt by a rain of glass, nor were any late-night workers inside the damaged stories. "Damn it," he finally growled. Why hadn't he just grabbed Rider and taken her out of the blast's trajectory rather than try and match Excalibur?
After flicking her gaze in Ichigo's direction, Rukia looked over at the TV and frowned. "These kinds of situations are why higher-ranked Soul Reapers must wear limiters when in the Living World. What worries me is that while wearing them I don't think anyone short of the four eldest Captains would be able to match a Servant, even without Noble Phantasms in the equation." Her words pulled Ichigo from his self-recrimination.
She really knew how he thought, didn't she?
"I already sent a warning in my reports about the Servants, so ideally any reinforcements we receive will be at least lieutenant-level," Rukia elaborated before standing. "I think I'll head to Homurabara High School again. I should only be gone for a few hours until the school empties. After that we should be able to track any magi to their bases of operation easily enough." With that, Rukia gathered up her bag, laden with "project supplies" like a camera, pens and notebooks as well as her Soul Reaper tools, including her Substitute Soul. She was gone in a second, leaving Ichigo alone with Rider and Uryu.
For the Quincy's part, he simply pulled out a pair of white earbuds, plugged them into his laptop and went back to whatever he was doing, likely checking out fashion trends or researching King Arthur and Excalibur (pleasure or business, respectively). Either way, he had already read Ichigo's need for privacy with Rider loud and clear. Seated at the dining table, there was plenty of space for Ichigo and Rider to talk in private without the danger of Uryu overhearing anything sensitive until Ichigo was ready to talk.
Of course, now that he had the space, Ichigo found that he had no idea how to start. "Uh, hey, Rider? There's something I need to talk to you about."
Rider nodded once. "There are things I need to discuss with you, as well. Your room is the most secure, shall we speak there?"
"Sure." Once they were in the master bedroom and Ichigo settled in the plush chair while Rider seated herself on the edge of the bed, Ichigo finally spoke.
It never occurred to him that he was finding it easier to talk to Rider than just about anyone he had ever met.
"Okay, I think I need to start with a warning; some of the stuff I'm gonna ask about is probably gonna get personal, so I understand if you don't want to talk about some things. I need at least some answers, though. So to make up for that, you can ask me any question you feel you need to for every one you answer. Sound fair?"
Rider nodded.
"Alright. First off, does the name Bloodfort Andromeda mean anything to you?" Ichigo started with something simple and from what he saw, relatively impersonal.
"The Outer-Seal, Blood Temple. It is one of the possible Noble Phantasms I could be summoned with." Technically she could have ended her explanation there, but that felt like she was hiding something that she shouldn't worry about. "Blood Fort Andromeda is a large barrier designed to seal off an area to prevent escape and then harvest the souls of trapped victims to sustain me. In life, it was my first line of defense and a permanent shroud over the isle I dwelled on."
Ichigo leveled a slight glare at his Servant. "I think it goes without saying that I won't tolerate you using it."
"You need not worry. I was not summoned with it, likely due to how ill-suited it is to you as my Master. Even if I could use it, it takes many days to set up and activate."
"Huh?"
"I was not summoned with access to the Blood Fort at all. Instead I have another Noble Phantasm more suited to your nature and methods."
Ichigo blinked in surprise, but at least this surprise was a good one. If Rider was as clear-cut with him with his future questions, this would go far more smoothly than he thought. Then again, the more personal questions still needed to be asked. "Alright, your turn."
Rider did not even take more than a second to start her inquiry. "In my sleep I have met a spirit who calls himself Zangetsu." Unlike Ichigo, Rider did not see the need to start small and worked to cut straight to the point, but she needed to set some information down first.
Her first sentence, however, caught Ichigo's attention. "Wait, you met Zangetsu? Describe him."
Seeing no harm in it, Rider replied, "He resembles a tall man in his prime with pale skin clad in a coat of dark flame, glasses colored like amber over his eyes and pitch black hair. His features are angular and stern."
With each word Ichigo's eyes widened. "How the- That's…" He couldn't even think of a complete sentence, let alone say one. Meeting Zangetsu would imply she had taken a walk on the inside of his Inner World! The solemn sword spirit wasn't one to show himself to just anyone, and his presence would definitely be noticed if he decided to manifest nearby. Just how deep did this Master/Servant thing go?
As if reading his mind, Rider added, "A Servant and a Master are intended to understand each other even if they cannot always agree. The Grail links them through more than the Command Mantra, and Zangetsu was able to take advantage of this directly to guide what I saw. I assume you have been having strangely clear dreams over the last few nights?" It occurred to Rider that she never mentioned the dream cycle to Ichigo. Honestly, her wariness in revealing her identity while bombarding him with memories every time he slept must have been terribly confusing to her Master.
Ichigo had to take a moment to relax again before he could word a response longer than a syllable. "…Yeah. Is it another Servant thing?"
"Yes. The dream cycle allows both Master and Servant to experience the other's life in our dreams. Zangetsu interrupted the process for me and spoke directly to me in a realm resembling a city turned on its side."
Ichigo wasn't sure how to feel about that. His Inner World was a sanctuary he never thought anyone other than himself would ever enter (or that anyone could ever enter), more to the point, it was his soul. Rider was apparently getting a free pass to his deepest secrets and memories, and only having Zangetsu running interference kept Rider from seeing everything in his life. Ichigo wasn't sure if he should feel violated, outraged or plain stunned. He settled on the last one.
Ignoring the befuddled look she was getting, Rider continued. "This previous night showed me something that troubles me. In addition to Zangetsu, there was another entity in your memory, maddened and only somewhat more lucid than Berserker. Zangetsu called it your instinct. What is it?"
Still reeling from the revelation of the bond and its implications, Ichigo found it hard to get the lump out of his throat. Sure, he had gotten over the presence of the white-washed maniac in his soul and accepted its presence, but it unnerved him that Rider had met him. He couldn't dodge the question either, having given his word to be honest. Openly admitting to the psycho's existence to anyone still left a bad taste in his mouth. "My… Hollow," he started, trying to find a way to explain his peculiar circumstances simply. "He's like my killer instinct without any rational restraint: how I would be if I ever turned into a Hollow completely."
"So he is both an aspect of yourself and a separate entity in the same manner as your zanpakutou. I worry what may happen should you continue to split your nature between these… aspects." Rider slightly emphasized that unseen entity had a pretty clear identity and gender for her understanding. She could have asked for more details, but she would wait her turn.
"It's not like I want to make Swiss cheese of my psyche, but… look it's a long story."
"I understand. Whatever gave rise to the Hollow's presence is not truly relevant here. It exists and you have some measure of control over it," Rider summarized and let the matter rest for the moment.
"How…" Ichigo stopped himself. He wanted to ask how much of his past Zangetsu had showed her, but that would count as one of his questions, and he needed to get the more immediately relevant stuff out of the way first. "So, you're saying that what I'm dreaming isn't even a dream, but some of your memories. Then I want to know about Perseus and where he fit into your story. He's supposed to be a great Greek hero."
Rider's posture shifted and her head turned away with obvious irritation. "He was the demigod child charged with killing me by the gods of Olympus. Perseus only agreed to do it out of a desire for glory, not because I was a monster or a threat to life."
"What?" the teenager almost lost his balance at the very concept. "Would it have been so hard to just let you and your sisters live in peace? What the hell did you do to deserve that crap?"
"You have read my story. Mad or not, my divinity and any desire to help humanity was lost when I was seen as a man-eater. I was not a merciful thing, nor was I enduring a split in my mind like it appears you are. I was quite simply fueled by a desire to kill every human that I encountered."
Hearing that, Ichigo had to bite back a curse. The priest's magic book had told him that much, making her "purpose" sound completely overriding of Medusa's real personality that he was getting to know and appreciate. He wanted to offer some support, maybe shift the blame to the Greek gods, but they weren't around to vent on directly. Worse, he could not imagine anything remotely close to what she must have gone through. He fought tooth and nail to overcome his Hollow, but his Servant was never given the chance and thrust into the role of a monster without any chance to resist her fate. Any consolation he offered would sound empty before that difference.
"I'm sorry," he eventually managed to say.
"Don't be. I was almost waiting to die by that time, but it galls me that a wretch like Perseus would be the one to do it. He was childish, rude and arrogant. I shudder to think what he would have done were I in this human shape at the time." Rider must have really hated the guy for her voice to actually gain a little noticeable heat in it.
"Uh… yeah." Ichigo floundered a bit. That wasn't exactly what he expected to hear from Rider about her killer. He did expect the bitterness, but it almost sounded like she was talking about some sleaze who hit on her in a bar instead of the one who took her life with a sickle, however painful that life might have been. Perhaps she was simply trying to push her thoughts away from the previous topic.
"If this 'Hollow' you carry is really your killer instinct incarnate, have you ever given in to him? Would he not try and pressure you to kill or force his way to the surface like he did against Byakuya Kuchiki?"
"Tch. Saw that did you?" the Master sighed. He had long learned to trust Zangetsu's judgment, but hearing that one of his major moments of weakness was already known to Rider frustrated him. The solemn warrior-weapon had no problems doing whatever it felt it needed to if it meant protecting Ichigo, even from himself, much to its wielder's chagrin. "There are a few Soul Reapers who had the same issue I did. I eventually had to ask them for help. I hoped I could handle it on my own, but the thought of losing to him scared me. He fed on that fear and only grew stronger the longer he was there."
"Perhaps that is why you did not fall like I did. As much as you would prefer to take as many burdens as possible onto your shoulders, you have people willing to help bear them. Never forget that," Rider told him kindly but firmly.
After the last topic, Ichigo decided that he should come clean with a bad memory as well. "I'm not perfect about it. I did lose control one other time."
Rider said nothing, settling in to listen.
"At one point I was nearly killed by an arrancar, an elite warrior named Ulquiorra Cifer. I was so focused on saving my friends from him after he nearly killed me that I just… let go. I almost murdered everyone near me, even my friends. Ulqiourra's last attack actually saved them and got me back in control. It's kinda ironic. The people I protect saved from their protector by an enemy." An extremely abridged version of events, but he had a feeling Zangetsu would show her in due time. It wasn't something he liked bringing up in detail, either.
"Zangetsu has also shown me the way you distanced yourself from everyone you cared about the longer you fought Hollows."
Despite her logical progression of topics, Ichigo was still getting irritated. "It's not like I wanted to, but Hollows aren't something normal people can or should have to deal with."
Rider nodded, but was undeterred. "I understand. You wish to shelter them from the possible danger. And yet if you fail in your self-imposed duty even once, you have to know that there will be no one else to protect them if you have your way." She left out "even from yourself" but the implication hung in the air.
"It really doesn't matter what I want anyway. They always come along because they want to, and I can't talk them out of it, so I have their support."
"Against your hopes, I would hazard to guess. As much as you would prefer to be the only one whose life is ever in danger, the people around never seem to feel the need to remain 'safe.'" Ichigo was extremely stubborn about taking the lead in any battle. He was not a leader, nor did she expect him to be. Still, he needed to stop acting like his life had only token value and learn when to step back. She had yet to see a single memory where he had done so willingly.
It was too early in the day to deal with anything remotely cryptic in Ichigo's mind. Either she would tell it to him straight or he would walk out of here and try again later. The thought of using a Command Spell crossed his mind, but Ichigo crushed it ruthlessly. "Just skip to the point," he growled. "What does this have to do with our partnership?"
"You are a proud warrior, but for all of your skill and power you are very kind, even to those you oppose. Unfortunately this is not the proper mindset to survive the Grail War. You are used to facing an enemy fairly from the front. Your display of power last night likely will convince other Masters and their Servants to resort to indirect methods to draw you out and kill you. Even if the Knight classes are largely honorable, their Masters are under no compulsion to indulge them, and can even force them to assassinate you with a simple Command. If you must, step back and let me deal with them."
The young swordsman rolled his eyes. "Sorry, but if you're trying to scare me into being merciless, it's failing miserably. Hell, some of my strongest allies I had to beat to a pulp before they started siding with me."
Rider patiently reminded herself that her Master was still young, and had yet to experience the Heaven's Feel's level of ruthlessness from what she had seen. If he had, the entire group would have swarmed the Masters and dealt with them permanently the instant they crossed paths. "You cannot afford to be kind or expect honor from anyone here. Do not hesitate to rely on me in those cases. That is all I am saying."
"…We'll see. You might be surprised. At the very least that guy from the roof doesn't seem the typical magus you've hinted at even if he does have Saber..." Ichigo then stopped, shook his head forcefully and schooled his expression into his familiar scowl. "And we are getting horribly off track. I have just one more thing I have to ask you about."
With a very slight shift in her posture, Rider remained silent. She honestly didn't think anything short of losing someone he cared for would change Ichigo's mind about combat, but Rider had no compunctions about killing the enemy quietly anyway. So long as she was upfront with him should he ask and kept him informed of events, she felt justified in taking whatever actions were necessary.
"Last night I not only saw Perseus, I saw something else: you, I think. Perseus called you by name, and then something dropped in front of him. I couldn't see much, but…" Ichigo tried to act diplomatic, but that unnatural fear in his vision almost outright compelled him to speak of the other form of Medusa with awe. He had largely mastered whatever twisted his emotions, but some still lingered.
"My Gorgon form," Rider stated with little emotion. "When I said I had become a monster, I was not speaking in metaphor." For a moment, Ichigo was sure he let something in his demeanor slip to show his opinion on her Gorgon status, as she continued to speak. "It is entirely natural to have felt fear in the face of that form: even a memory would carry the instinctive dread I emanated."
"What makes you think I felt anything? I've faced some real monsters already. Ask Zangetsu about Ulquiorra or Kenpachi Zaraki sometime," Ichigo replied quickly. He was sure he twitched, but he couldn't tell if his Servant noticed or not. 'Damn blindfold.'
"You are a human. As a Gorgon my existence caused all humans regardless of origins to fear me and my purpose to destroy human life. If you are born human, you are compelled to fear me in that state even if you are able to overcome that fear and fight me. Even human ghosts would likely flee rather than act against me. Most who approached either fell victim to Cybele and were turned to stone or I had eaten them." The almost blasé way Rider listed her usual responses was unnerving, but Rider was never human at any point and had little attachment to the race as a whole.
That fear-inducing ability was yet another example of, in Ichigo's straightforward mind, cheating by otherworldly entities. Nothing should compel another to feel a specific emotion without a chance to resist or react naturally. Even Aizen's illusions twisted his victims' senses to convince them to feel and see a certain way, stopping short of outright emotional control. "Anything I should know about that could make you losing control?"
"No. In fact my Gorgon form is inaccessible to me as I am." Perhaps it was Ichigo's Hollow (seeing as it was manifested instinct) affecting her summoning, but Rider lacked the Monstrous Strength skill that would normally grant her that ability. Instead she had a moderately high Instinct skill. In fact the skill was a better choice for Rider given her Master's tendency to seek out and draw combat. Having an ability to help compensate for her relatively lower fighting skills allowed her to trade blows more ably with the Knight Classes even if she was still not on their level. The Assassin and Caster classes were almost a non-issue on that front.
The less said about even trying to keep pace with Berserker with her skill set the better.
Ichigo took a moment to think things over. He still had questions (why she allowed herself to be summoned, details on her Noble Phantasms, etc.), but for the moment he had the worst out of the way. There was still the issue of how she was getting into his Inner World, but he doubted she had any way of knowing more than he did. He still felt a shadow of unease clawing at his thoughts from Medusa's past. For the moment he shoved it down. The last time he let doubts plague him for even an instant it quite nearly got him killed. Better to leave the worries and strategies to his companions and play the big gun or the siege engine.
Still, he would find that trying not to think about it only made him more prone to making comparisons. Medusa's life was practically an allegory of how Ichigo's own life could have gone horribly wrong if he tried to go into battle alone like he felt he had to, a twisted black reflection. It was apparently a blessing that his friends were stubborn enough to ignore him and march into danger at his side.
It was also strangely comforting realizing that Medusa understood him already. Only Rukia had come to see through him so clearly, and that took months. "I think that's enough for today. I don't think there's anything else I need to know right now," he said with a slight sigh on his lips and stood up.
His Servant took to her feet with a grace that definitely fit with her origin as a goddess. "Perhaps it would work best if we simply discussed these matters each day rather than let the matter sit off to the side."
"Good idea. Just remember that I won't tolerate innocent people dying if we can do something about it, understand?" the Soul Reaper's sharp tone allowed no argument. It was probably one of the only things he would use a Command Spell to prevent if worse came to worse.
"Yes, Master," his Servant replied sincerely and followed him back into the living area. She could not fault Ichigo's nature on that front.
While Sakura and Shirou amiably traded ideas for new recipes, apparently finding Saber's quiet but unstoppable enthusiasm for eating a fun addition to their meals, Rin remained silent and kept her eyes forward. Her own thoughts whirled over that short moment where she had confronted her sister less than two hours ago.
The idea was simple: being anywhere near Shirou or Rin was going to put the soft-spoken Sakura in tremendous danger, so it was best to drive her off for the interim. The fact that the plum-haired girl was not a Master took a great weight off of Rin's shoulders, but that didn't change a thing as far as the danger went. She had tried to be diplomatic but firm. Considering how accommodating and shy Sakura was at school, Rin thought it would have been enough to tell her that she did not "need" to come over anymore.
What had happened then shook Rin to her very core. Sakura had narrowed her eyes and lowered her head very slightly, one hand clutching at her chest almost like a claw before she managed to meet her sempai's eyes. For a moment, Rin could have sworn that a black, inky substance had splattered the edge of Sakura's eyes before she lowered them and mastered herself. When she looked up and spoke, her words were strained but there was no sign of whatever effect had colored her eyes. While she gave a polite refusal to Rin's "suggestion," her presence drove all of the blood from Rin's face and rooted her to the spot for several seconds.
Sakura, the normally sweet and kind girl, had mustered a genuinely murderous intent towards Rin if only for a second. On top of that, something pulled down at her from beneath her feet during that second, almost as if gravity had strengthened unnaturally.
It was gone in an instant, but… to feel her sister direct so much hostility towards her! What the hell happened to her when she wasn't looking? For the moment Rin opted not to push Sakura lest she learn just what the old demon had been teaching her firsthand. Something was dangerously close to snapping in the younger girl.
Finally, her attention was pulled to the present when she spotted her old school friend chatting animatedly with an older man. A big one. Broad of shoulder and bronze-skinned, the man had all the immovable presence of a redwood.
"Ah, Mitsuzuri-san, good morning," Rin called with her trademark "model student" smile. With a polite bow, she also greeted the towering man. "And to you, sir."
The captain of the school's archery team looked over her shoulder and gave a friendly grin to the approaching trio. "Morning, everyone." Ayako Mitsuzuri was one of the few "normal" people that Rin felt comfortable hanging around for a prolonged period; both were highly competitive and among the best athletes in their year, and had developed something of a friendly rivalry since they met the previous year. The rest all knew each other from their time in the Archery Club.
The behemoth gave a slight nod and a grunt that somehow sounded personable.
"This guy's a visitor from Karakura Town out west. Yasutora Sado," Ayako introduced the giant, who towered more than a head over her, his eyes hidden behind a wavy curtain of dark brown hair. Given his size and chiseled features, he was likely a foreigner brought in via one of the college exchange programs.
"Pleased to meet you," he said, no, rumbled in a deep baritone.
"A pleasure, Sado-san. My name is Rin Tohsaka."
"My name is S-Sakura Matou," the plum haired girl's shy greeting was barely audible, especially with the other two girls' dominating personalities.
"Shirou Emiya. What brings you to Fuyuki, Sado-san?" It was almost a novel experience for Shirou to have to look up at someone to meet their eyes when speaking to them.
"School project." The man's bluntness should have sounded rude or forced, but from him it sounded natural, calming even. "A class study on Fuyuki City."
"My my. Mitsuzuri-san, I had no idea you were looking into older men. A college student! Where did you meet him?" Rin chided playfully, though she did feel a minor twinge of worry that her friend could very well have snagged a boyfriend before she could. She was not looking forward to the idea of losing that old bet and ending up Ayako's plaything for a whole day.
Sado smiled slightly at that and Ayako outright laughed, obviously sharing a private joke. "I'm sixteen," the towering teen revealed. "Karakura High School freshman."
Completely forgetting Rin's question the three magi/students gawked and reevaluated Ayako's companion curiously for a moment before manners had them awkwardly looking away and attempting to seem unaffected.
"Don't worry about it. I reacted the same way," Ayako confided to her rival. "Thanks for walking with me, Sado-kun. I'll catch you later!" With that and a wave, Ayako passed the gates into Homurabara. The Archery Club had a short meeting after class, and the captain needed to make sure she had everything in good condition.
"Mm. Have a good day." Sado turned to the others and gave an informal nod in place of a bow before turning and heading back up the street. The moment the students were out of sight, Sado finally let some of his spiritual pressure out. He was not about to risk Mitsuzuri developing spiritual awareness simply because of his caution. That would only make the delicate situation worse. Fortunately, Masters and Servants were generally inactive during the day, so danger right now was minimal aside from Hollows.
While true that no one else in their circle had Ichigo's uncontrollable fountain of energy to deal with (at least before Rider started soaking up that energy), anyone who was able to tangle with an arrancar or a lieutenant-level Soul Reaper had more than enough power to influence nearby human souls and/or awaken spiritual awareness, and continued exposure only exacerbated the effect.
Naturally, this meant that just about everyone had to practice some measure of restraint. The calm, defensive nature of Sado's own powers meant that keeping his energy suppressed wasn't taxing in the least, but he was still more vulnerable than he liked in this subtly tense environment. The extra second it took to flood his body with protective spirit energy and then deploy his armor would prove a fatal second too long against enemies like Lancer.
It was only the fact that so many people were around that stopped him from deploying his shield arm right away after he spotted the extra presence hovering behind Ayako's schoolmates. Chad had managed to avoid looking directly at the tall spirit (the red and black spirit was almost as tall as the half-Mexican, which was saying something), but he stole glances occasionally and kept his spiritual awareness firmly on the dangerous entity. Most disturbingly, even though he was within spitting distance, the Servant had no presence at all. Chad doubted even a member of the Second Division would be able to suppress themselves so completely at that range save their Captain.
Pulling out his phone, Sado thumbed through his contacts and dialed Rukia. "It's me. You aren't going to believe this…" Running into someone who matched Ichigo's description of Saber's Master as well as another Servant so suddenly was definitely an uncanny stroke of luck.
Back at the school gate, the three magi had a brief moment of confusion, voiced rather thoroughly by Shirou. "Did he look sixteen to you?"
"Maybe he's an exchange student," Sakura guessed thoughtfully.
"That would explain his brief manner of speech, but you would have to ask Mitsuzuri-san," Rin observed with a shrug. Over the years she had seen far stranger things, but that encounter was still rather novel. The three magi soon had to part ways to reach their respective classrooms. Sakura, as a member of the Archery club, left first to help Ayako set up.
Before they reached the school, Archer spoke up. "I think we've found yet another one. He was trying to hide it, but that Sado guy definitely noticed my presence and general area. I couldn't quite tell if he was able to really see me, though," the spirit said, his eyes focused on where Chad's head towered over the people around him.
"Great." Rin bit back a curse. As a magus, paranoia was a required survival mechanism, and her sharp mind ran through possible scenarios involving her defenseless friend meeting one of her possible enemies. Did Sado or his allies already find out who she knew and targeted them to get to her? "Can you watch him without leaving the area?"
"I can try, but he's been moving back towards the bridge. I'll lose sight of him in about thirty minutes assuming he sticks to the open roads. If he wants he could be gone in minutes."
"Keep watch as long as you can." Rin leaned over towards Shirou, whose tense expression showed that he had managed to follow the gist of the conversation with his strange ability. "We'll meet in the library after school."
Shirou nodded before they split off towards their respective classrooms. He had managed to catch most of the conversation despite not channeling any prana to his ears. He didn't even need to try Reinforcement, just moving his magical energy around was enough. It looked like Kurosaki's group had people everywhere from the sound of things. That was not going to do his nerves any favors.