Chapter 24
"You dare put your unworthy mongrel hands-on such treasure!" A voice called out but before Kuzuki could look at who it was a projectile struck him in the head.
"No!" Both Shirou and Ben ran to kuzuki. The girls were free but coughing up blood, better than dead though. Both masters ran to their servants trying to keep their eyes off of the dead man.
"I-I am fine, Ben" Caster said rubbing her neck, Saber was doing the same but staring at the source of the voice. Up at the top of the walls as a man in gold plated armour with black details markings.
"Well, I must say you put one a good show, Alien, Such performances I reward." Ben got up and look at the guy he sworn he as seen the golden hair before.
"Thus I have taken the liberty of releasing your maiden from that mongrel. He was also holding one of my treasures as well so he had to be punished."
"Your Treasures?" Shirou then looked at Saber who was giving the man a death stare. He has never seen her so angry during the time he was with her.
A golden light appears behind the man and ripples opened up revealing many weapons."
"Those are...Noble Phantasm's" Shirou mind felt it like it was going into overdrive just looking at them and he instinctive was scanning them. Shirou had to shake his head to force him to stop.
"So Saber, We meet again. I hope you have changed your answer after all these years." The man then Faded away in golden dust.
"Who was that guy?" Ben asked but was interrupted by the ground shaking.
"With Medea gone the place is fading away! We have to move!" Caster said standing up but shaky.
"Hold up" The watch was charged so ben decided to quickly change into Fourarms. He then Hoisted Caster over his shoulder and walked up to Hakuno to do the same.
"Come, let's go!" the Tetramand said carrying the two girls and everyone went to a full sprint.
Ben thought of grabbing Suzuki's body but decided it was too late for him and kept running. Shirou mind was still processing all of the weapons he just saw and felt the circuits in his arm flare-up.
"Guh!" Shirou grabbed his arm but kept running.
"Shirou" Saber then ran beside him and put her hand on his back and the pain faded.
"Thanks. Let's get out of here!"
Emiya estate.
Saber sits right next to her sleeping master the image of the familiar foe filled her mind.
'It can't be. IT can't be! That grail is gone, I...no He destroyed it." Saber balls her fist thinking about her previous master: Emiya kiritsugu. She internally hissed at the memories as he was a man of no honour. He always looked for an advantage no matter what the cost or morals, to put it simply, he was a magus killer to the core. She never had any form of bond with him outside of command seals and his wife, Irisviel.
" ...Saber…" A voice snaps Saber out of her train of hatred and she looked back to her current master. Shirou was still asleep but with a smile on his face…
"Shirou…" Saber felt all her rage fade away just from looking at her master's sleeping face.
"If I could, I would keep him this way forever." Saber smiles and remembers that the same man had also raised Shirou, who, she respects much more and cares for.
"A least he'll have a family again." Saber then remembers her wish which may go against what Shirou wanted and part of her feared his reaction.
But it's what she wanted.
Tamamo happily snoozed next her master in his bedroom. She was happy that she had found a new lover and with his help, she will find a new life being with Ben.
"I am the luckiest girl in the world." She whispered but was then taken out of her happy mood as Ben started to mutter something in his sleep.
"No...No..Get away…" Ben then started to toss and turn in right next to her.
"Gotta Run, Gotta Run, Gotta Run!" Ben Ran in the darkness, trying to get the watch to work but to no avail.
" .WISH!" A beast that was made of darkness and blood yelled down the corridor.
"Like Hell I am!" Ben said still running for his life, he didn't know what was chasing him but it drove into greater fear he didn't know he had. He then runs into a dead end and is no cornered.
"GRANT OUR WISH" The beast then charged at him, pinning him, and began to melt his skin causing him to cry out in pain.
"Master, Ben!" Caster shook Ben in hopes to snap him out of his nightmare and it eventually. He woke up gasping for air and sweating. After catching his breath he looked at his wrist to find his watch still there and Caster sitting beside him worried.
"Ben, Are you ok? You were sweating and turning in your sleep." Caster said with worry in her eyes. Ben rubbed his eyes trying to make sense of it all while his servant rubbed his back.
"It was just a nightmare. I can't explain what was going on as the memories become fuzzy." Ben then wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked to Caster with his usual smile but she was still worried for him. Deciding to take action, Tamamo adjusts herself so now she was sitting on his lap facing him. She looked into his tired eyes trying to figure out what was plaguing her master's dreams. Reserving that thought for another time she gives a soft smile and brings his head onto her bosom. She also brings her tail around to Ben's reach and he softly runs his hand through its fur as she does the same with his hair. As the moments go by Ben felt the call of sleep return and so did his servant. She let him lay back down as she rested her head on his chest listening to his soft breaths. Once she knew he was asleep once more looks up her sleeping hero and places her hand on his chest. She mutters a few words and warm light glowed from her palm for a second.
"When you are in the dark...I shall be your light."
Morning Breakfast.
Shirou plated breakfast while Tohsaka and then others were trying to figure out who was that golden clad servant.
Rin sighs: "With one victory there's another problem just waiting around the corner." She then takes a sip of tea.
Normally Sakura and Illya would be around but decided to go check Taiga at the hospital and keep an eye on Hakuno.
"You can never expect things to go easy, especially in this weird world we live in," Ben said taking a bite of breakfast.
"Now, Just who was that guy last night? " Ben asks the important question about the man that appeared last night. "He was is servant, those weapons were noble phantasms from many ages. I could even recognize a sword similar to Caliburn" Shirou said with certainty.
"Huh, Your origin is showing itself recently. I may need to have you join me to the clocktower." Rin commented.
"Back to the topic on hand." Caster said she then looked to Saber
"Recalling on what the man said, have you met him before?" She said and Saber's face turns slightly sour.
"I have,"
"Someone from your past, Saber?" Shirou ask's
"More like recently we have met." This raised Ben's eyebrow but he knew this was something outside of her history of King Arthur. He then put two and two together.
"Did this happen to be the fourth war?" Ben knew that if Saber knew that guy recently it would've been in a war. But it had to be one where Shirou wasn't her master as Ben been with him since the start of the current one.
Saber paused but nodded. "We faced off near the end of the war. I found it off that he seemed to have got the idea that I would be is a new wife. He even purposed to me right in the middle of the fight."
"What?! Really?" Shirou asked shocked.
"I take you declined?" Caster assumed slight annoy with the man in question as she believed in fair love.
"I let my sword declined his request." Saber said with hatred in her eyes.
"Did you Defeat him before?" Shirou asked but Saber shook her head.
"No" Was all he got from her as it seemed to bring back painful memories.
"So this guy must've won the previous war, proving that if you win you can keep your servant in this world." Rin pondered for a moment.
"Did you get his name Saber?"
"No, all I know is that he is some form an ancient king." Saber recalling the one night she was taunted by him and another king.
"Not even a name? With all of those noble phantasms, you should've at least gotten a clue!" Rin asked as she didn't like unknowns.
"Tohsaka, I think I understand why she wouldn't know." Shirou coming to Saber's aid.
"Huh?"
"Well, That servant may be using a lot of noble phantasms but he seemed to be using them more like arrows. So, he doesn't need to say its name." Shirou may have only got a small look of those phantasms but he got a small understanding of the mechanism. To put it simply, that archer golden light was the gun and the weapons were bullets.
"You have a good eye, Shirou" Saber complimented.
"Well, he will have to wait until we deal with Lancer, at least with him we can predict his trump card." Rin then gets up.
"Going out?" Shirou asks.
"Yeah, I am going to hunt down a lead on where Lancer's master is, there's a couple of locations I want to check out." Rin the leaves to go get ready.
"I am going to get some air." Saber then got up and left to the backyard Shirou followed her to ask her something leaving Ben and Caster.
"You think Saber's upset about something?" Ben asks.
"I believe so, She barely ate even a quarter of her fill." Caster said. Ben looked to the table realising that there was still plenty of food.
"Welp, More for us!" Ben said,
"And the dishes." Caster said with a slight tinge of annoyance.
"Don't worry I'll help," Ben reassured her and she instant hugged his arm.
"Kyaa You always lighten my mood, Master!"
Backyard
Saber was standing in the middle of the yard remembering the dark times of Fuyuki's fourth grail war. Shirou himself was sitting thinking about the possibility of having to stay with him after the war.
"Saber, About what Tohsaka said."
"Huh?" Saber turns her head slightly to Shirou.
"About the grail, I was wondering if you-"
"I have no intention of staying here, I would simply return to my original self."
Shirou lowers his eyes remembering her wish to redo the selection of the king
"Are you going to redo the selection of the king? You're not going to save yourself from dying?" Shirou asked
"A king has to protect the country, my strength was not up for the task. The least I could do is to make sure that another proper king is chosen."
Shirou felt his emotions well up inside with Saber's words. She was willing to erase herself from history because she wanted to give her country a do-over.
"Idiot your here now, Saber, you Should do whatever YOU want!" Shirou pleaded hoping to bring some sense to her. Saber looks away as she could not take Shirou's worried look.
"Shirou, I would appreciate if you'd dropped this subject"
"But you-"
"Besides, possessing the Holy Grail does not mean that I would be able to stay in this era." Saber stated causing Shirou to pause.
"I say this as that servant couldn't have obtained the Holy Grail." Shirou widened his eyes were confused. If that servant did not get the grail then how is he still around?.
"On that day, The Holy Grail was destroyed by my master, Emiya Kiritsugu, who betrayed me." Shirou jaw hit the floor when he heard the fact that the servant in front of him was also his father's.
"My Dad?" is all that he could mutter.
"Yes. Ten years ago, in the previous war, he was my master. He and I could've secured the grail as we were the lasts one standing other than that archer. But instead of assisting me in the final battle he used his last two command seals to compel me to destroy the Holy Grail."
Saber then looked down to the ground putting her theory on what happened afterwards into words.
"That act may have also been the cause of the fire that you went through. With the grail gone servants can't stay in this world so my memories end there." Saber looked back up to see what would Shirou do? Would he yell at her for telling him lies and defend the father he knew?
"Why didn't you tell me this in the first place. That you were my father's servant." He asked not with hatred but wanting to know why.
"I could not bring myself to tell you about what kind of master he was. I had seen your past and could not believe how much Kiritsugu has changed" Saber compared the man she knew to the father Shirou knew. Shirou mind was going to that day where he was rescued by that same man. Kiritsugu told him that being a magus is that you must take death into account to your life and that did not bother him much surprisingly. Maybe because he knew death all too well since that day
"If you asked me, he was a stereotypical magus during the war. Focusing only on his objectives and destroying anything in his path by any means. Now, he wasn't an evil man nor a cold-blooded killer but he still suppressed his emotions and killed anyone that was an enemy."
Saber clenched her fists. "It was at the end he used two seals and forced me to use my noble phantasm to destroy the grail. I confess, I never cursed the existence of the seals nor the people who betrayed me as much I did that day".
Shirou felt overloaded from the truth that she told him...the part of his father he has never seen before. Without a word, he walked to his workshed and closed the door with a slam which caused Saber to flinch.
"You can come out now," Saber called and Tamamao appeared around the Corner.
"I guess you have some words for me?" She asked But Caster wasn't going to cause Shirou any more heartache and walked away leaving Saber alone…
meanwhile in the realm outside of time Professor paradox viewed the entire conversation. It was close to what he had wanted but Saber, like Shirou, was stubborn.
"Close, but some more adjustments will be needed."
"Going to mettle again Professor?" A red-clad man asks sitting on a couch
"You know yourself, He needs a little splash of reality." The man then leaves and paradox plans his next move.
"Shirou will be easy but Saber...I may have to resort to more compelling information."
Paradox then changes he view to ben Tennyson, "I just hope Ben will be able to endure the pain he will soon face".
Ben was cleaning dishes after a much awkward dinner, Saber and Shirou remained quiet and even caster seemed a little down.
'Something must've happened between those two. I hope they can get through it.' it was too far in the war and the last thing they need was for both of to be fighting each other.
"Thanks for the meal" Saber then gets up and leaves. Shirou just leaves to go to his shed leaving Rin and Caster at the table. Rin lets out a yawn.
"Don't know about you two but I am going to turn in early." She then leaves and then there were just two. Ben finished the dishes and sat down beside Caster.
"Something bothering you?" Ben asked snapping caster out of her train of thought.
"Oh it's nothing." she then smiles.
"You sure?"
She then sighed in defeat: "It something that only those two can fix. They both love each other but something is still holding them back."
"Those two will give in at some point. Even someone like Saber can't reject her feelings forever." Ben said with his everflowing optimism which Caster loved. "Hey, master? How long was it until started to have feelings for me?" Caster asked cocking her head to the side and flapping her ears. Ben felt his face turn red a bit but looked back on his time here in Fuyuki.
"Well I did start to admire you during the early days but I was still held up from my breakup." Ben face slightly frowns but he smiles again.
"But I guess it all started when I came to get you that night." Ben words warmed Caster's heart causing her face to turn red.
"I thought it was just me wanting to help you but looking back now I was having feelings for you.".
"Ohh Kyaaaa! I love you, master!" She then Hugged ben and kissed him. After another good kiss Caster stood up and walked to the kitchen.
"I think since it's just the two of us I can whip up a nice dessert." She smiled and opened up the fridge and ben waited in anticipation.
After the dishes Ben found himself sitting in his room playing a game on his phone. Tamamo told him that she had to do something after dinner so now he was just waiting. Ben then decides to go for a quick wash of his hair since he forgot to do last time he was in the bath.
'I got to stop doing that.' Ben thought as he grabbed a towel.
'Just a quick soak is all I need.'
Ben then walks to the bathroom and finds the lights turned on but the door not locked. He shrugs and assumes that someone forgot to turn off the lights. The young lad then strolls over to the tub area and opens the door...to find it occupied...by Tamamo...who was naked...
Both just stare at each other in dead silence...one could hear a pin drop...until both shrieked.
"Gah! I am sorry CasImeanTamamo!" Ben stammered.
"Eek! Master, What are you doing just dropping on a maiden while she 's bathing!" Tamamo said covering herself up with her hands.
"I-I just was going to wash my hair quickly! I swear I wasn't trying to peep on you!" Ben continued stammering and closes the door to the bath. Trying to get the perverted thoughts out of his head.
"W-wait...Master..." She calls out and Ben freezes.
"You said you needed your hair washed?"
"Y-yeah b-but I can wait until you are done Tamamo," Ben said.
"We are a couple. R-right?" She said causing Ben's cheeks to turn red.
"Yeah of course!" He said.
"Then...Would you mind if I washed your hair for you?" She said and Ben felt his heart go nuts in his chest. But she was right...They are together now...
"Sure..." He walks back to the bath and finds her sitting in the tub using a towel cover herself. Her face was pink with slight embarrassment but was still smiling.
"Just sit here and lean back..." Ben just nods and takes off his jacket. He sits down and leans back so that his hair was over the tub water.
"Alright let's get started..." Tamamo smiles and she gently cups some water pours it over his head. Making sure not to get any of it in his eyes or on his shirt. She then leans over can grab the men's shampoos and lathers his hair and massages his scalp.
Ben was in bliss. He never thought a smile hair wash could be so relaxing and soothing. The mix of her massaging his head and her soft hums just made all of his worries fade away. After a few more minutes of washing, She ends it with a hug from behind and both just sit there for a moment relaxed. She kisses him on the cheek whispers:
"All done master."
Ben nods and turns around to face her while still trying to control his eyes from staring.
"Thanks." he then drys his hair and walks out leaving her in the bath.
Tamamo sinks back into the tub and gazes at her own body and giggles.
"I love that innocence of his...but it does get in the way sometimes..." She giggles as she let out a bit of lust in her voice.
Later that night.
Saber was standing outside of the workshed, she didn't know what to feel about how her and Shirou's relationship is now. She wondered if Shirou hated her for not wanting to stay or was it for insulting his father. Part of her felt like going in and apologizing but what would be saying sorry for? She then shook her head and focused on her goal.
'It doesn't matter, I will get the grail and save my kingdom.' She took an inhuman jump out of the compound and leapt from building to building. 'I don't need him. I will finish this by..'
'How will I finish this?' Saber found herself standing on the walkway of the bridge between the two sections of the city. After all that time out in the city, she found herself stumped.
"Having trouble thinking about what to do next?" Caster said jumping from the upper frame of the bridge.
"Caster, Were you following me?" Saber asked.
"Well, you did leave without telling anyone. Honestly, what were you trying to do looking for a fight alone? Shirou going to be so worried about you!" Caster said concerned.
"Shirou…" Saber shook her head.
"I intend on finishing this war regardless of what Shirou thinks of me. Now, are you going to assist me or not?" Saber asked and Caster immediately went to a serious look.
"Saber, when will you learn that you can stop rejecting your feelings." Saber raised an eyebrow in confusion. "My feelings? What are you talking about?"
"You're are keeping your feelings sealed away. It's unhealthy even for a spirit."
"Is this about me rejecting Shirou's wish to keep me in this world. I may have agreed to be his servant but he doesn't have ownership of my soul." Saber said
"It's not like that. The boy is clearly in love with you!" She shouted getting sick of Sabers constant rejection of emotion.
"W-what…?" Saber felt like she took a blow to the heart and didn't know where came from Saber then had images of Shirou when he smiled at her. She then recomposes herself and looked back at Tamamao with a look of steel. "Even if that's the case it's frivolous, I can't stop for anything, not even Shirou.".
This ticked off Tamamo as she knew that Saber was lying to herself and most importantly she was hurting the man who loves her. "Saber, love is not frivolous! It's something that is in every being, Even the gods fall in love! You keeping your emotions sealed off is not only going hurt you but it will bring pain to the people that care about you!" Caster said with anger.
"Caster I,..." Saber didn't have any words to against what was she was saying or more like she couldn't come up with anything.
Tamamo then turns around not caring about what Saber had to say. "Camelot didn't fall because you were unworthy, it was because you couldn't understand the hearts of the people around you!" Those words caused images of everyone she knew during her kingship flash in her mind. the knights of the round table, Guinevere and Mordred.
"If you're going to go win the grail FINE! Just remember to share it when you are done. Because unlike you, I care about my Master's feelings!" The caster then jumped back up to bridge frame and then to the distance. Leaving Saber alone again and still stumped.
"A little rough but she does have a point." paradox said appearing beside her.
"Are you here to chastise me as well." Paradox looks out into the river and smiles,
"Yes but not on the points Caster had already covered" he then turns serious and looks at Saber: "You wish to change the past so that your kingdom gets a better outcome. Correct?" Paradox looks at Saber for confirmation.
"Yes, there has to be a better king than I. And nothing you say will change that."
"Even if I say your actions will destroy this world?" the professor's words shocked Saber, she knew that he was a time traveller so the odds of him lying was low.
"What do you mean? My wish will cause destruction? Couldn't I wish to prevent that?" if Saber knew about it maybe the grail could stop it.
"The grail can do many things but time and space aren't bound to magic. Time itself is a river, it flows and moves as we ride it. I set off a depth charge and caused a temporal monster to come from the rapids. Lucky Ben figured out how to undo it and save the world." Paradox then opened his watch.
"But I am getting sidetracked. The issue here is time is not just on earth but it's apart of the entire universe. To make sure nothing bad occurs somewhere in the world is beyond the power of Third Magic." Paradox lives in eternity, he understands the space-time continuum more than any mortal being. If anyone dared to try to disrupt time he would do his best to stop it.
"So what is the consequences if I go through with my wish," Saber asked and paradox sighed.
"I guess the nuclear option it is then." He then snaps his finger and they are transported into the city that was Fuyuki but with only one major difference.
The entire city was engulfed in flames.
Saber looked around in horror and saw dead bodies lining the streets and unholy monster roaming the land. "Camelot is a foundation of the earth, you mess with that and well…" Paradox gestures around him. Saber felt like she was going be sick even though that wasn't possible for a servant.
"With you changing the past cause an event that would be avoided if one boy was still alive..and I am not talking about Ben" Saber's eye widened in fear. Not for herself but for another.
"Shirou...is dead?"
"Yes, I'm afraid, No emiya kiritsugu came to save him and died that day as a young boy"
"Please, get me out of here," Saber begged as she couldn't take in the sight any longer and with a blink of an eye, they were back to normal Fuyuki.
"Camelot is a foundation of humanity, you mess with that and you destabilize the future. Tragedies happen Ms Pendragon. Even I try to undo some small thing here and there but things, like preventing a kingdom from falling, is against the rules of time." Saber was silent, like the world she knew was shattered from what shown to her.
"But there is still hope for you." Saber then looked back to the professor. Was there still hope for her. "Stick with those who care about you now. eventually, you will understand what you couldn't before."
"Saber!" A voice calls out in the distance and Saber turns around to find Shirou running. "Well looks like I must go. But not without one more hint." Paradox opens his pocket watch and begins to fade away.
"You are the sword but who is your sheath?" he then fades away.
"My sheath?"
"Saber!" Shirou yells huffing for breath and stops right in front of her. "Are...You..ok?" Shirou said catching his breath from all the running. "Shirou...You came to get me?" She asked and Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Well yeah, Saber, I am not going abandon you. Where in this together, till the end." Shirou smiled. "But...I" she couldn't get her words out as she was holding back the tears of joy for seeing Shirou alive and well. She was surprised by a hand grabbing hers. "Saber you don't have to say anything. Let's go home." The two then began two walks home.
The two walked together in the night with smiles and silence. Saber for the first time felt like she wanted to stay with Shirou. "Maybe it's better this way." Saber tightens her grip on Shirou's hand.
"Where are you going?" A voice calls out to the couple stopping them in their tracks. Both of them turn around to find a blonde man in a white shirt, black pants and a jacket standing a few meters away from them. It only took a second as he took a step forward revealing his red eye's.
Shirou realized who it was: he was the servant from the cave, the archer of the fourth war.
The one servant that defeated Saber...
"Don't take other people's possessions without permission, boy." He called out claiming ownership over Saber whos hand gripped onto Shirou's even more.
"Shirou, I will face him. Use that time to-." Shirou realized that Saber was going to attack him on her own and without thinking threw her aside and charged at Archer. "No! Your the one who needs to get away!"
All Shirou would have to his project Caliburn and hit Archer before his armour comes.
"GAHH" That plan failed as an unknown bolt of red energy pierced him forcing the boy to the ground.
"Shirou!" Saber cried
"Foolish mongrel, I won't kill you as it would make it difficult to keep Saber alive. So I suggest you stop your prattling if you want to.." Saber then armoured up and jumped to strike with a vertical slash. Archer quickly summons blades to block all of her attacks.
"Judging from that look in your eye, It appears your still not interested in yielding to me." Saber then jumps back and attacks again.
"Enough with your nonsense!" She yells but archer again block her swing with more blades.
"Haha, that's the lion I know! The woman that has bewitched me!. Now since you have shown me your sword I will show you my collection out of respect."
"Gate of Babylon"
Archer then summons his armour and small portals of golden light and weapons appear from them. Saber gritted her teeth as she knew what was coming. Shirou slowly felt his strength returning but his vision was blurred. All he could hear was what the clanging of metal and what he assumed was Saber pain as some weapons pierce her armour. "Saber.." He wasn't going to be useless he had to help somehow. 'Think, think! Who could have all of those phantasms? He had to be some form of a king to own that many treasures. But who?'
Saber fell to a knee to catch her breath, "Who in the world are who one servant can have that many noble phantasms" Saber asked and the man. "You wish to know my name? After all this time you could figure it out? Fine then, I'll give you a hint, didn't all the world's treasures once belonged to a single king?" Archer then crossed his arms waiting for the answer.
Shirou eyes then lit up, There was one hero that could've owned all other treasures. A very old tale that dates back to the first civilizations. The king of hero's.
"Gilgamesh…" Shirou said in a pained voice.
"Ahh, so the mongrel figured it out. Maybe he isn't a useless half breed after all." Gilgamesh laughs."
Saber finally understood who she was facing against and knew that she needed to take him down with all she had. "With knowing that, can you understand that you can't defeat me?"
"That has yet to be proven!" Saber stands up and powers up her sword. "Huh well, I guess I will use a more appropriate weapon." Gilgamesh then dismisses the other weapons only for one handle to remain and grabs it. Shirou's vision finally comes back and focuses on the weapon in the enemies hand. It resembles a jousting lance but only went half-length the guard was golden but the shaft was black with red etchings. He then raises it and the red wind began to cycle around the lance as it gathers energy. Excalibur glowed gold, ready to fire but Shirou knew that this was a losing fight. "Saber don't do it!"
"EXCALIBUR"!
"ENUMA ELISH!"
A golden light clashed against a crimson red and stalemated in the middle. Saber struggled to keep her sword powered as her mana was limited while Gilgamesh wasn't breaking a sweat. "This bores me" He then put more power and with barely a second his weapon overcame Excalibur and blasted her with full force.
"Saber!" Shirou tried to stand up but only could get up to his knees. 'This will do I need to get to her.'.
The threat of Gilgamesh was far from his mind. All he cared about was Saber right now. Gilgamesh laughed at how pathetic he looked crawling to Saber who was laying in her blood
"haha I guess this is what I get for fighting a woman and a child!" he continued to laugh. Shirou manages to crawl up to Saber and was relieved to see that she was still alive. Saber looked up to find Shirou in her blurred vision.
"Shirou is that you?" She whispered.
"Yes, I am here" Saber raised her hand and found it covered in her blood. "So I was defeated, Shirou you need to run." She knew this was the end for her but at least Shirou could run away.
"I am not going anywhere," Shirou said and this caused panic in Saber. "Shirou, You must run. Please, You've done enough now!" Saber felt tears well up in her eyes as she knew that Shirou would die if he faces Gilgamesh. " Please, You must hold your life much more precious than mine. If you were to die I could never-!" She interrupted when Shirou lifted her upper body and did the one thing that made the king of hero's stop laughing.
Shirou kissed Saber.
When they broke the kiss Shirou smiled
"Saber, I'm sorry but I love you more than anything. There isn't anything more than I want in this world than you Saber." With those words, Shirou's wounds begin to close with a bright light. Saber was speechless as the warmth she of that light felt familiar.
"Oi boy, your asking for a death sentence there!" Gilgamesh yells as he saw Shirou touch his treasure.
"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!"
"Shirou, why did you?" Saber muttered but Shirou smiled.
"I needed to test something, now rest, I get this guy to leave." Shirou put her down and turned to face the king.
"Got a problem?" Shirou asked. "Yes, it's you mongrels not knowing your place!" His weapon then began to spin up ready to attack but Shirou showed no fear and gave a cocky smile.
"You going to use that against a mongrel like me, Ha what a waste," Shirou said the king smiled.
"Your right, you are unworthy of my precious Ea." He then puts it back in his vault and pulls out a sword. Shirou quickly scanned the blade and understood that it was the sword that bestows rulership, Caliburn's ancestor.
"I will swat you with this!" Gilgamesh then charges at Shirou but his attack was blocked with two twin yin yang blades.
"Projection, So you're a faker. That makes me want to crush you more!" The two then clashed. Shirou held his own against the king of heroes but he wasn't planning on killing him right now.
It wasn't ready yet.
'Visualize' Shirou was using this time to search his reality marble for the one thing that could stop Gilgamesh. 'That golden light. Not from a projection but something real.'
"Visualize something in your mind that you CAN defeat him with."
This was the enemy Shirou had to face. The fight that will forge the power of Emiya Shirou.
"Visualize it"
Saber looked at the fight and was amazed that Shirou was holding his own against the Gilgamesh. She focused on Shirou's fighting style, "He's playing defence, but that won't hold for long. What is he doing?"
The two then back away from each other, Gilgamesh was mad a faker was giving him trouble. Shirou felt his arms go numb from the fight and his lungs burned from overuse. "Dammit mongrel to think I had to put effort into killing you!" He then discards the sword and grabs Ea again.
"This may be a waste but I am out of time!" The then charges up Ea with red energy. Shirou then discarded his weapons and focused his projection. 'I can feel it, That golden light.'
"Trace on!" The firing pin in his head banged and his circuits went into overdrive as Shirou forced the image into reality. Golden light burst's from Shirou's hand and formed into a shape. Even Gilgamesh stopped to see what it was.
"What is this?" Shirou did not know what it was that he just projected. It was a sheath, not a weapon.
"You are the sword but who is your sheath?"
Saber recognized the light and the shape, this was something she thought was gone forever. But she didn't have time to gawk, right now, Shirou needed her to use that Noble Phantasm that was brought forth.
"Shirou! Use This!" Saber got and picked up her sword to give it to Shirou. They both look at each other and nodded.
"You think that will stop me!" Gilgamesh then fired Ea send a spiral of red energy towards them. Shirou and Saber gripped Excalibur and slots it into the phantasm. The sheath the glowed bright and when Ea's waves hit it, they were reflected at Gilgamesh.
"Gah!" The king of heroes fell back a few feet and but got back up. He didn't what just happened but in no way, he would let his enemies see him like this and faded away into spirit form.
Once the enemy retreated. Shirou cut of mana to the projection and Saber dispelled her gear. Shirou felt the strength in his legs give way and nearly fell over but Saber caught him. For nearly a minute they just stood there.
"Sorry for making you worry Saber"
"It's alright Shirou, Your safe now."
"You mean WE are safe now." Shirou corrected her Saber smiled "Yes we are." Shirou then swings his left numb arm around her.
"I maybe can't save the world but Saving you feel all the same." He whispered
"Let's go home." Saber then pull Shirou's arm over her shoulder and the two walked home.
AN: Nothing much to report here. A bit of drama and A bit of...fluff to show differences in Saber's and Caster's Situation. Finally got Gilgamesh to show up and give Ben a name other than mongrel. Figure 'Alien' would do nicely. Had paradox give Saber some Damning evidence which was not just a singularity from FGO./s
Well, See you in the next one as things finally heat up for the finale in a few chapters.