AN: I am so sorry for the wait. I said it would be released within the week, but it ending up being around a month. I'll stop with the promises, my update schedule will probably stay relatively erratic until I can make a schedule that works for me.

It's fun seeing feedback and ideas about Caster Emiya. I do have a plan on what his backstory is and how he became a servant will be but I might include some of those ideas in a more in depth origin story fic after I'm done with this one.

Anyway, with that out of the way, I hope you all enjoy the new chapter

The distinct sound of a horse loudly neighing fearsomely filled the twilight of the quickly approaching night. Red and yellow flashes, two long spears were being swung so quickly that it was impossible to process either of them with the human eye. A plain, yet ornate steel sword blocked these two implements of war. A bright red haired youth madly grinned as, from horseback, he moved to counterattack and swung his sword aiming to remove one of his opponent's limbs. This truly was a fight between two legends of old.

Ordinary people would have cowered at such a sight, perhaps running away as quickly as they could. That would be their ultimate downfall. The two combatants desperately struggling to kill the other were servants, familiars of the highest caliber, and as such could hear a pin drop from a mile away. They were that powerful, no mere human could escape their grasp.

To the side of this monumental clash, there were two people facing each other, seeming to be completely indifferent to the bloody duel being fought only a few dozen meters or so near them. Shirou watched as they seemed to discuss something, perhaps deciding rules of before they tried to kill each other? They were foreigners, and by their attire they were from the British Isles. It wasn't unheard of to make rules like that in fights between direct flights between Clocktower mages. Most stuck to espionage, but newer mages of relatively minor bloodlines would occasionally book a room to spar. Following those rules throughout the entire match, and not trying to one up the other? Well, that's a different story.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Shirou cut her off with a shake of his head. Even if she knew something he didn't, it wouldn't be worth it to reveal their location. Talking even at a low volume could just bring the servants' attention on them sooner, it was best to see how things played out first. Even worse, charging in would not only make the masters more likely to band together, it would also take away any advantages watching the battle from afar would be able to give them. The masters could possibly already be aware of them, since the group had entered an simple enclosed bounded field, one that likely silenced all inside sound, to hear what was going on. Shirou noticed an small intricate magic circle on one of the streetlamps, deducing that was probably the anchor. It wouldn't be in anyone's interest to destroy it though, so he ignored it.

Sakura curtly nodded in acceptance. She wasn't too happy Shirou silenced her, but could understand his reasoning.

Arturia shot her master a cool glare. While it was the smart thing to do, she didn't like it. Utter brutality could be just as effective as an intricate plan at times. Learning her enemies class, fighting style, and possibly even their Noble Phantasm would benefit them greatly.

Not that there was any question which class the two mystic servants were. The young adult on that bloodthirsty horse was clearly a Rider servant, though there was a slight possibility of him being a Berserker. His horse certainly fits the bill. But that was unlikely. The other servant, a man in dark green plate armor was even easier to identify. Wielding two spears, he was obviously a Lancer. She didn't know why, but she felt a strong pang of regret when she looked at him, but brushed it off. She always felt enormous regret over her past, regardless of what she'd done to him it didn't change what she had to do. She didn't recognize him, so her pain wasn't even helpful.

A low grumble of rage and pain rang out. The binding cloth of Lancer's yellow spear had been cast aside and was knee deep in a leg of Rider's horse. Shouting in a similar show of anger, Rider stabbed his sword out at Lancer aiming for the heart, but it was intercepted by his opponent's other spear quickly swinging around to deflect the blow. Lancer jumped back before Rider could get another attack in.

"Will you now dismount and face me on even ground Rider?" Lancer called out, entering a defensive stance. "I fear this will no longer be a fair duel if we are to face each other like this."

Rider's overwhelming anger dissipated as quickly as it had came and he laughed heartily. "Not quite yet, Lancer. You won't be able to catch me with that trick again, and old Bucephalus still has some fight left in him."

"Oh, and do you still believe you will be given a choice? The Lancer class really is made up of master lancers, so with your lessening mobility, my speed greatly outmatches yours." Lancer smiled, his taunt being in good faith.

Rider grinned. "Let's find out Lancer!" His grin dropped, his face becoming a bit more serious. "I must introduce myself though, it would be truly rude not to do so to a worthy opponent." His master, the lanky black haired man evidently wasn't surprised. He nodded to the servant before returning to his conversation.

"I am Alexander, the king of Macedon and one day ruler of all the world, from my homeland of Greece to Oceania!" He boasted.

Lancer nodded. "I can't say I understand the merit to your goals fully, but it is very honorable of you to reveal your name. It is an imperative step in any duel between heroes." He bowed. "I am Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a hero of Ireland. I am pleased to make your acquaintance"

Alexander smiled. "That's really cool! I never bothered invading the west, but maybe I should have if it had legends such as yourself!" He paused, thinking something over. "I could use someone like you. Want to join my army?"

Diarmuid shook his head, looking slightly annoyed. "I cannot take you up on that offer, I already have a lord. I will not betray them." He looked over to the blonde woman with two command seals on her hand. He looked back at Alexander. "Even if she makes such unreasonable requests. I would be offended with your offer, but I can't help but think I heard something similar before."

Alexander nodded. "You would make a fine companion for a long conquest, whoever offered you that back during your lifetime must have gone on to have been an extraordinary conqueror."

"Shall we resume our duel then? Our masters seem to be close to some consensus, and we have some observers. I'd prefer to get our current fight out of the way before fighting them."

"I suppose we shall. It is a shame you will not join me, but admire your loyalty and bravery. Ready yourself Lancer!"

Sakura and Shirou heard the conversation by using their connection with their familiars to tune into their servant's senses, and were flabbergasted. Did those two idiots really reveal their true names so easily? Not only that, they just revealed that they both had done that knowing that the servants observing them were listening in! A knight's honor is one thing, but they should at least show some restraint! Why didn't their masters stop them?

Shirou slowly moved to Sakura's side. He bent down and softly whispered into her ear. The servants were probably to distracted to hear their conversation now. "It seems like they'll ignore us if we don't interfere in their battle. It is time to move on, we can make pretty good guesses on what information we don't have yet based on their true names and their personalities."

Sakura agreed quickly. "It would be hard, but we could probably sneak around the masters if we go down that path." She pointed to a narrow alleyway a bit further down the street from their hiding place in a section of bushes. It would take around twenty or so minutes longer to get to the church, but it would be more than worth it. Arturia wouldn't like running away from a fight, but she would understand that whatever Shirou was planning was more important. Atalante actually agreed with them, coming back to face the other servants later on was the safer strategy. She couldn't risk these kids getting hurt.

Slowly moving closer and closer to the alleyway they'd escape through, they were careful to hide their movements. Shirou made the soles of his shoes more springy and soft with a bit of alteration. Luckily, the two masters were still far too focused on their conversation to notice the quartet.

Or at least, Shirou thought they were when he slammed face first into a thin nearly transparent wall covering the entrance to the alley. His nose cracked with pain, it was probably broken. Since he had only walked into the wall, not ran into it that hard, the effect was almost certainly amplified with some kind of magecraft.

Sakura almost walked into it as well, but Atalante had noticed something last minute and had caught her before she could.

Shirou's nose cracked again, the effect seeming to continue even without direct contact.

He grunted in pain. This was nothing to what he'd been through when he used his grandfather's worms.

Arturia slashed at the offending barrier, cutting it straight through the middle.

Slowly, the wall melted away into a small puddle of see through liquid. It had the consistency of syrup, the ripples in the substance slowly moving from the center to the edges.

Huh… Shirou had never seen a potion do that before. He had to have studied a bit if he wanted to master any later form of alchemy. His particular type alchemy may be a different field than potion making, but eventually he would be able to make pseudo-potions with other liquids, or make potions out of other objects. Still though, he was relatively certain that this potion was rather unique.

"I hate to say it, but I told you so." A man in a black suit with a dark red scarf folded over his neck told his companion smugly.

"Shut up Sensei, it's not my fault these backwater saves are such cowards!" The young woman with blonde, drill-like hair responded to the jab.

"You should plan for every possible scenario. This was just one of them. Underestimating foreigners is a mistake, don't let your family's grudge with the second owner blind you."

She huffed petulantly. "I could've set up a better trap if I had time to set up my gems! Even the low-quality ones would have been enough."

The man was unimpressed, but stopped his lecture and looked at them.

Shit.

Shirou recognized these people from a list of people to look out for from his contact at the Clocktower.

He didn't know the identity of his contact, as he had been the one first contacted, but the information they gave was always good. Shirou just wished he didn't have to comb through the insane rambling, and weird "fourth wall breaks" that the useful data was surrounded by.

Lord El Melloi the Second and Luvia Edelfelt had seemingly decided to work together. And from how their servants had stopped fighting and had come up to stand their sides, albeit injured, things were about to get dicey.

X

Shirou gasped for air as he was sent flying back into a street lamp. His opponent's gloves were reinforced somehow. El Melloi wasn't able to use magecraft like this, how did he manage to do something like that?

Even though he got the drop on him, Shirou was certain that he could beat someone as weak as Waver Velvet. From what he knew of the first war, the man was completely worthless.

Said man walked forward slowly, eying his prey. "Is that all you can do? For someone from a once noble bloodline like the Makiri, you are rather weak."

Shirou gritted his teeth. He would show that arrogant bastard just how wrong he was. How dare someone from such a new family mock him? Shirou shook his head. Acting like his grandfather wouldn't get him anywhere. More importantly, what did the man mean by Makiri?

"I'm afraid you've got the wrong person. I'm Shirou Matou, if you want someone named 'Makiri' maybe check in Russia. That's not exactly a common Japanese name!"

Shirou staggered up, pulling his unique mystic code out of his pocket. It was currently in its knife form to make it easier to hide.

He flowed his magic through it, imagining it elongating and coming to a point. The weapon complied and transformed into a sturdy black spear which Shirou used to bat away a potion that was sent at him.

The moment it broke though, a flash of light erupted from the liquid and blinded him momentarily.

El Melloi took advantage of this, throwing another strong punch at Shirou's gut.

"So you do not even know of your family's history?"

El Melloi moved to rush Shirou again, but tripped up when Shirou turned the asphalt between them slippery. Shirou tried to take advantage of this by stabbing with his spear, but the lord just stepped out of reach carefully.

"I think I know enough. We don't really have records before we came to Japan though, care to enlighten me on whatever you think you know?" Shirou was annoyed that there was a chance that an outsider might know something he didn't about his family.

Shirou rushed to a close-by bush, grabbing a few twigs and altering them to be sharp and aerodynamic.

El Melloi threw another potion his way, but it was shot out of the air. Shirou had turned his mystic code into a bow and was aiming at him. El Melloi ducked for cover.

"You are truly unaware. Huh, that's strange." El Melloi commented, still hiding behind the cover of a parked car. "Before the Matou were forced to move to this backwater, they were known as the Makiri. They were led by a 'Zelgen Makiri.' I researched this all after the last grail war"

Throwing a potion Shirou's way, El Melloi abandoned his cover to rush at Shirou. Unfortunately, Shirou had been expecting this and had prepared. The potion hit a wall of slightly more 'solid' air and fell to the ground. El Melloi gasped out in pain as an arrow pierced his leg.

"And why should I care? What does it matter?" Shirou asked coldly.

"Zelgen Makiri, one of the founders of the grail war, changed his name to fit into Japanese society better." Shirou's blood ran cold. He knew his grandfather was far older than he let on, but surely it was impossible for him to live that long. "Zouken Matou."

Thats the last straw. How dare he lecture Shirou on his own family history in the middle of a battle. How dare he know more about his grandfather even though he never met him. How dare he?!

Shirou ran forward, quickly changing his mystic code to a sword. He'd gut that smug bastard!

He was too invested in the attack to realize his crucial error. He never took his alteration of the one section of asphalt off, and had completely forgotten where it was. Shirou slipped and fell face first onto the hard floor.

Before he could regain his bearings he was hit with a potion and went rigid. His limbs were locked and he couldn't move. He tried to send prana throughout his body to flush the curse out, but it was far too strong.

El Melloi sighed. "Was I this hopeless and temperamental back then? How did Rider put up with me?" El Melloi pulled out a dagger. "I don't want to kill you kid, it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth. But I can't afford to show mercy, this is a war and you made your choice."

Right before the dagger hit Shirou was pulled out from under him. Atalante had saved him at the very last moment.

Suddenly having to face two servants on her own, Arturia was unable to stop from being cut in the shoulder by Lancer's yellow spear. It wasn't a deep injury, but it would be a pain to keep fighting with. She gave as good as she got though, taking a few of Lancer's fingers and putting a deep gash in Rider's abdomen.

"We're retreating!" Sakura called out to the servants. Luvia tried to attack her, but ended up passing out from excursion. Gem magecraft wasn't very useful when your opponent could just absorb the mana from the gem before it was unleashed into a spell. "Head to the church."

Rider and Lancer tried to cut off their escape, but were forced back by a volley of arrows.

El Melloi was similarly stopped by the concrete of the sidewalk he ran on being turned back into a liquid. It quickly reverted back to its solid state, trapping the mage. Shirou had managed to send out one last spell from his paralyzed hands before passing out himself.

Thus, the first battle of The Holy Grail War ended in a draw.