It was after school, and thanks to the power of magecraft, Rin and Shirou managed to ditch school without too much of a hassle. Despite that convenience though, Shirou was unsatisfied. 'Again.' He frustratingly thought. Swinging his wooden sword down, practicing with it. 'Again!'
That fight he had with Rider, it wasn't even a fight at all. It was just him getting sucker punched then tied up and injured. Unable to do anything, he would have died had it not been for Ozpin and Musashi coming to his aid. Yet Shirou couldn't help but feel the pain of seeing them do something hurt more than the injuries he received from Rider. More so since Ozpin had an aura just like him, but actually did something instead of him.
'How can I call myself a hero, if I'm always in distress?' The anwer, he wasn't.
As Shirou was busy frustratingly swinging his wooden sword, nearby is Rin sitting down and across from Shirou watching him. Having decided to come to his house after the battle and mind-wiping the teachers, and just to get in his good grace, fixing that window while Archer kept an eye out.
Like Shirou, she also thought of the battle that occurred just over an hour ago. Thinking of Rider and the skill she displayed. Though more intrigued by none other than the famed Musashi.
'How did he-er-she even get summoned?' The surprise from before is still fresh in Rin's mind as recalled the announcement.
Flashback
"WHAT!?" Rin shouts as Shirou steps back and Ozpin rubbing his now hurt left ear from the shout. Archer rolled his eyes at such an uncontrolled display of emotion though internally acknowledged the surprise.
I mean, Miyamoto Musashi, THE famed swordsman. Known to not just regular folk, but even magus that have heard countless tales of him. With unparalleled swordsman skill, style, and journey in facing different foes including his rival. Now standing before them-
"My, my." Musashi blushes at what she believes is a complimentary yell.
-as a woman!
"Uh-hu." Suddenly Shirou is right beside Rin and nodding in understanding. "I know how you feel."
"Same." Her Archer deadpanned in agreement with Shirou. Though he looked unhappy because of it.
"Is Musashi being a woman such a big deal?" With only one of them not getting it, mainly Ozpin. While his circumstances were understandable to those who knew it, to the three before him, just stared at him as if he were a moron. The headmaster was taken aback by their expressions toward him. Then just whistling away to not get involved.
Flashback Over
Rin still couldn't believe that one of Japan's greatest swordsmen is actually a swordswoman. Made her wonder how history got distorted so badly to the point where historians assumed Musashi is male, since that's what everybody knew. Heck, she also didn't even act like the Musashi she read in books and maybe the occasional film she saw when she got bored.
'Then again,' Rn thought, remembering her time with her father. 'Papa did say that some Servants appear different from what historians describe them as.'
Rin recalling how when she went to the Mage Association for a bit she learned from a grumbling teacher family known as El-Melloi that some Servant in the Fourth Grail War had weapons that he shouldn't have had. Muttering something about a paradox or whatever, and that a few Servants dressed strangely.
Musashi must be that type of Heroic Spirit. Rin concluded that somewhere along the way, people mistook her for a male and somehow it stuck even after she died. Rin then closed her eyes and connected to her owl familiar, where it saw said Servant helping Ozpin gather some materials in a room to apparently fix the room she and Shirou were in now. Shirou said how they broke the floor and junk, which she could see as there was damage here and there. All from Musashi and Ozpin fighting in a practice match.
'Speaking of fighting,' Rin then thought of the battle where Ozpin participated. While he didn't do much damage to Rider, the fact he actually did even a little damage is already amazing. Going much faster than a normal person and using some strange magecraft that Rin has never seen before. Using what she believed was some form of Reinforcement to strengthen himself and provide protection, seeing as the old man didn't look to hurt at all.
Actually, he also glowed kinda like Shirou.
"Emiya." Rin then spoke up to Shirou for the first time since they got back. The teen stopped what he was doing and looked at her. Sweating a bit from the practice and bent down to get a water bottle to hydrate himself.
"Yeah?" He asked while uncapping the bottle and chugging it down. Looking a bit rugged in a good way while doing it.
'Wait, what am I thinking!?' She tried killing him for crying out loud. Shaking her head of those thoughts, Rin composed herself and asked, "What kind of magecraft does Ozpin use?"
"Hm?" Uh. Is he really this slow?
"Ozpin." Rin decided to repeat the name again. "That fight he had with Rider, even if he had help, the fact he faced a Heroic Spirit is something that can't be ignored."
"Really?" I mean, Shirou is also impressed, but didn't see that as a deal because of it. "I mean, not that it wasn't cool or anything, but, is it that amazing?"
"Idiot!" Rin berated him at his lack of knowledge. Rin supposed she couldn't blame him/ After all, it seems Shirou had no idea what Heroic Spirits were like considering he didn't even know of the Holy Grail War up until just a bit ago. "Do you even know what Servants are?"
"I mean, you did say they were historical figures. Like Musashi, and whoever Rider is." Shirou answered, remembering what Rin told him when this war began in the first place. "Still, I mean, that doesn't mean they're unstoppable. Like, mayb a good punch to knock them out. A taser, or even a gun."
Rin really wanted to shoot that face of his again. Still, she couldn't fault Shirou for his logic considering what he didn't know. In truth, if anybody heard that historical figures came back to fight and ready for a fight, it's natural they would think they wouldn't be that tough to beat. I mean, so what if they had sword skills, martial arts, or whatever said person had. A simple bullet is all it takes to down a person, with Rin once hearing how some famed person called the Magus Killer killed magus with those bullets.
Those were simple people however.
"Let me tell you about this Shirou, since I understand you don't know everything about Servants." Rin then stood up and walked toward Shirou, and soon sat down and leaned against the wall. Shirou decides to do the same and listen closely, since any information of magecraft and Servants will be critical in this stage of the war. "Now then, you seem to be under the assumption that Servants are just revived normal people with skills most modern day people don't have, correct?"
"I mean, yeah." Isn't that what the Holy Grail did?
"You're not wrong, however, the Servants we see before us aren't humans."
"What?"
Not...human. Musashi and Rider came to mind. Even Lancer. Heck, and while Berserker can be seen as a monster, it could be explained as some dude in the past who lived in the stone age or whatever. They also talked like humans, and acted like it. Musashi especially ate like one.
Rin saw the look on his face and explained. "Truthly, Servants-most of them anyway-were humans before. However, after they die and enter the Throne of Heroes, a place of gathering for those who achieved a great impact on humanity's collective mind, when they are called upon in these Holy Grail War, they are summoned in a body made of ether."
"Ether?"
"Just think of it as a material that mimics human function." Rin tells him. "But know this, despite how they look and seem, Servants are no longer human. As such they have certain advantages that they may not have had when they were alive. Take for example, say, Edison."
"Some inventor from America I think." Shirou answers with Rin nodding.
"Yeah. Say he's summoned. Obviously an inventor, while smart, won't stand up to a veteran fighter like Rider, correct?" Oh yeah. He'd be snapped like a twig. "That's where the Holy Grail comes in." Rin then smirked. "See, when summoned, thanks to their achievements, whatever humanity thinks of them, or perhaps the Class they're summoned in, humans, especially recent ones-gain a boost of power. Something to make up for the lack of Mystery they have."
"So then Edison will know how to fight?"
"Nope." Rin says. "An inventor is an inventor, unless he practiced boxing in secret. But he will gain special powers, and for some Servants, they'll gain skills they never had in life thanks to their legends and deeds."
"Okay, that seems pretty neat." Shirou can see a benefit in that. "But then why can't normal humans face them?"
"Because not only do they gain a boost in power, they also gain bodies that can't be harmed by modern weapons at all." If it weren't for that rule, then humans would indeed have a better chance of beating them. Granted, Rin imagined the raw power and heat generated from say a nuke would kill them, though you'd have to be insane to do that. "As such, either magecraft or as most Masters prefer it, another Servant can deal with another Servant."
"But Ozpin faced Rider." Shirou pointed out.
"I never said humans couldn't fight them." Rin told Shirou back. "Magus can face Servants, however we would need to be very prepared and have some compatible advantage over them unless we wanna die."
Shiou supposed that made sense. Ozpin, whatever magecraft he used, must give him the advantage to face Rider. Though Shirou supposed that left the question of whether he could win in the first place? Rider did feel weaker than the others he faced. 'Except.' Shirou then recalled what Rider told him, before he got rescued. What if she gained a power boost?'
Shirou then turned toward Rin with a serious look. "I remember. Rider mentioned something about eating souls."
Rin blinked before sighing. "Ah. So that's what she's doing. Actually, it makes sense how Ozpin managed to scuffle with her now. While she's certainly skilled, she must not be blessed with a strong Master. Good for us though."
"Blessed with a good Master?" Rin saw Shirou's confused expression and went to explain.
"All Servants have parameters of sorts. Kinda like a RPG in the west." Didn't Tohsaka say that this war started in Japan. So why were western concepts used in this? "When Servants are called upon, depending on the Master they have, their parameters will equal what they had in life, increase with a powerful one, or in certain cases like Rider, hav weakened parameters because their Master isn't providing them with a lot of mana."
"Then that means," Rin finished for him.
"In order to offset this, some Servants eat the souls of humans to increase their power." Rin looked a bit disgusted by it. "While the deaths of innocents can happen, I admit this method is something no honorable mage should do." Only those with low morality or scum in general do this method.
Shirou on his side also looked disgusted, learning that some magus actually do this. Like the one who commanded Rider. He couldn't believe anybody would treat human life so callously. He would bet Ozpin would feel the same.
"Revolting." Which he would, as like with Rin to Shirou, Musashi explained what she knew of Servants to Ozpin. Who had a rare look of anger when he heard of how some Masters actually use souls to fuel their Servants. Musashi did not look any better from saying it.
"Yeah. It happens at times." She says while grabbing a hammer from the closet. "Heck, not just Servants either. I've seen other monsters in other worlds do the same. I usually deal with them."
"You're a passionate person."
"Hehe, thanks" Musashi smiles at Ozpin. "But I think any person would do the same. Because having your soul eaten and ceasing doesn't sound fun." No it did not. "Still, I didn't think Rider was someone that would do it. If I knew at the time, I might have fought harder."
"Harder?" Ozpin thought she fought well enough, considering her skill with the blade was superior to most men he's seen before. Including himself.
"Er, yeah." Musashi then blushed a bit. "Truth is, I noticed that she seemed weaker than me, which is funny since most people I meet are usually tougher than me. So I lowered the bar and fought on her level. My bad."
In other words, she let a dangerous woman go who would likely continue hunting the souls of the innocent. Still, Ozpin couldn't blame her for just one mistake. Even if she did fight weaker, she still intended to defeat Rider and as she said, neither she nor Ozpin even knew that she devoured souls. Which means next time they meet, no more games.
"What's done is done." Ozpin then says. "We'll just battle when the second chance comes."
"Yeah!" Musashi hypes herself up. Ozpin liked her attitude, and now contemplated all the information he learned from Musashi. He knew these Servants would be strong, but to think, normal weapons and fists don't even have a chance against them. Likely it's only thanks to his aura that he could do any harm. No to mention how he harmed Lancer thanks to his magic most likely.
'Not that I can rely on it always.' Ozpin thinks as he and Musashi go to start fixing up the room more. Having only done a bit of it after they then decided to go after Shirou. 'My own magic is but a small fraction of what it once was. Aside from a spell or two, I can't even use it for long.'
While his magic was for some reason stronger than it should be, like a car running near empty, that was Ozpin's situation. Granted, he will use magic if he has to, certainly. Even as dwindled as it is, there have been times his magic has saved him in his incarnations after he made the Maidens. However, he'll only use it if he has to. Ultimately his fighting skill is his greatest ally alongside aura. Though he couldn't just rely on himself, and is glad Musashi and potentially Rin and her Archer may be allied with them.
'Not to mention Shirou.' While still inexperienced, the courage he showed is real alongside his convictions. Granted, the boy seemed to be a bit reckless, and heavens knew that if Ozpin and Musashi had arrived any later, they'd be seeing a corpse and not Shirou himself.
Thankfully he seemed to be okay, and Ozpin can continue training him as best he could. Granted, it'll take more than just a week to turn him into a strong warrior, though at the very least he seemed to learn quickly. With that being a good thing.
Yes. While it wasn't a guarantee, Ozpin felt for certain that if they all worked together, then everything would turn out alright for them.
"Huh!?" Both Ozpin and Musashi then heard an angered scream, both rushing to the room the two were in and saw Rin looking mighty upset at Shirou. "THIS is how you practice Magecraft!?"
Apparently the two would then learn a bit of what happened here. That Shirou had been using a very dangerous way to do this magecraft, and could have killed himself if anything had gone wrong at all. Something about magic circuits, which Ozpin could only grasp just a bit about and how Shirou has been painfully turning his own nerves into magic circuits, when he had the real deal all along.
Yep. Ozpin definitely needed to get rid of, if not, lower the boy's recklessness.
"Man. That must have hurt a lot." Musashi kneeled to Shirou's level and then hugged him to Rin's annoyance and Shirou naturally blushing. Ozpin didn't blame him. "Are you okay now?"
"Er-y-yeah." Shirou then quickly got out of Musashi's grasp, not wanting to act like some kid hitting puberty. "While I was doing the wrong thing,thanks to Ozpin, apparently my magic circuits are now active."
"A good thing too." Rin scowled at such a dangerous technique. "Any more of that foolishness and you could have died or crippled yourself. Can't believe your dad never taught you this."
"I think he taught me enough." Shirou defended his father with Rin not being convinced. Though she let it go and then narrowed her eyes at Ozpin.
"Moving alongside Shirou's idiot move," Shirou just grumbled. Something about how Rin was certainly no idol making a tick mark appearing on her forehead. "I'm more interested in your magecraft."
Right. Ozpin was pretending he could do whatever this magecraft is. From what he overheard and knew of it, it seemed similar yet different than magic. Though Ozpin can hardly say he knew the difference, aside from the fact that magic was a gift while apparently magecraft can only be used unless one had these magic circuits. How very strange.
"What about my...magecraft?" Ozpin carefully worded his question.
"What is it?" Rin crossed her arms. "I noticed that whatever magecraft you use, seems to be similar to Reinforcement. The spell that increases one's own human power, reinforces objects and the like. Not to mention how you have a barrier of sorts that protects you."
A smart one with good eyes. So she saw his aura during the fight. Made sense considering he had to when facing Rider, weakened or not.
Rin continued on. "I noticed that for some reason, while different in color and clearly experienced, Shirou also has it. Yet I've never heard of this spell before."
"Well it is understandable since I don't come from Japan." Ozpin quickly thought of an excuse. "It is something I developed back in," he then remembered a country Shirou told him and said, "America."
"You come from America?" Musashi leaned forward. "Is it good over there? Some worlds I travelled in can have it be a great place, or one full of jerks. Heck, I met some dude who spent more time on this phone thing where said he's 'tweeting' to the people. Rude!"
Rin looked at Shirou for understanding with Shirou shrugging. Even he didn't know what some of Musashi's words meant. Though he figured since in the texts Musashi is known to travel to different places, she must have meant that.
"I see, so you're a magus from the west." Eyes became suspicious. "Then why are you here in Japan? It's known that you magus from the states don't have good relationships with the Clocktower, like Springfield." Not to mention how he arrived when the Holy Grail War started, suspicious.
As for Ozpin, he can see this girl is rightfully suspicious of his actions. Granted, he wasn't here for any dark intent or reasoning. Though he doubted saying he got lost and ended up in another world will make her believe him. Thankfully, he has had eons to practice lying.
"I heard from some folks that unknown sightings were made here in Japan. And went to investigate." Ozpin then gave a lengthy explanation of his lie. By the end of it, only Shirou and Musashi believed him due to, well, being kinda gullible with Rin looking like she didn't buy it entirely, but not enough to dismiss him either.
"Whatever." She then said, "So long as you don't get in mine or Shirou's way, it'll be handy to have an ally like you."
"Wait," Shirou then spoke. "You and...I?"
"Ohoho!" Musashi grins. "So you really are allying with us!"
"Only until we get rid of our enemies!" Ring growls but doesn't deny the partnership. "Think of this as temporary. Later on, we'll fight one another to see who truly deserves and earns the Holy Grail."
"So long as we don't let bad people get it, then I'm good." Shirou nods. "Though, I suppose that means we have to go after Rider, right." The whole fact she's kidnapping people for their souls is definitely he wanted to stop.
"Right, her." Rin says. "We do need to stop her. Not just because of her kidnappings, but because of the barrier she set up at the school."
"Barrier?" Ozpin asks.
"Right, you don't know." Rin then decides to explain what she knew. "From what I can guess, Rider set up a bounded field of sorts at the school. No idea what it does for now, but if she activates it, nothing good can come from it." The saving grace being that it seems it'll take time for the bounded field to be complete.
"So then, must we hunt Rider to stop this field?" Ozpin then asked. "And if so, how will we teach her?"
"Servants can search for other Servants pretty easily." Rin responds. "I'll have Archer do some hunting. And once he spots her, we'll take her down then and there. I mean, how hard can it be?"
And now Ozpin and Shirou have learned what Servants are, cause we can't have them going in while knowing nothing, right? Next time, another ordinary day...SIKE! While Shirou meets unlikable Shinji, something else goes on in the background for Ozpin who meets an angry little girl with her monstrous friend.