The title of this chapter was fitting for two reasons I suppose. First because of the story itself and the second because of my revitalization into writing. This chapter didn't take very long to whip up at all!

Still definitely longer to pump out than my first few chapters, but I had near unlimited free time then and now I work 16 hour days and barely have enough time to sleep. Either way, here's the continuation of Unbalanced Scales far sooner than likely any of you may have predicted!

To all of you shocked and awed by my stating I would continue, you didn't really expect me to end things at the Fifth War, did you? I said long ago that one of my goals for this fanfiction was to surpass 1,000,000 (One million) words and come hell or high water I'll do it eventually. I might fall quite a bit short though in terms of my other goal — reaching the front page of all Fate-Fanfics — though. Ah well, a guy can dream, can't he?

I hope you enjoy and remember to thank Talndir my beta! A special thanks also to SentinelSlice for sticking with the fanfic and leaving such large, nice reviews! :)

Shirou was of the opinion that it was best to keep moving forward. Despite all that happened and all he had lost, he had been able to minimize it and keep himself alive. Sakura, Kiritsugu and Luvia were gone and they would never come back. The emptiness left by them would be irreplaceable and he would likely carry the loss with him for most, if not all, of his life. Regardless, he knew at least two of those people would want him to continue living his life without grief.

So that was what he planned on doing. He'd look ahead to the future and live his own life to the fullest. Of course, he'd remember the fallen and pay his respects, but devoting his life to their memory was foolish.

Halting the chopping of a tomato, Shirou turned his head and simply listened to the still air. He had to admit that the house was far quieter without them. The television was seldom on, the coffee machine lay dormant and nobody offered a helping hand in the kitchen.

Breathing deeply only to release a small sigh, the boy resumed the last few slices and started assembling. It was a difficult thing, loss. He had to balance total emotional detachment and depressive grieving.

Setting the knife in the otherwise empty sink, Shirou turned and began tucking sandwich slices into plastic containers. To get out of the house for a day and do something different, he intended on having a picnic at the park with Illya. Packing the containers in a soft cooler, the boy zipped it closed just as the doorbell chimed.

With it being so early, he was curious who it possibly could have been. Taiga trying to grab a quick breakfast perhaps? Removing and hanging his apron, the boy walked to the front door. On outline alone, he already knew who it was. Throwing open the door he offered a greeting to one Rin Tohsaka.

"Shirou," she nodded in return. "How have you been doing?" Hands clasped behind her back, a small smile graced her face. He hadn't seen the girl for a few days, though she was undoubtedly handling her own Grail War fallout.

"As good as can be expected," he replied honestly. "Would you like to come in or were you just stopping by?"

Wordlessly, the girl stepped forward, prompting him to back up and allow her entry. "I wanted to speak with you earlier but I never had the chance." Discarding her shoes in the genkan, she beamed up at him with obvious good news on her mind.

"We've all been busy with our own stuff recently, I can understand how time slipped away."

"Well I have some good news that might brighten your day at the very least." Following him back to the dining room, the two settled at the table.

"Good news that involves me?" he repeated more for clarification than anything. "What is it?"

"I got a message from the Mage's Association earlier this morning." Placing her hands carefully upon the table, the excitement she had been storing began bubbling to the surface. "I've received an endorsement to the Clock Tower."

Shirou had been expecting it since he asked Gray but he hadn't expected a response so soon. "That's great! So you're going to study abroad?" The girl nodded enthusiastically. Pausing a moment, Shirou's shared happiness turned to bemusement. "But why is that good news for me?"

"I'd like you to come with me and act as my bodyguard." Before he could even think about his decision, she added, "And I'd like Illya to become my apprentice as well."

It was abrupt and blunt but in important matters Rin often was. Still, he couldn't help but be caught off guard. Leave everything behind and stay with Rin in Britain? It wasn't as if he was unfamiliar with the Clock Tower and as a bodyguard, he wouldn't have any of the academic responsibilities he would as a student. He struggled to form the start of his sentence for a moment as a hundred different thoughts ran through his mind. Eventually, just to buy his brain time, he asked a question. "What about the Grail? I thought we were going to dismantle it."

"Of course we are," she replied bluntly. "But I've already gathered all of the information I need. At this point it's just a matter of time and theorizing. We have fifty years before the next War and we can return to Fuyuki once I have some experiments I want to run."

So she had already thought of that at least. Still, he needed more time. The only way to get more time, he supposed, was to ask another question. "You can take on apprentices before you're even admitted?"

She nodded. "Due to the endorsement, my status as Second Owner and the fact I'm the head of the Tohsaka family, I get certain privileges other mages don't. This includes my own private room in the dorms and free tuition for my apprentices."

Simultaneously listening and mulling over his own thoughts, Shirou still felt lost. "I can't become an apprentice?"

"I could make you one as well, but you didn't seem all that interested in being a student when you went there a few years ago." Placing a finger upon her lips, she took on a thoughtful pose. "In fact, I distinctly recall you saying that you couldn't learn anything from the entire material transmutation department because they were so far beneath your own level." Dropping her finger and staring at him directly, she tilted her head to one side. "So wouldn't it be a waste of your time?"

He wasn't going to argue against reasoning so infallible. "That's true, but would I still have access to the Clock Tower if you weren't with me?"

"Of course," she replied easily. "You could go anywhere a normal student could."

He had a decision in mind for himself, but he was also thinking of others. "As you might have guessed, my answer will be the same as Illya's." Understanding she wasn't there, he continued. "I needed to wake her up anyway, so you wouldn't mind waiting a bit longer while I got her, would you?"

The question was more out of formality than anything. He knew Rin wouldn't mind and he had already been standing. Leaving, he went down the hall to his own room and opened the door to find the woman of concern where he had left her. Expectantly, she was still asleep. Waking her and leaving to give some privacy, he made a note to speak with her about the current sleeping situation.

It had been one thing when she was in a smaller form. In his own mind, he had convinced himself that it was alright because she appeared to be his little sister. Despite being older than he was, it didn't seem wrong.

Now, however, she was a fully grown woman and sleeping in the same futon had become stressful to say the least. That discussion would happen at a later time though.

The boy returned to the dining room, giving Illya time to prepare for the day. Sitting back down, he decided to fill the empty time. "Has Aoi come back yet?"

"My mother? She's supposed to arrive tomorrow. She would have come back right after the War but ended up turning the stay away from home into a vacation." Peering around the room, her eyes lingered on the kitchen. "She actually enjoyed the time away." Spotting the cooler bag, she grew interested. "Are you going out on a picnic?"

He nodded. "With Illya, yeah. Did you want to come along? I've made enough food for four."

Rin made a small laugh and smiled warmly. "That's just like you to make so much extra food. Since you offered, I'll gladly accept. We can discuss the Clock Tower business while we eat."

… … ...

In hindsight, it had been obvious she would accept.

Illya was starstruck by the mere prospect of the Clock Tower and it didn't take her more than an instant to accept the offer. The next day, Rin had already purchased tickets for them all. The date of departure was a little under a full month in advance, thankfully. She had given both herself and him some time to settle things in Fuyuki and he was more than willing to take the opportunity.

Not only did he have things that needed doing before he could take off to another country for months, but he had also already made a few plans already.

Biting his thumbnail, Shirou watched nervously as Rin and Caren examined a supine Illya.

The process was something he had officially requested of the priestess. Rin was only there purely out of circumstance. She had come to visit and after he mentioned performing a test of sorts, she had leapt at the opportunity to help.

He of all people understood that the Grail was, at its core, a malicious thing. Despite granting his wish, it wasn't likely to grant it perfectly. He expected such a thing of course, which was why he was getting Caren to test Illya's new body.

It was of great importance to him that she be in peak health. Or, if she wasn't, that he know about it. If he could just be aware of a problem, there was a chance he could also find a solution to it.

Shuffling to her side, Caren roughly prodded beneath Illya's ribs, eliciting a sharp noise as the girl reacted as one might expect. Humming as if it were a great discovery, Caren moved a half-inch downward and repeated the same jab.

Noticing her actions, Rin softly asked, "What does that tell you?"

Caren lifted her head and stared Rin dead in the face. "That she has sensitive sides you can tease her with."

"Hey!" Illya complained audibly. "Can we keep this focused on what Shirou wanted?"

The way Caren slowly turned and tilted her head to look at Illya almost gave off the appearance that it was the first time the priestess had noticed her patient. "I completed my examination three minutes ago. All this time I've been finding weaknesses I can exploit."

Sighing audibly, Shirou wondered what he did to deserve such a suffering-filled life. "Is everything alright then?"

The priestess stood, straightened out her habit and shook her head, much to his dismay. "Unfortunately, it's as I expected. There are a number of problems, some of which will address themselves in time."

"A number of problems?" Rin asked with obvious confusion. "I noticed the body wasn't in great condition but I thought that was it."

Caren turned only her head to shoot the Tohsaka a glance. "As expected from someone inexperienced with healing magecraft, you only went surface deep." Turning to face Shirou again, the girl's face softened as she looked up to him. "Unfortunately, the body is likely to expire in only a year." Grimacing, his worst fears were concerned. So even a wish upon the Grail couldn't extend her life any more? "It is a homunculus body after all, and it has already seen its fair share of life," Caren explained, folding her hands beneath her robes. "Also, her soul is in the process of rewriting her body."

Rin made a soft noise. "Of course, that's what I missed, isn't it? It makes sense since that's how typical puppet bodies work after all."

Not shifting her attention, Caren continued. "Due to the similarities between Illya and Irisviel, the change wasn't as dramatic as it typically is. This body is also lacking the surgeries and manipulations the last one had performed upon it, so that may also be contributing some."

Moving his mind to the next piece of information, he found himself a little bemused. "That isn't really a bad thing though, it just means she'll return to her short, younger-looking self eventually, right?"

"That is a bad thing!" Illya complained. "For once I get to be tall and now I find out I'll just go back to normal."

"I wish I was so ignorant that being short was worse than having a year to live," Caren mumbled beneath her breath. Refocusing her eyes upon him, she resumed her analysis. "It may cause complications, but I'm certain they wouldn't be life-threatening." Nodding, he opened his mouth to offer thanks but the priestess stopped him by holding up a finger. "You should be aware that there is a solution to at least one of your problems that I am aware of. If you wish to extend Illya's life, you need only find another puppet body capable of receiving her."

He had heard of puppet bodies before. He had even gotten one made in his image years back to fake his death in the Clock Tower. "You're saying she can be transferred like some sort of document?"

Caren nodded. "In a sense, yes. Her body and soul have been separated and the soul now puppets the body, hence the naming. The act of separation has already been done, meaning a transfer is all that's needed."

After her explanation, Shirou felt more at ease. There was a problem but it was one that could be solved easily. Perhaps Bazett still held a connection to the puppet maker he had used before. If she did, they'd already be in London for school. It was definitely something to look into.

Bowing softly, Shirou straightened and thanked Caren for her work. The priestess merely nodded and left the room through the door behind him. Once she was gone, Illya sat up in place and huffed softly. "One year then, I guess it's better than being dead."

"You're going to live longer than a year," Shirou defied. "I just need to find you another body to use and I can get one once we're in London."

"You can?" Both girls asked.

"Hopefully," he amended. "There's someone there who makes puppet bodies but Bazett knows better than I do."

Rin stood and offered a hand to assist Illya. Both upright, they stared at one another at an equal level. He hadn't noticed it before, but the two were almost identical in height, with Illya being a fraction smaller. He wondered if she would stay whatever height she happened to be when he managed to get her a new body, if her features would be locked at that moment or if they would still change back.

It wasn't a question for the moment. Instead, he asked one that mattered right then. "Do you feel alright?"

The girl shrugged, took a deep breath and moved her arms circularly. "I guess so. It's a bit easier to breathe and move around, and I don't have any pain. An improvement I suppose."

Furrowing his brow a moment, he decided to let her comment go. "Well that's all we can hope for." Motioning with his head, the boy took a step through the open doorway. "Come on, lunch is ready and Caren is probably onto her second plate already."

He didn't have to say it twice as the two girls moved with quite a lot of purpose past him toward the dining room.

Lunch went as it usually did and there wasn't really much else he could say about it. It was still nice to sit for a meal and have pleasant conversation without the worry of battle or death afterward.

After eating, Rin excused herself by saying she needed to get the house ready for her mother and left with a simple goodbye.

Cleaning up the dishes, Bazett informed him that the two needed to talk "whenever he had a chance." About what was left vague. After tidying up the dining room, he paid the Enforcer a visit in her room and asked what she needed to talk about.

"I wanted to go over our agreement again so we're both aware of what the other's responsibilities are."

Shirou felt his eyes droop. "I thought we were using the same contract you and the old man had."

"Yes, but do you know everything it contains?"

The boy opened his mouth before his brain was able to stop him. In truth, he didn't, so maybe hearing her out was worthwhile.

Cluing in, Bazett raised a brow. "See? So let me just give you the cliff notes so neither of us are blindsided. The terms are simple, and it gives us both the most flexibility. Typically when contracts like this are made, the Enforcer becomes something more of a freelance mercenary but when Kiritsugu and I were talking, we both wanted to preserve my status as Enforcer."

Shirou was smart enough to catch on. "I get it, so you might have to suddenly leave to go track down a sealing designate or something?"

"That's one of an Enforcer's responsibilities, but yeah. Sometimes I'll get called away by the Mages Association and it'll take priority over your orders."

Nodding, the boy failed to see a problem. "Makes sense to me, what else do I need to know?"

"Well, your old man was nice enough to pay me even when I wasn't really being used, but that's less of a contractual obligation and more of a nicety on his part."

"Anything else?"

"I haven't been paid this month."

There it was. Holding back a roll of his eyes, Shirou shifted his weight onto one leg. He knew of her yearly salary, but he wasn't entirely aware of the payment schedule. "He paid you monthly?" She nodded. "In cash I'm guessing too?" Another nod. If he knew the old man… "And I bet he paid in British Pounds and not Yen." The final nod.

For a ruthless mage murderer, his old man was quite considerate with his allies. He had put all of the inconvenience on himself rather than Bazett. Thankfully, Shirou knew there was enough money in the house to pay. He'd just need to open the safe in the shed.

Explaining that he'd return with the cash, the boy left to go collect it.

He wasn't entirely aware of the average British salary, but he knew that her income blew the average Japanese salary out of the water. Two short of one hundred ten thousand British pounds set her monthly payment at an even nine thousand. Thankfully, with her payment currency being the same as the contract he didn't have to deal with exchange rates or such.

Sliding open the shed door, he didn't expect to hear movement from the other side. Seeking the culprit, he found none other than Illya, looking as if she had just been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. Guessing from her scramble into a stand, she had been messing with his practice equipment.

Narrowing his eyes, he took a step inside and silently stared at her. The quickening heart rate, the nervous hand fidgeting. She had been doing something wrong or embarrassing, but what?

He might have let her stew and fumble around herself with excuses, but he was busy and besides, what was the worst thing she could do with broken garbage? "You know I don't really care all that much about my workshop but can I ask what you were doing?"

After fumbling with an explanation for a moment, eventually, the girl threw down her arms, stared him dead in the face and grew red in the face. "Can I see it?"

The question was a bowling ball that completely caught him off guard. Of all the possibilities "it" could have been, why had his mind immediately gone to the perverse? Catching himself so that his expression didn't seem much worse than a recoil, he crossed his arms and asked what she meant.

"Your reality marble." Breathing out a lengthy sigh, he felt a sense of relief. "I've just never seen it and Rin was telling me about it and-"

"Yes you can," he interrupted. "I've actually been wanting to start training with it anyway so you're welcome to join me."

Training his reality marble was definitely important. Considering the magecraft was the culmination of all his abilities, he needed to be perfectly familiar with everything it could and couldn't do. It would be a long process, especially since he wanted to go through every single sword in his armoury and learn each of their abilities as well.

Following his agreement, Illya was ecstatic. Hopping in place with a bright smile, she claimed that she couldn't wait to see, then slid past him out of the shed. Before he could close the door, she called on for him not to forget to collect her before he started.

Back on track, he moved to the back of the shed to find the large black safe. Inputting the code, Illya's birthday, the safe opened with a heavy chunk.

The contents appeared a mess to the untrained eye, but once dissected it wasn't all that bad. Cash in one area separated by continent, documents sorted by date of writing in another.

Locating the type of bill needed, he cheated and used tracing to count out the exact amount needed.

Money in hand, Shirou briefly noted how small it actually appeared. Some were desperate for such a sum and he was using it to hire what was basically a bodyguard.

Slipping an empty envelope out of a box, he sealed the money within and crossed the yard back to Bazett's room. Handing the envelope over, she thanked him and stuffed it into her suit jacket. She didn't waste any time picking up the conversation. "You're heading back to the Clock Tower, right?"

"In about a month or so, yeah."

"Then it should work out," she began, taking a large inhale before speaking. "I've got some Enforcer business that needs dealing with which means I have to go back to London anyway. While I'm there, I can get some things ready for you two and do anything else you need."

Surprised by the suddenness, the boy felt her need to go rather convenient. "Actually, I needed you in London anyway." Predicting her question, he went on without her asking. "From what Caren can tell, Illya's going to need another body so I was wondering if you could get in contact with that puppet maker you found last time. Back then you said she was the best at-"

"I can't do that," she shut down instantly.

He was taken aback. "But-"

"That was a one-time exception. She owed me a favour and I used it to help you out of a bind. Besides, she's recently been reinstated as a sealing designate."

"Wait, reinstated? Do you mean she was one, lost it somehow and is one again?"

Bazett nodded. "Trust me, this woman is an exception to every rule and batshit insane, it's one hell of a combination. It's a shame too because she would've been able to make a puppet better than anyone else in the world."

Accepting her words, Shirou had to admit he was feeling rather downtrodden. The thought of having to settle for an inferior body for Illya was disheartening to say the least. "Alright, well thanks for the information anyway."

Turning, the boy shifted out of Bazett's room into the hall only to be stopped by the woman herself. "God damnit, I can't let you walk out of here with such a sad face. That damn expression will be burnt onto my conscience." Sighing wearily, the woman itched a spot on the top of her head. "If I promise to keep my ear to the ground, will that be good enough for you?"

Brightening, he nodded and offered thanks before turning to leave again. This time she didn't stop him and he was able to stop by Missy's room.

The other day, she had wished to speak with him but he hadn't been able to get the chance. Knocking on the door of one of the westernized rooms, he waited for it to open.

Rubbing the corner of her eye with one hand, the woman swung open the door and greeted him. After explaining that he was just seeing what she wished to talk about, the woman stiffened and seemed to remember something.

"Oh, yes of course." Shifting to allow it, Missy motioned with her hand and asked, "Would you mind coming in and sitting down?"

Seeing no reason not to, he did as directed and settled upon the edge of the bed, across a small study table and chair that had been displaced.

Immediately, his eyes couldn't help but lock onto an open book upon that same study table. The words written on the open pages beamed to his brain and let him know it was a diary or journal of some sort. Thankfully nothing incriminating or embarrassing was written, just some short details about the last few days.

Moving into view and manipulating the chair so she could face him, Missy settled into a sitting position. "I wished to speak with you regarding my previous life."

Everyone seemed to be dropping information on him today. He couldn't exactly complain though, it was important to be well informed. "Did you find out who you were?"

"Not exactly," she clarified. "I still don't know who I was, but Kiritsugu's suggestions led me to conduct a blood test at a lab to see if I had any blood relatives." It definitely sounded like Kiritsugu to suggest modern science. Waiting for her to continue, the woman shifted in her seat. "I have a daughter and son."

"Well that's good news!" Shirou blurted out. "That means you have a family you can go back to somewhere, right?" Asking the question, he steadily realized she was less enthusiastic than he was.

Taking a shaky breath, the woman pressed on. "They live in a city called Shimanto in the Kochi prefecture, under the surname Mizuno."

Shirou lowered his level of excitement and turned more somber. "Why don't you seem happy about this?"

The woman clasped her hands upon her knees and began rubbing her thumbs. "Because I still don't remember anything about the life I left behind. I have bits and pieces, fragments and nothing more. If I have children, I likely have a husband but I don't know who he is, what he's like. I don't even know my own children!" Growing rightfully upset, Shirou extended a hand to land upon her knee.

"I get it," he began. "I know what it's like to lead two lives and forget the first." Distantly, he almost thought he heard the crackle of flame. "I don't know if Kiritsugu told you, but he found me dying under a pile of rubble at the end of the last Grail War ten years ago." Reliving the memory by saying it aloud hurt, it always hurt, but she was hurting more than he was at that moment. "I was only eight then, but even now I still think back to the life that was taken away from me. I don't have any memories of my parents or who I was." Staring at her directly, he drove his point home. "We've both had to leave lives behind and I know it might be hard, but you need to go see the family you left behind."

The woman was silent and took a moment to stare deeply at her own open hands. "But I-"

"The only way you'll find out anything about them is if you speak to them." He knew the hurdle her mind was trying to jump over. She had killed under Kiritsugu. She had grown comfortable taking the lives of others and was uncertain she could return to a normal life. It was a difficult thing to surmount, but he needed to convince her of one thing first. "You'll have to start from the ground up, but I can guarantee they'll be overjoyed to know you're alive." He could see the hesitation on her face but being on the fence was better than being entirely opposed. "They'll help you remember who you were."

When she didn't respond for quite a while, the boy withdrew his hand, stood from the bed. Missy seemed withdrawn and distant as if she was deep in her own thoughts. It was only when he opened the door that her head snapped up in his direction and a soft "thank you" sounded from the closing door.

… … …

"Unlimited Blade Works!"

The world around him vanished in a haze of white, gradually being replaced with a gray landscape of soft ash and steel. Peering upwards, the boy squinted beneath the blazing overhead sun. It didn't seem to be as hot as he remembered, though maybe he was simply acclimating to the environment.

Peering around, eventually, Illya spoke and said nothing more than, "It's peaceful."

Offering a sideways glance, the boy extended his hands and the pommel of a sword shot up to support them. "That's what you think?"

Taking another look around, the girl examined the sky, the sun and kicked at the ashes below. "I think so," she affirmed. "It's warm, quiet and peaceful." Bending down, she pinched some of the ashes between her fingers and examined her hand afterward. Finding nothing clung to or stained her skin, she picked up a large handful and threw it into the air.

Showering slowly as one would expect from ash, Shirou watched as she merely marveled at her surroundings. He hadn't exactly considered his reality marble in the same light. To him, it was a desolate land of death. The ashes represented those of the fallen or the aftermath of a battle and the glaring sun could have been said to be the ceaseless, immutable force that had eventually been what ended it all.

Quiet and peaceful were not two words he would have used, that much was certain. "Can you control anything about this world?"

The question has caught him a touch off guard, but it had served to pull him from his own thoughts. "What do you mean?"

"Like the ground or the weather or the sky. Can you change it if you want?"

The boy furrowed his brow. The question wasn't that bad. After all, it was his mental landscape, so changing it to match his mind would be possible, right?

Starting simple, he shut his eyes and tried to picture the very same landscape at night. Imagining the moon and stars, the chilling air and darkness, he opened his eyes to the same sun-bleached horizon. "I don't think I can change it, sorry." He said with a shake of the head.

"Then what can you do in here?"

It barely took a thought. Near instantaneously, blades of every shape and size surrounded the girl and encircled her completely in a cell of weapons. Rising from the ashes around him, dozens of other weapons readied themselves by floating over his shoulders. "I can create any weapon I've ever seen as fast as I can think of them." Holding out one hand to accent the point, a number of weapons appeared, then disappeared in a spray of sparks.

Caster's Gae Bolg, Sigurd's Gram, a hollow-shelled imitation of Excalibur, the hammer used by the homunculus Leysritt, Archer's Kanshou and Bakuya, Elizabeth the Enforcer's paired blades and finally Caladbolg II.

After displaying a fragment of his arsenal, he allowed the armed weapons and the created cell to sink back into the ashes.

Surprisingly, Illya hadn't been startled by the display at all and merely crouched down to wipe away the ashes beneath her. "Makes sense," Illya surmised. "Have you ever seen the ground in your own world?"

Knowing what it was now, he had seen glimpses of his reality marble without ashes on it before. "It should be dry, sun-baked clay."

"There's clay but there's also bits of metal embedded in the ground like glass." That explained the crunching noise made underfoot at least. But what purpose did such a thing serve? "Just something interesting," Illya quipped while standing. Carefully, she used one foot to fill in the spot she had cleared. "Did you want to get on with your training now?"

Being reminded of why he was there in the first place caught him off guard. Getting to his true objective, Shirou began training his reality marble. As it was the first time he could really test it without the looming threat of death, he tried to find the hard limits.

How many weapons he could produce at once, how many he could produce in total, what were the production costs associated with each weapon and had it changed from normal; if it was cheaper, could he create objects that weren't weapons with a reduced cost?

It was a learning experience to be sure and the boy gained a good amount of knowledge on his own capabilities. Illya being present also helped, as it allowed him to spitball ideas and hypotheses and receive differing opinions. Deliberately putting his thoughts into words also helped align them.

His reality marble was, in a sense, a repository. It was his mind, the place he drew weapons from into the real world. Any weapon in his library could be called upon in an instant with practically no mana cost, but a problem arose when one of those weapons was broken or used. It was as if every weapon in his reality marble was a master copy, which meant it needed to be recreated from scratch if damaged. Beyond the cost of upkeeping the bounded field, it was that recreation and that alone that actually cost him additional mana.

He was capable of summoning every weapon from his library at a single time, creating a sea of steel on a whim with no draw on his reserves. Creating additional copies was also instantaneous but it carried a mana cost with it. So long as he used a new, unique weapon and avoided breaking them or having to recreate copies, he could sustain the world for quite a while, half an hour in fact.

Unfortunately, all of that meant he was still forced to spend time and mana recreating non-melee weaponry. Shields, the Thompson Contender, his clothing and anything else all carried their typical cost, albeit with a five percent reduction on average. As a bonus, they were also produced twenty-five percent faster.

Spontaneously, he also wondered if his sword-flesh would make a return. It had been a sense of morbid curiosity that drew him to cut his own hand as a test. Whether fortunate or not, it had come back, though it was different at the same time.

While in his reality marble, his wounds would gradually seal themselves with interlocking bladed latticing. Instead of continuing to spread, however, it remained at the site of injury. Shirou coined it to some sort of stabilizing effect given by the reality marble and left it at that.

He did make a note not to receive a head injury in his marble though. He wasn't all that keen on experiencing memory loss and personality changes again.

As a closing test, he decided to see how long he could sustain the world. Illya decided to take a nap in a cleared-out section under the sun while he did. While he had never been big into meditation, it was what he ended up doing as he waited for his marble to destabilize and fall apart. He found that, toward the end, focusing on Avalon seemed to stabilize the world for a brief moment but nothing more.

Once he was back in the shed, he couldn't help notice how much cooler it was and how exhausted he had actually grown. It was definitely an active struggle for the hour that followed while he went about the rest of his day.

… … ...

Before Shirou could leave for Britain, there were a few important matters he had to take care of. Some ensured that things would be alright once he got back and others prepared for his future while working in the wedge that was a sudden move abroad.

First matter was finding a caretaker for the house. Missy and Caren would work, but that assumed Missy would stay in Fuyuki, and that Caren would remain in his home after the church was completed. He was almost certain that Caren would move back to the church if only to cut down on commuting time and there was a high probability of Missy leaving to seek out her last life. That only left Taiga. Considering she had been the caretaker of the house prior to Kiritsugu and the fact she lived just next door, she was more than adequate.

He spoke with the teacher one day to find out whether she was alright with the responsibility and, thankfully, she was. With that settled, his next task was to quit his job at the Copenhagen.

Neko was sad to hear he was leaving but was simultaneously understanding when he explained he was going to study abroad. She had heard the news of Kiritsugu's death and, in her own words, claimed, "Travel is the best form of healing for the soul," before wishing him the best.

His next stop was Homurahara Academy, to submit his completed textbooks and explain a modified version of the situation to his principal. The going story was his father had passed unexpectedly in his sleep and he would be moving internationally to stay with his new guardians. With his academic excellence and consistent attendance, he could forgo the rest of the year and still graduate with a diploma. Considering he wouldn't need to attend university, an entrance exam in April wasn't necessary.

While he could have gotten Rin to pull some strings to get him a diploma regardless of his actions, he would return and finish high school himself for the satisfaction of completing something without skipping steps or "cheating" as he really saw it.

Going through the old man's estate led him to find he had a safe house right under the Association's noses in London. Equal parts interested and curious, he tasked Bazett with tracking it down and ensuring it was still in one piece. He would need somewhere distant from the Clock Tower to train and practice with Unlimited Blade Works. Performing banned, extremely coveted magecraft in the same country as the Mage's Association was playing with fire. In the same city would be considered suicide to other mages. Still, it was something he would have to do if he planned on getting stronger.

And he definitely planned on getting stronger.

Through the days before their departure, life went along as normal. Unexpectedly, Aoi visited him for lunch alone one day. She claimed that she wished to check up on him and ensure he was alright, expressing no ill will over the outcome of the Grail War.

With all of his business settled, it was actually rather pleasant to have a week or so without any responsibilities or obligations. Although he could have relaxed and done near nothing outside of cooking and cleaning, he did endeavour to continue training with his reality marble and Archer's armoury.

Discovering the potential of the weapons at his disposal was paramount. With so many of such great variety, there was an incredibly high chance that any one of them could change the entire balance of a fight or could prove to be the linchpin in future strategies.

It was a tedious process, but he had already discovered a weapon that would have proved invaluable in the Grail War: Rulebreaker. Sheer potential alone made it one of the most versatile weapons of the entire armoury.

Eventually, the day of departure came and Shirou got Missy to drive everyone leaving to Kyushu's International airport. From there it was a familiar flight to London and an even more familiar car ride with Bazett to the Clock Tower. It was snowing rather than raining this time around. It wasn't doing much more than falling to the ground as the warm soil and asphalt melted it back to water or created a dirtied slush. Dropping the three of them off, a sense of stinging deja vu coursed through him as he stepped out of the car. Hauling his own bags and most of both Rin and Illya's out of the car, the group stepped through the front doors while Bazett went to park.

Immediately on his left and right were a woman and man respectively. Both looked, for lack of a better word, weathered. By stance and disposition alone, Shirou easily coined them both as Enforcers. Directly ahead, Octavia sat behind her desk, moving at a mile a minute as was typical.

Glancing between the two Enforcers, the man held up an open palm, requesting them to stop. The male was five foot eight, one-seventy pounds wearing jeans and a loose shirt that tied together at the neck with strings. He had a brown crew cut above an oval face with soft hazel eyes. The gentle face worked together with a charming smile that didn't seem to fade for a moment while he gave orders. "Hold up, you know the drill."

Shirou did, in fact, not know the drill. "What's going on?" he asked genuinely.

The woman on the other side was lithe with quite the distinct proportions beneath a tight black and maroon skin suit that left little to the imagination. The distinct click-click of her steps betrayed the fact she wore high heels without needing a glance. Why would a woman in a position expected to fight ever wear high heels? With a lengthy sigh, she held up what appeared to be a pocket watch. "New mages," she muttered under her breath. "Security check to make sure you aren't carrying anything dangerous." Shirou let the confusion he felt spread across his face while setting Rin's bags on the floor. Dangerous? He was a magus, and so were all who walked into the lobby. They were inherently dangerous purely by existence. Lifting his arms while still bemused, the woman waved the pocket watch around him and made a "tsk" when she was finished like she was disappointed with the result.

Rin set more of her own bags on the floor and lifted her arms as he had. "What if we are carrying something dangerous? I have a number of gemstones both on my person and in my bags."

It was the man's turn to sigh. "Well then we get to do some paperwork. Unless of course you've got an endorsement or happen to have some reputation at the Tower." Sleazily looking both Rin and Illya up and down, he huffed through the nose and crossed his arms. "Definitely haven't seen any of you here before though, I'd remember."

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you," a voice from behind spoke. Turning, Shirou found Bazett. "There's been an increase in security on campus since last year. Ever since a student exploded in the middle of the quad, in fact." The Irish woman shot him a sharp glower, further cementing what he had already guessed.

Perhaps his display had been a little overkill, though it had definitely been believable if the Clock Tower had started posting Enforcers as guards. While concerning, it put his mind at ease a touch as he was more or less guaranteed not to be recognized.

"Bazett!" The man exclaimed in surprise. "These newbies are with you?"

She nodded deliberately. "It's a bit more complicated than that, actually. This," she paused to land a hand on Shirou's shoulder, "happens to be my current employer." It was far better than what he expected her to say. She could have boasted and said something ridiculous like, my current employer, the son of the Magus Killer or something along those lines. He wasn't exactly looking to attract attention or start rumours about himself.

The male was visibly in disbelief. "Kid is barely old enough to shave and he's bossing you around?"

The Enforcer stepped beyond Shirou and past the male. "Believe it or not, he's capable of killing all of us if he really wanted." Stopping a short distance away, she cast her head over her shoulder. "Try not to piss him off too much, alright Isaac?"

There it was. Why had he ever doubted her actions? Thankfully, it had been subtle, at least in true meaning. The male enforcer, evidently named Isaac, scoffed while his female accomplice used the device to scan Rin. After explaining that she did have an endorsement, the Enforcers merely ran the device over the gems Rin had on herself and considered them documented. Interestingly, Shirou noticed a brief flash of light from the face of the device as it moved over the gems.

Claiming Rin was fine to proceed, the woman moved over to Illya and began the process anew. Since Illya hadn't brought anything abnormal, it wouldn't be much longer before they could get to their room and begin unpacking. Bringing the device close, a bright flash lit up the entire room just before it made a loud echoing pop. Immediately the two Enforcers simultaneously leaped into prepared stances and seemed utterly shocked while Shirou struggled to blink away the spot left behind in his eyes.

Illya was just as, if not more, confused about the situation and seemed to be one step away from panicking outright.

The male Enforcer spoke first. "The hell was that, what sort of weapons do you have?" The smile on the man's face had darkened, becoming something of concern-laced fear.

Illya, keeping her hands raised, shook her head in defiance. "I don't have anything, I swear!"

Examining the broken item in her hand, the woman closed it as best she could and sealed it in a closed fist. It was a mystic code of some sort, that much was clear. From what Shirou could tell through tracing, it was a simple magical potential sensor. It was capable of pinpointing the source and quantifying the amount through an illuminating dial on the front. Inside was a simple gemstone similar to Rin's that worked off ambient mana which had overloaded and exploded. Knowing the purpose and the cause, it was easy to determine what had happened. Before he could try explaining, however, the female Enforcer spoke. "Obviously you have something on you, girl, otherwise the detector wouldn't have exploded."

The woman reached behind her back, prompting Shirou to step in to try and defuse the situation. "You've got it all wrong, she doesn't have anything on her, she's just-"

"An Einzbern homunculus," a female voice finished for him. Looking to its source, he found Octavia standing from her chair watching the events unfold. "Illyasviel von Einzbern, current head and alleged last member of the esteemed Einzbern clan." He was relieved that somebody else had stepped in. It would have all been cleared up regardless, but going through with whatever process the Enforcers had in mind was likely to be tedious if nothing else. His relief didn't distract him from the fact she had said alleged last member, though. What had happened to the other Einzberns? Huffing angrily, the receptionist sat back down. "Honestly, couldn't you two tell by the face, hair and eyes? Just get this over with, you already know they're endorsed."

The Enforcers seemed entirely whipped. With a few grumbling remarks, they stepped back and allowed the group forward. Nearing the front desk, Rin offered her gratitude and explained that she was new to the Clock Tower.

Octavia was as he remembered. A bubbly, cheery personality with a persistent smile. This time though, her smile appeared genuine. "Rin Tohsaka, head of the Tohsaka clan," she identified. "I'll have to apologize on their behalf," she motioned her head in the direction of the Enforcers. "They're just upset they have to stand around on guard duty all day. Regardless, I've been expecting you." Turning in her chair and rolling toward a cabinet, the woman withdrew a bulging manilla folder and placed it on the counter. Opening it revealed a great deal of paperwork and only two keys. Hastily, she went over a brief explanation of the facilities and offered directions. It was more than he had gotten, though he had arrived with Bazett back then.

"You've been doing your research," Shirou commented offhandedly once she was finished.

"I have, Shirou Emiya." Almost maliciously, the woman turned to stare directly at him. "When I saw the name, I wondered why the son of the Magus Killer and victor of the Holy Grail War would be interested in being a bodyguard. Now that I see you in person, however, I think I know why." Pausing, she looked from him to Rin and back again. "Try not to add to your father's legacy while you're here." He might have laughed had her words not been ominously accurate. Instead, he merely nodded. Suddenly, the receptionist squinted and examined his face with more precision. Standing up to get closer, he rapidly grew uncomfortable with the level of scrutiny. Eventually, she settled back down in her chair. "Your eyes are very familiar, which is odd considering they're such an unusual colour."

He should have expected Octavia of all people to notice something off. When he was Blade, all that people could focus on were his eyes so it made sense they would be the only thing remembered. "Would you believe they're contacts?"

Raising one eyebrow, Octavia slid the two keys along the top of the counter, urging them to be collected. "I might if you hadn't said it like that."

Rin collected the keys and gave them a look over. "Are there only two because rooms are only supplied to students?"

Octavia hummed a positive response, collected the paper-filled folder and stored it back in a cabinet. "The rooms I've provided are significantly more lavish than the typical dorms for students. It was deemed appropriate considering your lineages." Turning around, the woman landed her hands upon the desk neatly. "If you need anything for your rooms or for a workshop, you can ask me and I'll be able to tell you where to find it. We do have a catalogue if you're interested but it only features domestic items of course. I know it might be hard sourcing material in a new country but I have some connections so don't be afraid to ask."

Considering Octavia was a magus through and through, it was rather refreshing to see such genuine concern for a new student. Thanking her for the information, Rin turned and offered the other key in her possession to Illya.

Shirou knew the layout of the Clock Tower better than the others, and with some guidance, he led them to the A block dorms. The keys given positioned Illya and Rin across the hall from one another albeit displaced by one room. After unpacking, Shirou took a moment to see if Lectra was interested in visiting. She had a room in the adjoining B block which was nothing more than a short walk away. Unfortunately, she claimed to be busy though further explained that she would come by in a couple of hours.

That wasn't entirely a bad thing. It gave the group some time to organize themselves. Shirou had admittedly been concerned about where he would be staying but after seeing the rooms his concerns were abated. The room he had been given back then was a good representation of a typical dorm room. Small, single bed with the bare necessities to be comfortably livable.

To call Rin and Illya's room extravagant would be putting it lightly. It was neither spacious nor cramped but efficient. A queen-sized poster bed, a vanity with a mirror, a standing wardrobe, a private kitchenette that held a reasonable set-up for meal prep, a circular dining table with three chairs and a separate desk that could act as a working space.

It reminded Shirou of Reines' room, though that had been the pinnacle of luxury. This was far more subdued, yet still fit a pompous, self-absorbed, stereotypical magus. Briefly, the boy contemplated the blatant difference in class before filing it away as a matter to think upon later.

As settled in as they could be, it was decided that Shirou would stay in Rin's room. It had been a decision made exclusively by the Tohsaka herself almost out of the blue and the forwardness of it had taken both Shirou and Illya by surprise. With minor bickering, Illya relented and the conversation landed on the group's next collectively held most important question:

Would Shirou make dinner or were they eating out?

… … …

The first day on campus, Shirou gathered up Lectra and gave the two girls a tour of the facilities. It wasn't all that much beyond the common area where Lectra noted a new restaurant and detailed the best foods available.

Lectra was doing much better than the last time Shirou had seen her and she was getting along with the other two girls quite well. It was nice to see people without all the stress or fear associated with the Grail War.

So caught up in his own thoughts was he, he missed something Lectra asked him and had to ask her to repeat it. "Are you going back to classes as well?"

"No, I'm just here as a bodyguard for Rin."

The girl scowled softly but it looked more like a pout. "A body guard in the Clock Tower? It's not that dangerous around here." She paused to look him over from head to toe. "And you don't look like much of a bodyguard."

Shirou looked down at himself. He was wearing an open black and white sweater over a lime green shirt, nothing outside of his normal wardrobe. "What's wrong with my clothes?" He asked, feeling a little hurt.

Softly placing a hand beneath her chin, Rin hummed. "She's right. You're definitely missing a certain…" Her eyes narrowed as she tried to discover the word on her tongue. "Well, I don't really know what it is you're missing, but I know how to solve it at least."

He hadn't even been involved in the conversation for that long but already he was exasperated. "Oh, oh, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Illya asked and the girls shared a look.

"Absolutely," they all declared in unison.

Brow furrowed, Shirou grew irritated. "What are you all conspiring?"

"Nothing," Illya chimed in quickly. "Let's finish this tour and we can ask Octavia about that."

That was exactly what they did. Despite his efforts, none of the three would tell him what was going on and they continued leading him along by saying he would find out later. Rin spoke with Octavia discreetly, deliberately blocking her mouth and keeping her voice at a whisper so he had no chance of listening.

The receptionist beamed broadly once they were done speaking. Reading her lips, Shirou saw her say something along the lines of "I know the perfect place" before writing something on a piece of paper and handing it over.

It was an address, but not one he recognized. Turning and walking toward him, the Tohsaka held a constant malicious grin. The first thing he asked was "where are we going?" But he was unable to coax out an answer and received a simple shake of the head instead.

"Is there anything else we need to see?" Rin asked instead.

Humming in contemplation, Lectra shrugged. "I think you've seen everything important."

"Perfect. You're not busy, are you Lectra?"

Stiffening at the question and pointing at herself she asked "me?"

"Of course she's not," Illya chimed in. "She wants to see this just as much as I do, I know it."

Shirou could only grumble and resign himself to his fate. These women were all planning something. He knew it involved him and he knew it was likely to embarrass him to no end as well.

Agreeing to tag along, Lectra, Illya and Rin collectively dragged him along outside of the Clock Tower. Wherever they were heading ended up to be quite a walk, taking a little over twenty minutes to actually arrive. Along the way, through idle conversation about classes and the Clock Tower overall, the girls made vague remarks regarding whatever it was they were about to put him through.

The building they stopped at was plain and bare. Windowless brick walls, no signage of any sort beyond a building identification number and a basic wooden door with a well-aged handle.

"You're certain this is the place?" Lectra asked with uncertainty.

"It's what Octavia said." Uncertain herself, Rin unfurled the note from her pocket and re-read the address. "This is definitely the place." Glancing around at the others she received mixed responses. Lectra shrugged, Illya seemed intrigued and Shirou was regretting the choices he made in life. Eventually, the girl stepped forward and opened the door.

Shirou wasn't definitive on what he was really expecting but it was certainly not what lied in wait for them. On the other side was chaos. A verifiable catastrophe of bolts of fabric, sewing supplies, tailors tape, mannequins and half finished articles. Random pieces were scattered along the floor and in piles, giving the appearance of a hoarder's haven. Other objects floated, flew and lifted off surfaces across the entire room, flowing toward a single point in the middle of the room: a man.

The man was tall and limber, with warm, bronze skin covered by a complimenting dark suit. Around his neck and swirling in the air at shoulder level were a myriad number of tools. At that moment, he was totally engrossed in the preparation of an elaborate dress. A floor draping, olive green number that shimmered in spots when the light caught it, accented with black buttons and trim.

Stepping inside, the rest of the group followed and alerted the man with their footfalls. Turning on the spot, he examined all of them with an icy gaze through round spectacles perched at the end of his nose. His eyes shot wide open and the bushy, half grayed eyebrows above them nearly flew to the roof. "You," he growled, then strode onward toward them all.

Unsure who he was speaking to, Shirou shuffled his way to the front of the group and extended his arm defensively. He didn't believe the man to be aggressive, but the uncertainty on what he was thinking put the boy on edge. Immediately the man's face soured. "Get out of the way, boy."

Shirou opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but some sort of cushion lodged itself in before he could get a word out edgewise. Shifting to move, he found his limbs snared by tailor's tape. He was already bound and a quick spin of tape round around his waist sent him spinning away into bolts of soft fabric.

Struggling with removing everything that had bound him, he was forced to watch as the man shifted his way past the room's chaos to approach Illya who had frozen in place.

Once within range, his arms lifted up and clasped around the sides of her face. "Perfectly symmetrical bone structure, pristine complexion, crimson eyes and those eyelashes." Parting the hair away from her face with one hand, he tugged experimentally at the girl's cheek. "You're far from natural, yet you live and breathe. Are you some type of doll?"

Straining against the binding tape, Shirou activated his crest, reinforced his muscles and snapped his binds apart one by one. Removing whatever had been in his mouth — a pincushion designed to look like a tomato — he threw the object at the man. "Get your hands off her!"

Striking him in the side of the head and bouncing harmlessly to the ground, the man slowly removed his hands, stood upright and turned his head like an owl to face Shirou. "If you wouldn't mind, I'm quite preoccupied with my newest source of inspiration."

"Just hold on a minute," Rin interrupted. "We were told this was a tailor's where we could get a suit made." So that had been their plan all along. They wanted him to wear a suit?

The man turned his head to face her, then offered a small bow. "Then you have most certainly come to the right place. Taylor's Tailory, fastest bespoke suit making for the most distinguished mages."

"Wait, so your name is Taylor and you're a tailor?" Lectra asked, then snickered. "I guess the name is fitting."

"Very," he chirped back unphased. "Now you came looking for a suit?"

Huffing angrily, Shirou could see clearly that he wasn't going to have any say in what was transpiring. Everyone was basically going over him like he didn't exist. Despite being treated so poorly, it was simply better for him to let it go and sit the exchange out entirely.

"Yes, for our friend over there," Rin nodded her head in his direction, prompting the man to briefly glance at Shirou. "You wouldn't also happen to have mystic eye killers as well, would you?"

"For the lady here?" He asked, patting the top of Illya's head. Showing surprise, he stood tall and folded both arms across his chest. "Oh now don't think I didn't notice how you tried to bind me." Placing a hand beneath his chin, the man hummed thoughtfully. "I wouldn't think she would need a pair, however it's your money to spend."

"No, for him as well," Rin explained.

"Ah, to protect from the outside," he hummed, finally looking at Shirou for more than an instant. "Yes, I think I have a fitting pair." Beckoning with his hand for Shirou to come closer, the man turned and seemed to realize just how distraught his store was. "My apologies for the mess, I've been quite involved with orders as of late."

As he spoke, the clutter began moving around. What Shirou had thought to be a mess that would take days to clean was organized and made tidy in seconds. Bolts of fabric were lined up against the wall and the supplies that had been strewn about were organized into piles or hung from hooks deliberately concealed in the ceiling. Once everything was over, it looked no different than a normal storefront.

Shirou wasn't aware of when it had happened, but a set of standing full-length mirrors had appeared. The dress from before was also absent, though he couldn't see where it had gone. "I've never seen someone with such impressive telekinesis before," Rin commentated Shirou's own thoughts.

"It's a major contributor to my business, among other things." Walking through the store, the man stood beside the mirrors. Brain clicking in with quite the delay, Shirou followed and stepped into the center of the mirrors as per the man's guidance. "So what is it exactly you're looking for?"

Moving in stride like all was normal, Rin neared as well. The two were looking at him as if they were both simultaneously dressing and undressing him in their minds as he stood before them. "Well he's currently employed as my bodyguard so I was thinking of something sharp and defining without being too flashy." Realizing her own words had created an oxymoron, she backpedaled somewhat. "Does that make sense?"

"Of course. You're looking for something subtle but noticeable, perhaps to give an intimidating edge to this otherwise unintimidating man."

"I'm right here you know," Shirou reminded angrily.

"We're aware," Taylor replied blandly. "Black is obvious, but since you wanted something defining, I'm thinking of using two different weights of silk to create a subtle design that would only appear at certain angles." Stepping closer, Taylor slipped his hands between Shirou's arms and body and pushed out, forcing Shirou to hold his arms straight out.

From the roof, measuring tapes drifted down and began taking measurements. Wordlessly over the span of a few seconds, the tape took measurements and coiled around his body in ways Shirou certainly did not expect. It would have been easier to name what measurements hadn't been taken than to name all the ones that were.

It had all felt as if a snake was winding itself around him and sent a shiver down his back due to the odd sensation. Thankfully, there weren't any actual hands touching him which made the act slightly better in his mind.

"Yes, yes I have something quite special in mind." Turning to face Rin, the measuring tapes returned to their place within the ceiling. "Shall we discuss price now or later?"

Wincing at the strange question, Rin merely asked, "What's a typical range?"

"Well, assuming you don't wish for any additions, I can perform at my leisure and complete it within a few months time for a typical bespoke price around forty-five hundred." Hearing what sounded like the lowest price made Shirou feel as if he had been punched in the stomach. That much money for a piece of clothing was outrageous! "However I can also expedite the process and finish it today within a few minutes for triple the cost."

No longer the stomach, it felt as if he had been punched in the face. He couldn't even imagine spending that much money. Apparently he was the only one with sense, as Illya asked a question while walking over. "What sort of additions are there?"

Taylor shifted his attention and donned a wide smile at the sight of her. "There are many alterations specific mages would desire. Whether it be holsters, holders or pockets for conceptual weapons or something as simple as inserts for more rudimentary armour plating. For greater protection, I can also replace the typical lining with kevlar. Alternatively, should a magus be proficient with reinforcement, they could opt for something more traditional such as china silk."

Lectra scratched her head. "Could you explain it a little simpler for people who don't understand fabric?"

Rolling his eyes, Taylor sighed haughtily. "If you plan on using reinforcement heavily, pick the lighter option. Just be aware that it won't offer any protection without actively being reinforced."

Rin hummed thoughtfully, thinking for a moment before looking at Shirou. "What do you think?"

The boy was taken aback a bit. He was actually being involved in this process somehow? Stumbling mentally, he considered things over. Reinforcement was reliant on the amount of empty space within the material that mana could occupy. It meant different materials reinforced to different strengths, that something porous could theoretically be stronger than something solid.

At the same time, it was also a matter of if he wanted passive or active protection. Though, would a simple unmodified lining be all that effective against magecraft? "Could I see a sample of those two so I can compare?"

Nodding, Taylor twisted his head and a distinct clipping of scissors carried through the room. In a moment, two scraps of fabric hovered in front of Shirou.

Grasping both, the boy reinforced each and projected a needle to see how difficult the fabrics were to puncture. It was a simple empirical test and it told him that the lighter fabric had distinctly been more difficult to puncture. Simultaneously, it had taken more mana to reinforce. Roughly ten percent more.

Explaining his findings, Shirou settled with the lighter option. The extra protection might be important, even if he did need to consciously activate it in advance. Rin nodded and went with his choice.

Nodding enthusiastically, Taylor peered around the store as if seeking something. "Excellent decision, and did you wish to have armour plating inserts sewn into the lining as well?" Slower than most objects, a bolt of black fabric hovered close.

"Yes," Rin agreed without much thought. He supposed that even if he didn't use them, having the option was the next best thing. "Do you also offer repairs in case of damage?"

Taylor smiled warmly. "For those in extremely violent positions where my garments are likely to be damaged, I can instead form the entire ensemble into a mystic code. Doing so, it will passively regenerate and repair damage and be slightly more durable overall to boot." Shirou was already impressed. Bazett's gifted combat suit had been nice, but an article that repaired itself would have been much better. "Another additional benefit is that the entire suit can be put on and removed with nothing more than a whiff of mana. Typically, men opt to disguise the mystic code as a watch or neck chain." Again, Shirou fumed over how useful such features would have been. "Obviously this comes with an increase in cost though it's been a particularly popular option."

Lectra didn't let the features distract her. "How much of an increase?"

Taylor hummed softly and paused, likely to run the math in his head. "With your material and additions, it would be something around triple the cost of a normal suit."

After a break of silence where nobody asked any questions, Rin coughed lightly. "Well, how long will it take?"

"Ten minutes, more if he struggles."

Feeling the blood drain from his face, Shirou couldn't help but be concerned. What exactly would he be struggling against? "Then get on with it," Rin motioned.

Chuckling, the man turned to face Shirou and a number of tools descended from the ceiling. How was it that a man controlling nothing more than pins and measuring tape could be scarier than Archer preparing a full barrage in his reality marble?

Perhaps it was the fact that defending himself was impossible lest he wanted to be a criminal. Or maybe it was the malicious gleam in the man's eyes. Either way, something told Shirou that what he was about to experience would be far from pleasant.

… … …

After all the struggling, screaming and scissor clipping, it was done. Shirou stood before the group looking tense and worn out in a suit that was beyond impressive. Sleek, distinguished black from neck to toe. A two piece suit that fit every contour of Shirou's already imposing figure. The matte jacket featured a subtle design of a dragon that wound over his right shoulder in a different, shiny material that only appeared upon close inspection. Looking even closer, it was possible to see the dragon was entirely created from blade-like sections, as per Rin's suggestion.

The undershirt was plain and white, but a splash of colour was added with a long scarf and tie, both of which were a deep crimson. The dashing look was finished off with a set of black gloves and a pair of large dark sunglasses that concealed his eyes completely.

When it was activated — or maybe it was deactivated? — his entire outfit shifted to become a simple looking basic analog watch on his left wrist. The only piece left out was the sunglasses, though they were easy enough to manage separately.

Personally, Illya would have forgone the glasses. But that was simply because she enjoyed seeing Shirou's eyes. If they proved useful in the future and prevented him from being bound or taken control of via someone else's mystic eyes then it was well worth the price.

"You definitely clean up nicely," Rin complimented, looking him over with an appreciative eye. "This is far superior to that other suit you had in your closet in Fuyuki."

"I should hope so," Taylor chimed in, obviously insulted. "Whatever suit you had before wasn't one of mine."

Running his fingers along the lapels, Shirou seemed to be looking himself up and down for the first time. "He looks like a scary bodyguard for sure," Illya added. Was it just her imagination or had the suit somehow brought up and squared off his shoulders? He seemed broader, though there was a chance it was some type of illusion due to the colours or material.

Peering up at the Tohsaka, the boy seemed wary. "Isn't it a little obvious?"

Rin tilted her head, then seemed to clue in. "Anybody is capable of wearing those colours. Besides, the red matches my outfit so I'd say it's perfect."

They were referring to his former identity as Blade. While the colours were the same, he had changed since then. He was taller with a figure that was more defined. His face had darkened in expression and his demeanor overall had grown colder. Subtle changes, sure, but it was enough to make the two identities comparable only at a glance.

Following a few more compliments, Rin paid the hefty bill while Shirou could only lament over how much money she was spending. Even Illya had to admit that spending over seventy-five thousand dollars — or pounds, whatever currency she was paying with — was ludicrously excessive.

"I don't know why you're so upset considering you're getting it for free," Rin pointed out.

Shirou huffed and let his shoulders slump forward before straightening and gathering more resolve. "I just think it could be spent somewhere else."

Rin planted both hands on her hips. "Technically it's your money, so you really shouldn't feel bad about it."

Everyone was confused. How was it his money? How did that make it better? "What do you mean it's my money?"

"Remember how you've been helping me make gems? I told you I've been selling them and you've been making me quite a lot of money over the years. Consider this a type of repayment instead of a gift."

"He was never any good at accepting gifts," Illya began. "Even if he likes it he'll complain for weeks before finally settling." Illya couldn't help but think back to the one Christmas she had given Shirou an expensive set of handmade knives. She hadn't heard the end of his complaints until spring.

Lectra nodded along. "One time I tried to buy him lunch and he reacted like I had slapped him."

She could see on his face that he felt cornered. Maybe it would be enough to make him accept the suit without what she could only call guilt. It was still a mystery as to why he acted that way. He deserved nice things just like anyone else but time and time again he made it seem like he didn't.

With everything paid for and Shirou dressed to impress, the group said their farewells and made the walk back to the Clock Tower. From what Illya had been told, her classes wouldn't begin until the start of the next week which gave her two more days to settle and acclimate to the new residence.

It also gave her only two more days to decide on which classes she would be taking. Going over the paperwork, she felt overwhelmed with the variety and number of courses available to her.

Obviously, she had selected alchemy and transmutation, as they were her family's primary magecraft. Supplementarily she had also gone for healing magecraft. With only those three courses, she wasn't learning anything new. Rather, she was simply recovering what had been lost. Before transplanting her crest, she had been able to keep Shirou on his feet and help him recover from injuries. She wanted to keep being there for him, just as much as he was there for her.

Then again, would she even live long enough for any teachings to be useful? One year was equivalent to a blink in terms of magecraft after all. But Shirou had said he would find a way to keep her alive and she had quite a lot of faith in him. After all, he had gone so far as to bring her back from the dead.

Those were thoughts for the future. At that moment, Illya was stuck. Uncertain what other courses she needed or should take, she had gone to Rin. It was a mistake, considering the woman suggested a total of eleven different courses across a broad spectrum of fields. Fundamentals, advanced fundamentals, mana transfer, reinforcement, and modern magecraft theories just to name a few along with some she didn't understand or had never heard of.

Rin explained that, while the course load would be a little heavy, it would quickly grow her into a first-rate magus. Apparently, due to her overabundance of mana, all she needed to use magecraft was a proper understanding. Her endless reserves also meant she could train far harder than a normal magus without resting.

Personally, Illya wasn't as hopeful but she had yet to see what being an apprentice was truly about. For all she knew, she would hate everything about the Clock Tower and would want to quit within a week.

Illya enrolled in all of the classes Rin recommended. Regardless of how much it seemed to be, she trusted Tohsaka and her judgement. The receptionist even commented that she was taking on quite the workload. Nervous yet excited, she awaited the start of school prepping with Rin.

Discussing what was required in her room, Shirou got to work in the kitchen slicing fruit and vegetables for a light snack. Mid-sentence, Rin was cut off by a knock at the door.

Setting his knife on the cutting board, Shirou turned his head from the door to Rin. "Were you expecting someone?"

"Not today. Maybe it's Lectra?"

Murmuring a noise, his suit slithered out of the watch and covered him from the neck down. "Why do I have this bad feeling all of a sudden?" Letting the comment sit passively, the boy moved to the door and opened it to an unfamiliar face. An average-sized man with extremely long black hair and an outfit eerily similar to Shirou's, a black suit and crimson scarf.

His face held a grim, angered look that actually suited his dark aura. Pausing to look Shirou from head to toe, the man quirked up an eyebrow. "Copying me now, are we?"

Taking a step back, Illya was surprised the comment had been able to stun Shirou. Who was this man? "Lord El-Melloi," Shirou greeted while unknowingly answering Illya's question. "What a surprise," he stumbled before his brain clued into what had been said. "I didn't have any say, the suit was made for me without any of my consent."

Stepping inside, the man gazed around the room while closing the door behind himself. Strangely, his eyes locked onto Illya's and didn't leave while he spoke. "No, it's fine. I've been meaning to adopt a new outfit and you've merely given me the push I needed."

Behind, Rin gently stood from her seat. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this occasion?"

The man's eyes lingered on Illya for an uncomfortable amount of time before snapping from his daze. "I don't like how formal either of you are acting," he stated blandly. "Especially you," he looked to Shirou. "Of all the people here, you were one of the small few who called me Waver but now I'm Lord El Melloi the Second?" The man shook his head dismally before closing his eyes and muttering. "Then again, I changed after my Grail War too."

She could actually see Shirou's shoulders relax just before the suit returned to its state as an accessory. Apologizing, the boy itched the back of his head. "I've just been dreading this moment since Reines died."

The shorter man scoffed. "That's what you're so uncomfortable about? While I've definitely been forced to handle more politics than before, my situation remains much the same and I hold no ill will against you. The only true change is in title from surrogate head to genuine head of the Archibald family."

In her own mind, she wondered if he had secretly been hoping for Reines to be killed. It had definitely moved him up the metaphorical ladder in terms of status and from what Shirou had told her, removed a nuisance of a woman as well. It made sense after all; when it came to mages it was a decidedly dog-eat-dog world.

The man continued. "Nobody in the tower should blame any of you either, as Gray's report stated directly that she was slain by a servant. It was an unfortunate mistake on her own part and nothing more."

The conversation paused, giving Illya enough time to ask a question of her own. "Why was it that you stared at me so strangely when you walked in?"

It was subtle, but the man had actually flinched with his head. "I did?" he lied. He knew he had doen so and was trying to cover up his tracks, she could see it on his face. "I hadn't noticed. Perhaps it's your resemblance to a woman I knew years ago."

He was speaking about her mother, Irisviel, that much was obvious. Yet why had he reacted in such a way? She was unable to pursue the line of thought as Rin steered the conversation back on track. "I don't think you ever actually mentioned what you were here for."

Nodding his head softly, the man chuckled once. "That's right, I was distracted. My reasoning is twofold. I wished to see how you were settling in but I can see that you're doing fine in that regard. My primary reason was to ask Shirou and Illya to become my personally tutored students."

The man spoke with such deadened finality that the commentary almost went missed. Sinking in, Illya and Rin simultaneously said what leapt to mind: "What?"

After recovering from the moment of shock, Rin asked what Illya herself had been thinking. "What about me?"

The man tilted his head slightly. "Were you interested in such a thing? I had figured that, with you already being such a confident magus, you wouldn't be interested in joining a class of misfits and special cases." As hurt as she seemed, the man had a point. Rin was definitely capable of excelling without any assistance. She was, after all, a genuine first-rate magus.

"I'm not even a student," Shirou commented offhandedly.

The Lord was just as quick with a counter. "Neither is Flat, so I fail to see the issue."

"He isn't?"

"Flat far exceeds any possible teaching that can be done here. The difficulty lies in his lack of restraint, awareness and rationality. I cannot teach him magecraft, but I can teach him those."

Illya repeated a point that had stuck in her ear. "Misfits and special cases?"

The Lord nodded again. "Whether by chance or deliberately, I seem to be given mages who are total outliers. In crude, albeit fitting terms, I handle and try to repair damaged goods."

"A last resort teacher," Rin noted. "Is that good for your image in the Tower?"

The man shrugged. "I couldn't care less about my image, I seek only to benefit myself as a magus. For that reason, I've elected to take on more students."

At the very least, he was blunt and honest. Typically mages were more reserved and secretive but he was laying his selfishness out for all to see. It definitely would be a mistake to pass up a reality marble and an Einzbern homunculus if given the opportunity. "What would my responsibilities be?" Illya decided to ask.

"Absolutely nothing. In fact, if we never spoke again after this, I wouldn't care. In exchange for your nothing, I'll offer a clubhouse of sorts where you can socialize with my other students and the opportunity for assistance if you need it."

Mulling over the offer, Rin spoke up. "It seems to be very one sided, so what are you gaining from taking them on?"

Narrowing his eyes, the man sighed. "Leave it to a magus to seek out equivalence. Yes, I do benefit from more students in terms of Tower politics."

Leaving it at that, Rin summarized for those less aware of magus dealings. "You look better with more followers and doubly so if you fix your so-called damaged goods."

The man nodded. "Precisely. Now then, what do you two say?"

Shirou turned to look at her, blatantly pinning the decision on her shoulders. Pouting, she thought over the choice that seemed to hold no downsides. What was the worst thing that could happen? Be taught magecraft privately by an experienced magus? "We'll be your students," she agreed.

"Excellent, that's all I came here for today. I may stop by next week just to see how you're all making out." Bowing his head respectfully, the man turned, opened the door and left without another word.

Once he was gone, Rin let out a soft sigh and settled back into her chair. "Well that was certainly something. As transparent as he seemed, you two should be careful around him, especially you, Shirou."

Moving back to the kitchenette, the man in question resumed cooking. "What do I have to be careful about?"

With her face set stern, Rin adopted a classic reprimanded tone. "You can't use that or let anyone know about it. We're lucky only a few people know, because it's definitely grounds for a designation." A thought seemed to pop into her head mid sentence. "Lectra doesn't know, does she?"

Finishing his slicing, Shirou set down the knife and began shifting about with something Illya couldn't see. "I don't think so."

"That's good," Rin relaxed, settling back into her chair. "I'd hate to have to tie up any loose ends."

Illya thought the comment to be off for Rin "You don't trust Lectra?"

"None of us really know her extremely well and at the end of the day she is still a magus."

Turning, Shirou held a plate filled with a spread of bite-sized fruit and vegetable pieces with several accompanying dips. Approaching, he set it down before speaking with unwavering sincerity. "I'm still going to use it."

By Rin's flinch, one might have thought he had shot her. Immediately getting annoyed, she raised her voice. "Didn't you just hear anything I said?"

"I did," he replied blandly. "But it doesn't matter. I need to grow stronger, I have to so I can protect you both."

Caught off guard by the statement, Rin stammered and grew red in the face. "Do you even hear what you're saying?"

"If it's any consolation, I won't be practicing here. Kiritsugu left me property in London, so I'll do all my training there. If the worst happens and I'm designated, I'll run so neither of you get hurt."

Rin shook her head. "That's not how designates work. If the Tower decides you're a high enough risk then nobody is safe. Even if they've only passed you in the hall or know your name they'll be interrogated."

He seemed to think for a moment. "Then you can either run as well or come with me."

Illya's decision was instantaneous. "I'll come with you." Eyes on her, she plucked a carrot from the plate, dipped it, ate it, then shrugged. "I don't have that long anyway."

The siblings both turned their heads to look at Rin for her answer. The girl stared incredulously at the two of them before lowering her head and sighing at length. "Fine, fine," she relented while raising to meet Shirou's eyes. "If it happens, I'll come with you too." Throwing one hand over the table to point, the tip of her finger almost touched his nose. "But you better not do anything willfully stupid to cause it or you'll never hear the end of it, Emiya."

"I promise I won't." Grinning slightly, Shirou picked up an apple slice and bit it in half. After finishing the piece, he looked at Illya. "Now that you reminded me, we need to talk about you."

Rin asked a question before Illya even could. "Have you managed to find that puppeteer?"

"No, not yet. But I might have a shot at finding out more information. I just don't know if it's a good idea or not."

Illya grew concerned. Already whatever plan he had in mind sounded risky. "What were you planning?"

Shirou seemed to shuffle in his seat uncomfortably. "I was thinking about sealing designates and how I might get information about them." He paused, likely trying to align his thoughts properly. "Bazett said she would keep an ear out and with her being an Enforcer we'll know if there's a mission sent out but I thought it might be beneficial if I become an Enforcer as well."

Illya blinked once, then inched her head forward and reran the words through her mind a second time. When that didn't seem any better, she tried a third time but concluded the same thing: "Are you stupid?"

Rin snorted. "A sealing designate hunting sealing designates." Gently taking a few grapes from the plate before her, the girl grew serious in a moment. "I can't say it's a bad idea. I did some investigation of my own and found out that the person we're looking for is a woman by the name of Touko Aozaki. She's an extremely dangerous person who not only holds the title of Grand but even has a primary colour ranking." Pausing to eat some fruit, Shirou was able to get a word in.

"If it came to it, would I be able to kill her?"

Rin thought over the question for an exceedingly long time. "Perhaps," she eventually went with. "You're an exception. A fundamentally feeble magus with the capability to produce and use the weapons of servants. It would all depend on the setting leading up to the battle and who had more time to prepare."

Shirou appeared downtrodden, but what Rin had said was undoubtedly a compliment. If he couldn't see that, she would make him. "Shirou, this woman is among the most powerful mages on the planet, probably even equal to some Caster class servants. To even stand a chance is incredible."

Her words brightened him a touch at least. Rin pulled the conversation back on track. "Though, even if you did manage to kill her, there's another problem."

"What's that?" He asked.

Illya had pieced it together though. "She's a puppeteer," she stated bluntly.

"So she'll wake up in another body and try again," Rin nodded. "Someone that dangerous would need the strongest and most effective Enforcers to take down. While Bazett is strong, she's limited in versatility and far from the top. There's a good chance she would never be informed. If you happened to become a well-known, powerful Enforcer you might hear about something before she does."

Swallowing a price of fruit he had grabbed, the boy looped back in the conversation. "So avoid fighting at all costs."

"Something that might not be possible if she knows you're an Enforcer," Illya pointed out.

"It would come with benefits and downsides of course," Rin passed off. "I suppose that decision would be up to you, though it would definitely be harder to avoid a designation."

Illya thought of another point. "Wouldn't you also get called away by the Clock Tower like Bazett, too?"

After watching him think for a moment, Illya picked a few apple slices and began eating. Shirou spoke up after a short moment. "I think I'll discover the process and see how difficult it is to become one before I make my final decision."

Despite not saying anything more, Illya couldn't help but worry. If he became an Enforcer, he would have to go up against mages using incredibly dangerous magecraft, sometimes bordering on magic. Would he really be capable of handling those types of people? The fact he was practically designated himself did little to abate her concern.

He had already used an omnipotent wish to bring her back, what else was he prepared to do to keep her alive? Touching as it was, she didn't want him to throw his own life away for her. Opening her mouth to voice her concern, a chime came from Shirou and the boy abruptly stood to take a phone call.

She evidently wouldn't get the chance. Looking to Rin, the other girl merely shrugged while in the process of snacking.

They had shared the same thought about his actions.

… … …

Gray lifted her head as the door to the club room opened and revealed a very exasperated-looking lord. Softly closing the book in her hands, she straightened in her seat. Curiosity definitely got the better of her as she calmly asked, "Did they decline?"

The man stared at her directly, quickly moving his eyes off her face after brief contact. "Even worse, they accepted."

Confused, Gray set her book on the coffee table. "Why is that worse?"

Sighing raggedly, the man stripped the scarf from around his neck and began taking off his suit jacket. "I'm still dealing with the fallout from Blade. I had made the endorsement, which made his actions my responsibility." Hanging his garments on a coat rack, he turned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If his deeds then are any indication of what he'll be like now, the entire Clock Tower is in for a shock."

"You're worried he'll get in trouble?"

"Of course," the man replied bluntly. "From your reports, Shirou's a servant. Or, rather, has the capacity of one and has proved this capacity for destruction on numerous occasions using noble phantoms. If he lets that knowledge slip, he'll be dissected and placed in a jar before he can ask 'what?'"

Gray frowned. "You don't think they're already aware of that?"

Waver's head inched in her direction just enough that his eyes could glare at her. "They aren't aware of how many eyes are already on them. The entire Tower has been buzzing since I first wrote Emiya onto the acceptance document. Everybody wants to see the Son of the Magus Killer and some are itching for revenge."

Gray shuffled to the edge of the sofa and placed both hands upon her knees. "Isn't this what you wanted? In order to rise through the Clock Tower you'll have to gain a larger following and reputation. The quickest way to accomplish that is by surrounding yourself with powerful, unique people."

"I understand my own plan," he clipped back harshly. Noting his own voice, he apologized and passed his tone off on stress. "I definitely hold quite a collection now." The man slowly paced the room before plopping down into a large armchair. "With these two and Lectra I'll be in the spotlight for sure, though to truly steal the show they'll need to impress the crowd."

Gray understood through the metaphor. While impressive alone, any one of the three students needed to accomplish a feat that would reflect onto him. "The Mage's Tournament is coming up again," she noted. Receiving an odd look, she flinched and backtracked. "He's already won it once is all."

Relaxing in the spot, the man huffed and closed his eyes for a moment. "Perhaps, but he would have to amend his fighting style."

Silently agreeing, she couldn't think of anything else to say for some time. Eventually, after what must have been a minute, a thought popped into her head. "How did that search for Lectra go?"

The man's eyes slowly opened. "Unfortunately nothing. She grows more insistent by the day but there's no change. I don't know what to tell her anymore."

"There's nothing you can tell her," she surmised. "How has her training gone?"

"Incredibly," he chuckled. "On an entirely different level than she was fighting beside Blade in the Tournament. She's gone far beyond her previous potential and it seems as if she grows stronger with each session." Running his hand through his hair to keep it from his face, he suddenly scowled. "Though I can't help but wonder if my suspicions are correct."

"If they were, I'm certain you would climb straight to Brand. Though two new students of their caliber might finally get you past Fes."

Humming to himself, the man sat up some. "One can only hope. If he had felt his first year in the Tower to be difficult, I'm afraid he has yet to realize what difficult truly is."

A welcome relief chapter from all the stress of the past arc, don't you think? Despite not being as knowledgeable about the Clock Tower and its members as I am with the Grail War and servants, I'm learning all the time and I'm not afraid to acknowledge my mistakes. Mistakes like improperly portraying characters in previous chapters because the content for them wasn't fully released when I wrote them. (Svin is a big one for sure)

But that's not exactly my fault as I had tried to research the character as much as I could, there just wasn't much more than a trailer on youtube that actually gave me any information.

Since then, I've been reading and learning a lot more on the characters so I should be able to better write all of the Clock Tower members. Oh well, life is a learning experience after all!

As always, please drop a review to say what you thought of the chapter and remember to thank Talndir for continuing to take the time beta-ing despite my sporadic update schedule!

I hope you enjoyed!