Author Notes:
Okay everyone it seems my latest obsession has been with Fate. And as a result of the Omake I posted like... yesterday I couldn't stop thinking about our favorite Space Marine Captain and how he would react to being in the 5th Holy Grail war.
So here we are lads! Enjoy!
Chapter 1: The Curtain Rises
Captain Antaeus Cassiel stood on the teleport pad of the Strike Cruiser along with the Intercessor and Aggressor squads of his company. Their prey was disabled now, an older pattern of Strike Cruiser that was home to the warband of the Flayed Skin. Foul Word Bearers that relished in skinning their victims alive to adorn their armor and even to be used as clothing. He scowled as the thought of the red clad monsters brought back memories of a burning world.
He shook his head and double and triple checked his battleplate. He was outfitted in his standard MKX Tacticus plate, with his specially issued Sunwrath plasma pistol and his relic power sword, Defender of Calth.
Gallus, the Librarian assigned to his company walked up to his Captain, worry plaguing his features. The young Librarian lacked much of the experience some of his battle-brothers possessed, but had proven himself a reliable Space Marine and practitioner of the psychic, particularly with warnings of the future.
"Brother-Captain I must advise against this. I have felt… omens. I have seen you in my meditations. You were facing something… monstrous. Alone. We should just atomize that ship and let the warp take their damned souls."
Cassiel sighed. The young Librarian still had much to learn. He placed his hand on Gallus' shoulder guard in a reassuring gesture.
"Brother, I understand. But you must understand as well that there may be civilians, civilians from Ultramar, aboard that ship. They give everything to us in the hopes we can keep the monsters at bay. We must do the same in kind."
The young, almost boyish, Librarian still looked concerned. He didn't fear for the future, even though he was so young he was still a Space Marine, but he could still be disturbed by what he saw. The images were still burned into his mind. He saw his Captain, his armor rent and blood flowing freely from his many wounds, holding a golden broadsword. The sword itself seemed to be trying to kill him with its overwhelming power. His vision faded as he saw his Captain facing a foe of unreal size and swinging the blade with the help of an unknown figure.
Cassiel let Gallus go and readied himself next to Veteran Sergeant Scipio.
The servitors along the wall began twitching as the Tech Priests prepared the teleportation pad.
"Preparing for translation. Preparing for translation. Ten seconds. Nine seconds. Eight seconds."
The servitors droned on. Cassiel ignored them and drew his blade and pistol. It was highly likely they would be set upon within moments of entering the ship.
"Three seconds. Two seconds. One second. Preparing for translation. Translating."
The pad lit up with warp light and in a flash the space marines were gone. The red light next to the pad flashed four times before a yellow light flashed.
"Error. Error. Error. Correcting. Correcting."
The light flashed green.
"Strike force delivered. One casualty."
Cassiel had always hated teleportation. From the stories his Primarch has told of the Great Crusade, that was a trait they shared. He felt his soul being pulled upon by those that called that realm of madness home. But before he reached the crippled traitor ship, he felt himself being pulled away.
"Oho? What have we here? You're a curious one… I've been to your universe a few times and I thought your kind had long since died here. I wonder…." He felt the words in his skull before he was pulled violently from all he knew. The last he saw of his brothers was a fierce firefight.
"Wait…. My brothers…" he replied, his mind losing focus as the rolling tides of the warp battered his sanity. He seemed to be floating in nothingness.
"Oh they'll be fine. That Scipio fellow will succeed you and lead them well." The voice said with confidence.
"I, however, have another plan for you young man. But first…"
The man pulled a scabbard from his coat.
"I picked this up from a version of a man who died before he could put it to use. I think you're going to need this more than me. Besides… you're going to need it to summon your partner and comrade." He smiled solemnly before actually pushing the scabbard into the Space Marine's chest.
Cassiel attempted to resist, his mind screaming at him to tear the strange bearded man apart before he could finish. But he could not move.
"There. Now off you go. And good luck. I'll be watching."
All Cassiel saw was darkness as the light faded.
The school courtyard was dark and cold. Precisely what you would expect for the city of Fuyuki in late winter. However, not all was calm.
There were craters and damage that had occurred mere minutes before as two legends had faced one another. One was a figure of Celtic myth, an artist with a spear, and the other was an unknown. Supposedly a warrior of the bow, the strange man had used twin swords and sheer cunning to match the Child of Light.
Shirou Emiya had been unfortunate enough to witness the skirmish and had paid the price when the man in blue had seen him, chased him, and killed him. Or so he thought.
He had awoken minutes before, his chest throbbing with pain, unsure as to whether he was alive or dead. He sat up and grimaced, the pain turning sharp as he breathed more. He finally got to his feet and stumbled down the hallway, his hand clutching a red pendant as if his life had depended upon it.
He somehow made it to the bottom floor and to the outdoors, the chilled air making him cough more as it burned his lungs. He was shaken from his stupor as an impossibly bright light caught his attention. His eyes widened at what he saw appear from it after a loud BANG.
A giant. A knight clad in blue armor with strange symbols carefully painted on the plate. He held a sword in one hand and a strange pistol in the other with a rich, white cape draped across his massive frame.
Shirou couldn't see his face due to a helmet of a strange design, though still similar to Western styles of helmet, but it wasn't scary or unsettling like some patterns he had observed. In fact, it looked almost heroic.
Until the giant spoke.
The loud bark was unsettling, he guessed it was an effect of the helmet.
"You. Boy. Show yourself."
Shirou Emiya gulped and rounded the corner.
When Cassiel appeared he was confused, concerned, and felt surprisingly ill. His kind never paid attention to minor things such as nausea but it coupled with the headache and feeling of intense disorientation did nothing to help.
He took in the surroundings after a moment of forcing down his stomach's contents back down.
Sometimes nutrient gruel wasn't the most palatable of sustenance even for his kind.
Cassiel swept his surroundings when the nausea subsided. His helmet electronic and sensor suite was more advanced than most Marine helmets with advanced vision modes, auspex array, and even a tactical cogitator that informed him of the ebbs and tides of battle.
It was the last part that concerned him the most currently.
He was actively sweeping all known Imperial tactical channels and found…. Nothing.
Only background, low level civilian channels.
This in and of itself was odd, as he had been chasing traitors in a system with no habitable planets.
He exhaled and holstered his weapons when he saw he was in no immediate danger. He could see the remnants of a recent battle but… no blood, no bullet casings, no craters, and again, the lack of a tactical network.
There was, however a lone signature on his auspex.
He spotted the boy almost immediately. He was young, roughly 15 Terran standard, and was pale. He could spot a blood stain on the child's chest.
"You. Boy. Show yourself." He commanded as nicely as caution would permit.
Shirou slowly approached the giant. He was unsettling to look at to say the least. Not in a monstrous way that one would look at a fantasy beast, but in the sheer unnatural grace the giant possessed. His armor must weigh several dozen kilos but he moved as if it wasn't there and when he did move it was accompanied by a low, teeth jarring growling. Shirou stopped when the hand not resting on the giant's sword hilt bade him to stop.
"Halt." He called, apparently as softly as his helmet would allow.
"What is your name?"
Shirou gulped and calmed his nerves. He was going to be a hero of justice so he had no choice other than to conquer his fears.
"Emiya. Emiya Shirou. Pleased to meet you." He said with as much confidence as the situation would allow.
The giant seemed… amused at his shaky introduction and attempt at manners. Not in a cruel sense but an impressed one.
"Huh… manners are not something I'm used to." He commented. "I am Cassiel. Antaeus Cassiel."
Cassiel took a knee so as not to tower over the adolescent. "Mr. Emiya, would you please inform me as to where I am currently? I seem to have… taken an wrong turn somewhere."
Shirou tilted his head in confusion. "Um… Fuyuki City. In Japan."
Even if the man was a magi, he should at least be aware of where he ended up if he was using his abilities, whatever they may be.
The giant was silent. "This may sound odd, but which planet and which segmentum am I currently?"
Gone was the gruff politeness now. The man seemed… troubled.
"Huh? Segmentum? Um…. As for the planet, it's Earth. The year is 2004."
The giant was still.
"What?!"
Was his only reply
Cassiel saw the youth flinch at his exclamation. But Cassiel's mind was working too fast to care.
In a sense, he wasn't quite panicking. Panicking involved fear and he knew no fear.
Rather he was…. Disturbed.
Theoretical: The teleportation had a mishap.
Practical: The Warp does not follow the linear concept of time or place.
Theoretical: The hallucination was real.
Practical: I was sent here for a purpose.
Theoretic-
"Um!? Excuse me?"
Cassiel was shaken from his internal turmoil as if struck across the head by the youth. He had a worried expression, which struck the Space Marine as… incredibly ironic.
"My apologies. I… have much to think on."
He cleared his throat, embarrassed at his lapse.
"Mr. Emiya."
"Just Emiya please."
He nodded.
"Are you injured?"
The young man seemed to have forgotten something and then looked down at his torn shirt.
"Oh. Um. I'm fine. Probably."
Cassiel raised his eyebrow and then dismissed the issue.
"Very well. I shall be off then."
He stood, towering over the youth again, and turned to go… somewhere.
Shirou watched the giant walk away with uncertainty. He was sure the giant would be okay, but he clearly needed help didn't he? Even though he knew he should be cautious, his nature wouldn't let him just… abandon him.
He sighed and cursed.
He wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if he let this go.
"Geez…"
He called out.
"Mr. Cassiel. If you need somewhere to stay, I have room."
He regretted the words almost as soon as they left his mouth. The giant actually stopped. Shirou gulped and hoped he hadn't inadvertently offended the giant in blue. Time seemed to drag on forever until the giant, with seeming reluctance, turned to him. There was an almost imperceptible nod as the giant turned and walked back to him.
"I… appreciate the hospitality. Will your… family mind? I'm rather conspicuous."
Was that a joke?
"Oh. Uh. I live alone. You won't be an issue."
"….very well. I shall not forget this."
Shirou shifted uncomfortably while shaking his head and began to walk home.
"It's no big deal. Just… we will be quick. As you said, you kinda stand out." The giant said nothing and merely followed Shirou.
The trek home was largely uneventful for the pair, save for some very surprised cats, and they eventually made it to the Emiya estate. Shirou sighed as he unlocked the gate and latched it shut behind his 'guest'.
"Um…" He looked at the giant's footwear as he went to kick his shoes off at the front door.
That would be a problem.
"Hold on let me show you around back. There's a guest house there I'll prepare."
The giant cocked his head.
"Oh. Um. I saw where you might have trouble removing your… boots? It's no big deal. You're a guest."
"…Very well." Cassiel shrugged, seemingly lost in thought.
They walked to the courtyard in the back and even Cassiel was impressed. While not anywhere close to as ornate as the Fortress Hera on Macragge, the courtyard had a welcome air to it.
Almost peaceful.
He stopped in the courtyard and stared into the stars above. Somewhere out there was Macragge and Calth.
His home and second home were out there in the vast void and he would likely never see them again. In fact… he would likely only ever see Terra for the rest of his days. And a Terra largely at peace at that.
The thought was… sobering for a man who had known only war for the better part of two centuries.
What would he do? What could he do?
He could and would not forsake his oaths to the Chapter and to his yet unborn Primarch nor could he forsake the oath he gave to the nonexistent Imperium and still undiscovered Emperor.
He sighed as a strange sense of doubt was overcoming him.
"Um… are you okay?"
Cassiel was snapped from his reflection.
"Yes. My apologies. You have a… nice home."
The young man seemed embarrassed and scratched the back of his head.
"It's nothing. This was just my old man's place. He left it to me after he died five years ago."
Cassiel grunted. "My… condolences for your loss."
"No, no it's fine. It was a peaceful end and he was smiling."
Cassiel nodded and an awkward silence fell over the pair.
"Well, I'll go get the things for the guest house. It should be warm there soon once the heater does it's thing."
And without another word, the youth hurried inside to get some bedding supplies he assumed.
"Not that I need to sleep all that much." He lamented.
Before his melancholy thoughts could return, he heard a cry from inside the home. It wouldn't take a transhuman soldier to recognize it was one of fear.
All other thoughts left the Space Marine's troubled mind. He knew what to do now. The possibility for the theoretical left and made room for the practical.
Cassiel rushed into the home, heedless of the door he just ripped off the hinges, and subconsciously thankful the ceiling was so high for the home.
He burst inside to see the young man holding his shoulder, now newly dripping blood. He looked and saw the culprit.
The man wore a blue body suit with bits of plate on the shoulders. His hair was blue and his eyes were as red as blood. In his hands was a blood red spear that radiated a sense of foreboding.
For how flashy his appearance was, the man seemed both bored and slightly amused at Shirou's makeshift weapon.
Cassiel narrowed his eyes and placed his hand on the blade at his hip as anger flashed in his mind.
He was still a Space Marine.
"Oh? Did the kid make a friend after he 'died'? Good grief. Looks like you'll have to be silenced too my exceptionally large friend."
Cassiel calmly drew the blade in his right hand.
He was a Defender of Humanity.
"Many have tried and now they lay dead. Now you shall pay for your crime of attacking an unarmed child."
And he knew no fear.
The man in blue raised his eyebrow as the not so subtle threat. Before kicking his spear into a ready position.
"Oh? Can you make good on those threats Big Man?"
Cassiel stood at the ready and pressed the activation tune on the sword.
"I can show you when I cut your smug head on your shoulders, welp."
The man huffed a laugh and lunged forward, only to be surprised when the blade deflected the spear and immediately went in for a strike if his own.
The man jumped back, an amused grin on his lips.
"Heh. It seems you're not all talk then. Let's see what you can really do."
Cassiel growled and charged the man, his blade stabbing out in a manner that befit the close quarters of the room.
Truthfully, it was too close for either the sword or the spear to be much use and the spear user knew it.
He ducked out of the way of the blade, the edge of the power field cutting his cheek as he dodged away to Cassiel's right, attempting to flank the space marine.
Cassiel, however, had faced enough agile opponents in the Drukhari and reacted instantly with a punch that would have shattered reinforced carapace armor like it was a thin sheet of ice.
Would have, had it connected.
The man jumped back at the last moment and hopped out the door to the courtyard.
Cassiel followed after ensuring Shirou was in good enough shape to not die in the near future.
The man was waiting for him in the chill night air as Cassiel stepped into the courtyard. A soft breeze caused his cape to whip around him as his sword's crackling power field was the only sound aside from the growling of his warplate.
"You ready Big Man? I think I won't hold back on you this time."
Cassiel scoffed. "Your arrogance is astounding welp. Come to me and die."
"HAH! Been there and done that."
And with that the battle began in earnest. Both parties moved with inhuman speed and grace. It was quickly apparent, however, that Cassiel was ever so slightly slower and not as dexterous as the man with the spear. Even if he held the strength advantage, which he did, it would matter little if he couldn't land a blow on the man.
He gritted his teeth in frustration and swung again, this time fast enough that the man had to block instead of dodge.
The blades rang as the spear somehow held together under Cassiel's prodigious strength and the matter destroying power field.
"Heh… not bad Big Man. Not bad at all." He grunted under this strain of keeping the power sword from splitting him in half.
"But can you keep up with this?" His grin was positively feral now.
Then the man was just…. Gone.
He felt the shockwave a moment later and only just barely was able to block the spear thrust that was aimed for his neck.
He grunted with the effort.
The man sent a flurry of blows into Cassiel's guard and Cassiel found that more than a few found their way past his guard.
He growled in annoyance and and struck back as fast as his blade would allow. The man seemed to flow around his strikes like water around rocks until Cassiel made an infinitesimally small mistake.
He overextended by no more than a handful of centimeters.
But it was enough for the spearman.
He glowed with a strange energy and struck Cassiel upon his shoulder pauldron hard enough to send the Space Marine flying several meters into a shed.
Cassiel grunted with pain and moved in time to see the spear land within inches of his skull. He kicked the man in the chest hard enough to send him flying before reaching for his blade.
He cursed, the blade had been lost in the rubble. The spearman had recovered and spit a mouthful of blood onto the frozen grass, so Cassiel drew his combat knives, each as long as a short sword to a mortal.
He was in a tough spot and he knew that. Without the sword's reach he would be cut down by the spear's superior reach.
Guilliman's breath if I just had my blade or any blade. If I just had a sword.
He was about to meet his end then, he knew that. He felt no fear because it was foreign to him. Captain Antaeus Cassiel would meet his end with blades in hand.
Though he did have one regret.
The child who had been kind enough to offer him somewhere to gather his thoughts wouldn't be far behind him.
He growled in frustration before readying the blades.
If only I had a damned blade!
Fate, it would seem, had a plan for him other than death at the hands of a strange man.
There was a bright light, impossibly bright, just a meter away from him under the remains of the shed.
It was so bright, his auto senses had to dampen considerably to keep him from being blinded by it. He felt as if his soul was being tugged on by whatever was in that light.
And then the light cut abruptly.
When the auto senses reset, he couldn't believe his eyes.
Where the blinding light once was, there was a woman clad in resplendent armor not all to different from his own in color and ornamentation. She was slightly shorter than Shirou, but she had a much more severe countenance. When she opened her eyes Cassiel saw a kindred spirit. A veteran of combat, the cold eyes of one who had led armies against impossible odds, but also the underlying fire of a warrior that would never accept defeat.
She stared into the crimson eye lenses with her own emerald eyes and asked a simple question with a voice full of authority and confidence.
"I ask of you, are you my master?"
Cassiel stared at the young woman. Normally his auto senses would be decided whether the being in front of him was a threat and drawing an aiming reticule over their torso. But much like the man in blue, the helm's senses were baffled with static. He looked at the self contained cyclone she held in her hands. He knew whatever was baffling his helmet was also hiding the weapon. At best, he could tell it was a blade.
"OI! You never said you were a magi big man!" Shouted a familiar voice. The man in blue seemed more wary now, but his grin was impossibly huge.
Cassiel spotted his blade and recovered the priceless relic before he flicked the activation rune on the venerable blade. He had no idea what manner of warp trickery was at foot but the important part was the woman thought of him as an ally. And strangely he felt he could trust her… for now at least. His finely honed instincts still screamed at him to be wary and that this woman was far more dangerous than he ever thought possible.
"I'll go right. You go left. We must make haste, there's an injured civilian in the home."
He charged the man in blue before his new ally could object. The man reacted and attempted to parry the blow that Cassiel was aiming for his throat but before the spear could touch the power field around the edge of the blade, Cassiel felt his cape flow as the wind picked up.
No.
Not the wind.
In his peripheral vision he saw her.
She could move.
Her speed was on par with the blue man's and he held no doubt she could match him in pure speed.
The man ducked and wove out of the way of the arcing blades by leaping backwards. However, this only bought him moments of reprieve at best. Cassiel and the woman seemed to dance in sync with one another's movements. He would go left, the lighting sheathed blade hissing as the cold winter air steamed in its presence, and she would cut right the whirlwind around her blade rendering it invisible as it struck and missed cleaving the man in half by micrometers at best.
This ballet of whirling blades and grunts of exertion lasted an eternity to his heightened senses, but his chronometer only read 7.24 seconds had passed when he finally saw a chink in the man's defense. It wasn't the best chance as the man had knocked his blade to an awkward position with a desperate parry. Cassiel knew his blade wouldn't be able to capitalize on the chance.
So he didn't use it.
Using his empty left fist, he sent a left hook that would pulverize the engine block of a Taurox into the man's face. He felt something give as the man flew back about a meter before landing first on his back, then leaping back to his feet.
The man was smiling through shattered teeth and a bloody nose.
"Owowow…. Man you've got a mean left hook big guy. I'd love to stay and finish this but… well… My Master said to retreat. I'll look forward to our finale Big Blue and Little Blue. Later."
Before Cassiel could react, the man was gone.
Vanished.
And quiet returned to the estate once more.
He inhaled and exhaled slowly before he turned to the woman and sheathed his sword. She was looking at him with a look of caution… and curiosity. The silence persisted for a few moments more before he decided the stand off had to end.
"I am Cassiel. Antaeus Cassiel of the Ultramarines 5th company." He said coolly with his arm extended.
He had seen the gesture several times between Imperial Guard officers and hoped it was a universal one.
Arturia Pendragon had seen much in her lifetimes but nothing quite matched what she saw in front of her now. The man that stood opposite of her, her Master from what she could tell, was no normal human.
The most obvious sign of this was his appearance. He was nearly twice her size and adorned in a suit of armor that even she had to admit was beautiful. The blue plate was adorned with numerous symbols and wax seals. He wore a white cape, richly adorned with golden two headed eagles at the corners and his head was covered in a helm with a deep red crest, a sign of his rank she guessed.
The second of the most obvious signs was what he had been doing up until a few seconds ago. He had been fighting a Servant on nearly equal terms for who knows how long until he had summoned her. He wasn't as fast as a Servant like Lancer, but he was in the same spectrum as herself.
Her eyes were drawn to his left shoulder where she saw a white "U" emblazoned with a black skull in the middle.
"I am…. Saber." She replied and shook his hand. His head tilted in question at that. Her Master seemed unaware of what she was.
That was… odd.
It would have to wait for now, however, as she could feel another Servant approaching.
"Master, there's another servant approaching. Orders?"
He stiffened for a moment. Whoever he was, the man adjusted quickly and she could appreciate that efficiency. Until he drew his sword.
Why can't I ever have a normal Master? She silently complained as thoughts of that bastard Kiritsugu came to mind.
No matter.
"Go. I'll catch up. After this battle however… I have questions."
So do I.
Enough complaining for now though. She nodded and jumped over the wall separating her and the new enemy. She turned to see her Master moving with a speed that was… impressive for a human.
What was even more impressive was when he put his shoulder down and crashed through the stone wall as if it was made of cheap canvas.
This clearly alarmed the Master/Servant pair in the alleyway beyond as both immediately went on the attack. Saber obliged and started immediately after the Servant in red.
Cassiel dodged the shot of energy that was aimed for his head. 'Saber' had leapt to engage the man in the red coat the moment he burst through the wall. It wasn't the most… tactful way to get out into the alleyway but then Captain of the 5th was growing impatient. His questions kept piling up with no answers in sight.
He stomped on his doubts for now. Answers could wait. Now was the time for combat and combat was something his kind could do very well. He kept his pistol in its holster as he wanted to conserve the precious munitions he only had a limited supply of and drew the sword from its scabbard.
His enemy, a young woman by the looks of it through the dust of his entrance was surprised at not only his stature, but also his weapon. The surprise quickly faded, however, as his chosen opponent went on the attack. She shot several bolts at him and in rapid succession.
His plate was assaulted by the small barrage of 'projectiles' that peppered him. He simply dropped his shoulder and weathered the storm as he advanced calmly and with purpose. He wanted to try and take this one alive.
He heard her grunt in agitation and was prepared to charge forwards when he saw a small gem enter his field of vision. He cocked an eyebrow before his battle sense screamed for him to move. It was too late.
The young woman chanted something in an ancient Germanic tongue and the small ruby glowed before exploding mere feet from him. The explosion could be compared to a krak grenade as the shockwave pushed the Space Marine from his feet and sent him careening towards the wall.
His armor wailed in protest at the damage it had received before he slammed into the wall. He grunted in pain and got up.
His suit wasn't compromised but the damage was far more than what he expected.
Guilliman's breath! Who are these people?
He stepped back into the alley proper when he heard Saber shout.
"MASTER! LOOK OUT!"
He reacted instantly, decades of combat experience eliminating all doubt or hesitation. It wasn't enough, unfortunately.
The strange projectiles pierced him several times in the chest and abdomen.
It was only by sheer luck and his last minute evasion that his primary heart wasn't pierced by the barrage. The pain forced him to a knee.
He looked down and saw… swords?
Two nearly identical blades, one white and the other ebony, were protruding from his plate. He didn't want to think how much force was behind the throws to send them through ceramite, much less what they were made of.
How in the…
Be coughed up blood into his helmet before tearing it off and spitting the blood into the street and rising back to his feet.
This seemed to surprise the man in red as he hesitated. Cassiel didn't, however, and pulled the Sunwrath pistol from its holster and shot at the man.
The plasma bolt caught him full on the right shoulder in an explosion of energy that sent the man rocketing towards the street.
He landed with a wet smack of charred meat.
Amazingly, the man still lived, though his arm was gone. He stood all the same and a white blade appeared from thin air.
Cassiel fell to his knee once more as Saber appeared next to him, her own armor dented and scratched but otherwise no worse for wear.
"Master! Master can you stand? We must retreat!"
Cassiel inhaled sharply and pulled out one of the blades as an answer. The blood poured from the wound for a moment before his body reacted and the clotting staunched the blood loss.
"I can fight. Try to take the girl alive. I need answers."
She had a look of concern and also amazement on her face that he was still alive, let alone strong enough to give orders. He was in obvious pain, his face pulled into a scowl that didn't fit his patrician features. His blue-green eyes were dulled from the near mortal wounds he had sustained but still shone with a fire of defiance.
Cassiel forced himself to his feet, using his sword as a crutch, and finally pulled the other blade out of his chest. He gasped in pain and tossed the offending ivory sword away where is dissipated.
The two parties stood there for a moment in silence before movement behind Cassiel caught his notice.
It was the Shirou. He was still wounded, a product of the botched stab to the heart before Cassiel had arrived.
"Stop…" He said weakly but with conviction. He held a wooden sword in his hands that glowed oddly.
The girl seemed to react at the voice though it was minuscule.
She knew him.
"Stop. All of you. There's no reason." He said as he hobbled between the two groups. Both parties were too shocked to say or do anything, Cassiel especially. The boy had been close to shock when he saw him last. And now the wound had… closed?
"E-Emiya!? What are you doing here!?" She called to the red headed boy.
"Eh? Tohsaka?" He perked at the voice. He still sounded weak but was a far sight better than… twenty minutes ago?
A cold wind blew between the two opposing forces. Cassiel look at the two arguing teens and to the man in the red coat who was still staring daggers at him.
"Saber, was it?"
She nodded, still on guard, the cyclone surrounding her blade still churning.
"Stand down. I think it's safe to say that this battle is over."
She looked over to him with a doubtful expression.
"Theoretical: Both he and I are close to death's door. In the next exchange both of us will be mortally wounded.
She cocked an eyebrow.
"Practical: This fight has ended in a draw."
She wouldn't put her sword away just yet.
"HEY!" He heard as the woman, who's name was Tohsaka, was staring at him with barely contained rage.
"Did you save Shirou or not?!"
He spat a mouthful of blood into the pavement where is sizzled from his saliva's acid content.
"I suppose you could say that I did."
She glared at him.
"Hmph. Fine. I owe you one then. Archer, retreat. You need to heal yourself."
The man glared at Cassiel before nodding and vanished into thin air.
He nodded to Saber and she allowed the sword to dissipate.