Rin panted as she lowered her hand, the inky black energy of the Gandr curse dissipating along with the outline of the last shadowy assailant she could sense. A quick inventory of her resources made her cringe and seethe simultaneously - when she caught the bastard responsible for summoning that ravening Avenger, she'd skin the bastard alive, and seize any and all wealth he had to restock the gems she had to sacrifice. And the most galling thing was that she did not even face the Servant himself, only his summoned minions. The sheer indignity of it irritated the already-incensed Tohsaka. Here she was, heir to an ancient and proud bloodline, a bona fide Average One, and she still had to sacrifice a handful of minor gems to survive the hunting minions.
She gulped, and paled as realization hit. If she, with all her power and training had to exert even such a moderate effort to dispatch the shadows, how would a nobody like Emiya handle them? More pressingly, how many mundanes would suffer and witness the likely bloody demise of the boy?
She turned around, orienting herself towards the Emiya residence, took a deep breath, prana tracing a faint green circuitry along her legs, and then she took off, while her senses reached for her Servant. Not that she was worried - since he was hers, it was a given that Garrus would have no problems with someone like Leng.
"Nice to know that my Master worries for an old fossil like me, but honestly, your estimate is mostly correct - in a straight-up fight like the tussle we just had, Leng has very little chance."
Rin stumbled at the smugly mirthful voice of her Servant, and Archer's mandibles parted in a grin at the hint of pink in her cheeks. A heartbeat later, the perfectly composed and balanced Tohsaka Rin, running with the distance-eating strides of a marathon runner, smiled at her Servant. The expression was a marvel of perfect innocence, of pure, honest goodwill - and judging by the wariness and alertness flooding the link between their minds, Garrus correctly interpreted it as such. There was just something slightly off, hidden beneath the caution of the turian…
"So, are we going to check on the other kid?"
"Yes, Archer." She smiled, eyes crinkling. They were close, barely a few blocks away from the Emiya estate. "We are going to inquire about the continued wellbeing of Shirou Emiya, and then he and I will discuss his inappropriate, borderline despicable conduct. After which I will ensure that he takes his proper station under me."
The bond barely gave enough warning for her.
"And here I thought one needed to bring alcohol, and something called flowers... Oh well, I suppose customs around here are somewhat different."
Rin flushed scarlet, and opened her mouth, the Command Seals on her hand lighting up with prana, all set to teach her inappropriate, irreverent, irritating and maybe, possibly, in a distant, unrelated way, correct, Servant a lesson the turian would never forget.
The words died in her throat, as both she and Garrus felt the ignition of an ethereal beacon that was a full-fledged ritual summoning, followed by the metaphysical weight of a materialized Servant pressing down on their psyche, as simultaneously a putrid flame mixed of bloodlust, rage and terror lit up as well, carrying the distinct feel of Avenger's aura. A crash of broken masonry was heard, followed by an enraged shriek, then Leng's presence vanished.
Rin stopped, her senses, sharpened by Archer's presence, quested towards the Emiya residence. She frowned involuntarily, a grudging sense of admiration suffusing her towards the architect of the bounded fields encompassing the unassuming, quiet house. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as her mind raced. Originally, she was prepared to give some leeway to Emiya, a chance to explain himself why he did not notify the Second Owner of Fuyuki about him being a magus. Now, when faced with the intricate spellwork and the fact that he summoned a Servant, she seriously considered simply ordering Archer to blow up the whole building from the distance, just to be sure. Yet something held her back - and she was glad for the minor distraction she felt from the link.
"What is it, Archer?"
"There is something familiar about this presence, Master..."
Rin groaned. Another weird Servant in the War. Just great. It would have been so much easier to face heroes from the past - at least when fighting them, she would have been able to count on the knowledge of their legends to figure out possible Noble Phantasms and abilities. On the other hand, overcoming such obstacles was indeed a suitable test for a genius like herself.
"Careful what you wish, Rin. You just might get it." A rifle materialized in Archer's hands, then the Servant jumped gracefully on a roof across the street, without a sound. "If you want me to..."
Rin wanted to answer, she really did. However, the appearance of the other Servant interrupted her, and she could but stare at the stunning black-armored woman. Emerald eyes blazed from under a mop of fiery hair, a blade of orange light burning in one hand, the other glowing with an incandescent blue aura, as she strode closer, every motion exuding a dangerous, alluring confidence that felt so intoxicating and...
Boom.
Rin's mouth dropped open as Archer's shot was dissipated by a shimmering blue barrier that sprang into being around the nameless Servant. She could feel those bright green eyes unerringly focusing on her Servant as a corona of blue-white power raged into being around the other woman. Rin knew with chilling certainty that both the turian and she were dead. Her Command Seals lit up, as she prepared for her final battle, a distant corner of her mind lamenting that she would miss the opportunity to get to know her better - and to teach her own Servant a lesson or two.
"Well, well, look who we have here." Her Servant's flanging voice was full of amusement. "If it isn't the crown princess of bottleshooters herself. Nice that you left the bar to join us down here."
And just like that, Rin's worry dissipated, replaced with calm, honest happiness, along with a smile that contained no trace of wrath, malice, or a promise of bloody retribution. And it certainly was not directed at her Servant - or at Shirou Emiya, who just appeared behind his Servant, the back of his hand alight with prana as he prepared to use a Command Seal to do something.
"Good evening, Emiya-kun. I think we should talk." She smiled at him, blue eyes crinkling in amusement. And no, him paling before he made a jerky nod of fearful assent did not fill her with malicious glee.
Shirou tended to fall back on certain activities when stressed - and in light of the situation, cooking seemed a very good option, with perhaps the least chance of devolving into an all-out brawl that could reduce his home into a pile of rubble. Naturally, his efforts slammed hard into the affable smirking visage of Archer - or more precisely, that of Garrus.
"Thanks for the offer, kid, but I'll have to decline."
"I know that Servants do not require food to sustain themselves, but as far as I'm aware, they can still derive prana from it. And it is my duty as a host to provide for my guests."
"Even if said guests could easily turn your house if not the whole city block into a smoking crater?"
"Especially then."
"Archer, if you accept anything from him, there will be consequences." Rin's voice was the perfectly sweet, happy pitch that could only come from inhuman amounts of self-control.
"Tohsaka, I have enormous respect for you, but please refrain from implying I would poison my guests." Shirou's tone was aggrieved, as he worked in the kitchen on some kind of food that had both Rin and Saber paying close attention, much to Garrus' amusement.
"Don't worry Master, Garrus' refusal has more to do with him being rather incompatible with human food than your own culinary skills." Saber grinned at the other Servant. "He's a frail, sensitive being like that - come to think of it, just like certain birds."
The turian glared at her, the effect decidedly offset by the amused twitching of his mandibles.
"Says the one who is named after a profession that involves herding docile and stupid animals."
Rin put down her cup with just a bit more effort than strictly needed, and cleared her throat.
"While I'm satisfied that there were no casualties, no need for mindwiping civilians, and no immediate clash between you Servants, can we focus on the important topics here?" She smiled demurely at Shirou, the boy barely managing not to recoil from the sheer innocent cheer of the facial expression. "Like how a third-rate magus dares to practice his craft without informing the city's Second Owner. Or how said hack is able to summon a Servant - and by extension, has knowledge of the Holy Grail War. While we're at at, let's not forget how the current War is way ahead of schedule, and the summoned Servants are pretty … distinctive, shall we say?"
"Hear that, Shepard? She thinks we're distinctive."
"Well obviously. Ugly, two-legged chickens dumb enough to stop rockets with their faces tend to stand out."
The expression that Rin directed towards the two Servants could not be mistaken for a smile. Her anger grew when her own Servant simply flared his mandibles in a wry grin, his amusement flooding their bond, while Saber merely grinned at her, leaning back casually. The young Second Owner transferred her glare to the other nominal human in the room, who placed a tray full of various delicacies on the table.
"So, Emiya-kun. I think you'd better start explaining fast."
Shirou sighed, placed the tray of delicacies on the table, in easy reach for all, and looked into the crystal-blue eyes of the other magus.
"I'm not sure we have time for a lengthy explanation now, Tohsaka." He raised a hand to forestall her protest. "As far as I understand, I have to meet the Overseer of the War to verify my participation - and if that person is who I think he is, it will not be a pleasant experience."
Rin's eyes narrowed at that.
"I was not aware you knew the fake priest, Emiya-kun."
"Not personally, but my father met him during the previous War. Moreover, he shot him point-blank, more than once, and left him for dead at ground zero for the Fuyuki Fire." His eyes bored into Rin's surprised gaze. "It does make one wonder just how he is still around."
The two Servants shared a glance, before Garrus spoke.
"In my experience, humans can be pretty stubborn when it comes to surviving battle injuries. If one can use rage as both a hell of an anesthetic and motivation to survive being shot in the head, maybe this priest could also do that." He flared his mandibles in a wry grin at his Master. "Also, if he fought in the previous War, would that not make him a magus as well, with access to skills that could allow his survival?"
"He is certainly a magecraft user, but he should not have the power to survive multiple gunshot wounds." Rin smiled without mirth. "Unless he is good enough of an actor to have misled both me and my father for over a decade about his abilities." She shook her head, then glared at the other magus. "Anyway, enough speculations. Focus, Emiya-kun, and answer - before I lose my patience. At least I can already guess why and how you know about the Grail War."
The boy sighed again, then relaxed his posture a bit, his eyes halfway closed.
"I did not introduce myself or ask for your permission to establish a Workshop because that only applies to other magi; and neither myself nor my father considered ourselves that." He shook his head and went on before Rin could speak. "Yes, I do use magecraft, but that's all I have in common with a typical magus. I do not chase Akasha, and I'd like to think that I have a passable moral compass that most magi lack, or disregard." He paused for a moment, taking in Rin's blazing eyes, and he chuckled. "Present company excepted, of course. And I can't tell you how happy I am about that."
"Are you implying that I'm lacking compared to other magi, Emiya-kun?" Rin's saccharine smile would have been convincing if not for the slight twitch in her eye - and the way her Servant struggled to suppress his amusement.
"Yes." The bluntness shocked Rin for the crucial second, so Shirou could continue. "Despite your talents, your lineage, your drive for results, you do not consider other people as disposable tools. Simply put, you are still human, and not a sociopathic bastard like most magi."
One look at Rin's face was enough for Garrus to completely lose the struggle against laughter, and Saber also chuckled.
"He's got you there, Master." The flanging voice was full of smug mirth.
"Archer?" Rin's voice was the inflectionless tone of someone whose patience was hanging by a thread. "Do not assist Emiya-kun with his distractions." She transferred her glare to Shirou anew. "I'm willing to stipulate that you are not a proper magus, as I do not really believe the Fake Janitor is just a mere persona you use to interact with others. Still, the complexity of the wards around your home does make your claim somewhat shaky."
"Hey!" Shirou's indignant yelp was countered by an elegantly raised eyebrow. The boy shook his head, and went on. "Anyway, as to summoning a Servant - I have to admit, that was mostly by accident. I had no idea about the summoning circle in the shed."
Rin's eyes widened as she processed his words, her mind delving into the connection to her Servant to augment her assessment with his senses, and then chuckled bitterly.
"You summoned the best Servant class, a stunningly powerful Saber at that, completely by accident."
"Oi, Master, don't say things like that, her ego's big enough already!"
"Shut up Vakarian, she's simply much smarter than you." The red-haired Servant preened with an amused grin. "And better able to recognize talent, power, and beauty when she sees it."
Rin blushed, but powered on.
"So, if I'm understanding you correctly, your father was a Master in the previous War … and he fought Kirei." Rin paled, as realization hit, and only her Servant's grip prevented her from falling when she stumbled as she jumped back. "You … you are the son of the Magus Killer?"
Shirou smiled bitterly.
"No. I was adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya a few days after the Fuyuki Fire. The Magus Killer has not made an appearance since his involvement in the previous War as the Einzbern representative."
Rin opened her mouth to say something, then her eyes narrowed, her thoughts racing, before she smiled and nodded with grudging respect.
"Very nicely worded, Emiya-kun." Blue eyes locked gaze with golden ones. "What are your intentions now? Since the Grail responded to your call, accidental it may have been, you must have something you desire that requires winning this War."
The boy looked awkwardly to the side, before he raised his gaze again.
"I do not trust the Grail's intentions, to be honest. Still, my father tasked me with fixing his mistakes from the past War, and I intend to do so - while saving as many innocents as possible." The golden eyes flashed steel for a heartbeat. "I will do all I can to spare innocents from the murderous struggles of power-hungry maniacs with total disregard for other humans." His eyes blazed. "I will save as many people as possible."
Archer chuckled, and Shirou cast a long-suffering gaze at him, which the turian shrugged off.
"So you want to save innocents, kid?" There was some emotion in the flanging voice that Shirou could not decipher, beside the obvious mirth. The two Servants shared a glance at his determined nod. "Figures that would call out to Shepard."
Rin could not resist facepalming.
"Don't encourage him, Garrus. Especially since we are likely to fight them after this unspoken truce of ours ends."
"Do you now?" Shepard asked. "From what I can tell, my Master does not necessarily want the Grail itself - and even if he realizes later on that it's needed for his aims, all of us would benefit from an alliance until the rest of the participants are dealt with." The emerald eyes flashed with fury. "Particularly Leng and his Master."
"So Tohsaka, what do you say? Shall we work together, at least for the foreseeable future?"
Rin barely hesitated, and the approval from the mental link was not really a factor in her decision; neither was the smile of the other Servant.
"Agreed, Emiya-kun."
Shirou could not suppress a feeling of being watched as the foursome approached Fuyuki Church. Likely at least another magus was using familiars to spy on the Overseer's abode to gather information on the competition.
"I concur, Master." Shepard sent through their link. "Both me and Garrus can feel traces of at least one foreign Servant's presence. Must have been quite powerful if we can still pick up on its presence."
"And I guess it's not that Leng guy, or you would have named it."
A chuckle was the only answer.
"Well, here we are Emiya-kun." Rin did nothing to mask her distaste for the place. "If you still want to officially participate, this is where you need to register." She thought for a moment, then turned towards her materializing Servant.
"Archer, can you..."
"Don't worry Master, we got this." The turian flashed a smirk towards the other Servant. "Just like old times, Shepard. I hope you haven't lost your touch."
"Relax, Garrus - if anyone's stupid enough to start a fight, I'll get them both to safety." The red-haired woman grinned, and vanished.
The church door opened on creaking hinges, and the two magi felt the touch of a bounded field as they stepped into the shadowy interior.
"How nice of you to finally accept my invitation and visit, Rin. For the first time, you came to me from your own volition." There was a touch of amusement in the voice, as the tall priest placed his Bible on the lectern, and stepped towards them. "Though as your guardian, I am somewhat worried that you brought a boy along as your guest."
Rin's teeth ground together as she flushed with rage and maybe, possibly, something else?
"Kirei…."
Shirou stepped between them, a pulse of prana alighting the Command Seals on his hand.
"I want to participate in the Holy Grail War."
Kirei Kotomine smirked as he stepped closer.
"I see. So, you are the straggler the Grail chose to round out the number of Masters." Another step. "Last time, it was a serial killer. You are not a serial killer, by any chance?"
"... No?"
"That's unfortunate. Perhaps if you were, things might have gotten slightly interesting." The priest sighed. "At any rate, should you decide to drop out, you can find shelter here."
Shirou's eyes narrowed. There was something about the man's posture, demeanor, his whole being that was just…
"For the sake of the records, what is your name, Master of Saber?"
"Shirou. Shirou Emiya."
The reaction was minuscule. If not for the fact that he was paying very close attention to the man, Shirou would have missed it altogether. Rin too almost overlooked it, and only thanks to her link to Archer did she notice the well-hidden exultant joy in Kirei's body language and expression.
"So, Shirou Emiya..." The priest moved closer, stalking between the pews. "Has my apprentice properly enlightened you about what exactly the Holy Grail War entails?"
"I know enough to make an informed decision whether or not to participate."
"Really now? I wonder what would drive an ordinary teenager to subject himself to the terrible physical and psychological dangers that such a ritual presents." Kotomine slowly started to move aside, towards the wall, a faint smug smirk on his lips. "I would advise you to consider your reasons carefully - if you want to impress my ward, you can find much easier methods."
"I don't think that's for the records, Overseer." Shirou's voice dripped with distrust, while Rin tried to burn a hole into her guardian with her glare. Kirei ignored their animosity, as he circled slowly around them.
"That is true. Nevertheless, I would consider it a favor if you would indulge my curiosity, Shirou Emiya." The priest's smile was unnerving. "After all, you were not destined for this, unlike Rin."
A quick mental nudge from their bond decided it for Shirou.
"Simple. I want to save as many innocents as possible" both young magi caught the tell-tale tensing of Kirei's hand, and the way he barely suppressed a triumphant smile "and for that, I need power."
"I see. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity." Maybe it was just the creepy ambience, but Shirou could have sworn he saw sparks of unholy glee in Kotomine's dead eyes.
"Are we done, then?" At a nod from the priest, Shirou and Rin left the temple unhindered.
"Looks like they managed to leave the church intact." An impression of a wide grin showing teeth. "Then again, I would have been very disappointed if they didn't, especially if those two Servants are who I think they are."
Ilya paused for a moment, turned her head with menacing slowness towards her Servant, furious blood-red eyes drilling into ancient crimson ones.
"And you did not tell me you knew them why?"
"Because I am still not fully sure. They do feel very familiar, though." A rumbling chuckle. "Besides, if I'm correct, fighting them will be fun."
The young magus resisted the urge to facepalm. Wrex snorted, then she could feel his eyes on her again.
"Are you sure about this, child?"
"Yes, old turtle. While I may give him the benefit of doubt with regards to his and my father's conduct, he is still a rival Master." She sniffed imperiously. "He must be taught his place - just like that Tohsaka heiress." She flashed a wan, brittle smile at her unseen guardian. "Besides, didn't you tell me that only in battle can one measure the other's worth?"
The rumbling laughter seemingly set the ground shaking, then the two of them closed on the foursome walking away from the church, Ilya's hands weaving an arcane pattern.
Shirou and Rin walked barely a corner, when they felt the brush of a bounded field activating. Visibility dropped, sounds dampened, both of them could feel the subtle influence exerted towards non-magi to simply ignore whatever happened within. Archer and Saber materialized at their sides, the Servants ready for fight, their senses questing for the attacker.
"I doubt this is Leng or his Master - neither of them would have the balls, knowledge or power to pull off something like this." Shepard's voice was calm, with but a hint or eagerness in it.
"I see you followed my advice, onii-chan." The voice was coming from a young girl, standing at the edge of the bounded field, her blood-red eyes burning with emotion.
Shirou's jaw dropped as he recognized the small girl he helped a few days ago - and a part of his brain congratulated the other magus for being able to mask her abilities that well. Rin's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the foreigner.
"Red eyes, white hair, ungodly amounts of prana, and annoying proficiency in bounded fields." She smiled, baring teeth. "I see the Einzbern again sent one of their own as participant."
She did not see Shirou's look when he heard the name from his father's past. What she could see and sense, first with Archer's help then on her own, was the almost palpable bloodlust that flooded the confines of the bounded field.
"Oh crap." The two Servants shared a look, and Rin paled a bit as she sampled Garrus' emotions via the link. A look at Shirou confirmed her fears that Saber must have felt the same. "Please let it not be him."
A sinister, rumbling chuckle accompanied the weight pressing down on the material plane, the instinctive urge to flee from an apex predator screamed warnings in the brains of both magi. A hulking, massive figure in blood-red armor took shape at the albino's side, its first step crunching the concrete beneaths its feet. The aura of bloodlust intensified, gained an eager, almost giddy edge, as the towering alien bared a maw ringed with fangs at them in a bloodthirsty grin. Crimson eyes lit up with the joy of impending battle, and an oversized cannon appeared in the creature's hand.
"Shepard." Its voice was a menacing, deep rumble. "Garrus." The being inclined its scarred head slightly, a minuscule gesture of respect.
"Wrex." Saber's husky voice showed just a bit of hesitation. "Let's talk first, old turtle."
The answering laughter turned into a boom of displaced air, as a corona of blue-white light ignited around the monstrous Servant, and he vanished into a blue streak of light to reappear directly before Shirou and Rin, the vast barrel of the enormous gun ready to erase them both from existence - and a black-armored hand wreathed in blue flames hit the monster from the side, throwing off its aim. The cannon roared, the shot tore up pieces of the road - which then lifted in the air in a blue glow, and shot towards Rin and Shirou, sent by the tiny gesture of the towering warlord. The chunks of concrete missed their mark due to Garrus hauling both Masters back, tossing them to the side before he materialized an oversized handgun, and started to circle the two brawling Servants.
Ordinarily, Rin would have made a few choice remarks with the proper saccharine or sarcastic tone (depending on her mood) about how her companion was enthralled by the sight of the woman before them - but she too found it almost impossible to tear her eyes off the spectacle. In truth, even with reinforced senses, sharpened further by drawing on Archer's considerable abilities, she barely perceived images from that whirlwind of motion. Nevertheless, the deadly dance of the dueling Servants spoke to a primal part in her, awe, fear, worry, and another emotion she did not care to dwell on vying within her mind. A glance aside confirmed that if anything, Shirou had it rougher - not surprisingly, since he likely drew on Saber's senses, while expending quite a lot of prana to keep her in the fight.
Still, Rin knew that a few choice images would stay with her from that chaotic melee raging just a few steps away. The towering armored behemoth gracefully swaying aside from a burning blade of orange light, its massive, blue-wreathed fist barely missing the woman's head. A scintillating barrier snapping into place to deflect Archer's shot from the monster's head - then Saber's glowing fist hitting the bestial face, eliciting a howl of delight? Or rage? The woman's emerald eyes blazing with intensity, her hair a corona of fire as she ignored the oversized cannon blasting a chunk of road from directly beside her head - then her kick connected, and even Shirou winced in pain. Garrus placing shot after shot into the beast's vitals; yet each and every one of them was either dodged or deflected by the thing's barrier. And above all the gunfire and explosions, that deep, booming laughter from the Berserker.
"So, are you two surrendering, or will my Berserker have to take your Servants apart?"
Rin's eyes narrowed at the challenging tone of the Einzbern brat, then blinked as four birdlike familiars materialized above the albino, whose lips twisted into a sneer of contempt. With a spike of prana, she attacked, and Rin's hastily erected barrier could barely deflect the blow.
"Ilya, please!" There was a note of desperation in Shirou's voice. "Stop this! We need to talk! Kiritsugu..."
The only warning they got was a narrowing of the blood-red eyes, before one of the familiars morphed into a blade, and accelerated towards Shirou at a borderline-supersonic velocity, Tohsaka's gem shield slowing it down for perhaps a fraction of a heartbeat - yet that was more than enough for Garrus to line up a shot that exploded the blade.
"Let's not disturb the family reunion with bloodshed, kids."
All three humans gaped at the turian, who flared his mandibles in a wide grin, before focusing once more on the brawl between Wrex and Shepard, ignoring the Masters again.
With eloquence befitting her lineage and status, Rin summed up the feelings of the magi present.
"What."
Kotomine Kirei strolled back to the rectory to find his decade-long companion lounging on the sofa as usual, sipping wine. Slitted crimson eyes glared at him, and the King's voice was a low, menacing hiss.
"She is not the one you promised, Kirei."
The priest suppressed a sigh. Really, Gilgamesh could have such a one-track mind on occasions.
"True." He smirked, gesturing towards the golden mirror the King used to scry on the ongoing brawl. "Yet I think she too could be worth your attention - for much the same reasons as the previous Saber."
"Hm." Gilgamesh sipped from his ornate cup as he leaned back casually. "I shall see whether she is fit to enjoy the King's regard." His eyes glowed as he watched the combat. "Certainly, she is no mere ornament, good only for a brief tumble." He grinned, showing teeth. "Yes, I think she will provide adequate entertainment."