"How can I destroy my weakness? 'Cause I wanna be stronger - I need to keep them all safe, but I lack the power"
Fate/Brave Shine
Chapter 4: Vacillation
Fire burned everything around him. Flames lashed out, grabbing onto everything in its reach. Smoke filled his lungs as he struggled to breathe. He could feel himself getting weaker by the second. Everything was gone, consumed by the unnatural fire. Even his memories.
All he remembered was his own first name. Shirō. He stumbled forwards blindly, the intense combination of heat, fire and smoke obscuring his vision. The only thing that was clear was an open path out of the hell he was in. It was as if some powerful force cleared that path for him. He didn't question it, only wanting to escape what threatened to erase his very existence.
As Shirō got closer to what seemed like an exit, he could make out a womanly figure. He couldn't see any actual features other than white hair. She was beckoning him to her. Shirō moved forwards, buildings behind him collapsing as he made his way past. The closer he came, the less pain he felt. He reached her after what felt like hours. She gently placed a hand on his head as if to comfort him. Then, darkness overtook his vision.
When he opened his eyes again, someone was grabbing him, pulling him upwards. It was a man. He looked happy, though Shirō didn't know why. His mouth was moving, but Shirō couldn't hear anything being said. He could see tears running down his face, and yet he was still happy.
In that moment, Shirō felt jealous. He couldn't remember anything from his past, but he knew he had never been that happy before. His head rolled to the side and he saw the woman again, standing behind the man. She, too, had a smile on her face. However, hers was a sad one. She said something to him, but he still couldn't hear anything.
Then she was gone.
Shirō woke suddenly, recalling parts of a memory that had been missing. Careful as to not disturb Arturia, who clung to him as she slept, he raised an arm to lightly clutch his head. Who was that woman? Why had he forgotten her? Why was he remembering now?
It was still early morning. The sun hadn't yet breached the horizon. Shirō tried to relax, but with the memory of the woman came the memory of the pain he felt. Though the fire had somehow left him unburnt, he still felt the heat. He vividly remembered the feeling of being within that blaze. It wasn't hot. It wasn't even warm. It was just painful. All other senses were shut out, replaced by the intense feeling of pain.
"Shirō?"
He looked to Arturia, who was awake now. She didn't look like she got much sleep. After they got home, she all but collapsed in his arms. She kept apologizing for appearing so weak, but he assured her time and time again that she was anything but weak. He promised that they'd deal with their problems together.
"Sorry. Bad dream." He said. He didn't want to reveal what he had remembered. They both already had enough to worry about.
The look he got was telling at just how well she knew him. She knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. Yet, she kept quiet. She didn't need to say anything. The look was enough.
"We can talk about it later," He started "for now, let's focus on starting the day right. With a shower."
Despite her usual calm and collected nature, Arturia blushed.
"Morgan won't stop. Not unless we make her." Arturia said, scrubbing Shirō's back. There was a small blush on her face. She and Shirō were closer than they ever had been before, as if their very souls were intertwined, but she was still unused to feeling like a woman. Something that he made her feel simply by being close to her.
Shirō nodded. "Merlin warned me that might be the case. I'll be honest, I don't actually know much about her, so I don't know what kind of power she holds." Shirō was less embarrassed by their closeness. That was partly because, within his memory, he had been with her many times. He likened it to a sunset. Though one might see it a thousand times, each time is special. This was no different.
"She is more powerful than any person has the right to be, spirit or not. She's tampered with time just as Merlin has, but on a larger scale. Gawain and Agravain are proof of that." Arturia said, clenching her jaw. She felt more angry at Morgan now than she did when Camelot still existed. Morgan was lost to her own power, and now she was using her once loyal knights against her.
"Even if her power didn't continue to grow after I was gone, she's still Merlin's equal. With her summoning her own servants, however unwilling they are, she's the biggest threat this war has." Arturia explained.
Shirō was deep in thought. It was clear that they'd need help to take down Morgan, but Archer was an enemy himself. Rider might be willing to help, but that would endanger Sakura. Lancer was out so long as Kotomine was his Master. Caster was a wildcard. Ilya and Berserker.. they'd be a tremendous help, but Ilya was still set on killing just about everything that was between him and her.
Suddenly, the blank visage of the white-haired woman from his dreams flashed through his mind and his head throbbed. Shirō blinked. Was there a connection between Ilya and the woman? They did both have white hair. Ilya was Kiritsugu's father. Was the woman her mother? His adoptive father never said anything about his previous family.
His thoughts were interrupted by Arturia hugging him from behind, her arms wrapping around his front. He was distinctly aware of her breasts pressed against his back, but his renewed teenage hormones took a backseat. He placed his hands on hers and squeezed gently.
"How are we going to stop her?" She asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper.
Shirō wished he had a concrete answer. But, he didn't. He had no first-hand knowledge of Morgan's true abilities. He didn't know how she fought, what kind of magic she used, or what her weaknesses were. He wouldn't know until they faced her. Arcurant was powerful, but he was unsure what might happen if it were to directly clash with Morgan's magic. His Unlimited Blade Works might be a huge advantage if she didn't know about it, but something told him that she might be prepared for such an event where Shirō was within range to pull her in.
Even then, he could probably overwhelm her. He had access to more blades than ever before. However, he held onto the hope that his words would get through to her. Merlin said that her own power had consumed her. From experience, he knew that it was possible to break free of such a thing. That all hinged on whether or not she wanted to free herself from her own darkness. Morgan, for better or worse, was family to Arturia. Shirō knew better than most how important family was, despite not remembering his own biological family. He'd do everything in his power to help restore what was left of Arturia's family.
A dark thought crept into his mind, remnants of a past life. 'But if she cannot be reasoned with, I will grant her a swift death. I will not allow her to take away this chance I've been given.'
Rin was not happy with Archer. He had scouted the Temple for way, way longer than she originally ordered and then had the audacity to tell her that she "wasn't ready for whatever was hiding inside that temple".
She fell back to saying that, if she wasn't ready, then neither was he. However, he merely scoffed at her, which only further angered her. She felt tempted to use her last remaining Command Seal, but decided against it. To her surprise, he suggested that "Perhaps that useless Master and his Servant might be of some use" for when they follow up on their investigation.
"Oh, so now you're okay with teaming up with Shirō?" Rin said, narrowing her eyes at her Servant.
Archer gave a hollow-sounding laugh. "No. He's still useless. His Servant, on the other hand, would at least be of some use."
Rin bristled at his comment. That was cold, even for him. They had yet to see either Shirō or Saber actually fight, so Archer so casually dismissing them wasn't something she could just let go.
"Why do you dislike them so much, Archer?"
One eye opened to regard her with the look a parent might give a child for asking a 'dumb' question. "Only one Servant can win this war. What happens if it comes down between us and them?"
Rin didn't answer, choosing instead to look away from him. In truth, she hadn't really planned that far ahead. From his words, Shirō seemed like he would be completely fine conceding if it were down to the two of them. Yet, she could remember a certain fire in his eyes that was more intense than anything she had seen before. His Servant, Saber, was no slouch, either.
"So then what should we do?"
Archer hummed. "Isn't it obvious? Send them in first. If they're killed, we deal with whatever is hiding in that Temple after they've been weakened."
Rin glared at him, not liking his suggestion. He raised a hand, conceding to his Master. "Or, we could both go in. The bounded field is too strong to sneak in. We'd have to go through the entrance, which would be expected by whatever is hiding in there."
"You keep speaking as if it's not a Servant. Is something else inside the Temple?"
Archer remained quiet. In truth, he didn't really have an answer. It could be a Servant, albeit one that was more powerful than anything he had encountered before. Or, it could be something else. Both options were not pleasant to think about. However, there were definitely multiple things residing within that Temple. He didn't want to endanger Rin, but there was no way she'd let him go by himself. At the very least, Emiya Shirō would make a decent meat shield.
"Something is inside that Temple. Even if it isn't a Servant, it is a threat that needs to be eliminated." Archer said.
Compared to what had occurred the previous night, breakfast was a fairly dull affair. Sakura hadn't shown up, which while not unexpected, the lack of her presence at the table was somewhat unsettling. Shirō's mind thought up several dozen worse-case scenarios before Taiga casually mentioned that Sakura had called her so she could inform Shirō that she wouldn't be able to make it due to personal matters. Shirō and Arturia shared a look, both thinking the same thing. With Rider now watching over her, it would be difficult for her to go about her day-to-day life. Rider would likely refuse to take 'spirit' form in favor of staying corporeal to more quickly combat any presented threats, which would make her presence difficult to explain.
After Taiga left with her stomach full and none the wiser, Arturia tried to convince Shirō to stay home. He could tell that she feared him being attacked again. But, he reassured her that, if need be, he'd use a Command Seal to quickly summon her should such a thing happen, unlikely as it may be.
Shirō could tell that the events of the previous night weighed on her heavily. She hid it well, but he could see past her facade. The thought of her former comrades, her Knights being forcefully conscripted by Morgan was not something that was easy for her to reconcile with. They were the closest thing to family she had before she passed away and was taken in by the Grail. She had said as much in a previous life, the one they shared.
The hours spent at school that followed were equally as dull as breakfast had been. Both Shinji and Sakura were absent. Suzuki-sensei was present, but he didn't have any classes with him. For a few short hours, he was reminded of the life he had before the Holy Grail War. Before Arturia. It felt cold. Empty.
Rin had brought him out of his slump to discuss the Temple. She had relayed Archer's observations, that something was inside, and that the Temple was too heavily warded to get in any way but the front. As much as he wanted to discuss strategy with her, without Arturia present to give her input it wouldn't be a very sound plan, and he told her as such.
Rin had been a little peeved at him seemingly dismissing her competence, but quickly realized that he was doing it more for safety's sake than anything else. A Servant as powerful as Saber would obviously have valuable input, though she knew Archer would likely disagree. However, without Archer there to influence her decisions, she agreed to meet him over the weekend to discuss the plan. It was a full day's wait and wasn't ideal if they wanted to get the jump on whatever was residing in the Temple, but it was the safer decision.
Arturia had been right outside the school gates waiting for him. She was obviously worried about him, and about them being attacked on the way home. He could tell by her posture and by the way her eyes scanned everything around them. She wasn't expecting it when his arm wrapped around her waist.
"Shirō?"
He looked down to her, smiling softly and reassuringly. "If we're going to walk together, we should walk together."
"But-"
He cut her off, putting a finger to her lips. "You want to know why I'm not worried, right?" He asked. Above them, with the sun long gone, the clouds gave way to the moon. Its light was the only one visible in the darkness surrounding them.
"So long as you stand by me, there isn't a single thing in this world I'm afraid of. Not Berserker, not Gilgamesh, and not Morgan. So long as I have you, I have the ability to fight for myself. You don't have to be worried about me. When we get home, I'll prove that to you."
"Prove it to me...?"
He nodded. "You remember our spars in the dojo, right?"
Inside the depths of Ryuudo Temple, another summoning was taking place. The summoning circle glowed with a sinister red light which was the only illumination the room had, the electrical lights long since burnt out thanks to the supernatural forces at work. The ritual itself was paused for the time being as both Medea and Morgan needed time to recover Mana to complete the summoning.
The two women sat there in meditative silence as they took in the excess Mana pouring out of the Ley Line that Mount Enzou was built upon. It was slower than extracting Mana from living beings, but it had no risk associated to it, as the bounded field that Morgan constructed was more than enough to keep unwanted guests from discovering what they were doing without them being warned in advance.
Morgan knew that other participants in the war had deduced that there was at least one Servant residing within the Temple, but none were brave enough to confirm their findings. Not even the Servant which preformed a good deal of recon was stupid enough to poke his nose in her business.
However, Medea had questions that went unanswered. Ever since her 'chat' with Agravain, she wondered just kind of relation there was between that boy, his Servant, and Morgan herself. Every attempt at leading the conversations they had, however brief they may be, down that path was met with extremely strong resistance. Morgan wasn't interested in sharing, and while Medea might normally look the other way, Agravain's words burned in her mind.
"This one is certainly taking a lot of Mana to summon. Is he truly worth the trouble, Morgan?"
The woman in question didn't move, nor did she even open her eyes when she answered. "Yes. He once almost single-handedly brought our target to her knees. Were it not for Gawain and his weapon, she might have fallen to him on that day." Her tone was cruel as ever, as was her smile.
"Speaking of weapons, I find it hard to believe you knew what would come of your pawn's weapons last night." Medea said, gauging Morgan's reaction closely.
Morgan frowned and her eyebrows scrunched up, but still her eyes did not open, nor did any other part of her body move, other than her mouth. "Very perceptive of you. It is true that I was unaware their weapons would change as they themselves changed, but it is not an unwanted result. They will no longer be held back by the skill of others, and their weapons will serve to demoralize that wretched woman, and that boy if he knows anything about them."
Medea left it there. She didn't want to push her luck with the questions, not now that Morgan had begun to trust her. She'd find out in due time. Still, her curiosity remained. Medea figured that she would pay Agravain another visit in his cell as soon as Morgan gave her time to rest.
Arturia and Shirō made it home safely and without incident. Shirō surmised that their combined attacks must have had some effect. They had a few hours before either Taiga or Sakura might show up for dinner, which gave Shirō more than enough time to make good on his promise of ensuring her that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. They dressed-down into two training uniforms and took their positions in the dojo.
Shirō had reinforced the training weapons to ensure that they'd stand up to the forces they were about to be subjected to. For the first time since being pulled backwards through time, Arturia had the chance to look at Shirō while he had a weapon in his hand without any distractions. She could tell by the way he held himself that he was no longer a boy or incompetent Magus.
As they took their stances, she noticed that he wasn't tracing the skill of any other warrior. He didn't choose a second weapon to mirror Archer's style, either. He was rigid where necessary and limber where it counted. She wanted to comment on this, to praise him for coming so far as a warrior, but he surprised her once more by taking the initiative.
Shirō had set the rules of the spar as he was preparing the weapons. No magic, period. It would be just their martial prowess being tested against one another. She'd know if he cheated, and he would likely be able to tell if she did, as well. So when he moved, she could hardly believe it. He wasn't moving so fast that she couldn't track his movements, but he was moving faster than anyone with a human body had the right to.
Their weapons clashed as she blocked his attack, causing a small shockwave to come from the sudden contact. For a single second, Arturia was lost to her thoughts of both his sudden speed and strength. He hadn't had the chance to use it thanks to the nature of their opponents, but here in the dojo he wasn't limiting himself.
That single second of thought was costly, as Shirō not only noticed her lapse, but capitalized upon it, earning first 'blood' with a light slash on her midsection after breaking her guard.
"I told you," He started, moving back to his starting position, ignoring the look of shock on her face "I'm going to show you that you don't need to worry about me." He turned and she saw the smile on his face. It was kind, but it was also challenging. It ignited a fire in her that was matched with similar gusto by Shirō.
"Very well. I'll take this more seriously, then." She said, returning to her starting position and taking up her stance once more.
Illyasveil von Einzbern was staring at her Servant, confused. For the first time in a very long time, she didn't fully understand what was going on. Berserker no longer held a dead, lifeless look in his eyes that came with the Madness Enhancement she kept him in. Instead, his eyes showed signs of intelligence.
She'd tried talking to him since she first noticed the change, but he was still incapable of forming words. However, he seemed to understand much more of what was going on around him now. He was no longer reliant upon her directing him and moved and acted upon his own, though still constrained, free will.
Illya looked down at the tissue in her hands. She had been crying and he had crossed the room to fetch her a tissue. He had never done that before. Before, he had been little more than a weapon. She'd bonded with him during the two months of training they'd gone through, but his own Madness prevented him from being able to show such acts of kindness on his own volition.
That was before she had confronted Shirō. Ever since that bright flash of light, Berserker had been different. After he had regained his stock of lives, Illya knew that it wasn't a side-effect. The fact that her Onii-chan had been able to take away so many in the first place not only shocked her, it scared her. At first, she thought that it might have been the sword he had pulled out of thin air, but she felt that the sword was merely a catalyst. After all, it didn't match the description of any legendary weapon that would have been able to deal such a blow to Berserker. She'd done her homework, after all.
Then there was Shirō's use of their father's magecraft. He shouldn't have been able to do that. Yet, he did. Then, he used that sword of his to take away four of Berserker's lives.
"What happened to you, Berserker?"
Arturia had never seen this side of Shirō before. Not like what she was seeing now. They'd been sparring for almost two whole hours and Shirō showed no signs of fatigue. Plenty of sweat, but no heavy breathing or sloppy stance to accompany it. Even his heartbeat, which she could feel through their link, was nice and calm. The expression on his face was the same, calm and collected.
He hadn't once traced the skill of someone else. When she began probing his weaknesses, he'd just change things up just enough so that she couldn't do it again, but no so much that it was completely different to how he had been fighting before.
Another thing she noticed was that his weapon's weaknesses in reach, flexibility, and length, which they were both burdened by as they had the same kind, were not hindering him in the slightest. What he held in his hands was no mere weapon, but an extension of himself. This meant that he had mastered not only the basics, but the advanced levels of swordsmanship to a degree that most mortals could only dream of. If she had to guess, she'd say that he was hindered only by his own mortal body. Were he not bound by such restrictions, she could believe him to rival even the greatest Heroic Spirits when it came to swordsmanship.
That wasn't to say he didn't have any faults. For one, he relied upon the enemy to let him know when they had discovered a hole in his defense. This meant that he needed to be faster than the person he was facing to avoid any fatal blows and instead only receive minor wounds. That was not only dangerous, but a fatal flaw, were he to come across someone both quicker and smarter than him.
Another fault, though some might not call it that, was that he was almost too versatile. He had a lot of ways to keep an opponent busy and guessing, but that only works so long as his opponent doesn't have so much brute strength that they can just plow through him. Someone like Berserker would, as Shirō was fighting now, make short work of him. He switched things up a bit too quickly, which meant that while he might have a better chance at finding an opening, it gave him less time to figure out what might be a winning strategy.
Of course, both these faults would be lessened were this a real fight and he wasn't bound by rules or a training weapon. She had no doubt that, against most opponents, Shirō could very well be the victor. If it came down to it, he could always overwhelm them with his Unlimited Blade Works, however reluctant he seemed to be on relying upon the skill of others.
Something that surprised her was that, every once in a while, she'd catch him smiling. He wasn't just enjoying their spar, but he was enjoying the fight itself. The Shirō she knew didn't enjoy the act of fighting. Arturia reminded herself on more than one occasion that the Shirō before her was much more than the Shirō she knew. She didn't dislike the change. She, too, was enjoying their spar. Not just because it was with him, but because it was with someone who could genuinely keep up with her. Though she might have been holding back the capabilities provided to her as a Servant, she was holding none of her martial skill back by this point.
Shirō noticed the contemplative look on her face. "We should probably stop for now. It's getting close to dinner time and I'm not sure whether or not Sakura is coming over tonight, but I'll bet Fuji-nee will."
Arturia looked over to the clock on the wall and nodded her head in agreement. She'd lost track of time. "Very well." She placed her training sword on the rack, followed by Shirō. It was a testament to how far he had come that his reinforcement on them had lasted as long as they did under the stress they had put them through.
"So, did you want the first shower?" Shirō asked.
A pink hue rose to the surface of her cheeks. "It would save time to shower together."
To his credit, Shirō managed to keep his face from going completely red despite his renewed teenage hormones.
Arturia insisted that she help with preparing dinner. Shirō was happy to have the help, and he found it fun to teach her something for a change, instead of it being the other way around. She was a quick learner after he showed her how to properly cut with a kitchen knife.
Shirō found himself just looking at her for a few moments, taking in and memorizing everything about her at that time. Dressed in her white and blue outfit with her hair down, with a small smile on her face as she quietly hummed to herself a tune he was sure she wasn't answer she was humming. It was almost as if they were just another couple, living a completely normal life.
His mind wandered a bit and he started to think of what that could be like. Just the two of them. No more magic, no more war. He could see himself becoming a chef. Or a repairman. Something that required his hands. Arturia could open a dojo, become a teacher, or do anything she set her mind to, really.
They could live a peaceful life together, often having friends over for dinner, just like what they were preparing for in that very moment. Maybe even start a family of their own.
"Is something wrong, Shirō?"
Arturia's words shook him back to reality and he realized he was staring at her. Instead of being embarrassed as a past Shirō might be, however, he merely smiled at her softly.
"No. Nothing is wrong at all, Arturia." His words sounded strange to her, like he was speaking to her from another reality. But, they held such a gentle and loving tone that she couldn't stop her cheeks from changing color.
A knock at the door told them that they had a visitor, and that it was probably Sakura. Taiga didn't knock. Shirō took over for Arturia while she went to greet their guest.
Opening the door changed her mood, however. Shirō couldn't see who was at the door, but Arturia was no longer smiling, and she no longer had the glow she did moments before. The drastic change in mood came so suddenly that Shirō could feel it, as if the room itself dropped in temperature to well below freezing.
Arturia invited their guests inside and Shirō knew instantly what had brought about this sudden change. It wasn't Sakura's presence, but Rider's. She was dressed in a dark pair of pants and a heavy sweater that did little to hide her assets. Her eyes weren't hidden and the mark on her head was gone, but her true eyes were still sealed.
"Ah, I hope I'm not imposing Senpai, but a family friend is staying with me and after I told her about you she wanted to meet you herself." Sakura said. This told Shirō that she still didn't know about his or Arturia's involvement in the war.
Shirō stumbled a bit before answering, not used to Rider's sudden presence in his own home. "No, uh, it's fine. We've made more than enough to-"
He was cut off mid-sentence as Taiga opened the door and walked in, not paying attention to anyone else in the room as she yawned and stretched. "Oh Shirō, you wouldn't believe the day I had! Those brats in second period kept-" Taiga was interrupted as she bumped into Rider, not having opened her eyes in time to see her.
"Oof, I'm sorry, I-" Taiga opened her eyes to see who she bumped into, only to realize it was someone she hadn't seen before. Someone she hadn't seen before in Shirō's house. Someone she hadn't seen before, in Shirō's house, who was a woman. Her head snapped in Shirō's direction "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? WHY DO YOU KEEP BRINGING GIR- WOMEN HOME WITH YOU, EMIYA?" She yelled comically.
Rider, for her part, looked more confused than embarrassed.
"The next summoning is almost complete."
Agravain didn't look up. Shackled by his wrists to the wall, he continued to stare at the floor, his face hidden by his disheveled hair and the darkness of his cell. He hadn't moved an inch since their last 'talk'.
Medea looked at her Servant with a curious expression. "Morgan hasn't said as much, but she's planning on attacking that boy and your King once it is complete."
Agravain said nothing. Medea frowned at the lack of a reaction, approaching the cell. "She's tired of playing with them. She's going to use all of you against them."
"It won't be enough." His voice was little more than a whisper, but she heard his words clearly.
"What makes you think they'll be able to stand against the five of you? Morgan says this next one is a dragon."
Her question was met with more silence, which irritated her. For a moment, she thought about punishing him, but decided against it. Morgan did enough of that for the both of them.
"You call her your King. I don't recognize her name, nor do I recognize yours, or the others'. Morgan is careful with which questions she answers. She hasn't told me who your King is to her, only that she was wronged by her."
Agravain chuckled lowly, surprising Medea as he was otherwise fairly despondent. "My King did not wrong Morgan. Fate and circumstance wronged her. She is too blinded by rage and anger to see that, though."
He wasn't wrong. Medea could tell that Morgan's driving force and motivations relied heavily upon her barely contained anger and rage. However, her emotions and her power were connected. It was as if they played off of each other, one side amplifying the other and vice-versa. The fact that Medea's reserves were being drained so quickly for this summoning and that Morgan was already controlling three other Servants was proof of that.
"She is jealous, Medea. Not just of my King, but of you as well."
Medea blinked. "Jealous of me? Why?"
"Because you have someone to love, and that someone loves you in return. She has nothing but her own wicked power."
Her face changed from curiosity to shock. However, before she could react, he spoke again. "I am an Assassin. Reading people is part of what I do best. That is why I know you trusting her will end badly for you."
Even after Sakura explained Rider's presence, Taiga continued to look at the woman suspiciously. Though, she wasn't the only one. Arturia was just as unhappy about Rider's presence as Taiga was. Not only was this an incredible risk of revealing Shirō's part in the war, it was, in Arturia's mind, inappropriate. She didn't like Rider and she didn't like Rider being near Shirō.
Arturia's opinion of Rider was abundantly clear to Shirō. He wasn't a fan of the situation, either. But Rider seemed to ignore Arturia, instead choosing to ask Shirō questions that were more or less innocuous, but given who and what she was, strange. She seemed to have taken an interest in him and Shirō wasn't quite sure that was a good thing. After all, he knew what had happened last time Rider took an interest in him.
Rider enjoyed Shirō's cooking. It was easily the best thing she had eaten since the start of the war. The smell of it was just as good as the taste. It was almost good enough to cause her to overlook the fact that, despite having taken a shower, his Servant's smell was all over him, and his was all over her. This only further confirmed what she had seen the other night.
"So Shirō, what do you plan to do after you graduate?" She asked, digging into the enigma that was Emiya Shirō.
Shirō was quiet for a moment before answering, taking time to think of an appropriate answer. "Well, one of the things I'm thinking about doing is becoming a Chef. I've always enjoyed cooking and nobody has complained so far."
"Yes, I can see that. You're quite delicious." Rider said, nodding in agreement.
Both Taiga and Arturia shared a knowing look, where as Shirō was completely oblivious to what exactly was just said.
"You mean the food is delicious." Taiga said, a hard edge to her voice that promised pain if the response wasn't what she wanted it to be.
"Hm? Oh, yes. The food."
Meanwhile, both Sakura and Shirō were feeling fairly awkward after realizing what was said initially. Shirō more so than Sakura. He was more uncomfortable now than he was when Sakura and Rider first showed up. Sparing a glance at Arturia, Shirō noticed that, under the table, her hands had balled up into fists, the whites of the knuckles showing clearly through the skin.
He stealthily slid his hand over hers, ensuring her that she wasn't alone in wanting this awkward situation to end as soon as possible.
Dinner at Shirō's ended without any further awkwardness, thanks to Taiga's intervention with small-talk about work. Sakura's face was still red, recalling what Rider had said about Shirō, or rather, his cooking.
"I apologize for my misuse of words." Rider had said. But, something told her that it wasn't a misuse at all. Though, she couldn't think of why Rider would be interested in Shirō that way after just meeting him. Perhaps it was meant to be a joke?
Either way, Sakura was glad that it was over. As they walked back to the Matou family home, Rider commented on Shirō's behavior, saying he was not what she was expecting.
"What were you expecting?"
Rider took some time to choose her words carefully. "He was.. more honest than I thought he would be."
Sakura wanted to question her further, but something else interrupted them. A man was walking towards them, a red spear propped over one shoulder. Even being as naive and untrained as she was, Sakura knew this to be a Servant. Rider put herself between the two of them, already in her battle gear.
"Sorry, ladies. My Master didn't tell me I would be fighting women. If he had, it would've been more difficult to get me to find you two." He said. His tone implied he was genuine in not wanting to fight them.
Rider was already going through several plans to draw this Servant away from Sakura so she could fight more freely and openly without having to worry about her.
"Um, Servant-san, if you don't want to fight, would you please let us go?" Sakura asked, hopeful that this Servant would be willing to overlook them for the time being.
This gave Lancer pause before letting out a loud, warm laugh, needing to use his spear to keep him from doubling over. After a few moments, he pulled himself together and looked up at them with a smile on his face. "Hehe, I wasn't expecting that. But as much as it pains me to admit, my Master wouldn't be very kind to me if I were to just let you go."
"Perhaps you'd be willing to fight me honorably, then. No Master is a challenge for a Servant. Fight me and leave her alone." Rider said. By his posture and attitude, it was clear to her that he was more than confident in his abilities. That wasn't good for her or Sakura, so she relied upon a method she learned from Shirō. Using words to challenge his honor, if he had any.
Lancer nodded, agreeing to her terms. "I was told not to touch your Master anyways. Go home, girl." He finished, addressing Sakura directly.
"But.. Rider-"
Rider looked over her shoulder, though her eyes were concealed by that black blindfold. "Go, Sakura. I'll be fine."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but Sakura did as she was told. She ran.
Lancer watched as the girl disappeared from eyesight. Then, turning his gaze upon the girl's Servant, his warm eyes turned cold before adopting a fighting stance, his menacing red spear glowing under the streetlight. "It would be unfair not to tell you who I am before we fight, since I know all about you, Medusa."
That put Rider on edge. An opponent who knew her had an incredible advantage over her if they played their cards right. She relied upon her opponents not knowing anything about her, and yet both that boy and this man and his Master knew of her. That didn't speak well for how this fight was going to go.
"My class is that of the Lancer. In life, I was known as the Cú Chulainn. You'd be wise to avoid my Spear."
The moment his sentence ended, he shot towards her in an incredible display of speed. Rider was just barely fast enough to dodge his initial thrust, flipping and spinning to avoid those that followed before landing gracefully on the ground behind him.
Lancer tilted his head, clearly impressed. "I was told you'd be fast, but words do you no justice."
Rider smirked before launching her own attack, her daggers flying towards the Child of Light. He deflected them easily, but the chains that followed weren't so easy. One chain managed to wrap around his ankle and as he was untangling himself from it, she was on him again, her daggers back in her hands, ready to strike.
Acting quickly, Lancer smashed the chain on his ankle and jumped away, but not before one of her daggers carved deep into his side, drawing first blood. It was in that moment he realized she was faster than he was. Pressing a hand to his side and bringing it up for confirmation, he smirked once again. This would prove to be an interesting fight. He looked to her to praise her combat ability, only to see she had a look of shock on her face. She was looking just over his head.
A moment of confusion almost cost him his life. Lancer looked up just in time to see a massive fist over his head on a direct course for it. On instinct and instinct alone, he carved all 18 of his magical runes into the ground, setting up a powerful Bounded Field to save him from a flat and bloody fate. The Bounded Field shattered, dispersing the force of the massive fist. Lancer jumped away to look at the interloper, only for his face to take on that of Rider's.
The being in front of them was another Servant, but it was pushing the bounds of the human form. He was a massive, dark-skinned monster. He had muscles on top of his muscles. In one hand was a barbaric looking weapon resembling a sword. To top it all off, there was a small, pale girl with red eyes riding atop his shoulders.
"Berserker! I said to be gentle! What if he's the one who knows where Onii-chan is?" The little girl yelled down at the monster beneath her. The reply she got was a grunt, but it sounded more like thunder. It was almost comical. Almost.
A/N: I apologize for the extended delay, for both this story and the others. I haven't been in very good health lately and it took a long time to get this written. It was floating around in my mind and dreams for a long time and the other night I decided to get it out despite the consequences that will follow. In my mind, it's worth it. As for the chapter itself, I know it left off on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I know that I've said in the past I don't much enjoy cliffhangers unless they contribute to the story in a meaningful way. This one does just that, I assure you.
I look forward to the reviews that will follow this chapter and I'll try my best to respond accordingly. As always, thank you for reading.