"Of what worth is a king who fails to protect the powerless?"

Fate/Brave Shine

Chapter 12: Overture

Arturia and a contingent of her men rode out to a town that was said to be under attack by raiders. Luckily it wasn't too far away, less than a day's ride, otherwise they wouldn't have any chance of saving the town or its villagers. They rode fast and hard, their mighty steeds giving it everything they had and even a little more after sensing their rider's urgency.

When they got to the small town, there was less chaos than the messenger had led her to believe. He had said there were hundreds of seafolk bandits, which was why she had decided to go herself. Caliburn had the power to put down a few hundred bandits easily, and it would help ingratiate her to her own people.

Yet, after reaching the town, there were little more than a few dozen, and they all seemed to be fleeing empty-handed. Though she did her duty and, with her men, struck down the bandits they saw with ease, their demeanor told her there was something they were scared of within the town. That intrigued her, but it also worried her. After all, it wouldn't be the first time one of Merlin's experiments got out of control, and he did seem fond of testing such things on bandits and raiders. Yet, she could sense no malevolent presence. It wasn't some kind of monster or demon. At least, not completely. Though she couldn't feel any kind of magical energy, she did sense something in the town.

As she made her way to the center, Arturia was convinced that the report was indeed accurate. There had been hundreds of bandits. The vast majority were dead already. She noted that the bodies of the seafolk had either arrow or sword wounds, and sometimes both. Was it a group, then? If that wasn't the case and it was indeed a single person, they could very well be an ally and candidate for her Round Table with any luck.

However, the only thing at the center of the town were more bodies of seafolk and the bell tower which could be seen from outside the town. She ordered her men to fan out and check for survivors, but they returned only with the town's residents. Nobody else was found alive, and none of the bodies, seafolk or villager, indicated they had the ability to kill hundreds of people. Though she was worried there was something like that running around in her realm without the knowledge of anyone else, she mostly felt thankful that whoever it was had intervened. Despite being fairly small, the town was a major commercial hub and things of importance, from weapons to food to large sums of money passed through it every day, which would make it a prime target for bandits if it wasn't so close to Camelot. There was no telling what the bandits might've been after. Yet, she was sure that with this number, so far from the shore, it wasn't something small or insignificant like money or food. It wouldn't be until she returned to Camelot that she would find out that a Grimoire of unbelievable power, which Merlin had used a merchant to procure and deliver, was in the town when the bandits attacked. She shuddered to think what would happen if the seafolk had managed to obtain such an item.

She never noticed the presence atop the bell tower that cast its gaze upon her the moment she appeared on the road racing towards the town. She didn't see him, the small, sad smile on his face, nor his strange appearance. The only reason she looked up to the bell tower was because a strong wind jostled it just enough to make it ring a single time. Yet, by that time, the person had already disappeared into nothing.

Shirō awoke to a gradually brightening room as the morning sunlight poured in through the windows. The previous soreness his body had felt was gone, as if he hadn't nearly died. With him in his bed was Arturia, who was pressed against his side with her hand resting over his heart, the place where the arrow had struck.

Archer never came back and Rin couldn't find him anywhere. It was agreed that it would be safer for her to stay at the Emiya compound, though it took Arturia several minutes to convince her. She needed to get some things in order before she left her home for an indeterminate amount of time, but after what they were planning on doing today she'd begin her temporary, or "very temporary" residence in his home. He already had a good idea of the do's and don'ts around her, so it wouldn't be nearly as difficult this time around. Especially since so many circumstances were different.

When Shirō had told Rin what his plan was, she'd nearly backed out right then and there. After all, willingly entering another Master's territory without a plan of attack, or a plan to attack was basically suicide. However, it was true that their previous encounter with the Einzbern heiress didn't end with Shirō getting squashed like a bug by her Berserker and they didn't have very many options with just one Servant on their side. Rin was aware that Shirō could fight, but she was still having a hard time coming to grips with what he was capable of when everything else said he should be a weak and frail teenage boy in comparison to her, not to mention how he should fair against an actual Servant.

Shirō himself wasn't entirely sure what all he could do at this point, but that wasn't a good thing. If he wasn't aware of what his own limits were, he could easily wind up in trouble against certain opponents. What if he couldn't use his Unlimited Blade Works? What if he lost the ability to use Arcurant? What if he couldn't use Time Alter when he really needed it? He needed to fight with strategy no matter what he had at his disposal. A trump card should only be played when necessary, after all, and he definitely didn't want to resort to using that.

As they crossed the threshold into the Einzbern's territory, a small shiver went down Rin's spine. She silently cursed Emiya for convincing her this was their only option. Even from their brief meeting, she could tell that not just her Servant, but the Einzbern girl herself was dangerous and Rin also wasn't entirely confident in her state of mind.

The trees around the trio seemed to thicken with each step, and the world around them was deathly still and silent, their footsteps and breathing the only signs that the world hadn't suddenly stopped around them. The fog in the area surrounded them, making it difficult to see more than a few steps ahead. The cobblestone road beneath their feet felt like it could fall away at any moment.

But it didn't. The fog around them lifted off like a blanket and they found themselves within the courtyard of the Einzbern Estate. How they got there when they were previously on a road that Shirō said would take nearly twenty minutes of walking to get through was a mystery. Yet, the grand home seemed deathly still. Rin would've expected to see someone within a few moments. The Einzberns were said to have quite a lot of Maids at their disposal. Where were they?

"Welcome back, Onii-chan." A voice called out. Rin looked up to a nearby balcony and saw her. Illyasviel von Einzbern. Thankfully that monster of hers was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't put her fast-beating heart at rest. If he wasn't seen, that meant he could be waiting for a moment to launch a surprise attack.

Without warning, the girl jumped from the balcony, arms outstretched with a large smile on her face, and fell right into Shirō's waiting arms. Rin looked at the scene in amazement and confusion as the girl hugged Shirō and asked how he'd been. She looked to Saber to see what her reaction was, but there didn't seem to be any. She stood there silently and still. But.. Was that a smile on her face?

Finally, Shirō set Ilya down, and the girl's demeanor changed. Suddenly entirely serious, she looked at Rin with a cold, calculating look in her eyes that told the other girl she would be in danger if it wasn't for Shirō's presence. "What's the Tohsaka heiress doing here with you, Onii-chan?"

"It's a long story and I want as few people hearing it as possible. Can we come inside? I promise she won't be any trouble." Shirō replied. Rin felt indigent at Shirō's promise, as if she would be the one to start anything. But she remained silent as the Einzbern heiress gave her another once-over before nodding her head.

Ilya took Shirō by the hand and pulled him towards the house, the Rin and Saber following closely behind him. Rin wondered what exactly there was between Shirō and the Einzbern girl, but quickly banished the thoughts. That wasn't her problem, and she shouldn't be worrying about it. Again, she looked to Saber, but the small smile on the Servant's face remained. Didn't she realize how much danger they were all in?

Twin doors opened as Ilya approached them with Shirō in tow, revealing two maids, one both of them holding trays containing what seemed to be tea and snacks. Was Ilya anticipating their arrival, or did the bounded field being crossed signal her? Either way, Rin took this show of hospitality in stride. It meant that she wasn't planning on killing them in an ambush, at least.

Plus, the way she tightly held Shirō's hand, as if he would disappear if her grasp wasn't tight enough, spoke volumes of how she felt about her 'Onii-chan' despite her otherwise cold and calculating demeanor. The small group entered a dining room entirely too large for the few amount of people there, but at the same time it didn't seem large enough, as Ilya's Berserker stood by the fireplace, his eyes watching their every movement. The giant made the room feel like little more than a storage closet.

Nevertheless, they all took their seats at the table, with Ilya choosing to sit, in Rin's mind, entirely too close to Shirō as she and Saber took the opposite side of the table, which was thankfully slightly farther away from Berserker.

"So, Onii-chan, what did you want to discuss?"

Within the depths of Mount Enzou, raw and unfiltered Mana filled the room once again. The magical energy was slowly collected by three fonts, and not an ounce of it would go to waste or be unneeded. Summoning one of Morgan's pets took nearly a full day by itself, but to summon three at once was causing the process to take quite a bit longer. Yet, Morgan claimed this was due to the power of the final three, not because of any inefficiency.

As Medea and Morgan poured their Mana into the room in a slow and steady flow, the former's mind began to wander, thinking back to Agravain's words. Would Morgan truly betray her? If she did, she'd hardly be able to contend with her at this point. All of her pets, including the Dragon, would be too much to handle on her own, and she'd never put her husband in danger. The mere fact that he still resided within the temple above was dangerous enough.

Yet, if she were to leave Morgan's side, she would undoubtedly make an enemy of her where she was the only one she could tacitly call an ally in the first place. Either Morgan or the other Masters and Servants would eventually catch up to her and all her hard work will have gone to waste.

She thought back to Sōichirō's words, about the Emiya boy. Someone her husband respected and embodied an ideal he himself could not claim to hold. She had faith in his assessment that he would not designate her or Sōichirō as his enemy, but he was still an extremely unknown variable. He displayed so much competency when it came to battle that, from her point of view, it was as natural as breathing to him. He had so much power at his disposal that it was a mystery why he hadn't already slain the other Masters as soon as the war began.

Idealistic and naive. That's what Sōichirō had called him.

Could there truly be someone like that in this war? In this world?

"Mount Enzou is a natural ley line, so it makes sense a Master and Servant would set up shop there." Ilya said, nodding her head. Shirō had just finished explaining their situation to her and the previous attempts to investigate the Temple.

"Yeah, that's what we were thinking, too. But since Archer left, we're short-handed. Especially.." Shirō started.

"Especially since the Tohsaka heiress isn't very competent when it comes to fighting." Ilya said. Shirō winced at the accusation, but it wasn't entirely untrue. Against another Magus or even Caster, Rin could hold her own pretty well, but close-combat types were a bad matchup for them, and barring Tristan, that was all they had been dealing with.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I almost blew away one of those things!" Rin said, her first outburst of the day after several of Ilya's unmasked insults. The smaller girl's eyes turned towards her, suddenly sharp and deadly.

"But you didn't, did you? You miscalculated and nearly got Onii-chan killed. If it hadn't been for.. that light, he almost certainly would have been killed. If he had, I would have hunted you down and-" Ilya stopped, Shirō's hand patting her head lightly.

"Don't put it all on her. We'd all only been fighting with swords. If their weakness had been magic-based attacks, it could've been a seriously good move." Shirō said, smiling down at Ilya. Her getting mad for his sake made him feel warm, but her anger was misplaced.

"But if it wasn't for.. that, you might've died. I won't let that happen." Ilya said, her emotional voice betraying the cold exterior she had been showing Rin. But that wasn't what had Rin interested.

"What is 'that'?"

Ilya's mouth clamped shut, ashamed she hadn't chosen her words more carefully. Yet, looking to Shirō, he didn't seem uncomfortable.

"Does she know, Onii-chan?" Ilya asked carefully.

Shirō shook his head. "I was planning on telling her today, but.. There's more to it than what I told you before, Ilya. I'm sorry for not telling you before, but I wasn't sure how you might react given the circumstances at the time."

Surprisingly, Ilya nodded in understanding. "After seeing you do all the things you've done, I figured you were hiding something. So, what is it?"

"Well, first off-" Shirō started, materializing Arcurant for those in the room to see. He placed it on the table gently, being careful not to scuff the wood surface. "-I should start with this. Ilya, you've seen this before, but Rin hasn't."

"... What is that, Emiya?" Rin said, unsure what kind of artifact she was looking at. To her eyes, she could tell it was immensely powerful. If he somehow drew on its power, it could explain part of how he was cable of doing all the things he could do. She couldn't recognize any of the Runes, and she had a fairly strong education in such things.

Shirō looked to Rin. "This is Arcurant. You won't find any examples or descriptions of it in any book. It's not any kind of artifact, Mystic Code, or Noble Phantasm. It's.. well, it's unique to me. Linked to me, I guess you could say."

That was not an answer that Tohsaka was expecting, nor one that made understanding Emiya Shirō any easier. Then, the sword on the table shimmered, dispersed into particles, and surrounded Shirō. The particles clung to him and slowly re-took physical form, albeit it looked like some kind of armor now.

"It can also do this." Shirō said.

Already, Rin could feel her brain hurting, and she had a feeling it wouldn't get any better as his explanation went on.

"What did you do, Vivian?" Merlin asked, clutching his Galator tightly. Though he spoke to nobody within the room, the woman he was envisioning spoke back to him. Such was the power of the Galator, being able to connect two minds from very far away. It could breach even Morgan's barrier. Yet, he had used it too recently. In order to use it again in such a short time, he had to burn away part of his own life force. He was part Incubus, so he had a longer lifespan than most, but it was still a significant toll to pay, especially when he had already spent centuries in Morgan's trap.

"I did only what was necessary, Merlin. That boy's role is greater than you know, and your interference was a great boon to more than just those two." Came the response in his mind.

Merlin frowned. "I did it of my own volition. I accept that. Yet, all these things seem to say that you or whoever you're connected to were planning on this happening."

"You know me better than that, Merlin. When you asked me for help, I had no ulterior motives. I did not plan any of this. When they came to me, seeking to help me, to help you, I accepted. I merely acted as a conduit for what they did."

"You accepted help from someone you don't even know? What exactly did they do, Vivian?"

"Something was -and is- going to happen, Merlin. So many things could change. That boy was always related, but disconnected. Your actions, our actions have connected him. It has given him the power he sought. Yet, it did not come without a responsibility." She explained.

"What responsibility?"

"Unfortunately, there are no suitable Masters for you at this time, Archer."

Archer frowned at the statement. He had come to the church in order to establish a new contract so he wouldn't have to waste his own Mana. Though his memories were hazy at best, he knew that there should be someone available by now. If the circumstances were different, he'd go off on his own, but with the increasing number of irregularities that might be a bad idea. He could try his chances at assassinating his former self, but he didn't want to bring harm to either Saber or Rin.

If his Mana ran out, he'd only be sustained by his Contract, which would take away the vast majority of his free will that being a Servant granted him, until he fulfilled his duties as a Counter Guardian. After that, he'd almost certainly be taken away to the next time and place that needed him, without fulfilling his own goal.

"I don't care who it is. They don't need to be a proper Magus. I just need Mana." Archer said, staring down Kirei from his seat on the church pew.

The priest cocked his head. "Do you believe you can win the Grail without a competent Master?"

"I know I can win. No matter who I face, I can deal with them." Archer proclaimed. Though he was overplaying his confidence, he did believe he could beat just about any other Servant. Decades and decades of experience fighting all manner of enemy meant he had an almost endless series of plans and strategies up his sleeve, and if all else failed, there was his Unlimited Blade Works.

Shirō and Arturia had both agreed to tell as much of their story as they could to Rin and Ilya, but hearing it spoken made it all sound like a fever dream. But it wasn't a dream, and neither Ilya nor Rin seemed to treat it like such once Shirō began explaining things. They were both quiet and listened to every word, but Shirō could tell that Ilya was more believing than Rin was. Once it was finished, her first question made that very clear.

"So, what, you're from the future? No, wait. You're from a hundred different futures, right? How can you expect me to believe that? Sure, you're strong, but you're kidding, right? Time travel? Do you even know what all that would entail?" Rin asked, a disbelieving scowl on her face.

"Rin, just because you cannot understand something does not mean it is not so. I'm sure-" Arturia started before Rin cut in.

"Don't you start, too, Saber. How can you just go along with this? You're a Knight, right? Isn't being dishonest against your code?"

Arturia frowned. Neither she nor Shirō expected so much resistance from Rin. Meanwhile, Ilya remained silent, looking down at her cup of tea that had long since gone cold, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Rin, we're telling the truth because we didn't want to keep hiding it from you. If we're going to stop the War, we need-"

"Stop the war? A corrupted Holy Grail? Time travel? Nothing you say makes any sense, and you can't offer a single bit of evidence other than that transforming sword to back up what you're saying. It could be some secret, ancient artifact, or some kind of new Mystic Code."

Shirō grit his teeth. This was the Rin that he found difficult to work with. She wouldn't believe him no matter what he said about how this all came to be. However, there were things he knew about her, her past and her family, that nobody else did. Bringing them up without reason or cause could damage their friendship, but not bringing them up would mean she would never believe them and, at worst, she'd leave and he wouldn't be able to protect her.

After taking a deep breath, he spoke, looking directly at her. "Your family helped found the Fuyuki Holy Grail Wars with the intention to reach Akasha. The root of all knowledge. Your father, Tokiomi, was the Master of Archer in the previous War. He let Zouken adopt your sister, Sakura, since you were the more talented child."

Rin's eyes went wide with both anger and guilt, but before she could speak, Shirō continued.

"Matou Kariya was a friend of your mother's, but a failure as a Magus. Despite that, he tried to save Sakura from Zouken's clutches. He became the Master of Berserker. Arturia, who was my Father's Servant, defeated Berserker and Kariya died after his body gave out. Your father worked with Kirei to obtain the Grail, but Kirei used the Azoth Sword he had been given to kill him and took his Servant. You've always had your suspicions, but you didn't want it to be true because it would isolate you from the one person who knew you. You never got to show your father the jewel you made while the War was going on, and you still have it in a box on your nightstand in your room. You want to save Sakura, but every time you see her it hurts because you feel guilty for what happened to her."

Rin, who had fallen to her knees, had succumb to her emotions that she had been so fervently repressing for so long. Anger. Hatred. Guilt. Sorrow. Grief. Frustration. Confusion. They spilled forth freely in the form of tears and sobbing. The whirlwind of emotions ensured she didn't hear anything else Shirō had said.

Shirō felt bad for causing this, but it had to be done. Whether she would worth with them or not after this didn't matter. She had a right to know, and he needed her to believe him so she wouldn't make it more difficult to protect her. Arturia knelt down and put her arms around Rin, who clung absentmindedly to her as she sobbed. Rin's display did no favors for the strong and competent image she usually put forth, but it was just another reminder of how hard she -and everyone involved- was working toward their goals. It wasn't just him and Arturia on a mission. Everyone had something they were fighting for, and the power that the Grail promised could make that dream, that goal of theirs a reality. At least, that was what it was said to be. He, Arturia, and now Rin and Ilya knew differently.

But to be torn between the duties and obligations of a Magus and the bonds of family like Rin had been wasn't something he ever dealt with. It was much more complicated to figure out the right thing to do when you already had something you wanted.

"Onii-chan?"

A voice and tug at Shirō's shirt hem brought him out of his thoughts. He looked down to Ilya, who stood right next to him, meetings his eyes with a gaze he had seen before. Either she was going to say something that tugged at his heart strings, or...

"Since Saber is your first wife, I'm content being your second wife."

.. Something completely absurd.

Still, it helped lighten the mood of the room a bit.

Though she had calmed down, Rin still demanded more proof. Not of Shirō and Arturia's story. She found it difficult enough to even accept, but he knew things absolutely nobody else could possibly know. No, what she wanted was proof of his abilities. Rather, an explanation of what all he was capable of. When he admitted he wasn't sure himself since he hadn't had any chance to really figure things out, Ilya offered to set up additional Bounded Fields for maximum security and privacy. Thus, the group found themselves out in the courtyard.

"Alright, I'll start with something basic. Projection." Shirō said. He extended his hand and a weapon materialized into his grip instantly, but it wasn't just any weapon. It was an Azoth Sword that bared the very same appearance as the one crafted Tokiomi Tohsaka, Rin's father.

Rin could almost feel her remaining disbelief being shattered after seeing that. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Rin asked, narrowing her eyes.

Shirō simply smiled the same smile she found infuriating before projecting a second weapon into his other hand. This time, it was a large, spiral-like sword that looked extremely heavy, yet Shirō held the weapon out in one hand with no visible effort.

"Alright, so I can still project two completely unrelated swords at once. I wasn't able to do that by now last time." Shirō said, smiling at his success. Then, he dropped the weapons from his grasp, yet they disappeared before they hit the ground, breaking into particles of light that dissipated quickly. He focused his mind and called inward.

Around him, swords materialized out of the same kind of particles that the previous weapons had become, which appeared out of thin air. They floated around him, completely stationary. There were five different swords in all, each one a clearly powerful weapon in its own right. For some reason, Rin felt like he had seen at least one of them before.

"You can make five of those things at once?" Rin asked, a little shocked despite everything she'd seen and heard.

Shirō's hands caressed the swords floating in midair not unlike a man would caress his child, gazing at them with eyes that held a far-away look. "I can probably do more. I just wanted to start out with something nice and easy. Plus..."

Arturia approached Shirō, staring at the swords he had projected. "You found them? But Caliburn.." She asked. He nodded.

"When I was trying to find a way to get to Avalon, I thought tracking them down might lead me to a clue. Caliburn was actually pretty easy in comparison to the others." Shirō replied.

"Avalon? But that's.. It exists on the reverse side of the world. A human could never.." Rin muttered.

"Yeah. That's what every bit of lore said. But I was never one to give up. I'm pretty sure I actually know a way to get there, but my contract prevented me from going."

"Onii-chan, are those..?" Ilya asked, having a good idea of what the weapons Shirō had projected were. He nodded.

"Arondight. Clarent. Excalibur Galatine. Caliburn. Excalibur. These are just projections, but the ones inside are the originals. At least, they should be. I'm not sure how that works now. Do two or more of them exist now? I'm not really sure." Shirō said, confirming Ilya's theory.

"How did you find Caliburn?" Arturia asked, Shirō's possession of the weapon he claimed to be the 'original' to be quite a shock.

Shirō smiled. "It shattered in battle, but the pieces remained. Tracking them down was pretty easy. After that all I needed were your memories and my Reinforcement."

Arturia's hands hovered close to the golden sword, but she dared not touch it. She had broken the rules of chivalry, which was why it broke. She didn't deserve to touch it. Shirō knew her feelings on the matter well. One by one, the weapons around him disappeared, with Caliburn disappearing last.

"Wait. Back up. 'Inside?' Inside what?" Rin asked, breaking Arturia out of her trance.

"That's what I want to test next. My Unlimited Blade Works."

Kirei entered the main hall of the Church, where Archer was, still sat on the pews with his feet kicked up on the back of the next row. A single eye opened to observe Kirei as he approached the Servant.

"You are in luck, Archer. I have come up with an idea. You'll get all the Mana you need." Kirei said, an out of place smile on his face.

Archer didn't move. He didn't speak. He didn't blink. If he was interested in whatever Kirei was offering, he showed no signs of such.

"Though it might be a bit irregular, I can provide you with the Mana you need until you find yourself a suitable Master." Kirei claimed.

"You're the Overseer, right? Wouldn't having a Servant be against the rules?" Archer asked, breaking his silence.

"There are no rules in war. As a Servant, you should know that. How many wars have you fought? How much death and destruction have you seen? Did your enemies abide by the rules?"

Archer closed his one open eye, thinking. It was true. Though his memory was still a mess, he was firmly aware that the second you started playing by the rules in a war, you've lost. The offer was intriguing, yet... "What is it you want in return?"

Kirei's out of place smile changed, becoming something that looked more appropriate. Something more sinister. Archer didn't care for the previous smile, yet he disliked this one even more.

"There is something I'd like you to do. It won't negatively impact your chances of winning. I simply need you to find something and deliver it to me." Kirei said.

Archer frowned. "You want me to be a courier? You're not bound to this Church, so why not get it yourself?"

"What I want is being protected by a Servant. I fear I wouldn't be a match for beings such as yourself. But since you're not a Servant who fights recklessly, my reserves should be enough to sustain you. After you deliver, I'll ensure that you have all the Mana you need. Perhaps you'll even find a more suitable source of Mana in a new Master."

Archer thought about the offer. Whatever this man wanted, it obviously wasn't something he was going to get easily. It was probably dangerous and morally objectionable, but he didn't really care much about morals anymore. He opened his mouth to answer, but never got the chance as he was interrupted by the large wooden doors of the church opening, letting in the waning sunlight.

A figure appeared in the doorway. Female. Yet, much of her features were obscured by the light from behind her, giving her an almost biblical appearance as she took a few steps into the church. One thing, however, did not escape Archer's trained eyes. There was a sword strapped to her side. In the span of less than a quarter of a second, he knew everything about the it.

Then, a lance materialized in her hand which had a flag attached to it. She pointed it directly at the priest. "Overseer Kirei Kotomine, the Grail declares that you are hereby discharged from your position."

A/N: Well.. It wasn't a full five months between chapters. I do apologize for the delay, but I've been working on several different things on top of dealing with real life stuff. If you're a fan of DanMachi, you might look forward to a new story pilot/prologue I'll be posting soon™. After looking at the results of the poll I posed in March, I've started working on the 'explicit' versions of my stories to post on AO3. Any updates regarding that will be posted in my profile. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing.