Fate/Stay Night: Umbra Bello
Ink Deity- Well, you're warm. Lukewarm really, but that's all I'll say.
Bridd- You do have a point. Although I would like to ask that you consider that she had all of about twenty seconds of screentime in UBW, in which she barely did anything of note, unlike the other two heroins. So Orso never really had her in mind. Associating her as a similar character to Ayako, or at best Taiga in terms of importance. Even nearly forgetting she existed. Because that's what I did IRL until I was kinda spoiled by Carnival Phantasm that she was Riders actual Master (Though I don't know what I was thinking watching that spinoff before watching the final part of the main series) Still, now that she is popping up, he is suspicious. While he isn't Batman, he will be able to piece things together a bit better than Emiya, especially with that meta knowledge.
In short, she slipped under his radar for a while, but is popping back up.
grasswww- Well, like ya said, It could have happened in that time span, but really, you did find a slight oversight. If it was a major one, I would correct it, but since it is technically correct, I figure... well, fuck it.
Blaze2121- Rin is not dead. She's off doing… her own thing, Meanwhile, it should be mentioned that while Fou hangs around, he is not really a part of the group. As he's not really Orso's familiar, he's got another Master he's taking orders from, and is still going after his own objectives. As for the ending, well... "better" is a strong word. As for Ruler MC, well, he does have a wish for the Grail, an altruistic one (i.e, saving the world), and a personal one that I have more or less hinted at. If he didn't know about the taint in the Grail, he'd likely be fighting for that wish. Thus excluding him from being a Ruler. Although, it would make him a prime ally for one wouldn't it?
Also, on the subject of the ending of the story, I'm still working out the details of it, so I'm gonna check for some input in the form of a poll that should be up by the time this is uploaded if I figure out that system in time.
Would you guys rather Orso's story ends here, or would you want a sequel? And if you want a sequel, would you rather it involve- A: Hollow Ataraxia, B: Chaldea, or C: a Crossover (The other media being determined later)?
Chapter XIII- Law and Disorder
Date: 02/04/2004
Time: 5:45 am
Location: Emiya Household
He was created to destroy.
A half breed, made to doom the world of his mother. By all accounts, destined to be a monster. The bringer of a thousand years of darkness.
Sired by a monster. He was never quite human. He could never be one of them. Never identify with the world he was brought into.
But, that's the issue, isn't it?
Despite everything. Despite the monster he was supposed to become, a choice was made. A choice that consumed his curiosity all his life.
She chose to save the monster.
And so, even though he'd never be one of them, even though he was created to destroy them, he became fond of humanity.
Well- humanity in general. As for individual humans well… the less said the better..
Where was I? Oh yes.
The being created to destroy humanity had grown fond of their stories.
But enough about me, let's talk about yo-
THUMP
"(S-Saber-! G-Good morning! N-no, I'm fine jus- don't get closer!)"
…
"(Master, were you harmed? Do you need me to inspect your body!?)"
...
…
…
"(N-No! I'm peachy thanks! J-just… um… it's morning?)"
"(What does that have to do with-)"
… maybe if I use my pillow as a muffler it'll quiet dow-
"FOU!"
"Ah! Uh, sorry Fou!" I apologized to the familiar I mistakenly grabbed.
The little squirrel creature seemed to pout as it curled back up at his part of the bed.
Anyway, after trying to find a comfortable position again, I tried muffling the antics with a pillow.
…
…
"(Why are you even in my room!?)"
"(Master, as your Servant I cannot, in good conscience, leave you to the mercy of Assassin! Their class is full of foul tricksters!)"
"Well, good morning to you too Saber!" Okita announced from my-
"... Assassin..?" I probed with all the calm available to a man shaken awake from his sleep. Though still lying in the nice, comfy position that I found.
"...yes Master?" she treaded carefully.
"... were you watching me sleep?"
"... you want me to say "no" right?"
"..."
My silence was the only answer she needed.
"Well fine then. Be that way." she puffed, and disappeared from the room. "Just don't come crying to Assassin when that dastardly Saber comes crashing in to cut you down in your sleep!"
"(See Master? Every Servant does it.)"
"(That doesn't mean it isn't weird!)"
…
…
"(So, if that's settled, I'll be sleeping next to you from now on.)"
"(Saber… no you're not.)"
"(F-Fine! I'll still be in your room!)"
"(nnnnnnnoooo..?)"
"('Tch'! that word…)"
…
I'm never getting any sleep here am I?
Theme Song- Fate/Stay Night - "Brave Shine" (FULL Opening) | ENGLISH ver | AmaLee
Two hours later…
… maybe I don't have it so bad?
Despite the lack of sleep, this place certainly doesn't lack avenues for entertaining situations.
Like right now for example. I could see Emiya sweating as Saber was glaring at the back of his head.
As much as I pity him, I find it ironically hilarious that the Master seems to be under pressure from their Servant.
So, to recap, Shirou's still going to school.
In the middle of a war.
After he was nearly exploded.
… our protagonist everybody!
~Anyway~, Saber's pissed off about that. Frankly, I don't blame her.
… still funny though.
So, that's where we are this morning. Waiting for breakfast. Snickering at someone else's misfortune. Watching TV.
"Welcome back to Morning in little Fuyuki™!" The news anchor lady that sounded eerily like a certain blue haired scientist announced.
"Do you think she knows what tha-" Assassin was about to point out.
"That's right Corinne, MILF's got a lot to share with everyone today!" … i-is that LK? I think that's LK!
"Oh yeah, they know." Okita smirked.
Footage of a hospital full of comatose patients appeared before Mr LK continued.
"Starting off, we have news on the developing gas leak situation going on in the city. Last night at least five more people were brought to the hospital, unresponsive, and comatose. This adds to the thirty individuals already affected by the recent rise in unexplained "gas leaks" in our city. With more on that, we go to our reporter Kinoko Satō. Satō?"
"Okay, enough of that crap…" I flip the channel to some cooking show.
"Nope. Too hungry. Flip!" Gintama I think?
… I miss Netflix…
"Did you say something Master~?" Saber dangerously asks Shirou.
"N-No! This Tofu is just really really tough...:" best choose your words carefully bub.
Creeeee
Huh-?
Oh, right. Sakura.
…
…
I'd probably be espousing some grand plan to get information out of her if I actually had some caffeine in my system right now… this tea just isn't the same as coffee.
"Morning Shirou! I see you didn't wait up on my account."
… there's so much sarcasm in the delivery in that sentence that it's glorious.
I can tell I'm either gonna like the girl, or I'm gonna hate her.
-And for the record, I don't 'like' like her. She's cute, but more like the kitten kind of cute than attraction cute. Although I can definitely see how someone else might be attracted to her.
"Morning Sakura. Yeah I'm just about finished, but you can still help by setting the table. Taiga should be here soon." Emiya offered.
"Yeah, sure, it's not like I go out of my way to help out around here or anything~."
… please notice me senpai..?
Anyway, while me and the Servants channel surfed, the fellow students readied breakfast. It smelled amazing, as food tends to do around here apparently.
Totally not jealous of their skills by the way. Honest.
I think it's some fish thing with rice, accompanied by the satisfying crackling sounds, and aromatic smell of bacon, and potatoes in the morning.
Well… it ain't coffee, but bacon's influence will go a long way in at least awakening my stomach.
Despite the place I was, the world I was in, the familiar image before me puts a ghost of a smile on my face.
Right now, with the happy, welcoming atmosphere of this home? I could almost fool myself into believing this was-
"...sakura..? what's that on your cheek..?"
I blink, now fully awake.
The ataraxis of the home was suddenly gone.
"U-Oh! I uh… it's nothing, I just… fell? On some stairs?"
Shirou spoke with caution you wouldn't think him capable of. Taking notice of… a bruise on her cheek.
…
"That little shitstain…" it didn't take a genius to put it together.
I remember.
I remember that he beats his sister.
And I let him go.
Call it arbitrary, but… to me? People that hurt their siblings? They're scum. Less than human.
As the elder sibling, it's your job, duty, and honor to protect, and care about your younger siblings.
To be derelict in that duty… no, to go out of your way to hurt your own sister!?
If anyone hurt my brother? I'd hurt them back a thousand times more. Simple as that.
If the pair didn't get along, I suppose I can understand them avoiding each other, but…
hitting your sister?
Because what?!
Because you're butthurt!?
… if I see Shinji again, I'll kill him. I'll gut him knowing I'm doing this world a service.
… or maybe I'll let Okita do it? I'd imagine she knows more about causing painful deaths than me…
"*obert?"
I let him go because there was something… worse standing before me.
"Or**!?"
He won't get that lucky again if he's stupid enough to cause a 'next time'.
"Master!"
'flick'!
"'dah'!" I nearly jumped.
"Master?" Okita's voice brings me into focus. Letting me notice how my clenched fists have turned bleach white.
"I-I'm fine." I tell her before taking in the situation.
The two students seemed to have moved on from that. Or at least aren't talking about it for now. Continuing to prepare breakfast, only with a new, heavier atmosphere.
Sakura seemed to just want to move on, and work on setting the table.
The gears were turning in Shirou's head however. I don't know what he was thinking but… I just knew it would make things more complicated.
Breakfast passed quickly enough. The good food was spoiled however by the events from earlier. It turned out there was some kind of potato salad by the way. With bits of bacon in it.
I'd like it if I didn't feel like beating myself up over what happened.
Okita, and Saber were at it… again. Wiping out over half of what was on the table themselves.
Such gluttonous Servants... I pity Emiya's food budget.
Fou didn't seem all too concerned though. Content in hiding under the table in order so long as I fed 'em scraps.
Taiga didn't show up for whatever reason. Shame, she was missing out.
I spent most of the time thinking of what to do next in the war. The obvious first enemy was eliminated.
With Shinji eliminated… at least for now, my next step wasn't so clear.
I can't act directly against Kirei, or Gilgamesh yet. They're just too strong. If I hit hard, and fast with Assassin… I might be able to take out Kotomine with a command seal based attack. But that would just piss off Gilgamesh, and Lancer. We might be able to hold off Lancer long enough for him to run out of mana and disappear, but Gil? We'd be wiped out in moments. And I'm not interested in some kamikaze attack.
Rin and Archer may, or may not be potential allies. We should investigate more before making a move there.
I'd be crazy to attack Illya. Besides. Even if we do somehow manage to kill Berserker, that leaves her vulnerable. And if her heart can be used as the Grails core, it's to our advantage to keep her as guarded as possible.
Caster and Kazuki…
I've got nothing against them. Personally, if they weren't draining the Mana from the townspeople, I'd be content to leave them be. Let her have some measure of happiness. Considering her life, she deserves a chance at it.
If memory serves, Medea only killed in self defense in UBW. The people she drained would recover. Granted, putting people in comas for an energy supply is pretty bad, but she is going out of her way to not kill them when she could drain them completely. So that has to count for something…
And there's what makes the Grail War so interesting, and painful to watch. Almost everyone involved is in some way sympathetic.
Casters life was horrible. The gods toyed with her mind, and heart. Made her do terrible things to her own family. Forcing her to be with Jason. And they call her the 'Witch of Betrayal' for what she did? For something beyond her control!? Her Master wasn't much better. A puppet of an assassination organized cut from its strings. Finally finding something he loves in his life. I'm happy for the both of them.
Rider Medusa's life wasn't much better. She was either raped by Poseidon, or abandoned by him, depending on the version of the tale you read. If they were lovers, the god basically left her to her fate when Athena got pissed off about them fucking in her temple and took it out solely on her, turning her into a monster. If she was raped… well, it should be fairly obvious how that's an injustice. Made worse by Athena being the goddess that was supposed to protect her, blaming her for something beyond her control. It's all one tragedy after another with her from there, varying depending on the version you hear. She was a victim before she was a monster. Although I suppose that applies to a lot of human monsters doesn't it?
'Don't condone what they've done, but don't forget why they did it.'
Some villains are created evil. Born defective. Without empathy, and without hope. These are the creatures running around in human skin we call 'socio', and 'psycho' paths. For them, the world should only give quick, and painless deaths before they cause pain.
And then there are the sympathetic villains. The ones created not by nature, but by man. Forged by the fires of hate, ignorance, sin, cruelty, and betrayal. The avatars of 'violence breeds violence'. They are the humans humanity has failed. Lessons that we are doomed to always forget. People like them I can only… I won't say pity. They deserve better than that.
Hate them if you must. Hell, for many I still do despite myself. But what happened to them deserves study, and understanding. In the least so that it doesn't happen to anyone else.
I- where was I? Oh yes. Our next target.
Caster is the one hurting the most people. Even if it's not permanent, it's still concerning.
That, and there's… well, she's the biggest wildcard right now.
Without the Assassin Servant, there's no telling what she's prepared. I'd prefer to know what she's got in store.
So, next step- Investigate, and neutralize Caster..
Secondary objective- convince her to stop peacefully.
Archer at least got her to stop feeding on the civilians. I think we can accomplish that, if we're lucky.
If we're not… we'll do what we must.
Either way, we ought to scout the location out first.
"I'll see you at school Sakura. I'll just be here fixing pipes for a while. As I tend to do.." Emiya told his junior, who was off to do club activities. In the morning. Apparently they're just that important in Japan.
"Oh ~Shirou~, what have I told you about those pipes? You have all the pipes you need. Stop taking in stray pipes... or else?" … she's looking at him but… I feel her eyes on me… and I just got the weirdest chill down my spine.
"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, we've talked about this. Pipes are an integral part of this household." … well, he's not incorrect… "And so long as they support my dream of being a hero, I'll continue to save every pipe in front of me."
Sakura sighs as she leaves.
"I'll be sure to let Ayako know you fix pipes better than dojo's. Later Shirou." she almost pouts as the door closes.
"I am never living that down…" the future counter-guardian laments.
"Problem?" I ask.
"Well, apparently I'm taking the heat for a lot of the collateral damage the Servants caused at the school." he explains.
"Oh… right. Sorry about that…" I'm not sure how much of that me and Assassin are responsible for…
"Meh. No biggie." he shrugged, and was about to move on to practicing his magic for a while when he stopped before leaving the room. "... say bats, can I ask something?"
"... explain this "Batman" thing to me, and sure."
"Well... come on~! You've sort of come off as some ninja-like, man of few words, detective hero with a secret backstory. Throw on a cape, and maybe… a few more character traits, and I think DC might have to sue somebody."
"Okay, couple problems with that." I point out. "Batman doesn't kill people, I would if I had to. Batman could probably buy the Holy Grail, and I'm… effectively homeless at this point. And really, if you wanna hear my "backstory" you just gotta ask. Not much to it, but it's there. All that, and I'm not an orphan-"
Your entire home reality is on fire.
"... I think." let's… not go down that mental rabbit hole. I've got enough on my mind without worrying about my family's well being.
Cold as that might sound, it's better than constantly wondering if they're even alive.
So, until I've gotten evidence to the contrary, I'm going to assume they're okay, and keep working to keep them that way.
"You... think?"
"It's complicated." I say dismissively.
"That… kinda seems like the sort of thing someone would know." Emiya points out.
"I just- …look, the last I heard of them? My family was… they were in a bad place. For their sake I can't say too much about it but… to be honest, what's happening to them may, or may not be related to the war. I don't know for sure, but right now, from what I know of it, it might be correlation, not causation, but this is the only lead I got. I've gotta do something." my fists tighten again.
At the end of the day, it might just be the case that none of what I'm doing matters. No one ever said that what happened back home had anything to do with the Grail War. Which would mean all of this effort could amount to nothing. I… I don't know what I'd do if that was the case.
I'm in an alternate reality. Over ten years into the past. Involved with magic, spirits, and monsters. I don't want to know my odds of even going home in the first place. I need to focus on the mission if there's gonna be any hope.
"Oh… so less Batman, and more-"
"Stop equating me to superheroes!" I demanded before he finished his thought.
"Sorry!" the redhead got defensive. "After that night with that spear guy, you just… you gave off this image of someone that knew what he was doing around stuff like this. Like you've seen it all before." well, he's right on the last account. Just, not for the reason he thinks.
"... I can see how you might think that…" I might've oversold it here… "... look, let's just move on. You had something you wanted to ask?"
Shirou realizes how we've gotten off track, and works to move us back.
"Right… I wanted to talk about Sakura." and there it is.
"... Cutting to the chase, you've got two options with that one if you want to help at all. Either remove her from that environment, or remove her environment from her." I can tell where this was going.
Emiya blinks at the conclusion I came too, but gave it some thought.
"... See? This is why I call you Batman." he says with a satisfied expression.
"Of course, there's difficulties with both, but, she's your friend. Try to keep her best interests in mind." I suggested.
He put some more thought in before coming to some conclusion.
"Thanks. I think I know what I've got to do." He says with certainty.
"And that would be?" Let's talk with our allies this time, yeah.
Shirou gains a distant look in his eyes.
"I'll be a hero." he declares, sounding overdramatic.
…
...
"... no, I mean, specifically. 'Cause, the last time you did this you ran off into a Servant battle without a plan." I refer to last night.
It went well then because he had backup, and Rider was weakened by her Master. Either factor being taken away could have made it much more risky.
"Oh, I just thought about having Sakura stay over. There's definitely plenty of spare rooms. Besides, Shinji… just needs a while to cool off."
"... right…" I don't believe that for a second.
If we get the chance, me and Assassin will do something about the Sakura situation. No one deserves to have to put up with that.
And that takes us to just that.
Sakura.
I'm almost certain she has a route of her own, which would imply that she has some importance to the story. However, there's an issue.
I wouldn't have the slightest clue how.
Both Saber, and Rin were relevant to the plot in UBW. Sakura… she was barely a minor character with like… three lines of dialogue?
Not much for me to work with.
I could almost believe what Zouken said for a moment. It makes a utilitarian sort of sense to not train the weaker sibling if there was only one that could gain the crest. And if Shinji was the better of the two, why even bother with her?
And if he was lying, and she was the stronger of the two, why make Shinji the master of Rider? It would be a waste of time and resources.
Not to mention the abuse. If she was more powerful, why would she put up with it?
Although the answer to that might be complicated. I barely understand what goes through peoples heads when they aren't broken. It could be a result of some weird Stockholm Syndrome.
Or maybe it's mental? Like she believes she's weaker or something?
The state of the mind can have an effect on one's ability, as I've noticed. The more I've grown to believe that I could do magecraft, the easier it's become for me to perform.
Getting back on track, I just don't know enough about Sakura to make assumptions. That, and she wasn't exactly important in UBW. This will all probably amount to some big sidequest.
We all got bigger fish to fry right now. Namely, the Grail War. We'll deal with her as the situation develops.
"Just let me know when you're ready to talk about the next step of the war." I tell the future counter-guardian.
"Let's wait until after school. I've got some magecraft training to do before I head out." he explained as he turned to leave.
"Mind if I watch? I don't get to watch another mage work very often." I've got nothing better to do, and I could try to figure out what he's doing wrong.
"Oh, uh… sure." he shrugs, and leads the way.
"In that case I'm coming with you." Saber declares. Still distrustful.
Seriously? What have I done to earn this animosity?
"Keep yourself busy Assassin/Keep on lookout Assassin." I order. Even though I know there are small odds we'll be under attack, it's still good to have some warning just in case.
"Sure thing. I'll… just be watching TV over here." she smiles as she snatches the remote before switching to Law and Order.
Meanwhile, Fou pops back up out of nowhere, climbing up upon my shoulder like a parrot. I scratch his head as I follow Emiya outside, closely followed by Saber.
We followed Emiya outside, and into his shed. The door of which was still broken from Lancer.
bzzzzzt
The inside was… well, it looked like someone had a hoarding problem.
Scattered pieces of junk, and disorganized pipes of various sizes, and states of repair laid themselves out across the floor.
More importantly for this room however, the ambient magical energies of the area seem much more concentrated here. Making it a more ideal workshop than what I was working with in the HQ.
"Er… sorry about the mess." the owner says embarrassed as he begins to try to clear an area. "Kinda forgot to clean this place up after Lancer."
"It's all good. Here, let me help." I offer.
"Sure. Just be careful not to step on that magical circle over there. Dad always said it was important." Shirou points out the circle through which Saber was summoned.
"I know."
"I know."
Me and Saber turn to each other after realizing one was the others echo.
"...Oookay then~!" Shirou gets back to work after noticing what happened.
Taking a cursory glance at the circle, I wasn't all too sure what to make of it except for making certain it was made by a mage far more qualified than me, or Emiya. All things considered, it was probably Kiritsugu's.
I then spend a few minutes trying to help organize the place. Putting things back where they belong.
Fou tried helping as well, but the little guy could only do so much. Settling for organizing the things into piles.
Saber, oddly, didn't help at all. Choosing to 'supervise'. She seemed to be trying to give off a prideful aura, but I got the feeling she was just being lazy.
In the middle of putting some pipes away, I noticed something odd.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt
This one was one of Shirou's successes. There was an ambient energy to this one. Though, it seems to have faded.
"Define Real."
Almost on instinct, I flow magical energy into the object.
Shirou paved the way into creating this pseudo mystic code. Forming the reinforcement lines so well that I doubt I could make out the details even if I knew structural analysi-
Wait. The lines! If I carefully pulse Mana through the internal structure I can follow the same path Emiya took in identifying the conceptual structure-
Following through, I think I just figured out structural analysis thanks to probing Shirou's reinforcement magic!
It's not exactly perfect. In layman's terms, the 'image' I'm getting is 'blurry', and I'll need a lot more practice if I'm gonna do it right consistently, but it's there.
Testing it out, I activate the reinforcement already laid out in the pipe by Emiya with a small amount of energy. Careful not to overflow it.
Rough estimate? I made it about 30% more structurally sound. At most this thing could probably go up to 300 before hitting a wall. At best I could probably amp it up to 100% without making critical errors as a result of my poor grasp of structural analysis, causing it to buckle.
I'd be tempted to advance the reinforcement as well, but besides not wanting to risk breaking someone else's things, Emiya basically covered everything I could see that could be reinforced.
Maybe if I tested this o-
"What're you-"
Crash!
clang clang...
"...S-Sorry… got a bit carried away…" I say embarrassed as the pipe crashes to the floor. "Should've asked first…"
"N-No, it's fine. It just… normally it takes me about a minute to get my magic to work." Shirou says, surprised at the still glowing pipe laying on the floor.
Was it under a minute? Felt like longer.
"Well, you did most of the work of reinforcing it. I just gave it some juice." I say dismissively. Not mentioning having just figured out a new magecraft. Then fumbling awkwardly to put the mystic object away.
"Er… right… well, I'm about ready to start now." He says grabbing an unused pipe in the pile.
"Oh, neat." I hand him the last unused pipe on the floor. "You said you did reinforcement right?"
"Yup. Reinforcement let's me find the strengths of an object, and shows me how to enhance those qualities. But… I guess you already know that huh?" he takes a glance at the pipe that was just now beginning to fade.
"... you could say that…" I give a non-answer.
"... trace, on." a single magical circuit lights up on his body as the mana flows into the object.
The pipe in question glows brightly for a moment before-
SHATTER
"GAH! STUPID PIPE! How could you- my most trusted ally- betray me!? I SWEAR VENGEANCE!" the future hero declares.
"...oh."
"...oh."
There's another echo as me and Saber make the same brilliant observation.
... again.
"S-Sorry. It's just… When things don't go well for a while I get frustrated, and when I feel frustrated can either blame myself, or the object. I find it's… healthier to blame the object." Shirou reasons.
"Fair enough." so long as it's an object, and not a person… Shinji.
"I'm usually pretty good with pipes! I… guess I'm just having an off day?" he excuses his mistake.
"Keep trying Master. Tiger mom believes in you." Saber nods along.
… hold on. The Lion King just said something ridiculous.
"... Tiger mom?"
"Indeed. As my Master, and Student, Shirou's like the son I never had." she smiles conte-
Meanwhile…
In another abridged timeline…
Red Saber was having a pretty nice day.
She, and her Master were out, and about in Trifas, hanging around. Hoping a fight would start soon.
Specifically, they were at a cafe having lunch. It was nice, if a bit boring. Although, in the corner of her eye, she spotted something interesting.
One of the neighbourhood cats was playing around with a ball of yarn, having fun. Saber was tempted to go over and play with the feline-
But that's when it hit.
SHATTER
"...Saber..? You doing okay?" her Master carefully put down his phone upon noticing what happened.
Her coffee cup shattered in her hand the moment she became overwhelmed by a sudden torrent of emotion.
"...I'll be straight with you. I think my rage just broke. In fact, I think I just got the sudden urge to murder anything with red hair, and a hero complex."
"That's… oddly specific." her Master noticed how her eyes had suddenly turned bloodshot out of sheer rage, and wondered how sure he was that she wasn't a Berzerker.
"... I'm gonna go looking for anymore of those Black guys. See if that helps." she almost calmly got up and left.
…
…
"... Better hope no one hears that out of context…." Master of Saber grumbled before picking his phone back up, and apologizing to Waver. Reminding himself to pay for the broken cup.
Back to the story…
Everyone in the room felt the sudden chill, but chose to ignore it since it was probably just the wind going through the broken door.
Anyway, I accept the explanation.
It's a bit… weird, considering the first route. But, in a way, it makes more sense.
Saber might look around our age, but she's got to at least be in her late thirties based on her lege-
… she's staring angrily at me now.
"Master of Assassin, I do not appreciate the assumptions I feel you're making." her intense stare has me sweating.
"Er… um…" it's karma this time. Definitely karma. "Hey Assassin? I… miiiight need you in a minute… Assassin? Okita? Okita are you ther-"
"Hold on! I think I just figured out who murdered that couple in Central Park! My money's on the ex-girlfriend!"
… eh?
"The hell are you on abou- oh." I think I just did something irresponsible. "Okita! Listen to me! Law and Order is highly addictive! Think of what It'll do to your brain! And more importantly, your friend!"
Pretty sure if Saber kicks me in the balls again, the Nasuverse will have another genderbend on its conscience.
"Oh my buddha…" she seems to take what I said into- "It was the brother all along! They better catch him before he leaves the country!"
"(well, she's a lost cause...)"
"Ex-cuse you good sir!?" Saber extended Invisible Air.
"Wa-Wa-Wait! D-Don't hit me Saber-san!" I prostrate myself before the dragon.
Dafaq? Why was that my first instinct!?
"Saber, I don't think he meant anything?" Yes! Thank you Shirou, my hero!
"...hmph, very well. But I will be watching you…" the Lion King warns me.
"Er… um… sure…" I can feel the red grow on my cheeks as I get up. "S-So, back to your training…"
"Right, now let's give it one more go-" Shirou finds a plank of wood, and tries to work on it before-
SHATTER
"-GAH!" it splinters in his hands.
"..." I… don't know what I was expecting. I was well aware before I came here that he wasn't all that great with magic.
Now that I'm in here… I remember Archer saying something about him having circuits he didn't use until he projected Kanshou, and Bakuya. That they were dormant or something.
I never really encountered the problems he did when I first used my circuits. Maybe it's because I did it right the first time? I still encountered pain, but nothing like the muscle spasms Emiya had. Just another mystery I suppose. That reminds me. I'd better Self Analyse soon.
Okay, so, game plan.
I figure out how to awaken his regular circuits without causing him to become a liability.
Question. Why isn't he using his regular circuits?
Answer? Unknown.
So, in order to understand how he's doing it wrong, I need to figure out how it's done right first.
"Right… I think I'll just leave you to this then…" I say as I turn to leave.
"W-Wait a second." Shirou stops what he's doing.
I stop at the door, "Something wrong?"
"Thank you." … huh?
"For?" I turn to the redhead, who now had his Servant by his side.
"For helping me with Sakura. Normally I would've just punched Shinji and hope he'd learn his lesson, but with this Grail War going on everything just seems screwy."
"I'm sure you would've done this eventually anyway." I shrug. "As inconvenient as it'll be, it's the best terrible option."
"Terrible?" Shirou blinks.
"Well, when you think about it, your house is something of a war zone right now. If she comes here, Sakura might get hurt as a bystander." I explain, "Buuuut, alternatively, no one here is going to hurt her. Hell, on top of that, she's under the protection of two Servants, and a "hero in training". All things considered, this is probably the safest place in the world right now. "Safety" is relative. Especially in a war, but really just in general. So yeah, bringing someone to an active war zone to keep them safe is the height of irony, but the other option right now is leaving her with a violent abuser. So, you know? Lesser of two evils."
Emiya thought about it for a minute. Realizing that he was taking Sakura out of lava, and into a frying pan.
"And beyond that, if she is a civilian, it'll be difficult to conduct a war while hiding it under her nose, but it is doable. We'll just have to be subtle about it." worst case scenario, that's why I looked into hypnosis magecraft.
Shirou seemed to look off into the distance. Likely thinking of how to work around Sakura always being home when he's fighting a war.
"~Anyway, I'm gonna head back. Gotta practice my own magic. You and Tiger Mom have fun with your pipe!" I tease with a smirk as I exit the shed. Nearly growing a full smile as the two struggle to respond upon realizing the implications.
Tiger 'mom'. Riiiight...
One minute later…
Inside…
"Yeah, thanks for the help Assassin." I say sarcastically as I pass by the Servant on my way to the room Emiya had spared for me.
"To be fair, you told me to stand guard." she shrugged without taking her eyes off the TV. "Besides, you also told me you don't need me guarding you 24/7."
"Consider it to be an exception when I'm asking for help." I say, stopping in my tracks before looking to the TV.
Hey, I think I remember this episode! It's pretty old by my time, buuut~ I guess it's fairly new now.
… more incentive to get back home. Eleven years worth of 'reruns'.
"Rojer." Okita gives a salute as the music pitch reaches high intensity on the show and she becomes completely engrossed.
I raise an eyebrow at this, but shrug it off.
"(Hm. suppose I should expect as much from a police girl.)" I mumble as I leave the living room.
"Hey, I've never watched TV before, give this "police girl" a break!" Okita overhears me, and protests for a moment before refocusing on her crime drama.
Making my way into my temporary room, I quietly close the door behind me as I try to work out how to do this.
I find myself meditating in preparation for the self-induced procedure. Not sure what to expect.
"Define Real."
My circuits ready themselves once more as I try to figure out how to reverse Structural Analysis to study my own circuits.
It doesn't take too long, and I take myself into a dee-
…
…
… well this is different.
I feel like… like I'm free-floating, but submerged in something.
My 'eyes' were having a difficult time making sense of what they were seeing. If there was a close comparison? I'd say I was in the deepest trenches of the ocean, but there was no pressure threatening to crush me. There was an endless deep void stretching out in all directions.
It seemed to go on forever. With no indication that this was what I was looking for.
I was about to stop, and leave this place when something caught my eye.
Off in the distance. Something was glowing…
Just as I began to focus on that place, it began coming more, and more into view. And it kept getting warmer.
There! I can just barely make it out… those blurry glowing lines…. Are those my circuits?
I kept moving forward. Getting closer to the image before me.
it's hot.
I nearly lose focus. The heat is sweltering at this point, but I keep going.
…
….
It's clear now. My circuits. Sprawled out in a design resembling a pseudo-nervous system.
I see/feel them out.
In total, there were about…
…
… 30 in total? A few looking better than others.
I can't say how they compare to other mages having never seen another Magi's circuits. Each one as individuals could be completely pathetic as far as I know.
Most of them seemed… functional? For a lack of a better phrase.
Summing up, there were about 10 'Average' circuits. With another 20 that look like they'd give out before the others.
But.. there was something else.
There was… a structure… it wasn't exactly a circuit but...
It's hot.
It's Hot.
… If I get closer, it will be painful. I'm pushing myself to my limit with my miniscule experience with this magecraft.
C'mon… just a little more….
It's Hot!
It's Hot!
It's roots run deep...
IT'S HOT!
I pull back.
IT'S HOT!
It's Hot!
It's Hot!
There was something beneath. I know there was.
Some… weird sense of calm.
The others… the 'Average', and the 'Stunted' ones. They didn't have this… function?
I couldn't hazard a guess what this meant.
Hm…
I've learned all I can at a glance. Without more intel, this is meaningless to me.
I decide to end this until I understand circuits better.
I blink as I come back to my regular senses.
The lighting in the room has changed a bit.
The sun must've changed its position in the sky, so it must've been at least an hour.
"The self-analysis must've distorted my sense of time… or I got distracted, I dunno."
My body still felt a slight stinging heat from the use of my circuits, so I turned them off as I got up to leave.
The house was quiet. The life it once had seems to have dimmed. I can only assume it's because its owner had left since I did my thing.
I'm walking to the living room when I see Saber turn the corner, and notice me.
There's a flash of… almost recognition in her eyes before they shift to something akin to spite, and once more to distrust.
Some small part of me felt pangs of regret at this. That the Once and Future King could look at me in such a manner.
Dismissing this feeling, I choose to focus on my next move.
Namely? Getting to the TV.
We're able to ignore each other for the most part as we pass by in the halls. That is until we both came to a stop just as we passed each other.
There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment where neither of us said anything, or moved to face the other.
But that changed when Saber asked-
"Orso... are you sure that's youBZZZZT BZZZZT-"
pain
pain
pain
The world goes out of focus for a moment.
Everything around me seems to… it seems to almost... glitch.
One moment I'm looking in the opposite direction of Saber. The next?
We're standing next to each other with Saber looking at me with a surprised expression.
I hold my head in pain for another moment before everything returns to normal.
"S-Sorry Saber. You said something?" I ask once I get my bearings.
Instead of answering, she stares at me in an almost pained expression.
She stands there for nearly a minute before seemingly coming to some conclusion, muttering something under her breath, and returning to a more neutral expression.
"No. I did no such thing. Carry on." She says like nothing happened, and walked the other way.
"... sooo, was it something I said?" I ask no one in particular.
Moving on, I found my way to the living room where Okita was still watching TV.
"Marathon?" I ask the Servant.
"Seems to be. Wanna watch with me?" She offers a nearby cushion to sit on because the Japanese don't believe in couches.
Not having much else to do since I was taking a break from mage training, I figured 'why the hell not'.
"Sure." I shrug as I sit down Indian style.
…
…
Don't think I've seen this one yet. Must be a rare older one.
Silver lining, if I get stuck here. I can get caught up on a lot.
…
…
"So, I guess Emiya's at school?" I ask without taking my eyes off the screen.
"Yeah, he left an hour ago." Okita informs.
"... And he did it without a Servant…" I sigh.
"You're the one that insisted we ally with him." She adds, neutrally.
"... Are you having…?"
"Objections? No. I am your-"
"As much as I appreciate your trust Okita, I'd like to hear your opinions on the matter just as much. Your experience in battle far surpasses mine. I would be an idiot if I didn't at least listen." Since this is turning into a discussion…
"With respect Master? I felt as though you've criticized yourself enough. You needed to focus on what you could do rather than whatever you couldn't." she wasn't wrong.
When I started out, I panicked. Overwhelmed by the graveness of the situation. Now?
Well… I'm still worried. Maybe even anxious if I ever find myself thinking too hard about any of this.
I wouldn't call it panicked though.
"Humor me. At least this once." I ask.
"..." Okita hesitates. Perhaps old habits dying hard? "... Were it not for what you know… if we didn't know about how things really are in this war? I'd think our strategy is completely wrong. I'm an Assassin Servant with some Saber like qualities. My every instinct is telling me that we're being too… "overt". And allying with a Master like Emiya?"
Fair enough.
"I know he might not be a perfect ally-"
"It's more than that. He seems to have a completely wrong mindset for fighting a war. In fact, I'd almost say he was denying the reality of the situation he's in." she described her view of Emiya.
Yeah that's… probably because of the reality marble.
From what I understand, such a thing is only possible by having a damn near delusional view of the world.
In Emiya's case, this makes him almost predictable to me.
Key word being… 'almost'.
"Yeah… Emiya's… he's… unique? But it's those traits that make him-"
"Let me finish." Assassin interrupts, "Emiya's not fighting in the Holy Grail War. Not really. But… neither are you. Even beyond his potential, it's better in some cases to have a weak ally you can trust than a powerful one that might stab you in the back. Overall, I think you're doing as well as you can with what you know and believe. If you're fine with that, I see no reason to complain."
Hm. In the end that's the most I can hope for.
"Is that everything?" she nods in confirmation to my question, "Thanks."
"You asked. Besides, you asked me before to let you know if there was anything wrong. Things are going well enough so far. So relax, and watch this box that slowly devours our souls with me before we have to go fight for our lives again."
Nuff' said.
Meanwhile…
Homurahara...
Shirou was on his way to lunch after a conversation with Taiga. Apparently she hadn't shown up this morning, and was unusually late (which is saying something with her) because she was feeling unusually tired, and low-energy. Which concerned him. Mainly because it seemed to him that the only thing that could hope to keep her down would be the plague.
In that regard, he was speaking with Issei on the way to lunch about a possible quarantine scenario.
"... I see. So the Tiger of Fuyuki has come under its influence as well…" Issei noted with theatrical seriousness… or real seriousness, it was hard to tell, "This was predicted as a worst case scenario… may the gods help us all."
"As well?" Emiya hadn't heard of anyone else…
"Indeed. At least two teachers, and thirty students have called in feeling ill. With symptoms awfully similar to what those coma patients went through before they collapsed." Issei informed him.
Emiya paled slightly.
"The coma patients? 'Bats said that a Master was involved with that. If they're affecting people at the school, I need to find out who they are, and how to stop them." the redhead came up with a gameplan.
"You... think we might have a gas leak?" Emiya carried the conversation on, but knew the true cause. But he couldn't tell his friend that-
"Personally, I think a witch did it."
"Ah… that seems… logical?" Emiya felt nervous. If Issei said 'witch' did that mean he knew about magecraft? Was he a Master?
"Think about it Emiya. Rin Tohsaka calls out of school just days before this mess starts up for no discernable reason. I think we both know that red devil is up to something…"
… on second thought, he might just be blaming his misfortunes on someone he sees as a rival.
Still, he wasn't wrong. Rin was a Master. Could she be responsible for this?
He wanted to say no. No way.
But… he didn't think Shinji was capable of doing the things he did. And Shirou thought he knew the Matou fairly well.
Rin? He barely ever said 'hi' to her in the halls. As much as he would hate to say it, it might be possible she's worse than Issei's worst nightmare.
Shirou stopped, noticing something.
… speak of the devil...
"What's wrong Emiya?" Issei asked upon realizing his friend wasn't right next to him.
"There's… something I need to check on. Be right back." Shirou decided to go after the out of place twin tailed girl that just passed by in the halls.
If she knew something, he had to know.
"Emiya." Issei stopped him again.
"What's up?" Shirou asked, then saw there was something strained about his friend's expression.
"..." Ryuudou seemed to hesitate before saying, "... call it paranoia, but… I've got a bad feeling about all this Shirou. After what happened to Mitsuzuri? All the gas leaks? Something's wrong. I can feel it. The monks at the temple haven't said anything, but you can tell there's been a change. Stay safe friend."
Shirou blinked.
Issei seemed worried. And when Issei seemed worried…
"Don't you worry Issei. For whatever malfeasance has befallen this city, I assure you the allies of justice will not allow its light to die!" Shirou exclaimed dramatically.
"... is one of those allies you?" Issei knew his friend too well.
"I would… be one of them, yes." Shirou responded sheepishly.
Shirou did his best solid snake impression as he tailed the young Magi. Following her through the halls as she made no particular pattern as to where she was going.
Come to think of it… he didn't recall Rin ever staying in the cafeteria for lunch. Maybe this was a regular pattern for her?
Wait, there! She must be going to the roof for lunch.
Sneaking… sneaking… sneaking…
He was by the door to the roof. The one Rin closed behind her as she went up.
"Yeah Archer, it's a real shame about all those coma patients."
"This is dumb. He's not gonna fall for it Rin." Archer grit his non-corporeal teeth at this asinine mess of a plan.
His younger self didn't always make use of his head, but even Archer had to doubt he was this stupid.
"You don't know this idiot like I do Satan. Juuust~ watch. I'll have him hanging on every word." Rin was more than confident in her skills in manipulation.
"Yeah, all those innocent people that Servant AT RY-UUDOU is draining." No way he can miss this! "It's a darn shame most of those people might die if something isn't done about that Servant AT RY-UUDOU…"
Archer felt his already drained sanity slowly breaking.
"... 'sigh', yes Rin. Too bad you're busy looking for a different Servant, and cannot stop them. If only some big, tough, muscle man went to go stop them. Oh, what, a, shame…" This was insulting his intelligence in two different ways...
"Yes, if only there was some Master that cared about people in the town enough to stop the Servant AT RYUUDOU…"
If this worked, Archer was gonna kill himself himself.
'course, he was gonna do that anyway, but… well, now there was gonna be another reason.
So, long story short, after Rin figured out his younger self was a Master, she tried to kill him at least 36 times.
Well… not really. EMIYA wasn't at all sure she was 100% serious about it. Which would explain why the moronic 'hero' wannabe was still alive.
He was pretty sure that if Rin wanted him dead, Shirou would be dead. Not so much because of Rin's ability, but because of Shirou's (Or his lack thereof).
Rin always had a soft spot for him. Even before they really 'knew' each other.
So, he was almost positive that before the night was out, Rin would get cold feet, and swoop in to save Shirou from Caster. To whom Rin is currently trying to send Shirou, where he will meet his untimely end by the hands of either her numerous dragon tooth warriors, or by one of the countless magical traps she has placed in lieu of the Assassin Servant that has now been summoned by someone else.
On that note… that was another part of the plan he felt Rin was outright ignoring.
The new guy. The one that definitely wasn't in his war.
Archer had only gotten a look at him from a distance. Seeing him with Shirou last night during their 'battle' with Rider while perched in a crows nest on the opposite side of the river.
He could have killed Shirou then… but besides not knowing if Assassin could do anything to block his shot (thus, losing his element of surprise), he wanted the satisfaction of Shirou knowing what killed him, and why.
Though his memory of his war was a bit hazy, he could at least remember a bit about each Master, and Servant. It was an advantage he thought he could count on.
Now with an unknown factor running around with his younger self, he would've liked to know how much of a problem that factor could turn out to be. Which was why he 'scouted out' an enemy Servant at Ryuudou temple while his Master was concussed, whom he told Rin was dug in like a cockroach. Which is where she came up with a plan to bait Shirou into attacking Caster so Rin could watch, and learn about Casters tactics, and so Archer could watch, and learn about Assassin's Masters.
He doubted he'd be lucky enough that the both of them would get themselves killed... But if he was? So be it.
Which would all be a moot point if Shirou had the same number of brain cells as a goldfish, and was therefore smart enough to know Rin was leading him into a trap with this method.
"Rin this is ridiculous. There's no one on the planet stupid enough to fall for this." he warned her one last time before-
Step-step-step
His enhanced senses told him his younger self had decided he'd heard enough, and moved on.
"... so, you were saying?" Rin asked, looking smug.
"... he… could… think we're on to him?" oh. Here's something else he didn't miss from his time.
Rin being able to say 'I told you so'
Meanwhile…
Downstairs…
"Y'know, I can't help but think Rin was trying to tell me something?" Shirou joked aloud.
Obviously, his super-spy hero skillz provided him with valuable intelligence about the whereabouts of the Servant hurting all the students at the school, and the people in town.
Batman will be happy to know he's figured out their next move.
Several hours later…
Miyama...
He was not happy.
Matou Zouken had waited very long, and very patiently to achieve his goal… but the cards were not in the favor of his original plan.
He had hoped to be able to wait until the next war to make his move. But… after analyzing the war, and his… condition, he didn't think he could afford to wait that long.
The Matou were dead with this generation. Shinji had proven that.
There would be no more pawns of his own blood he could use the same way he was using Sakura.
It was true when he said that the Tohsaka would be unlikely to speak to them now. Let alone any watchtower family. Any influence the Matou may have once wielded had faded with their blood.
That meant that when Sakura's body gave out due to either age, or any thaumaturgical phenomenon, he wouldn't be much longer for this world.
Zouken could not let that happen.
This war was his last chance. His last chance at an undying, unrotting body.
So, in this regard, he made his move.
And he came to a stop.
Before him lay the steps to Ryuudou temple.
It wasn't exactly ideal for this summoning ritual but…
Caster would do.
clatter
clatter
clatter
The old man sensed the telltale clatter of bones.
Dragontooth warriors.
Hundreds of them.
Coming in various shapes, sizes, and functions.
Compared to a modern mage? A daunting threat.
Compared to Zouken?
"Child's play."
In just three minutes, his swarming familiars had disassembled them all from the inside out.
In another two, he had walked up the steps of the temple, and stood before the waiting Caster.
They stood in their respective positions for a full minute. Each gauging the other. Their positions in terms of elevation hinting towards their positions in terms of power.
But power isn't everything.
"..."
"..."
"Oh~, poor old man, what is such an unloved near-corpse doing so far away from the nearest nursing home? Tell you what? If you turn around, and go back from whatever morgue you crawled out of, I won't extirpate you, and you can go back to never being seen by your grandchildren." Caster spat.
"Oh-ho my-my, such disrespect for the elderly. Is there some new rule about us not being allowed to visit our local temple?" Zouken mock-laughed.
"I would almost be tempted to let you in if monsters like you were to burn like you should upon entering a supposedly holy place." Medea's nostrils were begging that she cleanse this worm-sack sooner rather than later.
If she was quick in punishing its insolence, she might be able to comfortably get back to bed without disturbing her Master...
"Oh, I'm afraid I cannot allow that to happen young lady." the talking rot laughed, "But in order to prevent that, and excuse me if you've heard this line before…"
buzzzzzzzzzzz
buzzzzzzzzzzz
buzzzzzzzzzzz
Hundreds of familiars spilled out from beneath his robe as Caster grimaced, disgusted.
"I need your body."
And like that, the steps of Ryuudou temple were lit up in a battle of ancient Magi.
End Theme- This Illusion (LiSA)
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