AN: Suck it


Chapter One

Servant Caster

Caster stared out the window.

The Grail had supplied her with all the information required for her to not suffer from culture shock. But having the information implanted into her head hadn't been enough to prepare her for the metal construct her and her Master had boarded on for the past fourteen hours. It was a technological marvel where even the greatest of her spells had difficulty replicating. The ability to fly was seen as a True Magic in her period.

Of course, no matter how marvelous it had been at first glance, the glamour of it all wore off after the hours she used fundamental spells to decipher how the machine worked. That had been within the first few hours and she spent the remainder of the flight going over blueprints in her head to craft similar constructs. With her rank in Crafting it was possible.

Their flight was starting to descend. Soon they would arrive at their destination. Soon they would step foot on the battle that was the Holy Grail War.

But first, she needed to rouse her Master from his slumber. He had indulged himself to some of the wine and the mistresses he brought with him.

Her Master was a weak man. He was a spoiled brat who had everything handed to him on a silver spoon. Question his inadequacy and he would throw his money around instead of getting his hands dirty. Those who humiliated him were silenced with bribes to the insulter's family to disown them, threats by her Master's family, or backdoor dealings which would leave the insulter missing without a trace. Though… not everyone was susceptible to his methods. Her Master grumbled whenever someone more powerful than him insulted him.

Usually it led to him taking his ire out on one of his mistresses… or her.

It was a wonder how such a man could have been chosen to be a Master for the Holy Grail War. But the Grail chose him for a reason. Out of the several billion people inhabiting the planet— a number that made Caster's head spin— only seven could participate. Through some sort of lottery only the Grail itself and the founding families of the War knew the specifics about. And her Master had somehow made the cut.

This, naturally, added fuel to his enormous ego.

He thought he was superior to any other Magus, including her. Her, who had been summoned under the Class of Caster. He flaunted how superior of a Magus he was to her, showing her the secrets of his family's witchcraft. But when she corrected and improved the faults in his theories, she was criticized and abused.

After that, he rarely said a word to her. It was a miracle he hadn't used one of his Command Seals to force her to bed.

It probably had something to do with his lack of trust in her. He made sure to provide as little of Prana as possible and just as limited of time together. She had access only to a few of her mysteries… but not her Noble Phantasm.

"Master, we are soon to arrive at our destination," she materialized in the small bed chamber at the back of the private jet. "You must prepare."

He had been awake for some time. But he was being lazy with his arm over his eyes. The stench of sweat and liquor burned through her nostrils. The look on his face… he had overindulged in his pleasures once again. The headache would agitate his mood and make him unbearable.

She dematerialized and waited in the other room. He would come out, eventually, of his own volition. She just needed to be patient and hope his mood would lighten by the time he finished freshening up.

"Caster," he came out with a heavy stench of perfume to cover his musk. Despite his mood, he was still a Magus and one from a prestigious family. He made sure he was presentable with a new change of clothes and combed hair. "By the looks of it we've still an hour left. Could you not have bothered me until we landed?"

He would have told her off regardless when she came for him.

"We've yet to discuss our plan of action," she instead chose to say over what she wanted. "Once we enter Fuyuki will we be participants of the Holy Grail War. I've not heard any details of this elusive strategy of yours. If I am to be of any assistance to you, my Master, I must know my part in your plans."

He took a seat across of her on the swiveled chair. He crossed his legs while combing his fingers through his hair. A weave of magic spun through his fingers to alleviate the throbbing pain in his skull from his overindulgence. "Yes. That's right. We haven't gone over any plans, have we? I have a studio apartment set up that will work as our base. I'll need you to create a Boundary Field to secure the premises. After that… I'll be sending out the homunculi to scout the area."

She nodded. Well, this was certainly surprising. He had a decent plan of action. Now, from which of his advisors did he get this idea?

"Surely you don't expect to wait out for the entire War?" she questioned. "And do we have a contingency plan should our defenses be breached?"

He clicked his tongue, annoyed of her questions. Or more annoyed he had to think for once on his own. "There are backups. A hotel suite in New Fuyuki. And some shack down in the pier if we become desperate enough. We'll have to set up traps wherever we go and lure other Servants against another. Your combat prowess is, let's face it Caster, third-rate at best."

She chose to let the insult go. There were a series of lethal spells she knew that could level buildings, charm phantasmal beasts, and wipe out invading armies. But that was only if the proper circumstances were granted to her. Her Master wasn't clever enough to use her to her full potential. Nor trusting enough. Had she access to her Noble Phantasm she could steal another Master's Servant.

But Caster was determined to win. In order to do that, however, she will need to be rid of her Master. As soon as the opportunity presented itself she would kill him. She'd like to steal his Command Seals but without access to her Noble Phantasm the chances of that happening are slim. Still… there was the method of doing them manually. It was a good thing she wanted him dead since the procedure would leave most of his nerves dead.

"There's also the matter of introducing yourself to the proctor—"

"I think a phone call will suffice for that," he snapped. He drummed his fingers against the armrest while looking out the window. "I don't trust that man. Whether he works for the Church or not… someone who was a participant of the previous War should not be the one in charge. Not to mention I've heard word he is the legal guardian to the Tohsaka Heiress."

"Very well," she agreed. However, she would be sending a few of her own familiars to keep an eye on the proctor anyways. "There's also one more matter to discuss. I strongly suggest we deal with the contract of our benefactors as quickly as possible, before the War distracts us."

"Heh…?" he rubbed his chin in thought. "I think not. If the Archibald family wanted this Emiya boy dead they should have sent one of their own. That's what I think."

"But surely you can't neglect the terms of the contract. A geis is a very potent thing to cross, Master."

"I've very well aware of the consequences. I'd prefer to pull off the hunting of a single boy until the climax of the War. If we go after him now then who is to say those Archibalds won't pull back on us? They may be backing us for the War just so they see some whelp get ganked, but their resources have been beneficial to my family as a whole. I'd like to leach off of them as long as possible. Maybe by the end of this, after we've claimed the Grail for ourselves, we'd be able to overthrow them. The title of Lord El-Melloi III sounds nice, doesn't it?"

What a man of petty desires. While there was nothing wrong with improving the resources of one's family for future generations, his goals were utterly wasteful. Just like his magic. The Grail was a source of potentially endless prana. If it had the power to call upon seven Epic Spirits from the Throne of Heroes then the legend of it being able to grant any wish was highly probable.

There was no point in telling her Master any of this. He will be dead within the next few days. If not by her hand then surely by another— more competent, she'll add— Master and Servant pair. Honestly, facing death and losing the War was almost sweet when compared to having to deal with this child. Even her overbearing brother wasn't this incompetent.

"There's just something about the East that irks me," he muttered as he looked out the window. They could see the towering spires that was New Fuyuki's business district. "Why must such a grand ritual take place as far as the boonies of the world? Then again… I suppose other Magi would flock to this shithole if it were in the middle of England or Rome."

She said nothing. The Grail supplied her with a bland history of the Heaven's Feel ritual but nothing concrete enough to answer his inane questions. They were rhetorical, anyways.

"Caster, I'd like to be brief with you," he suddenly spoke after a few minutes of silence. He spun around on his chair to fully face her.

She turned her head. Her eyes were hidden by her hood but she gazed directly into his.

"I don't trust you as far as I can throw you," he said bluntly. But then he sighed, "But… you are my Servant. We are in this together. I understand I am not the most qualified Magus in terms of warfare. I also understand I will be facing my equals and— begrudging to admitmy betters."

She didn't react. But she couldn't help but blink. This was certainly different of him. After weeks on end of verbal (and the rare physical) abuse and all of a sudden he starts treating her like another human being?

…She wondered what he was after.

He went on, "You probably think terrible of me. Don't you deny it. I've seen the way you look at me. You and I can't get along. We never will. I've considered using a Command Seal to have you obey every word I use… but that would just be wasteful. It'd probably take two for me to completely bind you to my will. And these things are valuable beyond measure. I'd like to avoid using them at all costs."

She continued to listen. Her eyes started to narrow after every word.

"Despite how we may have gotten on the wrong foot, I'd like us to act professional about this. You and I both have a wish we want granted. There's no use fighting amongst ourselves. That's unproductive. I propose a truce. While we don't have to like each other, I think we could be civil and work together. As one Magus to another—"

The world shook as something pierced through the side of the metal bird and penetrated through the other end. One of the wings was spliced. There was fire. Caster was knocked out of her chair and sent flying in every direction. Her body rammed against the wall, the bar, another chair, and even her Master as the plane lost control and began to spiral downwards.

She only had a brief moment to gather herself. Muttering a few syllables, she called upon her mysteries and invoked a miracle.

In the next instant, her feet touched soft grass. But the vertigo of having all her senses lost previously had yet to wash away. She fell to her knees while she needed a moment to recapture her focus. Her hands gripped against the grass while her mind feared she would fall to the sky.

…It was only by chance her Master had teleported along with her. He had been clinging on to her robes in an attempt to steady himself throughout the chaos.

He either had the courtesy or it was by dumb luck that he managed to puke away from her.

There was an ear shattering boom seconds after. She instinctively flinched and called upon another mystery to shield herself, but there was nothing to worry about. The plane they had narrowly escaped had crashed onto the lake near them. A large tower of water sprouted out by the collision.

For sure the pilot, the whores, and what homunculi the Master brought had gone under. If they didn't die upon the initial strike they surely did by the crash.

"What…" her Master gasped as he sat on his rear, eyes and mouth agape at the wreckage. "What the fuck was that?!"

"…We are not safe here," Caster announced. "That was no accident, Master. Someone struck down the craft—"

"While it was moving?!" he screamed. "Bullshit! I don't believe even the fucking Queen could do something like that!"

"But it is not improbable for a Servant," she concluded with a tinge of impatience. "They must have known we were onboard. They'll be sure to check the ruins. We must leave before—"

Her voice halted. Her heart lurched as she felt absolute dread crawl down her spine and clutch her innards. There was a presence every part of her senses had detected. She turned. There was… something there. There! Right at the bridge that watched over the lake. She couldn't see that far but every fiber of her body told her it was there.

It was staring back at her. No. It had always been watching her.

Her instincts told her to run. That was no Servant. It was not a Servant who had struck down their carrier. The pair of golden eyes gazing at her was something she could not clash against. They transcended against the likes of an Epic Spirit, of the Heroes of old, of the Gods themselves! That was a monster in every definition.

That… was death.

Whatever it was… it moved away from the railings and began to stroll towards them. At such a leisurely pace it would take close to half an hour to reach them.

But it wasn't like Caster was willing to wait that long.

"…st…r... Ca….r…. CA…TE… CASTER!"

She blinked back to reality. Her Master had slapped her out of her fears. The light stinging of her cheeks was proof enough but her focus was still locked on the thing heading their way. She would have been aggravated with her Master for the gesture but there wasn't enough in herself to do such. Everything within her was screaming at her to flee. She was in danger.

"Leave…" her voice was so small she wasn't sure if she had spoken or if it had been a thought that never left her mind. "Must leave. Leave and go…"

The thing was drawing nearer. The pair of golden eyes had never lost sight of her even as it wasn't looking at her directly. Its gaze may have wandered to the road it walked but it had never lost focus on her. It was determined to reach her to hunt her down.

The gaze it gave her… it made her feel like she had trespassed into its territory.

She grabbed the wrist of her Master and began to tug him along. She hiked up her skirt when she began to fumble and slow her fleeing. She was so distraught she could not recall the words to invoke another teleportation spell.

She only knew once this creature had reached her, she would be dead.

"Caster!" barked her Master. "What is it? What's going on?!"

She didn't answer him. Every part of her focus was on getting as far as possible from the creature approaching them. Its speed had increased. It had been teasing them, letting them know it was going to be casual with them and reach them at its own pace. It could get to them whenever it wanted.

"That is no Servant," she said aloud. She wasn't sure if it was to herself, her Master, or to the great nothingness coming from her insanity. "I don't know what that is. We have to get out of here before it gets to us!"

Enough time had passed to where she could use a teleportation spell. They had reached the top of the hill when she had enough time to catch her breath and think more thoroughly. Survival was her priority and the mind did amazing things in the moment of dire need. The words were off of her tongue before she realized what she was doing.

Light glowed around them as her spell enacted. She felt the drain of prana of dragging them across another plane without direction plus the added baggage of another individual such as her Master. It didn't matter. She had crossed a great deal of distance in order to get away from the monster that had its eyes on her.

"Caster!" barked her Master once more. He pried her hand away once they had rematerialized. "Enough! Did you not get a read on their Noble Phantasm? What did they use to strike down the plane?"

She shook her head, "Not a Servant. It was…"

She wasn't sure what it was. The Grail didn't provide her with enough information to alert her to anything of this like. And her experience from the Age of the Gods couldn't answer her. Whatever this was, this was more than a legend made real. This was more than an Epic Spirit. This was more than the Dragons that could challenge the gods or the Divine Spirits that could tear the world asunder.

Dare she say this bore the weight of the planet itself. It was something as natural as the Will of Gaia yet as unnatural as all manner of thaumaturgy.

"Not a Servant?" questioned her Master. "What else could it have been? There is nothing out here in Fuyuki greater than a Servant. The only things that can challenge those of your kind are the Dead Apostle Ancestors— and only those of the higher class at that. The War would have been called off if any of them were near."

That made better sense. Yes. It could have been an Ancestor. It could have been one of the remaining True Ancestors of the Crimson Moon. But, a part of her wanted to argue still. This power felt on par with Brunestud… if not greater.

"I know what I saw, Master," she bit back darkly. She wasn't in the mood to appeal to his childish ego. "I'll not try to argue with you if you cannot understand. I'll only tell you I have no means of opposing it. Now that we are far away, we should gather ourselves and revise the plan in accordance—"

Her eyes widened as the same sense of dread flooded through her.

The monster… it was back!

It had never lost track of them and had crossed the same distance to reach them. She spun on her heels and backtracked, her back hitting a tree and wishing it wasn't in her way to get further from this thing. Her heart was racing to such a degree it would have killed a mortal. As the Servant Caster, all it did was bombard her chest in agonizing pain and petrifying fear.

"Hi there."

Her heart nearly stopped at the sheer audacity of the monster.

It was a boy. A man to her culture but nothing more than a boy in today's society. He had the innocent eyes of a child as was natural to this age of peace. He had none of the sharpness of brutality her age had forced on the young. His eyes were large and his smile was wide. He looked ever as friendly as can be.

The young man got off of— the Grail answered her unasked question— off of his bicycle and took the time to prop it up on its kick stand. He straightened his clothes and walked with a lax posture to approach them.

He eyed them, scratched the back of his head with an almost confused expression, and spoke with a bit of a tired drawl in his voice. "I have to ask. Why do you guys always run? You'd think after so many times they'd stop but they always keep running. I'm going to catch you eventually so why run? I don't get it."

Caster blinked. Was this… Had she made a mistake? No, surely she didn't. The boy here and the monster she felt at the bridge were two completely different creatures. Surely.

"Hah…?" dragged her Master. "Boy, get out of my sight. I'm too busy to deal with you. Get lost if you know what's good for you."

"Sorry, I can't do that," he stood up straight when he was a few paces away from them. "I was told to kill you. You're a monster who would have sacrificed the people of this city. I can't allow that."

"…Caster, kill him," her Master commanded.

She didn't move. She was too busy studying this strange boy. Eventually she would have obeyed while quietly apologizing to his cooling corpse.

But when those golden orbs slowly slid towards her, she couldn't move. That shade of gold… There had been nothing wrong in her assumptions. And this sense of dread! He had been masking his presence to appear as a mundane child.

This was, without a doubt, the monster that had been after them.

"You're not using that right," he said aloud. His eyes had closed in on the center of her cloak. She hadn't known what he had meant until her mind reset. His eyes were locked beyond the cloak…

…To her Noble Phantasm.

He had said it so casually it was as though he were commenting on the weather. Never mind he was about to kill them both without any hesitation and surely without any resistance on their part. It wasn't a question if she could struggle or not. He would crush her like a bug once he decided to do so. They were at her mercy and the only thing keeping them distracted was his attention on her hidden Noble Phantasm.

"Caster," growled her Master. He was so dense he couldn't tell his life was in peril. "Get rid of him. Now!"

"…This is how you use it," the boy said once more.

Her Master screamed in agony as he was lifted up off the ground. The boy had crossed the distance in a single instance with the speed that surpassed the likes of a Servant. It was quicker than a blink even to her extended senses. His hand was towards her Master's chest with something punched below his ribcage.

His eyes were the exact same as he watched her Master squirm. Nothing about him had shifted. He was still as innocent as when he first appeared. Even as he was killing her Master.

"Hmm…?" he hummed when something else caught his attention. He dropped her Master to the ground while lifting his left hand.

She felt the surge of prana in the air but thought nothing of it as her attention was elsewhere. At the back of his hand were the series of Command Seals her Master once wore. The boy was studying them with mild curiosity, flipping his hand around to gaze at them at every angle.

She also felt the shift in pressure from within her. It was impossible. Her allegiance was no longer bound to this fool of a man and had instead transferred over to this boy.

When she looked down at her former Master, her eyes widened and her skin blanched.

Lodged into his chest was, undeniably, the same hilt of the dagger she kept in her cloak. It was her Noble Phantasm. It was Rule Breaker, the artifact the gods had created and given her to break any and all form of magic contract.

And as for the Command Seals… Indeed, they had been pried off of her Master and implanted onto the boy.

The connection of prana was strong. Stronger than she had ever felt. Even when she was first summoned and her Master had let loose all the channels of his magic circuits, she hadn't equal reserves as this. Whatever this boy was made him remarkable beyond measure. He had the capacity of a Divine Spirit, perhaps even the magic core of a Phantasmal Beast.

Yet, he was still something that was willing and able to kill them once his attention was lost.

"Caster…" hissed the slithering worm trying to reach for her boots. "Help me!"

In response, she created a wad of pure prana and fired it off of her palm. The combustion spell made his head split like a fruit.

The boy lifted his eyes up at her curiously. The lust to kill was still as strong as it had been before but it was also seasoned with mild interest. He was pausing just long enough to study her for reasons she could not comprehend.

It was all in the name of panic and desperation. She did not know if this plan would work or not. Only, every part of her had done this for the sole purpose of survival.

Mostly. There was a bit of satisfaction in killing her former Master.

"Master!" she declared as she fell to one knee in fealty. She bowed her head, trying her best to not quiver in fear. "I praise you for saving me! He forced me against my will to comply with his vile deeds! Please spare me now that you have broken me free! I swear to follow you in gratitude!"

It was all garbage. It was all something she had used long ago when she was once a princess. She could charm the likes of any hero that came to her kingdom with this fake personality. If it had worked then perhaps it could work still in this age. And if not, then there was nothing she could do. This was her last ditch effort in keeping her life.

His eyes narrowed as the lust to kill her increased. It was almost like a physical weight on her shoulders. Her plan was doomed to fail as he saw straight through her. He knew what she said was a horrendous lie. She wasn't a damsel in distress. She was a conniving enchantress who had tried to seduce a monster as though she were a virginal beauty.

There was a high-pitched noise coming from him. The boy blinked and lifted his hand. There was— the Grail told her— a watch strapped to his wrist and it was ringing. His lips became a thin line as he clicked it off.

"Huh… This puts me in a tough spot…" he grumbled as he went to her and to the ruined mess of her former Master. "I should kill you… but I don't have enough time to get rid of both your bodies…"

He scratched his head again, his eyes squinting in deep thought.

…Was her life truly to be decided on a whim?

"I guess I don't have a choice…" he sighed in defeat. "Alright. I don't know what's going on but… fine. You can go wherever you want. Just know no matter how far you travel I'll always know where you're at. If you cause problems again I'll be back."

She knew he meant it. It wasn't the tone of his voice (which was quite lax) nor was it the performance of killing the magus. There was something deeper at working here that told her he could and would cross over the globe and kill her no matter where she fled.

Her mind was rattled when a sword appeared in his hands, raised high over his head, and swung down without warning. A great hole was blasted when it sank into the earth. It was deep enough to cover two of him.

Without any hesitation, he went to work. He dragged the magus' body into the ditch and began to scoop back the earth back into the hole.

It might have been out of pity or it could have been out of fealty to a dominant being, but she used her magic to pile the dirt in what would have taken an hour at most.

She flinched as she realized she had done something completely unnecessary. He didn't kill her because he was short on time. Having cut into his schedule, he now found an opportunity to be rid of her (even if she would vanish immediately after being no more than a spirit).

"Oh, that makes thing a lot easier," he stood up and patted what he could off his hands. "Thanks. I really do appreciate it."

She took a step back when he looked her way.

"Well… a promise is a promise," he said after staring at her for some time. "Since you won't sacrifice people anymore… I guess I can let you go. My point still stands. I'll come after you if you cause trouble. Take care now."

He turned his back to her and started to head back to his bike.

"Wait!" she called out to him.

He stopped to look over his shoulder back at her.

She had no idea why she did it. Her Master was dead, she had the reserves of prana to use her most expensive of spells, and this creature was letting her go free without repercussions. It was everything she could ask for.

Almost everything.

She was still a Servant. She had answered the call to join in on the Fifth Heaven's Feel Ritual. She had a wish that wanted to be granted and she was determined to be a part of the War. Even if this creature resided here in Fuyuki, she would have planned accordingly to dance around it. She would have sent other Servants to fight against it or near it, in which case they would still fall before it.

But now? Now this creature was her Master. If… If he joined the War…

"May I accompany you… Master…?"

Her voice was almost pleading. It wasn't a part of her distraught princess persona this time. She was still unsure whether this was a good idea or not. He might think twice about sparing her.

He tilted his head as those golden eyes glared at her. All expression from him dropped to the point he was entirely emotionless. His senses were not dulled such as the likes of those brute soldiers who were brainwashed murderers.

He wasn't human. It was as simple as that.

"…Nothing would change," he muttered under narrowed eyes. "The danger would still be there. No one would be sacrificed but… I'm still needed."

He looked away. His eyes were almost glazed as he delved deep into his psyche to ponder on something. He didn't move as he kept to himself. For that matter, he didn't breathe. He was as still as a statue.

She could have sworn she saw his skin shimmer in a silver color for the briefest of instances.

"I guess that's fine," he turned back to him. There was a light smile on his face as he addressed her almost like a friend. "It'll make things easier for me. I'll be able to keep an eye on you in person and that'll make my job here easier. It's really difficult for me to travel anyways. Alright. Hop on. You're going to have to stick with me for the rest of the day."

He got on his bike and gestured to the luggage rack at the back of it. He was suggesting she sit there while he steered.

She didn't argue. Really, she couldn't. She lifted up her skirt a bit and did as was instructed. He struggled at first to find the right amount of balance but managed to kick off to propel himself forward. In a few seconds, they were riding down the hill she had teleported to.

…And the remains of her former Master was gradually growing distant.

"What's your name?" he called out from the wind. They were making speed as they descended. It was a frightening speed in mortal standards but he managed to steer perfectly fine. It was almost as though he had a Riding skill himself.

"Caster," she answered dutifully. She was in this for sure now. This was to be her new Master.

"You can call me Shirou," he said with a friendly tone. "Emiya Shirou. I don't know what's going on but I'm not comfortable with being called Master or anything like that. Just call me by my name."

She pondered for a moment in silence.

"Emiya-san," her mind automatically used Japanese customs.

"Shirou is fine," he called out.

"…Shirou," she nodded. "Shirou, are you not aware of the Holy Grail War?"

They reached the bottom of the hill and began to navigate through traffic. His speed decelerated to be able to steer nimbly through the streets and between cars. The smell of burnt rubber reached her when they met their first stop signal.

"Holy what?" he turned his head slightly. "No, I don't know anything about anything like that."

"Then how did you know we were coming?" she asked.

They took off again.

"I was told," was his answer. "I was waiting for you to arrive since three years ago. I set it on my calendar just in case I forgot, but the constant reminder wouldn't let me. I made a post on the Fuyuki Bridge while I waited for the right time to throw my spear."

She wasn't sure which part of his statement to question. A, the amount of time he knew prior to her summoning or B, the fact he managed to hit a flying vehicle by throwing a spear.

Even among legends the likes of hitting something like that was ludicrous.

"You're not the main problem…" he grumbled in disappointment. "I waited three years thinking you were the thing that was going to ruin everything. But you're only a small part of it. Getting rid of that guy with you did a lot, yeah, but not everything. I don't know what else to do though. I guess I have to wait until I hear what else is in store…"

"…How did you know?" she tried her luck. "What sorcery did you use to learn of us?"

He didn't answer. He instead continued pedaling through the crowded streets. Every now and then people would stop and stare at them. She was dressed in rather outlandish attire befitting of her stature and origin. It was unfound in this society but not unseen. Those from the eldest of countries still bore similar attire and traversed to this country as tourists. They were a rare sight.

Still, all this attention wasn't good. It was likely another Master was going to spot them and mark her new Master as a target.

At the same time, she wasn't worried. She almost welcomed the stares and if any other Master had spotted her. If they came after her, she had the best shield.

…Assuming Shirou was willing to protect her in the first place. He could just as easily watch her die since it wasn't moments ago he was willing to butcher her like an animal.

"We're going to have to talk more thoroughly later," he said as he turned around one corner. He brought his bicycle to a railing and gestured for her to get off. He did the same after her and began to tie it up with some chain from one compartment.

"If you promise to not do anything bad…" he spoke up while he wound the chains around the wheel and railing. "I'll let you browse the shopping area. Sorry, but I have to work for a few hours. Once I'm done we can go back to my place and talk. Do you need any money for anything? Are you hungry at all?"

"…No, I am fine," she chose to say. She wasn't sure how to treat this one. She wasn't sure if he was being cordial in the name of politesse or if it were simply a set of things to supply from a list.

"You're not going to steal anything, are you?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Master, I plan to be on my best behavior if that is what you wish of me," she said diplomatically.

"Shirou," he corrected. "Okay. I'll leave you to it then. Come back in five hours. That should be the time I get off. I trust you, Caster."

He finished off with a warm smile and a friendly wave. But there was no deeper meaning in his actions nor in his words. His eyes betrayed him as they sang the promise of relentless destruction should she go against his words. He didn't expect a response from her. Shirou turned his back to her once more and entered the small establishment.

Alone in this alley, her back hit a wall and slid down. She cradled her arms around her legs and put her head to her knees. Never before had she felt this helpless. Even when she was abused by the gods to fall hopelessly in love to that fool. Even when she was kept in a prison by her brother to ward off any suitors.

She felt like she had bitten off far more than she can chew.

It felt like she was choking. What did she get herself involved with?

0-0-0

She didn't know how long she remained in the alleyway. Perhaps a person or two had come around near her but none had disturbed her. The sun had dipped slightly, suggesting a fair amount of time had passed but her mind wouldn't tell her how much. She never bothered to go entertain herself with anything this district provided. She had long grown out of the allure of fashion after a life of ruinous royalty.

In the end, she returned to her spiritual form and became invisible. While the link between her and her new Master provided enough prana for her to live in the mortal realm comfortably, there were some things she could not accomplish while in the spiritual form. One such was the physical burden on her mind through all the stress of today's actions. She could think clearly now that false nerves and chemical reactions were no longer crossing.

She slipped into the building named Copenhagen. It was a modest bar with a few tables lining against the windows and a few booths shoved into corners. It was a small tavern with a wide selection of wines and a few liquors. A sturdy man was there handling the drinks while a young woman was walking around tending to the customers and delivering their meals.

…Even in spiritual form, Caster could not look away from the appealing plates. She could have sworn her mouth was watering as a hunger unlike any other swam through her. But, no, that was impossible. She hadn't a body when she was like this.

It was mostly curiosity that was driving her. She followed the link of her contract and delved deeper into the establishment. She brushed through the bartender without him noticing anything and entered the back of the room.

This building was newly refurbished, as far as she could tell with her secondhand information provided by the Grail. It hadn't originally been a place that offered meals. The kitchen in the back was small and cramped— more like the owners had turned two spare rooms into a larger one by knocking down the wall dividing them.

Yet, there her Master was, tending to every device with a steady hand.

His eyes lifted as soon as she fazed through the walls. His eyes locked on hers even when he shouldn't have been able to see her. He hadn't even used the Master's link to detect her presence. It was something else— something only he could use— that alerted him to her presence. He said nothing to her, merely nodding, and went back to his work.

"Shirou~" sang the voice of the young woman serving. "You got another tip~"

He gave her an uncomfortable smile. "Eh… Hota-nee, I'm sure that was for you. Go ahead and keep it—"

"Oh no!" she pointed a finger at him. "I'm not having this talk with you again! Shirou! You deserved this. Just take the tip and use it for your college fund or something. Besides… You're the reason Otou-san says in business…

"And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Neko?!"

"…You know I can't call you that."

"I don't see why not!" she pouted like a child. "It's adorable and I give you full permission. Not everyone gets to call me that, you know."

"Everyone calls you that anyways, Hota-nee."

"Don't get smart with me," she chided him now like an adult. "You're still too young to take that tone with me. There's a difference, anyways. I let you call me that. Everyone else does it on their own."

"That's because you encourage them too," he muttered below his breath while tending to something else. "Number thirty-eight is done."

"I remember when you used to follow me around everywhere…" she gave crocodile tears as she went to gather the two plates he placed on the counter. "You used to call me Neko-nee all the time."

"I never did."

"You used to call me Oto-nee all the time," she quickly said with the same saddened tone. "Why, Shirou, why won't you go back to calling me that?"

He remained silent, pretending the next order was keeping him distracted.

She puffed her cheeks and scowled at him. But she said nothing else nor was she genuinely upset with their conversation. It suggested this was a routine thing between them and she was only teasing him. She gathered her composure and returned to the outside.

"You hungry?" he asked in a low voice, just loud enough for Caster to hear him. "Just hold on a moment. I'll whip you up something real quick."

"No, Master, that's—"

"Call me Shirou," he said in an almost automatic tone while he went straight to work. He gathered a few pieces of meat and vegetables with some premade dough and began to wrap them together. "Besides, I like doing this. I like cooking for others. But, most of all, I want to see your reaction…"

Honestly, she wasn't sure what to think of this boy. Correction, of this creature. He certainly wasn't human if he contained all of that power locked in this deceptive vessel. He had been able to replicate her Noble Phantasm without needing to see it, could provide her with prana to last her a lifetime, and could kill her with only a promise that held more potency than an Authority of the Gods.

And he was keeping a daytime job while whistling a merry tune as he cooked.

"Here, try one," he said in a matter of minutes. "It's gyoza. Copenhagen style."

Her attention loomed down at the dish. It wasn't as appetizing to the eyes as some of the others that had left the kitchen. It was only a small portion compared to the others that had been served. Then again… those were to paying customers and he was doing this out of his personal pocket.

She materialized… and was immediately bombarded with the plethora of smells from the kitchen.

Her knees almost went weak as the mixture of spices slapped her across the face. Her stomach gargled even as she didn't need any sustenance. It only growled at her in fury to demand the food presented to her.

…Just one bite wouldn't hurt. It would be dreadfully rude to refuse. And potentially fatal.

There was a pair of utensils— chopsticks, the random information told her— but even with all the knowledge from the Grail she didn't know how to use them. She chose to use her hands to pick up one… dumpling? Strange thing. She picked up one dumpling and put it to her mouth.

"st… r…? C…er…. Caster!"

"…Huh?" she blinked.

The dumpling was still in her hand when she returned to reality. Bliss had swam through her like never before. Since being summoned, she had never eating anything. She never needed to nor was she offered anything. But even then she recalled the divine tastes of the banquets her father had housed as king. She was spoiled rotten in her youth and just as much in her later years.

So why was it this meager meal befitting of a commoner had felt like an intervention? It felt like everything she knew before had been horribly, horribly wrong.

When she blinked again, she noticed her Master had gone to the back of the kitchen and was scribbling something down in a small notebook. He mumbled things to himself while he wrote— things she could scarcely pick up that had something to do with her reaction.

"Too much butter maybe?" he said aloud as he snapped the book shut. "Or maybe I need something to counteract the garlic? Lemon? No. Pepper. I need to make it taste somewhat bad."

She didn't dare to take another bite, no matter how much she desired to. It took some effort to get her hand to let the dumpling drop back to the plate.

"Master?"

"Shirou."

"Why dilute it?" she questioned. "It seems perfectly fine to me."

It was more than perfectly fine. The Gods themselves would descend onto this mortal plane and demand his cooking.

"That's the problem," he said with a blunt and unsatisfied stare. "I thought if I made something really great I could get people together. That had been my philosophy for a long time. But then I reached my goal, only to find I made things too good. I'm back to square one if everyone who joins me for meals is just a bumbling mess. I need to find the right amount of good and bad flavor so we can all share dinner conversations. That's one of the few things I'm missing from my studies…

"It's all your fault…" he growled through narrowed eyes at the knife he pulled for his next project. He looked at it with the same lust to kill as he had with Caster hours ago. The moment passed and he used it to mince ingredients.

"Shirou~" the serving girl returned— making Caster flinch and return to her astral form immediately. The young lady hadn't noticed. "I got two more orders up front. They want… Hey! Is this for me?!"

As quick as he had moved when he had impaled her former Master, Otoko crossed from the door to the counter as soon as she spotted the dish of dumplings. Her eyes were sparkling with a bit of drool running down her mouth without shame.

Shirou opened his mouth and was about to answer. He paused as he looked at where Caster lay hidden, thought briefly to himself, and responded thoughtful. "…Yes?"

"Oh Shirou~" she sang while pulling a toothpick out of seemingly nowhere and stabbing into one fried sampling. She had been prepared for this like a wolf patiently waiting when one sheep was isolated from the herd. "You shouldn't have. You know how much I love… Mmmmmmm~"

She moaned deeply while cupping one hand to her cheek. There was a flush on her face while her legs rubbed against another. She looked to be in absolute euphoria as she munched away on the meal prepared for Caster.

Meanwhile… Caster tried her best to not cry. But this was truly a betrayal most foul.

"Shirou…" Otoko moaned again as she put another dumpling into her mouth. She took a bit of time to chew but spoke up when half of it was swallowed. "When are you going to marry me and cook for me at home?"

"Probably after college," he said flatly. His eyes sharpened as he looked over his shoulder at her.

She began to cough when his response made her gasp with some bits remaining in her mouth. "S-Shirou! You're supposed to say I already freeload at your place! You're not supposed to go along with my teasing!"

"You do anyways…" he half groaned while he went back to work.

"Hmm…" Otoko quickly got over her fit and her trauma. She had another dumpling in her mouth while she thought to herself. "You know, now that I think about it, that doesn't sound too bad. Otou-san already likes you so convincing him wouldn't be too bad. And I don't think I would mind if it's you…"

"…Fuji-nee would kill us both," he said with a slightly scared smile.

It was strange to see some amount of fear in him to Caster. What sort of creature could this 'Fuji-nee' be?

"Oh yeah, that's right," Otoko sagged in her posture. "Taiga would totally be upset about that. You know what? Better idea. How about you marry us both?"

"I don't think it works that way," he forced a smile. "Besides, you're both sisters to me. Not to mention Fuji-nee is my legal guardian."

"Sure, go ahead," Otoko sassed as she ate another dumpling. She eyed the remaining one— the half-eaten one Caster had bitten. Otoko was debating whether to eat it or not. "Go and use the sister card on me. See if I care. You'll be mine one day Shirou. And all your cooking along with it."

"That'll be the day I call you Neko-chan," he gave a lighthearted laugh. "Um… Hota-nee—"

"Call me Neko already!"

"Don't you need to be up front?"

"Eh, it's slow today," she waved it off. "The old man is managing the front right now. Besides, I wanted to talk to you. Shirou, there was some blood on your sleeves when you first came in. Did you get into another fight?"

"…Something like that," he said with an almost angry expression. "He wasn't a very nice person. I came across him on my way from school. I stopped him before he could do any real damage."

He made sure to keep himself away from her while keeping his hands busy. Otoko took this as him being upset over the matter and unwilling to share anything further.

"You know Taiga will be mad if she ever finds out…" sighed Otoko as she decided to eat the last dumpling.

…Caster pretended to not care.

Otoko went on, "Please Shirou, you've been getting into a lot more fights lately. You think we haven't noticed but we have. You've just been a lot more careful in trying to hide it from us. Just because you don't go to the hospital as much as you used to doesn't mean you've changed. Do you still want to be a hero that badly? Enough so you throw yourself in danger?"

"It's nothing like that, Oto-nee," he turned his head around and offered a small sheepish smile. "It was just one guy who was being rude. He wasn't willing to listen so I decked him. He stopped right after that. I didn't do anything further. Honest."

Caster would have raised a brow. She caught on to his speech pattern almost immediately. The way he looked at this woman, the way his tone shifted, his choice of words, to even the name he addressed with. Everything was calculated in order to alter her reaction against him.

Her master was just as conniving as she was. Perhaps more. He had been so fluent in his actions poor Otoko had been swept away.

The serving girl scowled at him with a flushed face. "If you say so, Shirou. Just… promise me you won't do anything rash that'll wind you up in the hospital? Please?"

He gave her a beaming smile. "I promise."

0-0-0

It wasn't until late at night was he relieved of his duties and permitted to go home. The tavern was still open but the kitchen was closed— something a few customers had groaned about. Some had made a mad dash to this establishment hoping to reach before the cutoff time.

It shouldn't have been good for business if her Master was the only cook. But he was. From what she could gather, anyone else the manager had hired fell short. Whatever they made wasn't on par with whatever her Master made.

"Next time I'll add ginger…" he muttered while scribbling into that notebook of his. He had changed out of his work attire and back into the stained powdered shirt. It was the same set of clothes he wore when confronting them.

"Is there… any purpose in this, Master?" she asked once they were back in the alleyway and he was releasing his bike.

He lifted his head to look at her quizzically. "What do you mean? My job? Well… I get by with what Dad left me and what Raiga-jii sends. But it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I work mostly to support myself and keep my savings for emergencies only. Besides, I like it. I make people happy, I get to interact with them, and I've something to do on these days I'm normally alone."

The more she observed this young man the more confused she was about him. He was a monster that could oppose the likes of a Servant. When she felt his presence from the bridge she had expected to fight against an Effigy of Gaia or a dog of Alaya. All she felt was imminent death.

Here, this reaper was working a daytime job out of a moral sense of obligation as well as personal pleasure. He lived a rather mundane life as far as she could tell.

But that was all on the surface. Perhaps it was because she knew he wasn't human could she see all the faults in his disguise.

All of his actions were calculated responses. Whenever he was talking to Otoko or the manager, his eyes were as sharp as a hawks as he absorbed everything about them. He was analyzing them and recording everything about them into a mental note just as he would with the notebook he had on hand.

He was doing this more than out of responsibility. He was there to learn what it meant to be human because he wasn't human himself.

"Now what are you going to do?" he asked him while pulling his bike away from the railing. "I never got to ask. What were you doing in Fuyuki anyways?"

"Master," she began.

"Shirou," he corrected with a somewhat annoyed tone. His eyes had narrowed and he raised his voice slightly.

"There is much we need to discuss," she went on after quickly figuring out he was as calm as can be. He held no real anger in him. He was only imitating the appropriate expression. "Those marks on your hands are called Command Seals. They are the mark of a Master who is to participate in the Holy Grail War."

"You mentioned something about that earlier…" he said while tilting his head to scratch his lower jaw. "Is that the big thing that's supposed to happen? I was told something was going to happen that'll put a lot of lives in danger. But he's always vague about the specifics. Can you tell me more about this Holy Grail War?"

"…This is not a topic to be spoken in the open," she said while taking queue of her surroundings. "It is a competition of sorts with six other teams. Seven Masters and Seven Servants. I do not wish to be discussing this in a vulnerable state. Can we move elsewhere?"

His eyes grew distant as he stared out into open space. It was almost as if he was scrying for something with the way his brows twitched in focus and how his eyes flickered here and there.

"Seven, huh…?" he asked aloud but didn't expect an answer. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. He was back in focus. "I'm underage so I can't stay long late at night. I guess I can take you back to my place. No one should be home and we can talk about this in private."

She wasn't sure if it was wise to be going to the lair of the beast already on the first day.

He gestured for her to get on the luggage bin of his bike. She shook her head and returned to the astral plane. It would be easier for her to follow him like this.

He shrugged and started to pedal his way through the main street.

0-0-0

He stopped abruptly right before reaching the Fuyuki Bridge. He got off his bike and went to the railings to gaze out over to the lake. The dark waters hid what lay beneath. Not even the tail of the plane could be seen in the dark night. Further down the road, to the shore and harbor, there was wild activity of officials at work.

"I'm glad no one else got hurt," he said with a relieved smile. "I was stressed my aim was going to be off by even a small margin. I was almost late to the moment best to strike, too. A lot of things kept me in school from leaving on time. I had planned to camp at the top of the bridge for an hour. I barely managed to climb up there with two minutes to spare."

He started to walk across the pedestrian path instead of getting back on his bike.

"What would have happened if you were off?" she couldn't help but ask him in her astral state.

"Panicked," he lowered his head with a thin line creasing his lips. "I chose that spot and time so that I could have the plane crash into the lake. If I missed the opportune moment I would have had to wait until you were moving from the airport to your base of operations. Civilians might have gotten involved. I was going to kill you in order to prevent that."

Caster was glad she had earned this boy's mercy.

"My aim was off, though," he grumbled. "I had aimed Gungir at your head. It's not supposed to miss. But I guess in my haste to get there on time I didn't prepare right. I was only looking for the plane, not you within. No, even then it should have worked. I wonder if this is what he wanted because of…"

His head bowed as his eyes glanced down to the Command Seals on his left hand.

It was not the first time he had mentioned a third party. He said someone had told him about her arrival three years in advance. The specifics on her end were slim— she only knew the Archibald family of the Magic Association had been the main sponsor to…

Wait a moment.

"S-Shirou…" she blanched. "What did you say your name was?"

He looked up at her with his golden eyes. They almost looked innocent if she didn't know any better. "Hmm? Emiya. Emiya Shirou. Why?"

It was the Archibald family who had sent her and her former Master off to their deaths. They had sponsored her former Master and had him sign a contract. He was to use his Servant (Caster) to kill a certain young boy named Emiya.

Naturally, it hadn't worked. The boy had been aware and had been prepared years in advance for their arrival. Their quest was destined to fail before it could begin.

"Yes… much to discuss…" she murmured.

"…If you say so," he dismissed her and went back to walking. His eyes flickered ahead and she noticed his pacing started to slow down.

It wasn't until his reaction did she sense it. There was a Bounded Field placed over the bridge as a thick mist covered the road. The sound died as no other cars traversed through. The bridge was empty in a matter of minutes.

This could only be the workings of another Master.

Caster materialized to walk alongside her own Master. His eyes glanced over to her but he didn't say anything. He kept his expression neutral— perhaps because he had no reason to express anything. His senses were significantly sharper than hers. There was no need to share emotion in the face of battle.

"Hello there, Onii-chan~" sang the voice of a little girl. She appeared out of the mist, skipping along as little girls her age normally would on sunny days. A sweet smile graced her lips as she eyed the two of them.

Her eyes widened and her lips spread further at the sight of Caster.

"A Servant!" she cheered. "How wonderful! I was expecting you to be ignorant, Onii-chan. But it looks like that man taught you more than our spies learned. Looks like we can start early. I won't have to give you those three days after all!"

Caster wasn't entirely thrilled about this little girl. Something was off about her. At a first glance she knew immediately this little thing was a homunculus. A homunculus of such high quality that blew out anything her former Master had created, at that. But what bothered Caster was the innate feeling in her chest to not fight against this girl. Not out of survival, no. Caster shouldn't because it would jeopardize the entirety of the War.

"Hi there!" her Master gave her a friendly smile and a wave of his hand. "Eh… Are you sure you should be out here this late? It's not safe for a little girl like you. Do you want me to escort you home? Ah, I can also give you money to call someone if you'd like. There's a convenience store back that way."

"Master…" Caster said in a low voice. She wasn't sure if he was pretending or if he really was ignorant. It was almost impossible to tell with him. "This is one of other participants I mentioned."

"Oh, that makes better sense," he said with an exasperated tone. He even knocked a fist into an open hand to show he achieved brilliance. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, then? I don't really get what's going on. I'm looking for the source that will kill a lot of people. Happen to know anything about that?"

"…You're strange, Onii-chan," the little girl said to him with her smile dropping. "You really don't get what's going on, do you? I guess it doesn't matter. I was going to kill you anyways. Berserker!"

Caster took a step back as something massive and black appeared out of thin air. What had first been a swirl of black dust became a solid mess of a gargantuan brute nearing eight feet tall with bulging muscles. When his feet touched the street, it created small cracks on the asphalt and shook the ground beneath them.

"…Huh," was the intellectual response from Shirou at the sight of the Servant.

It made the girl across of them broaden her smile. "Allow me to properly introduce myself, Onii-chan. I am Ilyasviel von Einzbern. And this is my Servant Berserker, the greatest hero in all of Greece. Heracles."

Servant Berserker let loose a feral growl that was so low in pitch it vibrated Caster's core. It was nothing but a mindless beast, furthest from being the once burdened hero she voyaged with ages ago. Steam came out of its nostrils as its eyes glared in a primal rage barely restrained by the whim of its Master. There was humanity left in this creature. Only wanton destruction.

"Okay…" Shirou gave a single nod. "Um… I'm Emiya Shirou. It's nice to meet you? Is that the right response to this sort of situation? I don't think I ever found anything similar to emulate. Anyways, if you're going to kill me…"

His eyes narrowed at the colossus towering over Ilyasviel. Rather, his eyes were honed in on the thing gripped in its hands. It was a crude object; it was a giant slab of rock that had been cut from a larger foundation and wrapped with bindings for a handle. It was absurdly massive as it was twice the size as Shirou. But it was a comfortable weapon for the likes of Servant Berserker.

"You better fight, Onii-chan," sang Ilyasviel. "Or you'll die! Berserker! Kill him!"

The sound coming out of Berserker's mouth was not a feral roar of a beast. No creature, be they beastly or human, could replicate such an atrocious sound. It was the grinding of metal combined with the thunderous eruption of a volcano. It was destruction personified.

It raised its weapon high into the air as it charged down the path towards Shirou. Something of its size shouldn't have been able to move at such a velocity. But this was a Servant— this was a pseudo god forged out of the legends whispered by humanity. The feats they could perform transcended physical limitation.

"Master!" Caster threw up her hands and conjured what spells she could. Shields were erected and blasts of prana were fired. But they were all instant-access spells without any of the backing to do anything against Berserker. Had she been aware of this engagement, she would have prepared more compact spells.

Berserker tore everything thrown his way like paper. He hadn't even noticed Caster.

All the while, Shirou never moved. His eyes narrowed as he eyed the savage heading his way. His head tilted as though he were studying him.

That's exactly what it was. Shirou could not comprehend what this thing was and sought to analyze its behavior rather than put up any form of protection.

He did not move nor did he defend himself when Berserker swung his stone axe.

There was the booming sound of vacuum wind combusting due to the swing. A secondary sound of screeching metal came afterwards. Berserker brought his blade around in a full swing faster than a blur. Its edge spliced straight through Shirou across his waist while the wind buffeting afterwards ripped him to shreds and the surroundings.

Chunks of his body was tossed over the bridge. The rest littered across the street.

"…It's over," Ilyasviel said in such a quiet voice Caster might have imagined it. There was a disappointed look on her face. She was saddened the fight, if it could be called that, had only lasted a brief instance. There was no resistance.

Then came absolute rage. Ilyasviel felt cheated at having some moment she had been eagerly anticipating had been wasted. All of the anticipation and planning had come and gone as quick as a flash.

"How… boring," she said in another low voice. Her eyes flashed towards Caster. They narrowed to slits as she pondered on what to do with her. "…Berserker. I'm bored. Let's go home."

Servant Berserker loomed over at Caster for a moment. She could feel the lust to kill resonating from his being. He would have killed her on the spot hadn't he been tied to such a strong leash. He turned his back to her, in the same manner as her Master would have. He did not see her as a threat— could never see her as a threat. Exposing his back to her meant nothing.

Very gently, after returning to his Master, Berserker lifted the little girl onto his shoulder and began to stroll away off of the bridge. As they left, the Bounded Field started to become undone.

Caster did not hesitate to flee. She returned to the astral plane before they changed their minds.

0-0-0

Never would she think of using her great mysteries to fish. The Gods would be laughing at her if they were still around. The phenomenal forces that could defy the world was being used as a menial task to retrieve something from the river below the bridge.

She could still feel it. The link between Master and Servant was still as strong as it had been before. Her Master was still alive and somewhere flowing down the river. She had to be quick before losing him to the lake.

An ethereal string of prana grabbed onto something. It took a small effort on her part to determine it was indeed her Master and another moment to reel him in.

…Only, what she pulled out wasn't entirely her Master. All she managed to pull out was his left forearm.

Ah. Her senses had only detected the Command Seals. But, ever so strange, she shouldn't have been able to sense them after they've been dislocated from the main power source. And yet they were still brimming with power from magic circuits still active. She couldn't help but to stare at the limb in amazement.

The sound of splashing drew her attention. A figure crawled out of the river, climbed up to the grass, and shook off the water.

"Oh, Caster, there you are," Shirou said as he pulled off his shirt to ring the water out of it. "I wasn't sure if they were going to kill you or not. Sorry about that. I guess I should have protected you. How'd you manage to get away?"

Phenomenal. That was the word she chose to describe him. She watched as he stood tall as if he hadn't been minced into several chunks. His body was in peak condition without a single scar. He had managed to regrow his limbs as well!

The only difference she could spot was his left hand. They did not bore the Command Seals. The limb she held in her hands kept them.

"Hmm?" he blinked as he noticed what she held. "That's strange. Usually something like that vanishes when I'm not looking. How did it manage to stick around?"

His eyes examined it and took notice of the Command Seals. He brought up his own hand to compare the two. "Maybe that's why? I don't know. Never understood it myself. So, anyways, are you all right? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Why didn't you defend yourself?!" she snapped. "You just stood there and took it! Do you or do you not have a means to defend yourself from the likes of a Servant?!"

His golden eyes blinked innocently. He looked taken aback by her outburst as he scratched his chin. "Y-Yes, I could have. But I didn't because… he seemed so strange. I wanted to look at him a little bit longer. Besides, it doesn't matter to me if he hits me. Yeah, my clothes are ruined but it's not like he could have hurt me. Bigger things have done worse."

Bigger things have done worse. She shivered at the thought.

"So you knew you would be fine in the end, Master…" she grossed.

"Shirou," he groaned out. "I really mean it this time. Call me Shirou. You started to call me that after I got those."

He pointed at the Command Seals.

"They're not on me anymore. There's no reason for you to call me by that. So call me Shirou."

She almost sighed. "Yes… Shirou."

He gave her a nice smile for it. They didn't say anything else as he continued to wring water out of his clothes (the boy had no shame whatsoever in being in nothing but his smallclothes in front of her). Once, his eyes gazed up at the sky. They stared for a moment at the moon. His body became lifeless the longer he stared.

"…Shirou?"

"It's almost a full moon," life returned to him by the sound of her voice. Rather, it was more like he was forced to return as if he had forgotten to live. "She'll be back soon. I gotta prepare. The last time she was here she threw a fit because I didn't have enough food in the fridge. Took three whole days for me to recover…"

He looked genuinely nervous this time as he rubbed his hand against his chest. It was the sign of a memory he didn't favor. There was a story there.

"You hungry?" he asked suddenly. "You didn't get to eat since Hota-nee ate your gyoza. When we get back to my place I can whip you up something. And then you can tell me more about this Holy Grail War. After that, we'll figure out what to do with you."

Her fingers clutched the severed limb.

"You are a strange one," she said aloud. "You offer me hospitality after you tried to kill me early this afternoon."

"…Strange?" he said with a sour expression. "You mean it's not normal? I'm not being normal? Then… if I want to be normal I should have killed you? That doesn't make sense. I thought it was normal to treat everyone favorably until they do something against you. You didn't do anything wrong. I only stopped you from doing it before you could. Then does that mean…"

He had a puzzled look as he continued to ramble to himself. His eyes shot wide suddenly as his hands started to tug on his hair.

"Gaaaaaah! My notebook! That thing destroyed my notebook! Even if he missed it's probably covered in blood or at the bottom of the river! And my bike! He destroyed my bike! I saved up for weeks to buy that! Crap! I gotta go back up there and gather the pieces. Can't have anyone drive through traffic with shrapnel on the street. Plus I'll be in a heap of trouble if they find my license number on there…"

…Maybe phenomenal was too good of a word for him.

With his hands to his waist to hold his pants up, he hiked up the hill to clean up the mess Berserker had made.

The War hadn't officially started and Caster had found herself on a grand adventure already.