Catori struggled to sleep, despite the security of her current surroundings. Returning to their reservations, Archer had constructed a series of renovations and reinforcements, turning the modern but plain settlement into the equivalent of a wooden city. What few visitors that passed by may have mistook it for a grand theme park of some sort, but in reality, it was a fortress, meant to protect against the other Servants and Masters.
While any other combination of Servant and Master would have made this construction an inefficient usage of mana and resources, both Catori and Archer's connection to the Land had supplied them with ample mana to finish construction in an instant. If there was one battle she was sure to win, it would be one of endurance. Drawing directly from the leylines, her mana reservoirs were as vast as the land itself, virtually limitless.
Meanwhile, her Servant was strengthened, being summoned to a land where she held a connection. One of the determining factors of the Strength of a Servant was the fame a Servant had in a region. In some instances, their strength would be amplified many times over to the point of becoming nigh invincible while in their territory.
Her chances of victory were all but guaranteed. So what was this feeling of apprehension? Was it the caution Archer had shown when she felt the tremors in the ground?
Turning in her bed, she tried to shut out her thoughts and let sleep take her, to no avail. Her mind inevitably wandered back to the thought of the war that awaited her. I guess it was to be expected.
She had prepared her whole life, from the moment her tribe had realized her potential. Against the Mages and invaders she would overwhelm them with her power and drive them out, to avenge those that had passed half a century ago.
"Having trouble sleeping?" The voice of an old woman cut through the silent night. Turning in her bed, Catori faced the elder Hamakee, one of the few remaining individuals who still lived having survived the initial conflict. Even in the dark, the burn scars across the left of her face could be seen from a close encounter with a flamethrower. Despite the horrible wound, her expression reassured the young girl, the gentle voice comforting above all else.
"Yeah. I guess."
"That's no good. A young one such as yourself needs plenty of sleep to grow. I was worried that you would be unable to sleep after that ordeal.
"You're right." Catori bowed her head, stifling a giggle. It seemed so surreal that she was worrying about her growth in the future while a war was occurring in front of her.
"Do you find something funny?" Hamakee sat down on a nearby stool, shaking her head.
"I suppose. It just never crossed my mind about what would happen after all this. Is it really as simple as taking the Holy Grail and then everything will be solved? We'll have our land back and the invaders will be gone?"
Hamakee sighed, as though dreading the question. "Despite my age, and everything I have seen, I cannot honestly say. They never made clear how the grail would fulfill such a wish, only that it was omnipotent. Even so, I think it would bring me great joy to see the lands of my ancestors restored. After all, the Grail chose you for a reason."
"I see." Catori's mind briefly wandered to the encounters she had faced that night, against both Assassin and seeing the massive fireball in the sky.
"Are you scared?" Hamakee's voice turned to one of concern.
"No, I don't think so." Catori shook her head. It was mostly true. In the encounter against Assassin she never felt in danger, and the fireball was too far away to appear dangerous. "I'm just a bit anxious about this whole ordeal. There is a new feeling in the Earth now, like a colder center."
"Hm. I suppose you're right. I assumed that was the Grail."
"I don't like it. But I will fight." Catori's voice was quiet, but firm.
Hamakee simply smiled, "I will believe in whatever you so do. I suppose I'm too old to do much at this age. Besides, it's not like I could ever hope to match you as a Master. Even if we were to retake our land, I would be far too old to speak with the Earth as I used to."
"Don't say that. You are so much wiser than I ever will be."
"Gahaha, oh please, you flatter this old one." Standing up, Hamakee turned around, preparing to head back to her bed. "As a final message from this elder, I encourage you to think about what you truly want. When you find your conviction is when your uncertainty will fade."
What I want? Catori squeezed herself back under her covers, the words reflecting in her head. The natural answer seemed obvious. She had been trained for the last ten years for this opportunity. The entire tribe would be relying on her. There was only one path forward.
From her spiritual form, Archer watched the young girl turning restlessly in her bed. It really is a pity, to have such a weight on her shoulders. I suppose it's a bit like looking in a mirror. As her young master slowly drifted off to sleep after letting the exhaustion take hold, Archer re-affirmed her own conviction. I promise you, my Master, none shall harm you while I am here.
"How're you holding up? You didn't breathe in any of that sarin gas, did you?" Corporal Rockwell patted the soldier's shoulder next to him in the humvee, the new member of the team.
Sergeant Hickory looked up from his lap, still reflecting on the events that had just occurred. "No, I don't believe so. The masks were easier to don than I expected. We wore similar equipment when I was in my department, mainly in tear gas exercises though."
"Makes sense. You're doing great adapting. Some of us were a bit worried having a new addition so close to such a delicate operation, but really, we should have trusted in the Colonel as always."
"Does this happen often?" Sergeant Hickory's mind flashed back to the clash between the titans, each carving their very presence into the landscape with every blow.
"HAHAHA, hell no." The soldier wielding the turret let out a nervous laugh, before grimly continuing, "We take care of threats that make sense. Mages gone rogue, Dead Apostles, or beasts that shouldn't exist on American soil. But if we were facing that every day, you can bet that our casualty rate would be much higher than they were right now. Seriously, they should have warned us that our bullets do less than nothing against that angry monster."
"Not quite," Another soldier, this one with the insignia of a Captain spoke up from the passenger side.
"Really? Cuz I pumped the big one full of .50 cals, and he didn't even flinch. One of the few times where it's appropriate to shoot for me to use the machine gun like a machine gun, and it's completely ineffective."
"For one, we pinned Berserker in place, even if momentarily, and forced his master to retreat at least. Given a few more seconds, we probably could have flanked him and taken him out, if it weren't for the gas."
"What, like we do against other people with guns?"
"Right, suppressing fire and advancing behind cover."
"So the strategy behind defeating a Servant Master pair is the same we use against a human shooter?" Sergeant Hickory recalled the training in police activity and drills they practiced for advancing under cover. It was a modified version of military doctrine with flanking maneuvers to open new lines of fire on individuals.
"When you put it that way, yeah."
"But, what if Berserker charged us before that happened, or his Master was hiding?"
A somber silence fell as the humvee rumbled back towards HQ. The image of the massive human dashing forward and closing the distance in a blink as their rounds bounced off harmlessly silently plagued the men that sat in the vehicle. In a single attack, the hero could crumple their armored vehicle with them inside.
"Well, this is just a rumor, but supposedly we are going to get some ammunition that will actually be effective against Servants." The captain piped up. Trying to be optimistic.
"What, will we get issued silver 5.56 mm rounds now?" The driver retorted, a hint of worry cracking his voice as he imagined the humvee crushing him from a massive frontal attack.
"I'm not sure, but apparently the main reason our weapons were ineffective was that they lacked magical energy or mystery. So if we could use magic, we should be able to hurth the monster."
"That's right. The only problem is that we don't have such abilities or ammunition. And even if we did, what good would they do against that thing? It doesn't matter how many armor piercing rounds you throw at a tank."
"Then we really have no way against fighting Servants?" Sergeant Hickory adjusted his helmet, the chinstrap suddenly becoming strangely irritable.
"Well there is Task force Golf Niner."
"Huh?"
"Oh yeah, remember those dudes who went out first, decked out in that good stuff?" The turret manner spoke up, "They're supposed to be classified or something, but rumor is that they have saved our asses more than we know. Never got to see them in action though."
That armor and technology were certainly nothing I've ever seen. Sergeant Hickory silently mused to himself, remembering the group that had left to perform reconnaissance.
"Why did we stop?" Corporal Rockwell asked the Driver up ahead, confused by a sudden stopping of the humvee.
"We got reports of unknown contacts."
Five minutes earlier, Lieutenant Tanner was following the convoy with his scope, when he suddenly felt a presence behind him. His instincts, having been forged through years of conflict told him there was danger. Like a cold knife pressed against the back of his neck, he felt a sharp bloodlust. Not quite. There is a desire to kill, but it's different from the Dead Apostles. This is hatred.
Despite his cold demeanor, he felt a cold shiver run through his spine, similar to when Assassin had noticed him earlier. Am I growing dull? The thought of doubt ran through his mind before his training re-affirmed itself. No, suppress uncertainty. Engage the enemy first.
In an instant, he rolled over, bringing his rifle up to bear. The .50 caliber armor piercing rounds could punch through half an inch of steel with ease, and enhanced with his mana would stop even a Servant in their tracks. To his surprise, however, he only caught a glimpse of a shadow slipping silently away. In its stead, a person wearing casual clothes was dashing towards him, his arms crossed each holding a black and white short sword.
"See that? Its probably a Servant!" Rin grabbed Saber's right arm, pointing in the distance to where a bounded field had been erected. For non-mages the barrier would have served as a deterrent, subtly suggesting the viewer to look and move the other way. To those that were aware of the effect, however, it stood out like a beacon.
"Yes, it would appear so." Saber calmly replied, her right arm remaining unmoving from the steering wheel. Gripping the wheel, she prepared to increase the pressure on the accelerator. Although it was not the first time she had driven a car, she still felt a similar sense of wonder at the machine's ability to be controlled so freely. Of course, with her riding skill, her designation as a driver had come naturally. Despite the logical decision, she couldn't help but wonder if it was appropriate for her as a former king to become the chauffeur of others.
"Rin, don't bother Saber so much." Shirou gently pleaded with the red coat wearing mage in the passenger seat, leaning forward to try to pull her off the Servant driving.
"Oi, shouldn't you be more excited, Shirou?" Rin turned around in her seat, struggling against the seatbelt. "This is your chance to show me how much you've grown!"
"Sigh.. You know that's not how I like to do things. I …." His voice trailed off as his Mind's Eye tracked something dashing past his peripheral vision. Almost a shadow, he nearly missed it before his actual eyes locked on to a dark figure that was rapidly climbing a building with ease. Is it flying?
Saber had similarly detected the presence, her Instinct sharp as ever despite her eyes remaining on the road. "Shirou, I believe we should investigate."
"Yeah, it could be a Servant or another threat." Shirou sat back in his seat as Saber deftly turned the compact car around, spinning momentarily before accelerating in the direction of the shadow. Still, what was that chill?
"Hey, what's going on? I didn't get a chance to enhance my eyes." Rin looked around the car frantically, trying to understand the sudden change in direction. "Did any of you just feel that chill?"
"Hm, a dark spirit perhaps. Maybe Assassin?" Saber suggested, increasing the pressure as she deftly maneuvered the car in the sparse street.
"No. Assassins, regardless of their intent, are experts of concealing their presence. They wouldn't flaunt their bloodlust like this entity." Shirou glanced at the place the dark figure had last approached.
"Hm, that is a fair point."
"Then, what about the barrier over there?" Rin turned her head, trying to look back to where the battle between Servants was occurring.
"As long as they are obeying Holy Grail War guidelines, the Servants should cancel each other out, and the collateral damage should be minimized. We don't know anything about this entity, however. It could be a key factor to understanding the secrets behind this war that Lord El Melloi mentioned, like Angra Mainyu." Shirou briefly recalled the black mud that had consumed the city around him, before erasing the image and refocusing himself.
"Ah, right." Rin stopped trying to turn around and looked ahead once more. "Then, lets try to find out more about this mysterious figure."
"I think he went up this building." Shirou gestured to a high-rise concrete and glass complex that was noticeably taller than the surrounding buildings. "It would serve as an ideal vantage point for the city in general."
"Understood, would you like me to transport the two of you up to the ceiling?" Saber stepped out of the car, initiating a small burst of mana as she donned her armor, holding her Sword in her right hand.
"Yeah, take Rin." Shirou readied himself, before uttering the words to activate his magical circuits. "Trace on!" His magical circuits flooded with mana like an engine that had been keyed to life. In an instant, he had filled his limbs and body with reinforcement mana, increasing their strength and output to many times the human limit. Crouching, his body's muscle fibers tensed like a spring, before he exploded upwards, jumping ten meters onto the side of the building, catching a ledge, and propelling himself even further upwards.
"Is he going to be alright?" Rin's eyes followed Shirou as he bounded upwards.
"Yes, he has grown to be quite capable." Saber began to pick up her Master in a bridle carry.
"He almost reminds you of a certain Archer, doesn't he?" The corner of her lips curled in a faint smile.
"Yes." Saber meanwhile had finished making her final adjustments, In a series of strides, she had quickly began scaling the wall. Combining her Intuition and natural physical capabilities as a Servant, she practically ran up the surface. In actuality, she was finding the smallest possible footholds wherever they existed in the concrete, irregularities during formation, and propelling herself with immense power.
Just as Shirou crested over the ledge, he saw the shadowy figure standing on the rooftop, a mere silhouette in the darkness. You won't get away. As the thought flashed through his head, he projected his signature twin blades, preparing to engage the mysterious being. In his first step forward, he felt a shudder like a cold knife pierce his spine.
What is this? It was not an alarm or warning like his mind's eye, which would blare and notify him of danger from possible attacks. Now, his body was not telling him there was a clear attack, but something far more ominous. It was like staring down a massive wave about to come crashing down. No, this bloodlust, hatred, is too human.
Gritting his teeth, he crouched before dashing forward, preparing to cut through the figure. His initial plan had been to communicate with the individual, interrogate and eliminate it if necessary. Up close, however, the presence was far foreboding for him to consider any other option. Instinct took over, and he attacked with intent to kill.
Just as he dashed forward, crossing his blades to strike in an X-shaped slash, however, the figure suddenly turned. In the dark silhouette he caught a glimpse of a curve. A smile brimming with malice that threatened to consume everything it laid its eyes on.
In the instant of hesitation Shirou felt from the presence, it had sprung away. "Wai-" Suddenly, Shirou found himself facing down the barrel of an anti-materiel rifle.
"Tch-" The man that had been lying prone behind the figure had suddenly spun around just as the dark shadow disappeared from sight, and pointed his rifle in his direction. In an instant, he realized the danger, and crouched even lower as he pounced forward, forcing his swords to grow in width with a custom Overcharge. Crossed in front of his body, they looked close to a pair of shields.
Although he had reinforced his body, the power behind modern rifles was still too much for his unarmored body to handle. An anti-materiel rifle would tear through him, so for the time being he relied on projections to take the blow.
A suppressed crack rang through the air as an armor piercing .50 BMG round exited the barrel, shooting towards him faster than his eyes could track. The supersonic projectile smashed into his projected sword shield hybrid, fracturing the first, then the second, before stopping completely, having dissipated all its energy.
Hm, that was a powerful round. Shirou quickly made a note to reinforce his projections with even more mana next time. Without stopping, he charged forward, discarding the broken swords, intent on taking out his enemy before he could recover.
How? Lieutenant Tanner suppressed his shock at the events that had just transpired. The killing hatred had been replaced by the auburn haired individual who had charged forward. Pulling his trigger instinctively, he had expected the round to punch through the figure. Instead, the strange object in front of him had shattered, and he was charging towards him.
Focus on the objective. Shutting out confusion, he dropped his rifle. It would be useless this close. By the time he re-aimed the unwieldy barrel, it would be too late. In a swift motion he drew his side arm, the dark polymer of a G-19 frame blurred in front of him as he aimed and fired in one move. Even as his opponent's hands flashed with a blue light of mana, he pulled the trigger in rapid succession.
Twisting, Shirou narrowly avoided the oncoming rounds, the hilt of his blade coming down towards the side of his opponent's head. There were too many unanswered questions, and killing him provided him no answers. His blow would jolt the gunner's brain, perhaps give him a minor concussion, just enough to turn off his lights momentarily.
A shout behind him and his Mind's Eye warned him milliseconds before he felt something brush against the back of his hair. Pushing his reflexes to the limits, he twisted his neck, moving his head out of the way of the fist that swished past his face. Landing across the roof, he skidded to a stop, before taking in the scene before him. The sniper had now assumed a crouching position, and was preparing his rifle. Meanwhile, a new figure stood next to him.
The scene was unlike anything he had seen, and Shirou took a moment to understand what he was looking at. His first assumption was that it was a machine of some sort, but the subtle moments it made, turning to face him, told him it was human. What he saw seemed to resemble an armor of sorts, a cross between the plate armor of a medieval knight, and the machinations of modern machinery. A metal alloy of some type covered its body, a dull gray painted across the many plates. It fit sleekly onto the figure that wore it, so much so that even though their face was completely imperceptible, Shirou guessed that it was a woman inside. When the figure moved, he saw components shift around the joints in perfect conjunction with the movement. It would seem the armor was not some passive defense, but enhanced the user's capabilities.
That explains how she managed to land a hit on me without using mana. Shirou felt something warm drip down his left eyelid. Wiping away the blood, he kept his right eye on his opponent, who now turned her attention towards the newcomers.
"Identify yourselves." A cold, filtered voice rang through the still night air as she issued her command towards Saber, who had taken a guard. Her ally had meanwhile switched back to his primary firearm, and trained his scope on Shirou. Although he appeared on guard, his finger was off the trigger for now.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing to my boyfriend?!" Rin angrily pointed at the armored figure, who instinctively reacted, perhaps expecting a magical attack to shoot from her fingertips any second. "I'm not going to forgive you so easily if you scar his face!"
Perhaps caught off guard by the brashness of Rin, the armored figure hesitated, before appearing to lower her guard. "You're not participants in the war?"
"NO! We're mages from the association sent here to make sure nothing cataclysmic happens. Like a sadistic priest or what not."
"Then why do you have a servant?" The armored figure pointed towards Saber, who was firmly gripping her invisible air, the only traces of her weapon being slight distortions in the space around her blade.
"Hey, you can't expect a helpless girl to enter a war without proper protection, right? All you need to know is that she isn't a servant of this war." Rin spoke as though that was the final word on the matter.
"How can I trust what you say?" The figure took a stance, as the sniper kneeling next to her re-adjusted his trigger finger.
"Trust me, if we wanted you dead, your body would be spread over the city in a fine mist." Rin gestured towards Saber, as if to indicate her threat.
Appearing a bit taken aback by this violent insinuation, Saber opened her mouth in protest, "I swear on my honor as a Knight to not harm you, unless you pose a threat."
"Hm. Hawkeye, how did you make contact with him over there?"
"I felt a presence behind me, one of extreme bloodlust. By the time I turned around, I saw him rushing towards me faster than a human can move. Given the circumstances I opened fire and engaged the target. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, it seems I was mistaken, and this individual was not what I felt before turning around." Lieutenant Tanner's trigger finger relaxed as he continued watching Shirou, realizing that he felt no killing intent from the individual.
"There are still things that remain unclear." The figure clad in armor looked back towards Shirou, who had given up trying to stem the blood from his left eye. "Why are you here, and how did you find him?" She gestured towards the sniper behind her.
"I was tracking a dark figure, whom I believed to be an anomaly. By the time I reached the top of this roof, however, it had already evaded my detection, and I was in a trajectory towards you companion. From there, it seems he identified me as a threat."
The armored figure seemed to pause another moment, before she nodded. "My radar detected rapid movement moments before the gunshot originating from this rooftop. I believe you are telling the truth." Glancing at the Saber servant, she continued in a more relaxed voice, "I'll have to report this to my superior. Do you have any identification?"
"Yeah, but first we need to know who you folks are." Rin's tone was tinged with caution, but as a whole she seemed unbothered by the current scenario.
"I hope you understand, but for the time being we'll have to ask you to cooperate with us and come in detained." The armored figure turned to face a street below them, which was suddenly lit up by the headlights of a military convoy.
"How convenient, there's our ride. If you'll follow me." Gesturing for them to follow, the figure opened a door off the roof.
Ah, this could be a real pain in the ass. Rin thought silently, contemplating the decisions before her. She had almost no doubt that if these two were ordinary soldiers, the three could escape without leaving a trace. But the abilities and the extent of the organization were too unknown. Worse comes to worse, and they try to snuff us out in their home base, we'll just have Saber destroy it. The thought of eliminating an enemy organization in one fell swoop by falling deliberately into their trap gave Rin a sense of excitement. Hehe, I really am a genius.
Shirou glanced over, noticing the evil grin that had crept onto Tohsaka's face. Aaaahh, she has that look again. What's she up to this time? Shaking his head, he released his projections and walked over to Rin, who still seemed deep in thought, as though relishing a sadistic plan of hers.
"Rin, Shirou, I believe these two to be individuals of their word." Saber had lowered her invisible blade and was looking at the two individuals by the door, clad in military attire.
"What makes you so sure?" Rin glanced in their direction as she made her way to the exit.
"Although this is a different time period, they are warriors and soldiers, a group of individuals I have had much experience dealing with. Enough that I can understand which ones are worthy of the chivalrous title of a knight. Ones who are true to their words. These two are such individuals."
"If Saber's Instincts say so, who am I to question?" Rin shrugged her shoulders before following. "Alright, lets see who these mystery men are."
Walking towards the exit, Shirou glanced at the empty rooftop that the shadow had darted towards earlier, before stepping through the door, as the military convoy stopped right below.
So, as it turns out, trying to juggle a college workload is quite difficult, and between college and FGO, I've had much less time to actually write. Thus, I would like to sincerely apologize for these delays and uncertain timelines. I will continue to write whenever I have the opportunity and I hope you will continue to enjoy this work of mine. Thank you once again for enjoying this tribute of mine to the Fate Universe.