Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
King of Beasts Productions Presents:
Clarent Blood Arthur: Clarent Blood Arthur: A Fate/Stay Night Fanfiction
Chapter 18: Speak of the Devil
Matou Manor, Basement...
Matou Zouken was a terrifying man.
Even by Magus standards, he was deplorable. He was a callous, malicious old man who's only wish, which was to claim the Holy Grail for the Matou/Makiri family, has taken precedence over everything else in his long-lived life. It became an obsession, one that wouldn't make him think twice about sacrificing anything, even family, to get one closer to that goal.
Just ask his grandchildren.
Sakura, the one he chose to be the heir, was currently away, resting at that Emiya boy's household. He wasn't concerned in the slightest, as he knew his precious Black Grail would be coming back to him sooner or later.
Shinji, on the other hand, was on his knees, quivering in fear as they both stood atop the basement stairs, knowing that it's very depths was the pool of crest worms that wouldn't hesitate to devour his flesh if needed.
"So, Rider is in this...gathering Ruler had called?" The old man asked the lad, who was petrified by his own fear.
"W-Well, I-I-!"
"Speak up, boy." Zouken spoke in a calm, even amused, tone that was thick with the darkness within. "You forget that you're speaking to an old man whose ears don't function like they used to."
"S-She is!" Shinji managed to stammer out in fear. "I-I sent her there a-as you ordered! We can order her to drag Sakura back-!"
"And have the entirety of the Grail War's Servants after our heads?" Zouken chuckled as he rapped his cane on the ground. "That will simply not do. We cannot afford such a pitched battle at this stage...unless you have this delusion of grandeur that your ill-gotten Rider can defeat the entirety of the enemy Servants, not counting Ruler's faction?"
"N-No..."
"Good. Have Rider stay the course, useless boy. Once she is done and returns to us, then we shall prepare for the next phase of our plan."
"Y-Yes, Grandfather..." The boy sniveled and nodded before making his hasty exit. The ancient evil only chuckled; Despite his proven ineptitude, Shinji's desire to prove himself the worthy successor makes him an ideal pawn in the game being played.
"You do realize that they will be after you sooner or later, Master?"
The True Assassin of the 5th Grail War appeared behind him in a puff of smoke.
"Oh, I'm counting on it." Zouken grinned, not even turning back to face his Servant. "However, now is not the time for our paths to cross, so I will be making my own preparations at Ryuudou Temple. I trust you can keep them occupied until then?"
"...Of course. I will do my job, so long as you do yours, Magus." Assassin answered curtly as he vanished as quickly as he came. The Old Worm could sense that even this Servant was wary of working with him. He'll deal with him when the time comes, but for now, as long as True Assassin did his job, he had little to worry about.
He wanted to meet Ruler personally, but as he had said, it wasn't time yet. So for now, he had to bide his time.
When all the pieces are lined up, that's when he'll make his move.
Back at the Emiya Household...
"Matou...Zouken?" Shirou asked with a shocked expression on his face. "You mean Sakura and Shinji's grandfather?"
"The very same." Illy affirmed with a nod.
"So wait, that old man knows how to manipulate the system?!" Rin was understandably shocked as the others, and was more audible about it too. "But how?! You would have to be one of the founders to pull that off!"
"Honestly, you're as boisterous as ever, Rin." Illya rolled her eyes. "Do you have to scream at the top of your lungs at EVERY revelation?"
"Are you starting a fight with me, shrimp?!" The twin-tailed Tohsaka Master had to be restrained by both Shirou and Archer. "Oh, it's on now! Let me at her!"
"Tohsaka, calm down!" Shirou implored as she struggled in his and her Servant's grasp.
"As amusing as it is to watch you fight the Einzbern Master in a brawl, I'd listen to reason, Rin." Archer added. "Besides, we have bigger fish to worry about."
"Tsk, fine." Rin would finally calm down. "So, out with it. Tell us how Zouken would have the knowledge to screw around with rules."
"Oh, so you don't know?" Illya giggled. "This'll be a fun reveal, then." She coughed to clear her throat. "I'm sure you already know who the three founding members of the Grail War are, Rin?"
"Of course." The twin-tailed magus scoffed. "Nagato Tohsaka, Justeaze von Einzbern, and Zolgen Makiri. Of course, the Makiri eventually renamed themselves into the 'Matou' and their bloodline waned in comparison to the other two."
"How astute, Rin." Illya nodded. "Now, for the shocker, as they say: What if I told you that Zolgen Makiri and Matou Zouken are one and the same?"
Every Master and Servant, Mordred included, stared at the Einzbern Master with understandable shock on their faces. Appropriately, it would be Rin who would be the first to ask in an understandably floored tone.
"HOW?!"
"Admittedly, that is something we all want to know." Jeanne would chime in.
"That is a literal can of worms that I don't want to open, but we're going to have to anyway." Illya sighed. "At any rate, Zolgen used his family's magic to endure over the ages. He is something of a leech, using his Worms to gain sustenance wherever he could. While it is not true immortality, it does make him quite long-lived."
"To use such dark magics..." Lancelot gritted his teeth; Despite not having much memories of the 4th War, something about Zouken struck him the wrong way.
"Then that means that Sakura's grandfather is the one behind everything?" Shirou chimed in, causing Illya to nod.
"If so, then our course of action is clear." Jeanne spoke up, then turned to Rider. "As your Master is affiliated with the Matou, you are to go back and inform him that I will have words with him soon."
"Very well." Medusa nodded, her expression stoic and taciturn.
"As for you, Lancer," Ruler would turn to the Hound of Chulainn. "You are to relay this information to your Master. I'm quite sure the Overseer of the War would take great interest in what was discussed."
"Why would that Fake Priest be interested?" Rin thought as she watched Lancer get up to his feet with a smile.
"Alright. Anything else you wanna add?"
"If you run into that Golden Servant, tell him about this as well." Ruler did add, causing Lancer to sigh as he stood up with Rider.
"Fine. I'll be warning you, though; I don't like that guy very much, and I'm sure he feels the same. I'm not sure he's gonna listen to a word I say."
"As long as he gets the message." Ruler then turned to the remaining three Masters. "And what will you three be doing?"
"I'll stay here with Oniichan!" Illya blurted out with a shameless grin on her face, causing Shirou, Rin and Saber to stare at her as if she grew two more heads that spoke in different languages.
"Like hell you are!" Rin would be the first to state her objection.
"And why not?" Illya asked right back at her. "Oniichan wouldn't mind if we stay here, right~?"
"H-Hang on-!"
"That's right." Saber would cut Shirou off, giving him that an intent stare. "This is your house, and you have authority whether or not these two get to stay in your house."
"She's right." Berserker gave him a wide grin. "So, what's it gonna be, boy?"
Shirou suddenly felt the pressure of these four girls staring at him intently. At that, Ruler giggled.
"Well, I wish I can stay longer, but we have business elsewhere." She said as the remaining Servants save for Saber, Archer and Berserker, began taking their leave. "For now, we shall depart."
"If I may," Lancelot would speak up. "If you may indulge me, Ruler..." He leaned forward to whisper the rest to the Maid of Orleans, who nodded.
"I understand." She said with a smile. "Go see to her, then."
"Thank you." The Knight of the Lake took his leave as the rest of the house was abuzz with activity, his destination already in mind as he went into spirit form.
The Guest Room in the far back, Emiya Household.
Quietly, Lancelot materialized into the room so that it's current occupant, the resting Sakura Matou, would rest undisturbed.
"How many years has it been?" The Knight of the Lake sighed as he looked directly at the girl. He wasn't lying when he said that his memories of that war were foggy at best. Still, he remembered his Master Kariya's fervent wish: To return this poor girl to the family that had given her away.
Frankly, he should've felt nothing from this, as it wasn't him per se that fought in that War. Even then, he wasn't in his right mind at the time, as he was fully consumed by his Madness.
Even then...he couldn't help but feel something stir when he looked at that girl.
"So...this is who he wanted to protect." Lancelot smiled somberly as he watched her sleep. As he himself was once affiliated with that family, he knew full well how horrible Zouken was, especially with all he did to his Master.
"This may be outside my current duty," He began as he whispered his silent vow. "But I vow to fight for you in his stead. I will see to it that his wish is to be fulfilled. This I swear as the Knight of the Lake."
Sadly, this promise was all the knight could offer her. Considering his own broken vows, he felt that it was a hollow one. Little did Lancelot know that, as soon as he vanished, Sakura would slowly wake from her slumbering, the name of a person she hadn't thought of in a long time on her lips.
"U-Uncle...Kariya?"
Back at the Dojo...
"ON YOUR GUARD!"
"HA!"
Illya and Berserker sat with Rin as they watched the afternoon sparring session between Shirou and Saber. The sound of wooden swords cracking against each other filled the spacious dojo as their usual bout went the same as always; the red-head heavily on the defensive while the blonde Servant hammered at his guard.
"That guy is a softie." The Master of Tohsaka sighed as she gave a raised brow at Illya, who was eating rice crackers while watching. "Of course he'd let you stay. He's too nice for his own good."
"It would be rude to send away a guest, Rin." The albino homunculus shot back with a smirk. "That would only prove how much of a savage you truly are."
"This brat..." Rin thought, gnashing her teeth and clenching her fists as this tiny girl gave her a smug grin. "Who the hell does she think she is?!"
"Anyway, what's the purpose of this exercise?" Berserker asked as she sat on the floor next to Illya cross-legged. "Father knows full well that the boy won't win a direct confrontation with a Servant."
"Oh they both know that." Rin explained. "The purpose of this training is to give him the reflexes needed to survive against a Servant if ever he got cornered by one. He should last long enough so that he won't immediately die, thus increasing the chances of assistance arriving."
"Ah, so that's how it is." Berserker nodded as she crossed her arms, watching the bout intently. As always, she noted that her Father's movements were swift, precise, and decisive. That small frame hid a deceptive amount of strength the Saber didn't hesitate to wield. Of course, she was holding back on account of the boy, but she could tell that what she was using was more than enough.
"Good. I need you to fight me with this intensity in our decisive battle, Father." Berserker nodded before turning her attention back to the red-head. She saw him struggling, but noted that he was admirably trying to hold his own against Saber.
"Hmm, I see some improvement, Shirou." Saber smiled as she had him deadlocked, a deadlock she was winning.
"Nggh..." He grunted as he struggled to push back. "That's because you've been hammering those lessons into me. Quite literally, in fact."
Seeing those two smile so carelessly annoyed the Berserker. The first reason was that that was Saber's smile was something she wanted for herself, something she strove for yet never received due to her cursed heritage, and how dare this boy get it without so much as an effort. The other was how bright that same boy's smile was. It reminded her of when he had helped her back to her feet after that battle with Lancelot, thus indebting herself to him.
It made her heart feel warm inside, but she didn't know why. And that in turn made her angrier.
"...I'm tired of watching this." She growled as she stood up, causing the others to turn to her in confusion.
"Berserker?" Illya blinked in surprise.
"Oi. Let me have a go with the boy." The way Saber stood in front of him defensively caused her to groan. "Ugh...I'm not gonna hurt him if that's what you're worried about. Besides, if he doesn't learn how to fight other styles, then he's not gonna adapt to them properly."
"She has a point." Archer would appear out of nowhere in the dojo, causing Rin to raise her brow.
"Shouldn't you be keeping a lookout?" His Master asked in a questioning tone.
"Master, it is two in the afternoon, and every other Servant save for that Golden one has already vacated the premises." He explained with a sigh. "Surely, not even the most brazen of Master's will dare attack us in the few minutes I watch this boy learn a harsh lesson."
"That sounds encouraging." Shirou muttered under his breath. If Archer had heard him, then he chose to ignore him.
"So, what say you, Father?" Berserker asked with a grin. Artoria was about to deny her, but was stopped when Shirou put a hand on her shoulder.
"Shirou?"
"It'll be fine." He reassured her. "I doubt she'll try anything if she knows that you and Archer are watching."
"Hmph, Saber's on her own on this one." The Servant of the Bow retorted. "Unless my Master deems it necessary, I will not interfere."
"Gee, thanks." Shirou rolled his eyes, getting a little tired of Archer's crass attitude towards him.
"...Very well." Saber finally relented and stood aside. "I'll be a witness of this battle."
"Heh, don't worry." Berserker walked over and grabbed a kendo stick from the wall. "I'll hold back and try not to break his bones."
"That's reassuring..." Shirou thought grimly.
The two combatants got into place. Unlike Saber's proper form, Berserker only let her sword rest on her shoulder, not even bother to take any sort of stance. Then again, she never really cared much about swordplay; granted she knew how to wield one, but her technique wasn't refined as her fellows. Not that it mattered to her, anyway.
"Hope you don't mind if I go first!" Within seconds, Berserker swung with a one-handed overhead chop. It was thanks a combination of the past battles for the Grail as well as having been training with Saber that he was barely able to raise his own sword to block and have her in a deadlock. To his shock, she was somehow pushing him back with barely any effort with only one arm.
"That all you got?!" With a grin, she pushed him back effortlessly, then swung several times with one hand. Those strikes, coming in harder and swifter than Saber before her, forced Shirou to keep on his toes. His only option at that point was to dodge or parry any the coming blows. He managed to do so, but with much difficulty.
"I knew that she was this strong, but this is too much!" Shirou growled as one such powerful blow sent him back a step. "Still, she has a lot of openings. Maybe I can before-!"
"Get your head back in the game!" Hearing her voice snapped him out of his thoughts, as she was already upon him with sword raised. He raised his sword as she brought it down in a desperate attempt to defend. While it was enough to defend him from a crushing body blow, the power behind that swing was enough to both disarm Shirou of his weapon, sending it flying to the side of the dojo, and knock him off his feet and land on his butt.
"Nghh!" He grunted as his tush landed on the wooden floor. "Owowow..." He looked up and, sure enough, the business end of Berserker's kendo stick was pointed at his face, the Servant in question with a grin on her face.
"Heh, there's some difference from the first time we met." Berserker remarked. "You're certainly less reckless than before. You focused more on defense than attack, parrying what blows you can parry, and dodging you couldn't." She then turned to Saber. "I guess Father was able to get through that thick skull of yours somehow."
"She's a good teacher." Shirou remarked with a smile. At this, Saber stepped forward.
"You've shown improvement. Well done." The Servant then turned to the Berserker with her usual neutral expression, the same on that annoyed her so much. "While I do appreciate the fact that you restrained yourself out of consideration of my Master, I do have to point out that your own swordplay needs plenty of work."
"Heh, who gives a damn?" The rebellious son replied with a confident grin. "I'll use whatever works to win, no matter what!" She then turned to Shirou. "Hey, how about we go another round?"
"I prefer he trains with me!" Saber remained unyielding in her stance. "He'll just pick up bad habits from your lack of discipline!"
"And what are you gonna do about it, Father? Fight me? Because we all know how THAT went the first time!"
"I was unprepared for you then! I am more than ready to face you this time around!"
"Guys, can we not do this right now?!" Both Servants turned to see the red-head quite cross with them. "Fine, if you keep acting like this, no dinner for any of you!"
That threat was more than enough to give the bickering pair pause. Both crossed their arms and huffed away from each other with an audible "Hmph!"
"Wow, this is the first time Berserker listened to anyone else but me~" Illya noted with a giggle.
"Only because her dinner was on the line." Rin sighed as they all got to their feet. "Anyway, it's time for our magic lessons anyway."
"Ooh, can I sit in~?"
"As long as you don't disrupt my lessons, brat." Rin interjected.
"I'm surprised." Archer would remark. "I thought you would vehemently refuse her, Rin."
"Considering how Shirou's both a softie and the master of this house, I don't think I have much choice in the matter." The Tohsaka Master explained with a heavy sigh. "Besides, she's the type who'd barge in whether we gave her permission or not. Might as well let her in to save everyone involved a lot of time."
"Fair point." Archer finally conceded. He looked around to see Shirou looking at both a crestfallen Saber and Berserker, a laughing Illya, and a groaning Rin.
Despite having discarded everything that made him the boy he once was, something about this sight felt nostalgic to him.
Around 9 PM That Evening...
"Glad that's over..."
Shirou only sighed as he sat on the porch overlooking the garden by his lonesome. While that lesson with Rin had definitely been very informative (especially with Illya making a few helpful comments every so often that added to Rin's explanation), the two Magi bickered far too much for his liking. Thankfully, dinner came around, which meant Fuji-nee and Sakura would be joining them.
Then there was that point where Illya announced that she was going to stay here for the night. Fuji-nee was, of course, quite ecstatic. The Tiger of Fuyuki eagerly hugged the little girl with all her might and declared that she can stay as long as she wanted. Berserker only sighed at the sight, but of course relented to her Master's whim. She did remind her to contact Morimoto and tell him that she was staying over so that he knew where they were. Rin and Saber tried to object, but knew they couldn't. Not in front of Fuji-nee anyway. Sakura was quiet as she always was, but he couldn't help but notice that she was still quite subdued, even after her nap.
"I hope she's okay..." He thought somberly. "Fuji-nee should have brought her home by now."
As to why he was alone in the porch that night, Saber had elected to retire early so that she can replenish her mana. Illya did the same, as she was just tuckered out by the entire day, while Rin went to the guest room so that she can do more research and planning. Archer, of course, kept vigil over the house like always. As for Berserker, she was doing her own rounds.
He found sitting here under the moonlight nostalgic, as it reminded him of that night with Kiritsugu those five years ago. The way he smiled when he told him that he would take things from here, that he would become a hero of justice in his place, was a sight that stayed with him to this day. The man he came to call his father was his idol, as he was the one who saved his life from that hellfire years ago.
Because of the fact that he saved him with a tearful smile on his face was part of what molded him to who he was today.
"I will keep my promise no matter what, Kiritsugu." Shirou looked up at the moon with the conviction that stayed with him for those five years. "I WILL become a Hero of Justice."
"A Hero of what?"
The red-head would slowly turn to the voice that came from his left. Sure enough, Berserker was sitting next to him cross-legged, her jacket sprawled on the floor next to her as she drank from a soda can.
It was also then he realized that he said those thins out loud. His cheeks were tinged red with embarrassment. Not because of the fact he believes it, but because he just blurted it out loud. Berserker suddenly erupting in a laughing fit certainly didn't help matters.
"HAHAHAHA!" The Servant of Madness was practically rolling on the floor laughing her head off. "That's so rich! The way you said it too! God, it sounded so cheesy!"
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Shirou groaned, hoping that letting her get a huge chuckle out of it would get it out of her system.
"Hoo boy, did I peg you wrong!" Berserker managed to say after she finished laughing. "Didn't think the punk who stole Illya's father would be able to be so noble!"
"...Wait, she wasn't kidding about all that stuff said earlier?"
"You really don't know?" Berserker blinked in surprise. "Father never told you?"
"Told me about what?"
"...You know what? It ain't my place to say." The Knight of Treachery just sighed. "It ain't what I wanted to talk to you about anyway."
"Okay..." Shirou, understandably skeptical, raised his brow. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"That 'hero of justice' crap you spewed out only moments ago." Berserker chugged the remnants of her drink, then smashed it between her palms. "Didn't there'd be people in this age who'd wanna be like that."
"I only wish to save everyone." Shirou's unironic reply would follow. "I wish to live in a world where no one is suffering, where I can save everyone."
"'Everyone', eh?" Berserker asked, her tone now more neutral as she listened on. "Tell me something then, boy: What brought all this on?"
"It was ten years ago," Shirou began. "I now know it as the last battle of the Grail War, where a great fire erupted from the Fuyuki Civic Center and burned down everything in it's sight. I was the only survivor."
He turned to glance at Berserker's dumbfounded expression. When he saw that she had nothing to say, he continued.
"If anything, I would've died then as well, if it weren't for a man named Emiya Kiritsugu." He continued on. "Even when I was so close to death, I found the sight of this man, smiling with tears in his eyes as he saved my life, to be a beautiful one to this day. Five years ago, on a night like this, he told me that he used to be someone striving for that same ideal, but lamenting that whenever he saved one life, another would be lost."
Berserker only nodded at that. It was the grim reality of this world: Saving one life usually mean sacrificing another. Even her Father was not immune to this, as she had to often cut down of Camelot's enemies to ensure it's safety.
"It was on same night," The boy kept going, eager to get to the point he was making. "That I promised to take up his dream for him." If he didn't have Berserker's attention then, he certainly had it now. "I promised then and there that I would become a 'Hero of Justice' in his place, protecting everyone I see no matter what, even if it'll cost me my life. After that, he died with a small smile on his face. Looking back at it now, I think he was happy that I'm following in his footsteps."
"...That explains so much." Berserker spoke in a low voice, her earlier mirth now gone as she looked down on the floor with her bangs covering her face. "Why you brazenly took that blow meant for her that night, why you insisted on facing me in her place at the school grounds." She then looked up at him with a fierceness in her eyes that wasn't there earlier. "That Kiritsugu...And I thought my old man was bad."
"What do you-?!"
"First, he doesn't come back for his daughter, who's waited for him for years." Berserker spoke in a low growl, barely keeping her emotions in check. "Now I learn that he filled his adopted son's head with what was basically a curse!"
"A curse?!" Shirou asked, his tone defensive as the Servant of Madness continued her own attack.
"Yes, a curse!" Berserker pressed forward. "The kind of life you're asking for is one with a stupid one! What you're asking for is a life where you give everything you have, but with no reward waiting at the end!"
"Is that so wrong?" Shirou dared to ask. "To give your life for those around you?"
"YES!" Berserker finally exploded. "That kind of life only leaves to self-destruction! You'll be like a machine, working endlessly in pursuit of something impossible! That's how Father ended up, dammit! That exact same way of life was what destroyed Camelot!"
"What...?" The red-head was left dumbfounded as the Berserker suddenly stood straight up while glaring down at him.
"God, you're a bigger good-hearted idiot than I thought!" The blonde knight picked up her jacket and stomped out. "I'm done here."
"Berserker, wait!" He wanted to ask more questions, but realized as he watched her retreating back that he wasn't going to get anything out of her. Not now, anyway. So, he was left mulling over her words, thinking about them as he sat on the porch alone once again.
Shirou turned in an hour later, but neither he nor Berserker realized that Archer had been watching the entire conversation the entire time. At this, he only chuckled before continuing his vigil.
"Took the words right out of my mouth, Berserker"
Chapter 18 End.
A/N: Ladies and Gents, another chapter is in the books!
Anyway, there really isn't much I wanna talk about except for the discussion Shirou and Mordred had regarding his ideals. I was pondering on how she would react upon learning of them, and I hope I got the right response!
Well, that's really all I can say at this point. Please leave a review if you loved the chapter or not. I would really love to hear all your feedback! Once again, this has been King of Beasts and I'll see you all next chapter!
Next time on Clarent Blood Arthur: Like a Thief in the Night.