AN- welp, time for something a bit more serious. What's that I hear? "Plot"?
Blue Team Interlude
When Rin answered the door, she hadn't really known whom to expect. It certainly hadn't been the girl that had once been her sister- back before she had been given away to the Matou family to learn their arts. Sakura stood there, almost awkwardly, and the Magus could see the red marks upon her hand.
"Ummm… Rin, can I come in?" she softly spoke.
Dumbfounded, Rin could only say "S-sure. Come on in!", and then she could hardly turn her former sister away. She led the lavender haired girl into her living room, and went to put the kettle on.
When in doubt, offer tea.
"What happened?" Rin asked after she returned with the hot beverage. She'd had time to think, and consequently time to consider questions. Sakura had Command Seals, it was clear, but no Servant accompanied her. Why was she here, when it had been agreed for neither of them to acknowledge the other?
"My house is gone." She admitted. "An enemy Master killed Shinji, and burned it down. Then he killed my Rider." Shinji's death wasn't a great surprise to Rin- especially after he just failed to turn up at school. She didn't mourn it much either. The fire was new information though.
"Who did it?"
"A boy that went to school with Shinji. An exchange student." So it had been James, who appeared for a day and never more, and gave her cryptically useless information just to try and confuse her. He'd done this… though apparently chosen to let Sakura live with her Servant dead. At least he'd had that much restraint- Rin couldn't really blame him for killing an enemy Servant when the chance arose.
"And grandfather has disappeared. I don't want to bother… well, I don't have anywhere else to go." Sakura finally settled on, trembling a little as she spoke.
Rin's icy heart cracked a little at that. It had been agreed that neither of them could remain the sister of the other… but that couldn't stop those pangs of worry she felt. "Why didn't you go to the priest?"
"I was told not to trust him." Sakura told her. "And I think I trust you more… sister."
"We both know the agreement." Rin shook her head. Still, she couldn't blame Sakura for not wanting to sit out the rest of the war with the fake priest. "But I can't really leave you out in the cold, can I? I think I'd prefer you wait out the War here, Sakura."
"Thank you." Sakura smiled honestly, and Rin found it absolutely disarming.
And so, Rin gained a permanent house guest, and she didn't really mind. She'd been told to leave Sakura alone… but her father was dead, and there was hardly any harm in being friendly with Sakura, so long as it was only that.
XXXXXXXXXX
Kotomine Kirei should not have been surprised to find an unknown Servant of great power resting within his Church, upon his return after having done his necessary grocery shopping for the week.
"Kotomine Kirei, I am very disappointed." The woman spoke, sadly, from her seat.
"Oh, you are?" he said, little caring about the woman. He casually settled his shopping back down, and moved to take his customary position behind the pew. "May I ask your Class, Servant? And why you have not been driven from this place?"
"The Servants you have taken possession of shall be no threat to me, tonight." She said, shaking her head. "They have been Ordered to not oppose my actions for the duration of this War. Gilgamesh was quite incensed by my actions, I must admit. I believe he has gone out, looking for something to take his anger out upon, since I am unavailable."
Now that was a surprise. As far as he was aware, only Lancer was aware of his connection to the Archer Servant of the previous War. More than that, whoever this Servant was, she had to be powerful if she had been able to successfully deal with Gilgamesh.
"As for my Class… I am Servant Ruler." She introduced herself.
"I'm afraid I have not heard of your Class." Kirei admitted. "Can I assume your presence here is primarily due to that entertaining boy and his impossible Servant?"
Her smile was minute, but it was there. "You can. I came here for two reasons today. The first has been addressed. No longer can I tolerate your sins, Kotomine Kirei. The sickening display in the basement has been dealt with."
"Oh yes, my ingenious battery. I had assumed you'd found them." Kirei spoke quite casually, concerning he was admitting to having imprisoned and tortured dozens of children to harvest their Prana and lifeforce for his Servant- reducing them to a macabre farm which produced magical energy.
"They are with the Lord now." She told him. "Truly I pity you, Kotomine Kirei. I hope you find peace someday. You are safe from my blade, though. No matter how distastefully you became one, you are a Master in this Grail War."
Kirei was glad he had decided to stab Bazette in the back and steal her Command Seals for himself. He was not a man to feel fear, but even he admitted that his chances of surviving against a Servant that truly wished him dead were low. "And my Archer?"
"Just as illegal as the Aberration." Ruler spoke softly. "Much like him and his Servants, Gilgamesh will be permitted to compete in this War too, though compensation will be provided to whomever slays him."
"That is awfully accommodating of you."
"I suppose it is." The saintly woman admitted. "Still, everyone deserves a chance to have their wish granted. I have been Summoned for one purpose alone: to ensure the successful completion of this Grail War. So long as the wish does not threaten the World, I have no just cause to intervene."
Kirei nodded- that made sense. From what he understood, this Ruler Servant wasn't here to compete. Perhaps it would be accurate to say that she seemed to be the neutral gamesmaster than he was supposed to be- a third party only here to ensure the Rules were followed. Except that she actually had the power to follow through and ensure the Rules were kept. "And what was your second reason for coming here, Servant Ruler?"
Ruler stood up, her words rising in intensity as she spoke. "You have been given a duty, Kotomine Kirei, and you will fulfil it. As a competitor, you no longer have the qualifications to mediate this War, so I shall. However, you have one last task to fulfil before I take your place. Call the Masters, Kirei. There shall be three Teams of Servants in this War. Those originally chosen, the Blue Team. The Aberration and his Servants, the Grey Team. And finally, seven new Masters called upon to fight them both, the Red Team."
Kirei blinked in confusion. "Teams? Are you… suggesting that the Grail War has ceased to be a battle royale?"
She nodded. "This is an Apocrypha, Kotomine Kirei. Speak to your Association. Spread the word, so the Reds know their role. And then, you must call upon the Blue Team. They too must understand who their true enemies are. That, is what you must do, child of God."
XXXXXXXXXX
"I don't want you fight you, Tohsaka!" Shirou yelled out, even as he sprinted away from the Magus presently firing Gandr curses at him.
"And I told you shut up! You've had plenty of time to give up your Command Seals now, and I told you last time, that next time we fight we'd be enemies! Either stand still and I'll make this painless, or don't!" The Gandr curse she unleashed was annoyingly close to the mark- only inches away from Shirou's face.
Even so- Shirou wouldn't fight back. She was fundamentally a good person- someone that had explained the rules of the Holy Grail War out of nothing more than a misguided sense of fair play, and helped fight off Berserker when he attacked them. Rin was the kind of person Shirou liked- and he didn't want to have to fight her.
"Can't we negotiate!?" He called out as he leapt down a set of stairs, tumbling into a roll as he once more dodged the barrage of spells.
"No!"
And so the chase continued. Shirou was more naturally athletic, but Tohsaka was better able to Reinforce herself, and refused to give up her pursuit. "Should I use one of my Command Seals?" Shirou wondered, his eyes flicking to the two symbols that still marked his hand. "I've already wasted one of them already. Can I afford to call Saber to me now, even though I promised I would if I was attacked?"
Another well aimed curse almost struck his head, which pulled Shirou out of his thoughts. At the end of the day, he couldn't consider the one attacking him an enemy, so unless she escalated to using her Servant, he would stick to his own ineffective abilities to escape.
Finally, he cleared the interior of the building, where the narrow corridors offered Rin a great advantage, and escaped outside. He spun on his foot, wondering just how closely she was following him. The answer was 'very close'.
"In the name of the moderator of this War, I ask you to stop." A familiar voice resounded. Rin skidded to a stop- a momentary look of confusion upon her face. For once, Shirou was happy to hear the voice of a certain Kotomine Kirei, even though he disliked the man to his core.
He turned to the voice- but saw no man. Only a crow, perched atop a nearby window- with eyes with far too much intelligence.
"A Familiar?" asked Rin.
"I was trained as a Magus by your father, in case you forgot." The crow spoke plainly, but with an undertone of mocking to one that knew the man. "This is an official message given to you in my capacity as the assigned Moderator of this Holy Grail War."
"Well then get on with it, you fake priest!" Snapped Rin sharply. "Can't you see we're in the middle of something here?"
"All hostilities are ordered to be halted." Kirei's voice was strict. "Circumstances have changed, and new rules must be added to this conflict. Tomorrow evening, visit the church, either in person or by Familiar, so you may understand the changes."
The young Magus growled. "What the Root are you on about? Changes in circumstances? Since when!? As the First Owner, I should have been the first to be informed of any 'circumstances'."
"Hmph. This was out of my hands." The crows head shook, as if emulating the actions of a man a great distance away. "I have already taken care of everything, Rin. I have sent Familiars to the other Masters, and have informed the necessary parties in the Magus Association. Adequate time has been given for everybody to… prepare."
"Damn it, but you should have consulted me first. What's happened!?"
"Oh, I'm very sorry." The crow didn't sound very sincere at all. "I merely sought to lessen the burden placed upon you. If necessary, you can complain in person when you attend the meeting tomorrow. You will be told everything then."
With his words spoken, the crow took flight, quickly soaring away into the sky- leaving behind the two Magi that had heard its words.
Rin sighed deeply, and glared at Shirou. "Don't think that you've been let off, you idiot! Once the War's back on, I'll make sure to take those Command Seals from you!"
Shirou smiled, despite Rin's words. "I hope we don't. After all, I'd much rather be allies."
"You… you… idiot." The Tohsaka heir would surely call him that many times, across the War.
XXXXXXXXXX
Despite the apparent ceasefire that had been instated, Shirou could not just stop. This was very much a decision his Servant supported, as well. Shirou was someone who fundamentally needed to save people, and he had decided to fight in this Holy Grail War to minimise the loss of lives and ensure someone worthy received the promised wish.
So he saw no problem in patrolling, just in case. After all, he wasn't hurting anyone, was he? He wasn't making any aggressive moves against any of the other Masters, was he?
When he'd given this opinion to his stern Saber, she had given him something close to a smile and noted that even he had a Magus side.
Which led to this- this situation now.
Across from him, on the other side of the large bridge that linked the east and west of Fuyuki, was Ilyasviel Von Einzbern, and behind her was the monster known only as Heracles- the most terrifying figure Shirou had ever met.
"Shiro- get back!" Saber yelled, drawing her invisible blade and settling into a defensive position.
"Saber! It's a ceasefire! We should be fine!"
His comment only seemed to make the fairy like girl giggle. "Sorry, big brother. But do you really think I care what that priest has to say? I only agreed to enter this War for one reason alone… to kill you."
"So it comes down to this…" Saber said. "Let it be said that there has been ample opportunity to back out. If you attack, then you are choosing to disregard the ceasefire the priest has called for. As such, I shall not hold back in turn!"
"Oh- that's fine. Fight all you like, you can't beat my Berserker." Ilyasviel continued to giggle. "Really, this is your own fault. If you had truly intended to follow the ceasefire, then why didn't you stay safe at home, hmmm? If you'd done that, perhaps I would have left you be for a while longer."
"But-" Shirou stumbled- trying to come up with an argument, but he couldn't. He'd anticipated that someone else might have broken the truce, or might have taken advantage of it to cause mischief- there was still a Servant rapidly draining the Prana from people all across the city, was there not? In many ways though, this fight was of his own reckoning. He'd tempted fate by venturing out of his home this evening. "But! Why do we need to fight!?"
She sighed. "Nobody likes a man slow on the uptake, big brother. You've had ample warning, and time to prepare yourself, and yet at the end you ask 'why'? We both know exactly why I'm here to kill you… Emiya Shirou."
"But I don't!" Insisted Shirou. "The first time we met was when you warned me to summon a Servant! Aside from being enemy Masters, I have no quarrel with you! Hell- I don't even want the Grail! I just want to stop it falling into the wrong hands! I don't know why you have a grudge against me!"
The Homunculi's red eyes bored into his own- piercing through his words and looking for any kind of lies. Eventually, she saw that he truly didn't know the reason why she hated him. Upon seeing this, she frowned. "He didn't even tell you about me? About your sister?"
Shirou blinked dumbly. "I have a sister? Wait… when you call me 'big brother'… are you being literal?"
"Urk. Of course I'm being literal, you idiot!" the snow haired girl yelled. "Geez! I just want to tell Berserker to crush your stupid little head in already! Why am I even bothering to humour you? It doesn't matter if you know what he did or not, you're still guiltyguiltyGUILTY! Berserker! Kill him!"
And with that order, the thin leash holding back the Servant of Madness was released. Hercules gave a loud roar- then charged across the bridge like a speeding freight train. Saber braced herself with her own yell, and was promptly sent flying back by the force of the blast- deep marks being bored into the bridge by her feet as she was brushed away.
Shirou could do nothing but brace himself as he felt his Servant be pushed back. Berserker roared again once more- and he continued his relentless assault. Swing after swing of his massive stone axe-blade, blocked one after another by the smaller Servant, who could do nothing but keep up with the monster by slowly backing away- using her mobility to her advantage.
"Ilya!" Shirou cried out to the girl who now stood before him. It was just the two of them now, as the Servants had just vacated the bridge.
The girl's face was stern- resolute, even. "Your words are meaningless to me now. Just sit there and watch your Servant die, big brother. I want to see Berserker kill you, so patiently wait for him, please?"
She was correct- there was nothing he could do in a fight between those titans. He'd tried before, after all. This wasn't the first time Saber and Berserker had come to blows. But he had to do something… Shirou looked at the other Master. Just as he was the weak point in the Master/Servant alliance, so too was she. Could she be persuaded to stop?
So Shirou did what he normally avoided- he began to think. As opposed to letting his instincts guide him, and going with what he felt was the hero's choice, he stepped back and tried to think the situation over. He recalled their every meeting, thought back to every word… and finally he had a conclusion. Perhaps it wouldn't stop Ilya, but maybe it could reopen communication? This was meant to be a ceasefire- and Shirou wanted nothing more than for this to end bloodlessly.
"He… the he you mentioned was my father, wasn't he?" Shirou began, raising his voice so he could be heard over the cacophony which was blade meeting blade. "You said you were really my sister… and I'll believe you. So we aren't blood related. Was Kiritsugu your father too?"
"I told you to stop talking!" Ilya snapped- her face clouded by rage. "Don't act like you care! I said it before and I'll say it again, you're guilty, and it doesn't matter how you try to sugar-coat it! By now, it doesn't matter if you truly don't know what he did. I'll still kill you for it- for my papa's sins!"
Shirou winced- clearly, he'd touched upon a nerve. At the very least, she was talking to him again, and he'd gained confirmation that the two of them shared the same father- even if only through adoption. Ilya didn't look much like Kiritsugu had, but she very well could have taken after her mother.
"Okay. How do I go on from here? If only I knew how to talk to women. Even Shinji would piss off less people than I seem to be doing at the minute."
He had more information- but was no closer to the root of the problem. As they spoke though, he came to realise that he cared about finding out more for more than just the cause of stopping this fight. No- now that he thought about it, she'd just confirmed they were siblings (Sort-of). He still had family… and Ilya looked sad. Whatever his adopted father had done was bad enough that even his own flesh and blood could do nothing but rage.
She was troubled, and if there was anything Shirou desired to do, it was to relieve people of the troubles that burdened them. Because that's what a Hero of Justice would do… what his father would have done.
"Ilya!" he cried out once more, taking a step forwards to retain her attention. "I don't know what dad did… but I didn't grow up with you there beside me, so he wasn't there for you, was he? He was with me. I… I agreed to take on his burdens, upon his deathbed. I told him that I would become an Ally of Justice, because he had been unable to. I made his ideals my own… and if you would accept it then I'll take on his responsibilities too!"
He took a deep breath, then bowed a full ninety degrees. He shouted, as loudly as he could. "On behalf of Emiya Kiritsugu, I am sincerely sorry! Allow me to repay you, in whatever way I can!"
Upon hearing this declaration- Ilya stopped dead. Her face was locked into a dumbstruck shape- as if she didn't quite know how to react to those words. For a moment, her mind froze- had short circuited. Because of all the ways she'd imagined meeting the boy who stole her papa away from here, she couldn't possibly have conceived this.
"Wh-wh-what the hell do you think you're saying, you moron!" She was finally able to splutter out in confusion. "Papa must have decided to abandon me because you were braindead or something! I mean, who says something like that!?"
"I am being serious, Ilya." The redhead told her- his head still bowed. "I don't know how to make it up to you… how to help you. So, for now, all I can do is sincerely apologise, and agree to repay you in whatever way I can. I may be Kiritsugu Emiya's legacy… but so too are you."
Once more, Ilya seemed to have been smacked back into disbelief. Her mind had crashed due to both the sheer ridiculousness of the claims he was making… and yet also by the absolute sincerity he delivered his words.
He really meant them. The boy she'd decided to kill was apologising to the one trying to kill him, and truly desired to make it up to her for all those years of solitude and suffering her papa had condemned her to.
"You're impossible." She ground her teeth, while her tiny hands trembled. "You really are! You couldn't just let me do you in, could you? You had to make everything sound so complicated. I joined this War so I could finally get my revenge, and here you are talking about repaying me! You can't do that! Y-you… you can't." Because nice words and impossible promises meant absolutely nothing compared to the tears she had already shed- they could turn back the clock and prevent the last ten years.
"Maybe I can't. But I want to try anyway." Admitted the redhead. He finally exited his bow, so he could look the smaller girl in the eyes. "Please. Let me help you."
Maybe his last statement was the straw that broke the camel's back, or perhaps Ilya had already made up her mind and was just stubbornly saying otherwise merely for the sake of being stubborn.
"Fine." She sighed. Defeated. "Berserker!"
At her call, the muscular monster broke off from combat to return to his Master's side- moving so fast that Shirou was almost blown off his feet by the force of the titan sprinting past him.
"Shiro!" called out Saber, charging after him.
"Enough. I'm bored now." Said Ilya, turning around. With that, she gestured to her Servant, and he reluctantly calmed. The volcano was quenched for the minute, and the hero returned to the chains that bound him. Hesitantly, oh so hesitantly, he returned to his Astral form.
"Brother… I hope you aren't lying to me." She called out as she walked away. "Because if you don't intend to keep your promise, I really will make you drink 1000 needles, okay?"
All Shirou could do was stand there and watch as his little sister walked away. Saber approached him- he could feel the confusion in her gaze, the unspoken question over what exactly had happened between them.
He felt tired, but satisfied. Like he'd finally made some progress. "Come on, Saber. We're going home for now."
XXXXXXXXXX
Shirou really shouldn't have been surprised to find the small, fairy like girl waiting outside his house when he left to go to school. To his side, Saber followed, clearly ready for any conflict that might emerge. She didn't have to worry, though. Ilya wasn't here to fight. She had Berserker with her, but he was pacified, and the look on her face was more anxious than foreboding.
"Ilya." He said.
"Brother." She replied. "I've come to get you fulfil your promise, okay?"
"Of course." His reply was resolute and without hesitance or pause. He was committed to helping Ilya, to repaying whatever injustice Kiritsugu had heaped upon her. She was his sister.
"Papa left me when I was young." Ilya confessed. "Grandfather told me that he fought in the Fourth Grail War, but he betrayed us and destroyed the Grail. And then he left me. He stayed in Japan… leaving me behind."
"And then he raised me instead." Finished Shirou, deciding to ignore the revelation about his father's role in the conflict to focus on Ilya's story.
"Exactly." Ilya agreed. "I was left alone, with only my grandfather. I was so lonely, and everyone in Germany was so mean. When papa left me, he ruined my life, you understand? In repayment of that, it's only natural that you offer me your life in return."
"Shiro, whatever you promised her, it isn't worth your life." Saber warned. "This sounds like she wants you to commit suicide. To let her gain an advantage in the War without having to fight me. She seeks easy victory, and I caution you against it, Shiro."
Ilya rolled her eyes. "You're right to be suspicious, Saber, but I'm not here for an easy victory. In fact, I don't even care about winning the Grail War; it was nothing but a means to an end." At this, she turned to the brother in question. "I don't want you to die for me. I want you to live. You'll always be there for me. You won't leave me alone. You'll dedicate the rest of your life to me, and be my brother, do you understand. You belong to me."
Shirou did the only thing he could. It was natural, really. Something all big brothers instinctively knew what to do. He pulled her into a hug. "Of course."
From the beginning, Shirou had only wanted to be a hero. To be able to smile like his father. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was the most influential person in shaping the man Shirou was to this day. And it was that man whom he had idolised, who had taken in an amnesiac boy he found amidst the fires of hell… that had abandoned his own daughter to raise him.
Shirou made his decision. He'd made a promise to Ilya, to repay her in whatever way he could. And he would keep that promise. "I suppose this means I'm Ilya's Hero then, doesn't it?"
XXXXXXXXXX
One thing led to another, and the next thing he knew, Shirou was being dragged around town by his newly beaming sister. She'd demanded that he spoil her rotten and fulfil his duties as sibling, spending the rest of the day with her, and Shirou happily obliged. It made him happy to see his sister smiling- far better than seeing her looks of anger or rage.
Saber naturally tagged along. Shirou didn't think she was happy with his decision- perhaps she thought that he was choosing another Master over her? That perhaps he had abandoned his promise to fight by her side in the Grail War? It wasn't an incorrect assumption- as while Shirou wanted to continue to fight and save people, he couldn't forget that his new priority had to be Ilya- the one person he had promised to repay no matter the cost.
And a Hero couldn't go back on his word.
So Shirou spent the morning showing her around. He took her to shops, and walked with her wherever her mood took her, until they finally ended up at a cheap burger joint when her tummy started to rumble.
Shirou just wondered how they had ended up stumbling back into talks of the Holy Grail War.
"What happens now?" Saber asked, as she considered her extra-large burger carefully. "We are enemies in this War… but the two of you clearly have no intention of fighting. Can I assume that we are allied, then?"
"Duh- Saber. Of-course we are." Ilya said knowingly. "As I said, I don't really want the Grail now that I have what I want, but it's not like we can run away, can we? At the very least, I can't."
"And why not?" Shirou inquired.
"My body is the Holy Grail itself. Well, more accurately it is the Lesser Grail." Admitted Ilya. "I… I'm a homunculus. Papa was my papa, and mama gave birth to me naturally, but I was artificially created for this War. My duty is to absorb the energy of fallen Servants to allow the Grail to finally manifest… and it happens automatically. Once I absorb enough Servants… I become unable to maintain my body."
"Unacceptable." Shirou definitively ruled that off the table. That sounded like a permanent process. He didn't know much about what it meant to be a Holy Grail container, but he couldn't accept his sister sacrificing herself to make the Grail appear. He'd sooner stop everyone from having a wish than give up his new sibling to allow that to happen. "I won't let you become the Grail."
"You are aware that if you do that, that would make us enemies." Saber casually pointed this out. "I have a wish I need fulfilled, no matter the cost. Shiro- I will end our partnership forcibly and find a new Master if I must."
"That's your choice, Saber." Shirou decided, firmly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help you win the Grail."
"Don't be hasty, brother." Ilya chided. "No need to do anything rash. After all, it doesn't really matter in the end. Even if you did stop me from becoming the Grail, all we'd be doing is prolonging the inevitable. Brother… I… I wasn't created to last." Ilya said this fact rather pensively. Her features were sad… but resigned. "I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't live through this war, brother. I was happy to die if I got my revenge, because my body will shut down in a few years anyway. So, if anyone is to get the Grail now, I'd prefer it be you and Saber. Accept this last gift from your big sister, okay?"
Shirou felt angry. It wasn't a new sensation- he'd felt it before. Frustration… anger… but never to this level. He'd never thought he'd ever feel such fire in him for such a selfish reason. "I can't accept that." He closed his eyes, and realised that he couldn't. He'd only known Ilya for a short time… but she was important. Momentously so. She was his sister, Kiritsugu's true legacy, and he'd vowed to protect her and give his life to her. He couldn't do that if she died.
Therefore, there was only one recourse. Ilyasviel Von Einzern was not allowed to die.
"Saber, I take back what I said." He told her. Beneath the table, his fists were clenched tight. "I think I finally have it… a Wish worth fighting for."
Ilya's eyes widened in realisation- she'd came to the same conclusion he had.
"Saber, we are going to win the Holy Grail War." He told her. "We can't afford to lose. You have your wish… and I have mine. I can't accept anyone using the Grail in a way that can harm others, so I'm going to use it myself." With that, he turned to Ilya, and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry Ilya, but I'm going to have to let you become the Grail. But that's okay, because my wish will be to bring you back again."
She smiled, tears in the corner of her eyes. "Thank you… Shirou. Geez, you're the best kind of little brother, aren't you? I definitely lucked out when I decided against killing you."
The younger brother smiled at the elder, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Of course I am. I never thought I'd have a sister…" there was Taiga Fujimura, but she didn't really count. He meant a real sister. "but you aren't so bad yourself." He concluded. Then, his mind suddenly seemed to click onto something. "Hang on a second… you said little brother."
Ilya smiled at Shirou like he was the dumbest thing ever, but adorably so. "Well duh. I said papa abandoned me in the Fourth Holy Grail War, so that means I was born at least 10 years ago, but since I remember him while looking this young then I must have been older than 10 then, right? I'm actually 18."
"Wh-wh-what!" the redhead spluttered.
"Heehee. I think I'm going to enjoy being your big sister once you bring me back with a body that can actually age." Ilya teased. "If possible, could you make me taller, please?"
Meanwhile, Saber could only smile mirthfully at their antics. She hadn't expected this- she'd honestly been worried that Shirou was going to abandon their pledge. Unlike Kiritsugu (Her first Master whom she had utterly loathed, and whom she had realised pretty early on was also the parent of the two siblings in front of her. She was unwilling to complicate things at the moment by explaining her own situation, though), Shirou was a Master that she both liked and respected.
She was glad he had found a Wish that he wanted to fulfil, and that he had found someone he was willing to fight for. He'd thrown himself into the War, but had never truly wanted to win- only stop other Master's from harming innocents or misusing their Wish. But now he truly had a reason to give it his all- he had drive.
"Yes, this situation isn't too bad, I think."
And then, while she was still thinking on her Master's new-found circumstances, she tensed up. She could sense a Servant- multiple Servants- and they were very close.
She blinked in disbelief. Her unbreakable mask shattered, ever so slightly. Five people had just seated themselves across the table- four of them Servants. The Master, a young male that seemed older than her own Master, was already slurping away at his drink before he noticed them.
And then, almost disbelievingly, the straw left his mouth audibly and he rubbed away his eyes, before his gaze inevitably turned to one of his companions.
The Servant, an impossibly lovely brunette in a sweater, took the attention marvellously well, albeit sheepishly. "In my defence, she hadn't been here when I first scouted it out?"
The Master sighed- he looked absolutely dejected. He reminded Saber of her brother, Sir Kay, when he had found her doing the silliest of things as a child. He was simultaneously resigned and judging.
"Worst. Servant. Ever." He told her.
This set the tone for the rest of the meal, really.
XXXXXXXXXX
By now, it was the evening of the fourth day since James Branson had first appeared in the Holy Grail War. It was finally time for the changes in the War to be shared. Elsewhere, the Red Team were busily preparing, and would arrive the following day. However, now the Blue Team needed to understand as well.
The day of ceased hostilities had seemed fair, to Ruler. The Red Team hadn't exactly been given long to Summon their Servants and enter the War. Any catalysts obtained were rushed jobs, and any plans made hastily created. It seemed only fair that the Blue Team suffered just as little preparation for the Apocrypha- consequently, why a day had been left to give the Red Team their small chance.
She waited in the Church, within a backroom with a cup of tea. Coincidentally, it was the room James had spoken to Kotomine within. Now, she could only be patient. Her watch on Kotomine had been ceaseless, and she had not slept- she was certain that he was acting within the perimeters she assigned. The Familiars had been sent out, the necessary parties informed, and now Kirei would address the Blue Team.
"Masters, I thank you for attending." She could hear Kirei's voice through the open door. From what she could sense, the majority of Masters had made appearances in some form or another. Saber's Master was here in person, as was Berserker's. Caster, the cheater, had sent a Familiar, but so had the Master of Archer. Naturally, Kirei was the Master of Lancer, unknown to all. The only missing Masters were of Assassin and Rider… though she knew that the latter would not appear.
Rider was dead, slain by the Grey Team. She couldn't exactly blame them- nobody had informed the Grey Team that there had been a temporary ceasefire- a fault of her own making.
"Now that we all seem to be here… or at least those willing to be here have arrived… perhaps I should begin." Kirei spoke morosely.
"Not quite." A voice interrupted. Ruler's ears perked up- a sixth Master had entered the church. Ruler left the room and approached the door into the main body of the church where the Masters had gathered. Peeking through the slight crack, she could see that at the door to the church was an old man.
Step by step, he shuffled further into the church, his wooden walking stick clacking against the stone floor with every move.
"Matou Zouken, it is a surprise to see you." Kirei said. The 'alive' at the end was unnecessary- they were both aware that Kirei had known about his home being burned down, and most of his Worm familiars along with it.
"Ohoh. You can't keep an old man down." He said. "Besides which, my dear granddaughter said you were calling all Masters to this meeting, and I do qualify." The Command Seal emblazoned upon his hand was as clear as day.
"I assume you are the reason my Assassin has gone missing?" spoke one of the familiars in the voice of a condescending woman.
"You could say that." He said, almost pleasantly. "After all, surely I was justified in claiming a Servant after my home was unfairly burned down by an enemy Servant… and during a ceasefire at that! Oh, woe is me!" he wasn't fooling anyone, least of all Ruler. The only reason he was acting was due to his position of weakness- the vast majority of his worm Familiars were gone, his home and Workshop razed to the ground and the pawn which was his granddaughter missing.
No- this has become personal to the ancient Magus. He wanted revenge.
"And then, after the shameless assassination of my granddaughters Servant… well, let's just say I am eager to enter this war so I can properly share my displeasure with them." Truly, Zouken's eyes were pits to the abyss itself, at that moment.
"Very well. I acknowledge your credentials to take part in this meeting. And with that, let us begin, unless anybody has anything else to add?"
The Emiya boy shook his head, while the Einzbern shrugged. "Just get on with it. I really want some answers, you know?"
He cleared his throat. "Very well! Firstly, I would like to announce that I am no longer qualified to act as the moderator of the Holy Grail War."
The bird Familiar of Archer's Master squawked indignantly. "What the hell do you mean by that? Unless… you don't mean…?"
"Indeed, it is as you think. I cannot moderate this War, as I also happen to be a Master." Kirei smiled quite innocently as pandemonium swept through the room- the Familiars unable to mask their controllers displeasure, while Saber's Master tensed up, his fight or flight reflexes at their greatest.
"Oh, don't worry! I didn't call you here to spring a trap. No- merely to allow you to meet my replacement!" A sharp motion, and the door was fully opened. Ruler, who had been pressed against the door and looking in, promptly tumbled over and struck the floor.
"Not exactly the most dignified moment of the Maid of Orleans." Ruler thought to herself as she quickly pulled herself to her feet and tried to make herself look as stern and majestic as possible.
"You… but you're a Servant!" the small girl in the room pointed out. "What's going on here!?"
Rider stepped forwards, and pushed as much as Charisma into her voice as she could. "I am the Servant Ruler, brought forth by the Grail as an impartial moderator to ensure the successful fulfilment of this Holy Grail War!"
"Now, isn't this a surprise." Matou Zoken noted, a dark glee in his voice. "I remember you… I do. Justeaze had been rather proud of your implementation. But you shouldn't be here, oh no you shouldn't."
"You are correct, Founder." Ruler agreed with the Worm user. He had been one of the three families involved in the construction of the Heavens Feel ritual in the first place, so it made sense that he out of all the Masters present would at least be aware of the potential of her existence, though his surprise was shared with all of them. "Ordinarily, the Ruler Class is a Servant that cannot be summoned."
The Einzbern in the room sighed loudly. "I see. Well, I don't actually. My family never bothered to tell me about you, but I can guess at your purpose here."
Ruler smiled at the girl. "Indeed. Rejoice, for the Grail has seen fit to bring me here because circumstances have changed. This War has become abnormal, and is in fact the last and only Holy Grail War that can ever be created by the Fuyuki system!"
"But how?" Zouken hissed. "The last? No… not… unless?"
"The leylines for Fuyuki have been irreparably damaged." Caster's Familiar butted in. "I didn't want to mention it… but… this ties in, correct?"
"This shall be the last Holy Grail War, and the largest." Ruler confirmed. "For this War shall have a grand total of 21 Servants participating, and consequently the maximum number of potential wishes on offer to Masters… is three."
Ruler watched as gears turned and murmurs began. Shock had seeped into the Masters, one and all, at the prospect. It was mystifying enough to imagine seven Servants in a battle to the death… but to imagine a war at three times that scale, and with multiple wishes?
Nobody interrupted Ruler- not even Zouken. For this was too big, too important, and everyone had been shocked into silence.
"Do not fear though, for you do not face these imposing odds alone. The Grail War is now a team based event. Groups of seven shall fight for the chaliced cup: Blue, Red and Grey! You Masters here today are that of Blue! So rejoice, for you stand amidst not potential enemies… but rather potential friends!"
Now that declaration really caused a stir- to such a degree that interruptions actually occurred.
"Team based? How does that even-"
"I don't want to work with-"
"- we can't get along with-"
"But she's been hurting people!"
"Enough!" Ruler's shout tore through the protests. "This is an unnegotiable fact. Either you will work and fight together, or you will die alone. The Red Team have already Summoned their Servants and are no doubt on their way to Fuyuki now, while the Grey Team grows steadily in strength. United you stand, alone you fall!"
"The Grey Team has only one Master, doesn't it?" the white-haired girl suddenly asked. "I've met them. I am almost certain that they share the same Master."
"You are correct." Admitted Ruler. "He is the Aberration, and his presence was why this Apocrypha has been declared! I, like the former moderator over there-" Kirei gave a little cheery wave. "possess Command Seals. Any Servant that defeats one of the Grey Team shall receive an additional Command Seal! Likewise, rewards will be handed out in the result of any other interruptions being settled." Ruler gave a lingering glance to Kirei.
She wasn't revealing his Gilgamesh, because doing so would not only destroy all chance he had of being trusted in the group, but also because he was a Master. Consequently, he had the right to compete, whether she liked it or not.
There was also the fact that his role as Moderator wasn't nearly as completed as she'd said it had been. Unfortunately, she didn't have the connections necessary to properly cover up the War or communicate with the necessary parties, so Kirei would still be responsible for a large chunk of the legislative work so that the Moonlit World could remain hidden from the publics eyes, while she would serve as the disciplinary force for if further rule breaking occurred.
Her keeping his secret hidden was merely incentive for him to continue to fulfil his duties, as it were. That was as far as her lenience would go- Gilgamesh would be revealed eventually, and Kotomine's house of cards would begin to collapse.
"Hmpph. I've heard enough." The Master of Berserker got up from her seat, and Saber's Master followed suit.
"And where do you think you are going, Einzbern?" Matou Zouken said with a toothy smile.
She glared at the decaying man, and turned away. "I don't much like the company here, and I have no intention of working with you. My Berserker is the strongest…" then she looked to the redhead besides her. "-and my little brothers Saber is pretty good too. We don't need anyone else. So farewell, Blue Team."
With a final polite curtsy, she left the church. Saber's Master lingered for a moment- his eyes strayed to the Familiar with his classmate's voice, but then to the Familiar with Casters. He gave a strict nod, and then followed after the smaller girl.
"And then six become four." Commented Kirei melodramatically. "How sad."
"Hmph. Try to put some energy into it, you lying priest." Archer's Master was not happy with him for hiding his status as a Master, oh no she wasn't.
"We are already at a disadvantage." Identified Caster. "Rider has fallen already, while the Red Team will be fresh. I am still not quite… used… to the idea that we must work together, but if we don't…"
"United we stand, alone we fall." The Gemcraft user echoed Ruler's words. "Hey Ruler, is this really fair? The Red and Grey Teams have huge advantages that we don't."
Jeanne d'Arc shook her head and gave another knowing smile. "Your chances are better than you realise, and your odds higher too." After all, Gilgamesh was a Servant equal to at least three lesser ones, and it wasn't her fault that two of their numbers had decided to branch off alone.
All parties had seven Servants, in one way or another. The Reds were unbloodied, Kirei had Gilgamesh hidden in the rear for an emergency, and the Grey Team would eventually reach their full potential given a few more days.
The Teams were as fair as a situation like the Holy Grail War could be. "I have done my duty." Ruler stated. "Now, it is up to you to win your War."
And so, she turned to head back into the guts of the church, while behind her the arguing continued between the four that remained. She heard shouts about the necessity of meeting in person, and where to do it, and about going to the temple, and then she was out of hearing range.
It truly didn't matter to her how well the Blue Team got along, or what agreement the four remaining Masters came to. She was merely the Moderator, after all.
Ruler sat down with a sigh of relief. For now, her duty had been fulfilled. All parties knew the rule changes, and all were prepared. The rule breakers were aware of the thin ice they walked, and the Teams had been provided the chance to unite (even if it was only for a short time before fractures appeared).
Now, her only role was to watch the conflict as it unfolded and step in when necessary. The Final Fuyuki Holy Grail War had most definitely begun.
