Hibiscus Archer

by AnimeandFanficLover

A normal life. That is all she wanted. Is that really so much to ask? So why is she caught in the middle of this stupid Fifth Holy Grail War with a snarky Servant by her side? Sigh. Oh well. There's only one thing to do... Survive! That shouldn't be so hard to do. After all, she has gotten quite used to wars. What's one more?

5. The Beginning of the End of the Beginnin

(A/N: Here is chapter five!

Haku Mai: Thank you for the review! Actually, you don't need to have a catalyst to summon a Servant. A catalyst is recommended, but not a necessity. All you really need is a Summoning Circle. In actuality, none of the Fate/stay night characters- except the ones who participated in the previous war- knew that a catalyst was needed. For all her supposed genius, not even Rin knew that fact. She just thought if she poured enough mana into the Summoning Circle at the appropriate time, she would get Saber. She didn't even understand why Shirou got Saber and she didn't. Not even questioning him if he had a catalyst for summoning Saber or something. She just thought that Shirou summoned Saber by pure luck, and her summoning Archer- instead of Saber- was the result of messing up the Summoning. If you think of it that way, everyone summoning the Servants they did in Fate/stay night was pure coincidence. Besides, Sakura is the only person who successfully summoned a Servant without a catalyst. You have to remember… a catalyst is only recommended if you want to summon a specific Servant. Otherwise, a Servant who is highly compatible with the Master doing the summoning would be summoned. Not to mention, that- in later Fate works- they ditch that whole catalyst thing altogether- further proving my point. Orihime does know a little bit about magi society. After all she has Tsubaki, Shun'o, and the others to scout for her, and- seeing how magi typically are- she wants absolutely nothing to do with them. I never said Servants couldn't dodge her attacks. C'mon, I'm not trying to make Orihime that OP. I think Servants could fairly easily dodge Orihime's attacks or maybe block it. It's just getting through her defenses that's the problem for them. Orihime attacks are weak, but her defense is ridiculously strong- probably on par or above a Servant's level. As for Orihime teaming up with Rin and Shirou… Hehe! You would have to wait. Hmm, about Gilgamesh… Still trying to figure out what to do with him. I had wondered if I should have Gilgamesh's chains [forgot what they are called] affect Orihime because of her god-like powers, and- technically- having a piece of the Soul King- a piece of God [a God from her old universe, but still a God nonetheless]- inside of her [yes- according to the Bleach light novels- this is canon]. There's no need to apologize for asking questions, and thanks for the help!

Guest review [HookLeff]: Thanks for the review! *sigh* Yeah, I figured. In the beginning- when I was still debating on how Orihime and EMIYA's relationship should be- I did entertain the idea that they could be "friends with benefits" because of the whole "Mana Transfer" thing [I mean, Orihime is an adult. I doubt it'd be that awkward for Archer to do it with her compared to Rin], but decided to scrap it for multiple reasons. I just didn't feel right. Decided to stick to a completely platonic relationship with Orihime and Archer. More than friends, less than lovers. No sexual and/or romantic feelings whatsoever. But I still really want Orihime to be using weapons. Guess I'll figure something out. I was confused with the whole "Servants in astral form" thing. Because- in the anime- one minute they are touching stuff, and the next minute they aren't. I don't know if this was just another thing the anime screwed up on, or if Servants can enter a half-astral form or something. That was another con about the UBW anime. I felt that the story was supposed to be about Archer and Rin, but the minute Shirou was introduced- they were scrapped. Yes, the story still remained Archer's story for the most part along with his conflict of ideologies with Shirou, but it becomes very, very, very debatable if it was Rin's story as well. Because the minute the Shirou/Saber Master/Servant pairing was introduced, Rin became nothing more than Shirou's love interest and Archer's Master. She tries to be the mediator between Shirou and Archer, but most of her "mediation" boils down to picking favoritism with Shirou due to her crush on him [which she tries to cover up by saying she pities him and is trying to be humble as a fellow Master, but we all know that's an obvious lie], and trying to force Archer to obey because she's his Master and she can't stand disobedience [I mean, have you seen what the girl could and would do if she has absolute obedience over someone? As the "Geas" Bad Ending shows, Rin is a complete monster when she has absolute and total power over someone. That Bad Ending showed that- Rin may not like acting like a cold-hearted, sociopathic magus typical of other magi- Rin can act that way and she will act that way, given the appropriate opportunity]. Not once did Rin ever sit down and have a proper heart-to-heart talk with Archer because she's just that arrogant by thinking she has total power over him due to her privileges as a Master. I guess Rin is a prime example from Fate that if you give too much power to someone [or make them think they have power], it would inflate their ego and lead them to abuse said power. And… I already said my other rants about Rin in another author's note, so I don't think I need to repeat myself again. I think Heaven's Feel became more like Rin's story. Sakura's mostly, but still Rin's. I totally forgot- in the last review- you mentioned you have never seen Bleach, right? So- of course- you wouldn't know about Orihime's character or her abilities/powers. I took your advice, and this is Archer's new stats.

This is the new Servant Sheet…

Class: Archer

True Name: EMIYA

Master: Orihime Nazuki

Alignment: True Neutral

Master's Alignment: Neutral Good

Strength: C

Endurance: C

Agility: C

Mana: A

Luck: B

NP: ?

Magic Resistance: C

Independent Action: A

Clairvoyance: C

Mind's Eye [True]: B

Magecraft: C

Projection Magecraft: C - conditionally A

After going through the Fate wiki again, I realized that a Servant's personal skills can't be changed, but everything else can. And stat changes depend on the Master's power and personality. Like how Saber has A-rank Riding Skill when Kiritsugu is her Master, but B-rank Riding skill when Rin is her Master instead- showcasing that Rin is hopeless with and loathes modern technology- unlike Kiritsugu. So I boosted Archer's Magic Resistance from D-rank to C-rank because Orihime has overwhelmingly strong defense yet abysmally weak offense. Therefore, it wouldn't be right if her Servant didn't have a decent amount of defense. And I boosted EMIYA's Independent Action skill from B-rank to A-rank because- not only does Orihime supply Archer with more mana than Rin- but she also isn't a nut about total obedience, like Rin is. I also was hoping that Orihime supplying Archer with mana would let him survive 4 - 5 days without a Master [instead of 2 like it was in canon- though I don't know if his Independent Action skill should be boosted to B+-rank or A-rank. Might modify later to what seems appropriate, if need be], if something were to happen with Orihime. I guess I'm saying that when Archer has Orihime as a Master instead of Rin, he should be fairly on par with Saber [if Shirou was her Master]. If Rin was Saber's Master instead, then Archer would have serious trouble against her. It's never been stated that Archer having Rin as his Master is his best stats- unlike Saber. Rin may be a powerful and genius magus, but- don't forget- compatibility and a Master's personality affects a Servant's stats as well. Like how Kiritsugu supplying Saber with enough mana for most of her stats to be almost as high as they could except for her low D-rank Luck stat because of his shitty personality and racism towards Heroic Spirits. I also think I heard somewhere that- if Archer was summoned as a Counter Guardian instead of a Servant- he'd be much stronger [feel free to correct me on that]. So… yeah. That was my thought process with EMIYA's renewed stats. I think I'm keeping it. I really do like these new stats. I'm more comfortable with these stats than the old [where I was fiddling around aimlessly]. I would also like to say that- if Saber did injure Archer during their first confrontation- it should be no problem for Orihime to heal him up and he should be fine hours later [instead of days like in canon]. That's part of the reason why I was debating which route to go with… because Saber injuring Archer or not wouldn't matter with Orihime's god-like healing abilities. For example… If Archer gets injured at night, he should be fully healed and back at full power by morning- perhaps even sooner [that is if he doesn't die and disappear before he could be healed]. No one can match Orihime's EX-rank healing powers. *jokingly laughs* That aside, of course Archer still hates Shirou. Archer wouldn't be Archer if he doesn't hate his past self. Even in Fate/Grand Order, Archer still hates Shirou- but the hatred has lessened enough for him not to want to kill his younger, past self anymore. Not to mention that EMIYA greatly dislikes anything he perceives as naive heroism. Naive and foolish heroism and "Hero of Justice" are stated to be two of EMIYA's dislikes. I think Archer just generally loathes anyone he thinks may end up following the same miserable path as he did. In his own words, "Ideals drag you to your death". The true question is… How would Orihime react and respond to Archer's hatred of Shirou?

GreenEyesOrigamiDragon: Thanks for the review! I don't know yet. I don't know how Orihime would affect Reality Marbles. Because I noticed that Reality Marbles are similar in concept to a Soul Reaper's inner world where they go to look deep inside themselves- except Reality Marbles can be manifest on the outside world. What I'm trying to get at is that they are both kinda of the same- the projection of/look of one's inner soul- except one can exist in the outside world [albeit briefly] and one cannot. As it goes along, this story is still a work in progress. That's why I'm asking so many questions to clear away any doubts that I have- or if I have 2, 3, or multiple possibilities I am debating over. And don't worry, I'll try not go with and use the whole "In Spite of the Nail" trope that I've seen plenty of fanfic authors do. That trope annoys me too [if it is done wrongly]. Especially if characters [canon or OCs] suddenly become stupid and lose a couple of brain cells just so a particular canon plot point can happen. Guess I should say the "In Spite of the Nail" trope can be pretty aggravating when a fanfic author decides to throw the "Idiot Ball" trope into the mix. Though there are some things from the Fate route, Unlimited Blade Works route, and Heaven's Feel route that I want to implement in the story.

krkovichsa: Thanks for the review! I think you got it all wrong. EMIYA's Origin and Element is "Sword", meaning he could Project any bladed and combat weaponry to near perfection [as long as they don't have Divine Constructs]. And shields do count as weapons of combat. I don't know about those authors, but I think you are reading EMIYA's abilities all wrong. Yes, EMIYA could Project other things like doors and clothes and stuff- but they don't last as long as EMIYA Projecting a sword or a shield. EMIYA Projecting doors would only last hours while EMIYA Projecting a sword could last days. Which is why him Projecting swords and weaponry is considered an A-rank Projection Magecraft, and everything else is considered a C-rank or B-rank. Though I am not much of a Fate expert. You should ask someone with more understanding of Fate or take the time to read the Fate wiki.

Thanks arcabrad1 for being the 100th person to follow this story! Here's a cookie!

Okay! Time to start the chapter! Enjoy!)

---

The Beginning of the End of the Beginning

Orihime slowly opened her gray eyes. What a weird dream she had. What's even more strange was that she could exactly remember what the dream was about. Which was odd. It was rare for her to not recall some vague images of her dreams the second she wakes up.

She did feel a weird, burning sensation on her right hand, though. She slowly lifted her hand to her face- in an effort to disturb the woman massaging her back- and inspected her hand. Much to her surprise and confusion, there was red flower marking on the back of her hand. The flower was in the shape of a three petal hibiscus.

She did her best to reign in her shock. Her insides were instantly burning with anxiety and unease. The sensation of the relaxing back and neck massage was an uncanny and disconcerting contrast to the distressing apprehension she was feeling.

What was this mark? Where did it come from? Did the therapist draw on her hand with a red permanent marker while she was sleeping?

She could hope so- however- she doubted it. Why would the therapist do that? It would seem highly unprofessional. And she didn't see any kinda marker in this room when she entered- unless the therapist carried a red marker everywhere she goes, which- she again- doubted.

Then where'd this mark come from?

She sighed, sensing a foreboding sensation of wrongness hovering over her. The red hibiscus mark was not there before she took her tranquil nap. There was no way she would not notice a conspicuous mark otherwise. As much as she wanted to desperately believe that the… tattoo was nothing of dreadful importance. However, she was acutely aware that it was nothing more than a wishful hope. A desperate desire to resume her normal life- that the red mark was nothing more than a prank to spook her and put her on edge.

The entire ordeal of the mysterious appearance of the mark just screamed supernatural!

She could almost laugh sardonically. She tried so hard not to get involved in any of this magical business. She went to great lengths to keep herself and her powers undetected and under the radar. Yet the annoying personification of a magic detecting antenna signal still manages to find her somehow.

Although- Orihime appeared stoic and calm on the outside because she didn't want to jerk and tense her muscles, ruining the therapist's work and concentration- she was practically fuming on the inside. She did not want to get involved with other magi! There was a reason she tried to be as discreet as possible when practicing with her powers. She had no fondness for magi society. She could not fathom an entire community of narcissistic sociopaths. They were selfish, opportunistic creatures by their very nature. It was something she could deal with and tolerate to some extent, if it was few and far between. Heck, the Soul Society had its own share of self-centered nutcase. But a whole culture of Mayuri Kurotsuchi sends nothing but cold shivers of disgust down her spine.

Ugh! She simply, absolutely does. Not. Like. This. One. Bit!

Why? Why her?

Nothing about this seemed good. Trust her. She's been through enough supernatural fiasco for one lifetime to know… when something's amiss… there's an 85% chance that it is not a good sign. It was exceedingly best to prepare for the worst possible outcome. Of course, not all possibilities and outcomes are heinously bad. It was always more tactical to think of all the possible outcomes and adjust accordingly.

It may be a good idea to recall Tsubaki and the others back. But they were currently out patrolling and scouting the city, as per her orders. What if she missed some valuable information because she called them back to her too early? She can't simply think short-term, she has to think long-term as well. Impulsive and rash decisions might lead to her demise. She must remain calm, and analyze the situation carefully. There was still the possibility of this being some sorta mistake, but she was not gonna be over-reliant on that possibility.

The woman applied a particular amount of pressure on her lower back, loosening the strained muscle there. This relaxing heavenly session turned into a very unpleasant, anxiety-inducing headache. She can't find it in herself to enjoy it anymore. All she wanted to do right now was take Blueberry, rush back home, and inspect the red hibiscus mark on her hand. The mark that spelled nothing but trouble.

She sighed despondently. Why did her life have to get so complicated now? It was as if fate was punching her in the gut, mocking for enjoying a normal, easy life for far too long. And maybe she has been a little too lax lately. But what was she to do? It was either live a relatively normal life, or integrating herself into magi society. Neither sounded truly appealing to her. A normal life was a bland life of ennui, and being associated with magi society greatly repulsed her. If she had to choose one or the other, she'd choose the former- because… lesser of two evils some might say.

The auburn-haired quietly exhaled a sharp breath of exasperation through her nose. Right now, it was best to take pleasure in this soothing back and neck massage. She was paying about 6923 yen for this session. She might as well enjoy it, even if she had to forcefully shove her growing paranoid apprehension down her throat.

She let out a fortuitous moan of blissful delight. The sound coming from her mouth caused her face to heat up from embarrassment and a small chuckle from the female massage therapist.

Yeah, just relax and enjoy this massage session.

It'd probably be the last thing she would be able to take some semblance of leisure delight in for quite some time.

Until this whole… potentially magical mess she mystifyingly found herself in blows over.

---

"Okay! Your dog is all nice and fully groomed!"

Orihime stared, quite pleased at a freshly groomed Blueberry. The light brown and white border collie was sitting down on a black stool chair. Her pink dog collar dangling around her neck, and her yellow leash hanging over the stool. Her legs were twitching every now and again, signaling her eagerness to hop off the black stool the moment Orihime ordered her to.

There were not any significant changes on Blueberry. Her once somewhat messy coat was neatly trimmed and combed. Though, it's her mannerisms that surprised her the most. She was angrily snarling and growling as she expected her to. She was shooting anyone distrustful, threatening glares. She actually seemed… quite pleased. Especially by the way her tail was happily wagging to and fro was any indication.

Blueberry seemed to have enjoyed her time with the groomers!

"How was Blueberry?" she asked the woman next to worry. She was most likely the one to have groomed Blueberry. She had a black pouch around her waist. The pouch had many pockets that were- from what the auburn-haired woman- filled with scissors and sprays and other stuff she couldn't see. "She didn't cause any trouble, did she?"

"Well, she was a little feisty and very uncooperative in the beginning," the woman responded honestly with an easy, half-sheepish smile on her face. This only caused the auburn-haired dog owner to frown in disappointment, shame, and embarrassment. "But not to worry. We are used to aggressive pets." She laughed light-heartedly. "We also have some techniques to calm the little guys down and keep them relaxed."

She gently patted her dog's back, and the auburn-haired woman was once surprised. Blueberry was furiously barking at her, or trying to aggressively take a bite at her hand. She was not leaning in and purring. However, she was tolerating her it seems. Her muscles twitched and her body shifted a little, but she was not biting, growling, or snarling.

"After we washed and shampooed her, she was considerably more patient and tolerant when we started grooming her," the female groomer continued, reassuring the dog owner that everything went well after a while.

"That's good," Orihime replied with a nervous grin. "Blueberry does not take kindly to strangers, so I was expecting the worst. In fact, I'm fairly shocked by how quickly Blueberry seems… relaxed around you. She hasn't even learned to be cordial with any of my friends yet, which makes it fairly difficult to take her out on walks sometimes." She bowed politely in sincere gratitude. "Thank you for taking care of her. I know this might be a little forward of me to ask, but do you mind being Blueberry's personal groomer? Like I said, it is very hard for Blueberry to open up to others. Since she is so calm and tolerant around you…" She trailed off, but the groomer understood what she meant and smiled.

"Sure, I don't mind," the woman answered. "Lots of pet owners have personal groomers they think their pets feel most comfortable with. It's that familiarity that makes most pets comfortable with things they like and enjoy."

Orihime nodded her head, understanding what she was saying.

"By the way, my name is Yuri Hiatari." She held out her hand for her auburn-haired customer.

After a momentary pause, she quickly caught on. "My name is Orihime Nazuki," she replied, placing her hand in the woman's in a firm handshake.

"Whenever you come back here, just ask for me. Or you call the store's number," the groomer informed her with a smile.

Orihime smiled back, realizing that… maybe taking Blueberry to the groomers wasn't so bad after all.

---

By the time she left the Verde Mall, it was already past 8:05. The sun has long since set. Darkness blanketed the streets of Fuyuki City. Only the streetlights and the lights of houses and late night shops kept the city from plunging into total darkness.

She better get home fast, so she can make dinner and go to sleep. Although, the back and neck massage was definitely great- might go again some time in the future- she was tired and exhausted right now. Not to mention, being out here… alone in the dark… without the protection of her Shun Shun Rikka… makes her feel very vulnerable. She has the fighting skills of a black belt martial artist- sure- but is that enough protection from magical and supernatural threats? Certainly not. Then again she could Shun'o and the others back at any given time at a moment's notice, but she did not wish to give them away. The clear key here is the element of surprise.

Plus, it was hard not to feel anxious with the mysterious red hibiscus mark on her right hand glaring back at her every time she swung her arms.

And no, she has not forgotten the message she received right before her massage session began. Okay- technically- she did forget, but she saw the message she had gotten from Hector when she used her phone to check the time once she left the pet grooming store- which then realized it was called Pampered Paw Spa. She even made sure to save the shop's number in her contacts.

Anyway- before she gets sidetracked- the main point was that she saw Hector's text. It was a text asking her if she was fine seeing a romantic comedy movie. She frowned at that, almost rolling her eyes. Typical. Her first thought was that- of course some sappy, romance movie because she's a girl. Then she thought… if it was more comedy than romance, then she wouldn't mind. Too much. And aren't romance movies stereotypical of first dates? It's not like Hector actually knows what genre of movies she liked. And she does have a certain fondness for comedies, or anything that can make her laugh. She merely hoped the romantic comedy movie Hector picked was not littered with too many cliches.

Her stomach growled loudly, cutting her off from her musings.

Darn. She is so hungry.

She held her growling stomach. Why do hunger pangs have to assault her now? She glanced down and was met with the view of Blueberry cocking her head curiously at her.

She humorously smiled down at her. "We should hurry home, shouldn't we, girl?"

She better pick up the pace in that case, have a nice dinner, and go to bed. Maybe. It was barely 10 minutes after 8, and she didn't really have work tomorrow. The only thing she had scheduled tomorrow was her afternoon date with Hector Franz. Besides that, nothing else. She didn't really have to go to sleep yet. She could lazily watch some TV. She was tired- yes- but she was not sleepy. That back and neck massage kinda rejuvenated her a bit. Her back muscles weren't aggravating her as much anymore. This has been a fairly relaxing trip to the mall.

Until… The enigmatic mark appeared on her hand of course.

She sighed once again.

20 minutes had passed, and the walk back home was long. Yet it was unpleasantly quiet. In fact, it was too quiet. Perhaps eerily so. The chilly nighttime air caused her to shiver slightly, and her entire arms felt like they were covered with goosebumps. And not the good or annoying kind either. It was the kind people get when they think something spooky is approaching them from around the corner. Everything just felt so… unnaturally creepy. The type of suffocating stillness that leaves people jumpy and paranoid.

Orihime paused in her tracks, causing a confused Blueberry to halt as well. She had the uncomfortable feeling that someone or something was watching her, following her. She won't be foolish enough to easily dismiss it as nothing or her paranoid imagination playing tricks on her, but she decided to just ignore it- continuing on her way. It was better to pretend she does not notice anything. Otherwise, who knows how they'd react if they noticed she noticed them? Would they attack her then and there- in the middle of the street? Or would they scurry away because they lost the element of surprise? If it was a stalker or a serial killer, she could easily handle them. It's not like she hasn't dealt with perverted stalkers before.

At least… that was her initial mindset. But as she spread her senses outward, she almost froze- having enough self-control to keep walking. Don't want it knowing she caught on to it. She could sense that whatever was following her was not human.

Oh great.

She nearly groaned in annoyance. She got this… irritatingly stupid tattoo no less than- maybe- an hour ago, and was already causing her trouble. Already interfering with her normal life. She really wished she could completely ignore the problem. She really wished she could. But that would be suicidally stupid idea.

The auburn-haired woman gazed down at Blueberry, and even she was becoming restless. Her ears and tail were perked up on full alert, and she was frantically sniffing the air. It'd only made Orihime realize how serious the situation was, if Blueberry could detect the creepy wrongness hanging in the atmosphere.

This was bad. Seriously bad.

She tried to show apprehension on her face- keeping up the mask of neutrality. There was no way she could go home now. Not when she had some freaky magical stalker on her tail. She does not want to lead them to where she lived. She was not an idiotic fool. However, she couldn't stay in the middle of the street like this. There were too many buildings. And even if it was late, there were still a few pedestrians walking around. She needed somewhere more open and isolated, so she could fight freely- if need be.

She discreetly headed for the more abandoned part of Fuyuki. She kept her pace even and unhurried. She had to act as naturally as possible. She doesn't want to risk the possibility of alerting them, and having them attacking her here and now. Not when there's a risk of the other people getting caught in the crossfire. She'd be at a disadvantage that way.

There should be a forest leading to an abandoned building somewhere near here, if she recalled. She just needed to get there before whatever… supernatural threat following her loses patience and decides to strike. She deeply hoped they wouldn't figure out what she's planning on doing before she could do it.

When her gray orbs landed on the forest coming into view, she held in an anticipated breath of relief. She was nearly there. Although- fighting in a secluded forest wasn't ideal, and it only seemingly made it easier for her to be attacked by her mysterious assailant- she was hoping that the trees and canopies would provide cover from long-ranged assault, and somewhat obscure her enemies' vision.

Blueberry was trotting beside her, looking very confused. Orihime could not blame her. This was not the usual route they take to get home. She took the time to sniff at her unfamiliar surroundings at every small opportunity she got- most likely trying to familiarize herself with this potential new pathway home. She had to… sometimes… forcibly pull her dog along because they didn't have time to make miniscule short pitstops. She felt bad, but they needed to hurry to the abandoned building before they decided to attack them. She knows how dogs like to take their time to become accustomed to new areas- and that it is proper to- but now was not the time.

A more pragmatic and cold-hearted person would simply tell her to leave the dog. Blueberry would only slow her dog, or she'd inevitably give her away if she ended up barking- signaling their position. But if anyone ever told her that, she would kick their butts all the way to Mexico. As if she would take the risk of leaving her dog behind for a greater slimmer of a chance at survival. She was gonna protect Blueberry!

There was rustling in the distance, and Blueberry was the first to stop- ears perked up on full alert now. When she jolted her body to where she heard the sound that caused Orihime to pause as well- her senses were on high alert now. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on ends now. The stillness of the air was unpalatable. She could hear her disquieted heart pounding in her ears. The overwhelming sense of dread swelled up inside her. For some reason, the mark on her hand was pulsing, but she ignored it for now. It felt like nothing more than a slight itch. It was easy to ignore, and didn't hinder concentration.

The sound of a twig snapping pierced through the silent, cold air. Orihime tensed, her whole body taking on a fight-or-flight stance. Blueberry's entire body was hunched back, her light brown and white fur was standing in a sharp upright position, her canine lips twisted backwards into an aggressive and threatening snarl. A deep growl rumbled through her throat.

Everything was unbearably quiet. There was no movement. No sound, besides Blueberry's occasional growls. No nothing. The stale air was thick and heavy, it was almost hard to breathe. A bead of cold sweat ran down the side of the auburn-haired woman's face.

They were so close to the building. Orihime lamented the risk of making a break for it, her legs itching to move. How long has she felt like this? How long has felt this gnawing anticipation for battle? This sense of apprehension and dread? The foreboding tension of waiting for herself or her opponent to make the first move? The nervous consternation of knowing every move must be carefully calculated? It's been so long- too long since she felt like this.

Knowing Ichigo, he would charge headlong into the first sign of trouble. He wouldn't play the waiting game like this. He didn't have the patience for it. Her former husband would charge straight in, and blast them away with a mighty and powerful Getsuga Tensho. Her husband was simply strong like that. So strong- in fact- that there was no need for battle strategies. He fights on pure power, skill, instincts alone, and- frankly… most of the time- that's all he really needs. He was like a destructive force of nature when it came to fighting. A benevolent force of nature who is fighting to protect the people he loved and cherished most dearly. And that's one of the things she loved about him.

But she was not Ichigo. She was definitely not the type to rush into battles without thinking. She doesn't have the battle prowess for it. And she certainly wasn't the type to just stand here and contemplative her naval forever. That was a sign of indecisiveness. And- from personal experience- the last thing she needed to be was indecisive. Indecisiveness is an attestation for fear, and enemies would take advantage of that fear.

That is why when the loud, rustling sound came from the bush behind her, she wasted no time in jumping and rolling to her right. A loud thud was met after- the rough sound of something hitting the tree bark she was standing in front of previously. Orihime took this opportunity to gaze at her assailant, and was surprised- yet not surprised- to find it to be some sorta skeletal monster. Its dagger-like bone pierced the bark of the tree. She contemplated calling her Shun Shun Rikka back, but something this… underwhelming should be enough for her to handle. She has dealt with lower-level Hollows more threatening than this creature.

If she had a weapon, she could take it down easily. But- alas- she doesn't. Well, not at the moment. She needed to find a weapon- a suitable weapon- first.

The creature growled at, ripping its bone-like dagger out of the tree bark. It turned towards her and roared, lunging at her again. Orihime dodged the dagger that was aiming straight for her neck, and made a break for it. Grabbing onto Blueberry's leash, they dashed straight into the opposite direction of where the creature emerged from. Whether the creature was alone or with companions, it'd be foolish to head in the direction it came from. The place opposite would be her best bet.

She ran and ran, her gray irises scanning her surroundings for something to use. She needed to find something hard and sturdy lying around. With a little bit of mana pumped it into, she was sure it would be enough to destroy the weak, skeletal beast in one shot.

She could hear the restless rustling of the foliage behind her, meaning the beast was hot on their trail. Blueberry was facing the direction of the sound, her ears were pointed at the sound of the rustling, and she was ready to pounce at the monster in a moment's notice. Thankfully, she didn't make any noise to give away their precise location. She trained herself enough to guard and protect her beloved owner.

Orihime was not even sure if the direction she was running towards was the direction where the abandoned building was anymore. This was not like something she couldn't handle, but- by god- was this annoying! Stupid tattoo! Already giving her problems. Was it some kinda magical magnetic that brings supernatural monsters to her? Whatever it was, it was aggravatingly annoying! Why did this inconvenient monster attraction mark decide to attach itself to her?

She paused when the sound of soft, moving water hit her ears. When her dog started barking, her attention drifted towards what caught her eyes. Her grip on the yellow dog leash slackened, and Blueberry took the opportunity to dash towards the source of her curiosity.

The auburn-haired woman cursed her breath in surprise. She ran after her, hoping her dog was not leading her back to that skeletal monster. However, her gray orbs widened in shock when- 7 minutes later- she came across the body of a young woman.

The woman appeared to be slightly older than her- about the same age as Namani. More or less. In her mid-20s, if she was being more precise. She had short, magenta-colored hair, and though- she could not see the color of her eyes- there was a mole under her left eye. She had on what appeared to be a black business suit with a burgundy necktie. One thing did stick out to her though- even from here- was that the unconscious woman was clearly a magus. Blueberry was barking at the blacked out woman, circling around her in an odd mixture of suspicion and concern- and sniffing at every so often.

When Orihime noticed that the unconscious person's body was littered with injuries, she immediately went into medic mode. The border collie scooted out of the way as she knelt down next to her and inspected her body. Her arms were covered in lacerations. There was a huge gash on her right tricep. In fact, her skin and flesh had brutally ripped open, and could almost see bone! The woman was suffering from some kinda head injury, and there was an obvious hole in her chest. It seemed like she was stabbed by some kinda sharp blade- a sword perhaps. And judging by how deep the wound is, one of her lungs may have been punctured.

Blueberry's nose crinkled in disgust. Obviously, the smell of blood was unpleasant to her sharp canine sense of smell.

Was this the work of that skeletal monster? No, it was not. She recalled how the hole in the tree trunk looked when the monster stabbed it, and the wound was anything but that. She was pretty sure it really was made from a sword of some kind. Besides, why would they take the time to do this to her when they could have finished her off with one decisive blow to the head or neck? From what she had seen, the monster was a creature of instinct. It displayed no signs of self-awareness or intelligence at all. It was no more than a wild animal.

Either way, this was clearly the work of a complete sadist. Her attacker brutalized her, but never delivered any fatal wounds. The blow to the head is what obviously knocked her out. She might have a concussion. Most of these injuries were serious, but not life-threatening. Well, they shouldn't be, if it wasn't for the amount of blood she was losing. If the woman was conscious, she could have dragged her beaten and mangled body to the hospital. She would sooner die from blood loss than a punctured lung. But now she was unconscious and losing a considerable amount of blood by the minute. Not to mention, how long has she been lying here? Her wounds could be infected. Her sadistic murderer clearly made to give her a slow, painful death by blood loss- otherwise- there would be no point in knocking her out. Her temporary sleep could turn into a permanent sleep, if she doesn't get help right away.

She quickly got to work. Without Shun'o and Ayame- she won't be able to fully heal her- but she would have to make due. Hopefully, she'd be able to heal her enough, so her life wouldn't be in mortal danger anymore. Unfortunately- just as she was about to heal the woman as her hands were glowing with a yellowish-golden magical energy- she heard rustling from the bushes on her right and was immediately reminded of why she was here in the first place.

She abruptly climbed back fully onto her feet. She had to deal with this threat first before she could think about saving this woman. Her body tensed as her eyes glanced around frantically for a weapon to use. Then she glanced at the half-dead woman's body.

Then an idea struck her.

She felt bad for doing this, but maybe she had a knife or something she could use. She leaned down and checked the woman's pockets- hurrying as the rustling of foliage became louder. Tch. She clicked her tongue in slight disappointment. No such luck. Of course.

She had no time to lament on her poor luck as the monster leapt out from the trees with a mighty roar. Orihime ducked underneath its thrust and kicked it away. The monster only lightly crashed to the ground a few feet from, and was up and ready to pounce again. She dodged out of the way of its strike, deliberately leading it away from Blueberry and the heavily wounded woman.

"Stay there, Blueberry!" she ordered her dog. Her dog was kinda hesitant for obvious reasons. Her beloved owner was in danger. Though, she reluctantly stayed put and complied with her owner's wishes.

She felt incredibly relieved when the skeleton monster had its eyes only focused as she rolled away from another blow aiming at her neck. Does that mean the creature was only focused on her? Or does it only register her as a threat? She was dangerously aware of things and people react to what they perceive as dangers to their lives. They either run away with their tail between their legs, or try to get rid of the threat as soon as possible- sometimes by any means necessary. Whatever the case was, it doesn't matter. However, perhaps she could use its single-minded pursuit of her to her advantage.

She was already panting as she sprinted through the trees and bushes. She cursed herself once again for how out of shape she was. Of course she had often worked out on occasions- doing routine stretches every morning and sometimes before she goes to sleep- but it was never to the degree it used to be. She had no need to. At least she thought she didn't. Because of her lack of foresight, it felt like she had less stamina than she did in her old world. Maybe being reincarnated in this world really had made her a little too lax. And no one can blame her really. She had not had to worry about any life-or-death situations until this very moment, and once again her annoyance for the red mark rose.

Stupid tattoo!

Well, she could worry and make up for that later. Right now she needed to focus all her energy into destroying this monster. She was intentionally leading it to where she heard the sound of running water- because running water must mean there's a river nearby. Depending on how deep the river is, she could probably make some sorta of use of it.

She had given the monster the slip after zigzagging through some trees. She had no need to call her Shun Shun Rikka back for one measly skeletal monster. It didn't even look all that strong. She had stopped running- as wildly running would cause too much noise and give herself away- and simply walked around as silently as she could, stealthily looking around for the river- listening to the sound of running water becoming closer and closer.

If that monster was really made out of bones- human or animal bone- it doesn't matter which- then- naturally- it should be denser than water. Depending on the size of the river, it would either drown or slow it down enough for her to make a decisive blow to it.

Many people would wonder why she won't just recall Tsubaki, and finish it off with a single Koten Zanshun? She had often wondered why herself. In truth, there was a small theory she wanted to test. Was magic immune to the workings of the mundane? Or are they affected by earthly matters? In essence, could mundane be effective against magical monsters? If not to kill them, but to slow, distract, and hinder them? In other words, she wanted to find out if the mundane and the magical were strictly two seperate planes of existence- like Soul Reapers and humans? That was the theory she wanted to test out. If yes, then it'd give her a whole new slew of ideas and arsenals to use without being overly reliant on magic or her Shun Shun Rikka. A whole new level of options would be laid out for her in dealing with threats like this!

At last, Orihime had arrived at the river. Initially- she had been amazed that there really was a river- but she could save her excitement for that later. She quickly ducked under and hid behind a bark of a tree, digging through her beige tote bag for anything she could use. She frowned when she realized there was absolutely nothing she could use as a makeshift weapon. Her head dipped in disappointment. She really has been a little too lax, hasn't she? All she really had was a pen and some notepads, some empty plastic bags- which obviously had leftover crumbs from the snacks she ate during her lunch break at work- her wallet, her pink handkerchief, some bandages for small cuts, her phone charger, and a small makeup kit- not like she had used for it, being something that Namani forced her to get because- to quote in her brown-haired friend's own words- every women needed a emergence makeup kit on hand at all times. The makeup kit itself didn't have much in it anyway. Just some lip gloss, foundation, and a mini mirror. And she never used any of it! She had no need to! She was what- Namani had jealousy called her- a natural beauty.

Another dejected sigh escaped past her lips. None of these things could be useful weapons. She shook her vigorously. This was no time to regret her negligence now. She has to think!

Now what could she do with these items laid out in her bag? Not to mention, there's the river, trees, and the terrain to consider in her next move. If she could distract the monster long enough, she could land a decisive blow and kill it.

Then an idea struck her! A metaphorical light bulb clicked on over her head.

She hurriedly grabbed her mini mirror from her bag. Once the mirror was out the bag and in her hands, her gray orbs scanned for a suitable place to put. Something that can obscure it from a person's field of vision, if they aren't looking close enough. The darkness of the forest would help to her advantage too. She always needed for the spot to be close enough to the river. Eventually, she found it and precariously placed the mirror underneath some stray bushes near some bedrock. Taking out her phone charger next, she walked a few feet away from where she placed the mirror. She tied the cord around a couple of tree roots from two separate trees that were no more than about a feet or two apart. Yeah, she really gonna need to buy a new charger after this. Good thing it was black. It helped blend it into the darkness. Finally, she needed a way for the mirror to grab the monster's attention. And that was by… putting her phone between some tree roots, and turning on the flash. Her phone was placed in a way that kept it hidden from eyesight. Someone would only know it was there because of her phone light being on, and that very same light was reflected against the mirror hidden under the bushes.

At last, Orihime did the only thing she had to do left. She climbed up some trees, and simply waited for her opportunity to strike. She broke off a sturdy-looking tree branch and waited- waiting for the monster to fall for this… haphazard trap of hers. This was really a flimsy plan. A plan full of holes. But… She was hoping to use the monster's lack of human reasoning against it.

When the rustling of the leaves suddenly became louder and fiercer, she braced herself. The skeletal creature must've spotted the light reflected off the mirror. No doubt about that. By rustling of the foliage, its movements were becoming frantic.

The monster emerged from the trees and bushes with a mighty roar. It blindly changed forward at the bushes where the light of the mirror was coming from, only for its back legs to trip and cause it to stumble and crash into the river with a loud splash. Water sprayed everywhere. A curtain of waterfall momentarily obstructed Orihime's view of the monster. Though- once she had a clear visual of the monster- she leapt at the skeletal monster with all her might and swung at it with the tree branch, making sure to pour mana into it.

The skeletal creature didn't have time to react, or- rather- the river had managed to slow it down because its body was just too heavy in the water just Orihime had hoped. With a powerful smash from the branch, the monster was scattered into tiny bone fragments and disintegrated. A panting Orihime dropped the half-broken tree branch into the depths of the water below. She trudged out of the water and collapsed on the edge- now that all her adrenaline was gone.

She laid there for a few seconds, attempting to catch her breath- ignoring how soaked everything beneath her shins were. More inexperienced people would be cheering in victory, but the auburn-haired woman knew she was done yet. She had to get back to Blueberry. Blueberry was for her to return.

Darn it. Was she rusty. This was just a reminder that she needed to resume her training regime. Perhaps increase it. She has become too carefree as of late. Everything she has done now was due to muscle memory and years of experience.

After 5 more minutes, Orihime rolled off the ground and climbed back on her feet. It took her another 2 - 3 minutes to gather up her belongings. All of them seemed to be fine and in working order, except for her charger. The black outer layer of the cord was stretched out, frayed, and damaged, revealing the red and yellow circuits underneath. She sighed heavily. Of course. It was obviously busted. She was definitely gonna have to buy a new charger first thing tomorrow morning.

She had no time to lament on it now. She needed to get back to Blueberry. Make sure she's alright and as she waited for her owner to return to her.

The auburn-haired woman did her absolute best to retrace her steps, circling and maneuvering around the trees. After about 6 minutes, she could hear the happy yips coming from Blueberry. The minute Orihime stepped out of the bushes, she was nearly tackled to the ground by Blueberry. Nearly, but she managed to keep her balance. She steadied Blueberry in her arms as the border collie happily licked her face.

"I'm fine, Blueberry. I'm fine," Orihime giggled, her voice coming out in a reassuring whisper. She put her dog gently on the ground, her face turning grim with determination. There was no time for a happy reunion with her dog. There was someone who was severely injured, and- therefore- needed her help to heal her.

Orihime jogged and knelt down next to the magenta-haired woman. Her hands glowed with a yellowish-golden light, and she began the healing process. She began applying first-aid treatment, doing her best to stop the bleed and heal the less serious injuries. She knew without her Soten Kisshun she wouldn't be able to completely heal this woman. But if she could keep her out of death's doors, then it'd be enough. Afterwards, she'd take the woman to the abandoned building and leave her there. It's better than leaving her out here in the wilderness.

There was the idea of taking her back to her place. Though it was an incredibly stupid idea to have a magus in her apartment. First of all, there was no guarantee the woman wouldn't jump and attack her the minute she woke up. And- second- if she does, the auburn-haired woman would have no choice but to defend herself with her Shun Shun Rikka powers- and that would prove… detrimental to her later down the line. She has worked so hard to keep her powers a secret. She would like for it to stay that way a little longer.

At her core, she was kind-hearted and compassionate. It's always been that way. But she was not stupid.

Once most of the healing was done- the lacerations on the woman's arms were mostly healed up, and the hole in her chest and the gash on her right upper arm had stopped bleeding- she proceeded to lift the woman up- ignoring how slightly heavy she was- and carry the woman on her back. The unconscious woman proved to be slightly taller than her- 5 - 6 inches taller perhaps- and thus weighed more than her. Still, she wasn't so heavy that she could not move. She could even run at full speed without being hindered too much, if she wasn't somewhat exhausted from taking out that skeletal monster.

Orihime continued on her trek to the building, Blueberry loyally following after her. Her forehead was matted with sweat and she was panting very slightly, but it was nothing of concern. She had wondered how much further the building was, and how much longer it would take to get there. Did she make a wrong turn? She hoped not.

She froze when she heard the sound of the trees rustling and the atmosphere became tense with an ominous presence. She exhaled a deep breath of sheer annoyance, daring to continue forward. Blueberry was tense as well, her ears alert as her eyes cautiously darted around. She didn't have to look to know that there was another one of those monsters lurking around. Its presence was exactly identical to the first skeletal creature she destroyed. However- she did not feel the presence of one more monster- but dozens of skeletal monsters. Were they here to avenge the death of their comrade? Or was someone else controlling them like puppets? Either way, she didn't have to sit here and contemplate on it. She had to hurry to that building! Fighting all those monsters in an open area like this would be a bad idea. Especially in the dark.

She knew this would happen. Just her luck.

Luckily for her, she finally found the building she was looking for. The building was big- two stories tall to be exact. The building appeared to be an old-style Japanese house. There were holes on the walls and they were chipped in various places. The greenery that surrounded it was overgrown, covering the bottom part of the house.

She did not have any more time to expect the building as the three skeletal monsters decided to make themselves known. The auburn-haired girl wasted no time and rushed inside the building- no house. She was thankful that it was unlocked and urged Blueberry to come inside, closing the door behind the border collie once she did. She knew that the door won't stop the creatures, but- hopefully- it would slow them down just a bit.

Or so she thought.

More skeletal monsters emerged from the broken windows. She clicked her tongue, a bead of trepidation rolling down the side of her face. "C'mon, Blueberry!" She rushed up the stairs, and headed into one of the rooms nearest to her. She had no time to pay attention to what was inside the room. She tenderedly discarded the woman onto the floor and closed the door. She would have considered locking it- if it had a lock- but her mind was pretty occupied at the moment. Her body was filled with anxiety and adrenaline. Oh, well. She highly doubted the monsters have the brains to twist the knob open. Though, they probably just bust the door down. In that case, locking it would've been useless anyway.

Orihime hurried into another room. The room was fairly empty except for what appears to be a bed and presumingly an empty drawer. However, what caught her attention was the Magic Circle carved in the center of it. She quickly shook her head. She had no time to marvel at it now. Hearing the monsters' roars, urged her that she needed to hurry up and look for a weapon to defend herself, Blueberry, and that injured and unconscious woman.

She checked the drawers, only to discover- to no surprise- that they were empty- much to her chagrin. She had considered breaking the bed's headboard, but what use would cotton be against skeletal monsters? Only would it most likely prove ineffective, but the noise from the damage may lead the monster straight to her- to them. That was not a risk she was willing to take.

The banging on the door only reinforced that her time was limited. Very limited. She was seriously thinking recalling her Shun Shun Rikka would not be a bad idea after all. But how long would it take until Tsubaki, Shun'o, and the others get here? She did not have to dwell on it. She would just have to hold them off until they do.

The banging on the door got louder and it was beginning to splinter. Seriously? What was she in? Some sorta zombie apocalypse? But replacing zombies with skeletal creatures? Blueberry was barking aggressively. She should have left her with the knocked woman. Man, she really was not thinking clearly enough. She's rusty. So rusty.

The door was gonna cave in and break down any side. So- knowing that- the auburn-haired woman grabbed Blueberry, and leapt out the window. She did not check how far up she was from the ground. She tuckered the border collie, so only she would take the brunt force of the jump. She could only hope that the fall was not enough to kill her or injure her too badly. She did not have her Santen Kesshun to cushion her landing.

Unbeknownst to Orihime though, the Magic Circle began to glow slightly.

Orihime landed on her back. Hard. The air immediately and violently released from her lungs, and she groaned in pain. Okay, maybe jumping out the window was not… the greatest of ideas. But- at least- she was alive. She was somewhat heavily bruised, but it didn't feel like she broke anything. Luckily. She took a moment or two to regain her bearings, hearing her dog whimper with worry and licking her face in concern.

She recovered enough to roll back onto her feet, and she glanced around. None of those skeletal creatures appeared to be around. This would be the ideal opportunity to make a break for it. But she would be leaving that injured woman unguarded and unprotected. Magus or not, she was still an innocent bystander. Yeah, no way she could do that. On the other hand, she could fight the creatures off either. Although, she already called Tsubaki and the others back. She just needed somewhere to lay low and hide until her Shun Shun Rikka returned to her.

Out of the corner of her gray orbs, Orihime noticed a shadow looming over her. Time almost seemed to come to a standstill. Everything seemed to be moving slowly. Agonizingly slow. The bone-like dagger was menacingly getting closer to her by the second.

She has never cursed the red mark on her right hand more than she did now.

She really, really, really, really, really has gotten rusty, careless, and way too lax lately. A decade of inactivity- without worrying about Hollow threats anymore- has dulled her sense of fighting and combat. If she somehow survived this, she would make sure to carry a weapon with her at all times from now on.

Then a piercing cry resounded through the area, and blood splattered everywhere. Orihime could only stare in shocked horror as Blueberry took the brunt of the attack meant for her. She stared in terrified dismay as the dagger violently ripped from her dog's body, her dog's blood splattering onto her face and clothes. Blueberry landed on her lap, unconscious and breathing harshly. Her face was scrunched up in pain.

A few moments went by, the auburn-haired woman did not know if she let out a short scream or not. All she cared about was holding her severely wounded dog in her arms, cradling her close. Her gray eyes were burning as tears threatened to spill from them. She ignored the intense burning sensation coming from her right hand.

She had to heal her! She had to hurry and stop the bleeding! Otherwise, Blueberry would die! She needed to find a way to escape, so she could heal her dying dog!

Just as those frantic thoughts entered her mind, a red and black blur flew through her vision. She could simply watch in stunned surprise as he quickly destroyed the skeletal monsters with a few swipes from his sword in a matter of seconds.

Finally, the man turned around and faced her, and she got a good look at his features. And let her say this… Ichigo had always and would always be the only man she had ever loved. The only man for her. That said… She was not oblivious to the attractiveness of other men, and this man was handsome. No doubt about that. The silvery glowing light from the half-crescent moon that illuminated him just added to his handsome-ness. He was tall- a couple inches taller than her ex-husband by the looks of it. He had slicked back, white hair, and his skin was almost a bronze tan color. He was incredibly muscular and broad-shouldered. He wore what seemed to be some type of skin-tight, black body armor and a red cloak of some kind. His feet were adorned with a pair of steel-toed boots.

However, what stunned her the most was that she could feel the sheer power radiating off of him. She has not felt this level of power in such a long time. It was almost at the same power level as a 3rd seat Soul Reaper or a Lieutenant- perhaps even an Arrancar. He gave off the powerful aura of years of combat experience. Whatever the case, he was strong. No doubt about that. Especially with the way he effortlessly dispatched those monsters.

She's got to be careful with him.

The auburn-haired woman did not miss the way his steel-gray eyes slightly widened in shock or surprise when he spotted her. Then he seemed to have regained his composure, and his lips curled up into an irritating smirk.

"I had wondered what kinda moron would summon a useless Servant like me. And in a place like this," he said, his tone coming off mocking and sarcastic. His voice sounded deep, almost smooth and gruff.

"Eh?" Pardon her for staring dumbfounded, but she was greatly confused at the moment. What the heck was going on?

The man sighed. Whether it was from annoyance and disappointment, she wasn't sure.

"Are you just gonna stare at me like an idiot all day?" Another sigh escaped from him. "Let's just make things clear already. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

The gears in Orihime's head turned as she took a cautious step back, holding Blueberry protectively. She's gotta be careful with how she answers that. If this guy was a magus, then she should definitely watch her step. One wrong word or answer, and he might attack her. She could not afford to put Blueberry into any more danger.

After a moment of silence and hesitation, she finally answered with an uncertain "Yes?"

The man smirked, completely satisfied. Guess she made the right answer. She would let out a tiny, tiny breath of relief, but not yet. She needed to get out of here first. Her moment of respite could wait until she gets home- back to her apartment.

A roar and more of those skeletal monsters made themselves known. They surrounded them as they stalked towards them, weapons poised- ready to strike at any moment.

"So Master? What are your orders?"

Okay, she was really confused. Master? Orders? Was this man into dominatrix women or something? She doesn't know what this "Master" nonsense was about, but she better play along. Who knows what he'd do, if she doesn't. Getting Blueberry to safety now was her top priority.

"I don't know who you are, but could you kill all these annoying monsters?" she asked in a serious tone. "I need to get Blueberry to safety."

He stared at her for a few seconds before complying, "Understood, Master."

With his hand gripping tightly on his black sword, he charged forward. Orihime watched in amazement as ripped through the skeletal creatures like shredded cheese. With this opportunity presented to her, she made a run for it. Though there was one thing she made sure not to forget.

"Oh- and hey- there's an injured woman here as well. Try to keep her safe, okay?" she yelled out behind her as she disappeared into the woods. She wasn't sure if she should put her trust into a man she just met. But- right now- she had no choice. She does not know if the red-cloaked man heard or was willing to oblige by her request- however- she could only hope.

---

It took Orihime a total of 45 minutes before she made it back to her apartment. She had used her healing powers to somewhat Blueberry's bleeding, but the wound has not fully closed yet. In her panicked rush, she fumbled with the key until she finally managed to open the door. Without wasting any more time, she dropped her beige tote bag onto the floor, locked the door, and hurried into the bathroom.

Her bathroom was really anything grand or extravagant. It was just an ordinary bathroom with a customary sink, toilet, and bathtub. Most of the bathroom- from the walls and tiled floor to the bathtub, sink, and toilet- were painted in a pearly-white color. There were pink, fluffy-looking carpets in front of the sink and the bathtub. The bathtub was medium-sized, only able to fit one grown adult person at a time. There was a light brown cabinet under the sink along with a moderately-sized wall cabinet of the same color at the left of the sink. The bathtub was at the right side of the bathroom, and was hidden behind a yellow, floral-printed shower curtain. Orihime's bathroom essentials- her soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and other things- were on top of the sink's counter. The toilet was nestled between the sink and bathtub. The toilet paper dispenser was on the wall of the sink on the toilet's left, and was filled with a roll of toilet paper. Lastly, the sink's facet was a golden-yellow color, and there was a large, black-rimmed mirror above it.

Orihime set Blueberry down in the tub, and quickly got to work. She grabbed the medium-sized, red bucket from the corner, and filled it with cool- but not too cold- water. She carefully lifted the bucket over to the tub and set it down. Using an even smaller, black, oval-shaped bucket, she dipped it into the bucket of cool water until a generous amount was collected.

She gently and slowly poured the water over Blueberry's wound, the water dripping down in a trinkle waterfall. She was using the wash away the blood, dirt, debris. She had to make sure nothing got into the wound to lower the risk of infection. The border collie whimpered painfully, but was too hurt to move.

"Shh~. It's gonna be okay, Blueberry," she smoothly whispered to her dog calmly and reassuringly. Until Shun'o and Ayame arrived and she could perform Soten Kisshun on Blueberry, the best she could offer her was first-aid treatment until then.

However, she didn't have to wait long before her Shun Shun Rikka came back to her in a flash of golden-yellow light. She smiled gratefully. Guess she wouldn't need to get out her dog first-aid kit after all. Yeah, she had two first-aid kits. One for humans and one for her dog. They were both inside the wall cabinet.

The auburn-haired woman didn't waste a second as she enveloped Blueberry in the golden-yellow dome of her Soten Kisshun. Blueberry's wounds were completely healed in less than a few minutes, and Orihime couldn't be any more happier.

"Thanks, guys!" she mentally thanked Shun'o and the others as the dome dissipated. Blueberry was still sleeping, but she wasn't in any pain anymore. She gently lifted her up and carried to her room. Tonight, the border collie was sleeping in her room. She'd be able to sleep easier that way.

After taking Blueberry's bed into her room, she gently placed her down onto it. With her adrenaline gone and fatigue catching, Orihime collapsed onto her bed. She had already changed out of her blood-stained clothes, and switched them out for a simple long, white T-shirt that reached below her thighs. She was so hungry. But- more than that- she was so tired. So incredibly tired. Today was so annoyingly tiring.

It was already almost 11, judging by her clock on the top of the small desk by her bed. She was too exhausted to cook a late dinner, so she would have to merely settle for cooking a large breakfast for herself tomorrow morning.

That was Orihime's last thoughts before she drifted off to dreamland.

---

Orihime groggily woke up by the sound of Blueberry's incessant barking. "What is it, girl? I'm trying to sleep," she moaned in complaint. The border collie was restlessly pacing around the room, or- to be more accurate- in front of the door. "You wanna go potty? Is that it?"

She sighed good-naturedly, and opened the door to the room. Her border collie instantly dashed out of her room, almost surprising her. She had never seen her run that fast. She must really need to use the bathroom. Guess she'd use this opportunity to grab a quick snack while her dog does her business, the auburn-haired woman thought as she headed into the living room.

However, the sight that greeted her in the living room was not one she was expecting. Everything seemed to be in order- however- there was something or someone who wasn't supposed to be there. He was propped up on her couch casually, arms hanging over the couch, and one leg over the other. He gave off the air of cool nonchalance.

He seemed to have noticed her presence as he cracked an open and smirked at her. Although his expression twisted into one of shock, and his tanned cheeks were dusted a light pink color.

Orihime- for her part- merely froze. She could not hear the man's voice. She could not hear Blueberry angrily barking at the man. She could not hear anything. She blanked out on everything. Her brain was rewiring itself to the surreal scene before her.

There was a person- she does not remember inviting in- in her living. There was a stranger she did not recognize on her couch. There was a guy who broke into a house. A person she does not know under the same roof as her, merely sitting a few feet away.

The gears in her head were ticking slowly.

1…

2…

3…!

An… intruder!

With that, Orihime snapped and she reacted very, very violently. So violently- in fact- that- in mere seconds- she grabbed a knife from her kitchen, and was already upon the strange, white-haired man. The blade was aimed at his neck, but he managed to hold her off by grabbing her wrist and keeping her from delivering a mortal wound to his neck.

"Who are you?" Orihime growled undeterred. "What are you doing in my apartment? How'd you get in?"

"That's the first thing you say to me after you attack me," he casually spoke, completely unfazed by the blade gleaming over him menacingly. "Well, well, well. It seems I've gotten myself quite a Master."

That only irked her more as he seemed to be dodging her question.

"After last night, I never expected to be greeted by this kinda welcome, Master."

The auburn-haired woman paused for a second, blinking a few times.

Last night?

In a flash, everything that happened last night came to her. From her and Blueberry being chased by that skeletal monster to them finding that injured, unconscious woman on the forest floor. She remembered beating that monster with a quickly laid trap. Afterwards, she ran and carried that woman to the abandoned house because more monsters were coming after her to avenge the loss of their friend. They ended up trapped. Blueberry got severely hurt protecting her. And this… man came out of nowhere and saved them.

Now she remembered! It was all coming back to her!

Orihime realized what she was doing to Blueberry's savior, and- with a sheepish blush- slowly climbed off of him. It was only after that, that she also noticed her state of undress. She was only in a white T-shirt and panties. She had no time to put on proper pants or shorts because the events of last night completely drained her of everything.

Her face flushed even redder out of sheer mortification.

Then she realized the person before her was a… guy! And just saw her- and still seeing her- in her underwear!

Now her entire face was red from embarrassment and anger. Anger more at herself than at the man before. She was not into that "pervert revenge mode" routine. She should have noticed her state of dress before leaving the room. She mentally kicked herself for that. But how was she supposed to know that this… guy- or whoever he is- would break into her apartment? Then again… not like he noticed her state of dress beforehand either. And not like he had time to comment before she attacked him, thinking he was a burglar- technically speaking, he was an intruder.

Orihime held the knife up in his direction threateningly. "Don't. Say. A. Word," she hissed. The man simply crossed his arms and smirked at her in amusement, and she didn't know why- but… it kinda annoyed her.

After a few minutes, the auburn-haired woman came back from her room- now sporting a pair of yellow shorts. Blueberry was still on the floor, growling at the white-haired man- which he promptly ignored.

Gray orbs looked at him expectantly. "Now… What are you doing in my apartment?" she repeated the question from earlier.

He finally answered her, but it was certainly not the answer she was expecting.

"I have come in response to your summoning. I am the Servant, Archer, and you are my Master."

After a few moments of stupefied silence went by, the only response he received was a flat, "What?"

---

(A/N: Finally! Chapter five complete! Okay. I think I made the right choice. Cutting off the last chapter the way I did. I've forgotten how long fight/action scenes can be. At last! EMIYA has finally been summoned! Yay! And I know people are gonna complain about needing a catalyst and all that jazz. But listen, you don't have to have a catalyst to summon a Servant. And "willing suspension of disbelief", okay? And besides, I couldn't figure out any other way to summon Archer. Plus, catalysts become a thing of the past in later Fate installments. What I'm trying to say is… Forget the catalyst! EMIYA is here, okay? Who needs Rin's stupid pendant anyway? As long as Orihime does her summoning before Rin does- it should be good- right?

However, I should warn you guys… Now that Archer has finally been summoned, chapter updates may be slower and slower- as the prologue comes closer to its end. As once the Holy Grail War starts, updates may be very slow. I also feel like people get tired of me asking questions, but I just want to make things clear before the prologue ends. It's hard to keep track of Fate inconsistencies. I should also note that not all the Servants are summoned yet. So the Grail War hasn't officially started yet. This is still the prologue arc.

It's official. I absolutely can't stand Shirou. I know, I know. More Shirou hate rant, but I simply can't stand Shirou. I know people have advised me to read the visual novel- and I have on YouTube [specifically the first half of the Fate route along with some other scenes from other routes and some Bad Endings]- stating that he's a very likeable character in the visual novel [the anime not doing him any justice because of the absence of inner monologues]... but I simply can't stand Shirou on a fundamental level. Hmm, I honestly think my dislike of Shirou is similar to Shirou's dislike of EMIYA [if he thinks EMIYA is bad, wonder how he'd react to EMIYA Alter?]. No matter how hard you try, you can never like the person [and I tried really hard]. You can tolerate them, but liking them is a whole nother thing altogether. Moreover, Shirou must really hate himself, huh? Not only does he loathe Archer, but he also mocks his past, middle school self. He also dislikes Kirei [but who wouldn't hate the guy?]. I'm kinda starting to think that Shirou hates anyone who is "empty". Since his whole shtick is projecting himself onto other people, I can see why. Kinda hard for him to project himself onto someone who is "empty". But don't worry, I won't let my Shirou hate affect how he's typically written. There would be no negative Shirou bias or Shirou-bashing in this story. This is just my opinion as reviewer of the Fate/stay night series, not as a writer.

And let's face it… People don't like Shirou for Shirou. They like Shirou for EMIYA. Or the possibilities of what kinda Heroic Spirit he would end up as once he dies. Like would he end up like EMIYA or EMIYA Alter or someone else entirely? I always had this headcanon that UBW-Shirou ended up as Nameless [Archer- a version of Archer who fulfilled his wish to become a "Hero of Justice'' without any regrets by completely sacrificing his sense of self] from Fate/Extra. And it's heavily implied that the Shirou from the "Mind of Steel" Bad Ending became EMIYA Alter. Though- I should stress- that I do realize why people like Shirou Emiya [not just Shirou EMIYA, mind you]. I'm simply saying… that… for the life of me… I can't find it in myself to like Shirou Emiya [Shirou EMIYA- on the other hand- is awesome]. The most I can do is just tolerate Shirou. Sorry, Shirou Emiya fans. I know you tried to get me to like him by trying to make me read/play the visual novel or sending me Shirou Emiya posts to explain his character and all that jazz, but I-I still don't like him. Sorry, but it's as simple as that.

I think I might do my own route with a hint of/elements taken from Unlimited Blade Works and probably some Heaven's Feel [not sure of the latter part yet]. UBW because that's the route I've seen the most, and H'SF because I feel like that's the route Shirou takes his dreams the most seriously [and I would be damned if I have to revisit the Fate route again by re-watching 2006 Fate/stay night]. Like he actually goes through the moral dilemma of what it truly means to be a "Hero of Justice". Because in other routes people do warn him about it, but- to Shirou- it sounds like "You are just being too much of a Negative Nancy. Let me do what I want to do." Hearing these warnings is way different from experiencing them. It's like when your parents warn you not to do something, it just goes through one ear and out the other because you think they are just being too cynical and negative and maybe a bit paranoid. I know in Unlimited Blade Works Archer tries to give Shirou a nihilistic speech about why Shirou sucks and why being a hero sucks, but let's be real… This is just a guy who is ranting about how bitter being a "hero" made him, taking out his anger, frustration, despair, and grief out on a kid [and- retrospectively- himself]. And this is how said kid responded back… "You don't know what you are talking about. You are just a stupid, cynical, mean adult." I know the Shirou vs Archer fight is all about ideals vs ideals, but seriously it came off as more of a pride vs pride dispute [then again people can take pride in their respective ideologies- perhaps too much pride]. All Archer cared about was being right, and all Shirou cared about was being right. There was no middle ground at all. It was a nihilistic, cynical asshole [sorry, Archer] vs a spoiled brat. Heaven's Feel is the darkest route, but it's also the only route where Shirou truly experiences what it means to be a "Hero of Justice". And I like that. I like it when characters' ideals and morality are severely challenged- which is why I enjoyed the Naruto vs Pain fight so much. It gives characters a moment and/or an arc to truly sit down and evaluate what their ideals and dreams would entail. To sincerely look at the good and bad that comes with such a dream, how they would go about such a personal dilemma, and are they really ready for it [which Heaven's Feel shows that- no, Shirou is not. He is just talking out of his ass- merely to prove he and his father were right].

And I know, I know people [especially hard-core Fate fans] are gonna get on my case on how the Shirou vs Archer fight is more than that, way more than that- giving me long, philosophical speeches and deconstructing the fight… And look…! It's not that I don't understand the importance of the fight. I was merely given off my first impressions of the fight during my first watch through. And… a lot of people's first impressions of the Archer vs Shirou fight were no different from mine. So it makes me kinda relieved that I am not alone in regards to this opinion of the Archer vs Shirou conflict.

Although- I have seen some clips of FGO- and EMIYA always gets uncomfortable and embarrassed whenever the Shirou vs Archer fight from Unlimited Blade Works is brought up. I don't know if his reaction is because he regrets it, or if it's a source of mortification because he is reminded of his younger, past self [someone he absolutely loathes]. Either way, he treats it like an embarrassing childhood story he doesn't want to relive. It's just so… freaking… adorable~!

I have been debating this for a while, and… decided not to use the "Archer has been through the Fifth Holy Grail War multiple times, and remembers all the iterations of it" trope. First of all, it makes no sense. How can Archer remember all the Grail Wars he participated in when it's been established that Servants don't remember the previous Grail Wars after it's over? The reason why Saber recalls the Fourth Holy Grail War is because her circumstances are different [I think she's still- technically- alive or something in Fate/stay night- although- in Fate/Grand Order- she's officially dead]. If Archer truly does remember past Grail Wars, then why doesn't Saber remember other iterations of the Fifth one? Plus, how can Archer be re-summoned over and over when he gave Rin's pendant back? What? Did he break into Rin or Shirou's house to steal the pendant in the hopes of being summoned again in a different timeline of the Fifth Holy Grail War? The only reason I was considering having Archer recall the numerous Fifth Wars he's been through was because I thought it was canon, but I've come to realize it's just a fanon trope that lots of Fate fanfic authors like to use [perhaps some have mistaken it as canon because the trope has just been used that many times to justify the misconception]. So… if Archer does make any references to a past Fifth Holy Grail War, it'll be his own Fifth War. You know? The one he survived and won with his Saber back when he was alive? That's all really. Though I suspect that Archer would be surprised that he was summoned by Orihime and not Rin, if only because he is still carrying Rin's pendant and thought Rin would accidentally summon him- expecting a Saber. But if I do need to be corrected on this opinion, do tell me. Whether Archer remembers other Fifth Grail Wars or does not remember them really doesn't have any effect on the story- other then Archer [maybe- if he does remember it] comparing Rin and Orihime as Masters [since he now has experience with 2 different Masters with 2 different iterations of the Fifth Holy Grail War]. Not really any merit to it. I'm just going with whatever is canon. And what is canon is that EMIYA doesn't remember other Fifth Grail Wars, other than his own back when he was alive [as Shirou Emiya].

This is the new Servant Sheet…

Class: Archer

True Name: EMIYA

Master: Orihime Nazuki

Alignment: True Neutral

Master's Alignment: Neutral Good

Strength: C

Endurance: C

Agility: C

Mana: A

Luck: B

NP: ?

Magic Resistance: C

Independent Action: A

Clairvoyance: C

Mind's Eye [True]: B

Magecraft: C

Projection Magecraft: C - conditionally A

I think these are the stats I am going with. Someone was nice enough to correct me on it. I had no idea what "moderations" or whatever means. I was just going with my own experiences of RPGs and school rating systems. Like - for example- B = 85. Yet B- must be more than C+. So B- C+, but B- B. In other words, if B = 85 then B- 79, but 85. Does that make sense? Or if B+ B, but A-, then B+ falls into the 90 B+, but B+ 85 range. *shrugs shoulders sheepishly* I don't know. I really don't know what I was doing. That was my thought process. I would also like to say that I didn't even know that Servants had stats in the first place. I knew that they had special abilities, but that's all. I didn't know about the whole stat thing until after I started reading other Fate fanfics. And even then I thought they were typical Gamer fanfictions. You guys should know that trope, if you know what I'm talking about. I didn't truly know about stats until I started reading the Fate wiki, and my first impression was "Wait! Servants have stats?". This is yet another thing the anime completely dismisses or fails to elaborate on. *sighs* Guess it's another visual novel only thing. Of course other Fate games have stats as well.

But I do think I sincerely like these new stats better than the old ones. I think these are the stats I'm going with. If there are no further complaints, then these are gonna be EMIYA's stats for the rest of the story. These stats would be permanent.

Can someone please tell me and explain to me what a Master's abilities are? You know, besides providing their Servants with mana? Thank you. And be civil.

Thanks for reading the chapter, and leaving any comments or questions in a review would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. Just so you guys know… prologue chapters won't be super long like this one again. At least… I don't think they would. Just think of this chapter as an hour long special or something.

P.P.S I wonder if I should cut Orihime's hair? What do you guys think? Been debating on this for awhile.

P.P.P.S Why did the 1st opening of Blood+ pop in my head while I was writing this? Been so, so long since I've seen that anime.

P.P.P.P.S. Thanks to someone's recommendation, I decided to give Orihime 75 Magic Circuits.)