Fate-Stay Night: Precognitive Realization

by SilverMan42

This is the story of a boy named Yuzuru Shindou, an ordinary young man who had gotten himself into the battling ritual known as the Holy Grail War. What will become of him now that he has become part of this war that may result in his death? Will he be able to survive with the help of his Servant? Or will he fall into despair? (Rated M, in case sexual) (Few Tsukihime) (OCxHarem)

9. Chapter 3

I do not own Fate/Stay Night or anything related to Type-Moon whatsoever, except only the OCs of the story. Also, spoiler warning: M is in case of sexual themes and stuff. Anyway, other than that, enjoy!

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Chapter 3

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Yuzuru's POV:

Me, Tsukuda-san, Ishikawa-san, and Aimi were standing right where we were as the enemy Servant, Caster was standing, or rather crouching, right in front of us, with that creepy smile on his face, as if he looked like a clown from a horror movie wanting to scare people. The girls were armed and ready to fight while I was behind them. However, neither of them had made the first move yet. In case I needed to help, I prepared my weapon to fight as well.

Our enemy, Caster, giggled as he said with a creepy grin, "Well, well, well, well. Now, WHAT do we have here? Three little girls and one Master? Ooh, what fun! Ahahahaha!"

I looked at them for a minute, but neither of them moved an inch, and I began to worry.

"Uh…guys…" I said, "I think we-"

"No, don't!" said Aimi, as she raised her arm to stop me, before shaking her head no, signaling me to stay where I am, before looking back at the clown Servant in front of us.

"Be careful." said Tsukuda-san, readying her guns, "We have no idea what this clown Caster is capable of."

"Clown?!" said Caster, eyes widened, before he laughed out loud, as if what she said about him was funny, before he said with a wide smile while getting up from crouching, "Oh, my, dear, little, friend…I'm not just ANY sort of clown…!"

As he was getting up, we slowly but suddenly saw that behind his lower back, he had…wait, is that…are those…tails? Three of them? And they're colored in purple? Who is this guy? He's like-

"A demon!" Aimi shouted.

Without hesitating, Tsukuda-san quickly fired her guns at Caster, but Caster jumped and dodged the incoming bullet attacks before landing on a tree and said while mockingly laughing, "AHAHAHAHAHA! You missed me!"

Tsukuda-san fired her guns again at Caster, but he quickly jumped up and dodged again before landing far behind us and said while mockingly laughing again, "HAHAHAHAHA! You missed me again!"

"Goddammit!" Tsukuda-san cursed, as she kept firing at Caster, trying to hit him only for her to fail as he kept dodging every single shot that she made, trying to hit him, "Aimi, back me up here!"

"Right!" said Aimi, as she drew out her throwing knives from her straps and began throwing them at Caster.

Unfortunately, no matter how much they either shoot or throw knives at him, Caster was still moving around and dodging, even going in the strangest poses while doing so. This was getting us nowhere with this creepy guy.

"Dammit, how's he doing this?!" Tsukuda-san shouted, while still trying to shoot him down.

"I don't know!" said Aimi, while she kept throwing her knives at him, "But, we can't keep doing this! If we keep this up, we'll run out and become sitting ducks! We need to-!"

"LOOK OUT!" I yelled as I saw Caster dashing forward with a maniacal smile, opening and aiming his scissor at Aimi before I quickly rushed in and quickly intercepted his attack.

"SHINDOU-SAMA!" Aimi shouted, shocked to see what was happening and what I quickly did, "Y-You saved me!"

"Stay back!" I shouted to them, before I quickly turned back, gritted my teeth, and then I yelled as I tried to push Caster's giant scissor away from them, while Caster was laughing out loud like a maniac.

"What's the matter, Little Master?!" Caster laughed maniacally, "Is that the best you got?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Shut…your damn…mouth…you damn…dirty clown…!" I shouted while struggling to push.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Caster laughed, "I'm gonna chop you up until you drop, little boy! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Huh?!" I shouted, "The hell do you-?!"

"WATCH OUT!" Aimi shouted before she grabbed me by the back of my shirt and quickly pulled me away, just when Caster was about to use his scissor to cut me, only for him to cut my weapon in half instead. Whoa, shit! That was a close one!

I turned to Aimi and said, "Thanks for the save."

"Just returning the favor, Shindou-sama!" Aimi smiled, before she turned to Caster with a serious look, and then drew out her machetes.

We looked to see Caster as he was…licking his own scissor…with his fucking tongue?! I became disgusted by that as I said with a disgusted look, "Oh, fuck no!"

I then felt something metal, and I turned to see that there was a metal rod. It was long, about half of my size.

"Oh, good!" I said to myself, "I think I can use that as a weapon."

With that, I quickly picked up the metal rod before using my Magic Circuits to enhance it, before I got myself back up and got into a stance. I looked around to see that Tsukuda-san, Ishikawa-san, and Aimi were ready to fight as well, as they each got into their stances.

Tsukuda-san gave me a glance before looking back at Caster and said to me, "You don't have to fight with us! Just find a place to hide and let us handle this!"

"No way!" I said, "I'm not gonna run and let you girls handle this! Let me at least help out!"

"Look, we appreciate your concern, but we can't protect you while we fight!" said Ishikawa-san, "You'll only just get in the way!"

"Don't worry about us!" said Aimi, "Just worry about your safety!"

"W-Well…" I said, hesitating, "B-B-But, I-"

Suddenly, I heard some ticking noise, before I looked down and, with my eyes wide open, I saw that there were those bug-like bombs on the ground where we were standing before I quickly moved and shouted, "WATCH OUT!"

I quickly pushed them away to the side and quickly covered them before the bombs behind us exploded, causing rubbles and dirt to fly around us. I looked to see that Caster was laughing as if seeing what would've happened to us appeared to be funny.

I gritted my teeth in anger, before I growled, "Why…YOU…!"

With a yell of sheer anger, I got myself up and quickly dashed myself towards Caster, before I raised my metal rod up to strike him from above. As I landed that strike, Caster quickly blocked it, and we struggled against our weapons, with Caster giving out a creepy and laughable smile, while I was giving out an angered look as I kept trying to push my weapon to hit him.

"Is that the best you can do, little boy?!" he mockingly laughed at me, "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"BASTARD!" I yelled angrily, "I'M GETTING SICK OF YOUR FACE, I'M GETTING SICK OF YOUR LAUGHING, AND I'M GETTING SICK OF YOUR DIRTY TRICKS! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU DAMN FUCKING CLOWN!"

"Kill me?!" Caster laughed, "AHAHAHAHAHA! Boy, you can't kill me! I'm super stronger than you!"

"WELL, WE'LL JUST SEE ABOUT THAT, WON'T WE?!" I yelled angrily, as I pushed my weapon further towards him.

"Oh, don't get mad!" he laughed, "How about a little present to cheer you up! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What?!" I said, confused before I felt someone quickly pull me back, and then there was a sudden explosion on the spot where I once was before I was thrown, and I landed on my butt.

"Ow!" I shouted in pain, before I looked up to the one who pulled me, Ishikawa-san, and I shouted, "Why'd you do that for?! I had him!"

"Don't be so stupid!" Ishikawa-san shouted back, "You can't kill a Servant the way you are! Only a Servant is capable of killing another Servant!"

"W-What?!" I shouted, shocked.

"She's right!" said Aimi, as she came to heal me a bit, "The only way for us to defeat Caster is if we have another Servant on our side! No matter how many times we try, even with our magecraft, we can't kill him! All we can do is distract him!"

"No way!" I said, shocked, "So there's nothing we can do right now?!"

"Unfortunately, no!" said Aimi, "Even if we knew what to do, our efforts would be futile to Servants like Caster! Casters are very efficient with magecraft like us mages, but theirs are far much more powerful!"

"So then, we're sitting duck?!" I asked.

We then saw another bomb, and we quickly got away from it before it exploded.

"Dammit, this is getting ridiculous!" Ishikawa-san cursed, "We're getting nowhere with this!"

"Our swords and ammunitions aren't working against Caster, even with enhanced magecraft!" Tsukuda-san shouted, before shooting more bullets, "At this rate, we'll run out of ammo and knives, and we won't be able to defend ourselves!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Caster mockingly laughed, "Is that the best you kiddies can do?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"God, I hate it when he laughs!" Tsukuda-san shouted, before shooting again, "It's starting to piss me off!"

"Just who in the world is this Servant?!" Ishikawa-san shouted, before blocking Caster's scissor attack and then quickly pushed him away.

Aimi finished healing me before she said to me, "Shindou-sama, we need a Servant on our side, right now! We need Saber! Please, good sir, call Saber here to help us!"

"C-Call Saber here?!" I said, confused, "W-Wait, how do I-?!"

I then stopped for a moment, as I quickly remembered what Saber said to me before.

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Flashback: before…

"Master," said Saber, "Before I forget, I should let you know that if anything happens such as a Master or Servant attacking you, you should call upon me via the Command Seals. That way, I should be able to teleport to you to your aid without having to suffer any single problem."

"So, call you in case of an emergency…" I said with a tired smile, "Got it, I'll keep that in mind."

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Now:

Oh, that's right! My Command Seals! I can use my Command Seals to call Saber here! If I get Saber here, we'll have the advantage!

I looked up and saw that Ishikawa-san and Tsukuda-san were pushing Caster back before jumping away as bombs exploded where they came from and landed in front of us while still facing forward.

"Shindou-sama, hurry!" said Aimi, "There's not much time! Just say "by my Command Seal" and then say the commands to bring Saber here! We need Saber, now!"

"Don't just stand there like an idiot!" Tsukuda-san shouted, before firing her guns, "Hurry!"

"Uh, right!" I said, as I hurriedly removed my bandages on my left arm to reveal my Command Seals, before looking at them a bit and said, "Here goes!" Guess it's now or never!

I raised my left hand and shouted, "By my Command Seal-!"

"Uh-uh-uh!" said Caster, making me stop what I was doing, and I looked at him, "I wouldn't try doing that if I were you! See, while you little kiddies were busy playing and weren't looking, I placed a little bomb on that cutesy little silver girly's back! And the moment you use those seals to make Saber leave her side and out of her little sight, I'll ca-click on my bomb and it'll "KA-BOOM!" and it's bye-bye to your little friend! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

W-Wait, What?! Wait, did he mean...?!

I gasped before I shouted in shock, "WHAT?!"

No…no…then, that means that…oh God, no…Minna…! If I…if I bring Saber…she'll die…!

I wasn't looking as the thought and dread of what would happen was coming over me, but I could feel that the three were just as shocked as I was, and I could feel the worried gaze from Aimi as she looked at me and said worriedly, "Shindou-sama…!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Caster laughed out loud, "Looks like you kiddies are in BIIIIIG trouble now! You can't bring Saber here, and ALL of you are gonna die! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Dammit!" Tsukuda-san cursed, as she reloaded her guns, "Why didn't we see it sooner?!"

"I don't know!" Ishikawa-san growled, "The only answer I can think of how he did it is either by spiritual form or his Master did it for him at some point! Either way, that is a cowardice act that he's ever pulled!"

"Dammit!" Tsukuda-san cursed, "Now what?!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Caster laughed out loud, "Well, what're ya gonna do now, little kiddies?! You can't kill me, and you can't bring Saber to help you! You're all gonna die here unless you have a Servant to fight with you! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"RRRRRAAAAGGGHH!" Tsukuda-san screamed in rage, as she began firing at Caster again, with Ishikawa-san charging in with her sword, while I stood where I was, as my thoughts were about…what would happen to Minna.

No…what do I do…? What on earth do I do…? If I…if I use my Command Seals…and bring Saber…he'll kill her…! He'll kill Minna…! But…if I...if I don't do it…he'll…and we'll…we'll…! No…I…I have…I have to…!

I tried to get up on my feet and try to move, to try to stand and move myself to the school gates. I...I have to go to Minna! I have to go save her!

"SHINDOU-SAMA, DON'T!" I heard Aimi shout before she quickly grabbed me and then quickly moved us away before an explosion was made where we once stood. Before I could even get up and move again, Aimi quickly pinned me down on the ground while holding onto my body, locking herself onto me to stop me from moving.

"NOOO!" I screamed as I struggled to try to break free from her holding me, "LET ME GO! LET ME GO, DAMMIT! LET ME GO! I HAVE TO GO SAVE MINNA! SHE'S IN DANGER! LET ME GO! DAMMIT, AIMI, LET ME GO!"

"SHINDOU-SAMA, NO!" Aimi shouted while she continued to hold onto me, never letting go of her grip on me, even as I struggled, "SHINDOU-SAMA, LISTEN TO ME! I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU CAN'T JUST SIMPLY GO OUT THERE WITH CASTER HERE! IF YOU TRY TO LEAVE, HE'LL END UP KILLING YOU WITH THAT NOBLE PHANTASM OF HIS!"

"LET GO OF ME!" I screamed, struggling even more, "LET GO OF ME, DAMMIT! LET ME GO, NOW! PLEASE, IF I DON'T GO TO MINNA IN TIME, HE'LL KILL HER! HE'LL TAKE AWAY HER LIFE! I HAVE TO SAVE HER!"

"I KNOW THAT!" Aimi shouted, holding onto me tighter, "BUT IF YOU TRY TO GO NOW, HE'LL TAKE AWAY YOUR LIFE BEFORE HE TAKES HERS! AND IF YOU DIE, SABER DIES AS WELL, REMEMBER?!"

"I DON'T CARE, DAMMIT!" I screamed, "I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME, I HAVE TO SAVE HER! SHE'LL DIE IF I DON'T GO TO HER NOW!"

I managed to break free, but Aimi quickly grabbed both my arms and pinned me down to the ground again, before she shouted at me, "NO, DO NOT DO THIS, SHINDOU-SAMA! DON'T GO AND TRY TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOOLISHLY! IF YOU END UP GETTING KILLED IN THIS HOLY GRAIL WAR NOW, THEN YOUR SACRIFICE WILL BE FOR NOTHING! AND EVEN IF HE DIDN'T KILL HER WITH THE BOMB ON HER BACK, IF YOU DIE HERE WITHOUT EVER ACHIEVING ANYTHING, EVEN WORSE, RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER EYES, SHE'LL BECOME SADDEN—NO, WORST THAN THAT—SHE'LL DESPAIR OVER YOUR DEATH, FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE! SHE'LL LIVE ONLY IN PURE SADNESS AND MISERY, SEEING THAT THE MAN SHE LOVES HAD DIED! IF YOU DIE, SHE'LL LIVE IN SADNESS AND LONELINESS FOREVER!"

I stopped struggling and gasped in realization, as I took in all the words that she said to me, and…I thought it over what Aimi said to me. She…she was right. I…I can't die…I can't just…go out there irrationally and then…die. If I die trying to save her, then…and even with what I have, it's…it's not enough…to protect her. if I die…if I die then…then she'll…Minna will…she'll…I…I-I don't…I don't want that…I-I…I...

"Shindou-sama!" said Aimi with a serious expression, "Is that really what you want?! Do you want that to happen?! To sacrifice yourself for nothing?! Do you truly believe it's what your Minna would want?! For her to live in sadness and loneliness without you?!"

"N-NO!" I shouted before I began to cry, "No! No, it's not! I…I don't…I don't want that! I don't want to make Minna cry, and…I don't want her to feel any pain or sadness! But, I…I just…I just can't…I don't…I don't know what to do…! I want…to protect her! But I…I don't know how! I don't know…what I'm supposed to do! I…I don't-!"

Aimi quickly let go of my hands before she brought me to her embrace, as she said to me reassuringly, "It's okay, Shindou-sama! It's why we're here! We're here to help you! If you join us and fight by our side, we can help you! We'll help you protect her, just please let us help you!"

"W-What?!" I said, shocked, "B-But…but, I…I-!"

"It's okay, Shindou-sama!" said Aimi, "Just let us try to help you! You can trust us!"

"T-Trust you…?" I said, "And…you'll…help me…?"

Aimi looked at me and said, "It's not too late! You can join us now, and we can fight together in the Grail War! And I promise, we'll protect your Minna with you, and we'll keep her safe for you! So, please, Shindou-sama, just trust us!"

I looked at Aimi, eyes widened from what she said to me, to trust them. I looked into both her deep blue eyes and…I could see that in her eyes, she was telling me the truth. It was saying that…she—no, they would help me protect Minna and keep her safe. Her eyes…showed nothing but the truth. I then took a glance at Tsukuda-san and Ishikawa-san holding off Caster as much as they could, and although what they were doing wasn't getting them anywhere because of Caster moving around while laughing out loud and the bombs that were set by him were exploding randomly wherever they go, their actions were showing that they would not give up and keep fighting to protect, not just me, but people who may get caught in this war as well. I then looked back at Aimi and looked into her eyes again, but the truth in her eyes didn't falter.

Aimi then smiled gently and said, "You can trust us!"

I remained quiet for a moment, before I asked, "You're all willing…to sacrifice yourselves…for me and Minna?"

"Shindou-sama," Aimi answered, "I would truly sacrifice myself for anyone who I hold dear, even you, good sir, not just Mirai Ojou-sama, because it is my duty, not just as a maid, but as a mage. In fact, we all would. And if I was ordered to die for them, then I would."

I looked at Aimi with my eyes widened again, stunned by what she said about her and her friends. I then began to think for a moment, before I decided what I should do. I looked at Aimi with determination and said, "Alright, if it means you'll keep Minna safe…then I'm with you!"

Aimi smiled before she nodded and said, "Thank you, Shindou-sama!"

We then got up on our feet before turning to face Caster, as Tsukuda-san and Ishikawa-san were pushed back to our sides, before readying themselves to fight again. I looked at Aimi who nodded with a smile before we readied ourselves to fight as well.

"DAMMIT!" Tsukuda-san shouted, as she reloaded her guns, "If we don't have a Servant on our side right now, things could get bad for all of us!"

"What do we do?!" Aimi asked.

"I don't know!" said Ishikawa-san, "But if we don't think of something now, we'll be finished! And Yuzuru can't bring Saber here via Command Seals either! If we do so, the girl dies! And we can't escape through the front gates either, because those bombs are likely going to be there! If we tried to escape now, those bombs will activate, and we'll all die!"

"Well, we need to do something now, and fast!" Tsukuda-san shouted, "If we don't do something fast, we'll all die here, whether by this creep or those bombs!"

Dammit…! They're right…! If we don't act now, we're dead! But…I…I can't call Saber by my Command Seals! If I do, then Minna will…!

Caster looked at us with a creepy crooked smile and said with laughing, "So then, which will you choose, Saber's Master?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Dammit…! We have to do something…! But, what can we do?!

---

Assassin's POV:

I remained hidden within the shadows as I watched from within the top of the trees with the scope of my sniper to see that things were not looking very good, as I not only just watched their fight but also heard what Caster said about placing a bomb on the kid's lady friend. Dammit, why did I not see that sooner?!

"This isn't good!" I said to my Master, "Despite his appearance and the way he acts, Caster seems serious about what he said! He plans to kill the girl by activating one of the damn bombs that he placed on her, should the kid call upon his Saber via Command Seals! And the kid can't risk killing his lady friend if he uses his Command Seals! They're sitting ducks at this point!"

"Yes, I can already see that happening." said Mirai telepathically, "What Caster will do is no joke. He'll kill her if Yuzuru calls Saber. This is bad. I didn't anticipate that a Servant would be here to attack them, even in the middle of the evening when it's not even nighttime yet. What in the world is that damn Servant thinking?!"

"I don't know." I said, "But, I can at least say one thing, it's either the work of a Master, or he's doing this out of his own free will. Either way, if Caster isn't stopped, our friends are doomed, and they can't defeat Caster unless another Servant is at their side."

"I know…" said Mirai telepathically, "We need to act quickly, and save our friends and the girl before Caster can kill her…"

"Well," I said, "It's your decision, my Master. What do we do?"

---

Mirai's POV:

In my mansion, I was sitting on a couch in my grandfather's study room while I used my Mystic Eyes to foresee what we should do in the situation the others were in.

Through my eyes, I looked and saw the obvious scenarios. Firstly, if Yuzuru uses his Command Seals to call upon Saber, and if Saber leaves that girl's side, Caster will obviously use his bomb and kill her right on the spot. Secondly, if Yuzuru tries to get out of the battlefield through the school gates, all the bombs trapped there will be activated, killing him, Saber disappears, and the girl dies. Well, even if Yuzuru did manage to survive the explosion, he'd still be too late as he wouldn't be able to make it to them in time. However, if they remain where they are until their energies run out, they'll all die here, and Caster will kill the girl with his bomb.

I then began to foresee the solutions to prevent this. Through my eyes, I saw the solution as to how to stop this. If Yuzuru uses his pact with Saber to communicate with her, and if his thoughts reach Saber in time, then most likely she'll be able to stop the bomb and be able to save the girl in time before it can explode. That could work. However, the problem is Caster himself. As long as Caster's around, even if Yuzuru does try to communicate with Saber telepathically, he'll try to distract him and the others via his Noble Phantasm, or worse, he'll kill Minna before Saber could even get to her in time. As long as Caster is around and standing, he'll be able to activate his bombs at will. The only way we can prevent that…is if we take him down first. Not exactly kill him, but at least knock him out unconscious until we're able to prevent the bomb from detonating and killing the girl. But…my friends can't kill Servants, and Yuzuru can't bring Saber into the battlefield. If they had Saber, they'd be able to kill Caster easily. My friends can at least protect him, so he could communicate with Saber, but as long as Caster's around, he'll only end up distracting them, preventing Yuzuru from reaching to Saber with his thoughts. Which means that…

I looked at my Command Seals for a moment. Assassin is the only best Servant that we have, to deal with Caster.

"Well," I said to myself, "I suppose now would be a good time to intervene as any."

I then communicated to Assassin as I said, "Assassin, this is an order from your Master, Mirai Tohsaka. We need to get the boy to commune with Saber through his thoughts in order for Saber to save the girl in time. Before we do so, we must first put Caster down and knock him out before he kills her. So, right here and right now, Assassin, engage Caster!"

---

Assassin's POV:

I heard my Master's orders through her thoughts in telepathy, and I nodded and said, "Understood, Master."

I then looked at Caster who was about to throw his bomb at the kids, and I quickly got myself up and quickly aimed my sniper rifle, preparing to fire to interject it.

---

Yuzuru's POV:

We stood where we were, as Caster was about to throw another one of his bombs at us. We couldn't move to escape, as there was no telling where the other bombs were at. We were stuck.

But then, just as Caster threw his bomb, some quick shot of a fast bullet suddenly and quickly appeared out of nowhere and hit the bomb, before the bomb exploded, causing dust of smoke to blow out and forcing us to cover our faces, and holding onto our ground from that strong force. As soon as the dust cleared, a shadow quickly appeared out the trees, before the shadow revealed himself to be, and to my surprise, Assassin!

Assassin then brought out his submachine gun before firing at Caster, who quickly saw Assassin and then took quick steps away from us, as he dodged the incoming bullets that were going at him. Assassin then landed right in front of us before facing Caster as he pointed his submachine gun at him.

Caster gave out a wicked grin before he snickered and said while laughing, "Well, well, well! Look who it is! It's the Assassin-Class Servant who's now come here to play! WHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He then frowned and whined, "OHH, why did you have to spoil the fun?!"

"Sorry, devil clown." said Assassin, "But, your fun time's over. These kids are under my protection."

"Assassin!" I said, "What're you doing here?!"

Assassin turned to look at me and, even though his face was covered in bandages, I could tell he was giving out a grin, as he said, "Oh, I was just around the neighborhood, kid. Oh, and…you can move around now, yes? The bombs should be gone thanks to my intervention."

Hearing what he said, I carefully took a step forward and then noticed that nothing was happening. I then turned to the others who did the same, and they nodded to me that everything was okay. I nodded to them before I turned to Assassin and said, "Yeah, we're okay, thanks to you."

Assassin nodded and said, "Good to know. As much as I'd like to tell you "go on and go after your girl", I'd suggest you stay where you are for now. Try not to move anywhere else away from the three or go to the front gates to exit without thinking first. If you do, you'll get caught by those bombs that Caster set up there and you'll be dead."

I looked at him for a moment, taking in on what he said, before I nodded to him, signifying to him that I got what he said.

Assassin nodded back to me before turning to face Caster and said, "Now then, let's get this over with. You three, try to find a place to hide and keep the kid safe. I'll deal with Caster here. I'm going to distract him. While I do that, try to get him to communicate with Saber."

"H-Huh?" I said, confused, "C-Communicate? W-What're you-?"

I suddenly felt Aimi grab me by the hand and said, "Shindou-sama, we have to go now! Hurry!"

"H-Huh?!" I said, "But, what about-?"

"Don't worry about Assassin, just do as he says right now!" said Aimi, as she kept pulling me away, "We'll explain what he means once we're away, c'mon! Quickly!"

As Aimi pulled me away, I looked at Assassin facing against Caster one last time, before she kept pulling me until I was forced to turn away to follow.

---

Assassin's POV:

As soon as I felt that their presence was gone from behind me, I focused all my attention on Caster. Good. Now that they're out of the way, I'll have little to worry about and enough time to deal with Caster. Still…this could be…no, this is the worst possible match-up. Even if I do try to manage in a fight against this clown, that devil still has the advantage thanks to those ridiculous bombs of his. However…

I looked to my side to see my gun in my holster, my Thompson Contender. Yes. If worse comes to worst, I'll use it to disable Caster. The question is…can they work on Servants like Caster?

"HEHEHEHEHEHE!" Caster giggled before saying, "Are you sure you really wanna do that, buddy? What can a weak Servant like you possibly do anyway?"

I did not respond as I remained silent, my submachine gun, Calico M950, remained pointed at Caster, preparing to attack and fire at him should he try to attack first.

"Ooooh, a silent type!" Caster grinned wickedly, "You think you're SO tough?! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

I sighed and said, almost quietly, "Kid's right about one thing…you are a freak of a clown."

Then, without delay, I began firing my Calico, rapidly shooting out bullets aiming at Caster. As I fired, Caster began moving around, trying to get steps back away from the bullets that were rapidly being aimed at him, making my bullets only miss him. Dammit, he moves fast! I kept on firing rapidly at Caster, trying to get a shot at him, but none of it seems to be working.

Caster landed on a branch of a tree as he gave out that wide wicked smile as he said while laughing, "Now, look out for this! EHEHEHEHE!"

When he pointed, I looked at where he was pointing at, and I quickly noticed that there was a bomb set underneath me, much to my shock. Dammit!

"3, 2, 1." Caster counted, before he shouted, "BANG!"

Before the bomb could explode, I quickly and silently chanted out, "T_m_ A_t_r – D_u_l_ A_c_l_e_a_e!" Once I chanted that, everything around me went into slow motion, as I then quickly made a run for it, getting myself away from the bomb as far away as possible. When everything went back to normal motion, and as soon as I got far away enough, the bomb exploded where I once stood.

When I looked up at Caster, he had a look of surprise and confusion for a moment, before he realized what I did, and said with a creepy smile, "Ah, I see what you did there! Hahaha! Nice trick you got there!"

"Hmph." I said as I got myself back up to stand.

"But there's just one problem…!" said Caster, before he shouted happily, "THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THERE!"

"WHAT?!" I shouted, shocked before I looked down and saw there was another one, before I quickly and silently chanted again, "T_m_ A_t_r – D_u_l_ A_c_l_e_a_e!"

Everything around me went in slow motion again before I quickly moved out the way as the bomb was slowly exploding where I once stood. As soon as everything went back to normal motion, the bomb fully exploded where I once stood. I stopped myself to take a breather, before I suddenly saw another bomb in front of me, and I quickly got myself away from it as it exploded, before another appeared in front of me and I stepped away from it as it exploded again. Then, there were more bombs around wherever I tried to go, as I quickly got myself away from each and every one of them as they each exploded at a time, trying to get to me.

"Dammit…!" I cursed, "That damn clown placed bombs everywhere!"

I used my Calico to fire at the bombs that I saw were nearby, as they then exploded once my bullets had made in contact with them before I landed on the ground and quickly reloaded my weapon. I then suddenly saw Caster jump above as he threw his bomb at me before I reacted quickly and countered it with my grenade bomb. Both our bombs exploded once they made contact with each other, causing a giant explosion that then created a large smoke, covering everywhere around us. I used this smoke as cover and I hid within, to make sure Caster doesn't see me, while I moved around to find a place to hide with Caster being distracted by the smoke.

I then quickly hid around another building and stopped to take a breather, as my back was against the wall and I was panting from running too much. I looked back to see if Caster has found me yet, only to see that he was still distracted by the smoke that looks like it could clear out anytime soon, and Caster would be able to see again. And no doubt, he's going to use those bombs of his to track me down. I looked away and placed my back against the wall again, before I then silently chanted, "T_m_ A_t_r – T_i_l_ S_a_n_t_!" Once I chanted that, my heart that was racing was then slowing down before it came to a complete stop, stopping my heart rate from beating any faster and I could barely feel it myself, and my breathing becomes lag and reduced my metabolism all the way to the point where my body temperature had cooled quickly enough to almost match the cool temperature. These bug bombs don't have eyes, so if I can slow my inner time to a third and lower my pulse and respiration as far as they can go, they can't sense nor find me. As I remained where I was, those bombs that I felt were near me felt as if they couldn't find me, so they crawled away from me, giving me space. I stayed where I was until I was fully cooled down and I stopped using it.

---

Yuzuru's POV:

Me and the others were running away from the fighting that was going on between Caster and Assassin while avoiding or taking out those bombs that were coming near us as they exploded before they could get to us. We kept on going until we found the nearest storage building, before we ran inside it and quickly locked the doors before those bug bombs could get to us. We then quickly made a barricade with whatever stuff we could find inside, before checking just to make sure it was strong enough to last, even from explosions outside.

After that was done, we stepped back away from the barricaded doors before sitting down to rest our tired legs and to take a breather.

"That…that was…that was close…" I said between panting, "Hey, do…do you…do you think…that…that'll stop them…from…coming at us?"

"Yeah…but not for long." said Tsukuda-san, as she caught her breath, before she went to reload her guns, "Those damn bomb bugs will probably gather a lot more until they all explode at once, destroying this barricade—no, scratch that—they'll definitely kill us all!"

"Well, we'll need to do something!" said Ishikawa-san, "We can't just sit around and be stuck like sitting ducks! Otherwise, we're finished!"

"Yeah, but…what can we do?" I said.

"Shindou-sama," said Aimi, making me turn to look at her, "Listen, do you remember what Assassin said to you?"

"Huh?" I said, confused before I realized and said, "Uh…yeah, something about communicating with Saber. But, what did he mean by that?"

Aimi smiled and said, "Well, isn't it obvious? Use your pact with Saber!"

"H-Huh?" I said, confused, "Wait, my pact with her?"

"Well, what else is there, you stupid idiot?!" Tsukuda-san shouted, "You and Saber are connected through your pact together, remember?! And with that pact, you should also be able to communicate with each other through telepathy!"

"Communicate…through telepathy?" I said.

"Yes." said Ishikawa-san, "Masters and Servants can commune with one another through their pact together via telepathy. It is the same as to whatever you think or feel, the Servant can feel it as well from you. So, you should be able to contact Saber with your thoughts and telepathy, even if you two are far away from each other."

"Wait," I said as I realized something, "Then, that means…if I can contact Saber…by communing with her through telepathy…!"

They nodded to me before Tsukuda-san finished for me, "…then Saber will be able to get rid of that bomb off your girl before it can even kill her."

"But…how do I do that?!" I asked as I began to panic, "I'm not an expert mage like you guys are! I can't contact Saber, I-I don't know how! And even if I did know, I don't know if I could-!"

Aimi quickly approached me and placed her hands between my face, covering my ears a little, before she said with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, Shindou-sama. That's why we're here, to help and protect you. We're on the same side now, so we'll do everything we can to help."

"But, what about-?"

"No, don't focus on Caster!" Aimi made me look at her when I tried to look at the door, "Don't worry about anything! Just focus on Saber. Focus on your pact with her!"

"F-Focus…?" I said, "On…my pact…? But, how-?"

Before I could say or ask any further, Aimi placed her forehead onto mine, her hands still placed between my face, as she said to me calmly, "Just close your eyes, and think of nothing else. Clear your head and focus on your pact. Close your eyes and concentrate."

"U-Um…uh…o-okay…" I said as I did what she told me. I began to close my eyes, and once they were closed, I began to concentrate, and think about nothing but our pact.

"Just concentrate, stay focused." I heard Aimi say, "Listen and feel it. Listen to the voice of Saber, feel the connection that you have with her through your pact. Focus. Listen and feel her thoughts."

I did what Aimi told me to do, as I began to concentrate, focusing all my thoughts and feelings on Saber and our pact between us that connects the both of us. Yes. My pact with Saber…I think I can feel it. My pact with Saber, it…feels like…streaming water that was flowing through my body. It felt…amazing. So, this is what our pact is like. And…I think I can hear Saber. It's faint, but I think I can hear and feel it, even from this far away. I think can reach her!

"You can feel it, can't you?" I heard Aimi ask, which I nodded, "Good. If you can, then you should be able to contact Saber. Tell her about the situation, and you can get her to stop the bomb before it kills Minna. Do it quickly, before it explodes, and she'll die!"

"Right." I said, before I again focused all my thoughts on Saber, and tried to reach her with my thoughts, thinking, "Saber…Saber, if you-"

Suddenly, I heard some glass break, and then Tsukuda-san screaming, "SHIT! GET OUT, NOW!"

This broke my concentration and my connection to communicate with Saber as I was then suddenly being grabbed onto and pulled by Tsukuda-san, making me open my eyes in shock before I briefly saw that there was one of those bombs that came and broke in from the window, before it then exploded, destroying everything that was in the storage house.

Thankfully, though, we managed to get out and escape the building alive before the exploded bomb could get in contact with us, and we landed ourselves on the ground away from the now burning building. And as soon as we recovered from that and got ourselves back up, we turned to see the burning building that was once a storage house, before we heard loud laughter and we turned to see that it was Caster who threw the bomb at us and destroyed the building, and he was laughing at us like it was funny to him.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Caster laughed out loud, "I FOUND YOU! AHAHAHAHA! THAT WAS EAAAAASSSY!"

"DAMMIT!" Tsukuda-san shouted as she aimed her guns at him, "We were so close!"

"Well, now what?!" I shouted, "What do we do?!"

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Caster laughed, as he licked his own scissor, which was gross, before he said, "Well, what now, little kiddies?! You're all gonna die here if you don't do something! And, OOOOOHHH, is it gonna be good to see exploding blood around?! It's gonna be a blood bath! Get it?! BLOOD BATH! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"God, I hate clown!" I said disgusted.

"Tell me about it!" said Tsukuda-san, who was just as disgusted by Caster as I was, "Just looking at this guy makes me wanna puke!"

"Dammit…!" Ishikawa-san cursed, before drawing out her sword, "As long as that damn Caster's around, we won't be able to have him contact Saber!"

"We need to do something!" said Aimi, as she drew out her machetes, "We can't let Caster get to Shindou-sama or any of us any further! Otherwise, we have no chance of escaping!"

"Uh…guys?!" I said as I pointed down with my metal rod, "I don't think we'll be able to run away from here either!"

They looked at where I pointed and saw that there were more of those ticking bug bombs that were coming and crawling towards us, as if surrounding us. We then heard some more ticking behind us, and we turned and saw there were more of them coming towards us from behind. Oh, great! Now, we're literally surrounded by those damn things!

"Watch our backs!" Tsukuda-san said to me and Aimi before she and Ishikawa-san turned to face the front.

Aimi and I looked at each other before we nodded and did as told, facing the bug bombs that were behind us, with my back against Tsukuda-san's, while Aimi's on Ishikawa-san's, weapons ready.

Before we were ready to do anything, we heard some clinging on the ground, as if something was dropped, before I suddenly heard Tsukuda-san shout, "OH, SHIT! EVERYBODY, GET OUT, NOW!"

"H-Huh?!" I said, confused, as I began to turn around before suddenly, I was grabbed by the back of my shirt, and I was being pulled back, and before I knew it, everything suddenly became white.

---

Assassin's POV:

I had thrown a grenade at those bug bombs before it exploded, destroying them all at once, causing a gigantic explosion that brought everything around there with it, including the kids, which hopefully, they managed to escape from. I looked out to see that there was a huge smoke that covered everything before the smoke began to die down, and I looked to see that there was a giant crater that was made from the explosion, but I didn't see the kids anywhere. Did they get caught, or…?

"HEEEY!" I heard a boy yell, probably the kid, "PUT ME DOWN!"

Well, that answers my question. I looked to where the source of that yelling was and saw the girls and the kid made it out of that safely without a scratch, as they were standing on the roof of another building. Well, most of them. One of them, the blonde, was apparently holding onto the kid by the back of his shirt.

"PUT ME DOWN, DAMMIT!" he yelled at the blonde, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"HELL, IF I KNOW!" the blonde yelled back, "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAID THAT I HAVE THE WORST LUCK IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! IN FACT, JUST BY MY LUCK, WHEN YOU SAY THAT, YOU BIG IDIOT, YOUR EXCESSIVE STUPIDITY HURTS MY FUCKING HEAD, YOU BIG IDIOT!"

"HUH?!" the kid yelled, incredulously, "ME?! A BIG IDIOT?! FIRST, YOU TRIED TO KILL ME, NOT ONCE, AND NOT TWICE, BUT THRICE, THEN THREATEN TO KILL ME IF I DON'T JOIN YOU, THEN YOU DRAGGED ME INTO YOUR LITTLE GROUPIE, AND NOW YOU DRAG ME INTO THIS MESS AND CALLING ME A BIG IDIOT?! IF ANYTHING, YOU'RE THE BIG IDIOT HERE, YOU BIG IDIOT, YOU AND YOUR DAMN WORST LUCK, AND YOU'D CALL ME A BIG IDIOT?! WELL, THAT MAKES YOU EVEN WORST THAN A BIG IDIOT! IDIOT!"

"WHAT ARE YOU, A BRAT NOW?!" the blonde yelled at his face, "THIS IS WHY I CAN'T STAND DEALING WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU! AT LEAST PICK ONE, YOU DUMBASS NUMBSKULL!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME, BITCH?!" the kid yelled.

"OH, BITE ME, ASSSHIT!" the blonde yelled back.

"Uh, now, now, you two, just settle down!" said the maid, as she tried to calm them down.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, AIMI!" the blonde yelled, "I'M TALKING TO THIS DUMBASS HERE!"

"HEY, DON'T YELL AT AIMI!" the kid yelled, "AT LEAST SHE'S NICER AND MORE REASONABLE THAN YOU ARE!"

"OH, YEAH?!" the blonde yelled, "I BET YOU'RE JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE YOU LIKE MAIDS!"

I sighed at their 'little argument' and whispered while shaking my head, "Kids…" I then went to focus my attention on Caster, as he was standing there and looking at them in confusion. This gave me time to move out quickly, as I stepped out and shouted while pointing my Calico, "CASTER!"

Caster turned around, alerted by me calling him, before I began my rapid-fire with my Calico, aiming and shooting at Caster. Caster, however, instead of dodging them like last time, used his scissor weapon to block all of my oncoming bullet attacks, while laughing out loud with that big wicked smile on his damn face.

"What's the matter, Assassin?!" Caster shouted, while laughing, "Is that the best you can do?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, how weak you are!"

I kept on firing my Calico, as a means of distracting him, before I drew out my Thompson Contender, fully loaded with a special bullet of mine, and aimed at Caster before I pulled the trigger and I fired it at him. However, much to my shock, Caster saw the special bullet that I fired, and then he quickly dodged it in time, just before it could hit him, and the bullet only went for the destroyed storage building, hitting it, before parts of the building fell off.

"WHAT?!" I said, shocked, "NO!"

"HAHAHA!" Caster laughed, "You missed me! AHAHAHAHA!"

"Dammit…!" I cursed before I went firing with my Calico again, making Caster continue to block my incoming bullets with his scissor, "At this rate, we'll be getting nowhere with this!"

---

Yuzuru's POV:

Me and Tsukuda-san were still on the roof of the building, as we kept on arguing with each other, while Aimi and Ishikawa-san just stood at the side and watched us arguing and yelling at each other.

"OH, WORST LUCK, MY ASS!" I yelled, "I BET YOU SAY THAT IN EVERY OTHER SITUATION! THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE DRAGGING ME INTO YOUR SHIT IS BECAUSE YOU WANNA MESS WITH ME!"

"OH, SHUT YOUR DUMBASS FACE!" Tsukuda-san yelled back, "THE ONLY REASON I DRAG YOU INTO MY SHIT IS BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO HELP ME WITH MY LUCK! YOUR LUCK IS WAY BETTER THAN MINE, SO YOU'RE NECESSARY FOR ME!"

"OH, SO NOW I'M A USE GOOD FOR YOU?!" I yelled, "I'M BEING USED FOR YOUR GOOD LUCK BECAUSE OF YOUR WORST LUCK?!"

"IF I DON'T HAVE A GOOD LUCK CHARM, I'LL BE DEAD!" Tsukuda-san yelled back, "I DON'T WANNA DIE BECAUSE OF MY WORST LUCK IN THE WORLD!"

"Oh, dear…" said Aimi worriedly.

"This is getting ridiculous…" Ishikawa-san sighed while shaking her head.

Before we could argue any further, we heard a loud gunshot coming from the fight between Caster and Assassin. We turned around to see the fight and saw that Caster had just apparently dodged an incoming bullet, a silver one that came from Assassin's handgun, before going back to blocking Assassin's attacks from his submachine gun.

"Assassin…!" I said, "We gotta help him!"

Tsukuda-san let go of me, dropping me on the roof and making me land on my butt—Ow, God, that hurts—before she then said, "Yeah, we'll finish our argument later. We need to take Caster down and fast!"

"Yeah, but with the way Caster moves, how are we supposed to land a hit on him?!" I said as I got up, "There's no way we could lay a scratch on the guy if we keep this up! I don't-huh?"

But then, when I looked ahead, I started to notice something. On the other side of the school gates, there was reconstruction going on, as the trees were cut down to create space, dirt was laid flat, construction vehicles were everywhere and were left as construction workers had left to go home, and lots of things were needed to create new buildings or whatever they're making were left reserved. But there was actually one thing that caught my attention, and it was the crane mobile car that was lifting and carrying a stack of long tree logs that had been cut down from the trees and was left there to move later. That soon gave me an idea, as I then remembered the shot that Assassin made from his handgun. It was brief, but I did saw how powerful his bullet was when he fired it at Caster but missed. So, if Assassin fires it at crane…yeah, that could work! I just need to figure out how to get out from the gates before I draw Caster's attention and then trap him somehow.

"Judging by the look on your face, you look like you have a plan." said Ishikawa-san.

"Yeah, I do." I said, "But it's going to require me to get out from the school gates and draw Caster's attention. The only problem is those bombs at the gates. We need to get rid of them before I get out and then lure Caster towards me."

"I see." said Tsukuda-san, "In that case, leave it to me." She then brought out one of her handguns as she said, "I couldn't do it because Caster was in the way, but with Assassin keeping him busy now, I should be able to blow up those bombs and get us outta here."

"Can you do that?" I asked.

"I can, but we have to move fast." said Tsukuda-san, "We need to hurry, while Assassin stalls him for a little longer. If we do it right, we'll put down Caster and then save your Minna. Whatever you're planning, we only have one chance, and it better be right."

"Right." I nodded, "Then, let's do it."

Tsukuda-san nodded before she said, "Let's move while Caster's distracted. C'mon!"

"Shindou-sama, hold onto me." said Aimi, as she took my hand and made me hold onto her waist, "Hang tight."

"Right, okay." I said as I held on tight.

The three then chanted in German, "Es ist gross. es ist klein. ¡Vox Gott Es Altas! (It is large. it is small. ¡The Voice of God is the World!)" Then, just within complete seconds, they sprinted and moved at top speed, making them move as fast as lightning, and making me hold on much tighter trying not to let go, before we finally made it to the front gates, where, without a doubt, had those bug bombs surrounding it.

I let go of Aimi as I then said, "Okay, now what?"

"Everybody, stay back." said Tsukuda-san, as she loaded her gun with a red jeweled bullet, "I'm going to take them down."

"Huh?" I said, confused, "Wait, what're you-?"

Ishikawa-san then grabbed my shoulder as she pulled me back and said, "Trust us, just do what she says."

I looked at both Ishikawa-san and Aimi as they nodded, signaling me to do so, before I nodded back and followed them, staying back away from what Tsukuda-san was about to do, and we stood and watched. Tsukuda-san then faced forward in front of the school gates filled and crawling with those bug bombs, before she brought her handgun in front of her face, as she then closed her eyes and began chanting in German, "Brennende Asche zu Asche. Brennender Staub zu Staub. Leichtes Feuer mit Feuer (Burning Ash to Ash. Burning Dust to Dust. Light Fire with Fire)." As she chanted that, surging of hot energy was rising and coming over to her, before she chanted in German, "Verbrenne alles, was in der Dunkelheit steht (Incinerate All that Stands in Darkness)." Then, she opened her eyes, glaring at what's in front of her, as she then pointed her gun and shouted in German, "Entzünden (Ignite)!"

Then, she pulled the trigger, and she fired her shot, her bullet became a giant fireball that was as big as a basketball, just like before, aiming straight at the bug bombs before it came in contact with them, and then, they all exploded, causing and creating a giant smoke, making us cover ourselves from it.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Tsukuda-san grabbed my arm and said, "C'mon, let's go! We don't have much time left, that explosion we just made will most likely catch Caster's attention! We have to move, now!"

"Uh…right!" I said as I began to follow her and the two as she was pulling me.

Tsukuda-san then pulled me back before firing at the incoming bug bombs, making them explode before she grabbed my hand again and shouted while we began to run out of the school gates, "Hurry!"

---

Assassin's POV:

I stepped out of the way as one of his bug bombs was under me, before the bomb exploded, and I landed away from Caster, trying to now keep my distance.

"Dammit…!" I cursed, as I reloaded my Calico, before aiming it at Caster again, as he was approaching me with that damn smile on his face while laughing.

But then, suddenly, he stopped and turned around, as if he noticed something was wrong. I turned to where he was facing, wondering where he was looking at until I noticed there was a huge smoke that was coming from the front of the school gate. Smoke? Judging by how large the smoke is, it must've come those kids. Did something happen? Did those kids perhaps…? No, they aren't that foolish to just go out and try to escape through the front gate. In fact, I can still feel that they're still alive. Which means they must've destroyed those bombs at the front gate while I was keeping Caster busy. And I didn't sense them leaving to get to that lady friend of that kid, and if they're still around and haven't left, that means they must have a plan. In that case…!

"Caster!" I shouted, getting his attention, before I began firing my Calico at him again, making him quickly react in time to begin blocking my oncoming bullets on him.

This gave me the advantage as while I kept firing at him, I got up on my feet and drew out my combat knife, and then I began charging at Caster while I still held my Calico firing at him as he was distracted while blocking my bullets. Once I got close enough, I went for a strike with my knife, but he already through this and easily dodged my knife attack, before he knocked my Calico away and went for a strike with his scissor. I manage to luckily dodge it before stepping back away from him, and we clashed our weapons against each other, struggling and pushing each other with our weapons. He gave out a laughing smile while I was gritting my teeth, annoyed by this. We kept on pushing our weapons against each other until I managed to kick him in the stomach, pushing him away, and I went to strike him again, only for him to parry my knife with his scissor, and then be kicked by Caster in the stomach, pushing me back.

"Dammit…!" I cursed, "This is getting ridiculous!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Caster laughed, as he began to approach me, "Aw, tough luck for you, Assassin! Looks like you can't win! You're gonna be the first to be 'KA-BOOM!' and go bye-bye! It's gonna be raining fun of the blood of you! GET IT?! FUUUUUN~! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I growled at him as he kept on laughing until I heard someone call, "HEY, CASTER!"

I then saw a brick stone thrown at Caster as it hit him in the back of the head, hurting him, but not enough, and making him turn to who threw it at him, and it was none other than the kid, who waving his hands up and shouting, "YEAH, COME AT ME, YOU DAMN UGLY CLOWN! I'M THE ONE YOU WANT!"

"What?!" I thought incredulously, "Is he crazy?!"

I looked and saw Caster was shocked and confused for a moment, as he said, "Huh?! Wait, the Master's out?! When and how did he get out?!" But then his confused looked changed back to his laughing smile as he said, "Well, no matter! Since he asked for it, I'll just give it to him! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

He then crouched down before he went for a jump, jumping very high over the school gates and heading straight to the boy.

"Dammit, that idiot!" I shouted as I began to run to follow suit, "What the hell kind of plan is that?!"

---

Yuzuru's POV:

Caster was high above ground level as he was coming down from the jump that he made. While he did so, he threw down his bombs straight at me. But thankfully, just as they were getting close to me, I was covered by Tsukuda-san and Aimi who were hiding by construction work, as Tsukuda-san provided cover fire shooting at the bombs, while Aimi provided cover by throwing her knives at them, making them explode in the air before they could reach me. I then went on running away from Caster, who landed on the ground before coming after me, as I was running towards the crane that was holding the stack of tree logs. As I ran, I looked back a little, and I saw that Caster didn't seem to notice what I was doing, and he didn't seem to notice the crane there, making his focus only on me. Good, that's exactly what I need him to do!

I then spotted and quickly picked up another metal rod, longer than the one I was holding, before I shouted, "Enhance!" With that, my Magic Circuits appeared on my arm before going towards the new metal rod I was holding, enhancing it and making it stronger. Once I got close to the spot where the stack of tree logs would drop, I turned back around to face Caster, as I readied myself in a stance.

Caster charged up at me and went for a straight strike with his scissor, but I quickly reacted and parried it with my shorter metal rod before I went for a swing with my longer one aiming straight at his head. Caster quickly dodged it by moving back, before he brought his scissor and went with it open to cut my head off, but I managed to quickly duck down before I went for his legs, tripping him to the ground. I then went to stab him from above, but Caster moved away before I could hit him, and he quickly got back up and went to try to cut me again, but I quickly blocked his scissor with my long rod before he cut it in half. I quickly used my cut of metal rod to hit and injure him in his upper right side of the abdomen, making him wince in pain, before I quickly stabbed it on his left foot, trapping him. Caster tried to hit me with a swing, but I quickly dodged in time before picking up the other half of the cut off long rod and going right at him. I clashed his scissor with my metal rod as we pushed our weapons against each other, as we faced each other. Caster was giving out his creepy laughable smile, while I was giving out an angry and determined look. Caster then used his other hand that was holding a bomb and went to give that to me, but I quickly used my shorter one and knocked the bomb from his hand farther away from us before it exploded, and I quickly moved his scissor away with my long metal rod before I used my shorter one and stabbed it on his right foot, completely trapping him, so that way, Caster won't be able to go into spiritual form and escape. I then quickly moved his scissor in front of him to stab his left hand and the ground, and then used my long metal rod to trap both his weapon and his arms by placing it in one of the handle holes, and with my full strength, I quickly bent it to trap his arm that was holding his scissor, trapping him good.

"HEY!" Caster shouted as he struggled to move around, "WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!"

I then found another metal rod before I quickly grabbed it and used it to grab hold of him so that he wouldn't escape. I then saw Assassin as he was quickly approaching us. Great! Now, I just need to signal him to shoot!

---

Assassin's POV:

I was running on my way to get to the kid as Caster was onto him already. Dammit! I can't believe that idiot! What is he thinking, trying to take Caster on?! What the hell kind of plan is that?!

But then, just as I was almost there to him, I stopped for a minute and saw him taking on Caster, and the way he was doing so…was admittedly impressive. But the kid wasn't just fighting Caster, he was trapping him. The question is why?

Then, I saw the kid grab hold of Caster with a metal rod, strangling his body, before the kid noticed me and he shouted, "ASSASSIN, SHOOT! QUICK, SHOOT! HURRY! SHOOT NOW!"

"Huh?" I thought, "Shoot? Wait, what is he-? Huh?"

That was when I noticed something, and above him was a stack of tree logs that were being lifted and carried by a mobile crane. Then, that's when I realized…

"Oh, I see now." I thought before I then took out my Thompson Contender and unloaded my empty shell, "Well, not exactly what I expected nor intended…" I loaded another special bullet of mine and then set it, before I thought, "…but, I guess his plan will do."

I then faced forward and pointed my Contender at Caster, as I intended to be making him think I plan on shooting at him this time. Caster saw me and, just as I'd expected, he thought he plans to shoot him this time since he was stuck and was being strained by the kid, before he began to panic as he then tried to struggle to break free, wrestling with the kid who wouldn't let go of the metal rod that was holding him.

"ASSASSIN, HURRY!" the kid shouted, "SHOOT!"

Hold on, kid. Not yet…

Caster kept on struggling as he tries to get the kid off of him, making the restrains in his arms also break a little.

"C'MON, SHOOT!" the kid shouted, "SHOOT, ASSASSIN!"

Not yet…

Caster struggled even further, as the kid was now losing strength to hold on, and the restrains in his arms were now coming apart.

"HURRY, ASSASSIN, SHOOT!" the kid shouted, as he was straining to go on, "I-I CAN'T HOLD HIM MUCH LONGER!"

Hold on, kid. Just one more second…

Then, with all his might, Caster broke his arms free and got the kid off of him, turning his attention away from me as he brought the kid down.

NOW!

I quickly and silently chanted out, "T_m_ A_t_r – D_u_l_ A_c_l_e_a_e!" As everything went into slow motion, I quickly pointed my gun at the wires of the crane and quickly fired my shot, before I went back to pointing my gun at Caster, as everything went back into normal motion, making him think that I fired, but I just missed him.

Caster turned to look at me, seeing that I had fired at him only for me to miss him. Caster then gave out a big smile before he laughed out loud while saying, "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AH, POOR LITTLE MASTER! LOOKS LIKE YOUR PLAN FAILED! YOUR LITTLE ASSASSIN FRIEND MISSED ME! HAHAHA! NOW, IT'S GONNA END WITH A BANG REAL SOON! GET IT?! BANG! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The kid and I merely stood where we were as he kept on laughing out loud, before I smirked, knowing what's going to come for him. Fool. Who said I was aiming for you?

---

Yuzuru's POV:

I was on the ground while Caster was laughing before a loud clang was heard. Hearing that clang, Caster stopped laughing and suddenly became confused by that sound, before suddenly, there was a sound of wires being cut off from above, making Caster look up before his eyes widened, realizing what was happening now.

Up above us, the wires that were holding onto the tree logs were being cut off and broken one-by-one, as the wires were about to break open to release the stack of logs that will come down falling directly at Caster.

Caster looked at me with a shocked look, as he then said, "That's…not funny."

I smirked at him before I quickly got up and ran away from where I was standing, away from Caster who was now trapped thanks to the metal rods that I stabbed on his feet with, making them hard for Caster to pull off and get out of. Caster tried to come after me to catch me but failed to do so. Hearing more of the wires being cut off more, Caster looked above him and began to panic, seeing that there was no way for him to escape and that this was coming to him now. Then, with the last wire snapped open, the stack of tree logs began to fall off and land on top of Caster, crushing him and trapping him within the falling logs. I quickly got farther away before I covered myself, seeing that there was dust coming towards me.

As soon as the dust cleared, I looked up and saw that there was a large pile of tree logs, signifying that Caster has been crushed and trapped, with the only thing left being his stupid clown hat.

"Yes!" I cheered, "Yes, we did it! I can't believe it worked!"

Tsukuda-san, Ishikawa-san, and Aimi quickly got out of their hiding spot and went up to me before seeing the result of my plan. Judging by their faces, they were just as surprised yet as amazed and pleased that my plan worked as I was.

"You did it!" Aimi cheered, "You did it, Shindou-sama!"

"Well, I'll be damned." Tsukuda-san sighed in satisfaction, "I can't believe you planned all this and it worked."

"Yeah, well, I figured since we can't kill Caster, we mightas well knock him out or so." I said, "And I knew that if I could at least hold him making him remain in material form, he won't be able to escape. Trapping him would be a good idea to hold him."

"Well, quick thinking." said Ishikawa-san, "But, we can't celebrate yet! The bomb is still on Minna, and with Caster unconscious, it's likely it'll explode any minute!"

"Right!" said Aimi, "There's no time left! Shindou-sama, hurry and contact Saber! Get her to stop the bomb!"

"Right!" I nodded quickly before I closed my eyes and concentrated on our pact again. I stayed focused, concentrated my thoughts and feelings to get to Saber through our pact until I was finally able to find her and made it so that I could communicate with her quickly. I put all of my focus on Saber before I linked my contact to her, before I thought, "Saber! Saber! Saber, if you can hear me, there's a bomb on Minna's back and it's gonna blow and kill her any minute! You have to stop it! Hurry! Hurry, Saber! There's a bomb on Minna's back! GET RID OF THE BOMB!"

---

Saber's POV:

I stopped and gasped, as I suddenly felt and heard my Master calling me in my thoughts through his. It was a bit faint, but I heard it very loud and clear.

"A bomb?!" I thought, "On Minna?!"

I then looked up ahead as Minna and Yukitsuki were walking ahead of me while talking to each other as we were walking on our way home. Then, that's when I saw, for a moment, there was something, a bug that looked like a ticking pocket watch that was on Minna's back. That was when I felt something was wrong before I thought about what Yuzuru said. That must be the bomb!

"MINNA, WAIT!" I shouted, "STOP!"

Minna and Yukitsuki stopped walking and turned to look at me with confused looks, as I quickly ran up to them, before Minna asked, "What's wrong, Elaina?"

"MINNA, DON'T MOVE!" I shouted before I quickly went behind her back, and quickly found the bomb on her back, before I quickly removed it and looked at it, and saw the clock only had seconds left before it explodes.

"Huh?" said Yukitsuki, confused, "Wait, what's that? A bug?"

"Dammit!" I cursed in my thoughts, "There's no time!"

I then quickly turned around, and with all my strength, I quickly threw the bomb away up into the air, before I turned back and shouted to them, "EVERYBODY, GET DOWN, NOW! IT'S A BOMB!"

As everything went into slow motion, I quickly covered both of them as we both got down to the ground, before finally, the bomb exploded in the sky, causing the girls to scream as the wave from the explosion was coming at us. We stayed where were and waited until it was over.

---

Yuzuru's POV:

I saw and heard the bomb explode a mile away, though what I saw was a bit faint, and I became worried that…that Saber…

"Minna…" I said, worried, "God, please be okay…"

---

Saber's POV:

As soon as it was over, we began to get ourselves back up on our feet, before we turned to where I had thrown the bomb at. That was close.

"W-W-What the hell was that?!" Yukitsuki shouted, "If this is some kind of prank, it's NOT funny!"

I then quickly turned to Minna and asked out of concern, "Minna! Minna, are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere?!"

Minna was a bit shaken up by what had just happened, but she managed to recover before she looked at me and said with a reassuring smile, "Nein, I'm okay. Danke, Elaina."

After looking at her to make sure she was sure, I sighed and said relieved, "Oh, thank goodness…"

I then looked at Yukitsuki and asked, "Are you alright as well, Yukitsuki?"

"Uh…yeah." said Yukitsuki, recovering a little, "I'm okay. It was pretty scary, though."

I sighed again and said, "Good. That's good."

Then, there were people who heard an explosion coming towards us from other neighborhoods as they all wore looks of concern as they came to us with questions about whether we were unharmed. While Minna and Yukitsuki talks to them, I turned away to contact my Master.

"Master?" I thought, "Yuzuru, can you hear me?"

"Saber?!" Yuzuru shouted telepathically, "Oh, thank goodness, you're still here! W-What happened?! D-Did the bomb-?!"

"It's alright, calm down." I thought, "I managed to get rid of the bomb before it exploded."

"A-And Minna…?" he asked telepathically, "I-Is she…is she okay? Is she alright?"

I looked at Minna as she and Yukitsuki were talking to some people, as they were reassuring them that they were fine. I smiled at them before I thought, "Yes, she's alright, Master. And it's all thanks to you getting in contact with me in time."

I heard him sigh in relief as he said telepathically, "Oh, thank goodness! I…thought she was gone for good! I…I wouldn't know what I'd do if she died. Thank you, Saber. I owe you one."

"No need." I thought, "I just did what you told me to do as your Servant, and I took action in time, before it was too late. Besides, I know how much she means to you."

"Still, thanks." he said telepathically.

I then became concerned before I asked in thoughts, "Master, what about you? What happened back there?"

Before he could explain, he was interrupted as he said telepathically, talking to someone else, "H-Huh? S-Sorry, what was that? H-Huh?! Wait, what?! R-Right now?! Wha-H-Hey, hold on! Hey! Hold on, don't just pull me!"

"Master?" I thought.

"Uh, sorry, I gotta go!" said Yuzuru telepathically, "I'll explain later when I get back! See you at home! Bye!"

"H-Hey, wait!" I shouted in thoughts, "Master! MASTER!"

I didn't get any response after a minute, as I had already lost contact with Yuzuru. I then sighed at that as I thought while looking back at where Yuzuru is, "What in the world happened back there?"

---

Yuzuru's POV:

"H-Hey!" I shouted, as I was being pulled by Tsukuda-san, "W-What're you doing?! I wasn't done talking to Saber!"

"There's no time for that!" Tsukuda-san shouted, while pulling me, "Caster will be getting back up any minute by now! We have to go!"

"Huh?!" I said, confused, "Wait, go where?!"

"There's no time!" Tsukuda-san shouted, "We need to get outta here now! C'mon!"

"Trust us!" said Aimi, "We need to leave this place before Caster wakes up! Come, Shindou-sama!"

"Uh, wait!" I shouted before I was forced to run with them.

"C'mon!" Tsukuda-san shouted as we all began to run away from here, "Hurry!"

---

Later:

We ran away from the academy, away from Caster as fast as we could until we made it to the Tohsaka Mansion. As soon as we got inside, we stopped by the living room and sat in couches, as we stopped to take a rest from what happened today. We were all exhausted.

Then, Mirai-senpai came in and said, with a relieved look on her face, "Oh, good. You've all made it." She then turned to the side and called, "Assassin!"

As soon as she called upon him, Assassin appeared materialized in his physical form before he faced Mirai-senpai and bowed, saying, "Yes, Master?"

"Did Caster follow you and the others on your way here?" she asked to make sure.

"No, he didn't." said Assassin, "Caster hasn't followed us or tried to attack us. It's likely that he's still trapped in those tree logs back there, or his Master had called him back."

"I see." said Mirai-senpai, "Assassin, go outside and be on guard in case anyone did follow you here. We need to make sure and must be cautious."

"Understood." Assassin bowed, before he began to dematerialize into blue mana, and left our sight.

Mirai-senpai then turned to us and asked us out of concern, "So, how are you all feeling now?"

"Tired…" Tsukuda-san sighed tiredly, "But still alive, at least…"

"Yes, we're all fine, milady..." said Ishikawa-san tiredly, "We're just…glad it's over for now, and we made it back…"

"We're all wounded and tired…" said Aimi tiredly, "But we're unharmed nonetheless, Mirai Ojou-sama…"

"I see." said Mirai-senpai, "Well, that's good to hear from all of you. I'm glad you've all made it safely. I've already called the Church so that Caren and they could handle the mess Caster made back at the academy." She then looked at me and asked, "And you, Yuzuru?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." I said, "I'm just…glad that we got outta there alive." I then sighed and said, "And I'm just glad that Minna's okay, too." I then looked at them as they suddenly looked at me with serious looks on their faces, before I said, "What?"

"Well?" said Tsukuda-san, "Do you understand now? You're already being targeted by other Masters and Servants, and they'll not only come after you, but they'll also come after your friends and loved ones as well, just like what had happened today to your Minna."

"Uh…" I said, "Well, I…"

"If the other Masters and Servants come after your girlfriend, they'll come after you." said Tsukuda-san, "And they'll take advantage of you and kill you, regardless of what you do, even with Saber. So, you'll have to partner with us if you don't want that to happen."

"You…mean team-up with you guys?" I asked.

"Precisely." Ishikawa-san answered, "You don't have any other choice in this matter. If you don't form an alliance with us, your friends and loved ones will be in danger, including your Minna."

"However, if you work alongside us, Shindou-sama," said Aimi, as she approached me and stood as an elegant maid she is, "Then we can promise you we will provide your Minna and your friends' protection. Protection from the Grail War and the fighting."

"Protection?" I said, "You mean, you'll help protect her from all this?"

"Of course." Aimi smiled, "We can guarantee their safety and ensure that they do not get involved in any of this. After all, we wish to ensure that no outsiders get involved in this mess. Minna is no exception. Besides, after our fight with Caster, I think we make a very good team."

"Well, yeah, I guess so." I said, "But, how do I know I can trust you and that you're not lying?"

"Did you not say it before, Shindou-sama?" Aimi giggled, "You said that we were good and honest people. We would never lie and turn our backs against you and end up killing you. You're needed to help win the Holy Grail War, so killing you would not do us any good."

"Yes." said Ishikawa-san, "Besides, we were only testing you before, to see if you were worth it, and you've already proven yourself you were. Killing you would only be a hassle. If we wanted to kill you for real, we would've done so a long time ago."

"And besides, you've just awoken your Magic Circuits." said Mirai-senpai, "You already have what it takes to become a mage yourself. So, if you join us, we'll not only provide and guarantee protection for your Minna and your friends, but we will also teach you how to use magecraft. That is if you wish to. You do wish to use magecraft and be able to defend yourself with it, don't you?"

"Well…" I said as I thought about it for a moment.

"Trust us." said Tsukuda-san, "If you join forces with us, we can promise you those things, and your friends and your Minna will be safe, and you'll be a better mage like no other. Besides, we need an extra hand, and you can provide us that."

I thought about it for a moment, before I asked, "Can I really trust you?"

"Yes, you can." Mirai-senpai answered, "If you wish to trust us and join us."

"Will you really help me keep Minna safe?" I asked, "And my friends, too?"

"Of course, Shindou-sama." Aimi smiled, "With our help, she and everyone else will be in good hands. And I promise we'll help you keep Minna and your friends safe."

"And…you'll teach me how to be a mage and learn magecraft?" I asked.

"If you wish to be a mage and to learn magecraft, then yes." Ishikawa-san.

"And…you won't turn your back against me?" I asked.

"As long as you don't turn yours on us, we won't." said Tsukuda-san, with a smirk, "Not like you can, anyway."

I thought about it again for a moment. Well, they do look like they're strong enough to protect others from danger. And they are better mages than I currently am. And…I admit I do need some help in protecting Minna. I really can't do much on my own, even with Saber on my side. Besides, they did protect me when Caster attacked us, so I do owe them one. And Mirai-senpai does have the ability to see the past and the future, so she could give me a warning of what will happen. And… after what happened today, I think I can trust them. I can trust them to helping me keep Minna safe from this, and I can trust them to help me with my Magecraft. Alright, it's decided then.

I got up and faced Mirai-senpai, before I brought my hand out and said, "Alright, I'll do it. I'll join forces with you, and I'll lend you my power and Saber to help you."

Mirai-senpai gave out a smile of satisfaction, while the three gave out smiles of delight as they were happy with my answer, before I said, "But, on one condition."

Mirai-senpai nodded and said, "Go on, let's hear it."

I sighed before I answered, "Promise me that you WILL keep Minna safe and that nothing will EVER happen to her. She's very important to me, and I don't want anything to happen to her, and I don't want to lose her. Please, that's all I ask."

Mirai-senpai looked at me for a moment as I gave out a serious expression, showing that I was being serious about not wanting anything bad to happen to Minna. She then looked at each of her friends as they each gave out a nod to her. She nodded at them back before she looked at me and said with a reassuring smile, "Of course, Yuzuru." She then brought her hand out and shook mine as she said with a reassuring smile, "We promise, we won't let anything happen to her, and we will keep her safe from harm. I know how important she is to you, so we will do everything in our power to keep your Minna safe."

I nodded and asked, "It's a promise?"

Mirai-senpai nodded back and said, "It's a promise. We promise, your girlfriend is in good hands with us."

I smiled and said, "Thank you." We then let go of each other's hands after sealing the deal, before I said with a deadpanned expression, "But, just one more thing: please stop calling Minna my girlfriend, because she's not my girlfriend."

Mirai-senpai and the three looked at me surprised for a moment before looking at each other, and then they all laughed out loud.

"What?!" I said, dumbfounded, "What'd I say?!"

They kept on laughing for a while before calming down, and Mirai-senpai said, "Oh, no, no, it's nothing! It's nothing! It's just…I didn't expect you to just say that."

"Yeah." said Tsukuda-san, before she smirked and said mischievously, "And you do know, for a while there, you didn't and weren't denying the fact that she was "your" Minna!"

"H-H-Huh?!" I stammered, taken aback by that, before I shouted at her, "W-Well, of course not! That's because we were in a middle of an intense moment fighting off Caster and trying to survive, so of course, I didn't have time to deny or argue with you guys on that!"

Ishikawa-san chuckled and said, "Yes, that, that is true. But you did have a sweet moment kissing her, didn't you?"

"W-WHAT?!" I shouted, shocked, "H-Hey! H-How did you-?!"

"Oh, c'mon, you think we didn't hear anything about you two?" said Tsukuda-san, "It's been going on around the school, so of course we'd know."

"T-That's because I was in a middle of a moment!" I shouted, "I wasn't thinking what I was doing!"

"Please do not worry, Shindou-sama." Aimi smiled, "We understand you completely. You are a man after all, and all men do have some needs."

"I-I-IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" I shouted, as they then laughed again.

They then sighed before Mirai-senpai said, "We're sorry, Yuzuru. And don't worry, we know she's not. We were only messing around with you as all."

I sighed and said, "Jeez, you girls are weird…"

"Still," said Mirai-senpai, "She does make a very good female companion if you think about it. And as your senpai, I think you should have her as your girlfriend. Besides, seeing you two together makes you both so cute."

"Well, I…" I said, uncertain, "I-I don't know…"

Mirai-senpai then placed a hand on my shoulder, as she gave me an understanding smile and said, "It's alright, I understand. You need some time to think about it before you can decide. But, don't think too long. Otherwise, you'll lose her, and you may not get that chance again."

I looked at her for a moment, before I remembered the advice Matou-sensei gave me, and I said, "Yeah, you're right. Thanks."

Mirai-senpai nodded and said, "Good." She then let go of my shoulder before she said, "Anyway, it's going to get dark soon, so I'd suggest you get home now." She turned around and called, "Assassin?"

From her call, Assassin appeared again and said, "Yes, my Master?"

"Anything happening outside?" she asked.

"No." he answered, "Everything is clear, so far. No sign of Caster or any other enemy Servants around."

"Good." said Mirai-senpai, "Then I want you to escort the boy home. He has aligned himself with us, so he is our ally until the Holy Grail War comes to an end, so that means you will not kill him, the girl of his, or any one of his friends. You will work alongside him as he and Saber work alongside us. Is that clear, Assassin?"

Assassin nodded and said, "Of course, my Master."

"Good." Mirai-senpai nodded, "Now, escort the boy home."

"As you wish." He bowed to her before he looked at me and said, "Well, kid, let's get you home."

"Uh, right…" I said before I looked at Mirai-senpai and the others and said, "Thanks."

"No need to thank us." said Mirai-senpai, "We're just doing what we can for you. You just get home safe and sound. Don't make Minna worry about you too long."

"I won't." I said before I turned to Assassin as he nodded to me before we went off to head back home.

---

Later:

It was already dark outside, and street lights were already on, as I was walking on my way home with some groceries that I bought from the stores in time to make dinner, for a little celebration for Minna's arrival to Japan, while Assassin was in spiritual form keeping me company. We then stopped halfway to my apartment, before I said, "This is where we can part ways."

Assassin materialized into his physical form and said, "Then, my job is done here."

"Yeah." I said, "You can go back to Mirai-senpai and the others now. Thanks for escorting me. You were a great help."

"No need to thank me." said Assassin, "I'm just doing my job as a Servant. Nothing personal."

"Still, thanks." I said, "And…thanks for helping me out before. If you didn't come to rescue us, we would've been dead for sure. I guess you could say I owe you one."

Assassin was silent for a moment, before he said, "You don't have to owe Servants anything, kid. We are no more than familiars, tools to use whenever Masters needed them, so you have no need to treat us like human beings."

"You make it sound like you don't care about your life." I said, "I mean, just because you're spirits, doesn't mean I should be treating you like tools. And besides, you seem like real people to me, even Saber. I wouldn't want to treat you guys that way if it weren't for the way you are."

"I see." said Assassin.

"Yeah." I said, "So, anyway, I'll be going now."

"Hold on, kid." said Assassin, "Before you go, let me ask you something."

"Uh, sure." I said, "Go ahead."

"Tell me, kid." said Assassin, "Why didn't you use your Command Seals to call on Saber when you had the chance? If you had done so, you would've been able to take down and kill Caster. It would've been much easier and quicker if you had done so without worrying about that girl. You could've taken that chance, yet you didn't. Why is that? Do your thoughts and emotions about that girl get the better of you?"

I took in what Assassin had asked me, before I answered, "I couldn't take that chance, and he would've ended her life if I did so. And even if I did want to, I couldn't do that. I didn't want to, without having Minna killed. Sacrificing her wouldn't be worth it, even if it meant Saber winning against Caster. I don't want to sacrifice Minna, she's…too important to me."

"I see." said Assassin, "Then your feelings and emotions did get the better of you then."

"Well, maybe." I said, "But still, I couldn't take that chance. Besides, Minna has nothing to do with the Grail War."

"On the contrary, it would've saved your life and theirs." said Assassin, "If it were up to me, I would've done what I've done and never look back."

"Why?" I asked, "Because, you're an Assassin?"

"Sometimes, we have to make sacrifices for the greater good." Assassin answered, "To save many lives, we have to sacrifice a few to save many, to make the world a better place, even if it means by doing so in a cruel way. I would've gone along with the plan without bothering personal feelings. People that die for you don't matter, what matters is that you manage to finish the job thanks to what you've done to save not just yourself, but also other lives."

"You make it sound like you should use evil to destroy evil." I said, "That's not how heroes should do things, and that's not how saving lives work. Heroes are supposed to do good and bring justice and righteousness to the world, and do what is the right thing to do. Otherwise, they'd be no better than those who are evil and cruel in the world. And sacrificing people, even the ones you truly love, doesn't make things any better."

"Kid, you don't understand." said Assassin, "This world is cruel itself. The people in this world are nothing but cruel themselves. There are no such thing as good people who bring "justice" or "righteousness". And there is no such thing as heroes who can save the world with their "righteousness" and "justice". And there is no such thing as "the right thing to do". All there is in this world is unspeakable cruelty and despair, and illusions made by the "dazzling heroes" throughout history who blinded them with their "great legends" and their soulless crime called "victory" paid for by the pain of the defeated. But humanity has never recognized the truth, because every "hero" in every era has kept them from seeing the evil in the world of bloodshed and battlefields they bring. And people do what they do, even in evil ways, because they do what is best for themselves and no one else. True human nature has not advanced a step beyond the stone age. And you are no exception to that, are you, boy?"

"Well," I said, "I mean, I get what you mean. And it's true what you said, the world can be cruel, and lots of bad things can happen to people, even if it's towards themselves. Anything and anyone can do lots of bad things, towards everything and everyone, even towards themselves, and even if they don't know it. Not everyone is perfect, and yeah, I'm no exception to all that. But that doesn't mean that there isn't beauty in anything in this world, and that doesn't mean that not everyone is good either. Sometimes, there are also people who can think clearly, think about what's the right thing to do, and do it because it's the right choice, and they can do it without the need to sacrifice others. I believe there is still goodness in this world, and I believe that there is still good in people, it's just hidden deep inside is all. Just like Mirai-senpai and those three friends of hers. And, I do believe that heroes who bring righteousness and justice exist. Just because what they do isn't exactly great, doesn't mean it's completely evil in itself. Because, heroes in every history not only show us the evil in the acts of war, but they also show inspiration to people who want to be heroes and make the world a better place. Hell, even fictional stories give us inspiration and show us how great true heroes can be."

"I see." said Assassin, "So, you think differently then. You believe in such things."

"Yeah, I do." I said, "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not like I wanna be a Hero of Justice and go out to save the world like a superhero or anything, I just…like to help out people whenever and however I can, like any normal good person would do."

"I see." said Assassin, "Then, what exactly do you want?"

"Well, like I said, I don't want to be a Hero of Justice." I said, "Because, I know that saving the world and saving everyone in the world is completely impossible, no matter what you do. What I want to be is a hero who can protect the one who is precious to me, because she means the world to me, and I want to protect her and give her happiness in the world, like a heroic knight who goes to save the princess and all. It's silly, I know, but that's what I want."

"I see." said Assassin, "So that's why you refused to use your Command Seals to call upon Saber, and why you refused to sacrifice your lady friend."

"Minna's not my lady friend." I said, "But, yeah, that's why. Because, a long time ago, I made a promise to her that I would become a hero who would come and protect her no matter what, and that she would be in good hands with me so that she'll always be safe because she's the most very important person to me. She's the reason that I have a purpose in life and the reason why I'm here now, and that I am what I am today."

"I see." said Assassin.

"So, you see, Assassin." I said, "I can't sacrifice Minna, even if it meant saving everyone in the world. I don't want to lose her. If I did so, I won't be what Minna sees me as, and if I ended up being a killer doing so, I'd be no better than a villain, and then…if I fall into darkness and never stop myself, I'd never go back. That's why, I'm going to be a hero to protect Minna, even if the whole world turns against me, because I made that promise to her, and I'm going to keep that promise and protect her with my life."

"I see." said Assassin, "Well, at least you're an honest one." He then looked at me for a moment, as if thinking about something, before he said, "With the way you think, it is likely that you and I will never get along."

I looked at him confused for a bit, before I chuckled a little and said, "Nah, I don't think that'll be the case. I mean, sure, you might not look like it, but you seem pretty decent, despite being an Assassin. If anything, I think you're a very good person, and I think you and I might get along really well, we just…need some time to get to know each other better and get used to each other. I'm sure that as time passes, we'll become friends just fine."

Assassin sighed and, even though his face was covered, I could tell he was giving a small smile, before he said, "That is unlikely, kid, but we'll have it your way and see." He then turned around to leave before he looked back at me and said, "As for what you want, you can do whatever you like. Just…don't end up regretting it later. And…don't always make promises that you can't keep, or you'll only end up dead." Then with that, he began to go into spiritual form and then disappeared into blue mana, and his presence was gone, meaning that he left.

I looked at where he once stood, before I answered in a whisper, "I know." Then, I turned around to where my apartment complex is, and I went to go back home. Hopefully, I can see Minna, all safe and sound.

---

I went to my apartment room and saw that the lights through the windows were on, meaning that they must be inside. I unlocked the door with my apartment key before I opened it and said, "I'm home!"

Then, out of nowhere, Minna came and hugged me as she said happily, "Welcome back, Yuzu-kun! Oh, I'm so happy to see you again!"

"Minna!" I said as I hugged her back, happy to see that she's here, alive and well, "Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" I let go of her to look at her and said, "On my way back, I-I heard an explosion happening and I thought…God, I thought something bad happened to you! A-Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Minna smiled and said reassuringly, "Nein, I'm alright, Yuzu-kun. Thank you for worrying about me, I'm perfectly okay, thanks to Elaina. She was the one who noticed what was wrong and saved me."

"Yuzuru!" said Saber, as she just came to see me at the door, "Welcome back. I'm glad you got home in time."

"Yeah, good to be back." I said, "And thanks for saving Minna. I owe you one."

"There's no need for that." said Saber, "I just did what I could to protect her as you told me to do."

"Shindou-kun!" said Yukitsuki-san, as she came with an apron on, "Welcome home!"

"Oh, hey, Yukitsuki-san!" I said before I remembered that she was with them, and I asked in concern, "So, are you alright? I know you were with Minna and Elaina when the explosion happened, so are you feeling okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Yukitsuki-san smiled, "Thanks for worrying. So, anyway, I was going to cook dinner for everyone. You wanna help out?"

"Oh, yeah." I said, "I did buy groceries for dinner to make. And I was hoping we could celebrate Minna's arrival here. I mean, she did come all this way from Germany."

"O-Oh, yeah…uh, sure." said Yukitsuki-san, "We can…uh…do that."

Huh. For some reason, she doesn't sound so happy. I wonder what's wrong? Maybe she's still a bit scared from what happened?

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" I asked, worriedly, "You don't…sound so good."

"Oh, no, I'm fine, it's…it's nothing." said Yukitsuki-san, "I'm just…a little tired is all."

"Oh, okay." I said, "Well if you say so." I then looked at Minna and said, "Anyway, Yukitsuki-san and I will be making dinner, so can you and Elaina wait in the living room a bit?"

"Ja!" Minna smiled, "I'll do that!"

---

Me and Yukitsuki-san were in the kitchen cooking and making dinner while Minna and Saber were in the living room, waiting while talking.

While we were cooking, Yukitsuki-san asked, "Hey, uh…Shindou-kun, can I…ask you something?"

"Huh?" I said while cooking, "Uh, sure. What is it?"

"Well, um…" said Yukitsuki-san, "Tell me, what do you…uh…think of me?"

"Hmm?" I said, confused, "Why are you asking that out of the blue?"

"Oh, just wondering." said Yukitsuki-san, "I was…kinda wondering what you really think of me as. Like, as a friend or…?"

"Oh, that." I said, "Well, really, I think of you as a really good friend of mine, Yukitsuki-san. I mean, you were the first friend that I ever made when I first came to Fuyuki City, and you were very helpful enough to show me around the city when I had no clue as to where I could go. And, every morning for school, you always bring us to school really early, which is good for the most part. If anything, you're like a really great friend that I could ever ask for. Someone I could rely on."

"I see." said Yukitsuki-san, "So, just a friend, and nothing more than that?"

"Hmm?" I said, confused, "What do you mean by that?"

"O-Oh, no, it's nothing!" Yukitsuki-san smiled, "Don't worry about that!"

"Oh, uh…okay." I said.

"So then, what about this Minna girl?" Yukitsuki-san asked, "What do you…think of her?"

"Oh, well…" I said, stopping myself a bit, "Well, uh…I'm not…really sure yet. I mean, she's my childhood friend, and we've known each other since we were little back in Germany. And really, she sure has changed a lot since we were kids, in more ways than none. Honestly, though, I've never really thought that Minna would grow to have feelings for me. I mean, she's really important to me, and I'm really happy that she loves me, a guy who's just normal, but I…I just…I'm not really sure how I feel about her. At least, not yet, anyway. I kinda need some time to think about it and see if I feel just the same way about her."

"I see." said Yukitsuki-san, "Then, if you do feel that way about her, will you…like, you know, go on a date with her?"

I thought for a moment, before I answered, "Well, if my feelings for her are true, then yeah, maybe I would."

"I see." I heard her mumble, "Then…I guess I have no chance then…"

"Hmm?" I said, confused, "Chance at what?"

"Oh, it's nothing!" Yukitsuki-san suddenly smiled, "Don't worry about it!"

"Oh, uh…okay." I said.

"A-Anyway, let's get dinner ready." said Yukitsuki-san, "You do wanna celebrate her moving here, don't you?"

"Uh, yeah!" I said, "Let's finish doing that."

---

Yukitsuki's POV:

I watched as Shindou-kun went back to cooking, eager to prepare dinner for his childhood friend, who will most likely be the love of his life.

I sighed at that, knowing that I'll have no chance against such a beautiful perfect girl like her. No doubt, that girl will be the one who'll have a great chance to win Shindou-kun's heart. I mean, she has known Shindou-kun longer than any of us have, and she does have a perfect body that's way better than mine. I can't win against her. I'm way out of her league.

I looked at Shindou-kun, as I thought, "Oh, Shindou-kun…no, Yuzuru, I wish that you could see…that I'm in love with you, too."

---

Yuzuru's POV:

After we were done eating dinner, we sat down at the table and had tea together while we talked. Well, Saber was just sitting and eating some snacks on the table while me, Minna, and Yukitsuki-san talked.

"So, Minna, how's your father doing?" I asked.

"Wonderful!" Minna smiled, "He's been doing lots of great work back in Germany. Father's been running his business very well and his company has been running smoothly."

"So, Mr. Everhart's been doing pretty well." I said.

"Ja!" Minna smiled, "In fact, thanks to all his work, he was the one who brought me all the way to Japan so that I could see you again after a long time. I heard from your family that you moved to Fuyuki, so I decided to come here to find and see you."

"I see." I said, "Well, I admit, it is really good to see you again after so long, and I'm really glad you came. I've been thinking about you a lot, wondering how you were doing."

"Ja." said Minna, "I've been thinking about you a lot, too. I've missed you so much."

"Yeah." I smiled, "Me, too. If anything, and if it were me, I'd do the same of moving to Germany wanting to see you again."

Minna came over to me to hug my arms and said happily, "And this is why I love you so much, Yuzu-kun. You're such a good person who cares so much."

"Minna…" I said. I then remembered something and asked, "By the way, Minna, since you're here in Japan, where will you be living at? I mean, I can't imagine you living anywhere else, because you just got here. And you can't live here in the other apartment rooms because it's…well, bad."

"Well, that's not necessarily the problem." said Yukitsuki-san, "You see, she and I talked about it for a bit, and…well, she insisted that she should live with you. So, she'll be living with you."

"Oh, okay." I said, not understanding what she meant for a moment, but it suddenly sunk into me, making me say, "Wait…" When it fully came in, I shouted in shock and disbelief, "WWWHHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTT?!"

Minna, Yukitsuki-san, and Saber covered their ears from me shouting out loud. Once it was over, they stopped covering their ears to hear me question them.

"What do you mean she'll be living with me?!" I said incredulously, "No, in fact, why should she live with me?! I mean, I'm a guy for crying out loud!"

Yukitsuki-san sighed and answered, "Yeah, I know. I told her the same thing, too. And I kept telling her that she should move in with me since we're both girls, but she kept insisting on living with you because she trusts you the most out of everyone she just met."

"You're kidding me!" I said in disbelief, "She wants to live with me because she doesn't want to be with anyone else but me?!"

"Look, I don't like the idea of you two living together in the same apartment room any better than you do, Shindou-kun." said Yukitsuki-san, "But to her, it only makes sense because you're both childhood friends and being together with you makes her feel safe. Honestly, I think it makes sense for me too, because technically, you are in charge of keeping an eye on her and making sure she's kept safe from whatever might happen to her. And besides, we don't have any other available apartment rooms here for her to use, because they're all filled with nothing but trash and a crapload of boxes, and she can't live anywhere else because God knows what might happen to her if she lives anywhere else."

"Oh, I see." I said as I could see her point, "Yeah, I guess I can see that. But, are you sure it's a good idea for us to live together? I mean, aren't you kinda worried about what might go wrong with us?"

Yukitsuki-san sighed and said, "Well, as an apartment manager, of course, I'm worried about what might come between you two. I mean, you two aren't even a couple yet, and any weird things can happen when a boy and a girl live together, like hormones or anything that's inappropriate. But, Minna says since it's you of all people, she trusts you the most because you'd keep her safe. And besides, it's not like she can take no for an answer."

I looked at Minna as she was hugging my arm while giving me a look that I knew I could never say no to, before I sighed and said with a small smile, "Yeah, good point." I then asked Minna, "But, Minna, are you really sure about this? About living together with me?"

Minna nodded happily and said with a smile, "Ja, I don't mind. Because since it's you, I don't mind living together with you, because you're a good person and I know you'd never hurt me, Yuzu-kun. I'll be anywhere with you because I know you'll protect me."

"Minna…" I said as I looked at her for a moment, before I sighed and said, smiling back, "Well, alright, if that's what you want, then we'll live together."

Minna smiled brightly from hearing me saying that, before she held me tighter and cheered, "Yay! Danke, Yuzu-kun! I love you!"

I smiled at her before I hugged her back and said, "Gern geschehen, Minna."

I heard Yukitsuki-san coughed, making me and Minna look at her, as she said, "Well, it's cute and all, but please, try not to be too clingy to each other, otherwise it's gonna give people the wrong impression."

"Oh, uh…sorry." I said as I let Minna go.

She then got up and said, "Well, I'm going back to my room and going to bed. It's getting late, so we'll need to sleep and get ready to go to school tomorrow. Try and get some sleep, you'll need it." She then went out the door and said as she leaves, "Goodnight, guys."

"Goodnight, Yukitsuki-san." I said.

"Goodnight." said Minna.

"Goodnight." said Saber, before eating her last snack.

---

Minna was in the bathroom taking a shower. Her luggage was already brought to her room thanks to Yukitsuki-san. While she was busy showering, I was talking to Saber in the living room, as I explained and told her everything that had happened, from our battle with Caster to me forming an alliance with Mirai-senpai and her friends.

"So, yeah, that's about the gist of it." I said, "We're gonna be in an alliance with Mirai-senpai and the others until the Grail War ends."

"I see." said Saber, "So that's what happened back there."

"Yeah." I said, "Sorry about that. I probably should've at least told you beforehand to see how you feel about the idea."

"You have no need to apologize, Master." said Saber, "I find that to be a genuine idea being in an alliance with Mirai and the others, so I have no reason to oppose it. In fact, I find that with their aid, to keep others including Minna safe from the Grail War is a brilliant idea. I do, however, wish that you would at least inform me before you can make a decision next time."

"Right, I'll do that next time." I said, "And, I'm sorry I couldn't call on you with my Command Seals when I needed you to help deal with Caster. It was probably stupid of me."

"No, not at all." said Saber with a small smile, "It was actually right of you to send me to look after Minna, and to keep her safe from whatever danger that may occur. You did what you thought was the right course at being a Master; you showed concern for others' well-being, before you recognized a threat such as Caster, and had me take action. Had you not sent me to keep in guard of her, Minna's life would've already been in danger and Caster would've already taken away her life."

"Yeah, you're right." I said, "Thanks, Saber."

Saber nodded before she then frowned and she said begrudgingly, "But still, to think that Caster of all the Servants would put up such cowardice and underhanded trick like that on Minna when she had nothing to do with it! I do not care as to how he did it, just why would he do it!"

I sighed and said, "I'm not sure, either. The only thing I can think as to why is either he was ordered by his Master, or he did it of his own free will, or maybe he was just acting crazy like he was when he fought against us. Saber, is it really natural for Servants like Caster to go out of control like that?"

"Well, if a Servant has free rein to do as they wish, or if a Master is not careful enough to watch over them, yes." said Saber, "Servants can tend to lose control of themselves and go on rampages while blindly killing others, such as the case with Berserker-Class Servants, or become too clever for their Masters to the point that they manipulate them in order to do as they please, such as the case for Caster Servants or even Assassin Servants. Servants tend to spiral out of control if not kept in check and they could do as they please, because of their personalities, thoughts, grudges, desires, or any other traits that are based on their origins of the Heroic Spirits that are tied to their legends. However, that is why Masters have Command Seals, in order to keep the Servants in check and under control. If the Servants are kept in check thanks to the Masters who use Command Seals restricting them, then there would be nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I see." I said as I looked at my Command Seals, "And the Masters will have to use these wisely before they could use them to compel whatever orders they give them in order to keep the Servants in their control. But, if things get too far or out of hand, then the Masters will have to use their Command Seals to make them commit suicide, right?"

"Correct." said Saber, "However, there can be cases where the Servants, who have no regard to their Masters and wish to do as they please, or they are unsatisfied with their said Masters, will kill them before the Masters could use their Command Seals on the Servants. In other words, they'll have to think about whether they're not just useful, but also if they are worth trusting in battle."

"Right." I said, "That makes sense. But, you're not completely insane, so there's no need for me to distrust you, right?"

Saber chuckled and said, "Of course not. I'm nothing like the Caster Servant that you've fought, so there's no need to worry. I would never go through such extreme measures, even if I'm forced to do so. Besides, I was the one who protected Minna from that explosion, was I not?"

"Yeah, you're right." I smiled, "I think I can trust you on anything."

Saber nodded, satisfied with my answer, before her expression became serious, and said, "Still, based on what you've told me about Caster, I highly doubt that he was summoned by a Master who's wise, cautious, or calculative. I believe that Caster was summoned by a Master who has similar traits as Caster. Perhaps a Master who is just as vile and insane as him."

"Wait, summoned by someone with the same traits?" I said, confused, "But, I thought that Servants can only be summoned by Masters who use things like weapons, accessories, or ancient artifacts that are related to the Heroic Spirits tied to their legends."

"Not necessarily." said Saber, "While it is true of what you said; Masters collects holy relics and ancient items from the past to be used as catalysts for summoning, and they allow the Masters to use these catalysts to summon specific and desired Heroic Spirits that are related to those said catalysts to become their Servants for battle. The more specific the catalyst is for summoning, the greater chance the desired Servant is summoned by you. For example, a jeweled earring from the Celtic Mythology will allow you to summon a hero from the age of Celtic, Ireland's Child of Light. However, while summoning Servants that way is effective, that is not necessarily the case, for they can also be summoned without the need of the catalysts."

"Wait, really?" I said, surprised.

Saber nodded before she continued, "To be precise, when Servants are summoned by Masters who do not require any catalysts, they are summoned by Masters who share the similar traits as the Masters themselves and depending on the Masters and Servants, they can easily become good pairs in battle due to how similar they are by personality and by traits. For example, if it's a Master whose traits are purely good and righteous, then a Servant will be summoned with similar traits that are just as pure and righteous as the Masters'. However, if it's a Master whose traits are tainted and malicious…"

"…then a Servant will be summoned with the same nasty traits as the Master." I finished for her.

"Correct." said Saber, "And that's exactly what I mean. If Caster is just as vile and insane as you say he is, then it's possible that Caster was summoned by a Master who's just as malevolent as Caster is."

"Oh, man." I said, "Then that could be bad news for us. If his Master is bad and if he probably allowed Caster to do as he wished, I have a bad feeling that Caster could go around attacking people however he wants."

"Well, there is no need to worry about that." Saber reassured, "I highly doubt that he would attack now even if he wanted to. It's possible that thanks to your efforts, Caster's Master has called back Caster and is becoming cautious of what to do next. Besides, Masters and Servants do not attack people in the daytime, and it's against the rules to involve outsiders into this, so I doubt that Caster and his Master will prey on innocent bystanders."

"Yeah, that's a good point." I said, "Still, after what happened today, we better be careful, too. Who knows what might happen if Servants like Caster appear again? He could attack and kill everyone he sees in sight without a care in the world. He even tried to get to Minna, and almost tried to kill me."

"True." said Saber, "But, thankfully, now that we're in an alliance with Mirai and the others, they'll be able to help keep her safe from all of this, and you'll have less to worry about."

"Yeah." I said, "But still, if Masters and Servants are going to come after us, and if they try to get to us through our friends and Minna, then I'll have to prepare for the worst. Even if they're helping me fight, I just can't stand doing nothing and be a liability. I need to fight too and prepare myself to fight against other Masters and Servants. And if I'm gonna fight, I'll need to learn how to fight better, and practice on and improve my magecraft."

I then began to think for a moment, as I said while thinking, "Let me see, I already have Mirai-senpai and the others to help me work on my magecraft, so…" I then looked at Saber and asked, "Saber, if you don't mind, will you help teach and me how to fight?"

Saber looked at me with her eyebrows raised, as she said surprised, "Me?"

"Yeah." I said, "Compared to you, I'm not really good with a sword, and I was only able to win against Mirai-senpai's group because I was just lucky, but I can't just always rely on my luck to win in any battles that may come later on. I need someone with a better experience with a sword than I do to help me better myself on being a fighter. I mean, I'd ask Ishikawa-san, but…uh…she's kinda a bit scary to talk to if I'm being honest. So, will you help me, Saber?"

Saber looked at me for a moment, as she looked at me in the eyes, seeing that I was serious about this before she nodded and said with a small smile, "If that is what you wish, then it would be my honor to help you in any way I can for you, Master."

I returned the small smile and said, "Thank you, Saber."

I then heard the bathroom door open, as Minna called out, "Yuzu-kun, I'm done taking a shower! The bath's yours now!"

"Ah, thanks, Minna!" I called back, "I'll be right there!" I then got myself up before telling Saber, "After I'm done showering, I'll be sure to prepare a bath for you, Saber. Consider it a thank you from your Master."

Saber looked at me surprised for a bit before she nodded and gave me a small smile and said, "Very well. I appreciate it, thank you, Master."

---

After we were done showering, we were changed into our pajamas. I was in my black shirt and blue short pants, Saber was in a full set of pajamas that was a long blue buttoned shirt and matching colored long pants, courtesy of me since I don't wear those set of pajamas anymore, while Minna was in her white nightgown, which fits her figure very perfectly. Once we were fully changed and we brushed our teeth, we prepared ourselves to go to bed.

I took out a futon from my closet before setting it down on the floor for me to sleep in, while the girls can sleep on my bed for them to get comfortable in.

"Yuzu-kun…" I heard Minna call, making me turn to look at her sitting on my bed. When I looked at her, she looked like she was frowning, as if she seemed upset about something, as she asked, "What are you doing?"

"Hmm?" I said, confused before I answered while continuing to set up the futon, "Well, I'm setting up a futon for me to sleep in. I figured that since you'll be living here, and Elaina is a guest, I should at least let you get comfortable and let you sleep on the bed with Elaina, since there's enough room for two people to sleep in bed, and I can sleep on the floor to give you two some space. Besides, it's not so bad for two girls to share the same bed together, and I'm a guy, so I can't sleep on the same bed with a girl or two."

After I was finished setting up the futon, I prepared myself to go to sleep on the futon, before I heard Minna say softly, "Nein, don't do that…"

"Huh?" I said, looking back at her, as I saw that she still had that frowning look on her face.

"Please, don't do that, Yuzu-kun…" said Minna softly, "Please, sleep in the bed with me…"

"H-Huh?!" I said surprised, "W-Wait, you…you want me to…sleep with you?"

Minna nodded, stating that she does. Obviously, I knew that she didn't mean it in a sexual way, but still…

"But, Minna," I said, trying to reason a little, "You know I can't do that. You're a girl and I'm a guy, and guys and girls can't sleep in the same bed together. And besides, I…I don't wanna do anything bad to you while you're in your sleep, and I don't wanna do anything that might hurt you."

Minna took my hand and gently held onto it with both of hers, as she said softly with a gentle smile, "Nein, I don't mind. If it's you, then I'd be happy to sleep in bed with you, because I love you, Yuzu-kun. And it's okay, I know that you care for me very much and I know that would never hurt me because you keep me safe. That's why I want you to sleep in bed with me. Please, Yuzu-kun."

"Minna…" I said, "I…" I then felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see it was Saber, who was giving a genuine smile.

"I think you should sleep in bed with Minna, Yuzuru." said Saber, "And I'll sleep on the futon."

"Are you sure, Elaina?" I asked, "I mean, should you really be sleeping on the floor? It could be uncomfortable for you to sleep in."

"I'm alright." said Saber reassuringly, "It does not matter for me where I sleep at, so long as I get some good rest, so I have no reason to mind about sleeping on the floor, and the futon is set right next to your bed, so I'll be sure to call on you when there's something wrong. And besides, it's like you said, you two are living together, while I'm a guest here, so if you want, you can just pretend I'm not here."

"Uh…okay." I said before I looked at Minna, as she gave me a pleading look that I could never say no to.

"Please, Yuzu-kun." said Minna gently, "Sleep with me in bed, please."

I looked at Minna for a moment, looking at her pleading eyes that were telling me to do so, before I sighed and said, "Well, alright, Minna. If it's what you want, I'll sleep with you tonight."

Minna smiled brightly at my answer and said happily, "Yay! I'm so happy!"

I smiled at her smile, glad to see that I was making her happy, before I looked at Saber who nodded to me and said, "I'll be going to bed. Goodnight, you two."

"Ja, goodnight, Elaina!" said Minna.

"Yeah, goodnight." I said.

We then got into bed to sleep. Saber was in her futon and was already fast asleep, while I was in bed sleeping next to Minna as we got close together. I was a bit nervous being in bed with Minna like this. I mean, it's nice, but it's also kinda nerve-wracking. But Minna seemed okay with us like this, which was good for her. We were sleeping close together until our hands touched, and then Minna held onto mine.

"This is nice…" said Minna softly, "Hey, Yuzu-kun? Do you remember that we always used to sleep together like this when we were kids back in Germany? I remembered that it was nice and warm when we were sleeping together like this, and we always held hands like this to know that we were there for each other, every night."

"Yeah…" I said as I smiled at those memories, "I remember. The first time we did that was when it was cold outside, and we were freezing so much we needed to stay warm from the cold, and that was when we did that whenever we go to sleep together. The first time we did it, we were kinda nervous, but after that first time, we kept doing it until it became a habit."

"Ja…" said Minna softly, "I always love doing that with you when we go to bed together. It's because it was a really nice feeling, and it still is…"

"Yeah…" I said, "I feel the same way…it always felt nice to hold your hand when we sleep together…and it felt nice, knowing that you were there with me…even now, it feels nice, knowing you're here with me…"

"Me, too…" said Minna softly, as she moved closer to me until she then went on top of me and hugged me, placing her face on my chest, "It always feels nice, holding your hand, to know that you are here with me…and, it makes me feel safe when I'm with you…I love you, Yuzu-kun, and I…I don't…I don't want us…to be separated again…I…I…"

"Minna?" I said, concerned. It sounded like she was suddenly crying, but she was doing what she can to hold it in.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I said as I hugged her back for comfort, "What's the matter? Tell me."

Minna slowly moved up and looked at me, and to my surprise, I saw that she had tears in her eyes that could come out at any time while she still held her smile on her face, as she slowly and tearfully said, "I-I…I…I-I'm sorry…I-I didn't…I didn't want you…to see me like this…I tried…h-holding it in, because…I was…so happy to see you…and I-I d-didn't want…to show you, but…b-but I'm scared…" Now tears were starting to fall from her eyes as she said while crying, "I-I'm scared…o-of losing you…I'm scared that…w-we…we would be…be apart forever…and then, y-you…you would…forget about me…and, I…I just don't want…to lose you…I don't want us…to be separated again…"

"Minna…" I said.

"I-I-I'm sorry…" said Minna tearfully, "B-But, I…I just…when I saw you…I was…I was so happy to see you again…a-after so long…a-a-and I…I was…so happy that…you still remember me…i-i-if y-you didn't…after so long…t-then I…I wouldn't know…what I would do…I would've been heartbroken…and…I can't lose you, Yuzu-kun…I've truly missed you…after so long…and I…I don't want…to separate with you again…"

Minna…I…I had no idea…that she really loves and misses me that much…after I was gone from her life leaving Germany to go back home. Well, to be honest, I…I feel the same way, I've missed her so much after so long, too. Because, Minna was the very first friend that I ever had in my life, and she really meant everything to me. I didn't wanna leave her just as she didn't want me to leave. When I left Germany, and when I left Minna, I felt sad that I won't be able to see her or be there for her when we're gone away from each other, and when I came back home to Misaki Town, to Japan, I…I cried for Minna, as I wouldn't be able to see her again. I guess she must've cried for me, too. But I remembered the promise that I made to her, to be her hero who will protect her, and if I wanted to hold that promise, I had to be strong, not just for myself, but for her, too. That's why I left my family and moved to Fuyuki City, to be strong and independent, so that I could be strong, strong enough to live up to that promise and create a future for myself and for her. And that's why I kept the book, the King Arthur book that we always love to read together, and a picture of us when we were kids, to always remember her, to always remember the promise I made to her. Honestly, I was just as happy to see Minna again when she came here to Fuyuki, to Japan, and I was happy that I could be with her again, just like back at those times when we were children.

I rubbed the back of her smooth silver hair for comfort, before I used my thumb to wipe away the tears in her eyes, as I smiled gently to her and said gently, "It's okay, Minna, you don't need to worry anymore." I then held onto her a little tighter as I said, "Because, I'm not gonna leave you again. I'm not going to leave your side, I'll stay with you, and I'll protect you like I promised I would. You're important to me, Minna, and I'm going to stay by your side and keep you safe."

"Yuzu-kun…" said Minna.

"For a long time, I've missed you, too." I said, "And there was nothing that could ever make me forget about you or the promise I made to you. To be honest, I was happy to see you too, after those long five years we were apart, and I couldn't stop thinking about you since. Well, uh…I-I don't know if I feel the same way about you, if I love you just as much as you love me, at least not yet, but…I will stay with you, no matter what. I'm not going to leave your side, and I'm not going to abandon you, I'll stay and protect you and keep you safe from any harm. And I promise…I'll make sure that we'll never be separated again."

"Will you do that?" Minna asked, "Do you promise?"

I smiled before I placed a kiss on her forehead, and said reassuringly, "Just leave everything to me. I promise, you'll be in good hands. I'll stay with you and protect you, so you'll never be sad or lonely again, and I'll make you happy, Minna."

Minna smiled at hearing my words, as a tear of joy fell from her eyes, as she said gently, with the same loving smile I know, "Thank you, Yuzu-kun. I know you will. I know you'll stay with me and you'll protect me. Because you're the kindest and loving person I know. I love you, Yuzu-kun." She placed her head onto my chest as she said before falling to sleep, "I love you…so very much…"

I watched her as she began to sleep peacefully, with the happy and loving smile that I know. Yeah, this is how it should be. Minna, always with smiles on her face, the smiles that I want to protect.

"Yuzuru," I heard Saber say, "You don't have to do it alone."

"H-Huh?!" I said, surprised, as I turned to see that, although her eyes were still closed, Saber was giving out a small smile, hinting that she was awake, before I asked incredulously, "S-Saber?! Wait, how long have you been awake?! And…have you been listening to us the whole time?!"

Saber chuckled a little before she answered, while keeping her eyes closed, "Not too long, and not entirely. I just couldn't help but feel your thoughts and feelings and overhear your conversation with Minna that I couldn't sleep, so I decided to hear what it was all about."

"Oh, I see." I said as I remembered our pact, "Uh right, sorry. It's…easy to forget sometimes."

"There's no need to apologize." said Saber, "Besides, I was curious as to what was going on with you two, that's all." She then opened her eyes to look at me as she said, "Listen, Yuzuru, I know how much Minna means to you, and I know how much you dearly wish to protect her. Believe me, I do. But remember that you are just as important to her as she is to you and sacrificing yourself in order to protect her will not only scar her for life, but will also bring her sadness, pain, and sorrow. Protecting the one person you love is a noble act to do, but that is something you mustn't do on your own. There are people you can rely on, and if you can trust them just as much as they trust you, then they too will protect the one you truly care about."

"Saber…" I said.

"You are not alone to protect Minna." said Saber with a small smile, "I am here with you, and I, too, will protect her with my sword, and with my life, and ensure that she stays in the rightful hands. I'm sure Mirai and the others will, too."

"Will you…really do that?" I asked.

"Of course." Saber nodded, "We are in this together, and we will keep her safe from the Grail War. You can place your trust in us. You can place your trust in me, for I am your sword, your Servant."

I looked at Saber as I became stunned by her words for a moment, before I smiled back and said, "Yeah, you're right. We're in this together. Thanks, Saber."

Saber nodded before she closed her eyes and said, "Get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow. And don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her, and neither will Mirai and the others."

"Right, thank you, Saber." I said before I held onto Minna and I closed my eyes to sleep, and said before letting my sleep take over, "Goodnight, Saber."

"Yes." said Saber, before she fell to sleep, "Goodnight, Yuzuru."

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Sakura's POV:

It was in the middle of the night out on the streets. Me, Mitsuzuri-senpai, Mr. Ryuudou, Makidera-senpai, Himuro-senpai, and Saegusa-senpai, as well as two other male teachers, were at the front of the house that belonged to our old principal. It was a dark, old, and crooked house, that almost looked as if it was a haunted house.

"So, are you sure this really the place?" Mitsuzuri-sensei asked, creeped out by the house in front of us.

"Well, apparently, it is." said Principal Ryuudou, "As far as I know, this is the only place that he could be."

"B-B-B-B-B-But…but why here?!" said Makidera-senpai, shaking fearfully, while hiding behind Himuro-senpai, "I-I-I-I-It l-l-l-looks s-s-s-so c-c-c-c-c-creepy!"

"Oh, man up, Maki-no-ji." said Himuro-senpai, expressionlessly and nonchalantly, "It's not that creepy."

"K-Kane-chan, don't be so calm about it." said Saegusa-senpai.

"Yeah, I gotta agree." said Mitsuzuri-senpai, "I don't think this is really the best place we should go to."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore right now." I said, making everyone look at me, "Right now, we need to get inside the house to talk to him, and to see what's going on with him and what he's hiding from us, from our school. If we don't resolve this now, it's only going to get worse."

Mr. Ryuudou nodded and said, "You're right. We have to take action now. Otherwise, we'll never be able to resolve our situation. We need to get answers as soon as possible and find out what's going on. Whatever answers there are, it has to come from the old principal, and we need that answer to fix it now."

Everyone remained silent for a moment before Mitsuzuri-senpai sighed and said, "Alright, fine. Let's get this over with. But if I don't like the answer we have, I'm gonna kick that old principal's ass! Besides, he deserved it after what he did letting that damn dumb bully, Shichirou, enter our school life and let him do whatever he wants in our school!"

"You can do that after we're through finding answers." said Mr. Ryuudou, "Right now, we need to talk to him with words before violence. Is everyone ready?"

Everyone looked at each other and, even though they were reluctant and creeped out because of the house, they nodded to each other before turning to Mr. Ryuudou and nodded, signifying that they were ready.

"Alright." Mr. Ryuudou nodded, "I'll go and knock first. Everyone, wait here."

Then, Mr. Ryuudou was the first to step up in front of the door, before knocking on it and waiting for someone to answer. Yes. This is it. We have to find answers and end this mess! For our school! For our students, both new and old! And, for Shindou-kun! We have to know now…what is he hiding?!

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So, what do you guys think? Please, be sure to leave a review for me on what you guys think of the story! I hoped you all enjoyed it. Don't be shy and don't just read the story, REVIEW and tell me what are your thoughts of the story!