I continue to murmur my dissatisfaction while tromping around the yard and picking up stray roof tiles to be stored in the burlap sack draped across my shoulder. Occasionally, I'll glare at the wall of the house that separates the backyard from the kitchen and scoff before returning to pick up some more tiles. Issei was damn right, that Rin Tohsaka is a little witch! The events that took place only a handful of minutes ago play through my head again.
15 minutes prior:
While Saber continues her barrage of finger jabs at my chest, Tohsaka finally makes her way to us, still donning her confident smile. "What are you doing here Tohsaka?" I didn't mean for my tone to be defensive and sound harsh, but it clearly carried that connotation. She doesn't take another step forward, implying she received the same vibe, but still kept her smile all the same.
"We knew there would be a servant battle here. What competent master wouldn't take the opportunity to gather intel on their opponents?" Opponents? So, all these servants and masters really are out for each other's heads. I glance down at Saber's, now lowered, sword. Maybe I shouldn't have called off Saber. Especially if these two plan to hurt Irisviel.
"Calm down boy, there's no need to look so troubled." I raise my head at the sudden input of a gruff voice. My eyes fall upon the man in red who'd still not moved from his spot. "We aren't here to fight right now. In fact, my master only told you half the truth. She mainly came because she was worried about you."
"Shut up! Archer!" Tohsaka immediately snapped at him once he unveiled her true intentions. Her smile full of bravado from earlier was gone and now she just looked angrily embarrassed. I look once again at the man in red. Archer? Based on what I know; of Saber having her sword, Lancer having his crimson spear… His title indicates him to be a bowman? Just as my interest in this particular heroic spirit is suddenly elated, my attention is drawn back to Tohsaka as she loudly clears her throat. "Annnnyways, Emiya. Now that I've ascertained you made it home safely back from school, I have another matter I'd like to discuss. I see you've made a contract with a heroic spirit. That is indeed truly surprising; I never would have pegged you as a mage." Another mentioning of magic. It's funny how in just one night I'm exposed to something I've only heard of in stories and fairy tales.
"Actually, no, you're wrong. I'm not a mage and this isn't my heroic spirit." Tohsaka's posture crumbles all at once upon me correcting her and her expression is stroked over in disbelief.
"Heh? Th-Then who's…" It was my turn now to don the smug expression after having her disposition be foiled twice before me.
"Yeah, that's right. She's not mine. So why don't you just run along now." I beckon my hand at her as though I'm shooing off a cat. Her dumbstruck face quickly evolves into an agitated stare, but then her eyes trail away from me and fall behind me. I follow her gaze and see that Irisviel must've been what caught her attention.
"Who's that, Emiya?"
"She's-" Before I can answer, Irisviel barrels past me and Saber like a freight train and quickly wraps her hands around Tohsaka's.
"Hi! I'm Irisviel Emiya! Just call me Shirou's mommy! Are you Shirou's friend? I'm so happy to meet another friend of his besides Sakura and the boy from Ryuudou temple! I was beginning to think he was socially awkward but if he has a friend as pretty as you!" My composure shatters and I cradle my embarrassed face in my hands as Tohsaka and Archer alternate their stares of confusion between Irisviel's sparkling eyes full of wonder and my face covered in shame. Tohsaka casts a particularly disgusted glare at me, as though she was looking at trash.
"Shirou's… mommy?" She's definitely getting the wrong idea!
"NO"Yes!" As I vehemently deny the notion, Irisviel eagerly voices her confirmation of it. I rapidly shake my head.
"No, no, no! She's just my mom, my step mom!" Tohsaka still doesn't look convinced while Irisviel just looked confused as to my mentioning of "step mother", as though it was common sense that she was my step mother. Irisviel, your body looks like you're not a day over 21 and your mannerisms are like a teenager's. NO ONE but you thinks it's obvious you're my guardian! Tohsaka still doesn't looked convinced, but she pulls her attention away from me and places it back on "mommy".
"I… see." After returning to face the overwhelming positive energy flowing from Irisviel, Tohsaka looks down uncomfortably to her hands being restrained. I follow her gaze and notice something shocking. The scarlet welp that I'd discovered on Irisviel's hand that morning had spread and turned into what looks like an ornate, red tattoo. It is far too intricate to just be a "bruise". The pattern is vaguely reminiscent of a butterfly. I then notice that underneath Irisviel's tightly clutched fingers, I could make out a red marking on Tohsaka's own hand. As I open my mouth to question what's going on with the hand tattoos, Tohsaka speaks up. "I seeee… Yeah, I see now." Her devilish smile has returned, and her eyes are locked onto Irisviel's marking.
"See? See what?" Tohsaka doesn't pay any mind to my question and instead begins walking towards the front door of the house, her hands clasped around Irisviel's now with just as equal force, dragging her along.
"Hey, Shirou's mommy, let's go inside. There's a lot I need to discuss with you. I don't know if you're completely aware of what's happening now or not, but if you are, then you already know it's serious. The Holy Grail War has started." All at once, Irisviel's joyous and playful expression was extinguished and her face looked stone-cold serious at Tohsaka's mention of a war. Holy Grail? Like that magic cup in Christianity?
"Alright, you seem to know a thing or two, and as far as I can tell you aren't hostile. I'll hear out what you have to say." And just like that, Irisviel immediately accepts Tohsaka's proposition.
"Wha- What do you mean Irisviel? We don't know anything about this Holy Grail War. Why are you going to just listen to twintails here, who has one of those monster humans who could pop our head off at any moment?" I heard a prompt "hmph" behind me from Archer and Saber, indicating they weren't too pleased with the predisposition I held towards "heroic" spirits. Tohsaka also looked as though she was about to blow her top off after hearing my nickname for her. Irisviel's expression softens a little as she looks back at me.
"Yes, it's true you don't know the implications of the Holy Grail War, but as I'm sure you've gathered throughout tonight, I do know of it. And at this point, I may have become unavoidably involved in it… again." Again?
"Well… What about the road trip? Weren't we planning on packing up and skipping town tonight?"
"That was before all of this happened. Leaving might not be an option open to us anymore." Dammit, I'd really rather not get involved in all this foolishness about wizards and ghosts. There's no way this all will be good for Irisviel either; everything inside me about this situation is screaming "bad vibes". I suppose for now we should at least hear Tohsaka out. I let out a disgruntled sigh of defeat.
"Alright, come on then. Let's hurry and hear what she needs to say." Tohsaka shakes her head and points to the yard.
"No, you stay out there and wait for us to finish talking. I'm not quite ready to disclose these things with a non-mage; especially one who appears to be 100% oblivious to what's going on at the moment." I'm taken aback by the audacity this girl is suddenly displaying.
"Wait, are you trying to tell me I'm not allowed to go into my own house and be a part of a conversation that involves the wellbeing of Irisv-"
"I also agree that this situation is not much of your concern." I nearly bite my tongue at Saber deciding to throw her two cents into the conversation.
"Well, I don't think anyone asked you Sa-"
"I also don't think there's any reason you need to be in the know about what's happening. After all, you're just a normal guy." And now the redcoat thinks his input is necessary. Instead of bickering with the three musketeers, I instead look to Irisviel to see what she says. She notices my gaze hinting for her to say what she thinks and shrinks a little bit.
"M-Maybe… just let me talk to them for now, Shirou? I'll fill you in on the details I find important afterwards." Tohsaka's eyes light up in revelry over Irisviel's agreeance. She turns her victorious grin towards me and mimics the shooing gesture I used on her earlier.
"You heard her, Emiya. Go practice shooting your bow or something. We won't be long." I stare daggers at her for a brief moment but decide to not waste my time and instead groan in annoyance while walking away from the group. Before I leave, I decide to impart one last thing to them.
"Saber." Saber locks her eyes, defensive as always, with mine upon calling her name. "If Irisviel's your master or whatever, then be a good servant and keep her safe in case red riding hood and her big bad wolf try anything funny." Saber doesn't crack a smile or even show annoyance at my attempt at a joke and instead just nods, maintaining her serious expression. The same can't be said for Tohsaka and Archer, one of whom angrily stared me down and muttered "red riding hood?" under her breath while the other let out a "hmph" before turning his back on me and fading away to dust as Lancer had done earlier tonight in the school, after he'd stabbed me. I guess they all can do that… I glance at Irisviel again and weakly smile before swallowing my pride and walking off, while anxiously scratching the back of my head.
Present:
"Honestly, who does she think she is? Never saying a word to me and then suddenly showing up tonight after all those hectic occurrences and acting like she owns the place…" I lower myself onto my knees and gather the surrounding tiles into a neat little pile before placing them atop the others in the sack and pushing down to make them barely fit. I tie up the sack and sigh before rising back up to my feet and stretching my left arm that's been having to do all the collecting, on account of my wrapped up right arm. I've been picking them up for a while, I've probably gotten almost all of them together by now. Once this thought occurs to me, I look back and forth across the yard to admire the fruits of my labor… and realize I'm going to need at least two more sacks to gather up all the rest. "Dammit!" I angrily give the sack I've filled a light kick to vent some frustration. Why is their conversation taking so long!?
"Hey kid! I think you missed a few." I grit my teeth upon hearing the ill-mannered comment in the voice of none other than my new friend, Archer. I turn around and almost pop a vessel when I see him standing proudly on top of the roof looking down on me with his arms crossed like some kind of king.
"Oh, HAHA, so funny! Now, if you don't mind, could you get off the roof? It's already become unsightly enough tonight without having you leering over it like a scarlet gargoyle!" Archer chuckles slightly before sitting down cross-legged, assumedly to piss me off even more.
"You're quite funny yourself. Hey, did you ever hear the one about the Lancer, Archer, and the moron who walked into a high school together? You'll love the punch line, it's a real killer." I hate this man. So much. I decide to ignore him and just go back to picking up the stone tiles closest to my practice target on the opposite side of the yard.
After clearing out all the ones by the lone, straw target, I turn around and begin walking towards the shed with a hefty stack of tiles under each arm. I'm not too pleased to see the heroic spirit still up on the roof, watching me like a hawk. "Why are you out here anyways big guy? Don't you want to hear what your precious master is discussing inside?" He doesn't respond immediately and instead just laughs at my apparent struggle with keeping ahold of the tiles underneath my cast-clad right arm.
"No, not really actually. And besides, even if I did, before she went in with the other two she told me to just stay out here and keep watch; that they were having girl talk and I couldn't be a part of it either." Huh, so we're in the same boat.
"Is that right? Well then, riddle me this: What's with you assholes and roofs anyways? I've met three of you bastards tonight and each of you has made a trip up to my humble rooftop. Does every heroic spirit need to perch on a certain number of roofs in their lives before they can pass on to the afterlife or something?" He lets out what sounds like a genuine laugh at my sarcastic question as I let out a guttural growl while trudging towards the shed and trying to ignore his giddiness.
"Haha, who knows? Maybe we servants find them as a place of spiritual healing, like the living do to a church. It couldn't possibly be something like an advantageous point for a battle or an optimal height to scout the surroundings or anything." I wipe off the beads of sweat on my forehead after placing the tiles down in the shed, not appreciating the returned sarcasm of the roof goblin. I walk back out to the center of the yard where I left the burlap sack and hoist it up and onto my left shoulder before looking up at him.
"Oh yeah? Well there's a utility pole next to the street in front of the house about a 20 second walk from where you are that offers a greeeeaaat view of the surroundings. It's even a good bit taller than our roof too. Why don't you try that for an 'optimal height'?" Archer sighs and stands up before turning his back to me.
"Well isn't that kind of you to suggest. Aren't you just a ray of sunshine."
"Yeah, yeah. Go dissipate into a puff of smoke or whatever it is you guys do." At my request I see him fade away in the corner of my vision as I turn to go place the sack in the shed. After I drop the sack next to the two stacks of tiles, I almost take a step towards the back of the shed to try and find another sack to collect the remaining tiles in when I hear the back door open up.
"Shirooou!" Irisviel calls out to me from the back porch in her normal, cheery voice. I turn to see her quickly walking towards me while the other two girls wait on the back porch, Saber now cloaked in a yellow raincoat. Wait- is that my raincoat? As I begin reflecting on my wardrobe steadily shrinking from all the women nabbing my clothes, Irisiviel makes it to the shed just as I close the doors. "Shirou, we're about to go out; Rin, Saber, and I. There's something I have to confirm at this church she mentioned to me." And now a church? What happened to the "war"? I'm so lost right now…
"Alright… I mean if you really feel as though you need to." She firmly nods her head at my unsure response.
"Yes, I really feel I need to. If this man at the church is the one I think it is, then this situation just rose to top priority." I begin walking towards the back porch upon Irisviel making her way there after insisting she must go.
"Ok, ok. Whatever you want to do. It's not like I know enough about what's going on to advise you on whether you should or not." She apparently didn't pick up the hint I laid out on asking if I could be allowed into the loop of what the hell's happening, instead beckoning for Rin and Saber to follow her as she passes the porch and walks towards the front yard on the right side of the house. "Wait, we're leaving now?" Rin briskly walks past me, bumping my arm, followed by Saber, also bumping my arm… slightly harder.
"Yes," Rin answers, not turning around as she continues to diligently follow Irisiviel "we are leaving now. You on the other hand, are staying here." My brows furrow in annoyance, having had about enough of this girl's sassiness.
"Why is it I'm not coming, exactly?" We've reached the gate at this point and the three girls had already walked out and stepped onto the street, preparing to trek on to the church.
"Shirou," Irisviel answers "we won't be gone long. In fact, I'm probably not even going to discuss anything with him. I just want to confirm it is him." Who's this "him" that she's so concerned about? "You've been through so much tonight, please just stay here and rest." I angrily shake my head and step out to follow them.
"As if I could rest after everything that's happened tonight! Irisviel, the state I'm in is of no concern; all that matters is your safety. With all that's happened, I don't think I should stay very far from-" Tohsaka firmly places her hand in front of me, interrupting and indicating me to not step any further.
"Enough, Emiya. She may want you to rest, but can't you see the real reason is that you'd just get in the way?" I grit my teeth at her bluntness and open my mouth to protest, but Irisviel does for me.
"Rin…" Undeterred by Irisviel warily calling her name, Tohsaka presses on.
"You're a normal guy, caught up in a story about magic and heroes; it's best for you to stay as uninvolved as possible. You talk about having to protect her, but the only one whose safety is at risk is yours." She punctuated her last comment by poking me on the chest with her outstretched hand. I wanted to retort. I wanted to shoot down her argument harshly, and stubbornly walk past them and towards the church; not caring about their permission or not. However, she was right.
"W-Whatever then!" I turn on my heel and run back through the yard and around the house, towards the shed. I hear my name get called out in Irisviel's worried voice but ignore it as I reach the shed and angrily sling the door open.
As much as it pissed me off, Tohsaka was right; this isn't my story. When that Lancer guy was here earlier, I couldn't do anything but be kicked around like a ragdoll up until Irisviel saved me. Dammit, why do I have to be so weak?! I look back across the yard to see if they had followed me or if they were going to call out to me again, but after a minute I realized they must've left. What catches my attention, however, is Archer, standing on top of the utility pole, staring at me as I wait expectantly in the doorway of the shed. I stare at him inquisitively, wondering why he wasn't following them, but just as I open my mouth to call out to him and ask what the hell he's doing, he turns and jumps down from the pole to the street below. I sigh and walk into the shed. Weirdo…
Back inside the shed, I notice the cloth blanket I had my special project strewn across was bunched up and across the room in a messy pile, with wood pieces and tools sticking out in various spots. Irisviel must've kicked it over there when she rushed in here when Lancer attacked earlier… that clutz. I realize that not only the blanket, but many objects I had lying around the room appeared to be messily shoved to the side. It doesn't take much investigation to see why; on top of the concrete floor, expanding across the left side of the shed, is a giant, red multi-layered circle. When did this get here? I kneel down to get a closer look at it. It looks like some kind of demon summoning glyph… and is it drawn in blood? I shiver at the thought before standing up and wandering towards the rack I have fastened to the opposite wall of the shed.
On the rack hung the finest pieces that I've made over the years. The yew longbow that I usually shoot when I practice at home, another longbow made from elm, and finally a recurve of hickory and cherrywood. All my others I usually sell for a pretty profit, but these were just too amazing to sell. I trace my finger along the smooth wooden limbs before dropping it down and opening the long, wooden locker I have at the base of the rack. If I plan on going out, I should probably take something in case I run into one of those monsters. Inside is another weapon, but not one that I made. I wrap my hand comfortably around the handle and trigger of the small, compact crossbow.
"I guess I'll have to take you this time… Can't really draw a bow with my arm wrapped up like a mummy, huh?" Thankfully, I always keep it cocked with a bolt ready to be shot, so I won't have to worry about cocking it with my bandaged hand. I clip the metal ring on the handle of the crossbow onto my back belt loop and exit the shed, not worrying about taking any extra ammunition. I wouldn't be able to load it anyways… Actually, my arm feels better than ever, so it'd probably be ok to get rid of the annoying splint by now, but Irisiviel made it pretty clear to not do that until she checked it again.
Once inside the house, I look through my closet until I find a black coat that extends all the way to the knees, almost like a trench coat, and decide to wear it so the crossbow would be concealed while I was out on the streets. I almost feel bad for not staying put like the girls asked me to, but decide that if they're going to ditch me and leave me alone, I might as well make the best of my time. It's already been a few hours since I left the school; my bag might have already been picked up by somebody. If it wasn't already too late, it would certainly be in a few hours when dawn breaks and the janitors make their early rounds. Besides my cell phone and wallet, my lucky arrow is also in there. I can't rest easy if I don't have it on or nearby me at all times; especially with all these freaks running loose.
I shut the gate and start briskly jogging towards the school. I feel the small crossbow clank around against my backside as I hastily move onwards. I don't really like crossbows, but I suppose it's better than nothing.
The small, handgun-sized crossbow was a gift to me from my woodworking mentor when I "graduated" from his services. After the fiasco with Irisviel's previous "proprietor", I was worried about her safety and began contemplating if a handgun would be a worthwhile investment. After confiding in my mentor about it, he said it'd be hard to get my hands on one with how young I was and how strict gun policies are in Japan; that I should just forget about it.
He later surprised me with this gift, stating it was a step below a gun, but a step above a normal bow. I, however, disagree completely and find bows superior in every manner. Of course, I didn't say that to his face, but instead graciously accepted his gift. The only thing I use it for now is a quick alternative to have nearby in the shed in case anyone gets the drop on Irisviel or I and I don't have time to ready a bow. Though, I suppose it's proving its handiness tonight as I venture forth to retrieve my belongings. Even though I seriously doubt that if I run into that Lancer asshole again it will actually help…
I slow down my pace to a walk as I approach the last turn that leads to the four-way intersection right before the school. The crossbow no longer jerked around and clanked as I ran, but instead softly shifted and jingled beneath my coat in sync with my quiet footsteps. There was a noticeable nip in the air and the night was eerily quiet as I continued forward. My body must be remembering what happened here at the school just a few hours ago… I can't shake this sudden terror in my gut as I approach it. I shove my hands into my coat pockets… then deep, deep, deeper until I've stretched them out as far as they'll go. The sound of my sneakers scratching against the concrete sidewalk as I moved forward sounded blaringly loud now. It tore and echoed throughout the dead-silent air as I cut the corner to face the four-way intersection.
I stare across the intersection and up the rising street that leads into the school, only to find atop it two people standing in wait in front of the school gates, directly beneath a street light. The light above them was out, and I could only make out their silhouette thanks to the other street light a short distance behind them. I immediately notice something unnerving about the contrast between the two and debate whether to continue onwards or not.
I finally muster up the courage and take one more step forward. As soon as the pad of my shoe touches the ground, I hear a buzzing snap several times from the street light I had thought went out above the two strangers. Following in tune with the short-lived bursts of sound being emitted from the overhead light, a dim glow briefly flickered from the bulb and onto the two street-dwellers beneath. From their features being shortly portrayed to me by the faulty street lamp, my eyes widen in realization of who I've come across.
The luminescence of the light is caught in her white hair and pale skin. She needn't even open her closed eyes for me to know that crimson irises rested beneath. Standing to her right, only a short distance behind, is the one I'm more concerned about. A hulking behemoth of which only his body I can make out, as his head is veiled by a shroud of steam from his hot exhalations whipping at the cold night air and forming a thin mist. Beneath the heaving monster's cover, there's a pair of bright glints piercing through the fog from his beady eyes, peering at me. The familiar girl steps in front of the almost 10-foot tall man and widens her smile before opening her eyes so that her gaze falls upon me.
"So, you've finally made it… big brother."