The house is quiet, with all the lights turned off. I run to Irisviel's room to find it empty, telling me the group has yet to return from Tohsaka's. Damn… what's taking them so long? I doubt one of the remaining servants would try to start something with them, on account of Archer and Saber accompanying them. Knowing Irisviel, I'm sure she's just enjoying Tohsaka's nice home for as long as possible…
I begin wandering around the house after shooting Irisviel a text to let her know I made it home first. I sit in the kitchen for a while. I organize my room a bit. I take a quick shower. Before I know it, I've circled back to my first position of sitting in the kitchen.
"…"
I don't want to start dinner without any idea of when they'll be home… I absentmindedly rub my arrow while sitting in the ear-piercingly silent room. While doing this, it suddenly hits me.
"O-Oh yeah! I can go practice archery until they get back! It's been a while since I've had a chance, and now that Illya has returned my bow to me…"
I trail off as it slowly dawns on me that I no longer have a target to practice with. Thanks to Archer's handiwork, the target was torn to shreds. Ugh, how annoying… I look around the kitchen and find nothing to pique my interest; not even the television has something on I'd want to watch. Has there always been so little to do around here…?
"Irisviel, please hurry home." I quietly mutter while standing up from the table.
Even knowing I have no target to practice with, I've still ended up in the backyard. I can't help but notice the part of the roof destroyed by lancer has been fully restored. Huh? Archer and Tohsaka must've taken care of it for me…
Soon, I make my final trip from my little shed workshop. In tote, I have all of my arrows. Once I arrive in the center of the yard, I drop the quivers off in the grass around me. A little over 100… I feel my breath hasten and my grip around the familiar bow tighten.
W-What am I doing? There are no targets in this yard, so why did I come out here? Why did I pull out all of my arrows? Why am I reaching for the first bolt?
I grit my teeth when my fingers brush against the quill of that first arrow. I can feel my heart racing. It's that feeling again… No, no! I don't want to!
But, my hand has already grasped the wooden shaft.
In his time, Heracles too was a formidable Archer. Moreso than all his other martial weaponry, his feats with the bow are undoubtedly his grandest.
In life, his bow descended unto him as a gift from the god Apollo. That god being none other than the one who ruled over the domain of Archery. Heracles would go on to master the weapon, and become unparalleled in life as it occupied his grip.
Heracles slew the monstrous Geryon with a poison-laced arrow. He alleviated Prometheus' suffering by felling the damned eagle plucking at his liver. He cleaned an entire forest of countless harpies who would prey upon the fiercest of warriors. Even years after his demise and departure, that bow would fall into the hands of the Grecian warriors in the battle of Troy to ultimately blaze a path for their victory. Heracles' retainer, Philoctetes, slew the cowardly Paris with his bow, harking the first step into the downfall of Troy and the victory of Greece.
However, in light of all this, his greatest accomplishment with his legendary weapon can only be one thing. The technique he devised with that very bow after his second labor of slaying the Lernaean Hydra.
After the arduous task of defeating the beast, Heracles brought about a technique to where he could easily overcome such a task with his own power should he ever encounter it again. An ability of godly magnitude to instantaneously squelch Nine Lives.
Moreso than anything else, this act stood as a testament. It showed to all the gods and mortals alike- that the determination and potential of man can surpass even the almighty boon of the gods. That the true strength in a hero lies in the hands gripping the weapon before them. That a bow and arrow is only as good as the Archer holding it…
"*huff* *huff* Nn!" My weary fingers lose their strength and drop the bow from my grip. "If he's *cough* such a great archer… then where's his bow?!"
I shout in a fearful, confused voice into the dark yard. As my senses return to me, I tentatively open and close my bloodied, right fingers. The area before me lays razed. Not a space in the yard is void of arrows sticking and protruding from the spot. The grass, the shed, the rods of bamboo, even the corner of the house Tohsaka and Archer repaired for me. It all looks like a pincushion.
I fall to my knees. Hesitantly, I lift the palms of my tired hands to my face.
"It was like I was possessed…" I weakly mutter. "As soon as the arrow was in my grasp."
I entered a frenzy, drunk on the exhilaration of shooting that bow. It didn't matter what I shot, just that I did. My eyes stare past my blistered fingers. In the grassy area immediately around me, not a single arrow remains of the quivers I brought. What is… what is wrong with me?
I hear footsteps out in front of the house just as I finish packing the last batch of reclaimed arrows into a quiver. Accompanying the sound, the familiar nagging sensation of Archer and Saber's presence ensures to me they've indeed returned. Thank goodness. I got it all cleaned up before they arrived. Once I've quickly peddled them into the shed, I hurry to the house while wiping the blood of my hands onto my workshop's grease rag.
My aching hands occupy my pockets as I enter into the front hallway, which now has the lights illuminating it. I force a smile upon my lips as I turn the corner to face the others. Saber, Archer, Tohsaka, and Irisviel… they all stand in the entryway cheerfully conversing while kicking off their shoes and removing their coats.
The sight puts a smile on my face. The fear and anxiety in my heart slowly melts away as I see Irisviel's content, smiling face. Yeah, that's right. I can't forget what's most important to me.
"Yo," I call out to them while approaching, "welcome back you guys. You sure took your time."
Irisviel's eyes light up when I announce my presence. She skips down the hall and arrives in front of me with a flourishing twirl.
"Oh, Shirou!" she exclaims. "It was magnificent! Rin's house is so grand and vast! Her furniture! O-Oh, and her workshop! And she had any tea you could ever want! It was like being back at my old home!"
"Haha, I see, I see. So, I take it you had fun then?"
"Of course!"
"You're being far too generous with the explanation of my house…" I hear Tohsaka state in an exasperated tone.
"I also thought it was quite lovely, Rin." Saber agrees with Irisviel while joining us.
Tohsaka lets out a defeated sigh and rolls her eyes. As the three continue reliving the visit there to me, I notice I cannot stop my gaze from reaching past them. To Archer.
He retains his distance at the front door, staring at me. He doesn't look me in the eyes, however. His gaze focuses on my lower body. I curiously glance down to figure what he's concerned with. My eyes widen when, it seems, that he's curious about me keeping my hands in my pockets.
"If that is all," he quickly pipes up over the three, "then I will take to surveying the premises again. If it's alright with you, my master."
Tohsaka nods and waves at him.
"Of course. As always, if you see anything, don't hesitate to inform us."
He nods his head and turns his back to us. Shortly thereafter, he fades away. Archer… He's as sharp as always. I'm sure he knows something is up.
"Emiya!" Tohsaka shouts at me. "Are you going to cook us some dinner or what?"
"Huhhh? Do you think that's any way to ask someone for something?!"
"I'm quite hungry, as well." Irisviel happily agrees.
"Coming right up." I declare with a firm nod.
"GRRR! Now why did you immediately agree to her request but not mine?!" Tohsaka angrily asks while stomping her foot.
"Because, I heard someone whose opinion I actually care about ask." I mumble bitterly while walking past her and to the kitchen.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
Saber and Irisviel laugh as Tohsaka hisses furiously while stomping after me to continue berating me. As she pokes the back of my head and yells at me for disregarding her, I feel the corners of my mouth turn up yet again. Yeah… I missed this.
As the four of us eat, Irisviel explains to me that Tohsaka brought her to her workshop in order to gift some things. She gave Irisviel an array of gems that, apparently, have mana in them. Irisviel explains that she can use them to construct more powerful spells, heal more efficiently, or simply as backup mana.
My eyes widen slightly, and I recoil when Irisviel pulls out her next "gift". She unsheathes a fairly large dagger with a jewel-embedded pommel.
"And she even gave me one of these!" Irisviel cheerfully states. "Isn't it wonderful, Shirou?"
After saying this, she playfully slashes through the air between us a couple of times. I nervously sweat and unknowingly inch away at her faux strikes.
"Y-Yes, very cool." I nervously agree. "But uh, you should probably keep something that sharp sheathed until you need it."
"He's right, Irisviel." Tohsaka agrees while maintaining a tired stare with Irisviel. "And I've already told you, it's nothing that special. It's just an Azoth blade. At the very least, it'll provide a bit more protection to an alchemist-based mage such as yourself."
Irisviel happily nods and sheathes the blade back onto her waist. I do tilt my head at Tohsaka's words, however. Extra protection? She seemed like she could handle herself against Illya pretty well…
"Were those presents the only reason you all made a trip to her residence?" I ask the three of them.
"Pretty much." Tohsaka answers. "I wanted to check up on my estate, as well."
Saber and Irisviel silently nod, maintaining closed eyes while munching on the seared mackerel.
"…" Are they acting weird? Or is it just me…?
I brush it off and continue eating my own plate of food. Halfway through lifting a pinch of rice with my chopsticks, I quickly glance to my left to meet the curious gaze of Irisviel. As soon as our eyes meet, she quickly rips her gaze back to her food.
I skew my brow at her as she begins hastily shoveling rice into her mouth. The other two are also now trying their best to avoid looking at me, as if to assert their ignorance in Irisviel's strange mannerisms.
Ok, so they are acting weird. Did something else happen at Tohsaka's that they're not telling me? I almost vocalize the question but stop myself. If they had any intention of telling me, they would've done so already.
I look, again, to Irisviel. Despite acting strange and trying far too hard to appear innocent, every time she takes a bite of the food I made, she lets out a genuine, satisfied hum. She cups her cheek while savoring a bite of mackerel. I can't help but notice the crimson, butterfly-shaped tattoo adorning her hand. Seeing it reminds me of the war; it reminds me that my only concern now is doing whatever I can to protect her and see her to the end of this battle.
"Alright!" I shout, causing them to all look at me with deer eyes. "Who wants seconds?"
They blink a couple of times at my offer. I swear, I even hear a quiet sigh of relief from Irisviel. Not long after asking, Saber raises her bowl to me with a smile. As I grab the bowl and stand from the table to go serve her more rice, I nod with conviction. Let it rest, Shirou. Enjoy nights like this, with them, for just a little while longer.
†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†
Oh, Shirou… I sadly stare at him as he fidgets in the kitchen, serving Saber another bowl of rice. The way he's acting, he surely knows we're being suspicious. I wish I could tell him, but I promised Rin…
The conversation we held replays in my mind as I poke the food on my plate with a chopstick.
"Irisviel, I want to ask a favor of you." Rin states while handing me an object wrapped in cloth.
"A f-favor?" I warily ask.
Rin doesn't normally talk in a tone so serious, so I grow nervous at whatever it is she's planning to request. On top of the serious aura permeating her workshop, she requested both of the servants leave us, as she needed to talk to me in private.
She nods her head and gestures to the cloth bound object, of which I begin unwrapping.
"Yes. Alongside those gems I gave you, I also want you to take my Azoth blade."
I pull the final ribbon of fabric away to unveil it just as she announces what it is. I'm surprised to be gifted such a thing; these blades are usually ceremonial weapons gifted to prentices upon graduating from their tutelage. Nevertheless, it's not a Mystic Code one should underestimate. As I pull it an inch or so from its sheath, I find that, on top of that, it is in exceptionally fine condition and seems to be of good quality.
"I'm very appreciative of such a fine gift, Rin. But why are you giving me such a stock of munitions?"
"Like I said earlier, I've been worrying about the capability of protecting yourself with just your magecraft. You undoubtedly have excellent circuits, but the Einzbern craft is primarily healing-based and alchemical. With the little boost I've given you, you should prove more formidable now."
I maintain a suspicious gaze with her, wondering if there is perhaps more to the gesture than she's letting on. After casting my skeptical sight on her for a short while, she eventually sighs.
"You aren't going to let up, are you? Fine! I'll be straightforward. Saber came to me with concerns about your safety and wellbeing. Said she was worried that your magecraft is causing too much stress on you and wanted to know if I could help in anyway. All the tools I just imparted to you will take a lot of the strain off casting your spells and will help replenish you if you become mana deprived."
"I-I don't know what to say, Rin." I sheepishly say, feeling far too pampered. "I never knew you were such a softy. It seems like you care a lot more than you let on."
A blush paints her cheeks, and she stammers slightly at my praise. She rapidly shakes her head and holds out both her waving hands.
"N-No, hold on a minute! *ehem* Like I said, I'm not just helping you out of the kindness of my heart. I have a favor to ask, in return."
"O-Oh, right." I'd almost forgotten about her mysterious favor. "And what is it you want?"
"Irisviel, I want you to keep an eye on Emiya."
"…Huh?" I'm confused at her strange request.
"As I said, keep an eye on Emiya. Pay attention to his strange behavior. And come back to me if you learn anything interesting or bizarre."
I blink a couple of times in the prolonged silence ensuing after her question. I try to make sense of why she would pose such a request, but can't seem to wrap my head around it.
"I-I'm sorry, Rin. I'm not quite sure I understand. Why do you want me to keep such a scrutinous eye on Shirou? …Do you have a little crush on him?"
Her blush explodes at my question and she shakes her head again, even faster.
"No! No! No! Dammit!" She loudly exclaims while exhaling heavily. After patting her cheeks and hardening her eyes, she continues while sounding deadly serious. "Let's not joke around, Irisviel. You know full-well why I'm requesting this."
I sigh at her words and stand in silence for a moment. After thinking on it, I nod at her.
"I believe I do, yes. You, too, have noticed something is strange about Shirou."
"Not so much me, but rather Archer. All I want is for you to confirm or deny if there's a pressing matter concerning Emiya, and let me know. Archer won't stop pestering me until I figure out, so please."
I hesitate for a moment. I can't deny that I, too, want to know if something's wrong with Shirou. Between his superhuman feats and his near-omniscient reconnaissance with the servants and masters, I find myself wondering if he's a young man or a demigod. However, I fear that whatever miraculous force compelling him will vanish should I expose it.
"Alright, Rin. I will find out what's going on with Shirou."
"Thank you, Irisviel. I feel like us finding out is for the best. To the end of that investigation, you have full support from my servant. As far as I'm concerned, Archer is your servant as well to the extent of solving this case. Use him however you see fit, and conclude reports on what you find out with him. Oh, and don't let him know the three of us are working together on this. It might make him even more tight-lipped than he already is."
"Order up, Saber!" Shirou energetically announces while sliding the rice bowl across the table.
Just as I'd expect from my Shirou, he didn't fail to pepper it with Saber's favorite toppings. Nori flakes and grated pickled plum. Saber lights up like a Christmas tree once her hands are wrapped around the bowl. It isn't long before her chopsticks are moving like a piston in and out of the bowl. I can't help but chuckle at the sight.
"I have some news from my outing, as well." Shirou suddenly states while retaking his seat.
Tohsaka and I both become alert when he says this and focus our attention onto him.
"Oh?" Tohsaka queries. "What might that be?"
"It's in regard to Berserker."
I can almost feel myself inch forward onto the edge of my seat.
"Go on." Tohsaka urges him.
"My earlier fear, about his lives being restorable… I've come to find out it was warranted. Illya is capable of regenerating them."
Tohsaka's eyes widen in shock, and I feel my own strain at this news. However, likely for a different reason. "Illya"? Did I just hear him correctly?
"Did you just call her Illya?" I sigh in relief when I hear Tohsaka ask the question for me.
Shirou skews his brow at her.
"Did I? I guess so. That's not really the issue at hand, though."
"Where do you get off coming up with little nicknames for our enemy?" Tohsaka angrily asks him while slamming her hands on the table. "Wait, actually, how did you come across this info in the first place?! From Illya?!"
While Tohsaka spits fire at the bewildered Shirou, I notice a smile has subconsciously graced my lips. For some reason, hearing him refer to her by that nickname… it made me feel happy. It surfaced an old memory, of another man who used to call her by that name.
"A-Anyways," Shirou nervously continues, "I managed to find out an exact day. In three days from now, she plans on restoring him to all 12. Right now, he has two left."
Rin, Saber, and I all seem to gasp in unison.
"Th-Then we need to go find them right now!" I hastily spit out.
Saber nods her head.
"At once, my master."
We both rise from the table as Shirou and Tohsaka look at us in confusion.
"Ehhh?" Tohsaka whines while tilting her head. "It's the middle of the night, Irisviel. Not to mention, if Shirou just learned this from her tonight, she'll likely be more prepared now than any of the subsequent three days for an assault."
"I'm more than willing to strike tonight," Shirou begins while standing from the table, "but I haven't the slightest clue of where they'll be located."
"…I believe I know where she'll be." I admit. "There's only one place she'd hole up in until Berserker regained his strength. Rin should know where I'm talking about."
Rin nods. "The Einzbern castle. If I'm not mistaken, the Einzbern's workshop is set up somewhere in the east forest of Fuyuki, right?"
"Yes. Illyasviel wouldn't think to try and set up defenses anywhere else. She probably has full confidence in the fortifications of the Einzberns."
"Right…" Rin mutters while switching her gaze to Shirou again. "Well, before we jump the gun on running out tonight, I would like to know exactly how you came in possession of this information, Emiya."
Shirou sighs at her insistence on wanting to know.
"It's not like I actively sought it out…" He mutters. "I ran into her on my way back from Ryuudou Temple. For whatever reason, she didn't have Berserker with her. Nor did she try to attack me. We had a, relatively, civilized discussion. Near the end, in what seemed to be an attempt to provoke me, she informed me that Saber only killed 10 of Hercules' 12 lives. She said if we wanted any chance of defeating him, that we better come before she restores his stock of lives in three days' time."
Rin continues to look at him with skepticism, but I merely sigh in acknowledgement. Rin would have no way of knowing, but that sounds exactly like something Illyasviel would do. However, it troubles me that the extent of her strange obsession with Shirou runs so deep. Having pondered on Illyasviel's aggressive attempt to lure Shirou out to her, I grow hesitant to leave until I know a little more.
"Maybe you're right, Rin." I decide to agree with her. "Let's hold off on going tonight. We, without a doubt, need to settle this before the three days are up. However, she will likely be more prepared tonight. I'd also like to discuss our strategy a bit more."
Rin lets out a heavy sigh of relief. Shirou and Saber merely concede to my decision, slowly retaking their spots at the table. I sit down shortly in suit while Saber offers her bowl to Shirou again. He looks a little disappointed that he has to get up again so soon after sitting, but grabs the bowl and stands regardless.
"So, for tonight," Rin begins while picking up her last strip of mackerel fillet, "we will all rest up and recover for the day ahead of us. Then, we will go about our strategy for finding and defeating Berserker tomorrow, yes?"
I nod in agreement, and Saber does so with me. Soon, Shirou returns with a double-sized serving for Saber, prompting her eyes to sparkle at the proportion.
"Sure, sounds good." Shirou agrees as he plops down in his spot once more. "It doesn't matter to me when we go after them. I'll defeat Berserker all the same, regardless of the day."
Tohsaka yawns and starts collecting her dirty dishes while he says this. Saber is too preoccupied with demolishing the new challenge Shirou presented to her in a bowl. I was likely the only one at the table who noticed the peculiar wording of his response.
He said "I'll defeat Berserker" …?
†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†º†
I thoroughly fluff the freshly washed futon before laying it across my tatami mat. I'm not really tired, but I should still try to sleep. I guess being in that coma for those days set me pretty well-rested…
As I finish arranging my futon perfectly, I hear the door slide open. I curiously turn to see who's come so late after we finished dinner. I jump a little when my eyes land on Irisviel, in her classic pajamas consisting of lingerie and a translucent nightgown.
"I-Irisviel? What are you doing here?"
She closes the door behind her while answering. "I wanted to talk to you, in private. I didn't get a chance to at the dinner table."
I nervously look around the room for something to focus my attention onto, in lieu of Irisviel's body.
"Couldn't it have waited until morning? I'm sure you're tired, so let's just-"
"Mm! No! I want to talk now!" she whines while stomping her foot, causing her bosom to bounce with each step.
"Alright! Alright! Just stop fussing before the others come to see what's up!"
I gently twist the nob on my oil lamp with my ear next to it. I have to treat the old thing like a combination lock nowadays if I want it to light. Eventually, I hear the familiar click and flash signaling the starter caught and ignited the gas stream. As the gentle light illuminates the space around me and Irisviel, she looks at the flickering flame in amazement.
"Wow, how nifty!" she exclaims. "I could've just made a little magic light with my magecraft, but this is so much cooler! I feel like we're about to go camping!"
"Uh, if you could've saved me the trouble, I wouldn't have minded…"
"It's alright! This lantern is way cooler!"
"*sigh* Anyways, back to the topic at hand, what did you want to discuss?"
She frowns at my exhaustion and puffs her cheeks. "Aww Shirou, why do you sound like you want to get rid of me?"
"I-It's not that, it's just… I'm tired?"
My poor excuse doesn't alleviate her pouting face. I watch as she grabs my pillow and wraps it in a hug while nestling my futon into a little nest around her, effectively ruining the perfect layout I set it in. Once she's settled, she loses the pouty frown, and her face dons a thoughtful expression.
"We haven't really had a chance to talk alone since you woke up from the coma." She explains. "Or, really, since this whole war started… I want to check in on how you're doing every now and then, you know?"
Seeing she has something serious on her mind, I become a lot more attentive. "I see… In that case, I'm doing fine Irisviel. I appreciate you're worrying about me, but you should really focus on winning this war with Tohsaka."
Irisviel shakes her head. "Mm-mm, this war comes secondary to me. Your wellbeing will always be my primary concern. You're what I care about most in this world, after all."
"O-Oh…" I mumble while feeling a blush stain my cheeks and a goofy grin spread across my face. W-Wait, don't be an idiot Shirou. She means as her son, obviously.
"I know that lately you've been the one always coming to my rescue," she continues, "but I still want nothing more than to keep you safe. So, you can rely on me from time-to-time, 'kay?"
She gives me a kind smile while staring at me with her crimson eyes, which seem to almost glow as they capture the warm light of the flickering flame. It feels like a heavy weight is lifted off my chest at her words.
"…"
…That's right. I'd almost forgotten… I was focusing so intently on keeping her safe, that I failed to remember she has my best interest in mind, too. She's probably been trying her hardest all this time to protect me, too.
All the more reason that I must ensure her safety.
"Thank you, Irisviel." I sigh while staring into the small spark of fire in the glass lamp. "…There is one thing that's been troubling me lately."
After hesitantly stating this, Irisviel's eyes become focused and she scooches right next to me. I continue to hesitate, not knowing exactly how much I should let her know, and how much I shouldn't.
"Go on, Shirou." She encourages me before placing her hand on my left arm. "Whatever's wrong, you can tell me. You know that."
I furrow my brows and dip my head slightly. I eventually give in and decide to ask her.
"As a mage, do you know anything about a person's 'origin'? Does such a concept mean anything?"
Her eyes flash in surprise at my question. She briefly clears her throat before answering.
"Mhm. A person's origin is one of the most important things in the world of magecraft. They have a tremendous effect on the life of an individual, whether they be a mage or a normal person. For example, as far as a mage is concerned, it determines things like what magecraft they're capable of and to what extent they'll prosper as a mage. In his life, Kiritsugu's most potent weapon was a gun that utilized his origin."
I feel my lips threaten to break into a frown. So… it's real.
I see Irisviel don a concerned expression as she goes to continue, but I quickly interject. "I-If someone were to awaken to their origin, what would happen?"
Irisviel's concerned face turns dire as I ask this. She looks me over a couple of times, almost looking as if she's trying to discern whether I'm being serious or not. Eventually, she responds.
"I'm… not sure. I don't have very much knowledge of the subject. However, I know that merely the act of discovering what your origin is makes your very acute of it- and gives it an even stronger hold on your life. But, the act of 'awakening' to an origin is different. I'm not familiar with how such is accomplished, but I know the Mage's Association has expressly forbidden the act and labeled it taboo."
I wordlessly stare into the flame, which has grown dimmer from the oil running low. I wait in dead silence for Irisviel to continue, and eventually she goes on.
"Shirou… how did you learn of these terms? Of origins and of awakening to them? And why are you so interested?"
I reel back my troubled thoughts with what I've learned when she asks this. I lift my gaze from the lamp towards her while taking a deep breath.
"Oh, I was just curious about the subject, haha!" I exclaim while mustering the most chipper, carefree smile that I can. "Tohsaka had mentioned it to me in passing before, and I was thinking it might be cool to know what mine is. Maybe it could even help me be more formidable in the fights from here on out!"
Irisviel maintains eye contact with me for a few seconds, but it feels like eternity. Eventually, she closes her eyes and lets out a surprisingly loud sigh of relief. Good, she fell for it.
"Jeez! Don't scare me like that, Shirou!" she exclaims while playfully knocking me on the shoulder with a gentle punch. "And don't even think about trying to awaken your origin! Not that me or Rin could even do so… I wouldn't wish a future like that even on my worst enemy."
"Alright, alright hahaha… I'll just forget about it…"
Irisviel stays in my room for a while longer. We both lose track of the time as we talk about whatever strikes our fancy. Once she starts yawning however, I urge her to go get some sleep. I tell her that we'll need to be fully rested for these next, few critical days. She concedes and wishes me a goodnight before handing off my bundled-up futon and exiting my bedroom. Soon, I'm left alone in the room, with nothing more than the dancing, diminished flame to keep me company.
"…I couldn't tell her…" I silently curse myself while biting my lower lip. "Even if I wanted to, how could I?!"
After the grim way she danced around the subject, there was no way I could inform her that such a thing had already happened to me… a long time ago. With this war going on, and her current goal of confronting Illya, I can't afford to throw such a wrench into the mix.
The awakening of my origin has already transpired. Nothing can be done now. If I told her, all it would do is serve to worry her sick. It would terrify her that "a future she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy" is what I'm currently living.
"…" I stare at the tiny wisp of flame occupying the glass chamber.
Wordlessly, I reach forward and turn the knob to extinguish the flame. A strange feeling swirls and bubbles deep within me as I replay the conversation we had, over and over again. It has been a while since I've felt the strange sensation. The last time I experienced it was probably the night I was hunted by Lancer.
"However, I won't acknowledge it." I confidently state while rising to my feet.
My skills with the bow, the mystical arrow, and the way I lost control and went into a frenzy when I gathered my arrows this night… I'm sure they're all attributed to me "awakening" to my origin.
The Concept of Archer.
In assuring what the fortune teller did that day is real, I have taken the next step in figuring out what it all means. Whether the awakening be taboo or detrimental doesn't matter. I know that I can reach out and grasp that which still matters most. As long as that's the case, I have complete control of myself and my fate.
I continue holding in my heart the reason for all of this. The thing that man promised me back then. By awakening to that origin, I possess the best chance at keeping Irisviel safe. At ensuring a happy future for her.
Remembering that, all doubt leaves my mind. I nod my head firmly and pull my lucky arrow to brandish in the moonlight casted from my window. I maintain a stern, fervent gaze with the object. Alright, alright. I've come to terms with it now. If that origin is destined to be a part of me, then I'll just utilize it to the fullest extent and harness it to the absolute limit.
"I suppose the next step will be figuring out what exactly is the Concept of Archer." I begin while gripping the arrow tight enough to elicit glints of red energy. "For whatever reason, I feel like the answer is locked behind that behemoth of a servant."
I tread over to my window as a confident smile possesses my face. The earlier, dreadful feeling that overcame me is all but gone. Now, I only feel anticipation at the coming bout between me and that monster. Because, in the wake of that, I will uncover the truth. Of what the hell is going on.