AN: Happy birthday, you sausage.
Chapter Three
Servant Berserker
"Ahhhhhh," said the moonlit goddess.
"Hold on, hold on," grumbled Shirou from the kitchen. "It's almost done."
Rin had no idea what to think of the School Janitor. He had asked her to wait for her at the dining table while he went off to bathe the phantasmal woman. He said it as simply as he would about taking out the trash or sweeping the front entrance. Never mind he had gone off to strip a gorgeous woman naked and scrub every corner of her body.
He said it as though it was something that needed to be done but would rather not do.
There was a loud sound of the goddess throwing a tantrum in the bathroom, things being thrown, Shirou trying to keep her still, and then mellow silence.
They both returned moments later. The goddess was fuming like a wet kitten. But she was dressed in a new, clean dress.
Shirou came back with battle scars. His face was decorated in crimson streaks of scratch marks.
After that, he went into the kitchens and began to finish a meal he was working on prior to their arrival.
All Rin could do was sip her tea in silence. Even Saber, the boy's Servant, who kept a vigilant eye on Rin the entire time, couldn't help but blink and stare at him with a perplexed expression.
"Ahhhhhh~" called out the goddess once more with more clear irritation.
"I'm not at fault this time," sighed Shirou from the counter. "Dinner would have been ready on time if it wasn't for— Oh, Caster!"
Rin nearly gagged on her tea at the arrival of another Servant. A woman in dark colors of green and violet robes appeared in the middle of the living room. Most of her face was concealed by a hood. Rin couldn't see her eyes.
"The dark deed you requested is complete," the Servant, Caster, stated while looking around the table. Her attention locked on Rin and Archer at first. It paused for a moment at the moonlit goddess, who continued to glare at Shirou with impatience.
Upon sensing the Servant's gaze, the goddess craned her head around to peer over her shoulder. Her lunar eyes pierced through the Servant's with a silent warning.
"So this is the mystery woman…" she said after averting her gaze.
"Do you mind coming here and helping out?" Shirou called out to her. "Help me serve the appetizers at least."
"Certainly, my Master," Caster said with a flare as she approached the kitchen.
Rin blinked at that. Master? Did she seriously just call Shirou her Master?!
The School Janitor had two Servants under his command?!
She also took note the way Saber was being cautious around Caster. While the petite knight kept her head held high and face calm, she tensed when Caster walked behind her to get into the kitchen.
It was understandable. While they might be on the same team, they were still two Servants. Their partnership would be temporary. At some point during the War would they have to face against another. They couldn't afford to be so trusting around the other.
"I told you to call me Shirou," the boy grumbled as he started to pile plates in her arms. He did it with such a flurry she almost lost her balance. "I'm not your Master or anything. Don't drop anything. She'll probably eat it off the floor and I'm trying to get her to stop doing that."
Caster looked out of her zone with the number of plates she struggled to balance. Her lips thinned as she walked stiffly out of the kitchen. All of her focus was on not stumbling. She had to place one foot in front of the other while readjusting her balance.
Despite her awkwardness, Caster was able to place each plate down in front of everyone. Shirou had even placed a set for Archer, who remained in the back of the room with his back leaning against the wall. With her task done, Caster knelt down on one of the cushions. She did not sigh in relief, but Rin could see she was trying to suppress the gesture by her posture.
For appetizers, they were rather simple.
The goddess took a few sniffs of the plate in front of her. Her eyes lit up with delight. She opened her mouth, exposing a mouth full of fangs…
"Don't," was Shirou's simple command from the kitchen.
The goddess scowled and leaned back. She glared fiercely at Shirou. Rin almost expected the wrath of the heavens to descend onto this house. But, the goddess picked up the plate with one hand and began to scoop up its contents with her fingers. All the while, she continued to glare at Shirou.
"Mmmmmmm!" she moaned as soon as the first scoops filled her mouth to the brim. Her face flushed as an expression of absolute pleasure filled her.
Rin eyed her plate. She looked around the table at Saber and Caster. Saber kept her hands at her lap with the same stalwart expression on her face. But her eyes were crying to want to eat. Caster, however, had picked up a pair of chopsticks. Her head was lifted, peering towards Shirou's location as though he were about to scold her as well.
When he said nothing, Caster dug into her meal.
That must have been the cue for her to begin. She thanked him for the meal, picked up one of the dumplings, blew on it in two puffs, and popped it into her mouth.
It was like a bomb had gone off in her mouth.
There was an explosion of flavor and juices that slammed every sense within her. It felt like someone had walked up to her and slapped her across the face. And the aftertaste was the tingling sensation of stinking numbness.
When next she came to, her entire plate was empty. The only thing that brought her out of this state of mind had been the clink of her chopstick hitting an empty plate. Somehow, in some way, she had devoured five other pieces in the blink of an eye.
The appetizer had bitch slapped her.
…And she liked it.
"Did you spike the food?!" Rin demanded. "Emiya, what the hell did you put in here?! I'm not going to wake up in chains in your workshop, am I?!"
He glowered as he placed the main dishes down onto the table. His glare was rather blunt compared to the goddess' fiercely penetrating. But he looked annoyed by her comment.
"Still too much?" he groaned as he wiped his hands on his apron. "I thought by adding citrus it would conflict with the spice. What the hell am I doing right?"
"I believe you made it more potent than the last time," commented Caster. She was the only one at the table capable of eating at her own leisure. She had one last dumpling in her grip.
"Stronger than last time…?" Shirou groaned again. He pulled a wooden spoon from his apron pocket and wacked the back of the hand of the goddess, who had been trying to swipe a bread roll while he wasn't looking. "Saber, what do you think?"
"I… w-wha…?" the Servant of the Sword's face was completely red with tears threatening to flow down her eyes. She had her empty plate in her hands and eyeing it as though it were a comrade who had died in her arms. There was no indication she had actually heard Shirou's words.
Shirou took note of her reaction, grumbled further, and pulled a small notebook from his pant pocket. He made notes while taking the head of the table.
"Fortunately, this is all store brand stuff," he said after placing the note down at the edge of the table.
"…You mean none of this you actually cooked?" Caster asked without bothering to hide her disappointment.
"It's all from a recipe the market gave me," he answered. "I didn't change anything to it. So let's see how it all works out. Itadakimasu."
He was the only one to do it. Rin would have if she wasn't still flustered from the dumpling molestation. Saber didn't because it was a foreign concept to her. And the goddess definitely didn't because all she understood from the word was permission to gorge herself of the food.
"Itadakimasu," Caster clapped her hands together in prayer and began to fill her plate.
Rin blanched as she looked around the table once more. Saber had snapped out of her stupor after coming back to reality and finding more food placed in front of her. The goddess had her place close to her face… but taking only scoops of food through her fingers rather than eating like a dog. The annoyance of the habit was evident on her expression. And Caster was eating leisurely.
"Is something wrong, Tohsaka-san?" Shirou asked as he eyed her. He had taken a few bites but stopped once he noticed her hesitation.
"Um… no," she shook her head and began to fill up her plate. "Thank you for the meal, Emiya-kun. You didn't have to go this far."
She was disappointed in the quality of the meal. It was still delicious, sure. But it didn't have that kick his appetizer had.
He observed her reaction. A smile graced him as he went back to his meal.
"I was hoping you could answer some of my questions," he asked after a moment.
She nodded, "I can do that much. But, first, I want to ask you something. How long have you been a Magus?"
He chewed for a bit as he eyed her. "Magus? I'm not."
She raised a skeptical brow at him.
"My father tried to teach me magic. It didn't work out. It was a long time ago so I don't remember the fundamentals. I haven't attempted to cast magic since I was very little. I barely understand half the things Caster say."
"The struggle is real," Caster said between bites.
"Really…?" Rin's brows furrowed. "Then how was it you managed to get ahold of two Servants?"
"I don't believe that question is relevant," Saber stated firmly.
"I killed Caster's previous Master," Shirou answered without hesitation. "The contract got transferred to me. But then… I was attacked by another Master with Berserker. I lost my arm. The Command Seals on them—"
"Master," called out Caster.
"Shirou," the boy barked back automatically. He blinked as his gaze went back to Rin. "Um… Sorry. What were we talking about?"
Rin gazed at his body. He still had both his arms. So many different scenarios played in her mind to prove and disprove his testimony. However, it was all baseless. He could just be making up the story to tease her. She chose to ignore his past few words.
Saber was looking at him curiously, however.
"I only have one more question," Rin pointed a finger at the goddess, who looked up from her plate as soon as the gesture was made. "What is she and how do you know her?"
Genuine confusion crossed through Shirou. He and the goddess exchanged a look. She didn't glare at him when making direct eye contact. If anything, she only tilted her head.
He crossed his arms and went back to Rin, "No idea. She just pops up every now and then for food. I can't have her running around naked so I get clothes for her. The bath is for only when we need to eat indoors. Like in this cold weather."
Incidentally, the goddess stopped chewing as soon as the word 'bath' was brought up. Her entire body became stiff as though sensing a predator around the corner.
"Emiya-kun, do you know who I am?" Rin asked with all seriousness.
He started to laugh to himself. He tried to hold it in but couldn't restrain himself. All he could do was muffle his laughter with a hand over his mouth.
"Just what is so funny?" she demanded.
"Sorry, Tohsaka-san," he said after a moment. "What you just asked… It's something we all say whenever… N-Never mind. I only know you as Tohsaka Rin. You're the same year as me in another class. You're one of the top students. And, apparently, a Magus and Master of the Holy Grail War."
She eyed him for both his reaction as well as for his answer.
"I am also the Second Owner," she explained, keeping attentive focus on his reaction. He gave nothing as he stared straight at her. "It means I am ordained by the Magic Association to govern this land in all magic affairs. Do you understand what this means?"
"Not fully but I understand the gist," he said with a steady nod. "Does this have anything to do with the Holy Grail War?"
"You could say I'm the one who authorized it," she said with a shrug. "Rather, my family did. I belong to the Tohsaka family. We are the founders of the Holy Grail War alongside the Einzbern and the Makiri… or the Matou, as you would know them by."
His brows furrowed, "Matou…? As in—"
"Yes," she answered readily.
"Then… is Sakura…?"
She shook her head, "Sakura shouldn't be affiliated with the magical world. The Matou have declined in both status and pedigree. Their heir doesn't have any Magic Circuits. The last Magus of the line is the current head and the line of sorcery will die with him."
"…I see," Shirou said as he relaxed a tiny bit. "Caster has told me the general rules and goal of the Holy Grail War. I understand seven Masters pair with seven Servants. And I understand the last one standing will be able to claim the Grail and make a wish. Is there anything else you can tell me?"
"That's the bare basics, yes. And, as you probably figured, there are seven different classes for Servants. And it's also imperative you keep the identity of each Servant to yourself."
"…Then you already know I have Caster and Saber," he muttered.
She shook her head, "I mean their true identities. Every Servant summoned is a hero of legend and history. If an enemy Master learns the identity of another Servant, they can learn everything about from. Their tactics, their feats in their past lives, their Noble Phantasm, and, especially, how they died."
"…So they can figure out how to kill them," he stated.
She nodded.
"But… Noble Phantasm?" he questioned next.
Inwardly, she sighed.
"Shirou," Saber spoke up as she addressed him. "A Noble Phantasm is a Servant's ultimate power. It can be a technique, or a power, or a weapon. It is the crowning achievement of a Servant that has made their mark on the world and placed them upon the Throne of Heroes."
Shirou hummed to himself in understanding while folding his arms again. "Okay. I get that much. But, here's what I'm most concerned about, why set up a secret war like this in a heavily populated area? A lot of people outside the magic community could get dragged into it."
"Like you, Master?" Caster questioned.
"Shirou," he corrected her again.
Rin took note of Caster's comment before answering, "It's the land. When the Holy Grail War was first designed, it was decided to host the ritual here because of the ley lines. You can call them veins of the land that pumps magic. The ritual takes place once every sixty years over the past two hundred years. This would be the Fifth Holy Grail War."
"…The math doesn't add up," he said with his brows furrowing.
"You're right," she said as she leaned against the table. "We don't know why, but this Holy Grail War started several years earlier than it should have. The last War was over ten years ago. Honestly, I had been prepared to have either my children or grandchildren participate in it. I never thought I would have been a Master myself."
He looked up at the ceiling in thought. His eyes spaced out for a moment as though trying to recall something. He frowned further before dropping his gaze at the goddess.
"I don't suppose you know what's going on, do you?"
The goddess blinked at him a few times.
He sighed, "Yeah, I didn't think so."
"That's pretty much everything I can tell you," Rin announced. "Anything else you might want to know can be asked by the moderator of the War."
"I heard something about that," Shirou said as he looked back at her. "Do you know who it is and how I can get in contact with him?"
She frowned. It would be better to just point him in the right direction and send him off. But… she had a responsibility. And she owed him for a few things. Such as holding off his Servant before decapitating her and Archer. And for taking responsibility over the goddess.
"If we leave now we can meet him," she answered begrudgingly. "It's better you see him as soon as possible since it's so early in the War. Wait any longer and you run the chance of facing another Master."
He considered her proposal for a moment. His eyes flickered towards his left, not necessarily looking at anything. It was a reaction most had when hearing something that had suddenly gotten their attention. He was listening to something.
"Sure," he said suddenly with a smile. "I would appreciate it, Tohsaka-san. But, uh, this person isn't a part of the Magic Association, is he? You're probably the first person from there that doesn't want to kill me."
She couldn't help but raise a curious brow for that.
"She is a Master, Master," Caster clarified.
"Caster, I will leave you to clean the dishes if you do that again," he threatened.
"…What a cruel Master I have. Very well, Shirou."
He nodded in appreciation.
"Are you sure this is wise, Shirou?" Saber spoke up. "There are other important matters that need to be addressed. Matters that must be discussed in private."
"I think that's something you and Caster are going to have to figure out yourselves," he answered in a simple tone. He looked at the two Servants. "I'll tell you what I told Caster. So long as you don't endanger others, I will support you. But I don't care about the Holy Grail at all."
"What?!" Rin nearly shrieked. "Shirou! Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"
"I do," he said in the same simple tone. "I'm only participating to make sure others aren't put in danger. Ah, that reminds me. Tohsaka-san, you're not going to be sacrificing others for this game, are you?"
She scowled at him, "I have my pride as a Magus, Emiya-kun. I'm going to be winning this Holy Grail War through my own merits. Honorably."
She pretended to have not noticed Archer's grunt of disproval.
Shirou stared at her for a moment, his eyes searching through hers. He liked her answer as it shone through his smile. "Good. That only leads a few others to ask. Alright, can you take me to the moderator then? I would appreciate it."
"Then let's go," she said as she stood. "Before it gets any later."
He wiped his hands clean and began to gather the plates. He chose to let the goddess' remain. She continued to eat away.
Saber sulked at having to leave such a feast. But she handed Shirou her plate and stood as well.
"What about her?" Rin asked, pointing once again at the goddess.
"She'll be fine by herself," Shirou answered as he placed what he could into the kitchen sink and rinse them. He would have to properly wash them later. "She'll be gone by the time I get back. She only shows up for food and leaves. We won't see her again for a while."
That didn't match up with Rin's experience. The goddess had stuck to Archer even after he fed her. She trailed him into a nearby forest, dug up a pit to sleep in, and found him the following afternoon while Rin was in school.
She thought about telling Shirou about all of this.
But… it was his problem now. Their relationship seemed to be long term if he could get her to take a bath and have some decency at table manners. His word had meaning to the goddess.
This was Rin's silent way of having revenge. Let him find out how difficult it was when dealing with this creature.
By no means did she give up in her inquisition. She was going to find out who and what this goddess was— if a divine entity at all— and how Shirou got such a close connection to her.
0-0-0
"Emiya-kun… I'm doing you a favor…" Rin grumbled as she marched up the hill. "It's getting late. We have school tomorrow! Why did you have to stop by for more food?!"
"Because it's rude to show up without anything to offer," he answered as if it were so simple. "Caster, is there any possible way you can keep this one warm with your magic?"
Rin nearly had a spasm. She wanted to punch him for such a request. He was going to ask the Servant of the Spell to use her legendary skill of sorcery to keep some fast-food garbage warm?!
"Certainly, Master," Caster said as she took the offered paper bag from him. Already a small hum of power coursed through her hands.
"You're doing that on purpose now," he said with a blunt glare. "Just because you didn't have to clean dishes then doesn't mean you won't later."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Shirou," she replied with a playful smile.
He stared at her for a moment before dropping the subject altogether and returning to his climb. The sight of the church was just over the hill.
"It's a church," he commented. "Is the priest also a Magus? I thought the Church and Magic Association don't get along."
For someone who was outside the magic community… he had said something pretty perceptive. Or, perhaps not. It was common knowledge even to the vanilla people that the Church was against any occult practice. Shirou's assessment could be based entirely on that and he wouldn't be wrong.
"The moderator is a priest from the Roman Catholic Church," she explained. "He's a neutral party sent by the Church to take control over the War. You can ask him about the specifics once we get inside."
When they reached their destination, she pushed open the gate.
"You're not coming in?" Shirou asked his Servants.
Both of them were looking up at the Church. Caster answered first, "If that is your wish. I would prefer not to… intrude."
"There is something malevolent in the air," Saber went next. "I'm not very fond of this place. I will stand guard out here."
"Archer will do the same," Rin announced. "Besides, it's somewhat against the rules for a Servant to step inside here. It's neutral grounds. It would be fine since you're a new Master without proper instruction."
"No, this is okay," Shirou said as he stepped beside Rin. He said to his Servants, "I'll only be a few minutes. Please try to not kill each other while I'm away."
"I make no promises," Caster said.
Saber eyed her suspiciously.
Caster couldn't help but smirk.
They left the group to enter the church. It was a small building at the front with a few pews, an altar at the far back, stained glass windows depicting angels and saints, and doors leading to the priest's private areas in the corner.
There was a man standing at the altar, facing the cross with his head bowed. In his hand was the holy text. He didn't respond when the two of them entered. He only shut the book when Shirou shut the door behind him and took a few steps forward.
Kotomine Kirei was his name. Rin hated his guts with a passion as hot as the sun.
"Rin," the man spoke in a deep voice. "What brings you here so late in the hour? Are you finally here to ask for my advice as my student?"
"Don't try to pretend like you care, fake priest," Rin snapped back as she waved a hand. "I brought someone who needs to be explained the mechanics of the Holy Grail War."
Kirei's eyes flicked upwards. He had always been aware of the presence of the individual accompanying Rin. Some things never left the experience of an Executioner. But a fraction of an expression swept through the man at the sight of Shirou.
"Emiya," Kirei announced as he folded his hands behind his back.
"Kotomine," Shirou announced in the same tone as he stood beside Rin.
"Wait…" Rin looked at the two of them. "You two know each other?!"
Both boy and man paid her just enough attention to answer.
"No," they said in perfect unison before looking back at each other.
Rin's brow twitched.
"To what do I owe the company?" Kirei asked as he began to move around the room. He kept his hands behind his back as he circled around the pews. He kept his eyes locked on Shirou at all times.
"I came here because I heard all about the Holy Grail War," Shirou answered in a serious tone.
Kirei almost lost the grace of his stride. "Is that right? I wouldn't think someone like you would care about a matter like this. Just how did you hear about it?"
"From a Servant," Shirou answered. He only tilted his head to keep Kirei in his peripheral vision as the man started to circle around him. "She told me the general needs. Tohsaka-san filled in some of the gaps. But I want to know the role of the moderator and how much you can influence exactly."
"A Servant, was it?" Kirei gave a mocking scoff. He knew something and let it show in his voice. "Nothing else? You would be the sixth Master to have summoned a Servant. Shall I assume it is Assassin? Or… because it's you… Servant Saber—"
Kirei had almost finished circling around the room. But just before he could reach his original destination, Shirou tossed him one of the bags of food he purchased earlier. Kirei stopped in his steps to catch it.
"I brought you something," Shirou said with a friendly smile. "It's the spicy chicken. I thought you might like it."
Rin looked at him. "Okay, seriously, you two know each other. What exactly—"
"We don't," they both answered in, once again, perfect unison.
"I need to know a few things from you, Kotomine," Shirou began as he stepped forward. He made sure to move around Kirei, making sure there was a certain amount of space between them. He paused with his eyes flickering towards the ground.
He dragged his foot across an invisible line. It was the pathway Kirei had made when he first began to circle around the room. Only then did Shirou cross over it.
"Of course," Kirei responded with a fake smile. He dropped the bag of food on one of the pews while facing the altar. "It's my responsibility as the proctor of this rite. What knowledge do you seek from me?"
"Is it against the rules to get anyone not participating in the War involved, directly or indirectly? And if not, do you have the means to punish those?"
"No," Kirei answered in a solid voice. "While the War is a secret, it is up to the Master to make sure all else remain unaware of the battle. My duty is to only clean up the mess and ensure the general populace do not grow suspicious. The first incident was the unfortunate plane crash under Fuyuki Bridge a few days past."
"The plane was shot down," Shirou accused. "By a Master and Servant?"
"We suspect," Kirei said with another knowing smile. "It is confirmed the plane belonged to another Master. I, however, cannot reveal any further information about him. The incident, on the other hand, was swept up as an unfortunate accident."
"Then your power only extends towards cleaning up the aftermath," Shirou almost growled. "You can't stop a Master or Servant should any of them target people?"
"My priority is to ensure the secret of magic," Kirei reaffirmed. "However, should a Master and Servant start to stir up trouble and threaten to reveal this secret, measures have been considered to quell them."
"How so?"
"It is unceremonious for a Master to learn how I will eliminate them as a threat, is it not?"
Shirou looked away in thought. His head bowed down as his eyes flickered over his shoulder. There it was again. He was listening for something.
Kirei looked intrigued at the notion.
"Fine," Shirou said eventually. "Another thing. If only a Servant has to die, why go after the Master?"
"A Servant is only a temporary vessel for the Heroic Spirit dwelling within. And that vessel can only remain because of their connection to their Master. The Master provides prana to the Servant in order to fuel their powers, their wonders, and keep them in the material world. It is strategically sound to go after the Master instead of the Servant. Without the Master… the Servant will vanish soon after."
"So anyone participating in this game can die."
"A game…" Kirei tasted the word. "How fitting, Emiya. Yes, both Master and Servant can perish in this rite. But such is the nature and will of the Holy Grail. Only the worthy will be able to inherit its splendor. Rejoice, Emiya, your wish may be fulfilled after all."
Shirou blinked at that. "My wish? If it can grant that… then the Grail can grant any type of wish?"
Rin, who had been listening silently, couldn't help but be curious about Shirou's wish.
"Of course," Kirei answered with another smile. "While it might not be the cup the Lord and Savior drank from, its might cannot be denied. It can be used to bring salvation to the world… or destroy it entirely."
Shirou was silent as he thought. He bowed his head again as he listened to something only he could hear.
"Thank you, Kotomine," Shirou said as he turned sharply and started to head towards the exit.
"Then am I to assume you are to participate, Emiya?" Kirei called out after him. "Will you play the part of Master and claim the Grail for yourself?"
"I will be a Master," Shirou stopped just to call over his shoulder. "But I have no interest in the Grail. I will only participate to make sure the Grail doesn't fall into the wrong hands."
"Of course…" Kirei faced back to the altar. He opened the bible he kept in hand and resumed his reading. But not before leaving off, "Such is the nature of a guard dog."
Shirou paused for a second. His face never changed expression. It was as though he had frozen in time itself. The moment passed. He resumed his pacing and left the church with Rin in tow.
0-0-0
"Just what the hell was that about?" Rin demanded.
"What do you mean?" he asked with an innocent glint in his eyes. "What did I do?"
They were descending back down the hill when Rin couldn't stand the silence any longer. He only mentioned a few words to his Servants but didn't answer any of their questions. He was quiet in thought to himself. He was mulling over the conversation with Kirei.
"Emiya-kun, just who are you?" she demanded next. "You have two servants, you have a goddess begging for scraps—"
"I don't think she's a goddess."
"And you clearly know that fake priest!" she shot back to make her point. "What was that comment he made about you being a guard dog?"
"I like to protect people," he answered in a sharp tone. "I don't like seeing people get hurt. I don't like bullies. I honestly believe those with power should use it to protect others. Not… not play games like this."
He looked around the general area, gesturing about the Holy Grail War itself.
"Shirou," Caster said suddenly. She lifted the colorful bag he asked her to keep heated. "What shall I do with this? Is this for your friend?"
His expression completely changed back to the more innocent tone. "Oh. That? Hold onto it for a bit longer. We're going to be needing it soon."
"…I don't understand you at all," Rin grumbled as she rubbed her temple. "You know what, fine. Fine! Don't tell me. Emiya-kun, if you don't trust me that's fine. Just don't treat me like an idiot. At least have the decency to tell me straight to my face you have no intention in telling me anything. We are enemy Masters after all."
"Huh…" was all he could say. He pulled out the notebook from before and made a few notes from it. "You're right, you're right. Okay. Noted. But that also reminds me, Tohsaka-san. What do you want to wish for?"
Something in his tone made everyone tense. She caught it too. His eyes had sharpened at his inquiry.
She waved it off, "Nothing. I don't have a wish. I could ask to take over the world but I think that would be too boring. No, I only want the Grail to keep as a trophy. Something I can point at for those who doubt me."
Any hostility he had vanished like a lightbulb going out. His eyes were back to being innocent.
It both unnerved and annoyed her how he could switch like that. There wasn't something right about him.
"Okay," Shirou said with a few nods. He pocketed his notebook. "Alright, I can support that. Do you want us to walk you home, Tohsaka-san? If not, I'll see you in school tomorrow."
She glowered at him, "Emiya-kun, do you not understand your situation? You agreed to be a Master of the Holy Grail War."
"Uh huh."
"That means, starting tomorrow, you and I will be enemies," she jabbed a finger at his direction. "I only offered to help you tonight because you held back your Servant. But our truce ends once we part ways."
"Sure," he nodded as though he understood. "But you're a good person, Tohsaka-san. I can't see you as my enemy."
…Or not.
"Are you done yet with your conversation?"
Rin's head whipped around. Archer materialized as he stood protectively in front of her. Saber did the same in front of Shirou. However… Caster remained as passive as ever as she continued to use her sorcery to keep the food warm.
She was looking at it with newfound light as though everything started to make sense.
Shirou, on the other hand, was the only one unfazed by the surprise appearance.
Standing atop the hill they came from was a little girl with long white hair, fair skin, and bright red eyes. She was dressed in winter attire of purple.
The thing standing behind her towered over everyone. It could hardly be called human with the sheer size of it. It was a man standing nearly eight feet tall with bulging muscles larger than Rin's head. In his hand was a chunk of rock carved into a crude blade with strips of cloth wrapped around for the handle.
"Hello again," Shirou said with a slightly warm smile.
"Hello, Onii-chan," the girl replied with a hungry smile. "You surprised me. Your Servant must be really amazing! I was so disappointed the last time. I thought you were dead but your Servant patched you back together. That means my Berserker can tear you apart again and again."
Berserker. The hulking brute behind her was the Servant Berserker.
The little girl suddenly took notice of Rin. "Oh. Hello there. You must be Rin Tohsaka. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Illyasviel von Einzbern."
She grabbed the hem of her coat and performed a curtsey.
"Einzbern…" growled Rin below her breath. This was the representative of the Einzbern family? This little girl? No, this homunculus. Once again, just like the Fourth War, she was to act as both the Master and Lesser Grail.
"I'll be dealing with you soon enough," Illaysviel said with a wicked sneer. "But first, I have unfinished business with my dear Onii-chan. Berserker… KILL HIM!"
The monster behind her let out a shriek that could never come out of human lungs. It sent a shockwave as the lampposts around them shattered. Rin had to cover her ears before she would lose her mind. In the next instant, the Servant leapt forward.
It was nothing but a black blur! It moved too fast for even the likes of a Servant!
"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask—"
Whatever Shirou was about to say was cut off. The idiot just stood there! He had called out to Rin with a question on the tip of his tongue before Berserker struck. An eruption of gravel and dirt flew up from the first impact.
Rin would have been caught up in the blast if Archer hadn't grabbed ahold of her and leapt away.
The dust cleared quickly. Saber was there in front of Shirou. She had deflected the first blow from Berserker. The petite knight grunted and sent a flurry of strikes, each one sending a pulse of power with every contact.
But Berserker was matching her strikes with a frenzy of his own. He was powerful enough for each swing to create sonic booms. Every contact destroyed the area around them.
Shirou, impossibly, remained standing despite being so close to the combat. He coughed a few times as his face was completely covered in dirt. He took a few steps outside the area, if only to get away from the debris flying at him and not from the lethal threat of two Servants clashing.
"What do you want to do?" Archer asked. "We could leave them to kill each other. Or we could strike them all while they're distracted."
Rin scowled. Her eyes flicked back up towards the hill.
Illyasviel was glowering with annoyance as her Servant was occupied by Saber. Their eyes had met for a brief moment. A smile grew on Illyasviel. She walked off the side of the road and began to make her way towards the neighboring sea of trees.
"We fight," Rin declared. "Archer, let Emiya deal with Berserker. I'm going after Einzbern. Provide support."
"Very well," he said as he went into his astral form. "But I'm taking a shot if the opportunity presents itself."
"We are in a War, after all," Rin nodded grimly and started to follow after Illyasviel.
She really hoped Shirou would get his shit together before he got himself killed. She had done her part. She had educated the boy. The rest was all on him.
0-0-0
…In retrospect, maybe going after the Einzbern Master wasn't such a smart move.
Rin swore as she dove for cover. Illyasviel was using magecraft with wires to create animatronic birds with wings as sharp as blades. Those Rin could deal with a few Gandr shots. But no. The birds could shoot blasts of compressed prana out of their beaks!
Nothing was going her way this Holy Grail War. Finding competition was a hassle and a half. And then when she finds a Servant, Emiya's moonlit companion ruined everything. And then there was Emiya!
Now, Rin was hiding in a ditch from some jailbait.
"Tohsaka, there you are."
She nearly shrieked. Shirou had climbed out of the bushes and joined her down in the ditch. His clothes were dirtied and torn from being so close against Berserker. In his hand was the rolled up paper bag of a kid's meal.
…A kid's meal. There's no freaking way he bought that knowing this was going to happen.
"You planned this," she accused.
He blinked at her and then eyed the bag. "I didn't plan anything. I was only aware we were going to run into each other. I think she was waiting for any Master to appear at the church."
"Tohsaka~" the little girl called out from the other side of the field. "Where did you run off to? Don't tell me that's all the great Tohsaka family can put up. I'm a little disappointed. You put up an even lesser fight than Onii-chan."
The little brat did not just say she was worse than the School Janitor!
"Anyways," Shirou waved to get her attention again. "I had a question I forgot to ask Kotomine."
"Are you kidding me?" she nearly screamed. "Emiya-kun, I don't have time to be holding your hand."
"It's just a quick question," he pressed further. He squatted closer. "I heard killing a Master is ideal. Servants can kill Masters. And since you're fighting against Illya-chan then it means Masters can kill other Masters."
…Illya-chan?
"Does this mean Masters can't fight Servants?" he asked without a hitch.
His question left her dumbfounded. "What? No! Are you crazy?! A Master wouldn't stand a chance against a Servant!"
"…So is it against the rules or not?" he asked with his brows furrowing.
"Try and you'll get destroyed," she gritted her teeth.
"By what? The proctor? Or by the Servant? I don't understand."
"What idiot would fight against a Servant in the first place?!"
"There you are!" she heard Illya-chan sing with joy.
Rin shoved Shirou to the side as another set of wire birds flew over and bombarded them with prana shots. The rolled downhill with limbs tangling over the other. Their tumbling stopped when Shirou landed on top of a bush.
He held Rin close to his chest with his hands around her waist. They were close enough to see the color of their eyes in the dark of the night.
"But I'm trying to understand if a Master can attack a Servant," he went on, completely unfazed by their closeness or by the danger they were in. "Look at it this way. Can I support Saber and Caster by attacking Berserker? Or will I get penalized for it? It seems kinda stupid if a Servant can attack me and I can't defend myself."
Stupid? Stupid?! Servants were practically gods! If one of them went after even an Enforcer of the Clocktower then there was nothing that could be done about it. Fighting a Servant was equal to trying to stand up against a storm, or an earthquake, or a volcanic eruption.
Servants were just one step away from being forces of nature themselves.
And he was saying it was stupid for being unable to defend himself?!
She shoved herself off of him, got off the line of bushes, and pressed her back against a tree. She peered her head around the corner to see where Illyasviel was. All she saw was the flickering movement of her birds. She snapped her head back around and prayed they didn't see her.
Shirou climbed out of the bushes. The boy still had the bag of food in his hand. It was hardly crumbled as though he spent more effort in making sure the contents were unharmed rather than himself on their fall down.
"Emiya-kun… I don't know how much I can stress about this," she groaned as he gave her an expectant look. She was pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Nobody can stand up against a Servant. Only the likes of a Dead Apostle Ancestor, the Queen of the Clocktower, or a Magician can do it. Everyone else is basically cannon fodder."
"…Is that because they have special permission or because—"
She screamed and nearly pulled out her hair. "You know what?! NO! IT'S NOT AGAINST THE RULES! If you want to go fight a Servant than go for it! You won't get penalized! You'll only wind up dead! Why?! Because the Servant will kill you before you try!"
She should have controlled her anger. But there was no helping it when this dumbass continued to harass her about such an idiocy. In the next instance, they were bombarded once more by a barrage of prana blasts. It tore apart the tree she was using for cover. She had no choice but to dash for new cover while firing Gandr shots in retaliation.
She did not care one bit if Shirou got hit. She was washing her hands of him.
Suddenly, the barrage stopped. Rin was given the chance to catch her breath and regain her bearings. She rolled up the sleeve of her sweater, drawing upon more of her family's Magic Crest. She was preparing to use the Fin shot instead.
"What are you asking?" she heard Illyasviel ask.
When Rin peered around the corner of the tree, she nearly vaulted to the floor.
"I just want to confirm what Tohsaka-san said," Shirou, standing a few paces away from Illyasviel at the top of the hill, was leaning forward to speak with the girl at her eyelevel. "Is it against the rules of the Holy Grail War for Masters to fight against Servants? I'm asking because I don't want Kotomine to try anything to stop me. People will die if he does and I don't want that to happen."
Illyasviel looked at him the exact same way Rin did: as though he were mentally crippled.
"No, there're no rules like that," she chose to say in a careful and steady manner one would when addressing small children. "Official or unspoken. It's just common sense, Onii-chan. If you want to fight against my Berserker, I'll let you. He'll just turn you into mush if you want to die that badly. I suppose it'll be okay since your Servant can revive you."
"That's great then," he said with a smile. He then extended the hand carrying the bright multicolored bag. "This is for you, Illya-chan. I wasn't sure what you wanted so I got you the kid's meal. It even comes with a toy. I asked for the Purple Drag because it matches your dress… but they gave me the Red Blur instead. I'm sorry."
She stared at him a little differently. It went from piteous compassion for a mentally slow individual… to outright flabbergast because of sheer stupidity.
"I don't think your Servant put you together all that well," she commented.
He didn't know how to reply to that. He could only give a dry laugh as he stood straight and scratch the back of his head.
"Rin," Archer called out to her through their connection. "Get away from there."
"Yeah, I know," she grumbled as she readied to blast the jailbait with a jewel packed with mana. "That idiot got himself caught by the enemy and he doesn't even realize it."
"Leave him. I have my shot. I'm taking it. You're within the blast radius."
Her eyes widened slightly. He was serious about making his move. He would only hesitate to make sure she was out of danger.
So long, Emiya Shirou.
She really did try her best to make sure he could stand on his own two feet. But he was an idiot through and through. Just what did Sakura see in him?
For a moment, Rin considered trying to save him one final time. If only so that Sakura wouldn't cry over it. But, oh well. Shirou was also a Master of the Holy Grail War and had consented to participate. If he wasn't taken out now… Rin would have to fight her later on.
She pocketed the gem and began to run away from the group and noise of the battle.
0-0-0
Saber let out a grunt of frustration as her Excalibur slammed against the edge of Berserker's weapon. It was just a mass of sharpened rock amplified by magic. It was designed to be able to stand up against the pressure and abuse when waging against Noble Phantasms. Rather… it was designed to withstand the power of its wielder.
She continuously used her Prana Burst skill to counteract with Berserker's impossible speed and strength. Though her Master was able to fuel her with enough Prana to have her fight in her prime, she was growing weary over having to struggle like this. The match was going nowhere as they clashed without a victor in sight.
Berserker was a true monster. He did not slow with his bombardment of strikes. He did not tire. He did not flinch when Saber attacked nor hesitate when she feinted. He only attacked, and attacked, and attacked.
The road had scars carved into it. Trees had fallen. The land had been torn apart. The entire terrain of the hillside was being remade in their clash.
At the least, she had managed to get Berserker away from her Master. They continued their fight in the vacant graveyard.
Her Master… such a curious entity. He didn't give any reaction when Berserker first struck. It was almost as though he welcomed the Servant.
"Saber! Pull back!" Caster called out from high in the sky.
Saber could not chance to look what Caster was going to attempt to do. All of her focus was locked on Berserker and the slightest distraction would have her head. She had to rely on her instinct most of the time as tactics could not be applied against an unpredictable savage.
She could have ignored Caster. They were two Servants fighting for the same prize.
However… Caster hadn't attacked Saber while she was occupied with Berserker. Perhaps because then there would be nothing to keep the beast at bay and Caster would have to deal with him herself. Perhaps. Treachery wasn't unknown to the Servant of the Sword.
She fell back, using a Prana Burst to gather speed. Berserker leapt for her without falter.
A torrent of magical energies, distorting the air in a myriad of colors, rained down from the heavens with enough power behind each projectile to level the field. Explosion after explosion tore up the ground, lit up the night, and created a symphony of blasts that could have awoken the dead.
Caster flew over their heads with several magic glyphs glowing around her. Each one was just as intricate as the scribble Merlin would have used in his workshop. And each one was coursing immense layers of magical energy at their core.
Berserker stopped moving… if only for a moment. Smoke rose off of his skin but there was no sign the wrought of magic had done anything to hinder him.
"Such thick skin…" Caster cursed as she spread her cloak apart. More glyphs appeared underneath the fabrics. They were prescribed spells ready to be unleashed at a trigger moment.
And then, Berserker jumped.
He fired off of the ground, kicking hard enough to leave a crater. His body was a black blur as he rose to the sky like a bullet.
Caster gasped. Her glyphs glowed brighter as the spell within started to awaken. However… none of them would be able to activate in time.
Saber leapt up to slam against Berserker. Her sword struck his vantbrace. He hardly moved any mail aside. But here was where it will do.
"Caster!" Saber barked as she gripped her sword tighter. The wind concealing the blade reacted to her command.
A concussive blast of wind fired off of the tip of her sword. The Hammer of the Wind King, the authority granted to her by the Faerie King which concealed Excalibur, erupted off of the sword and bit into the side of Berserker. Finally, she was able to tear into his skin. The sharp and fierce winds stripped the first few layers of his flesh, revealing muscle and bone alike.
Whether Caster understood or not was irrelevant. She continued with her spell while Berserker's launch had been slowed. It was just enough.
Another barrage of prana missiles was unleashed from within Caster's cloak. Most rebounded off of Berserker's body in the same way he had been able to parry Saber's sword. However, with the insides exposed, they bit into him and scorched him from within.
Saber remained unharmed. Her own Magic Resistance was strong enough to negate all of Caster's volley. Though, the Servant of the Spell had been careful to not harm her supposed partner.
Berserker swatted away what he could with his axe-sword. But not when having to deal with the innumerable salvo of magic projectiles and Saber disorienting him with her prior strike.
Saber leapt off of him just as he fell back down to the ground. His weapon sank into the hollow ground right after.
Caster glided down to stand beside Saber. She had her cloak wrapped around her shoulders to conceal herself once again. Saber couldn't see what her hands were doing beneath.
"That's quite the interesting Noble Phantasm you have," she commented with a wry smile. "There aren't very many legends about having a sword that can control the wind."
Saber clenched Excalibur a little tighter. The barrier of wind had returned to conceal the true nature of her weapon.
"Nor are there very many who can dabble in the archaic like you," she retorted.
"This is all just the result of proper preparations," Caster returned as she eyed the smoldering corpse of Berserker. "Shirou and I engaged with him before. He is Heracles, the greatest warrior in all of Greek history. He had been able to get through my spells before. Because I've seen him do it before…"
"You were able to plan ahead," Saber finished. "I see now. Negligence is the enemy. May I ask, Caster? What would you have done if I hadn't been around?"
"Scorch the land until there is nothing but molten lava," Caster retorted without hesitation. "And then sink him and quickly cool it into obsidian. His skin might be tough but no warrior can survive asphyxiation."
Saber considered the woman for a moment. "I see… Suffocation certainly is the enemy…"
"I'm so glad you agree," Caster said with a more writhe smile.
Their conversation was broken by the sound coming from Berserker. His body twitched. Smoke rose out of his body as it began to glow an eerie red.
Berserker jerked. His body rose out of the ground as flesh and bone started to regenerate.
"What a monster," Caster swore as she looked at the warrior.
Saber readied her sword for another bout. "Nothing is definite, Caster. This must be his Noble Phantasm. But there must be limits and weaknesses to it."
"Perhaps…" the Servant of the Spell muttered. "We could go at this until we do learn that restriction. But I'm not a fighter like you, Saber. I have a better idea."
Saber looked over her shoulder while Berserker finished his regeneration.
"Shirou~" Caster turned, brought her hands around her mouth, and called out to their Master. "We could use some help over here!"
"The role of the Servant is to fight for the Master's stead!" Saber snapped back. "Not the other way around! And he is no Magus! What could he do to—"
Berserker wasn't going to wait for them to settle their dispute. He was nothing more than a machine with a single program. He grabbed onto his stone weapon and came at the two of them in a flash. He roared and swung his weapon with enough speed and power to blow away the set of tombstones in a several meter radius.
Saber spun back around and readied her weapon. Her eyes sharpened as a set of combos and strikes played through her mind. Her body reacted after decades of experience. The song of battle came as naturally to her as breathing.
A hand was pressed against her breastplate.
Her eyes widened with shock. Her Master, Shirou, hadn't been there before at her side. He looked up at Berserker as it approached with devastating speed. His hand was against her chest and pushing her back with strength that shouldn't have moved her.
She should have been curious. She should have been surprised by this feat. Instead, she was horrified. Her Master was going up against a Servant! Though all he had done was make her stumble a single step back, that single step was a grave hindrance. It would take her at least half a second to recover and launch back to his defense.
That was all the time Berserker needed to finish his strike.
The ground erupted once more as the arc of the swing came crumbling down. Her Master was caught dead in the center of the strike. Saber had no choice but to throw up her arms as a cloud of dirt blew into her face. But she gritted through it and began to ready her sword when Berserker began his next round of swings.
"I'm not going to bother saying it."
Her eyes widened. That voice… that was the voice of her Master.
When next she looked, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Berserker's sword-axe had indeed come down to smash onto her Master. It the edge of the blade had stopped centimeters from his face. Her Master hadn't flinched. There was no indication he had been worried at all by Berserker's strike. He stood tall with his eyes blazing in defiance at the enemy Servant.
No. Not defiance. Annoyance. As though Berserker was a disrespectful brat.
The blade had been stopped. Shirou had stopped the blade! Most of his shirt had been torn off from being so close to the sonic boom. His arm was raised with his fingers digging into the flat of Berserker's weapon. It was hardly a human hand; being one in shape only.
It was comprised of some sort of silvery narrow metal plating overlapping each other. It breathed. It writhed as though being alive.
Flesh started to reappear and hide them. It was starting to become a human arm once again.
"…You wouldn't understand if I say it!"
Her Master roared out with irritation. He sent his other hand around.
For the first time since their engagement, Saber saw Berserker block. The innate instinct all living creatures felt in their deepest core sprang within the Servant of Madness. He brought his arms up in defense.
It did nothing as Shirou tore straight through his arms and body in a single swing. He had moved faster than any Servant, faster than Saber with Prana Burst and faster than Berserker in all his ferocity. While both Servants could attest to being called 'blurs', Shirou had been an instantaneous flicker.
Berserker was split down the middle faster than Saber could blink.
In his other hand was… a matching weapon of Berserker's. It was equally as large. But… the shape was a little off. And the color was different. The blade was carved out of a different type of stone with painstaking care. It resembled a weapon of war rather than the crude makeshift Berserker was using.
The weapon had come out of virtually nowhere.
"Watch this, Saber," Caster said with too much cheer. "You're going to really enjoy this. This… This is why our Master is the strongest there is."
Saber could only blink as she stared at the other Servant. Caster wasn't going to give anything else away. She wasn't going to give away any other secret other than the fact she knew what Shirou was. She knew how Shirou could do something like this.
All Saber could do was watch with supreme bafflement.
Shirou remained poise. His eyes were still locked on Berserker. He didn't move, knowing the mad Servant would return from death.
And so he did. Berserker's body lit up and began to smoke just as he would have before. His body reattached itself and he began to climb back to his feet.
"When I first saw you…" Shirou muttered as Berserker was nearly done. "I didn't understand. I couldn't tell if you were human or beast."
He brought his weapon down in the same blinding speed and power. Berserker didn't get the chance to protect himself again. He was cut in half in a clean diagonal stroke. His torso slid off the waist.
The cycle continued. Berserker's body heated up and began to repair.
"I wasn't sure if I could reason with you or cut you down!"
It happened again. Shirou slew him before he could fully finish. A moment passed and Berserker started to heal again.
"You were once Heracles, slayer of the Hydra. You were my predecessor. You killed several of Gaia's Effigies. There was so much I wanted to ask you!"
Again.
"How am I supposed to make notes if you're just mindless?!"
"That's what you care about?!" Caster blurted out.
Shirou twitched, just about to swing his blade but drawing it back. He let it rest on his shoulder— which was yet another ludicrous sight of itself— and turned to regard Caster.
"Well, yeah," he said in a simple tone. "I was kinda looking forward to having him over for dinner. That's where I get the best results for my research. I wanted to see his reaction. Maybe even hear a couple of stories to compare myself to him. But I can't do that if he's—"
"Shirou!" Saber shouted in alarm.
His eyes flicked towards her, "Yeah?"
She watched as Berserker finished his rejuvenation and brought a bare fist down onto Shirou. The ground shook from the impact.
But Shirou remained standing. His brows became a slight scowl as his back slouched. It was the only reaction he made in regards to Berserker's attack.
That, and the transformation of his skin taking over most of his torso. Skin had become the same metallic substance she had seen from his arm. It started from his back where Berserker had struck and had branched out to wrap around his abdomen and crawl up his neck.
Berserker moved again to bring about another swing of his other fist.
With the same irritated expression as before, Shirou spun on his heels and brought his axe-sword around. In a whirlwind, Berserker's body was sliced apart into thirds.
He dropped the weapon, letting it fall with a heavy thud onto what remained of the grass.
When next she looked, he was holding onto a sheathed katana.
"Changing tactics?" Caster asked with mild amusement this time. Most of her wonder of the situation had dwindled as she looked around for a spot to sit.
"He'll come back a few more times if I keep this up," Shirou explained as he took a stance. His left hand held the sheath while his right reached for the hilt. "And he gains resistance every time I kill him. I'm going to make sure he stays down."
"Shirou," Saber stepped up. "This is a contest between Servants. Regardless of the quality of your… abilities, you should allow your Servants to fight in your stead. Such is the purpose of the Holy Grail War."
He eyed her for a long silence.
He then stood straight, but he never let go of the katana. "Alright. I guess that seems fair. This is your guy's event anyways. But you know, Saber, I could win the Grail for you if you let me."
She frowned at that. "Shirou, that is the least of my desires. I wish to achieve the Grail through my own merits."
"…Sure then," he said after giving it some more thought. His eyes flicked back towards the forest, "But that doesn't mean I won't stop playing the part of a Master. I'll support you. Even if it means fighting the other Masters."
There was the sound of a squeal. Illyasviel fell back as soon as his eyes had met hers. She clutched the cheap plastic toy as though it was the difference between life and death. She had been there since the beginning. She had been ecstatic to see him jump in front of Berserker. She had been wanting to see him fall apart like last time and see if his Servant could repair him again.
Instead, she witnessed a nightmare.
"Berserker!" she screamed.
Marks lit up her entire body. Command Seals enscribed onto her by the head of the Einzbern Family. It was something of a loophole in her design. She didn't have the traditional three Commands like the conventional Master. She could have as many as she wanted. But, her only drawback was that she could only activate one Command per day.
And she had used it to have her Servant appear in front of her to act as a shield.
Berserker crouched down and cradled Illyasviel in his arms. He lifted her up and started to flee upon her demand.
"They're getting away!" Caster called out.
"Shirou, should we pursue?" Saber asked.
He didn't answer. He wasn't paying any of them any mind. He had even dismissed Illyasviel and Berserker entirely. His head was craned towards the city. His eyes narrowed.
A heavy frown fell on his face.
"You're not using that right," he growled with the most extreme irritation from the night.
0-0-0
Something overcame Archer. He had been ready to create his Projected Noble Phantasm while Saber and Caster were in the midst of fighting Berserker. He could have taken out two birds with one stone. Well, five if he was going to be technical.
But then, the Master to Saber and Caster appeared and changed everything.
He knew something wasn't right about him. It had nothing to do with the irksome sense of déjà vu plaguing his mind. It didn't even have anything to do with the fact he was comfortable around a pseudo force of creation like the moonlit woman.
The real indicator was how he could handle two Servants without showing any signs of burden. While the Grail handled most of the weight, summoning and binding a Servant was no small feat. Even his Master, the petite spitfire of a Magus, had a rich amount of reserves that could afford only one Servant.
Maybe Caster had been able to botch the system. Who knows? It was possible a Magus from legend could have found something in the ritual that could allow the Emiya kid to handle both her and Saber.
None of it mattered.
Once he saw Shirou's true form, upon gazing at that arm, did Archer's world change.
His senses narrowed. Something whispered in the back of his mind. Something was screaming from his core. Something from the absolute pit that made up his existence was demanding action.
It was from the same source that demanded he be summoned as a Servant. A greater force beyond mortal comprehension.
Emiya Shirouneeded to die.
He drew back his bow, charged the spiral sword with enough Prana to make it unstable, and readied his aim.
The thing pretending to be human snapped his head towards Archer as soon as the draw was back. Golden eyes could see straight to the Servant despite being miles away on the tallest skyscraper in all of Fuyuki. The thing could perceive Archer at this distance and knew what he was about to do.
Rather than put up any sort of defense or flee, the creature stood its ground and said something.
You're not using that right.
Something shook within Archer's mind.
It was only then did he remember everything.
A wish. It all started with a wish. It was always because of a wish.
It was why his heart was made of glass.
Nothing changed.
"Caladbolg!" he invoked and let his weapon fly.
0-0-0
"Shirou?" Saber blinked. "What are you talking about? What about Berserker and his Master? Are we going to just leave them be and—"
"Something's coming!" Caster shouted from where she sat. She jumped up to her feet and looked up at the sky. Her eyes widened in a frenzy. "MOVE!"
She used her magic to reach for Saber first. She wouldn't have time to reach her Master. All she could do was wrap Saber around her cloak and teleport them both away. She could only pray her Master was strong enough to survive against something of this caliber.
There was a flash of red that streaked across the night sky. The dark was lit up with an eruption of crimson magic. A magic missile struck where they had once been. It destroyed everything in its wake.
A massive crater remained at what had once been the graveyard of Kotomine Church.
And standing at the center was… something.
It shimmered as the flames of the aftermath reflected off its metallic surface. The sound of screeching metal echoed throughout the field as its body lifted itself off the ground.
It stood with folds of sharpened metal swimming around, crawling over another like an army of metallic insects trying to find their proper position. Eventually, it began to settle like water stagnating.
A human male body made out of silver came out of it.
Shirou stood tall with his head still peering up in the direction the projectile originated from. Skin started to reform over him, pushing back the truth of his existence from the world yet again.
His hand curled around something. They wrapped around the hilt of a sword as though it had always been there.
Power coursed through its spiraled edge.
"This is how you use it!" his voice echoed with raw power and authority as though he were a force of nature itself.
He brought the sword around, stabbing into the air.
Miles away, the top ten floors of Fuyuki Tower were blown away.
0-0-0
"Okay… Archer…" Rin panted as she leaned on her knees. She had sprinted the entire time until she was at the bottom of the hill. Doing that without tripping was a feat of itself. "I think this is far enough. You can fire whenever—"
She nearly jerked when the sound of a ginormous boom reached her ears. She felt the ground beneath her quake.
Geez. Archer seriously wasn't trying to hold back this time. Whatever he used could be felt all the way down here. He must have used his Noble Phantasm for that one. But… just what sort of weapon was it? Anti-Army? It had to be if it could do this much damage.
She also hoped that fake priest wasn't going to try to send her the bill for reparations.
"Did you get them?" she asked through their connection.
There wasn't a reply. There was only an uncomfortable tug from their connection. Something had shaken Archer enough for him to fall into distress. Either someone had survived… or…
Rin's answer came from what could be best be described as a shooting star. A shooting star below the stratosphere, traveling at Mach speeds, and lighting up the night like a second sun.
Then came another detonation. Her view of the projectile was blocked by being at the bottom of the hill this time.
But… she knew what happened based on her connection to Archer.
"Archer!" she called out in a panic. "Archer! What happened?!"
No answer.
"Archer! Answer me! Are you hurt?! What was that?! Was that Caster?! Did she send your attack back at you?!"
Still no answer.
"You stupid jerk! You better answer me or—"
"You don't need to yell. I'm right here."
She spun on her heels, slipped, and fell on her rear.
Archer crossed his arms and gave her a wry grin of amusement.
"Don't you give me that look!" she stood quickly with her face burning. "Answer me when I call."
"Sorry, Master," he gave a lax shrug. "I was a little busy trying to save my own skin."
"…Well?" she pressed when he fell silent. "What happened? What was that just now?"
He looked back up towards the hill. His eyes narrowed slightly as he grimaced. "Don't know. I fired an arrow at them. And next I knew, they were sending something just as big and bad back at me. I had to get out of the way before I could be vaporized. It cleaved off the top layer of the skyscraper though."
"T-The skyscraper…?" she gaped at him. "The skyscraper. You mean… Einzbern or Emiya's team did something that damaged a skyscraper?! How are we going to cover that up?!"
He could only shrug. "I don't think that's the important part, Master."
"How is that not?! This War is supposed to be a secret! Do you have any idea what's going to be on the news tomorrow?!"
"I understand," he said in a more firm voice. "But first we need to consider our situation. We're outclassed, Rin. The Einzbern Master has Berserker and can best you in combat. And Emiya has two Servants. Saber and Caster. That's a dreadful combination if you think about it."
"And they're all alive?" she questioned. "They managed to make it out of your attack."
"They did. And replied in kind."
She almost let out a sigh. She instead cupped a few fingers around her mouth as she thought. "I'll think of something. Right now, let's just go home. We can consider our options after we're behind the Boundary Field."
He didn't respond. His attention was still locked on the top of the hill.
Rather, his eyes were locked on the hill. But his attention was elsewhere deep in his mind.
…And listening to something similar to how Shirou would.
"What is it?" she asked.
"…It's nothing," he said suddenly. "Let's get out of here before either of those Masters show up."
She had to force herself from narrowing her eyes. It was as clear as day he was hiding something from her.
Unfortunately, she couldn't press him about it. Not now anyways.
They took off. Archer held her close as he leapt from the rooftops to reach her mansion as quickly as possible.