FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS
Chapter 12: Crossroads of Honor and Disgrace
Early in the evening, everyone gathered around in the first floor lounge of Edelfelt Manor, fully prepared to discuss what they were going to do next.
"So, let's go over the basics," Caren initiated the meeting. "Our primary objective is to put a stop to Caster's actions. To accomplish this, we must do three things; recruit Tohsaka Rin and Archer, find Caster's new hiding location, and discover who her Master is. With three Master-Servant groups now available, we're able to split these tasks up between each other so we can investigate more efficiently. Are there any takers for a particular assignment?"
"If I may," Sakura interjected. "I want to find Rin and speak to her personally."
"I don't know about that," Shirou said. "If you approach them carelessly, Archer will think that you and Rider are enemies. On the other hand, Tohsaka and I already have our own alliance. Regardless of what Archer thinks of me, I believe I would have the easier time approaching her."
Artoria added, "If Archer makes any sudden moves against Shirou, I will put a stop to him immediately."
"Oh…" Sakura sighed dejectedly. "I suppose you're right. I guess I'll leave it up to Sister Caren."
"Very well," the nun replied. "I would like to look through Ryuudou Temple and see how Caster was able to set up shop in such a well-fortified location. If she was able to deceive the monks without arousing suspicion, then it stands to reason that her Master must have some kind of connection with the shrine. It may take some time, but interviewing the residents should give me a solid clue to who her Master is."
"Then try talking with Ryuudou Issei first," Shirou suggested. "He's the son of the head monk there, and a good friend of mine at school. Just be a little careful around him. For whatever reason, he tends to be uncomfortable around women."
"A staunch misogynist, hm? How obnoxious."
"No, no, it's not as bad as you think. I just noticed that he and Tohsaka would bicker with each other frequently, and he often avoided the female students. But if you were to talk about Mr. Kuzuki, he might lighten up to you."
"That straight-faced teacher? How are those two related?"
"I'm not really sure. That's something you might want to ask Issei."
"Then I shall. That just leaves Sakura and Rider to take care of finding Caster's new location."
"Okay," Sakura agreed. "But I would prefer to search during the day. I don't want to make Rider feel uncomfortable with me being out late at night."
"Suit yourself. I'm going to be taking Lancer out immediately. It is best to strike while the iron is-"
Suddenly, the front door slammed open with a jolting bang. Everyone gasped in unison and turned their attention to the entrance. A strong gust of wind had blown it open, which obviously had not been caused by the weather. Within the vicious breeze, a piece of paper fluttered inside and landed on the mat. The three Servants rushed in front of their Masters when they sensed a small amount of magical energy emanating from the wind. They stared at the note with wavering expressions, uncertain as to whether or not this was a trap.
"Allow me," Artoria offered and stepped forth to pick up the paper. She examined it carefully, then returned to Shirou's side while announcing, "There aren't any sigils or traps that I can detect. I believe it is safe to open this."
He took it from her and tore open the tape keeping the page ends together, then read its contents. After a few seconds, his face suddenly paled and his eyes widened in shock.
"What does it say?" Caren asked.
He lowered the note, and his expression became both determined and dour. With a firm voice, he declared, "… There's been a change in plans."
Two hours ago
After sleeping through the majority of the morning and afternoon, Rin was fully rested up. She couldn't forget her awkward conversation with the blonde-haired stranger, plus her concern over Shirou's disappearance put her further on edge. In fact, she was actually surprised that she managed to get any sleep whatsoever. Nevertheless, she had too much pent-up energy begging to be used for something productive. Staying at home was hardly an option for her since she was eager to talk with Kirei.
Now approaching seven o'clock, Rin and Archer began to head back to the church. All Rin could do was hope that the priest had returned from whatever he was doing today. If he hadn't, she would happily relieve some stress with a little unwarranted vandalism. However, the property damage she had in mind didn't match what she witnessed when she reached the church's front gate.
"What is this?" she gasped. Even from such a distance, she could see that the facility was in shambles. The small steeple was virtually ruined, and patches of pavement were cratered in. The walls of the church crumbled as the foundation threatened to give way.
"Well, well," Archer remarked with a bemused smile. "It looks like we've hit the jackpot."
"Jackpot?"
"Someone had the nerve to attack the overseer, even though it is explicitly against the rules. Given what we already know about the other Servants, there's only one who would be brazen enough to go this far."
"Caster…"
Just then, they heard Medea's voice echo through the air, "Oh, my. I already have guests to welcome? It's a little early, but I've made enough preparations attend to you, young miss."
"What is the meaning of this!?" Rin exclaimed. "Where is Kirei!?"
"Who knows? He wouldn't tell me where the Lesser Gail was, so I had to use force on him. I couldn't find his corpse though, so I believe he has fled like the dog he is."
"Damn it. This is bad," the teenager muttered. There was no way she expected to find Medea here, so she wasn't properly prepared to deal with her. She barked at Archer, "We have to retreat, now!"
She attempted to flee, but then she smacked her cheek against an invisible barrier that hadn't been there before. She stepped back and grimaced in frustration.
"What is this?" Archer flippantly asked his Master. "I thought you were a top rate Magus. Aren't your kind supposed to be always ready for anything?"
"This is no time for idle banter!" Rin exclaimed and raised her right arm up, pointing her fingers forward like they were miniature guns. Before them, a horde of Dragon Tooth Warriors materialized and threatened to surround them. She didn't want to give them the chance, so she fired multiple Gandr shots at some incoming monsters. Without needing any commands, Archer rushed in and cleaved his blades through several more skeletal creatures. He jumped back when a humanoid monster slammed its sword into the ground where he had been. He materialized his bow and fired dozens of small arrows at the horde, causing them to disintegrate on impact.
"You're wasting your time," Medea said. To accentuate this, more and more Dragon Tooth Warriors were created to replace the defeated ones.
"Archer, keep them off of me," Rin ordered, then turned toward the barrier and pressed her hands against it. "I'm going to focus on breaking through the Bounded Field so we can escape."
"Why not just hunt down Caster here and now? If we get away, she'll just up and leave before we can return with reinforcements… That is, if there are any allies left that we can rely on."
"I need to find Emiya first! No matter what, I need Saber's strength if we are to defeat Caster!"
"So it's not Emiya Shirou you're interested in, but rather his Servant… I see. So that's why you were so disappointed when you first summoned me. I'm not suitable enough for the job, so you lean on the Master who possesses the Servant you most desire."
"Now's not the time for this! Just keep those things away from me!"
Just as Rin said this, a strange shadow rushed in from her side. Her eyes widened in absolute shock as her terrified gaze met the newcomer's vapid glare.
"Kuz… Kuzuki-!?"
With only one lithe motion, the man chopped his hand against the nape of her neck. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she passed out instantly. Archer observed the attack, yet made no attempt to stop it. Medea teleported in front of the impassive Servant and said to Soichirou, "Why did you go so far to capture the girl? I would have dealt with this little inconvenience on my own."
"You wanted leverage to use on Emiya, didn't you? Then capturing Tohsaka is merely a matter of principle," the man said as he tucked the unconscious Rin beneath his arm.
"Of course. Yes, you are most certainly correct. I would have played around with them too much to remember, Master," Medea replied in an uncharacteristically humble tone.
"I see. So you contracted with this man after you murdered Atrum Galliasta," Archer said. "I suppose it would be more strategic to utilize a non-Magus as your puppet Master rather than a competent Mage who can put the reigns on you, Caster."
"Silence. Now that your Master is in my grasp, you will obey my commands."
"Oh? You sound rather sure of yourself."
"Take a good look at this."
The sorceress conjured a bizarre violet knife in her hand. It didn't have a straight blade as one would expect. Instead, this one had a jagged Z-shaped knife attached to the hilt, meaning it clearly wasn't designed for battle. She said, "This is my Noble Phantasm – the Dagger of Treachery and Treason, Rulebreaker. It has the power to nullify any and all magic in this world. With this, I can bend the rules of this war to suit my needs."
"Are you trying to impress me or threaten me?" Archer wondered.
"On the contrary. I want to strike a deal with you."
"Yeah? So what kind of one-sided bargain do you have in mind? I'm guessing that Noble Phantasm has something to do with it."
"You are as quick with the uptake as you are with your tongue. In any case, it is rather simple. If you don't want my Master to snap the precious little doll's neck, you will have me use Rulebreaker on you."
"What exactly is that going to accomplish?"
"The girl will lose her rights as your Master, and I will transfer your Command Spells to me. If you want to improve your odds of defeating Berserker, then it would be advantageous for you to abandon that incompetent child and join sides with me. Even from that little squabble you two just had, I can tell that you are dissatisfied with the caliber of your Master. I can relate – that ingrate Galliasta thought he could win by investing exorbitant amounts of capital into inferior Magecraft that harnessed innocent orphans as sacrifices. I found him rather repulsive, so I made quick work of him."
"I guess it takes one to know one," Archer remarked.
"…"
"Well, you've got a point about me serving my Master begrudgingly. If you can believe it, she wasted her first Command Spell forcing me to yield to her supposedly superior will."
"Did she now? That sounds absurdly vague for a command."
"Right? It has become rather tiresome to deal with someone who keeps jumping back and forth between wanting to kill her rivals one moment, and then allying with them the next. She simply doesn't have the conviction to be a suitable Master for me."
"Then come with me," Medea said. "Rulebreaker will fix all of your problems."
"Yeah. The choice was so easy, I barely even had to think about it."
With that, Archer approached the sorceress and just stood there. She gently jabbed the strange knife into his chest. It didn't create any physical wounds, but rather severed his connection with Rin. The girl's Command Spells glowed, then disappeared from her hand and traveled to Medea's right hand as a crimson streak. She observed in triumph as the sigil formed upon her own hand, and her delighted smile broadened further. Soichirou watched this exchange without saying a word, then released Rin's neck from his restraining arm and carried her inside the church.
"… It is done," Medea declared. "From this moment onward, you are my Servant, Archer."
"Just don't go making unreasonable demands like you do with Assassin," he replied coolly. "Sitting in one place isn't exactly my style."
"Your penchant for witty repartee will never change, huh? I suppose that's a minor inconvenience I'll have to put up with if I want to amass greater strength."
"To be honest, I've got a lot of questions for you, but the most important one is what you're going to do about the Servants that have gone missing. As far as I know, Saber and Rider have vanished into thin air, while we have two different Lancers running around doing who knows what."
"I don't care about the others, but dragging Saber out of hiding will be a simple matter," she said, then produced a folded note betwixt her fingers. She opened then up like dealing 'scissors' in Rock-Paper-Scissors, and let the paper fly in a concentrated rush of wind that she produced with basic magic. It flittered about in the air as it made its way toward the Edelfelt Manor.
"You can't be serious!" Sakura yelled. "Caster has kidnapped Rin!?"
"That's what it says," Shirou murmured dejectedly, after having read the letter's contents to everyone else. "Saber and I will take care of rescuing Tohsaka. Caster wants to see us anyway, so it is best that I go."
"Then I'm going with you!"
"You can't, Sakura!"
"I have to agree with him," Medusa interjected with a sharp tone. "This incident has nothing to do with you."
"It has everything to do with me!" Sakura retorted. "Rin's my sister! Even if we have been apart for so many years, and even if we are supposed to be opposing Masters, nothing will change that! I refuse to let Caster do whatever she wants with the only family I have left in this world!"
"…"
Caren shrugged nonchalantly and muttered, "Good grief. Trying to argue with a lady in distress is unbecoming of you, Emiya Shirou."
"Now wait just a-!" he tried to object.
"If you are a real man, then let Sakura go with you. Even if Rider's presence puts a crimp in Caster's plans, she'll still possess the advantage so long as Tohsaka Rin is her captive."
"But what about finding Caster's location?"
"Does it look like that's necessary anymore?"
"Well…"
"All you have to do is save Rin, then assassinate Caster during your confrontation. There's something else you need to think about; since Rin is the hostage, there's no way to be certain that Archer will provide any backup for you. In fact, I'd wager that he'll be forced to fight you. Bringing Rider along will at least balance your numbers."
"Yeah, I suppose," he relented to Caren's reasoning, then said to Sakura, "All right. Let's work together to rescue Tohsaka."
"Yes!" she exclaimed in a mix of resolve and elation.
Medusa closed her eyes and let out a muted sigh. There wasn't anything left for her to say. All she could do was accompany her Master and cooperate with the others.
It hadn't been an hour since Shirou, Artoria, Sakura and Medusa left the manor. They reached the nearest bus stop and hailed a late-night bus to take them to Fuyuki Bridge. It basically served as Fuyuki's icon, which crossed over the Mion River that evenly divided the city between the Miyama and Shinto districts. According to Medea's note, she wanted Shirou and Artoria to meet her at the center of Fuyuki Bridge at a specified time, and it gave the group literally no time to prepare a counter strategy. All of them knew that they were playing right into her hands, but they hoped that they would have an advantage with Medusa's assistance.
No one had the courage to say anything to each other. They just sat in the barely-occupied bus and watched the scenery roll by. Shirou noticed that Sakura was tightly clasping her hands in front of her chest, clearly trying to hold back her distress. He put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Take it easy. Panicking will not help us save Tohsaka any quicker."
"I know. I'm sure Caster wouldn't do anything to hurt Rin right now. I just wonder what kind of demand she would make that is worth Rin's life."
"Caster is capable of anything. If she has no problem siphoning mana from hundreds of people at once, sacrificing Tohsaka for some twisted deal will be nothing to her. The best thing we can do is to stay calm and listen to what Caster has to say."
"Yeah…"
Meanwhile, Artoria constantly peered through the window as part of her vigilant watch. After a long pause, she eventually murmured, "Shirou. Look outside."
He did so, but wasn't sure of what was wrong at first. Sakura asked, "Is something the matter?"
"I don't know. Something feels off, though."
He peered at the bus driver… or rather, at the empty seat where the driver was supposed to be. The windshield wipers dutifully continued brushing away rain, yet there was no one around to operate the steering wheel. In fact, there weren't even any more passengers aboard the bus. Shirou gasped in alarm, then winced as the vehicle suddenly skidded onto its side.
"Hyah!?" Sakura yelped. Medusa held her close to keep her safe during the crash. Artoria grit her teeth, fully understanding that they were under attack. Once the bus finally stopped moving, everyone scrambled out and took in their surroundings. Within the grey haze that blinded their view, the bridge they had been driving upon was now in total shambles. Twisted metal and destroyed concrete littered the area, plus the gloomy fog and heavy rain made it feel like they had wandered into some abandoned dimension.
"What's going on here?" Sakura asked.
"It would seem we are completely shut in," Medusa said. Her casual attire shone violet, and she now wore her default battle costume while brandishing her daggers. Artoria likewise shifted into her combat armor and wielded her invisible sword, then looked around for any opponents. Directly behind her, a large puddle of water bubbled until a liquid skeleton crept out and reached its bony hand for her ankle. It snatched her foot, catching her completely by surprise, but she kept calm and swiped her blade to bisect the creature.
Other puddles produced similar Dragon Tooth Warriors comprised entirely of water. Within moments, the four were surrounded by dozens of monsters. Without hesitation, Medusa charged in and slung her arms about, slicing through a line of creatures. She came to a full stop behind them and hunched her torso all the way forward, then glanced back to see that the small splashes of water regenerated back into a complete monster. She whipped her chain in a wide arc and destroyed them again, yet they only reconstituted themselves.
Artoria cut through one warrior's torso, leaving its legs standing. The 'spine' bubbled and generated more water to reproduce the upper body as if she had never attacked it. She stepped back and muttered to Medusa, "This is only serving to bolster their numbers."
"Nonetheless, I will not let a single one lay a finger on Sakura," Rider declared and went on the offensive again.
As the two Servants fought valiantly, Shirou stood there and watched in frustration. He wanted to do something to help Artoria. He was tired of standing around and watching others fight for him. All this time, while he wanted to be a hero of justice who fought for others, he was ultimately the one being saved over and over again. His desire to return his gratitude by fighting side-by-side with his own saviors spurned him to step forward.
"Senpai, don't!" Sakura pleaded.
"It's okay. I don't know why, but…"
The images of the unknown man slamming his metal hammer upon him flashed in his mind. He them recalled how Archer fought, particularly of his ability to project weapons at will. Shirou felt his magic circuits flare with power he didn't know he had.
"… For whatever reason, I feel incredible right now."
He closed his eyes and visualized the twin swords that Archer liked to use. One was a white blade, the other black. Both hilts bore the yin-yang symbol, representing a perfect balance between two opposing forces. Although he had no basis for knowing this, something lurking deep within him seemed to be informing him of the names of those swords – Kanshou and Bakuya, the dual swords forged by the tragic Chinese blacksmith Gan Jiang. The black sword Kanshou represented himself, while the white sword Bakuya symbolized his wife Mo Ye, who had thrown herself into her husband's furnace so that he would be able to forge a weapon that could please the Emperor at the time.
Kanshou and Bakuya… Steel forged in fire… Creating weapons for battle… Projection… In other words, mimicking as a blacksmith to materialize weapons at will…
Could Shirou really do it? Could his reinforcement magic really evolve to projection that could match Archer's level? There wasn't any way to know unless he tried. He remembered the shape, structure, and size of those swords. They truly were beautifully crafted blades. If he could just commit every last detail to memory, he could very well duplicate them himself. He concentrated. All other sounds and sensations were blocked out. Energy flowed through his magic circuits like blood through veins. Once he was sure he had everything memorized, he called out his trademark words;
"Trace… ON!"
In an instant, he felt a pair of unusual hilts form in his hands, and he immediately gripped them. He gazed in bewilderment at what he just accomplished. For over 10 years, he had trouble strengthening existing objects like rocks and wooden sticks. Now he was creating legendary weapons out of thin air!
"Senpai!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Shirou?" Artoria uttered, astonished that her Master was using the same trick that Archer did.
"HAH!" he shouted and ran toward some Dragon Tooth Warriors. He swiped through two beasts, then whirled around to cut off another one's arm. He didn't know why, but he felt more alive than he ever had in his entire life. Somehow, he was keeping pace with Artoria's swift movements and Medusa's delicate acrobatics. Any enemies that attempted to breach his defense and assault Sakura were met with violent ends.
He panted and sweated profusely. Exerting such effort took a great toll on him, and he fell onto one knee. Making things worse was how the monsters refused to die when the three warriors were certain that they had slain them.
"You're wasting your time," Medea's voice echoed in the air. A congregation of violet butterflies fluttered into existence, then she emerged from within the swarm. "Fighting within my Bounded Field will just cause you to expend your mana."
"Caster," Medusa snarled.
"What's this? Is that Rider I see? How unfortunate. I thought you had been killed by Second Lancer back when you two fought at the school."
"And here I was thinking you bled to death after Archer literally punched a hole in your gut."
"Hmph. It will take more than that to eliminate me. Alas, I have no time to prattle with you. I trust you all understand that fighting my minions will earn you nothing but needless fatigue."
"Then we cut them off at the source," Artoria declared.
"Before you raise your sword against me, perhaps you should take a good look at this first," Medea warned, then flapped her mantle to allow someone to materialize next to her. Shirou and Sakura's eyes both widened in horror simultaneously.
"Tohsaka!" he screamed.
"Rin!" she gasped in desperation.
Indeed, Medea had the unconscious Rin in her grasp. She curled her fingers, and a hair-thin red string coiled itself around Rin's neck.
"You bitch!" Shirou shrieked and ran toward Medea with his twin swords. Then out of nowhere, a volley of arrows punctured the ground immediately in front of him, forcing him to stop. Everyone watched in disbelief as Archer vaulted over a pile of concrete rubble and landed below Medea.
"Enough with the heroics, Emiya Shirou," he demanded. Shirou shivered in visible disgust and hatred at the Servant's interference.
"You…!"
"What are you doing, Archer? Have you allowed Caster to use you as a puppet so that you can save Rin's life?" Artoria asked.
"It's not quite as simple, but that's not entirely wrong either. Now that everyone's drawing lines in the sand, I figured it was time I cast my lot with the team most capable of defeating Berserker."
"So does that mean…" Sakura whimpered and widened her eyes. "You're working with Caster through your own free will?"
"I suppose it would be easiest to interpret my actions as such."
"What about Rin? Aren't you supposed to be her Servant? If she doesn't want to team up with Caster, shouldn't it be your duty to respect that?"
"Unfortunately, I am no longer Rin's Servant."
"What? But… how…?"
"I have no obligation to tell you. I'm only here to make sure that you all listen to what Caster has to say."
Medusa got in front of her frightened Master and demanded, "Have you become so desperate that you will gladly hide behind hostages, Caster?"
"I have no interest in you or your Master, Rider," Medea retorted. "My business is with the boy there."
She turned to face the livid Shirou, then continued, "I have to admit, your magic circuits are quite fascinating. The only reason I'm resorting to these crude tactics is because I do not wish to kill someone who possesses such interesting abilities."
He bit his lip, then demanded, "How exactly am I going to be of any use to you?"
"It's simple. You just need to become my puppet. Once you agree to these conditions, I will allow the young lady to live."
Sakura asked, "Are you doing all of this behind your Master's back?"
"That's none of your concern, little lady. My objective is to amass as many unique abilities as possible to strengthen my army. Even if it is imperfect, the boy's magic circuits are indeed unique. Now, I expect a swift answer to my proposal, Master of Saber."
Shirou tensed up, unable to respond as quickly as Medea liked. She murmured, "What's the matter? I thought this would be an easy choice for you to make. Besides, let me remind you that, no matter how strong Saber may be, there is no way to combat against my limitless supply of mana. With all of the denizens of this town supplying me with power, I may as well have several thousand Masters rather than just one."
"You wouldn't-!" Artoria scowled.
"I would. Even if I drain a human entirely of their mana, they will still have their soul. Then think about it; we Servants are soul eaters by nature, aren't we? We steal our Master's life force to sustain ourselves. I have simply extrapolated those numbers to include all of the rabble within this city."
Shirou grunted in frustration. Their odds really were improbable at this point. Medea said to him, "Now that you understand you have no chance of winning, it is time you yielded to me, boy. You and Saber will serve me, and no one else. Got it?"
"…"
"Shirou…" Artoria whispered. Sakura and Medusa stared at him in absolute silence.
"… Quit screwing around, Caster. Release Tohsaka this instant."
The sorceress was clearly starting to lose her patience as she demanded, "Were you not paying attention? You are to surrender to me at once."
"You're the one not listening to me! Let Tohsaka go NOW!"
Medea really was confused at this point. "Are you telling me you have no interest in working with another Master? My understanding is that you partnered with this little girl in order to stop me."
"Yeah, I did. That alliance still stands, you know. You're a complete fool for trying to coerce someone you know fully well is your enemy, much less use Tohsaka as the bargaining chip."
"How unfortunate. I seem to have gotten on your bad side. If you had joined my side, I would have gladly shared the Holy Grail with you."
"You're the one who doesn't understand, Caster. Second Lancer warned us about the true nature of the Grail. Once I listened to her, I made up my mind to destroy it and this nonsensical ritual once and for all. To that end, I promised myself that I would stop people like you."
"That interloper, huh?" Medea wondered. "So her nonsensical homilies struck you to the core. But I already know everything. You bear a terrible hatred toward the Grail. If you truly seek its destruction, it is not out of the justice that the child touts, but rather of a deep-seeded vengeance. After all, you lost everything near and dear to you during the Fourth War."
"…"
"Left all alone in those flames, you would have perished had it not been for Emiya Kiritsugu saving your life. He shaped you as his 'son' so that you would inherit his role for the Fifth War, even going so far as having the concept of 'magic' forced upon you."
"Sen… pai…" Sakura whispered sadly.
Unbeknownst to everyone else, Rin was slightly conscious. Although her head felt hazy, she heard every word Medea was saying with total clarity. She kept her eyes closed, but she had trouble fighting back the heavy feeling weighing her chest down.
"I suppose it was an inevitable conclusion that Second Lancer's preaching would have an effect on you, Emiya Shirou," Medea said. "You always regarded the Holy Grail as your most hated enemy. But wouldn't it be better to obtain the Grail as recompense for what happened 10 years ago? With the Grail already in my hands, I would need but a mere thought to grant you your wish. Think about it; you could resurrect all of those people you lost back then. You could wish for your pain to go away. The opportunities are endless. Don't go squandering this chance out of blind hatred."
"You speak nonsense, Caster!" Artoria exclaimed. "The Grail will not appear until only one Servant remains!"
"Not necessarily," Medea replied. "As I have been summoned in the Caster-class designation, I possess knowledge over the Grail's inner workings. As a matter of fact… With my limitless magical power, and your tremendous mana output, I could summon the Grail right here and now!"
Shirou remained quiet. All the while, he couldn't forget what Connla told him before. Her words and Medea's promises contested with each other for dominance in his mind:
"No matter what wish is made on the Grail, it will be interpreted as one of destruction."
However, words alone would not convince someone like him. He also had to stand back and judge the speaker's character. Medea's callous attitude disgusted him, that was for certain. At the same time, he couldn't forget that frightened look in Connla's innocent eyes. As she told them of the terrifying visions she experienced, Shirou could tell that her fear was sincere. She was absolutely scared of the Grail, yet she wasn't strong enough to challenge it by herself. He didn't know her full story, but he was sure that she wanted to protect someone from something as devastating as a tainted Holy Grail.
"… Never."
Shirou finally spoke to Medea.
"There's no way in hell I'll go along with something like that," he boldly declared.
She gasped. "Have you gone mad? Don't you understand the position you're in?"
"I won't cooperate with a witch who treats people as mere food and utilizes horrid methods to get what she wants. And also, I wasn't forced to become a Mage. I made the choice myself to follow in my father's footsteps. I might have been lost before, but it was Second Lancer who finally set down the guidepost I needed to pursue the path that is best for myself. Stop wasting everyone's time with your one-sided bantering and release Tohsaka at once."
"Don't be a fool, boy. Caster is not the type to release a hostage just because you play into her hands," Medusa warned.
He ignored her and raised his arm with the Command Spells, then exclaimed, "Take it. That's what you want, isn't it?"
"Shirou!" Artoria screamed in desperation.
"That's enough, Senpai! If you give up Saber, you'll lose the ability to help Sister Caren and Second Lancer with their mission!" Sakura shouted.
"No, I won't! I've found my own strength!" he retorted. "If losing my arm will save Tohsaka's life, then there's nothing for me to think about!"
Medea listened to the conviction in his voice. Then, she laughed. With derisive scorn, she howled in mirth, then exclaimed, "You really are a stupid boy! All of you are irritating me further and further by the second! Hurry up and die already!"
The sorceress swooped in to attack Shirou, but Artoria charged and forced her to fly backwards to avoid a vicious sword swipe. Medea lost her grip on Rin, and the girl was hurled to the ground. Sakura hurried to her sister's side and unraveled the red thread constricting her neck while shouting, "Rin! Please, hang in there, Rin!"
"Ungh… S-Saku… ra…? Why are you…?"
"It's okay. You're safe now."
Medusa had to repel the Dragon Tooth Warriors that Medea mentally commanded to attack the girls. Shirou fell on his knees as he watched Artoria and Medea's duel.
"Stop, Saber!" Shirou screamed. His Command Spell flashed red, and the order was forced onto Artoria. She stopped in mid-swing, her eyes wide with horror. Medea was likewise astonished, yet saw this as her chance to raise Rulebreaker high and stab Artoria's chest with it. A brilliant purple light engulfed the immediate area around both Servants, and strong winds blew about everywhere. Artoria's pained howls resounded through everyone's souls.
"HYAAA~AAA~AAA~AAA~AAAHH! AAA~AAA~AAAGH!"
"Saber!" Shirou shouted, but then his wrist involuntarily twisted and contracted. Searing pain flared through the nerves in his wrist, and he unleashed an agonizing scream. The Command Spells flashed bright red, then were forcefully transferred from his hand. Medea raised her arm triumphantly. She proudly displayed a new set of Saber's Command Spells on her own hand, signifying that Artoria now belonged to her.
"Hah hah… AH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!" the sorceress laughed in absolute delight. "Are you amazed!? This is the true power of my Noble Phantasm, Rulebreaker! It nullifies any and all magic cast in this world – the dagger of betrayal and denial!"
Shirou couldn't believe what he was seeing. He no longer had Command Spells. His own stupidity had caused Artoria to fall into Medea's trap.
"Now, Saber, you are the same as me and Archer," Caster said. "Turn against your former Master and serve me with absolute obedience."
"Nnngh…!" the stricken swordswoman gasped. Archer watched her struggle to fight against the sorceress' control, remaining distant and impassive the entire time.
Sakura hugged Rin close to her and uttered, "How can this be? I can understand a Master taking someone else's Servant, but how can one Servant take another Servant like that?"
"It would seem that Hortensia woman's claims about the rules being hogwash are valid," Medusa murmured. "Everyone is stealing Servants left and right, and disobeying laws that should be held sacred. Furthermore, there is no semblance of pride among the contestants anymore. I'd wager that Berserker is the only Servant who has never left his original Master's side at this point."
"That's correct, Rider," Medea said. "With Saber as my familiar, Berserker's destruction is assured. You, who have lost your most important playing piece, should just stand back and watch as I win the Holy Grail War. Oh, but before that… I should get rid of your little alliance's other important players. I would be a fool to not put my newest retainer through a test run while demonstrating my power to fools who do not listen to reason."
She turned to Artoria and demanded, "Saber, you are to strike down Rider's and Archer's Masters at once."
"No way… I'll… never… listen to you…" the knight king yelped helplessly.
"You will obey me. With these Command Spells at my disposal, you cannot defy me in body and soul. Now, heed my command!"
One of the Command Spell's strokes was expended in a red flash, and Artoria's body moved on its own volition. She had become a prisoner of her own flesh and blood. All she could do was watch as she wielded her sword and rushed straight for Sakura and Rin with no remorse or hesitation in her movements.
Steel crunched through flesh. Large spurts of blood gushed out from a huge wound. However, it wasn't either of the female Masters that had been struck down. Against everyone's expectations, Shirou leapt in her path and let his shoulder be stabbed clean through. Red fluid dripped off of the invisible sword for a moment. Then she extracted the blade out of his skin and left him to collapse onto his side.
"Idiot! Why did you do that!?" Rin howled and hurried to his side along with Sakura. Medusa got in front of the three teenagers to protect them from whatever attack Artoria would attempt next.
While all of this was going on, Archer remained standing far behind Medea. He folded his arms and asked, "What's wrong, Caster? Aren't you going to have Saber finish all of them off at once?"
"No need to be so hasty, Archer," the sorceress assured. "It takes time to break in a disobedient pet. It's a shame that I have to waste the boy's life like this, but any form of interference must be dealt with swiftly."
She was about to use another Command Spell on Artoria, but then the unthinkable happened. Artoria possessed enough willpower to bite her lower lip as she resisted Medea's control. For those brief, precious few moments, she had to do what she could to protect her friends.
"… Run away…" she whispered in a low voice. Then in a desperate cry, she shrieked, "RUN AWAY, SHIROU!"
She unleashed a powerful beam of light and gusting winds not at Shirou, but rather at the Bounded Field. This blew a hole wide open in the distorted space. Medusa realized what Artoria was trying to accomplish and snatched Sakura under her arm, then leapt straight for the rift that would lead them back to reality. Rin had regained enough strength to haul Shirou onto her shoulder, and they stumbled away from the battlefield.
"Unbelievable!" Medea gasped. "Saber's magic resistance is effective even against the Command Spell's binding!? Gh, I've had enough of this farce! I won't let a single one of you escape!"
She flew high into the air and projected her magic circles to deploy her destructive lasers. However, Medusa had not abandoned Rin and Shirou. Without needing to be told by Sakura, she hurried back inside the Bounded Field and flung her chains about to deflect the magic bursts. This provided enough cover for the two teens to reunite with Sakura outside. Once she made sure they were safe, Medusa followed suit. Shirou looked back through the cracked fabric in reality, and his pained eyes met Artoria's empty gaze.
"Saber…" he moaned.
The three teens and the Servant officially retreated from the fight. Medea landed back on the pavement and stared at them. Although disappointed over not being able to kill all of them, she nevertheless smiled. Archer and Saber were her minions now. She felt this was the best outcome she could ask for, so opted not to continue the battle. The three Servants glowed purple, then vanished in a flurry of magical butterflies.