Fate/Stay Night and UBW are the property of Kinoko Nasu, UFOtable, Type-Moon, and Aniplex
Thanks for all the support, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. Of course, this story is for you and I read and listen to all suggestions made, I'm always looking for new ideas, also sorry for the increase in grammar problems (I tried writing a couple chapters at 3 am, never again.)
R&R
Shirou followed behind Sakura back into the dining area, she had definitely outdone herself with the breakfast she prepared. Natto, Oyakodon, white rice, fried egg, tofu, and miso soup, the combination of smell greeted his nostrils in blissful unity. She had even prepared to go further, but the increased persistence of Taiga spurred the two to bring the meal out with more haste, Shirou wouldn't want to be a bad host after all.
Taiga immediately towered over the assemblage of mouth watering morsels, her eyes gleamed like that of a predator about to pounce on her prey, and Shirou had no doubt that given the word, there would be no food left for the rest of them after she was done. He didn't bother trying to get her seated and instead went about arranging the food to allow access to the other four attendees.
Honestly, I can't blame her, my stomach feels like it's ready to eat itself and these smells aren't doing me any favors. God, just try not to drool over the food Shirou, stay focused. The meal was finally set, he, Sakura, and Taiga had taken their places at the table.
"Ooooohhhhh Sakuraa, all of this looks delicious! I knew you were improving but you have outdone yourself tenfold! I wouldn't mind if you starting preparing meals more often, of course there's nothing wrong with your food Shirou, but a different perspective is always healthy for the tastebuds." Taiga continued to sing Sakura's praises as Shirou pondered over the possibility of health component of taste buds.
Sakura's face was one of confusion and doubt, "You think so? I feel like I could've done better, it doesn't smell as good as I had hoped, maybe the taste will make up for it."
"As a first hand witness to your preparation of this meal, I have to say you have vast potential Sakura, you'll be a greater cook than me soon enough." Shirou's smile was wide and genuine, so wide that he had to close his eyes which disabled him from seeing the peculiar look Rin was giving Sakura.
"Oh please, stop. Let's just enjoy the meal."
Taiga didn't think twice of Sakura's invitation, and was first to get herself a portion of each section of food. From there they went clockwise until everyone had filled their plates with food.
"Itadakimasu" they all said in unison, thanking Sakura for the meal they were about to receive. She accepted their thanks with a slight nod of her head before taking a small sample bite of chicken, the flavors invading her mouth as she closed her eyes in blissful contempt, the others quickly followed suit. Shirou couldn't suppress a small smile at Saber's expression, he assumed that wherever she came from didn't have food, or at least, food that wasn't as good. That reminded him, he still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Saber about…...well, who the hell she really was, he knew that saber was her class but definitely not her actual name. Rin still called her Servant by his class, but Illya was easily forthcoming with her own Servant's name, although she probably assumed they wouldn't live past the night.
Illya…. He hadn't had a chance to formulate even an idea on where to start on finding his sister, personally wanted to do so in haste as to not risk the chance of another ambush. Rin has a good knowledge of magical families and Sakura is also a member of one of those families, he looked between the two quickly, he suddenly felt slightly at unease. While Saber was at his side, their were two Magi at his table, one of which is extremely capable and while Sakura was a relative unknown, he wasn't sure if that comforted him or made him feel worse. Taiga was a good friend of his, but as of late, she and Sakura had become increasingly close as he became more and more preoccupied with his training and experiments, so it was entirely within the realm of possibility that he was surrounded by conspirators, all with their own motives for wanting to take him down. He looked around the table, at the smiles the women shared as they ate and laughed. He looked at Saber who was engrossed in a story that Rin was telling, she didn't seem bothered by their inclusion to his home. He smiled again and shook his head, It's probably not healthy for a teen to be nearly killed so frequently in such a short span of time, physically or mentally. I shouldn't let paranoia ruin the relationships that I've built with them.
"Emiya?"
He snapped back to reality, "Huh? What? What's going on?"
"Welcome back to Earth, Emiya, I can only wonder what was going through your head to put you in such a daze." Rin smirked mischievously, a smirk that Shirou knew couldn't lead to anything good, for him at least.
"Was there a question that you wanted to ask me? I'm sorry I hadn't heard anything up until my name," he replied slowly, he threw innocence in his diction, hoping to counteract Rin's previous suggestion with a choirboy-esque stance on her assumption. Either it worked like a charm or Rin lost interest, both worked great for him personally.
"It wasn't me that was asking the question, Taiga wanted to know when you were going to let the rest of the Archery club know of your return, you know…..considering we've been training you so vigorously for the past couple of days, you would have to tell them eventually." It took Shirou a moment to catch on, he almost blew by asking what she was talking about. He should've figured that Taiga would do a follow-up on the progress of his "return", especially considering how good he was before he left.
"Well, my technique has gotten a bit sloppy, and while I'm sure they would be happy just to see me in there with them practicing, I want to make sure that the rust hasn't permanently affected my mechanics." He looked at Taiga to see if she bought ti, which thankfully seemed to be the case, he looked over to Sakura who was visibly crestfallen.
I bet she was excited to hear that I was returning to the club, I wonder if she already told the others. He turned his attention fully to his lavender haired friend, "However…", Sakura noticed him speaking directly to her and looked up, her soft purple eyes held a hint of sadness and then hope when he addressed her. "There's no such thing as too much practice, and considering Sakura's been working hard at her own bow skills, I was wondering if you would mind helping me out."
Sakura looked shocked at first, but the prolonged eye contact along with everyone at the table awaiting her answer made her drop her head slightly. "Really Sempai? You want me to train you? I can think of a couple girls that would be more suitable for helping you get back to form." She was now poking her index fingers together tentatively. Shirou was about to protest her doubts but Rin beat him to it, placing both her palms flat on the table, her reply came quick as a whip.
"Stop it!" She was clearly agitated and her tone matched her mood, "If you continue to doubt your abilities, you'll only hinder yourself. There's modesty and then there's what you're doing, take a little pride in yourself." Sakura was caught aback with her sudden outburst, Rin stopped to get a breathe, clearing her throat before speaking again, "I'm sure Shirou would agree that it would benefit the both of you if he had a training partner that didn't constantly second guess themselves."
"U-uh, yeah, you might think there's someone better in the club, but I know that there's no one I'd rather have working with me."
Her face flushed a bright red as she took in the words, Shirou looked over to Rin who immediately crossed her arms and threw her head to side when their eyes met. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to enjoying his meal, apparently Saber shared the same sentiment and followed suit. Eventually everyone at the table went back to eating their food, all feeling much better about the day than they started. Shirou washed the dishes afterwards, Rin, Sakura, and Taiga went out to look for something that had to do with cats… he wasn't paying much attention when they half-rush explained it going out the door. After all the dishes were done he made his way out of the dining room, going down the hall and into the dojo. As expected, his blonde haired Servant sat meditating in the centre, the perfect image of tranquility. He dared not disturb her zen, at least no more than he already was. He closed his eyes, letting his senses and a mental image draw him to an open spot to her right, he couldn't have resisted those emerald eyes pulling him in. He found his place, and sat down at her side, he assumed a meditative stance, crossing and then tucking his feet underneath himself as he sat, then he placed one hand over the over into his lap, connecting together at the thumbs. He sat for what felt like hours, he was overtaken by boredom, soul crushing boredom, his head was starting to hurt. He peeked one eye open to see if Saber had moved…...not even a muscle, his eye peeked something else too.
You are a master of zen, your increased focus has increased your Reinforcement skill
You can now Reinforce the strength of weapons you are armed with exponentially.
Interesting, that'll come in handy against Servants. All of these abilities the game is giving me, I should start looking into making some of my own. The thought pleased him, he was dedicated to his craft and he wanted to show it. He would have to do his homework, a lot of natural sites of Mystery had gone with the dawn of science, so gaining powers through phenomena was unlikely. Perhaps praying to some higher being, or gaining some modicum of divine knowledge could help him.
You have unlocked the Side Quest: Trump Card
Objective: Call on a power greater than yourself
Least it'll be easier to remember.
"Was there something you wanted to ask me Master?"
He snapped back to the dojo, he had been staring into space and had caught the attention of a certain blonde.
"Actually, yes. There should be full transparency in our partnership." It was about time he had more than just hunches about his Servant.
"Of course, forgive me, you should at the least know my true name. I am Artoria Pendragon, King of Knights, leader of the Knights of the Round Table and King of Britain." She nodded her head at him in respect. "We Servants are Heroic Spirits, but that fame has a price. Revealing our true identities also reveals all of our vulnerabilities."
"So we should continue to address you as Saber, to hide your real name from enemies.."
"I agree."
"So wait, Artoria? So the legend of King Arthur was actually a woman in disguise huh? That's kinda funny."
"Yes, during my reign as King I hid my gender from those I ruled, I even wed myself a wife to keep up appearances. Only a trusted few of my closest confidantes ever knew the truth, does this bother you?"
"Oh no of course not, gender has nothing to do with your titles and accomplishments. That would explain your mastery of the sword, and your formal quirks. Well it's nice to finally be fully acquainted Artoria. That only leaves me with one question, what could you possibly want from the Holy Grail, you had fame, riches, a kingdom, a fine rule, what more could you want that it would draw you this strongly?"
The Servant seemed to drift off into space as she chuckled under her breath, and talked so softly that Shirou could only read her lips, "Such a fine rule wasn't it?"
"Um, Saber?"
Saber looked down at her lap with a disgruntled look on her face, "My wish, is to redo the selection of king, I do not wish to draw that sword from the stone."
Shirou looked dumbfounded, but he straightened it before he spoke again, "I understand." He ignored the look she gave him and continued. "I don't know why you would want to do such a thing, but I wouldn't dare intrude on such a personal matter. I do understand what it feels to have regrets, so your wish is relatable to me, it doesn't change the fact that our combined strength with ensure us the Holy Grail."
Saber looked owlishly at him, eventually her features softened, and a smile rose on her lips. "Thank you for being so courteous Shirou. Now if you
"It's no problem at all, I am in no position to judge. Anyways, would you be interested in a trip? I'm looking for sites in Japan where I can learn to harness large amounts of power to utilize in an attack, not unlike the Noble Phantasm of a Servant."
Saber propped her head on her cheek and her elbow to her knee. "You would need crystallized Mystery to accomplish such a task, we could find that on other Servants in their Noble Phantasms, or perhaps naturally, but that's doubtful. So if we happen to take down a Servant and they are not immediately killed, you could have a slim opportunity, but they would have to have their Noble Phantasm out and you would need a method of extracting pure Mystery and transfering that power to yourself. However, such power is likely to rip you apart, I would advise against it considering your current strength. No offense."
Her chuckled, "None taken, let me worry about how to get it working, more prevalent is how we could hope to perform an extraction on a still living Servant, such a task seems impossible." Shirou ran his hand through his muted red hair, finally he sighed in defeat. "I guess I'll put that on the backburner for now. Well then, we should strategize our next move, we should always be 10 steps ahead of the enemy."
The Servant nodded "Indeed, well in that case..." From behind her she produced a large rolled up piece of paper, laying it down and unrolling it revealing that it was in fact a map of Fuyuki. "We know that there is a Servant occupying the school and the area around it."
"Also, I've heard of a large amount of coma patients recently around this area, Rin and I are going to go investigate later. Yes, that includes you." He could see Saber beginning to protest, at mention of her inclusion though, she sat back complacently.
"Do you think you are capable of fighting efficiently in your current condition?"
Shirou waved her off, "Don't even worry about it, I'm feeling better by the minute, at this rate, I'll be 100% by the time we head out." He smiled reassuringly at his Servant.
"If you are certain, then I have no doubt in your word Master."
He sighed and shook his head, Seriously can't wait until she stops calling me that, it's messing with my ego. What's so wrong with Shirou anyway?
King of Knights discovered! Increased knowledge of your Servant has applied additional Status', these effects will not be unlocked until previous undefined conditions are met.
Star constellation is moving. Your constellation will attach itself to you in some way, augmenting that part. Keep an eye to the sky to see what the heavens bless you with.
Taking a moment to look back at Saber, Shirou realized that he was now alone in the room. Considering he was looking off into space, he couldn't fault her for leaving.
Arturia…..He should take some time to actually get to know her, as Arturia and not Saber. He got up and was out the door, he eventually found her in front of his workshop, standing in the middle of a courtyard. It had been almost a week since he had used it and he now felt almost like he was neglecting his side craft. Saber was looking at the various vegetation he had planted around the small red building, he walked over to her and looked at what Saber was observing. He stood in shock over his plants, the various ingredients he used for his potions, they were dying. The once bright colors of health was now rotting and wilting into the dirt, some had already reached compost.
Saber looked at him, "A magical presence is leeching the life from your garden."
He placed a hand on his chin, "My garden is very amateurish, so I'm sure anybody with decent Magus skills could pull off this feat, the question is is it targeted, or widespread? The difference in power for the later over the former would suggest a Servant is responsible, most likely the Caster. This isn't good, not good at all, now I only have three healing potions, and two mana potions to work with. I was kind of hoping I could produce them in bulk and just blitz everyone we went against, but now we've only got the slightest of advantages. What a waste." He shook his head in disappointment, then turned back to his Servant. "Hey, Saber."
"Yes, Master?" He furrowed his brow for a moment, he could've sworn he remembered her calling him 'Shirou' before, women are so difficult.
"You haven't really gotten out much, I was thinking I could take you into town, let you see the world as it is now, plus you can get a lay of the land."
"Hmmm, that sounds like a great idea, I shall fetch the rain coat." She made to wherever her coat was before Shirou stopped her.
"Actually, it would be better if you wore civilian clothes, a woman walking through town in armor with an invisible sword isn't good for the elderly's health. Could you put up some illusion over your armor?"
"I can call on the armor at my leisure, I am willing to accept your terms, but the moment an enemy is within my sight, all bets are off." She crossed her arms to punctuate the statement.
He smiled at her, chuckling lightly, "Alright then, let's get moving."
The two made their way from the house and into town, children played in the playground they walked by, the sun hung high in the sky, a cool breeze pushed fallen leaves across the pavement at their feet.
Shirou looked over at the kids, remembering those days fondly. He then turned to his Servant, who had surprised him with her keen sense of fashion. He expected her to come outside wearing something from her era but the white jacket, the blue scarf that matched her skirt, though she still kept quite modest by wearing leggings underneath, it was definitely a complementing outfit. "So….what have you been up to while I've been away?"
"I've been keeping busy by cleaning, since the house is so big however, it has proven to be a tough endeavour."
"Sorry about that, you really didn't have to do that, I owe you big time." He didn't think the term 'Servant' was so literal.
"It was nothing, I'm happy to assist however I can, although my forte is more in being a knight than a maid." She added.
"I get it, i get it, no more solo galavanting, trust me your skills will not go to waste. By the way, while we're out I should grab some groceries."
Saber replied with vigor, "You can count on me to carry them home!" He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.
Saber stopped in her tracks, noticing a bakery shop filled with an assortment of pastries, the smells coming from the store were to potent, they were out of the store before he realized what had happened, but his wallet was definitely lighter, damn his sweet tooth.
"I couldn't resist, they just caught my eye." Saber said, her mouth slightly full with pastry.
He waved her off, his eyes were closed as he enjoyed the sweet explosion of flavors in his mouth. "Ahh it's fine, it shouldn't spoil your appetite for dinner. Speaking of which how does salmon sound?"
"Delicious, as is everything you cook."
"Well Taiga always told me the quickest way to a woman's heart is through her stomach."
Saber looked at him puzzlingly, "Has the anatomy of humanity changed since my day? Or are you merely suggesting that food is a good tool in killing one's enemy if they are of the opposite sex. I would assume men would be just as, if not more susceptible to coercion through food, but I'm sure you know best."
"I think you're taking it a little to literally, I meant heart in a romantic sense, with the stomach representing food. How do you know other sayings but not that one?" His Servant did nothing more than shrug her shoulders before going back to finishing her treat, he didn't bother pushing the subject. "If you don't mind me asking….how much of your story has history gotten accurate?"
"I would say they gave the legend of King Arthur the respect I deserve, and they stayed pretty accurate to the path Inat I took, so I can't complain." Saber shrugged nonchalantly again along with her response.
"So Merlin, the dragon, the sword in the stone…."
"More or less right, everything about a Heroic Spirit comes from the legends we left behind, everything from our armory to our bodies and personalities are exact replicas of the individuals we derive them from, . The Grail does however have a habit of sometimes eschewing historical facts to fit its needs, for example, Hercules is now a black skinned rage monster." A small child walking by looked up at Shirou like he had grown a second head, probably overheard their conversation. The boy moved along and Shirou couldn't help a small laugh from the awkward situation.
"I was wondering what was up with that, the books always made him out as more…"
"Heroic?"
"Well I was going to say sane, but that works too."
The duo continued on there walk for a while longer, making sure to point out areas of interest and landmarks for Saber if she needed to get around the city without him. Their stroll around town eventually brought them to a large rectangular building, it seemed to be a workplace of some capacity. The day had by now left them and the night sky was introducing them to the stars in the sky, although Shirou couldn't make out any constellations that looked out of place.
He turned to face his Servant, "This is where we're meeting Rin and Archer, I guess we're a little early."
"A little late is more accurate Emiya." Before Shirou heard the second word, Saber was in between him and Rin, although she let up her guard when she realized the identity of the voice. Rin looked over Saber carefully, "Offer still stands if you're interested."
Saber turned to Shirou, "What offer does she speak of?"
"She wants to trade Servants, she even added money to make it a 'fair trade', obviously I declined."
Rin's Servant, Archer, materialized by his Master, an upset look on his face, "I lose more and more faith in you by the day."
Rin looked on contently, a coy smile on her face, "As it should be."
"Were you really considering trading me to the boy?" Archer looked down at Shirou with contempt, which Shirou gave back in earnest. "At least I wouldn't have to carry him for long, your survival up to this point has been nothing short of miraculous, I don't expect it to last."
"I actually want you less than your master does. Your technically 0-3 versus Servants so far, yes I'm counting the Lancer fight because he had you looking scared shitless, and you don't want any problems from Saber here, although it would probably be a waste of mana." Shirou could feel a hot ball of anger growing in his stomach, something about this guy just got under his skin, badly.
"Maybe I should start what Lancer finished." Apparently, Shirou's remarks gave Archer the same feeling.
"Probably too slow with that too tight shirt on, Saber came dressed to fight, you came dressed to jumpstart your modeling career. Are you wearing half a skirt or half a cape? I bet that's not even your real hair color. "
"Enough!" Rin and Saber yelled in unison, they looked at each other, with Saber giving Rin the nod to proceed. "If you two are done, we're here to actually do something. If you want, we can keep you seperated like children."
Shirou looked from Rin, then glared at Archer before walking towards the door, opening it. "Allow me."
Rin admired Shirou's maturity and she showed it, giving him a smile that said 'Thanks for not being an ass.' Rin and the two Servants walked across the threshold, although Shirou made sure to go through before Archer, leaving him to catch the door that was now heading for his face.
He of course caught it, looking at the redhead in front of him, "Real classy."
Shirou stopped in his tracks, looking ahead to see the two women walking towards the staircase, he stopped until Archer caught up so he would be mid stride with him. The Servant looked amusingly at him, Shirou seethed behind his calm facade.
"Are you really planning on letting me kill you?"
"First off, wouldn't be that easy. Secondly, I was wondering how you came to acquire those swords you use."
Archer raised an eyebrow at the question, "What business is it of yours?"
"For now, none." Shirou didn't need to ask anything further, all he really wanted to know was how Archer would react. The Servant was hiding something, and with their current footing even if Archer told him the truth he probably wouldn't believe it.
They finally caught up with Saber and Rin and proceeded to the 6th level of the building, along the way they came across skeletons. These were skeletons reminded Shirou of dogs, but the structure was all off, those along with a few oversized crocodiles made up the opposing forces. Much to his disappointment however, none of them registered over Level 10, they were nothing but fodder as he and Rin tore threw them. He didn't bother producing a sword, instead using his pankration to literally dismantle them, attacking parts of the skeletal form that supported the most weight, making them crumple in a heap on the ground. Rin was courteous enough to obliterate them after he broke the skeletons down. The two Servants looked on with pride as their Masters stomped threw the opposition. Once most of the enemies had been dealt with and the stragglers retreated into the vents, the foursome began again walking down the hallway until Rin stopped them in front of an open door that led into a workplace area. The room itself was filled with a pinkish haze that glowed against the rows of computer screens, Shirou considered it a safer bet to observe as far from that fog as possible, just to be safe.
Rin peeked around the room, covering her hand with her mouth, "What kind of incense is this?"
"A witch's ointment, most likely." Archer replied. "From what I know, it's apparently supposed to destroy love entirely."
"Sounds like a vindictive woman, are there any female workers in there?" Shirou asked from the back of the group.
Archer craned his neck to look around the room, before turning to Rin and shaking his head. She turned to her fellow Master, "Doesn't look like it."
"Whatever her beef with men are, it must be some grudge to either make her a Servant or at the very least, concoct such potions and using them even after becoming one." As he was deducing the motives of this 'witch', Rin made to open a window, venting out the toxin and allowing the rest to cross into the room, bodies littered the floor, the faces of the men were blank, expressionless shells.
Rin insisted that they call the ambulance at once, while the three of them were to meet her at the top of the building after she made the call.
"You think she's at Ryudou Temple?" Shirou asked.
"Yes, the stolen life force is all flowing towards the mountains, if I had to guess I'd say that it was the Caster Servant."
Archer leaned against the industrial fan atop the building, "A witch hiding out in a temple eh? Do you think she observed our battle with Berserker?"
Saber joined into the conversation to add in, "If she did, we may have shown her some of our abilities and our truce for free."
Rin turned from the Servants, instead choosing to look over the city, it was a quiet night, yet you could still feel the life flowing through it even as most of its populace slept, unaware of the growing threat. "Perhaps."
Shirou stepped out from the shadow he was occupying, "Are we doing a witch hunt?"
Rin let a smirk form on her lips, "Damn right."
Archer groaned, "You won't be satisfied until you pick a fight will you?"
Her smirk grew into a full blown smile, "Damn right!"
Shirou Emiya, Level 39
Health: 40/100
Magic: 25/100
Strength: 29/100
Endurance: 50/100
Dexterity: 47/100
Intelligence: 30/100
Wisdom: 20/100
Luck: 60/100
Skills:
Element: Sword/Sword
Resistance: Magic (5%) Curse (5%)
Unlimited Blade Works: Level 4 (Locked)
Passive increase in Swordsmanship
6% EXP increase in Sword skills progression
10% EXP increase in Archery skills progression
Charisma: C+
Cooking: A+
Cleaning: A+
Zen: D-
Alaya's Favor: 0%
Kenjutsu: C
Reinforcement Magic: C+
Weapon Tracing: C-
Time Alter: C
Gun Fu: D
Pankration: Level 3 (Instant Travel: 2%)
Presence Concealment: D+
Perks:
Ironman
Miraculous Healing
Star Constellation: Locked