I sit at the end of the dojo along with Lancer. While I'm out of breath, Lancer isn't. I'd say today was a productive day. I was able to test out my skills in Projection and it seems like from what she said, I can replicate user's weapon experience too. If that's the case, who did I see back then?

For some reason, he reminded me of someone I met recently. But I can't remember right now.

"Good work today. Perhaps I should treat you out to dinner sometime?"

She gives out a small chuckle. Heh, perhaps getting food with her isn't so bad...Wait.

"I don't think we should do that."

"Why not?"

"You're a teacher at my school right now, correct? What if other students sees us? It's going to be really weird."

"Oh? ~"

I think I made a big mistake.

"I didn't know you were that self conscious about others. Hmm, perhaps because you like someone?"

"T-that's not it! I'm just saying, people are going to have the wrong idea if they see us together!"

"Calm down."

Lancer takes a seat in front of me on her knees and put her hands on my shoulders. I start to feel her massage my shoulders...?

"Lancer, what are you-"

"Shh."

She stops for a second. She puts her right index finger in front of my lips. My face turns red.

"Your muscles are tensed. I'm simply helping your body be more relaxed. Don't say anything."

Following her directions, the room turns silent for a few minutes. Eventually she stops.

"Feeling better? Try and move your body now."

I move my body around. Whatever Lancer did, it seemed to help out. My body feels much better.

"Thanks Lancer."

"No problem. Anyways back to my question: Are we going to get food together?"

She's back at it again. I don't think she's going to take any answer except yes. I think of a response. Instead of going out to each, perhaps we could just eat at home?

"How about her-"

"No."

Is she psychic or something?

"I specifically want us to go somewhere together to eat. I haven't explored this city as much as I want to, so think of it..as a date? Fufufu."

A date? I never asked for this. But seeing as I have no other option...

"Well… First off, it's not a date. And second, fine. We'll go sometime this week."

"Good. This is your chance to show me how men in this era court woman. Impress me."

A bit too direct, isn't it? I just hope that whatever happens none of my classmates see us. Or else I'll never hear the end of this.

"Anyways, it's getting late. We better sleep soon."

As we both stand up and I start to head out, Lancer stops me by putting her right hand on my right shoulder. I stop to turn my head.

"Huh? Is something wrong?"

"I forgot to mention… I won't be in class tomorrow due to a meeting. So don't try and do anything stupid while I'm not there."

"I won't. But do you know what to say during the meeting?"

"Nope. I'll think of something if I'm there."

I don't think Lancer knows what goes on in a school board meeting...Hopefully she knows what to say.

"I guess this would be a good time to sleep. Let's go, Lancer."

As we prepare to go to bed, I just can't help but think about today. Perhaps Lancer being here isn't bad after all? I don't see Lancer in the room yet, but I am getting tired. So I'll just close my eyes and relax…

A burning sensation.

I don't know what this. It's all over my body. I can't move. This feeling of being burned alive is all I feel.

It's hot. It's really hot. It's too hot...!

"Ha…ah…"

My eyes shoot open. I get up, waking from that nightmare. I breathe heavily. My body is hot.

"Just what did I dream about…"

Looking around, I see that the door of my room is open. Lancer isn't here. Where would she be? This is strange. As I stand up to stretch, I leave my room and there I see Lancer: She's sitting down at the area Kiritsugu and I used to always sit at. In her hands is a cup. Taking a glance at the kitchen, I realize she must've made tea. Her head turns to face me.

"What are you doing this early in the morning?"

"I can say the same for you." I reply back to her.

"I couldn't go back to sleep after having this dream… So I'm here looking at the sky to calm myself. You're free to join me if you'd like, I made some tea in the kitchen."

Accepting her request, I pour myself some tea before sitting next to Lancer. I can feel the cold air touching my whole body.

"The sky is wonderful tonight, isn't it Emiya Shirou?"

"Huh? You said my full name outside of school for once."

"Yeah… Would you want me to call you Shirou instead, or would you rather I keep calling you by your last name?"

"I don't mind at all; feel free to call me Emiya or Shirou."

I take a sip from my cup. This tea isn't bad actually.

"Is there something you'd like to discuss about your dream?" Lancer asks me.

"I don't really know the specifics… I just know I felt fire. That my whole body was being burned alive."

"I see…"

She takes a sip of her tea. I watch her drink.

"Emiya? You're making me uncomfortable."

"Ah-"

I turn my head the opposite direction, scratching my head in embarrassment.

"Heh, you sure you're not looking somewhere else?"

"N-no!"

"With that out of the way… That does sound like a strange dream indeed. Has this been going on for a while?"

"I've been having dreams for a while, but this is the first I ever dreamed about something such as that. I don't know why."

"Maybe it's a sign of some sort? But it must be something big if it woke you up. I'd better tell you my dream now, huh? It's only fair since you discussed yours."

"If you'd like."

"Where should I begin…" She places her drink besides her.

"Ah, well I can't really remember what was in my dream. In a way, the things I saw were fuzzy. There was this man who seemed to be in his thirties. I can't say how he looked like since I didn't see him -I was viewing things from his point of view- but I know that he was out in the world saving people from harm, a hero."

"A hero…"

"It's strange. So I've been sitting out here, thinking about that dream, like what his motivations were for saving people. As a teacher myself, you could say I'm used to seeing people like him saving others from harm. I have no issues with why they'd do a selfless thing. But still… There must be a reason why he'd be doing it. I apologize if I'm rambling."

"No, it's okay."

I finish my drink before placing my cup next to Lancer's.

"It's my guess, but people just do things for no reason. Sometimes you don't need a reason to do something, you just do it. As foolish as it sounds… I can say from firsthand experiences that it's true."

I think back at all the times I jumped into situations just to help people out…

"Hey. What's with that smile of of yours?"

Lancer calls me out.

"Sorry Lancer… I just spaced out a bit."

"It's alright. You must be tired though. You sure you don't want to go to bed now?"

"I think I'll watch the stars with you for a bit before I go."

Lancer blinks a few times at my answer.

"Huh...Okay then. You're done with your drink?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, let me put the cups away then."

Taking the two mugs, she quickly washes them before putting them away. She returns to her spot.

"Say… Lancer?"

"Hm?"

"How do you enjoy this place?"

"I'm still getting used to this place but yes, I am. Then again, where I was previously... I didn't have much freedom to roam."

"Why is that?"

"...I'll tell you another time."

I can tell that it's a personal subject for her. I close my eyes and yawn. How long have we been talking to each other?

"I think you should head to bed. You're getting tired."

"But what about yo-"

"Head to bed. Now."

I don't want to upset her, so I stand up and started walking over to my room. Before I go however...

"Lancer. Thanks for our small chat."

"Same goes for you...Emiya Shirou."

I continue to my room. I take one last look at her. She looks up at the sky.

"Just who was that man in my dreams…"

Lancer says to no one in particular. As I lay in my futon, I fall asleep.

A new day. In a way, I'm curious on how today will turn out. Lancer has a meeting today, she won't be in class. I'm not sure how long she'll have it, but I do know that I need to behave even when she's not there. If her security runes are any indication, I don't know what she'll have plan for me.

"That's...weird."

I don't see Lancer around here. She must've left early. I don't see Sakura here either. Perhaps she was in a rush too? I shouldn't be too worried about this, I'm sure I'll see her at school today. The only thing I hear around me during my walk to school were my own footsteps and the voices around me. Issei walks over to me as I enter the school gate.

"Hey Shirou."

I look up into his eyes.

"Hey Issei."

"You have some time during lunch? There are a few pieces of equipment that still needs to be fixed."

"Yeah. I don't mind."

As I continue walking with Issei, I start to think back about that dream. What was that really about? I talked to Lancer about it already, but maybe I need another person's opinion on it.

"Issei?"

"Yes?"

"What would you think if you dreamed about being burned alive?"

"...What?"

"I don't know what I was dreaming last night, but I felt like I was being burned by endless flames…"

"Ah…"

Issei looks confused by my statement. He scratches the back of his head.

"I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, but that does sounds like a weird dream to me. Being burned alive? That does sound crazy."

It does. Though I'm not one to talk when I survived that fire years back. But the feeling in that dream feels worse than that fire.

"Alright, my class is this way. See you at lunch then.

"See you, Issei."

A few hours into the meeting and Lancer is and continues to be bored.

"These school meetings… I don't even know what they're talking about."

Instead of paying attention to the current conversations in the boardroom, she sketches some runes in her notebook. The topic of the meeting is something that Lancer doesn't know about at all or care about for that matter.

"Do you have any thoughts?"

A question is directed at Lancer.

"Um…"

"Eugh. What am I going to say?"

"I believe the school extra budget can be allocated to other subjects besides sports."

"Phew."

"But we're not talking about our school budget right now. We're talking about how to make students more prepared for college."

"You're kidding me."

"Well. The budget could be allocated to resources such as special programs that help students get a head start on what careers they are interested in. That should help when choosing colleges.

"I see. We'll take your suggestion into account."

"Perhaps I should've paid attention instead…"

Lancer felt a nudge to her shoulder. The teacher next to her whispers in her ear.

"What's that in your notebook?"

"These are just...some drawings I'm doing. I like to draw as a hobby of mine."

"This meeting needs to end. I feel that I'm slowly turning insane from all this nonsense…"

"You said you wanted to meet up here?"

"Yeah."

"Let's make it quick too. I have to meet up with Issei later."

"Fine."

Rin and I agreed to meet behind the gym storage room during lunch.

"You remember how yesterday we discussed about how I could stay over at your house for a while?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I told Taiga before I left for school. Though I don't think she'll be joining us for a while, she seems to be just relaxing since Lancer is being her substitute for a while."

"Where exactly is Lancer?"

"She told me she have a meeting today."

"What about your Servant? Is Archer with you now?"

"No, actually he says he sensed something near the rooftop so I told him to check it out."

Archer opens the door to the roof slightly to peek at what's going on.

"Why aren't you in class?"

"Why should I?"

Archer hears two voices and his brow furrows.

"Last time I checked, you have lunch next period."

Both the Chemistry teacher and Shinji are on the roof.

"What is Shinji doing here…" Archer thinks to himself.

"You're wrong then. Can't you just leave me alone?"

"Not unless you tell me why you're here in the first place."

Shinji gets more agitated the more he talks to him.

"It's none of your business. Now go!"

The teacher, however, wouldn't budge.

"Fine… If that's the way you're going to act. Rider, kill him!"

In an instant, Rider appears in the air to strike at the teacher. With his quick reflexes, he dodges the blow.

"What?! How can you dodge th-"

Shinji didn't complete his sentence however, as in the next second, he gets kicked in the stomach, flies towards the fence and ends up unconscious. The teacher gives out a sigh.

"To think that there's a student whose actually a Master here…"

Taking off his glasses, a knife appears in his hands and he gets in a battle ready stance.

"Is he another Servant?" Archer wonders, before deciding that this teacher must be.

Rider once again flies towards him with her agility. He avoids her with no issue.

"Is this...Assassin?"

"Hold on."

Rin interrupts our conversation.

"Archer is telling me there seems to be two Servants fighting on the rooftop."

Two servants? That's strange. I know Lancer has a meeting right now so it can't be her. But who are the two Servants?

"You have any idea who those two Servants are?"

"Archer's telling me one of them is Assassin. So this must mean, if we don't include the other Servants we bumped into… the other must be Rider."

"Do you think Lancer should get involved?"

"I don't think she'd need to. I'll have Archer form a truce with one of the Servants… besides, she needs to keep her identity a secret. I don't think the others know she's here."

Archer clenches his teeth.

"Forming a truce with one of the Servants, huh… Usually in a case like this, they'd say no but perhaps I could make one."

Archer continues to watch the fight. There has been no notable change in the situation, as Assassin keeps on dodging Rider's attacks. From a normal person's point of view, they're both just blurs, but Archer can see where they are, if barely. His experiences in life using Reinforcement on his eyes has frequently proven itself to be one of his most useful tools.

"I don't want to deal with Shinji at all, so it looks like my best bet would be teaming up with Assassin."

With that, Archer chants the aria that defines who he is, using the magecraft specifically suited for him and him alone.

"Trace, on."

Two short-swords appears in his hands. Archer steps out the door, throws his swords at Rider, and dash towards Assassin.

"I'll make this quick." Rider says dispassionately and blocks the swords. Archer then creates those same pair of swords anew again. They fly past him and hits the wall, before disappearing.

"It would be in our best interests if we team up to hold back Rider." Archer tells Assassin, who seems to be considering accepting this temporary truce.

Archer blocks an attack aimed at his head. A nail flies past him. He could feel the force of it, despite not being struck by it directly. Assassin takes this opportunity to slash at Rider, who pulls her weapon back to avoid him.

"Not only one, but two Servants at this school? What a day it has been so far. As for your offer, I'll accept it for now. As long as we don't get into each other's way, I'm fine with it. I'll accept it." Assassin agrees to the truce, with a smile on his face akin to an interested doctor.

Archer steps behind Assassin as Assassin replies to Archer's statement. They're now back to back. As they both ready themselves, Rider lunges herself to attack them.

A/N: Apologies for the really late update! I'll be honest, I got distracted a lot and put off uploading this chapter, especially with a few recent games being released. It's my fault. Not only that, I kept rewriting Archer's scenes. To me, he's tricky to write and I still feel like he's out of character. Will the next chapter take this long to update? I'm not sure, I hope not. Hopefully he's not too out of character, so any tips on how to make him more in character would help me out tremendously.