The journey back to the school was a brisk one. With the Sun already high up into the noon sky, warmth filled the countryside and made it a pleasant trek to the place his whole life changed. Looking over at Saber, she had a mask of stoicism on as usual, almost like a mix between a doll with immaculate beauty and a statue full of strong features etched over a young girl's visage. Her emerald eyes primarily was fixed ahead, looking ahead with only the faintest of looks to the side and up to the sky, constantly on edge since the night's summoning prior.
"I wonder if she ever got much rest last night?" Shirou wondered, musing how present she was at the moment of his awakening. She must have not gotten much if she was beside him the whole time. Though, he wondered just how much of his sleep-filled dialogue was made and promptly turned away with a slight warmth bristling along his face and neck. "No, best not think about that. She said she recovered so I'll take her word for it."
Walking over the hillside on the sidewalk he felt as much as saw the passing of cars moving with the afternoon traffic. Even out here, in the more isolated outlying area of Fuyuki City, where there more prestigious people lived got some passerby travelers of both native citizenry and those of yonder beyond the horizon. Slight chilling gusts came with every bulk of metal and plastic that blew past him, reminding him that life carried on, even when battles of intimate near death like his two encounters with Lancer or those of a colossal scale like with Berserker could occupy such a realm of obscurity none could be privy to.
Then again, both instances of Lancer was the case of him sticking his nose where it didn't belong, so he was lucky whereas someone else wouldn't be.
Thoughts returned back to the alliance as they got to the more urban side of the city, getting ever-so closer to the school. Between him, Rin Tohsaka and the house guest to surrogate sibling Illyasviel von Einzbern, they had a powerful set of personal warriors and their own magic to call upon. Well, they did, he had very little to contribute other than being a walking target. Their reprimands still stung, yet he had no real defense other than how desperate he was to avoid another death when he could've saved someone. If it hadn't been for Rin's Servant, he knew they'd all be in trouble.
Now that he thought about it, apart from the three armored knights, Shirou didn't know who or what that Servant was. Thinking his own Servant knew more, he looked over at the blonde woman and finally broke the tense silence, "Hey, Saber, you saw Rin's Servant, right?"
"Yes," She replied straightforward, her eyes glancing at him curiously. "What of it?"
"Uh, I was wondering if you knew anything about him. Or her. Or it," He trailed off, embarrassed he had no concept of what Heroic Spirit Rin possessed other than its classification.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that," She responded honestly, scrunching her brows up in a cute look of annoyance that got Shirou to smirk a little. "Caster wears a finely woven disguise made out of a material that not only acts akin to a Presence Concealment but also silences its Prana outright. The only thing I got from our brief exchange when we returned to your home is that its very knowledgeable in weaving materials of all sorts, and has control over the elements. It is a very old Magus from perhaps my age if not older. I only have speculation at this point so I can't really describe anything other than a concealing cloak that hides its owner's face and shape."
Shirou became worried at this. Rin was already a scary enough girl being of the popular status and from a rich, influential family that had ties to all the most important junctures and politics of Fuyuki; adding that to her being a Magus of prestige and might being Master to Caster of unknown identity made her terrifying. He believed she wanted to ally at this point, but she's a selfish creature by her very nature. He's seen it from a distance and by reputation. If she decided our pact was of no use to her, just how long would she tolerate himself and Illya if they were in her way?
Crossing the grounds where the school's property was in sight, he'd see some cars distantly parked adjacent to the faculty parking lot. Given the majority of people who attended walked on foot -or were driven here, as some did- he figured it was just the people who were necessary to do projects and other assignments necessary before the next week started. This normalcy brought him some sense of relief while Saber continued to monitor to area around them with a studious glare fixed on the academic location they were approaching.
Breaching the space he did just the other day, Shirou was touched by the familiar sensation of an ominous power at work in the given proximity. He looked over to his Servant who immediately let out an exhale through her nostrils, her mouth parted and her head turning about to look at the largely unoccupied area full of sports equipment, grass and various things of that nature in either direction.
"Something the matter?" Shirou finally asked, coming to a stop as she did upon feeling the cold chill that came across them not from the weather but from a metaphysical crawl down their spines. "You feel it too?"
"Yes. This feels similar if not morbidly so to the same Bounded Field that was set up around Berserker's trap," Saber murmured with certainty, her brows knitted into a frown as her emerald eyes swept the sizable land's scope. "Keep on your guard, Shirou. I detect the latent presences of several Servants that had their hand here."
"Ah, you must be talking about Archer and Lancer," He easily explained away with a dismissive wave, beginning his walk onward with his Servant joining him without skipping a beat. "Yeah, they were fighting in the courtyard next to the main building. They were pretty amazing, even from what I saw, so they might have left a mark."
"That's not what I'm referring to," She countered, following the lead of the young man as they navigated the neatly paved path towards the area Shirou described. There he'd see something that took him aback with the Servant staring in confirmation to the other mana she felt at play. The place the redhead saw the forbidden fight that launched him into this Holy Grail War was completely unscathed, not a single piece of grass kicked up or craters made across the space from the main building and the ground they once fought. More amazing was the sight of the windows that were most definitely shattered from the interior battle caused from his near-death encounter with Lancer was completely unmarred from the previous night's ordeal. Saber piped up as his eyes and mouth were agape, unable to fully process what kind of dream he experienced the previous night until he was brought back to reality by her words. "This is more than likely the work of Caster. From those fake Servants to the concealing cloak, this seems to be its specialty, if not one of them."
"It's amazing," Shirou walked up to the earth where he definitely saw a crater the previous night, brushing his hand over and definitely feeling a slight buzz to his hands as he touched the seemingly untouched ground. "Yeah, unless you're a Mage like me, you'd probably not even tell unless you touched it. This is a remarkable ability."
"Keep your guard up, Shirou," She intoned seriously, angling her glance at him before nodding towards the school building. "We have to check inside if anything else is amiss. Who knows what other Servants may have laid traps or lie in wait for you to return here?"
"Well, other than that confirmed Berserker trap, I don't know anyone else who might've-"
"And that's why you almost died," She corrected, making him grimace at her jabbing interruption. "Don't assume things are safe, even if you can't detect danger. That's when you are most prone to being ambushed by an enemy."
"So, not everyone has an honor code of announcing themselves?" He questioned, now following her lead as she walked towards the opposite end of the building to find the entrance. "I mean, apart from you, that is."
"Did Lancer wait to let you catch your breath before he plunged his spear towards your heart?"
"I...guess not."
'Well, there you have it," Saber responded with a huff, looking over her shoulder at him with a serious stare that made his face wince. "While a fight between Servants may depend on our own ideals and morality, when it comes to Masters or casual observers, you're an easy target. If it comes to bystanders or you, they will always choose to slay you on sight unless ordered not to. Killing a Master is a surest way to defeat a stronger Servant, or at least hinder them long enough for you to best them conventionally."
"Man, this is a real blood sport," Shirou commented dryly.
Keeping silent after that, the high schooler trailed behind his Servant as they circumnavigated around the face of the building till they saw one of its entrances bordering the path they departed from. Entering the school, he felt himself remember something. Looking to his right down the hall, he saw the faint outline of a familiar person walking around the corner.
"Shirou?" Saber inquired.
"You go ahead and look around the school," Shirou urged her, looking back at her with a simple smile. "There's someone I wanted to check up on."
"Okay, but don't wander too far-"
"I know, I know!" He groaned out, walking away with a hand waving behind him without looking. "Yeesh, you're like a den mother, Saber."
Ayako Mitsuzuri was very impressed.
Having awakened early for the trek to school for the amount of time it'd be open to the faculty and Club members studious enough to finish their projects or other miscellaneous tasks before the next week started. She wasn't sure if her pleading with the most helpful guy on campus, Shirou Emiya, would be able to do a convincing job so she wanted to make sure everything was spic and span before someone of the board inspected club rooms. Among her own slew of class homework she had to take care of, she didn't want that to be a mark on her semester in the beginning of the year.
Instead, she was greeted with a pleasant surprise. Everything was polished with a shine she hadn't seen since the end of last year. It brought back memories of seeing Sakura drawing the bowstring and showing off surprising ease of which she adapted herself to the club she forced the meek girl into joining. Taking a moment to inspect equipment, she was happy to see nothing was out of place and everything seemed to be tidied up from the altercation she had with Shinji; someone she's still cross at him being absent after the vicious argument that descended into near injury.
Sighing, she took time to take stock of inventory and look over all the things the club may need in the future and the schedule for more meetings.
"Probably should deliver this to the faculty office sooner than later," She mulled over, taking the dotted clipboard of what was needed from the school board for her club in terms of supplies and necessities. Walking away from the club she reentered the school's main building, seeing a familiar set of outdoor shoes were placed by the entrance. While this sparked something akin to a remembering of an earlier promise in her head, she also saw a tress of gold stem from around the corner and a pair of light footsteps followed by even lighter trots.
Furrowing her brows, she walked past the forked corridor where she'd be noticed at the last second by an aforementioned red-head. Turning the corner, she casually walked a bit quicker to catch up to the sounds of unfamiliar footsteps that didn't fit with the usual assortment that peruses the school at this day of the week. Turning one corner, she'd see something that made her double take with a frown aimed at the backs of the mystery pair.
"I wasn't aware our school had Open House rules," She brashly called to the pair, now causing them to officially stop to acknowledge her.
"And I thought the Japanese were noteworthy for their hospitality," The shorter of the two said, turning slowly to smile softly, revealing a pure, unblemished complexion that only someone bred in Western Europe could obtain. Thin brows enhanced her piercing gaze with long lashes and a luminous cyan-like blue hue to her eyes that seemed to pool into the pupils themselves, giving a mesmerizing majesty to an outside observer. Accompanying her cute, rounded face was a frame of blonde hair that curtained around her shoulders, evenly trimmed bangs covering the tips of her thinned brows and embracing her heritage of being an outsider in a foreign land.
Her clothes seemed to have a Victorian era appeal to it. Wearing a beret of deep blue with a white rose angled to its flank, she wore it on the left side of her head, with a veil of nearly black silk resting behind her head from the cap. Her dress wore ruffled shoulders that tied into laced sleeves that ended in white etches akin to snowflakes while her hands were covered by silk dark blue gloves; akin to the shade of her apparel. Her blouse wore a white bow over the bosom, letting it slink down her narrow waist till it rested in a tea-cup frilled skirt, leaving her legs covered by leggings of black her own feet covered by the customary indoor shoes left available at the school's available entrances of brown hue.
"She's a student, love," The second newcomer spoke, his voice airy and full of vitality, with his angular sculpted visage reminiscing of someone who was from the Mediterranean. His head had a sweeping trail of fiery-gold hair, fastening into a golden pinned ponytail that hung just shy of the middle of his shoulder blades, glimmering in the light of the day that shined through the hallway's windows. Emerald eyes shined in a visually stunning manner, almost glowing to Ayako's perspective, complemented by the dark orbs that rested in between the sapphire irises. Beyond his charming smile, the way he stood and his handsome features, Mitsuzuri almost felt her heart sputter if he didn't speak in a way that disregarded her rudeness because of what she was.
Unlike his companion, he wore a stylish coat of black fur over what looked like a suit jacket of golden trim and black hue. A loose tie hung around the collar with several buttons undone to hint the amazing definition of his pectoral muscles and the tautness of his shoulders up to his neck. With a particular leather belt with the symbol of a sea nymph latched onto the buckle, he wore expensive looking pants that looked too rich for even the most luxurious parts of Fuyuki City. Apart from her, he wore what looked like sandals around equally descript pairs of feet, making it the oddest detail to this walking athletic model.
"Yes, and this student happens to belong here," Ayako replied stubbornly, regaining her composure with a glare and a snort. Crossing her arms over her school uniform's chest, she leaned on one foot and cocked her head at the pair. She was no Rin Tohsaka, but she wasn't one to push around, regardless of status and stature of a person; Shinji Matou is living proof of that. "What's your business here? You know, other than filling my school with your unbelievable ego?"
The male to the right let out a musical, raucous laugh while the girl let out a humorless chuckle, showing she was clearly not amused liker her partner.
"She's got fire in her! I like it!" He stepped forward, his hand stretched out hospitably unlike the blonde who kept her distance, perpetually glaring her with an icy stare that sent chills up the Archery Club Leader's spine. This was erased when her unfurled hand grasped the other's soft palms, feeling the faintest traces of callouses, but also an incredible warmth to his grip. Her eyes met his, his smile a rising Sun and comforting tide of an Ocean just as the smell of his expensive oils mingled with something almost magical that made her hazel orbs drink in his green rings. "I'm Pyrrhos. Pleasure to meet such a fiery maiden, such as yourself."
Feeling herself flush warmly to her face, her neck beginning to sweat and her hairs prick at the back of her neck, she couldn't help but be overwhelmed by this forward motion of attraction and politeness. Shaking his hand back, almost too enthusiastically, she stuttered out as she tried to take a hesitant step back from his incredible presence, "S-Sure, of course, n-no problem," She coughed, brushing her bangs aside while forcing a smile to defuse her own embarrassment -something obviously not lost on the smug grin present on Pyrrhos- before she waved to the persistently silent blonde. "And you?"
"I'm here as a visitor with my beloved companion," She declared in a sweet, melodious voice that belied her mask of ice over her penetrating eyes, a smile present as she gestured dismissively over one shoulder and then to the other. "Who is currently busying himself in the faculty office for his own personal duties here. He said I can feel free to make myself familiar with my associate here."
"Uh-huh," Ayako nodded with a flick of her tongue against the roof of her mouth, her arms resuming to cross over her chest as Pyrrhos leaned casually against one of the school lockers, his eyes never leaving her face for some reason. "Not to seem a bit forward, but what kind of business do a couple of rich looking people like you have in a school like this? And who is this beloved companion of yours?"
"So many questions. I guess you really are the exception of Japanese hospitality," She snidely replied, contrasting heavily with her sweet voice and smile, but coalesced with the cold glare emanating from her eyes.
"Listen, if you want trouble-"
"Hey!" A voice called out as a figure walked around the corner and made himself known. Twirling around, Ayako almost sighed with relief at the familiar ginger who strode up to her vicinity. Stopping short and looking at the ritzy pair behind her, Mitsuzuri shook her head and gestured to them with a smile.
"These two are apparently just visiting due to someone from school inviting them here to idle here," She introduced, almost snorting as she still felt fed up from the blonde's earlier choice of wording. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she got a satisfying dour expression from her, all the while Pyrrhos seemed to close his eyes and shake his head. Pointing to the red-haired man, she spoke with no stutter this time in introduction, "This is Pyrrhos, the gentleman. And this is," Ayako turned to look at blonde, smiling thinly and casting a half-lidded glare back at her in a too-sweet briefing on her. "The mysterious Un-Gentlewoman."
"Funny," She icily spoke back, her eyes drifting over to Shirou's. Unlike the ample-bodied brunette, he walked up -if not a little off-put from this scenario- and smiled as he reached a hand out.
"I apologize if you two got on a bad foot. My name's Shirou Emiya," He politely introduced himself, his hand outstretched and waiting.
For a moment, the look of surprise looked amplified beyond the ordinary. The young woman's peerless teal orbs had dilated at the latter part of his name, already off guarded by how candidly formal he was. Then those same eyes turned -for a moment- into a scarlet shade at looking at his hand. A blink later, and they returned back normalcy, making Shirou question if he saw it at all. A sweet smile of endearment spread across her face as her gloved hand reached out and caught his own, gripping it in a way that reminded him of how a diplomat might shake hands.
"Just for that genuine Japanese hospitality, I'm inclined to share you my name, Shirou Emiya," She answered with an intense stare that seemed to put the red-head in a sense of eerie dread as she almost whispered her next choice words. "Reines El-Melloi Archisorte."
"T-That's quite a mouthful," Shirou tried to joke, now feeling his hand enveloped in a vice grip he wasn't expecting and was almost rooted in place in this petrified hold she had on him. Trying to play it cool, for Ayako's sake, he sheepishly smiled with his teeth and asked. "Why not I call you just Reines?"
"How forward of you, Emiya," She sang, her voice tickling his ears yet made his face feel a bit cold in the hold she had yet to relinquish. Closed eyes reopened, her face still a pleasant expression mired by her jeweled eyes, spoke unashamedly. "If I didn't come here with my beloved companion, I'd definitely find time to truly bring us closer to such an informal basis. Perhaps, another time when we aren't in such," She alluded, casting her gaze at Ayako, inferring with the softest of implied snarls. "Inappropriate company?"
"S-S-Sure!" He stuttered out now, though for a completely different reason than Mitsuzuri did for Pyrrhos. It felt like a Bisque Doll was a shell covering a spider, and every impulse in him felt fear that was on par with Rin; or Illya when she was angry, but too sweet to not say that she was. "J-Just give me a heads up, okay?"
"I do what I wish," Reines intoned, removing her hand from his, in time for a sound of loud footsteps was coming from the opposite direction of the hall. A twinkle of red sparked in her eyes, as she whispered yet again like a spider to its prey. "But I might make an exception for you."
"I'm sorry, truly I am!" An apologizing voice broke the tension like a knife, making both Ayako and Shirou prick up while Pyrrhos idly turned his head to acknowledge the source's arrival. As he approached, he took a moment to take in the scene and read it completely different than how the others had. Smiling, Issei Ryuudou fixed his glasses while holding a book bag over his shoulder to rest at his left side. "Emiya. Mitsuzuri. I see you've gotten to be acquainted with my temple's guests."
"Guests?" Ayako voiced aloud a query that popped into the red-head's mind.
"Oh beloved, that's quite cold," Reines sang aloud, turning around with a twirl of her skirt, the hem's frills rippling like water as she slid up almost too quickly for any person present to notice. She wrapped her arms in between the space of his sleeved right arm, pulling it close into her ribbon tied bosom, causing him to visibly sputter and his face become flushed. Leaning up, she placed a kiss on his cheek, only furthering his embarrassment as she proclaimed while her eyes were fixated on his now sweating visage. "After all, I thought we were a match made by destiny?"
"P-Please," He hissed, trying his best to regain composure as his face lingered over her own near expression of longing. "N-Not here."
Pouting her cheeks, she spewed her air out and the familiar fragrance of her perfume clicked in the back of Shirou's head. Before he could make mention of it, she looked at him and he clamped his jaws shut out of reflex. Seeing that he wasn't saying anything, the rich looking girl smiled to them both as she began to pull him away. "Well, it was interesting meeting you both, Ayako Mitsuzuri and Shirou Emiya. I'll look forward to a more informal reunion later," Taking a inhale, she then sang out musically to the leaning observer that had been Pyrrhos. "Come along!"
"Right-Right," The tall Sunset haired man pushed off the lockers, casting a wink at Ayako -earning a blushing blink from the brunette- before he'd idly whistle behind them as Issei began to whisper something the two couldn't hear.
Leaving the two alone and bizarrely off kilter from the whole situation.
"Well, that was...odd," Shirou summarized when he felt like they had been gone for an appropriate amount of time. Looking over, he immediately got an intimate sight of Ayako glaring face-to-face; enough so that he stumbled back and almost hit his head against the hall window behind him. "H-Hey!"
"Don't hey me, Emiya!" Ayako sharply glowered with indignation in her voice. "What was up with you sidling up to that girl? You into foreign girls or something?!"
"First off, I'm not into any foreign anything, and stop including Illya into that category," He implored, looking nervously away from her back to the spot where Reines had stood only a minute ago. "Secondly, I was just trying to get you out of an obviously volatile situation. What I didn't count on was how scary she was," Enhancing this description, he looked over with a disconcerted look on his face while raising hands for emphasis. "Scarier than Tohsaka!"
"Is...is that why you stood there holding her hand?" The archer jock asked with bafflement, blinking with bewilderment enough to take a step back. "Because she scared you into submission?"
"It honestly felt almost like she paralyzed me. It was unsettling," He admitted with a visible shudder, making even Mitsuzuri look uncomfortable. "But, damn, I didn't know for sure that Issei had gotten himself a girlfriend. Not sure why she has such a stylish guy walking around him, though. Maybe they're family?"
"Yeah," Ayako cleared her throat, trying to appear inconspicuous to a brow-raising Shirou. "Anyways, what brings you to school? I already saw the work you did on the Dojo, so I don't think you needed to come back for that reason."
"Ah, well," Shirou began to formulate the orchestrated cover story for Saber's presence, especially since she had just shown up the previous night. He didn't want to give her any bad impressions, especially since he's seen more of her recently than anybody else; someone who may try and question things too much if prompted. "A friend of my father's just came by last moment late last night. So I might be missing some classes next week, so I wanted to handle that while also getting some material to catch up over the weekend."
"Friend of Kiritsugu's?" She questioned, her countenance changing to one of fascination over the obvious implication of missing school. "I remember you talking about your dad, and how mysterious he was. How does this friend of Kiritsugu look? Dour and depressing?"
"More like stoic and stubborn."
"Yes, definitely a friend of the family's," Ayako quipped with a cheery grin.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Shirou exclaimed.
"Obviously I should've added dense to your genealogical adjectives, Emiya," She intoned with a forward poke to his forehead. As he grimaced, rubbing his head, she placed her hands on her hips and shook her head, letting out a belated sigh. "Honestly, no wonder women push you around. If you were just slightly more consciously aware, you might be able to match wits with even Tohsaka, despite your bluntness."
"I sincerely doubt it," He rolled his eyes with exasperation. "Number One Student and owns most of Fuyuki City, I rather not try and take a swing at matching my limited witticisms with the likes of that."
"See, that's smart!" She exuberantly swung her hands with a gesture and a halfway sincere smile; while the other cracked a bit at the deadpan look he gave her.
"Was that even a compliment, Mitsuzuri?" Shirou questioned dourly.
"I mean it, really," Ayako tried to encourage him, playfully nudging him in the shoulder with a fist, returning it back to rest on her hips as she beamed visibly before him. "When you know your own shortcomings, that makes you that much more resourceful. If I know anything from your time as a stellar archer at our club, when you focus on something, you really dedicate yourself."
"Thanks," He replied with sincerity, warmth exuding from his grin as his eyes looked back at hers. "This was a good talk, all things considering."
"I'm always around, Emiya," Ayako insisted with suggestive bow of her upper body, her face angling dangerously close to his face while her hands rested at the small of her uniform covered back. Cutely, she batted her eyes and turned her head while wryly smiling at him. "Unless you want to cash in on that reward from doing such a damn good job on the Dojo?"
At first, Shirou's mind completely blanked. Reward? What was he doing to insist on being thanked in any way that was a compensation? The night before was such a blurred rush to him that he forgot that the first thing that incited the domino effect of cascading him into this secret Mage war was something he agreed to do, albeit reluctantly. He thought it was unnecessary, or something she was doing out of desperation, but now he wondered if it was a good idea what with things happening.
Then he remembered Shinji might have been isolated when he was taken and then used as a trap for him.
With a suddenness prompted by this traumatic reminder, he reached out and grabbed Ayako's shoulders and nearly pulled her into his body as he said with a serious expression on his face, "Yes, let's do that!"
"H-Huh?!" She recoiled, not used to Shirou taken such initiative of this nature until now. "D-Do what?!"
"The date! Let's go out tomorrow," He almost hurriedly said, looking straight into her eyes as he formed this plan in the back of his mind. "Is there a place you like to eat? Go see? Perhaps make a full day of this?!"
Off guard by this hurried insistent, Ayako wondered if she should've flippantly asked someone like Shirou out like this. Mulling over the proposition, she almost remembered how fetching Pyrrhos was, if not for his personal company; smug he may be, he was certainly handsome. Shaking her head, she decided that she shouldn't fret, and go with the flow.
"Let's just wing it," She grinned, feeling his hands awkwardly retreat back to his sides, earning a laugh from her at his retraction. "Don't worry about it, Emiya. It's nice to see you take charge, even if it is exactly as you do it; blunt and without grace."
"You need to work on your compliments, Mitsuzuri," He intoned exasperatedly, unable to suppress the lopsided smile on his face at the closeness he had with a long-formed friend like Ayako. Just for a moment, he remembered that spark of happiness he enjoyed from the time he spent with Kiritsugu, or just being in the Dojo at the beginning. For now, he'd let himself enjoy this bliss.
The cold reminder of his tragedy spurned survival would always come later, after all.
Saber had wondered what Shirou was doing once they separated. While the distance wasn't too significant, this was still a death trap waiting to happen. With the Bounded Field still being in place -even with Rin's help weakening it- she couldn't shake this feeling other factions were at play at the moment. Taking time to take in the sheer width of the school's halls, she maneuvered the relatively hollow structure that was sparsely populated unlike the rest of the week. As the Sun's rays gleamed from the other side of the structure's flank, she didn't get such a bright set of rays and only got a marginal supply of natural light with the artificial bulbs lining the path she walked upon.
Just as she wondered if she should check a place outside of the building, she was drawn to a sudden opening and closing of a classroom door. Outward, it came a man dressed in a deep emerald suit with a white collar and tie neatly tucked in its folds. At first it seemed like he was going to take the folders under his arm and go about his business, but stopped and turned to scowl despondently at the woman.
"Young lady," The teacher began to address her in an authoritative, if not condescending manner. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
"Excuse you?" Saber reacted defensively, her eyes knitted into a frown and her countenance became defensive.
"Your shoes," He looked down, seeing that she was still wearing hiking boots over her feet up her calves. "It's customary to not wear outdoor shoes indoors. Please use the spare indoor shoes we have assorted in the entrances of our school grounds."
"Oh," She gaped, feeling a tinge of embarrassment crawl up her neck and reflected on her face in a coat of usually foreign red. Closing her eyes, she made a customary bow as she spoke back. "I'm sorry, forgive my rudeness."
"Just remember this from now on," He intoned with a dreariness as he began to take a step away, his back now aimed at her as he continued mysteriously. "Are you going to be coming here from now on, young lady?"
"Possibly," She answered cryptically, standing upright once more with a guarded stare towards his back. "Why?"
"Just be on your best behavior while visiting our grounds," He warned her, adjusting his glasses as he looked over one shoulder at her. "It'd be a shame if you set a bad example to the rest of the student body here, visitor or not. Good day, Miss."
Walking away, Saber felt the hairs prick up along her clothed arms and back, feeling a sense of uneasiness from this man. She swore that everyone in this school had some affiliation or inclusion in this Grail War and she was going to find what this mystery man's connection to it was!
A familiar Prana approaching made her remember her previous train of thoughts as she looked over at Shirou's approach with a smile.
"Ready to continue our search across the school grounds?"
"Sure," He replied, his smile sincere at their renewed task. "Let's not leave a stone unturned!"
"I see that you've regained your vigor, Shirou," She noted, arching a brow while a hint of mischief layered her voice. "Did something nice happen?"
"You could say that," Shirou mused, his brightness not dimming while concealing the information; much to his Servant's chagrin.
"As long as you don't do anything reckless or out of my sight, it should be fine," She proclaimed with a reading glance at him. Seeing his face contort to one of surprise, she knew her hunch was right as she deadpanned her glare at him. Turning away, the red-head scratched his chin while she enhanced her piercing eyes to extenuate her anger. "You aren't going to do something alone, are you?"
"I-It's not dangerous or anything," He replied defensively with a raise of his hands. "I'm just going out with a friend, is all."
"Out?" Saber queried with a furrowed brow of confusion.
"You know," Shirou tried to explain thusly, his face warming visibly as he looked away from her green eyes. "Like a date."
"Oh," She exhaled, her eyes blinking at this new information.
"Yeah," He replied, his voice trailing off in an awkward sigh.
"I can try to be discreet-"
"Saber," Shirou began to argue, only for her to walk around and in front of him, her face leaning towards his, causing him to rear back in recoiling discomfort. "Hey, I'm not going to drag you out to a meeting with Ayako, alright? It's just going to be weird if you're right next to us the whole time."
"Might I remind you, Shirou, that you have enemies who are willing to execute you on sight to limit witnesses AND ones who are willing to use human shields as bait!" Saber exclaimed, not even mindful of the volume her voice made in the nearly barren hallway they were occupying. "If I'm not watching you, you are defenseless against any Servant, let alone a trained Magus."
"I thought of that," The highschooler popped up, raising a finger up for emphasis as he tried to explain. "You don't have to be too far away, right? And if worse comes to worst, I can use a Command Seal for you to come at my side right away," In the middle of his explanation, he saw his Servant beginning to open her mouth, forcing him to shush her with a raise of his finger to her lips, earning her scowl as he delicately continued. "Which is why I thought, maybe I can have Archer and Illya watch us. Who knows? Maybe they can find an enemy who tries anything and you can help box them in through strategic combination!"
"That is not only reckless to bait yourself, but incredibly foolish," Saber began to retort, closing her eyes and raising a hand to rub the bridge of her nose. Inhaling deeply, she exhaled, looking back at him stoically as she did for such serious things; this being no exception. "Since our truce is still in effect, I suppose we can trust that this can work, regardless of the risk. However, I wonder what Rin would say about this whole mission you have for a simple outing with, Ayako was it?"
"I think it'd be awkward," He sagged visibly, his face contorting in grimace as he shuddered at the thought of telling her. "Ayako and her are actually kind of tight, best friends since awhile for different reasons. That's how I know Tohsaka at all, it's because we're connected through Mitsuzuri. It'd be weird if I asked her to help us have a date on her watch."
"Ah," Saber nodded, seeming to understand what he meant. "Well, as long as it's in a public place and not to be isolated, I'm sure we can at least make a convenient sweep to look out for Berserker, Rider or Assassin's masters while keeping an eye on your two's escapade. Not saying I like the idea of you taking off like this, but I can allow at least one day of fun before we get back to our very much serious task."
"Thanks," Shirou released tension through his nostrils, his shoulders unwinding as a weight was lifted off his shoulders. "I mean it, I'm glad that you still have my back."
"I have your everything in mind, Shirou," Saber replied, her frown exchanged with a smile. "I'll do all I can to make sure you're at one hundred percent. Both in body and spirit. If time with someone you cherish helps this, then I will do my best to compromise to make it happen."
"Yeah," He acknowledged, suddenly looking a little disconcerted as he thought about it. "I'm just not sure how Illya's supposed to take this whole thing. Or what she'll think?"
"I think it's a wonderful idea!" Illya proclaimed in a gleeful way befitting her childish stature. A number of faces constrewed levels of shock at the audacity of her willingness to go along with this, and she drank in their surprise like fine wine. Behind the silly smile and shining rubies for eyes, she had a sly grin befitting a tundra-borne serpent, observing them with a particular fancy in mind to this endeavor.
After all, they had finished their sweep of the school and seemed to turn up empty handed, with Tohsaka doing her own personal errands that she felt it wasn't theirs to be privy of. Her own search with Archer wasn't finding anything other than aforementioned crime scenes and beyond the obvious, they haven't found a lick of Rider or Assassin's whereabouts or their identities. Berserker, she had a few theories, but nothing concrete to mount a serious effort.
But, Shirou's unintentional use of himself and this school friend of his as bait? That felt like something that could really ruffle the feathers of the mutual predators that made up this rogues gallery of competitors in this Holy Grail War.
"Master," Archer began to interject, standing apart from her in the yard of the Fuyuki State with Saber and Shirou standing on the opposite end. Allowing him to speak, she deigned it appropriate to at least hear him out. After all, he had been remarkably patient with her fancies and whims, so she should at least reward his diligence in following orders. "I have several problems with this plan, beyond its merits."
"Speak freely, Archer," She commanded.
"First off, Shirou is an incompetent Magus and won't last long in the event one of the less stable mages or their Servants make a leap at him before we can stop their attack," He explained neutrally, though his tone was guttural and grated, his eyes coolly gracing over at the young man with an ire that only the Servant could harbor. "Not that I'd shed tears of an enemy Master getting his comeuppance, but it could be without fruit and the point of our exercise would be pointless."
"I'd be close enough that I can intercept even Rider, if the worst is to happen," Saber countered, readily playing Devil's Advocate to Shirou's plan, surprising the red-haired teenager as she gestured to her coat covered bosom with confidence. "It is unlikely Berserker can attack in public, due to his very vampiric nature of aversion to the Sun. Until the Sun's completely set, you cannot say I can be bested in single combat should I bar their assault."
"Sure, perhaps Rider could be stopped if the Servant isn't using a Noble Phantasm that could surpass your abilities of speed," He agreed, though looked unconvinced of the proposition itself. Narrowing his eyes, he pointedly asked something else pertinent. "But tell me, could you stop Assassin if you never saw it coming?"
"My Instincts-"
"Won't mean a damn if you aren't able to pierce Presence Concealment," He brushed off her explanation with a roll of his eyes, crossing his arms with a shake of his head. "This whole effort is pointless. Why even tempt fate when you know this whole effort is going to be for naught? You're going to get yourself and your friend killed. Or worse, you live and she dies," He then honed in on Shirou's face, bringing out a paled complexion as he snarled at him fiercely. "Isn't your conscience burdening you enough without another life added to the pile, Shirou Emiya?"
"That's enough, Archer!"
EMIYA found himself recoiling with surprise at the voice that told him this. His face twitched and his eyes turned to look at Illya, whose glare sideglanced him with a look that told him this wasn't a negotiation. Bristling with indignation, he clicked his tongue against his teeth, taking a brief satisfaction of the look of momentary despair that crossed his deluded counterpart's face.
Then, he chanced to speak his mind, after everyone else had said their piece.
"I know that I'm asking a lot of you," His gaze drew to the ground, spaced out and his complexion paled from the jarring reminder of the screams and the bodies littering the burning streets he treaded upon ten years ago. "It sounds really stupid when you point out the obvious like that. And you're right, it is foolish. But, Shinji died because I couldn't even realize that he was involved in this danger too," Looking up at Saber, he'd turn to look at Illya and then the scowling Archer with arm raised emphasis. "Ayako doesn't have a place that's not in the line of fire like Issei, or a fancy mansion, like Tohsaka. She's not even a Mage, and the thought of somebody targeting her to get to me is just...is just...terrifying!"
Shaking at the thought of Ayako possibly being impaled, similar to how Shinji was, made his stomach tie into knots and his paled skin emit cold sweat that began to drop coldly from his jaw and off his neck.
"I promised her that in exchange for cleaning the Dojo, we'd go on a date," He muttered, almost talking more to himself than anyone present. His smile was pained and his brow quivering with his lips as he confessed aloud. "I'm not sure if this is going to be a disaster or the best day of my life. I'm not even if sure Ayako likes me that way; or if I like her that way. But, she means a lot to me. Of the people in my life I feel that way, I don't think I'd rather have such a reckless time with than her," Looking up, he pulled back his agonizing expression into one of controlled fierceness, the likes of which brought a look of approval from Saber, wonderment from Illya and a mask of irritation from Archer. "All I want to know is if the worst could happen, I want to know she is protected this time, and that she's kept from a fate like Shinji's was."
"You have my sword, Shirou," Saber reassured him with a strong hand placed onto his shoulder, earning a relieved smile -once again- from the red-head. "I'll always protect you and those you love."
"As I said before, I think it's a fantastic idea to stir things up and let you have some fun," Illya remarked with a sing-song note, gesturing with a finger as she smiled too lightheartedly. "After all, this wouldn't work in reverse if I wanted to have fun. You're not as strong as I am, are you, Shirou?"
"That's not true, Illya," Shirou responded, much to her renewed surprise, complemented by blinking rubies and an 'o' shape for her mouth. Raising a hand up, he clenched it into a fist and grinned confidently himself. "I'd make sure you'd have the best time ever and protect you from harm. They wouldn't get by me, I swear!"
"I don't believe that," She dismissed, almost coldly, to his and Saber's shock. Walking forward, her steps seemed to hold an abysmal weight to them that the son of Kiritsugu didn't notice. When her silvery head passed by him, her red eyes cynically cast his way before resuming -almost robotically- a convincing expression of childishness as she piped up. "I'm hungry, Shirou! Let's eat!~"
"S-Sure," He nodded, feeling himself at a loss what he did to make her upset like she did.
"It is getting later," Saber noted with a turn of her head at the horizon. "Sun will set in a few hours. We can probably do for some training after a snack to be ready for Dinner. After that, we should patrol a bit."
"Sounds like a plan," Archer acknowledged her without realizing it. Even as she turned, he gruffly dismissed himself, his body flickering into its mana state and left them alone in the courtyard.
While the Heroic Spirit looked momentarily at the troubled look on her Master's face, Shirou couldn't help but wonder.
Wonder why Illya looked liked a completely different person when she openly doubted him?
A/N: This was a long time coming. I know this was a popular fic in its own right (see Maverick for its own brand of attraction) but I got distracted by RL and other projects that needed my attention. Plus, I had hit a rut in that this was a more improvisational chapter. While it has the trappings of it carrying on the same path the VN's do (like going to school the next day and all that) I had to come up with my own confrontations and variations of conversations that happened. But now that I have the plot's seeds sown, I can reap the delivery later.
Got some lovely foreshadowing sprinkling in here. With the mysterious pair, Reimes and Pyrrhos, to Kuzuki addressing Saber in his cryptic manner and Illya showing her true face for the first time to Shirou, a lot of things are becoming unraveled at the seams. Also, a date to be made with Ayako Mitsuzuri with Shirou Emiya. I bet you guys didn't think I was going to follow through on that alluded date earlier, did ya? Well it's happening, haha!
Hopefully nothing bad happens...
See you all in the next update!