Chapter 52

After repeating what Caster had told him that night, Emiya seemed to get the general gist of the war he was involved in, though it was clear to Kuzuki that he still had some doubts in his heart.

"Do we really have to kill the other Masters in order to win?"

Shirou brows knitted together at the thought of having to kill other people to become victor. This was not how a hero of justice acted.

Kuzuki on the other hand, had been trained as an assassin from birth, so he didn't really have any strong feelings about it. It was simply a task to be completed. He could at least understand that it was a reprehensible act to other people, though Shirou's reaction to him was somewhat different because instead of being disgusted or fearful, he was instead closer to being angry about it, or dissatisfied in a way.

"Caster did say that just killing the rest of the Servants would be enough to activate the Holy Grail, but she also mentioned that many of the Masters would most likely target the enemy Masters since killing a human, even a human magus, was a much easier feat than killing a Servant, and killing the Master also meant defeating the Servant."

Shirou lowered his head, leaving Kuzuki unable to see his face. He could tell that he was deep in thought though, with both hands planted on his knees as he sat cross legged on the floor.

When he looked back up, he asked Kuzuki a question.

"Will you kill other Master's to obtain victory then?"

Without hesitating, Kuzuki replied.

"I will."

"Then-"

"But Caster has told me to refrain from targeting any enemy Masters for now. So temporarily at least, I won't kill anybody unless absolutely necessary."

Caster was an idealist like Emiya Shirou, someone who would try to save Britain without killing a single person. Although, deep down her reasoning wasn't just because she wanted to save everyone, but also because she wanted to borrow their strength for her journey. No matter who she met on her journey, enemy or ally, friend or foe, they would all become part of the path leading to the fated end. All one had to do was look at her Noble Phantasm to understand what kind of person she was, the Staff of Selection deploying her mental world into the world to envelop and protect all those standing by her side.

Shirou didn't know any of this of course, but upon hearing that Caster had told Kuzuki to avoid killing them, he decided to place his trust in them.

"Ok, let's form an alliance then."

"Just like that Master?"

Saber's question popped up in her mind, but she kept it to herself, wondering if it was good to agree so quickly to this arrangement. Casters, or magi in general, weren't very trustworthy people. But someone who would stop her Master from killing others, that seemed different to her. Perhaps Caster wasn't like normal magi.

Kuzuki stood up from the tatami mats and looked down at Shirou, gesturing for him to do the same.

"Emiya-san, I'd like for you to come with me to our base of operations and live there for the duration of the war, to ensure your safety."

Caster had sensed Avalon being activated while she was monitoring the battle at the school, and she was concerned that other Masters could possibly acquire it for their own use, so she sent Kuzuki to see who the person who possessed Avalon was. After sensing the summoning of the seventh Servant due to a fluctuation in the leylines and Kuzuki reporting signs of a battle inside the Emiya residence, she ordered Kuzuki to enter after Lancer left. Kuzuki had followed him there after observing the battle from the start on a nearby building, using a pair of binoculars.

During the conversation, Kuzuki had determined that Shirou didn't seem to know that he had the scabbard, so Caster needed to examine him personally to determine how the scabbard was linked to him, hence the invitation to their base.

"Ah, it's fine, I can live here by myself. The house has a Bounded Field, and Saber will be here to protect me."

Kuzuki stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was serious. According to what Caster had told him, the local Bounded Field, while subtle and difficult to detect, merely provided a warning to the presence of intruders. That, and Saber, was all he was going to have as protection against any enemies. In contrast, he and Caster had fortified Ryuudou Temple to a high degree, yet they had still almost been beaten by one Servant who had fought him and Assassin back to back, with him losing an arm in the process. He was surprised that no one had seen through the illusion cast on his left arm yet. Caster really lived up to her name as a master of spells.

Thankfully, Saber intervened for him.

"Master, I think it would be wise to go with him. While he may not be absolutely trustworthy yet, I believe that the protection they can offer would be beneficial when compared to the defenses you have here. With no offense to your Bounded Field, while it is masterfully crafted, it still won't provide much protection against Servants or Masters, at least when compared with what a Caster class Servant can make."

She added one more part through her mental link with Shirou.

"In addition, I am unable to fight like usual, as my parameters have been considerably lowered." She didn't mention that this was due to Shirou's pitiful Magic Circuits.

She had been observing Kuzuki all the while, and while she didn't pick up much due to how "muted" his body language and facial expressions were, she could at least ascertain that what he said was truthful, with her years of experience as a king. Even if his blank face somewhat reminded her of Kiritsugu, she could sense that he was different from her former Master, and she wouldn't let her feelings about him sway her judgement on others.

Shirou took in her words, then nodded.

"Alright then. Souichirou-sensei, please lead the way."

The three left the residence, Saber wearing a yellow raincoat to cover her armor while they walked around the public, due to her inability to spiritualize her body.

Far off in the distance, Berserker refocused her pupils on the trio leaving the house.

"Master, they've left the area."

Illya smiled, a childlike and innocent voice sounding out in the night.

"Let's go greet onii-chan!"