Chapter 184S
It hadn't been long in her memories since the last time she had been in Fuyuki. The image of a spearman with a mole on his face was still fresh, the iconic red bridge in the middle a familiar sight that she would be hard-pressed to forget. She had been sent back and returned almost immediately, blindly groping for another chance after the sting of such a near-miss, and the Counter-Force had granted her that wish.
Staring at the houses sprawling beneath her from the top of Mount Enzou, like the model houses used in some game called 'Monopoly', she stood there in the white shirt and blue skirt, the clothes from Caster that had been deemed fitting for her.
She didn't know why, but the whimsical urge to go out and walk aimlessly arose in her heart out of nowhere, so she had come out to gaze at the city in order to placate these desires. She had a duty to be next to her Master at all times, whether he liked it or not, so she had to quell such feelings.
Her sharpened senses caught the sound of gravel crunching, far behind her near the buildings. Stopping herself from turning around immediately as her instincts demanded, she waited until the person was close enough, then turned around to face them.
"Ah, Saber-san."
Instead of being any of the Masters or Servants, it was one of the monks in training, the one that seemed to be a friend of her Master's as well, if the interactions she observed between them were any indication.
"Ryuudou-san. What brings you here?"
"I was going down to buy some stationary."
His eyes flickered to the view below the mountain.
"Was the scenery worth admiring?"
Though he wasn't exactly sure what she was looking at, there wasn't much else to see there outside of the trees, steps and the road at the very bottom.
"Yes, it was quite nostalgic to see it again."
Issei wondered what kind of past she had been thinking about while gazing down at the sight that he saw everyday when leaving for school, but he put aside his curiosity to avoid intruding on her privacy.
"I'll be going then."
Saying so, he started treading down the stone steps, leaving her to continue staring at the houses below.
"Wait, can I come with you?"
Issei froze for a moment as her voice reached him, his shoes grinding to a halt against the slick stone that still remained slippery even after the snow had been sweeped off.
"I'd be delighted to have your company Saber-san."
It wasn't like Shirou would be unprotected here, so she supposed she had the leeway to go out why he was under the watchful eye of both Caster and Kuzuki. The wards surrounding the mountain were nothing to sneeze at either, though in spite of all this there was still a prick of worry in her heart that couldn't be persuaded. Nevertheless, her body moved as the soles of her brown boots that Caster had bought knocked against the steps, making dull thuds as she made her first steps down the stairs by herself.
As they descended, Issei decided to initiate some small talk with her, since he hadn't had the chance to do so in the temple before. It would help to know more about her too, to dispel the slight awkwardness between them since they were practically strangers, despite living in the same place and having close ties to the same person. Putting his communication skills earned from a year of being student president to use, he opened his mouth.
"So you're from Europe?"
He hadn't been there when she had been introduced to the rest of the monks, owing to the activities he was required to participate in as mandated by his position, but he'd asked the monks about it, and that was what they told him. Of course, her looks were a dead giveaway as well.
"Yes. To be specific, I was born in Britain, and only traveled here when I became an acquaintance of Shirou's father."
Ah, so that was why she had come here. He had heard that Shirou's father had been something of a traveller when he had asked his friend about it, the red-haired boy being clumsily secretive as he seemed to be hiding something about his father Kiritsugu, but he was willing to share enough that gave Issei a rough picture of what the man was like. Now that there was someone here who also knew Shirou's father, his curiosity was reignited once more, and so he decided to ask Saber about it.
"Ah, so you were an acquaintance of his dad? I've heard Shirou mention him before, but I never had the chance to meet him. When I met Shirou, he had already passed away."
He turned his face slightly towards Saber, the sun reflecting off of his glasses and hiding his eyes.
"What was he like?"
It was a full minute before Saber gave an answer, with Issei feeling hotter and hotter as the seconds passed, even though the winter breeze was still going strong. When she spoke up, her answer was still filled with hesitation and pauses.
"He was...very professional and focused. He had a clear goal in his mind at all times, which he would give everything to reach."
Though she tried to conceal it, the clipped and curt tone that leaked out at the end was enough to convince Issei to end this line of inquiry. The way she was carefully picking her words and the amount of time she needed to create a response was suggestive of her relationship with Kiritsugu, and he wasn't eager to dig up a can of worms like that, and it created a whole new set of questions for him. What exactly had Shirou's father been doing? Why had she come back despite having a relationship like that with Kiritsugu? Did Shirou know of her feelings about his father?
That said, he had a feeling that pursuing this path of conversation wouldn't end well, so he decided to divert it.
"I see. You also said you were from Britain just now, right? What is it like living there?"
Besides distracting Saber from thoughts about Shirou's father, he was also curious about what life was like overseas. He had never had the chance to go abroad, with the furthest he had traveled being a trip to Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture of Japan that was about the furthest one could get from Kyushu, where Fuyuki was located. It was also unlikely that he would go overseas much in the future, since he was going to succeed his father as high priest at Ryuudou Temple.
Saber's eyes closed as the memories of the land she once ruled over flowed through her mind, images of grassy hills and the dark woods from her childhood coming to the fore.
"When I lived there, the people were kind and happy, leading ordinary lives in peace. There were many woods that I would run through, and beautiful glades that were held as secrets among adventurous children. I'm glad that I was able to grow up there, getting to know so many people and experience so many things."
Kay, Ector, Merlin, Lancelot, Gawain, Tristan, Gaheris, Bors, Gareth, Bedivere, Guinevere, Mordred and so many more.
The slight smile on Saber's face as she basked in the winter sun peeking through the clouds, casting her face in a bright radiance, was all Issei needed to know how she felt about her country of origin. Then the clouds covered the sun again, turning back into an unbroken wall of grayish-white clouds. Lowering her face, Saber opened her eyes again.
"Of course, there were times when the faces of the people around me changed. I can't blame them though, since it was my fault in the end."
The moment of melancholy was quickly washed away when she raised her head to face the road ahead, lifting her face as the neutral expression she frequently wore once more masking her emotions.
Issei didn't know why, but it faintly reminded him of Shirou. There were always times where his friend was getting into trouble that didn't involve him, often for the selfish desires of others, but he didn't seem to mind, and in the end if things went wrong he wouldn't blame them either. Though he didn't really know what she had been through to make a face like that just now, perhaps the blame wasn't completely on her.
Seeing Issei go quiet, Saber decided to take the initiative and break up the silence.
"I also held a position of leadership back in Britain. It was a difficult job, having to organise many activities and oversee many projects, but thankfully there were capable people by my side to help sort out various problems and shoulder the burden with me. If I remember correctly, you also have a similar post at your school? Are there any difficulties for you there, having to lead the students?"
Issei was quick to correct her misconceptions about being student president.
"Well, I don't lead the students per se, I simply act as a liaison between the student body and the school administration."
"Is that all? What do you do specifically as 'student president'?"
She had heard Shirou mention the title, but she didn't really have a clear picture of what he did, with only vague clues pieced together from the common sense of modern society that was granted by the Holy Grail. The specifics of the student council in Japanese society wasn't exactly crucial information for the Servant to blend in, unless the Spirit Graph had relationships with schools or teaching institutions and such.
"For starters, as a student president I have two main responsibilities. The first is to represent the student body in matters while discussing with the faculty, and the second is to coordinate the student council in organizing activities and holding meetings. These are what I primarily do, but there is also various miscellaneous work that I do to ensure students can go about their school life smoothly."
Chatting on various topics from there, the two learnt more about each other as they walked towards their destination, the responsibility they held towards others and strong sense of duty kindling the beginnings of a bond of friendship between the two, who would never have met at all unless the circumstances were right. In a way, it was the fate of Emiya Shirou that allowed this unlikely pair to appear.
The Miyama shopping district was reached in the blink of an eye, the skies overhead cast in shades of iron grey as they ducked into the stationary store. Rows of pen and pencils filled the aisles, notebooks, staplers, rulers and various other items of stationary that wouldn't be out of place on a school desk were lined up neatly, hanging from hooks and placed carefully in rectangular boxes where they waited for a customer to pick them up and purchase.
"...and besides our temple on Mount Enzou, there's also an abandoned one near the outskirts of the Shinto city district, which I heard is being torn down soon for land development."
Saber nodded, intently listening as Issei listed out the geographical landmarks of Fuyuki and places of interest, on the one hand wanting to satisfy her curiosity of the city, and on the other also wanting to gain an advantage by being able to navigate around the city and knowing which places could possibly be occupied by enemies, or usable for her Master and allies. Being able to recognize places and locate strategic points was vital for battle, with terrain superiority contributing to the final difference in victory and defeat appearing repeatedly in wars and battles all across history.
"Then there's that flat expanse in the middle of the city that stands out in the middle of the urban environment, with buildings and skyscrapers surrounding what was supposed to be a park, but simply turned into an empty lot in the end. I've only been there once or twice myself, but it was enough for me."
Her ears perked up at the strange wording from him. Sensing something interesting, she prodded him for answers.
"Was the park that bad?"
Issei hesitated as he stared at the rows of scotch tape and double-sided tape, his eyes scanning over the labels and the prices.
"On the surface, the park doesn't really seem that bad, despite the sparse vegetation and stunted trees. It's quite large, and the agriculture was arranged quite tastefully, creating separate areas and easy to follow paths within the space that partition the space into several sections that can be used for various purposes."
He went silent for a moment, lifting two rolls of tape and inspecting them in his hands. Beside him, Saber waited patiently. After staring at the thickness, as if he could gauge how much tape each roll had, he put them back down, his jaw moving to resume speech.
"I suppose it may seem a bit far-fetched to you, but the area just didn't feel right. When I walked into the park, it was like the color faded from the world a little, a sense of being underwater fell over me, even though nothing noticeable had happened. The park is bereft of human or animal life most of the time, with only vegetation growing there, and even then it's just barely clinging to life, or at least that was what it seemed like to me when I saw it with my own eyes."
He turned his head to Saber, his eyes searching hers as he asked.
"I don't suppose you've heard of the Fuyuki fire, have you?"
When Saber shook her head, he nodded.
"I thought so. In 1994, there was a great fire in the Shinto city district that started at the newly constructed Fuyuki City Hall, and spread from there to consume the surrounding residential neighbourhood. After the disaster, the park was erected there as a memorial in name, but in truth it was most likely because no developer wanted to use the land after the tragedy that occurred,"
As Issei continued to narrate the story behind the park, Saber's eyebrows furrowed, the timing and the circumstances coming together in her mind, the clues fitting together as she realized what the fire was actually referring to.
If she remembered correctly, the calendar and dates she had seen when she had been summoned by Kiritsugu had been dated 1994, which was the year the fire had occurred according to Issei. Then, she remembered the name of the place, which Kiritsugu had briefed her one when being informed of the possible battlefields they would fight on during the final stages of the war. Of the possible locations for the Lesser Grail to manifest, one of them was the Fuyuki City Hall.
Could it be…?
"Where is the park, Issei?"
When he paused to take a breath between talking, she seized her chance and asked him.
"The park? It's near the Boeki Center train station, between Isobedori and Itomachi, next to the highway that runs through Shinto district."
She didn't really have a clue about where these places were, but she committed the information to her memory, certain that she'd be able to find the place if she asked around. The people were quite helpful after all, and the new Shinto district wasn't particularly big either, at least from what she remembered of it after conducting reconnaissance with Kiritsugu in the area.
"Excuse me, I have to go now, I have to meet someone else soon."
"Sure, go ahead. It was nice chatting with you. See you back at the temple."
"See you."
Issei turned back to the rolls of tape as Saber left the store, walking at a brisk pace as she ignored the looks given to her by curious pedestrians.
Once the door closed behind her, Issei cast a glance at the entrance, wondering what her interest in the park was. What exactly had her relationship been with Shirou's father?
Wandering around the place for a while, she was soon able to find an isolated corner that allowed her to fade and disappear, her body dematerializing into thin air as the casual clothes faded into spiritual particles, allowing her to travel unseen. Leaving the shopping district in spirit form, she swiftly traveled in the direction of the bridge, the red structure of steel and wires that had witnessed the final stand of the Conqueror King against the King of Heroes.
As she passed by in spiritual form, she only spared the river below a brief glance. Today, it was calm, with small waves rocking the surface as the water level remained low, lapping several meters below the man-made banks. For a brief flash, the image of a monster with a gaping maw and grasping tentacles was superimposed over the scenery, teeth stuffed all over the vertical slit stretching across the entirety of it's main body as bulbous warts and fleshy bulges stretched the slimy skin taut, making it gleam within the purple mist that surrounded it.
The battle was swiftly decided in one stroke, but the memories remained in her mind as one of the few times she had been able to fully unleash her Noble Phantasm, and the only time she had been able to properly use it, though not to its full strength. She supposed it was also one of the few moments she could take pride in while being Kiritsugu's Servant, an epic battle that had allowed her to protect the innocent, the civilians of the city safe from Caster's rampage after he had gone mad and summoned the otherworldly beast. She didn't know why magecraft hadn't been revealed to the world after that incident, but she supposed the Church and the Mage's Association could at least be trusted to do their job in that regard.
As her eyes remained on the water's surface, the skin of her left forearm itched. Where there should have been an unhealable wound, was now only smooth skin.
Grimacing, she turned away and sped off, continuing on to her destination.
It took a while until she was able to reach the park, since she wasn't able to spot it from the top of the buildings, the flat ground obscured by the surrounding structures. She was forced to materialize in the end back into her modern clothes and ask strangers about the location, in order to locate the park. It was a quick trip after she secured a reliable set of directions, travelling at an even faster pace as her heart burned with impatience to see the place with her own eyes. The people walking nearby were drawn in by her looks, wondering what such a dignified woman like her was walking in haste for.
When she finally reached the place, she was struck dumb.
It was red.
The misty haze of suffocating light, writhing and twisting like mist from the ground, distorting the view of the buildings behind like a mirage, the heat of the flames living even until now. For a brief moment, she felt like puking, her head panickedly whipping from left to right as she checked if there were people collapsing, but there were none. The few pedestrians near her were walking normally, unconcerned by the park as they passed it without problem. To the rest of the world, the park was simply a park, albeit with slightly under-nourished plants and trees.
There was nothing that could be done to stem the flow of grudges that rose from the earth itself, but neither was it killing anybody. The animals knew to steer clear of the place, and the unpleasant feeling that gave humans the chills was enough warning for most to not linger long in this place. At most, it was an unlucky few who strayed into this place at night and succumbed to its influence, but even that was only enough to send them into the hospital and give them nightmares for the rest of their life.
Still, it didn't put Saber's heart at ease as it trembled at the thought of walking into the boundaries of the park, the strip of asphalt on the ground all that separated her between the toxic miasma which seemed endless to her, it's venom even more potently felt by those not of flesh and blood. Closing her eyes, she calmed down as in a heartbeat, her emotions slowed and concealed under the veneer of silent assurance that served as her mental armour.
Slowly, step by step, her feet crossed the road, the sinister aura of curses growing stronger and stronger until she felt suffocated, the oily scent penetrating her mouth and nose as it became impossible to ignore the presence of ill-will emanating from the ground. It felt like noxious fumes mixed with caustic slime were invading her lungs, almost making her erupt into a fit of coughs, but she was able to bring her body back under control as she stood on the edge of the park.
She thought there wouldn't be much difference between stepping into the park proper and standing right next to the soil, but she was proven wrong the moment she lifted her leg past the boundary to step on the loose dirt covering the park grounds.
Like flames spreading up from her leg, she quickly withdrew it, the sensation of being burnt causing her to reach down and check, just to make sure nothing had actually happened to her. When all she felt was smooth skin, she almost sighed in relief.
Steeling herself, she stepped back into the park grounds once more.
Her skin felt like it was being scalded as she stepped back in, mimicking being submerged in an overheating sauna that used acid. If it weren't for her already anticipating such sensations, she would have reflexively drawn back again. As it was though, it wasn't enough to permanently harm her, except maybe leave a slight ache in her body after she left the zone.
That said, it was still uncomfortable just standing there, but she forged ahead, ignoring the increased burden placed upon spiritual entities such as her. The taint from evil was particularly pronounced against Servants, corrupting them and twisting their Saint Graphs to reorient towards the opposite of their heroic selves, spirits of darkness that often exemplified the peaks of tyranny and terror that the heroes had the potential to become. The spiritual grudge was also more receptive by other similar beings, which was the reason why she felt it's presence so keenly.
Wandering through the park, the constant pressure constantly pressed on her, an ominous weight that promised to curse her to the ends of the earth, or it would if it had enough strength to carry out such actions. As it was, in the end there were only diluted remains interred beneath the park grounds, the heavily weakened remnants of all that was left when the Grail overflowed and spilt on the ground during the fateful fire that gave birth to Emiya Shirou. No matter how strongly Saber was affected, in the end it was ultimately harmless.
Affected though she certainly was, and that meant her senses were also dulled to a certain extent by the cursed boundary that was laid on the park.
"Onee-chan?"
Swiveling around in surprise, she chastised herself for not noticing the human presence that had managed to sneak up on her, catching her unaware, though not on purpose. The surroundings had dulled her powers of detection, making her surprised by a mere boy, who was still studying elementary school judging by his appearance. Unsure of why she was being called out, she walked over to the boy and craned her neck to make her eyes meet the face staring up at her.
"Are you lost?"
She assumed that there was no way anyone would bring their child into this park, considering the bad vibes it gave off that even humans without a shred of a Magic Circuit could sense unconsciously. It was most likely that the child had gotten lost nearby and ended up here, though how the child had managed to ignore the eerie atmosphere and end up here, she wasn't sure.
"Don't worry, I'm alright onee-chan."
The golden hair and red irises gave her a sense of deja vu, the crimson pools like rubies reflecting an intelligence far beyond his years. Without doubt, the child wasn't your run of the mill person. His childlike, androgynous face held potential to become a handsome person in the future, with baby fat proportioned just right so that his face was filled in the perfect ratio. A healthy glow almost spilled off from his smooth white skin, untouched by the vagaries of adulthood, and his voice was music to the ears, carrying hints of childhood innocence that had yet to fade.
Despite all that, Saber couldn't help but feel her heart clench further, and then she understood why.
If she didn't know better, she would have sworn Archer, the golden king from her war, was right in front of her in the form of his younger years. He was just how she'd imagined Archer would look in his childhood, with a quiet but confident aura around him that was a softer version of what the adult wielded, the arrogant and domineering air that felt so oppressive, even to a fellow king like herself.
Was it possible that this was a child Servant?
Quickly, she tapped into her magical senses, but there was no response from the boy in front of her. Though the surroundings were definitely interfering with her capabilities, with the boy so close to her there wouldn't be any mistakes. She was sure that the kid was not a spiritual entity, with no a hint of being a Servant. He possessed a flesh and blood body, and any coincidences in appearance were merely that, coincidence. In addition, his expression and tone were far too different from that selfish king, it wasn't even close. The two were worlds apart in how they interacted, she could already tell just from those few words that the boy had spoken. She couldn't imagine this child growing up to become like that Archer at all.
"What are you doing here onee-chan?"
The clear voice pierced through the muddy air, reaching her ears and staving off the curses that clouded her senses, almost refreshing her. Or at least, that was what it felt like, but in reality it was probably simply that his voice was quite pleasing to the ear.
"I'm just looking around here, since I heard about this park recently. Something important in the past happened here, and I want to know more about it."
Tilting his head, the boy thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.
"Oh, are you talking about the fire? There was a big fire here a long time ago, and it killed a lot of people."
He knows about it?
Perhaps this was a good opportunity. Belatedly, she realized it was probably best to kneel in front of him to make her seem less threatening, so she went head and lowered herself in front of him, asking him in a much softer voice that she thought would be suitable for talking to children.
"Do you know anything about the fire? I'd like to know more about it. I'm not from around here, so it would be helpful if you could tell me more."
"Why do you want to know?"
Her breath caught, and she hesitated, struggling to form the appropriate words.
"It's because...I have a debt I owe to someone, and I can't pay it back without knowing what happened here."
The child stared at her with a faint smile.
"A debt? I see."
Turning around, he started walking instead of responding to her question.
"Let's find a place to sit down and talk, since this might take a while."
Obediently, she followed behind him and started walking to one of the park benches strategically placed around the empty park.
The park bench they arrived at was in good condition, the paint still intact and the metal armrests having yet to rust, in contrast with the bleak surroundings and the grass that looked like it would wither at any moment. Making himself comfortable in the planks of the wooden bench, he motioned for Saber to sit next to him, patting the space next to him like a child would in an open manner.
"Sit here onee-chan"
It felt a little strange to be ordered around by a child like that, but she acquiesced, sitting down next to him. While kicking his legs freely in the air, he began to tell her about the inferno which claimed hundreds of lives.
"Nobody knows what happened, why or how it started. The only thing known is that when it happened, no one could stop it. The fire spread outwards and consumed everything, turning the area into a sea of flames that glowed orange under dark skies created by smoke and ash. When it was over, the estimated death count was five hundred, with many more missing without their bodies found."
Saber sat there silently, listening with rapt attention as the prickling sensation from the environment faded into background noise, slipping entirely from her mind.
"That doesn't mean there weren't explanations about it. There were people who say that it was a gas leak, a bomb, terrorists, a falling plane, among the many causes theorized by the masses. There were more far-fetched ones as well, ranging from alien attacks to ghostly grudges, though these were quickly dismissed by the public, if they ever reached that far. In the end, nobody knows what truly happened on that fateful night to lead to a blaze of such proportions."
Again, Saber was confused by his sophisticated usage of words and grammar, far more advanced than one would expect from his age.
"I've heard some say though, that before the fire started, the skies were unnaturally dark. Whispers abounded of a dark circle in the sky, rings of fire that heralded the disaster before it happened. Others spoke of the mysterious incidents that kept happening one after the other in the town during those dark times, wondering if they were precursors to the finale, inextricably linked together despite their bizarreness."
She was keenly aware of what he was talking about, the incidents deeply engraved as history into her memories.
"What was it again? The first was...the string of horrendous murders committed by a twisted individual. Then the explosion of the Hy*tt Hotel, which miraculously had no fatalities. After that was a spree of child kidnappings for no discernible reasons, with the most popular theory linking the previous murders to the kidnappings."
He paused there, smiling innocently in a way that was incongruous with the dreary trees and dying grass surrounding the park bench.
"And then something fantantiscal happened. A great monster appeared in the river running through Fuyuki, a many armed beast of epic proportions, whose body was studded with numerous teeth, barnacles and spikes growing haphazardly out of it's skin. Reports say that people saw purple mist coming out of pores, it's shape similar to a squid, yet far removed from it in many places as well. Witnesses say that it was fit for the main role of an antagonist in a kaiju movie, and where there's a monster in these movies, there's a saviour. A lone figure on the river appeared, cutting down the overgrown beast in a single stroke that raised a pillar of golden light, captivating all the onlookers."
He turned his head to look up at Saber's face.
"It was called a mass-hallucination event by the government though so I'm not sure if you want to believe in them, onee-chan."
"I'm sure there must have been grains of truth in their words, no matter how far-fetched they may have seemed."
Saber's words were filled with a conviction that the boy didn't dispute. Instead, he carried on.
"That could have been the climax the events of the prior weeks were leading up to, but there was one more incident to occur, a bigger tragedy to the public than all the rest combined. It was the incident with the highest body count, more than the rest of the incidents combined, leaving the city in a state of shock after it occurred. Forensics experts revealed in a report about the cause of the fire that they were able to determine the origin of the blaze was roughly around the vicinity of the newly built City Hall, with evidence indicating the presence of kerosene found around the general area of the burnt down structure. That's what the government said."
Was that it?
These were all things Saber already knew about, and while it was interesting to know how that the local government had managed to cover up the incidents, the things she really wanted to know didn't seem like something the boy could tell her, obscured beneath layers of hypnosis, disappearances and interference, ensuring that the truth of the incidents stayed hidden from the public by the agents of the Moonlit World. No matter how exceptional the child was, she didn't think he actually had much to tell her after hearing him speak about things that most people would be able to tell her, if they had paid attention during that period of time.
"I've heard people say, though, that there was a flood of black liquid that came with the fire."
Her ears perked up, turning to give him her undivided attention.
"Whether it was a flood of oil, blood or something else, no one knows, but something made the fire spread, more than it should have. A flowing wave of sludge, muddied with the sins of mankind. People said they felt their hearts clench on the night of the fire, a crawling of the skin that couldn't be explained. Birds left the area en masse, pets rioted in their houses. No matter how much the government tried to reassure the citizens, there would always be people who believed that there was more to it than the official reports."
The first droplets of rain splashed on the ground, drawing glistening trails on Saber's face, but she paid it no mind as the boy remained oblivious to the rain, his words never halting once.
"But no proof could be found, and gradually even the most tightly held suspicions faded away with time. All that remains is this cursed ground, and the remnants of shattered families."
A black dot fell from the sky and landed on her brow. Her eyes widened as a hiss came from her forehead, preceding the arrival of more dark rain.
"Said shattered families also includes your Master, Emiya Shirou."
The incriminating words escaped her ears as she slid off the bench and onto the ground, the rain water making her entire body slip cleanly until she reached dirt that was steadily turning into mud from the rain. Thrashing around wildly, bloodshot eyes glared into space as the mud from the Grail ate at her mind, with several more drops adding to the intense agony that was tearing at her Spirit Graph.
"Hup!"
Jumping off the bench, the golden haired boy turned his back on Saber as he walked away in the rain, leaving his parting words as the sole proof of his existence.
"That's all I have to say to you. The rest will be up to you to figure out."
The patter of the rain filled the park, accompanied by pained moans drifting through the empty grounds like a mourning ghost, unheard by anyone in the abandoned place.
'Ching'
The knife clattered on the cutting board, drawing the attention of Issei as he turned to stare at his friend, pausing in his slicing of the vegetables needed for dinner.
"What's up?"
When Shirou didn't reply, Issei laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You alright there?"
He almost jumped back when Shirou whirled around and dashed straight past him, his voice already receding in the distance as he stormed out the door, the noren entry curtain flapping behind him.
"I'll leave the rest to you Issei, I've got something to take care of!"
Issei pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, picking up the knife Shirou had carelessly dropped.
I wonder who's in trouble this time.
For him to react like that, it must have been someone he treasured.
Shirou blitzed down the stairs, not even wearing a jacket as he jumped the steps three at a time, leaping down to the next landing when he was halfway through each flight of stairs. The cold air stung his face as he ran, red blood rushing to his cheeks, but he failed to feel the chill as adrenaline pumped through his veins, spurring him to go faster.
Why had Saber screamed like that? What happened to her?
As the questions cycled through his mind, he failed to notice Caster dashing alongside him down the stairs, easily keeping up with him despite his breakneck pace.
"Shirou, what's going on?"
Her voice, layered with a slight undercurrent of mana to grab his attention, made him notice her for the first time, almost making him slip on the stairs, but Caster automatically nudged him back into place before he could faceplant with a swift and precise application of wind magecraft.
She had sensed him running out the temple, the wards immediately informing her when a Master exited or entered, and she caught up to him in an instant. She couldn't let him run around the town without protection even if it was broad daylight, so she intercepted him before he got too far.
"Sa, ber's, in trouble, have to, find her."
He managed to wheeze out in between breaths as he stumbled down the stairs at the same breakneck pace, almost tripping a few more times if it weren't for Caster's minor but crucial nudges.
Seeing that he wasn't going to stop any time soon, Caster channeled mana into her staff.
Without warning, a strong gust of wind struck Shirou, and as he raised his arms to shield himself, the momentum of his body died, making him stop on the next landing. The wind died just as suddenly as it came, and when he lowered his arms he realized his feet and legs up to his shins felt abnormally cold and wet.
When he looked down, he realized his legs were trapped in a vice grip of ice, keeping him stuck to the ground with no way to escape.
"Don't try to run Shirou, I can do more than just freeze you in place."
Although it wasn't spoken in malice, her stern tone was enough to make him stop his line of thought that was considering using reinforcement on the ice to break it and escape.
"In the first place, do you know where to find her? Or what exactly is happening to her right now?"
When he opened his mouth to protest that it was more important to be at her side and protect her, Caster cut him off immediately.
"If she got ambushed by a Servant, you'd only be a sitting duck by running straight into a battle like that, with no weapons or information, while the enemy Master could easily take you out. On top of that, you don't even know how to locate her, so stop trying to run off like that."
"I-...yeah, I see."
There was nothing he could rebut to that.
"But, I can't ignore her. If she needs me right now, then I need to go and support her as her Master, right?"
It was almost like he hadn't heard her, but his earnest eyes told her that he was just really, really concerned for Saber. That, and what her own eyes told her. It was just enough to stop her from freezing his legs even more out of exasperation.
"I know, but first we need a way to find her. Hold out your hand, the one with the Command Seals."
He didn't know what she had in mind, but obliged anyway.
Red dots danced in the air, flitting like fireflies as they collected into the form of a thin rod in Caster's hands, then condensing even further until it resembled a very thin poker. Or rather, to Shirou's eyes it looked like a barbed arrow, until it shortened and flattened out to resemble a sword more. When the process was finished, a dull crimson dagger was resting on Caster's palms, the blade looking like two pieces of steel intertwined as serpents, with regular oval openings along the center of the blade.
Even as Shirou was admiring it, Caster pressed the tip of the blade to the back of Shirou's outstretched hand, and pricked the skin. A bead of blood welled out from the hole, but it quickly disappeared as the sword seemingly soaked in the liquid.
He almost drew back on reflex, but a prick wasn't that much to him, and he trusted Caster.
"Open your Circuits."
The familiar ring of steel echoed in his mind as the hammer swung down, and he felt his body, slowly cooling down as he stood still, start to warm up again.
From the pricked hand that held his Command Seals, he felt pins and needles start to prickle his skin as they spread from the pricked spot, until his entire hand was aching, though not especially painful. It was a rather strange sensation that he found hard to describe, and his hand was growing more and more numb as well.
Pulling out a blue capsule from her pockets as she dropped the dagger, she pressed it against the bead of blood and removed the sword. Without her support, the weapon faded away, similar to how Shirou's own projections disappeared, but Shirou's eyes were focused on the glimmering blue thread that suddenly appeared, akin to thin wisps of stretched translucent fabric hanging in the air, sparkling with its own light. Then to his surprise, she pulled a roll of tape and taped the capsule to the back of his hand. Once she let go of his hand, he raised it to stare at the makeshift GPS apparatus, magus style.
"Keep your Circuits running. Just follow the line and you'll reach her."
"I'll be back soon."
Saying so, he ran off, the fact that his feet were frozen a moment ago completely forgotten already.
From behind the trees, Kuzuki walked up to Caster, his presence undetected by Shirou the whole time.
"Summon me with the Command Seals if there is an enemy Servant."
Nodding, Shirou's teacher took off as well, trailing the boy at a distance without losing sight of him.
Once they were out of sight, Caster let out a sigh, congratulating herself on thinking up such an innovative solution on the spot without exposing the true depth of her magecraft. While creating a visible trail with the already established Master-Servant link wasn't terribly difficult, it was still something she had never tried before, and inwardly her nerves were frayed, though she maintained a strong front. Turning around, she headed back into the temple, passing the swords embedded near the entrance as she walked back, dismissing her staff back to it's ethereal form.
On the streets, Shirou ran, ran, and then ran some more.
People may have seen him and wondered why he was running so desperately, or what the blue thread hanging in front of him was, but he quickly vanished from sight as he dove through alleys and backstreets in an effort to get as close as he could. All he had was the fragile string to lead him on, and he grasped the line as strongly as he could.
Ignoring the trains, cars, taxis and every other conceivable form of transportation, he literally ran all the way from the temple to Shinto district, his entire body drenched in sweat by the time he had finished crossing the bridge. Red irises watched him pass, flailing limbs and flying droplets reflected in the observer's eyes as he dragged out strength he didn't know he had to continue moving.
Kuzuki was also getting concerned about his stamina, but he let it slide as Shirou didn't look like he was going to instantly collapse either. The daily training he had done was paying off, albeit in a different manner than he imagined.
The sudden rain that came out of nowhere drenched further, washing away the sweat and replacing it with rainwater as his clothes became heavy, further encumbering him as he dragged his waterlogged body through the rain, following the trail that remained steady no matter what, unaffected by rain or wind.
It was with heavy footsteps that he entered the park, the dirt turned muddy as his shoes turned brown, breaths coming out in short gasps. Trudging onwards, he quelled the rise of nausea at the foreboding scenery, darkened by the rain and clouds. He may not have visited this place much, but it was impossible for him to not recognize, obscured as it may have been by the weather.
In the midst of the pelting drops of rain and incessant drumming of water against earth, Saber lay on the bench, her dress half covered in mud that had splattered against the wooden planks making up the bench, breathing shallowly as she slumped over sideways.
He rushed forward at the first sight of her slick blond hair, the first thing he noticed as he drew closer to her. Tearing off the tape keeping the capsule to his hand, he threw it to the side as he sprinted towards her, renewed strength welling up in his body as his feet splashed through the mud, sending flecks of watery earth flying everywhere.
In the blink of an eye, he was at her side, kneeling next to the bench as he held her hand, automatically checking her pulse like he had once been taught to do by his father, for the times when Kiritsugu fainted. Despite being a Servant, her body still emulated the biological processes of a human, and he was relieved to feel a steady heartbeat, the skin cooled by the rain, but still retaining some warmth.
Without even thinking, he lifted her up in his arms, her body lighter than he expected. Ignoring the trembling in his body as lactic acid seeped into his muscles from all the running he had done earlier, he walked out of the park, pushing through the mud sucking him step by step as he resolutely traversed the muddy ground, the rain and soaked clothes doing nothing to deter him. He naturally wanted to help people, and would go a step further for people he was indebted to, and for Saber who had protected him since that night, carrying her back wasn't much.
All the while, Kuzuki kept tabs on him, staying on the fringes of Shirou's vision, while on the top of the buildings surrounded by a bubble that kept the rain from touching, a man smirked. Golden earrings twinkled even in the gloom, matching his hair as it shone softly under what little light could penetrate the rainclouds.
"As expected of my woman, such paltry amounts of mud failed to affect her meaningfully. However, that much will surely be enough to open your eyes."
He took a sip from his cup as he lounged on a chair, staring down at them from the surface of a mirror.
"Be grateful, mongrel, that I am gracious enough to let you have her for these few days. Until I arrive, savour the time you have with her."
His words were washed out by the rain, unheard by anyone except himself.
Caster was quick to notice when an unfamiliar car arrived at the foot of the steps, and she was already rushing down the stairs holding an umbrella as Shirou stepped out of the car, with Saber slipping in between conscious and unconsciousness, dazed as she leaned on her Master heavily. She held the other Servant easily as Shirou handed her over, while he paid the taxi fee.
Without even trying, she could already tell there was something wrong with Saber. The eyes that saw through truth and lies, a light that shone on the intentions of humans, picked up on the tainted emotions swirling within Saber, Servant though she may have been. Darkness swirled around within the body, masses of curses that existed regardless of the person's true intentions, lowering the soul to reach the malice that pooled in the depths of humanity's darkest wishes.
Gripping Saber tightly, Caster swiftly sprinted up the stairs, the taxi driving off as she ignored Shirou trying to catch up with her.
The doors behind her sealed shut automatically as she laid Saber on the floor in her room, stripping off her clothing to place her hands on the bare back of the Servant. There were visible black marks on her neck, and she could faintly smell the scent of acid, though it was so faint she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not. Taking care to not directly touch the faintly shuddering splotches crossed with red lines that failed to reflect light, she sent out magical energy through Saber's body, a pulse of mana echoing within the physical container which returned to Caster. She analysed the results, coming to a disturbing conclusion she realised there was a sense of familiarity within the foreign presence inhabiting Saber's body.
Just then, the sound of thudding footsteps approached the sliding doors, and Shirou's voice pierced through the paper screens.
"Is she alright? What happened to her?"
Fixing Saber's clothing hurriedly, she pulled on the blouse and then unsealed the doors, pulling them open herself to see Shirou standing there, still wet from the rain and shivering as a trail of watery footprints led from outside to the doorstep.
"She's in no immediate danger, relax. Now get yourself dried first before you catch a cold."
He tried to crane his neck to look at Saber over Caster's head, but she stepped out and pushed him back, shutting the doors behind her and blocking his view.
"I still need to check further, so come back later alright?"
Then a lightbulb flashed in her head.
"Also, I need you to trace this after you clean up, as many as you can handle."
A navy blue handle thinner than usual, complete with immense amounts of filigree, etching and embossing that elevated it from a weapon to a piece of art, with various golden lines to cover it that all spiralled from the hilt towards the bevel of the blade.
Wrapping the blade in her jacket, she placed it in Shirou's hand, and without waiting for his reply she reentered her room to continue treating Saber.
After a moment, she heard Shirou's footsteps moving away, heading elsewhere in the temple grounds.
Later that night, a ring of swords accompanied Saber as she slumbered, under the watchful eyes of Souichirou, Shirou and Caster.
A circle of chalk laid out on the floor around the futon encircled the ring of knives, keeping the miasma from spreading rampantly through the entire room as it was siphoned to the staff connected to the circle, which funneled everything towards Caster. With every pulse of light from the knives, more particles of scarlet mixed deeply with black that light failed to penetrate rose from Saber's body, the Servant herself sweating profusely and holding back her voice as her body was purified from whatever had touched her.
"As far as I can tell, it was a curse of some sort that managed to affect her, though as to what type of curse it was I can only try to guess."
She cast a glance at the visible black spot peeking over the collar of Saber's shirt, easily noticed when juxtaposed right next to the white fabric.
"Since I can't tell the specific nature of the curse, I can't really say where it originated from, or whether it was an attack from other Masters or not. All we can do is be more vigilant the next few days."
With that, she clammed up, focusing on purging Saber's body. Purification wasn't really one of her strong suits, and handling delicate rituals like these required more of her concentration than haphazardly throwing around sword catalysts made to explode.
Shirou continued watching until Souichirou managed to drag the boy to sleep, convincing him that staying up late to watch her wasn't going to help her in any way.
Far beneath their feet, the Grail stirred, a slumbering consciousness far beyond the figment of Angra Mainyu that was meddling in the War shifted, a crevice of light tickling it's mind, before it was swiftly sealed, the illumination snuffed out like a candle in a blizzard.
I've taken a pretty long break this summer, and the regular updates will probably be back when the next semester starts, assuming LB6 is mostly translated. Thankfully there's already a rough overview of what happened there, so I'll be able to plan accordingly and write Castoria in a hopefully parallel manner to what she's portrayed as in the latest Lostbelt. Thanks to any readers still willing to follow this fanfic after this several months-long break.
P.S. This chapter occurs between the battle at Edelfelt Manor and the destruction of Ryuudou Temple