Ritsuka Fujimaru was sitting on top of the short stairs leading to the Haiden of Ryuudo Temple. The donation box was just a few meters behind the girl. The servants were spread out in that area, arguing among themselves, and since Ritsuka had her eyes downcast the only thing she could see were the various pairs of legs moving back and forth across the gravel.
An hour had passed since the last scene ended. After shouting "pause" many times during Caster's death, the movie finally paused right after Medea disappeared, as if someone was laughing at Ritsuka's despair,
"But ain't our enemy non-agressive?" Astolfo asked, confused. "That's what Sherlock said to us, right?"
"What just happened doesn't seem pretty agressive to you?" Mordred answered. "The fucker is smart! If he wasn't hidden I would slice this piece of trash into MORE pieces of damn trash!"
"Calm down, Mordred," Artoria Alter demanded. She was already tired of asking that. "Master confirmed that both servants are fine. The enemy definitely attacked us, but not in the aggressive way he could."
After the heat of the moment wore off, Ritsuka finally did what El Melloi II asked. It was necessary for the Master to concentrate on the specific servant she wanted to check, so took some time. As soon as she felt her bond with Medea and Sasaki — somewhere in that Singularity, still alive — a wave of relief filled the group.
But it wasn't all good news.
"They're alive, yes, but Master also said that they are weaker than normal," Amakusa said. "Both Sasaki and Medea are getting weaker with every passing moment. Not in the aggressive way he could attack, yes, but it is an attack anyway."
He was right. Ritsuka checked several times in that last hour. The two servants' mana seemed to decrease each time and although she could have an idea if they were nearby or alive, the bond was not strong enough for her to have an exact ideia of how much mana was disappearing or how much was left. Apparently because of the abnormal amount of servants there.
In the end, they could still have a lot mana or they could already be about to disappear, she would have no idea.
"Then how are we going to rescue them?" Siegfried got to the point that mattered. "We can't let them at the mercy of our enemy. If their energy is being drained, it will eventually run out and they will die. We're not shadow servants now, whatever happens to us will matter."
"How can we even try to rescue them, though?" Jekyll replied. "We're all trapped in this simulated world."
"This situation ain't the same in every case of Singularity we've stopped?" Robin asked. "To hell with this movies, let's just explore this damn city. We'll find the guy eventually."
Mash looked away from the servants arguing and stared at the small group separated from the rest. Not enough to stand out, but cleary off the main topic. She was curious, but Kama got her attention by interrupting the main discussion.
"Perhaps our enemy is holding the two as hostages," Kama said suddenly. Everyone looked at her. "As I once did."
"Are you saying we don't have to worry about them?" Boudica asked.
"The guy has a shit-ton of power over us. If he really wants to kill someone he could do at any time. Just think a little, if he can snap his fingers and disappear with two of you Chaldeans, he also can just kill Ritsuka and be done with." Kama sighed at the stupidity of those servants. "So get it through your thick skulls: we're fish on the chopping board. If he truly wants do kill us, he can."
Kama ignored them and looked sideways at Ritsuka. She was hiding it by mocking the servants, but her intention was to comfort Ritsuka.
"I agree with Lady Kama, but there's something that bothers me," Gawain said. "Lady Medea reacted to the injuries her film counterpart suffered from Assassin."
"He's right. When she was hit in the neck, our Medea started coughing," Lancelot added.
"Medea reaction went beyond wrath and pain. She seemed to have lost her mind. This is not normal."
Atalanta glared at Amakusa.
"We feel a portion of what the characters in the film feel. Not only Medea had to deal with her own grief, she also had to deal with the other Medea's grief. Can't you keep your bullshit to yourself even at times like this, you imbecile?"
"Don't make assumptions without hearing me out, huntress. Medea was a companion to me just as she was to you," Amakusa spoke calmly.
"He's right. We're not talking about emotional feelings." El-Melloi II appeared before Atalanta could answer. "Did you feel Caster's physical pain?"
Mash noticed that the separated group joined the rest at the same time, but only the teacher choose to talk.
Atalanta didn't answer the question.
"And you, did you feel it?" Artoria shook her head. "And you?" Cú also denied. "And you, Master?"
Ritsuka didn't answer, but not in the same way as Atalanta who just decided to think about what she saw in that scene. The master was just looking down, silent.
"So, nobody here felt anything?" Musashi said. "That's what you're saying?"
El Melloi II stared at the swordswoman for a few seconds before answering, "Yes, no one here felt a thing, and Medea shouldn't have either."
"I noticed that. That's why I touched this topic, before I was interrupted," Amakusa explained himself. Atalanta's face admitted her impulse, but she would not apologize for it. He didn't care either way. "Jeanne noticed at that time too. Medea cleary felt pain, but no one outside the room shared the feeling. And I saw everything that happened in the room too. Not one of you there felt too, right?"
"Soooo... what do you mean?" Astolfo asked.
"I understand what El Melloi and Amakusa are trying to say," Artoria answered. "I was thrown back and forth by Berserker in the movie — Lancer also caused a deep wound in my body — but I didn't feel a thing."
"El Melloi II."
"Me either," Emiya said isolated from the group as usual. "I was almost cut in half. Didn't feel a thing too."
"Sasaki stopped walking suddenly. He must felt something," Cú said. "But knowing the guy, even if he did felt pain, he would hide it so no one could notice."
"You're right," Martha said sadly.
"Maybe the pain is only felt when your counterpart in the movie dies?" Iskandar suggested. "She didn't die as a servant of Chaldea, but perhaps the secret about feeling the pain is dying in the fragment."
Nobody thought the theory was plausible, but they didn't have any better.
"We'll see if this theory is right when the next servant dies."
Ritsuka grimaced upon hearing that. Artoria, noticing the girl's reaction, glared at the smirking Archer.
"So what we do now? We just keep watchin' this damn movie like nothin' happened?" Mordred complained. "And this shit idea of waitin' for the next servant to die. Father would never, but..." She clenched her fists. "If Father dies, I would never forgive you for sayin' this with a smile, you bastard!"
Emiya shrugged.
Mash stared at Tamamo and Martha looking at each other. El Melloi II and Gray did the same. Parvati looked troubled about something and Chiron was the only one not expressing anything.
"I agree with Mordred," Tristan said, surprising the others knights. "We can't afford the chance of our king being hurt or worse. I find Robin's plan of explore this city reasonable."
Mash then looked at Ritsuka who started rubbing the temples in her head.
"Are we going to get into this topic again?" Kama snorted.
Mordred didn't like the expression the goddess made and answered angrily, "Spare me the bullshit, bitch. I ain't mindless to forget the shit you put us through. I can forgive for Master's sake, but keep talkin' to me like that and it's not going to be this child form of yours that's going to stop me from beating your ass."
Mash started walking towards Ritsuka when she saw the girl rubbing her temples more hard than before.
"Calm down, guys, we can divided our group in two. One can explore and the other can—" Jeanne started, but couldn't finish.
Kama laughed. "What are you waiting for, miscarriage-leftover? Your Father give orders?"
"Kama!" Parvati shouted in disbelief at what she heard the girl said.
Jeanne and Martha started running. Ritsuka started rubbing her face very hard. Mash quickened her pace, worried the girl would hurt herself.
"Oh, lord!" Jeanne didn't even wait for Kama to finish talking to stop the fight before could began.
Other servants did the same, getting between the two.
"Not now, Martha!" Tamamo exclaimed.
Mash arrived at Ritsuka's side at the same time as Martha.
"Master—!"
"Master—!"
The two looked at each other, surprised. Somehow they knew they were there for different reasons.
"I'll fuckin' kill you now!" Mordred roared.
El Melloi II widened his eyes when Gray pointed and he saw Martha next to Ritsuka.
"Don't stop her!" Kama laughed again ready to battle.
And then, Ritsuka got up. "Guys, please just hear me out!"
At those words, the whole temple was wrapped in total silence.
Ritsuka smiled as if she were back at the summer camp, enjoying the sun and the lake — after cleaning up the monsters. "Just letting the blood rise to our head won't get us anywhere. We'll save worrying for late. We'd no choice but to leave fate to the heavens." She walked to the center of the big group and looked at everyone. "So how about — we all — just continuing to watch the movie and enjoy the story?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"You know what, Master, you're right," Mordred smiled. "Fuck you, bitch, I not gonna let you destroy my movie."
Kama stuck her tongue out at the knight. "Like I care!"
"Okay, Master. We ready to continue when you decide!" Musashi smiled.
Ritsuka laughed, happy. "Alright! So how about now? I curious about where the story is gonna go now!"
The servants started talking with their master while Mash stared at the scene, stunned. Even Martha's group stopped acting strange. "Mas—"
"Don't," Emiya said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Let's continue the movie for now." And though he acted like the others, Mash knew that Archer was in the same position as her.
[Shirou opened his eyes and found himself in a classroom at dusk.]
Ritsuka looked at all servants squeezed together before analyzing where they were, noticing Shirou on the other side of the classroom. "We're back to Shirou, that's go—"
[Rin appeared from nowhere, throwing herself at Shirou and knocking them both to the ground.]
"—OD LORD, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!?"
["Hey, it's fine," she whispered in his ear seductively.
Shirou was surprised. Rin caressed his face and rubbed her private parts against his leg.]
"Violence again?" The children asked Atalanta who covered their eyes.
"Just me seriously considering getting you two far away from the movie scenes!" Atalanta was about to go crazy. "And you three shouldn't look either!"
Atalanta only had two hands, one for Jack and the other for Nursery. Illya and Kuro watched the scene with anger.
"Rin is an opportunist even here!" Illya and Kuro screamed before having their eyes closed by Irisviel.
Miyu closed hers for herself, not wanting to see anything else.
Artoria knew about Shirou and Rin's relationship, but she didn't need to see it.
"What kind of scene are we seeing!? How shameless!" Ishtar stood between the two protagonists and the servants. "Don't look!"
"Ishtar, you know that the way you always show your body in Chaldea makes you look more lewd than the Rin behind you, don't you?" Reines asked.
"I don't "show" my body, I let you see it! It's different!" Ishtar screamed, flushed.
"I understand the feeling! Umu!" Nero shouted from the back of the room, hidden among all the tall people.
["Emiya... do with me as you like."
Rin opened her mouth and revealed fangs, biting Shirou's neck. Having finished drinking his blood, she licked her lips with a smile and revealed a different pair of eyes than Rin Tohsaka naturally had.
And to top it off, she took Shirou's hand and placed it on her chest.]
Ishtar let out a scream and Ereshkigal had to hold her back from doing something silly.
Medusa swallowed hard, feeling her sisters' eyes again. Not just them, but some servants — gladly for her, just a few — who were smart enough to intertwine the rhyme of visuals the movie offered to understand what was going on.
[Shirou closed his eyes immediately and when he finally had the courage to open them, he found his hand squeezing Sakura's chest.
"Senpai."]
"Oh, Shirou is dreaming..." Boudica noticed.
Kama laughed so much that she had to hold on to one of the chairs to not fall. "So this is why we rarely see you sleeping in Chaldea, Archer!? All that talk about a servant not needing to sleep was just an excuse!"
Mordred and Cú Chulainn joined Kama and laughed at Archer's face.
Ereshkigal heard about Emiya's opinion that the idea of a servant sleeping was useless and that it was much better to use that time for something productive, and she found funny when Enkidu revealed that Caster Gilgamesh heard that and had to admit that he agreed with him.
Emiya just ignored all that nonsense and focused more on the meaning of that scene. His eyes threatened to go to her, but in the end he didn't look at Medusa like many others did. He was next to Artoria, she would follow his eyes, so the one he looked at was Artoria who seemed not to had connected the scene with Medusa because of all the discomfort she was feeling. If Artoria had noticed who was doing that, Emiya was sure she would attack Rider since that was basically harassment.
[Shirou woke up with his hand up, revealing it was a dream, and regretted had imagined those things.]
The servants were divided into groups.
"HAHAHA! Mr. Nice Guy is a pervert! I bet nobody expected that!" Mordred thrashed on the floor, clutching her stomach. "I thought the movie was goin' to go from bad to worse and the mood was goin' to be shit, but thank god I was wrong! This is just too good!"
"Everyone has a sad past because of hormones, Archer, don't feel guilty." Cú Chulainn patted him on the shoulder.
"My sister has something to say about this," Scáthach said without looking at her pupil.
Cú sighed and walked away from the woman. Scáthach was confused by that reaction, she wasn't criticizing him.
Emiya actually considered answering them, but his eyes meet Medusa's pleading gaze — fearing Artoria's reaction or what Ritsuka would think of her. "You're going to owe me one," he said with a look and she replied: "Yes, I do anything you ask me!"
[Shirou arrived in the kitchen and found Sakura cooking, cleary seeing her with different eyes.]
Finally!, Kama was almost excited. What's happening to me? she thought realizing what she was feeling.
"Hehe!" Ritsuka broke into a big smile, but lost it when she looked around and saw that Emiya wasn't in her group. Why doesn't anyone who can be provoked fall into the same group as me!?
Irisviel giggled happily that she would gain grandchildren one way or another.
Parvati felt something strange seeing that look from Shirou. The suppressed desire there was visible and this fact created a heat inside her that made the goddess very uncomfortable. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts! Internally and externally she slapped herself.
Kuro stared at the woman slapping herself with shock, wondering what is the problem with all these people.
[Shirou went to the hospital to visit Issei after receiving a call about the sudden accident at Ryuudo Temple. When meeting with Rin after talking to his friend, the girl explained that the tragedies that were happening in Fuyuki came from Caster's hands and that's why she went there to face the enemy. But upon arriving at the place, the only thing she found was Kuzuki dead and the rest of the inhabitants of the place in a dangerous state.]
"Poor Issei..." Raikou said.
Again all the servants were gathered together in one place. It was starting to get more frequent.
["Now, the main subject. There was another comatose incident in New City this morning."
"Despite Caster already being gone, huh?"]
The servants of the original Fifth Holy Grail War gathered in a corner.
"A new Assassin, that shadow..." Artoria sighed. "I thought our war was a little weird, but this one will probably be worst."
"We have that damn priest and Gilgamesh too," Cú answered. "It would be great if the idiot send me or Gilgamesh to kill that old man, but I find hard."
"They won't move until the end of the war," Emiya said. "That's how they do things. Always."
Medusa looked at Archer in curiosity, she wondered what happened to his Sakura.
"Man, I never asked you about this, but how was I in your war?" Cú asked hoping for something good.
"Better than the last one," he answered and walked away.
"He really likes to be ambiguous, huh?"
Artoria chuckled.
[Rin paced around, gathering her thoughts.
"Sakura ended up over at your place, right?"]
Stheno noted that her sister was right about her remark, the Tohsaka girl showed clear signs of affection that only a sister could have.
["Yeah. She's been sleeping over at my place since last night."
"Emiya, why don't we fight together?"]
Artoria cracked a small smile upon seeing that proposal, the fact that Rin had been absent so far and Sakura was getting all the focus, worried her that Rin could become an enemy of Shirou, but she was glad that wasn't the case.
Ritsuka was happy as well. She wanted to see more of Rin, and without being an enemy.
["It seems this time around things are a lot different than what I'd heard from my father.]
"This war is certainly worse than ours," Chiron commented to his former Black Faction comrades.
"Right!? It makes ours who already had some odd moments look normal!" Astolfo replied.
Siegfried just stayed silent. Whatever the "shadow" that swallowed Sasaki was made him fear the thing, even witnessing the dark presence for such a short time.
["So first, I want to make it clear as to what is going on."
"So, fighting together for a limited time?"
"Yes, that's what this means."
Shirou didn't had to think much to decide that it was his best option.
"Rin. I feel that fighting together with a powerless Master is meaningless."]
"Holy shit!" Ritsuka exclaimed. "I was so focused on Shirou that I forgot about you, Emiya. This is your first appearance in the movie!"
"At least talking, yes!" Boudica said in surprise too.
Everyone seemed to realize it together.
Artoria just found it amusing that Emiya's first appearance in the movie was criticizing Shirou.
["What was that?" Shirou asked angrily.
"Did I say something that was incorrect?" Archer answered.
"Archer, I'll have you follow your Master's morals." Rin intervened.
Shirou and Emiya continued to stare at each other.]
Boudica had a good laugh when she saw that scene. She figured anyone there would had a similar reaction meeting their past self.
["So losing no time," Rin stood in front of Shirou, wearing a smile, "can you come out tonight?"]
When Rin finished talking, the servants found themselves in the middle of the street. Gareth even squealed as she jumped out of the way of a car.
They all looked at Shirou who was in front of the supermarket thinking about what to buy to dinner.
["I already made a huge dinner yesterday. I'm not going to be working for a while and there's one more person to feed, so I shouldn't be spending money..."]
"Funny how he is worried about how much he is going to spend when the chances of getting out of this war alive are not high," Bedivere said.
"It shows he has a good head for money," Ereshkigal replied.
The servants spread out on the street looking at stores and things that interested them while Shirou did the shopping inside the supermarket. The only ones who entered the place with him were Artoria interested in the food he would make, Emiya to complain about the wrong ingredients, Ritsuka, Mash and the kitchen members.
["All right, anti-Fuji-nee measure taken care of..."]
"Man, he surely took his time buying things..." Mordred sighed. "This war is boring again."
"Oh shit." Robin took a few steps back at the sudden appearance among the people on the street.
"Mordred, if I hear one more complain from you, I'll chop you head off!" Artoria Alter lost her pacience.
Amakusa arched an eyebrow at Robin's reaction and turned to where he was looking. "Well, this is going to be a problem..."
"Why are you so angry with me!?" Mordred asked, sad.
"Hmph, you're an idiot, Shirou Emiya. She isn't even hiding her presence." Reines shook her head.
[Shirou felt someone pulling his shirt from behind. There stood a young girl with silver hair.]
"Illya, my dear..." Irisviel flashed a big smile, but it died quickly. "Oh, no..."
["I'm glad you're alive, Big Brother."
"... Illya!?"
Illya looked at him strangely. Being called so informally like that caught the girl off guard. And Shirou understood that as a mistake on his part.
"Oh... sorry, that's wrong...! Illya-Illyasviel! I'm sorry for getting wrong!"]
"He's shitting himself!" Jeanne Alter laughed.
"At least he recognizes the risk situation he's now." Artoria Alter shrugged.
[Illya frowned and continued to stare at him without saying anything.
"Oh... well... hm... I didn't mean to make you mad. I just blurted it out."
"Tell me your name."
"What?"
"Tell me your name, Big Brother. It's unfair that I don't know your name."
"I'm Shirou. Emiya Shirou."
"Emiyashiro? That's a strange name, Big Brother."]
"Great, she has the same level of jokes as you, Illya..." Kuro sighed.
"H-Hey, I'm funny!" Illya turned to Miyu. "Right?"
"Sometimes, yes," Miyu answered.
"Miyu, even you? Traitor!"
["No, Emiya is my last name, and Shirou is my first name. If it's hard to say it, just call me Shirou."
Illya's surprise because of the finger Shirou pointed at her nose was a wrong decision made by him, but too late to redoo.
"... Shirou. Shirou, huh? Yeah, I like the name." Illya smiled. "It's simple, but it sounds pretty. It suits you, Shirou. I'll forgive you for what you just did!" And she embraced his arm.]
"Is it really a good idea to talk to this girl?" Muramasa scratched the back of his neck.
"It's the best choice he could have made, blacksmith!" Nero exclaimed beside him. "Reacting with aggression is only an option if you have the power to do so. If you don't, as he doesn't, then there is no other option but to talk. A smile, in particular, is a form of communication that every species can understand, umu!"
["What!? H-H-Hold on, Illyasviel! What are you doing...!?"
"No, you can call me Illya, Shirou! I'm calling you Shirou, so this is fair!"]
"It seems that the taste for little girls is from a young age..." Kama mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. She smiled at Archer trying to made him angry.
But Emiya just looked at the goddess in the form of a child and frowned.
"That's not what I meant! I was just teasing you!" Kama fumbled.
Emiya sighed and walked away from that goddess, tired of her existence.
Ritsuka put a hand on Kama's shoulder and spoke, "I'm having a hard time teasing people too!"
["So then why did you come here? Did we meet up by chance?"
"It's not chance. I snuck out past Sella and specially came to see you. You better feel honored."]
"She have a Sella!?" Illya exclaimed. "What about Liz? I want to see both!"
"She changes from cute to cold-blooded killer in the blink of an eye..." Ritsuka gulped. "I prefer you, Illya-just-cute!"
"T-Thank you, Master!" Illya blushed.
["…All right. So you came to see me. But you have no intention of fighting me. Am I correct?"
"Yup. I came to talk to you. I've waited all this time, so I can, right?"]
"I'm really sorry, Irisviel... I failed you and your daughter..."
Irisviel turned to Artoria who was staring at the scene with a sad expression. She smiled and squeezed her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry. Unfortunately, there are many things in this world that are out of our hands."
All it took was one look at Illya and Kuro for Irisviel's head to fill with regrets and possibilities. Just thinking they had a chance — she and Kiritsugu — to make another path and have a normal life...
["Or do you not want to talk with me? …I'll go home if you don't want to. I really don't want to go home, but you'll hate me if I make you do something you don't want." Illya looked at him straight in the eye.]
Mash noticed the slight twinge that Emiya had when he noticed Shirou's hesitation in answering the girl. I hope he chooses to talk to her too, Emiya. She was praying for that to happen now, knowing it would made the Archer happy.
["I don't mind talking with you. To be honest, I wanted to talk with you."
"All right! Then let's sit in the small park over there!" Illya started running.]
"AAAAAAH! How cute!" Musashi was blowing smoke from her ears.
Muramasa opened a half smile. "Little girls will still be little girls at the end of the day."
"Exactly," Nero said next to the blacksmith.
The group followed the duo to the park. Jack and Nursery ran towards the toys with Atalanta watching them from afar while she was still paying attention to the fragment. The huntress had to admit that at times she was uninterested in what was going on, the exceptions being new discoveries about Archer's past and, now, Illyasviel's presence.
[The two sat on one of the park benches nearby.
"…So. What do you want to talk about, Illya? You came to me, so do you have something you want to ask me?"
"Why? I have nothing I want to ask you."
"..."]
Boudica laughed and shook her head. "Idiot, she just wants to be near you. Anything will do."
["…Illya. You're the one who wanted to talk. So why do you say you have no business with me? You wouldn't have come if you had no business with me, right?"
"O-Oh, really? We can't talk if we don't have business?"
"Uhh… that's not what I meant. Sorry, I put it in the wrong way. We can still talk. Actually, I guess it's better to talk without purpose."]
"Big Brother is still Big Brother," Kuro laughed when she noticed that the boy still was a poor talker, it was his nature it seems.
["... But, man. I don't know you really well, so I don't know what I should talk about. I don't know what you like, or anything. You don't want me asking you about something you'd rather not talk about, right?"
"Y-You're right… but what should I ask? Will you promise me you won't get mad, whatever I ask you?"
"I'll try. I'm your Big Brother, so I'll try to act mature."]
Illya and Kuro let out smoke from their ears, turning red when they heard Shirou said that. Two reactions anyone would expect knowing the girls. The third person doing that same reaction was someone unexpected... or not.
"Aaaaaah! How cute! Muramasa! Emiya! Be my Big Brother too!" Musashi pleaded holding her face with both hands.
"Go to hell!" The two responded, cringing at the same time. "You're spending too much time with Osakabehime!"
["I see. Then Shirou, do you like me?"
"WHA-!?"
"Oh, you're a liar! You said you won't get mad, but you're mad!"
"Hey, anyone would be shocked by that question! Y-You shouldn't be asking that question when you've already attacked me!"
"Hey, that was different! It's because you jumped out even though you're weak! It's not my fault!"]
Irisviel didn't even notice the smile appearing and remaining on her face during that bizarre interaction. When she listened to the stories of the Emiya girls about how their family acted in their world, Irisviel sometimes caught herself imagining what her family would be like. Now, seeing that scene, she could see a teaser of what it could be.
"How sweet. This scene reminds me of my brothers and my sisters," Jeanne said.
Noticing that her counterpart was looking at her (and remembering that they only had one sister) made Jeanne Alter take a step back.
"I'm not your sister!"
"Stop being a tsundere, lil' sis!"
"Go to hell! And I'm not you LITTLE sister"
"You can't say this to a Christian like us!"
"Go to hell two times, then!"
"Can you two just shut up for the sake of YOUR god!?" Tamamo complained.
["It is your fault! You were ready to kill from the beginning! So why are you talking about me liking you and everything!?" Shirou noticed that he had made another mistake when Illya went quiet. "... Um, Illya?"
"... It's important to me. You're an idiot, Shirou! If I hadn't stopped him you'd be dead right now, but you still want to talk big." Illya looked down, trembling.]
"Umu, didn't I say?"
Muramasa turned to Nero who was looking at him anxiously. "Why ya followin' me since the supermarket?"
"..." Nero was quiet. "It has been a few weeks since I asked you for something and you never updated me about it."
"I'm not goin' to make that damn sword, woman!"
"Why not, blacksmith!? I just want a golden sword with a lot of diamonds and ruby!"
"I make goddamn swords, not ornaments!"
Stheno and Euryale looked at each other. "I like his Illya girl, me."
"She's a bit scary..." Gray commented.
"But she's not wrong. Shirou is an idiot when it comes to the mage world. Even a apprentice could kill him the way he was shopping without worrying about the world outside his head." Reines shook her head. "Just remember that scene he went after Shinji in the school. His anger distracted him. If I was his enemy, in that corridor, he would have given me enough chances to kill him five times without using magecraft."
"But the fights can only take place at night, right?"
"As if a mage would care about that, Gray," Reines replied. "Any servant other than Assassin would not work, of course. But a servant wouldn't be necessary either way. Mages have a good amount of ways to kill someone without anyone noticing them."
[Shirou sighed. "Ahem. Um, Illya... I don't know you really well because we just met, but I don't hate you. At the very least, I want to be friends when you are like this."
"Really?" Illya was clearly surprised.]
Not just her. Many of the group were as well.
"How sweet," Martha smiled. "I glad that Shirou can see Illya beyond an enemy, even after what happened to him."
Artoria smiled as she listened to the murmurs of the group. Oh, Shirou, that's so you...
["Um, you feel more like a little sister to me. And I won't bring up that incident again. That's all I can promise you. Can you believe me?"
"Yeah! I'll believe you if you say so...!" Illya tackled Shirou and embraced his arm again.
"...Man. What are you?" Shirou complained, but accept anyway.]
"What's it?" Kuro asked.
"I…" Illya looked away. "I miss my brother, that's all..."
Kuro didn't say anything, but understood the girl... their life in Chaldea was avoid Emiya and ran into Muramasa every now and then, getting their brother out of their mind was difficult.
[The two continued talking for a long time, sitting on one of the benches in the park. The mood became more and more relaxed between them. She gladly listened to Shirou pointless rambling and mundane stories.
Eventually, Shirou couldn't hide any longer the question that echoed most in his mind when he thought about her. "Illya. Can I ask you something?"]
All the servants at that time were in different corners of the park.
"He's going to spoil the good mood, isn't he?" Mash asked, worried.
"He will. And we know exactly what the question is. It was inevitable." Emiya didn't say that with a tone of disappointment or reprimand, surprisingly. In fact, he was finding the meet the most interesting development of that war after the focus on Sakura.
["Do you recognize the name Emiya Kiritsugu?"
The air freezes. And even the world around them seemed to shut up.
"No. I don't know anyone like that," Illya said without emotion in her voice. Her silver hair fluttered. Fairy-like, she got up from the bench and turned around.
"It's getting late. Berserker's going to wake up at night, so I have to get going now." Illya waved goodbye.
"Okay..." Shirou was disappointed, but doesn't pressed the question.]
Emiya frowned. Are you really going to let things end like this?
[When it seemed that the interaction between the two had ended, the boy also got up and chased after her. "Illya!"
The girl turned around in surprise.
"Can I talk with you again, Illya?"
"... U-Um, I don't know. Do you want to see me again, Shirou?" Illya was surprised at how natural the words came out of Shirou's mouth.]
Atalanta smiled. "He's keeping his promise. He really has put the past behind him."
Irisviel was happy about that too.
["Of course. I wouldn't ask you if I didn't want to."
Illya smiled. "Okay, then I'll come again if I feel like it. Don't expect too much and keep waiting, okay?" She ran out of the park.]
Raikou was crying like a baby at that interaction.
"C'mon, Raikou, don't cry or I will cry too!" Ritsuka rubbed her back.
[She suddenly stopped.
"I was lying. He is someone I know."
"Illya...?"
"…I was given birth to this world to win the Holy Grail War. My mission is to kill you and Kiritsugu." She sprinted off.
Shirou followed her out of the park, but when he reached the street, the girl was already gone.]
"This girl is really good at disappearing!" Robin said. "This time I didn't take my eyes off her and she still managed to escape!"
"That's the magic of movies." Iskandar whistled.
["Well, I should at least wash the floor."]
After following Shirou until his home, they followed him to the dojo where he would train with Artoria.
["... But man. I wonder what she'll make me do."
While Shirou is there, he remembered some moments in that dojo.]
The servants' eyes were occupied by the time Shirou fought Kiritsugu, two amateurs beating each other up; the next scene was Taiga teaching the boy, probably on the same day as the picture they saw at the beginning of the movie.
["... Anyways, I wasn't good at using things to fight. I'm only interested in making and fixing."]
"I getcha." Muramasa smiled.
["Sorry to keep you waiting. I'll be learning here starting today—"
"... ? What is it, Shirou? You look like you're surprised at something."
"Oh,well, I'm surprised because you're still in those clothes. I thought you'd be in the other outfit."]
"See? I told you he would like..." Reines said.
Emiya looked curious hearing that and Artoria glared at Reines angrily.
["I see. If you wish for me to be armed, I can be. You are correct, I was not thinking. Even though it is only a match, it is impolite to Shirou not to wear my armor. I am sorry, I will change right away."
"Oh no, that's not it. It's fine, it was just a misunderstanding. If you ask me, I prefer this outfit to the armor." Shirou tried to fix his mistake.
"Huh...? But this appearance does not satisfy you, right?" Saber seemed confused.
"Satisfy... well, it certainly doesn't look like we're going to be having a match now, but it shouldn't be a problem if that's easy to move in. You'd get tired too if you wear that armor."
"That is true, but is it not strange for me to use a sword with this appearance?"
"Why? It looks good on you, so there's nothing strange about it. I think you look better in that than the armor."
".. ? I fail to understand. These clothes are certainly light, but they would not be able to withstand a fight. I believe this outfit is unsuitable for a Saber."
"Don't fight in that outfit, stupid. You're a girl. And those clothes suit girls, so it's fine."]
Shirou took two shinais down from the wall without noticing that he had made two Artorias blush.
Mordred gritted her teeth hearing what Shirou said to her Father, but seeing Artoria's positive reaction, she swallowed her complaints. Lancelot didn't say anything either, but he couldn't swallow his frustration.
Bedivere was having the time of his life watching those interactions.
["Well. So what kind of training should we be doing? I'll let you decide, so you can give me anything."
Shirou tossed a shinai to Saber.
Saber caught the shinai as if she was distracted, and looked at him.
"What? We can't use shinai? D-Don't tell me to use solid wood swords — no, real swords!"]
Nero shook her head. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do!"
Parvati chuckled. "You're so oblivious to the feelings of the girls around you, Shirou."
["Ah — no, there's no need for that. Since these are excellent imitation swords for matches, let us use them."
Saber took a deep breath quietly. And she was back to her usual self.]
Good choice, Artoria thought. She didn't know what to think about what Shirou just said to her counterpart. The king had certainly changed some things about how she saw herself, but it was still hard to treat herself as a woman.
["Thank God. It's too dangerous to fight with solid wood swords. So, what should I do? Will we start with strength building exercises like swinging the sword five hundred times or running?"]
"Is this going to be of any use?" Jeanne Alter questioned. "It's not like basic training is going to do miracles."
"I could answer this question, but I'm sure the King of Knights will speak about this," Chiron said.
["I do not think there is any need for that. Even from what I've seen, your strength is up to standards. If you wish to train your body even more, that would not be possible in a day or two."
"You are unskilled as a magus, but I do not think you are that bad as a warrior. You must have trained hard from a young age."]
"Incompetent!" Stheno smiled.
Medusa noticed that her sisters really didn't like Shirou, espeacially Stheno. Not that she liked him either, the boy gained her respect at the same speed he lost it. She had a good opinion about him until he forgot about Sakura.
["Uh, well, it was the only thing I was good at. You can train your body even if you don't have talent as a magus."]
"Scáthach said the same thing to me," Ritsuka told. "The difference is that Shirou has physical potential. I don't have any..."
"Just because you don't reach someone else's level doesn't mean you haven't, Master," Scáthach explained. "You've grown a lot these last few months."
[Saber continued explaining until the moment the training finally started. And at the training end, Shirou was lying on the ground.]
"My king..." Bedivere lost the color in his face. "You're taking the training too seriously..."
Lancelot felt pity of the boy.
"I think he has some broken ribs now," Gareth said, scared.
"Good thing he has Avalon," Artoria said. "If I knew about it in my war, I would have taken my training more seriously too!"
If Emiya remembered about Shirou Emiya's suffering training with Saber, he would have spent more time in that house during the war.
[Shirou tried to continue training, but it didn't work out and he got destroyed again.
"Please listen to me. You are definitely fatigued. Training will be useless in such a state, so we should take a rest."]
"Well, no one can say the kid lacks effort," Cú said.
["That is even more meaningless.
Listen, Shirou. If you say you are going to fight a Servant, it will be meaningless unless you have full power, the best ground, and an escape route prepared.
You cannot even be a match to a Servant unless everything is perfect. You have already made a mistake when you decide to fight a Servant in a poor condition."]
Artoria was quite surprised to hear Shirou saying that he would face Gilgamesh alone in their war and even more so when Emiya said that the boy managed to defeat the man.
Not that she wished that Shirou had lost, but to think that a human could fight against a powerful servant like that irritating king...
[I think Saber is really beautiful like that. I'm not thinking she's beautiful from a man's perspective, but I feel she is beautiful in everyone's eyes.]
Emiya almost chuckled seeing Artoria blushed again. He didn't though. Lancelot was looking at him and the boy with anger, and Ritsuka was waiting for a chance to provoke them.
["Saber, I want to ask you something."]
Emiya felt a sudden nostalgia surge at hearing those clumsily words.
["Um. I'm not joking around or anything, so I want you to listen to me without getting mad."]
"That's never a good sign..." Gareth said.
["Yes, that is why I am listening seriously. Please ask me without reserve."
"Then, I'll accept that and ask you. Um, well. If there is one, can you teach me an easy special move that'll let me beat a Servant? Ideally something that'll even let me beat you."]
Everyone became mute upon hearing that, even the Saber from the fragment.
["..."
Saber stopped breathing.
"..."
Saber didn't move even an eyebrow.]
"This is going to be good," Add said.
Gray shook him.
[Saber made an evil smile.]
Anyone close to the Saber of the fragment backed away. In fact, everyone backed away until they were against the dojo wall.
["S-Saber...? It may just be me, but you have a really unsuitable evil smile on your face."
"It is not just you. Right now, my mind is as wicked as Rin's is."]
"She's not scary as you!" Ishtar disagreed.
["Why are you panicking, Shirou? I have not answered your question yet. If I did not mishear you, I believe you desire a special move that will beat a Servant in one blow?"]
Shirou retreated in the same direction the servants went, and Saber advanced following and not letting him escape.
The servants split into two groups, one going left and one going right, leaving Shirou alone with his servant.
["Ah—um, well... Saber, you're mad, right?"
"Yes, very."]
"Yep," Ritsuka said. "Looks like the movie is about to end now."
["Calm down, let's calm down Saber. I've contemplated my actions. I think I know why you're mad too."
"I see. Then please sit there in a Japanese style. I cannot calm down unless I explain things to you."]
Maybe it was the Singularity influencing their minds, but all the servants sat together with Shirou.
If someone could see that scene — outside the big group — they would have a magnificent view of warriors, knights, kings, emperors and goddesses sitting in a Japanese style.
[Saber took a deep breath.
"Are you kidding me..."!? What are you thinking of, asking for a special move!? Cheat like a special move to beat an opponent in one blow!?"]
"My ears!" Ritsuka cried.
The rest did the same. Saber had a voice as powerful as a beast or a lion.
["S-Sorry… so I'm saying I'm contemplating my actions. You're stronger than me, Saber. I thought you might know a move that even an unskilled guy could use."
"There is nothing convenient like that! A surprise move is something you use against someone of equal level, and a beginner like you should work thoroughly on your foundations!
First of all, I already told you not to think about defeating your opponent! Please think first about your protection! If there is a special move for you, it would be enough judgment to stop yourself from getting into a situation that requires you to fight!"
"Uh... I understand. I understand, so lower your voice a little." Shirou put his hands together to show he's sorry.
"... Geez, I had some expectations of you, but you are so unstable. If you are like this, it is too dangerous for me to leave you alone."]
"As if a useless human like him could defeat a servant," Stheno snorted.
"Truly a foolish dream," Euryale agreed.
"Even Shirou's Heroic Spirit can't defeat the King of Knights," Iskandar said. "No offense intended, Emiya."
"Emiya can barely defeat someone in this group, imagine her." Jeanne Alter smirked. "All offense intended."
"You guys are being cruel," Boudica complained.
"It's not cruel to say the truth," Artoria Alter answered. "No one here is saying that Archer is a bad warrior, but being realistic is the best way to stay alive on the battlefield."
Although most didn't open their mouth, many had a similar opinion. Emiya was certainly a good Archer with unique skills, but when it came to the most powerful servants in Chaldea, he was rarely mentioned.
Some of the servants were curious about the possibility of being surprised — but not the ones who just didn't like Shirou or Archer himself.
Artoria didn't know what to think. Honestly, she'd rather not know either. The answer to that — inside the fragment — had very dangerous implications.
Emiya listened to all these opinions without saying a word or showing a small amount of reaction on his face.
[Saber's scolding continued until dusk.
"Shirou, perhaps Sakura really is not feeling well." Saber warned, worried.
"Huh?"
"Oh. nothing. I hope it is just me."
Shirou had his attention stolen when he heard the doorbell.]
Artoria found it curious that she never noticed any kind of illness in Sakura when the girl was in the house, during her own war.
[Arriving at the entrance of the house, Shirou heard the sound of a slap and he found Shinji standing in front of a Sakura, lying on the floor, with a bruise on her face.]
Half of the servants went to the entrance door from inside the house, following Shirou. The other half went from outside. Both sides had the same reaction discovering the scene that was taking place there.
"This boy must be part of that old man's insect collection too!" Raikou was furious. "How disgusting!"
Artoria gritted her teeth. Had she known that Shinji was not only cruel in battle but also abusive to his sister, she would have warned Rin not to bother saving him.
"C'mon, Bird Boy's head is still available so I can kill this brat at least ONCE!" Mordred said.
["What? Emiya, I'm Sakura's big brother."]
Stheno and Euryale distanced themselves from Medusa when they noticed all the anger the woman was feeling now. Blood trickled on the floor beside Medusa, she was gripping her hands so tightly that her nails had sunk into the flesh.
["What's wrong with me coming to take my dearest sister back home?"]
"Bastard!" Ishtar growled. "I haven't wanted to gouge out a man's eyes this much since my ex-husband!"
[Shirou clenched his teeth in anger. He grabbed Shinji by the collar and pushed him against the door.]
"Serious?" Jeanne Alter questioned. "Just that!?"
Kama sincerely preferred these two to drown together.
["What big brother punches his little sister?" Shirou demanded. When approaching Shinji's ear, he added: "You roped Mitsuzuri into this! I can't trust you with Sakura!"]
"They're in a war that Shirou doesn't want Sakura involved in. From Shinji's behavior, I would imagine that in anger he can even reveal some things to Sakura..." Jekyll commented.
"I don't think Sakura would like to see Shirou fighting her brother right in front of her," Tamamo completed.
["You got your hands on her after what happened. And you don't want to let her go because you haven't had her enough."
"Damn you!" Shirou lost his temper for good, but Shinji answered by hitting his face with a forehead.
Sakura clutched her chest, worried about Shirou. After recovering from the sudden blow, the only thing visible in Shirou's eyes was the desire to destroy Shinji right there.
"That look on your face is so good. C'mon! Let's continue from the other day!"
Shirou advanced towards Matou.]
"Finally he's reacting!" Mordred complained. "Are we going to see Mr. Nice Guy not being Mr. Nice Guy for a bit!?
["Stop it, Big Brother!" Sakura exclaimed. "I'll do anything you tell me to. Please, just not in front of Senpai!"
With that, the fight seemed to be over and the two boys calmed down.]
"Goddamnit!" Mordred turned and walked into the hall, pushing through the servants in front of her. "Bunch of dipshits! If Father wasn't in this movie, this would be trash already!" She continued complaining as her voice faded into the house.
"Like I said," Tamamo repeated, "Sakura doesn't seem like the type of person who would put up with Shirou getting into a fight because of her."
Martha completely agreed with Tamamo... but, internally, she wanted to punch Shinji in the face.
["Sakura, don't you ever forget what you just said." And then Shinji left.]
"Can we go after him to kill him?" Jack asked with a big smile.
"Hahaha, that would be fun!" Nursery laughed.
"Please don't..." Atalanta sighed. Although I would do the same if I could.
["Senpai... I'm so sorry!"
"It's not something you need to apologize for, Sakura."]
"Poor girl. Why is she apologizing?" Astolfo said in a low voice, frustrated with the injustice like everyone else.
"She likes Shirou a lot." Parvati walked to Sakura, sitting down next to her. "This house is her real home. And if you remember who she lives with, it's not hard to guess that this is where she can be at peace." The goddess tried to push Sakura's hair out of her sad face. She wanted to put a hand on the girl shoulder and tell her that everything would be alright, but Parvati couldn't do even that. "It is this hard to understand that she's just tired? The only thing she wants is peace..."
"Peace is gained by force," Artoria Alter replied. "If she intends to remain submissive for the rest of her life, that idiot will continue to pursue her. If she doesn't intend to change, eventually Shirou will have to do something. Her passivity will only result in violence at the end."
To that Parvati had nothing to answer... but somehow, she was sure that boy could still change. Deep inside, the goddess knew that her vessel had a good relationship with her brother, different from what she was seeing in the movie.
"Start," Ritsuka said. She had paused when Parvati started to speak.
[On the pole outside the house, Assassin watched everything.]
Hassan's sudden appearance made everyone worried. They feared that the servant would attack Shirou's house, and some hoped that he would just go after Shinji to kill him.
But in the end nothing happened.
[At night, inside the shed, Shirou was training magecraft on one of the dojo's shinai, but his mind was so troubled with recent events that he ended up destroying the thing.
"No good. I'm not concentrating."]
"Training with a disturbed mind is really hard!" Ritsuka had several examples of moments like this on her journey.
"One of the steps in learning is understanding your own mind and overcome anything that might stop you from growing," Scathach said. "A warrior has few moments to be in peace."
You have no idea, Cú Chulainn looked away when Scathach seemed to read his mind and gave him a menacing look.
"Scathach is right. You grew up under stress like few can, even in my days." Chiron was proud of the girl's development.
Ritsuka giggled, awkwardly.
"Master, can I ask you to pause the movie just for a little while?" Reines asked.
"Right. Pause."
With the movie now paused, Reines walked over to Emiya and said, "So, how about your start explaining what is he doing?"
Ritsuka and Mash looked at each other, confused. "What do you mean, Reines?" Mash asked.
"Sorry, I forgot that you guys don't have much experience in this topic, but the way the movie is showing... the way Shirou is using his Magic Circuit is completely lunatic!" Reines seemed to be stricken with how absurd it was. "He's not using like he should. I have no idea what's going through his dumb head!"
El Melloi II had noticed in the first time the fragment showed Shirou "strengthening" an object.
"He's creating a new Magic Circuit instead of just using the ones he already has." As Emiya said that out loud, the magi in the shed gasped. "Kiritsugu Emiya didn't want him to be a mage, but the boy insisted anyway."
"B-but... that's suicidal!" Ruby exclaimed, approaching Emiya's face who tried to slap her away. "On second thought, since is you we talking about, it's made perfect sense!"
"Ruby!" Illya caught the wand, pulling it away.
"I'm kind of lost here. Is it really that risky?" Ritsuka asked.
"A mage doesn't create new circuits, Master, he just uses the ones he already has. While it's possible for any mage to create new circuits, it's unnecessary and stupid. It only takes one small error to cause your death," Amakusa explained. Although he already knew many things, some more hidden knowledge were taught by Medea, after Ritsuka forced them to be "teacher and student".
"Wow..." Mash looked surprised.
Ritsuka frowned. "Wait a minute. Is that what my male version did in that movie? 'Cause that looked like it was painful as hell!"
"While we're on the subject, what exactly you do when you modify certain Noble Phantasms?" Reines asked. "I know you master Projection magecraft, but I've seen you turning swords into arrows. How?"
When magi looked at Emiya as a Heroic Spirit, they didn't think much about his skills, but now seeing the man as a boy and knowing that these same abilities dated back to that time as human, made them extremely curious.
"Nothing special, just reinforcement and projection as always. If I can understand the structure, I can project it. Or change the shape, in this case."
"Weren't you studying the blueprints of vehicles?" Amakusa asked.
"What!?" That information astounded Nero.
Emiya sighed. "I was, yes. But it is hard. I can make the separate parts without problem, but the whole thing together is still a big problem. I'm sure I can solve, but the next and most important obstacle is the amount of magical energy that I would need it. Swords are the only things that don't exhaust me."
"He made us a candy machine once!" Jack had that day as a happy memory.
"And I think I heard from Lanling that Emiya even made a VHS player last summer camp," Boudica completed. "But a car is incredible!"
"He did," Illya confirmed.
"Make sure you finish your studies, Emiya! This is going to help a lot at Nero Fest! Our cars are going to be made a lot faster now that Da Vinci got quite a helper! Umu!"
"I didn't know about the candy machine and the car pieces," Scáthach said in surprise. "Good to know. I'll remember your skills in the next tournament in the Land of Shadows."
"But why a car, dude?" Robin thought that was pretty random.
"Isn't it obvious? It will help Master cross long pieces of land without getting tired or risk the Shadow Border in enemy territory," Artoria Alter replied. "Emiya, you better make me a damn good bike!"
[Shirou gave up on continuing his training when he heard someone knocking on the shed door. When he opened it, he found Sakura in a white dress, waiting for him outside.]
"Look how cute she is!" Raikou gushed.
"Sakura should wear more white, matches her hair," Nero praised.
["About earlier, I'm sorry about what Big Brother did."]
Mordred was outside the shed, listening to the pair of lovebirds inside. She preferred to keep her distance since she knew she was getting annoying to be around after complaining so much.
The truth was that she was very uncomfortable with Sakura Matou.
She thought the girl was too passive. In her days in Camelot, Mordred would feel a gigantic hatred towards the girl for her weakness, but in her days in Chaldea the hatred became concern.
Fragile, sensitive as a petal. Sakura and the maidens Mordred encountered during her life as a knight had many similarities. Many of those petals had their purity ruined by soldiers or cruel men.
Mordred feared the same would happen to Sakura.
["I said, don't worry about it."]
Many servants were frustrated with that whole situation, but Cú Chulainn to the surprise of many was part of the group that thought Sakura's request and Shirou's decision to listen were right.
Shinji was certainly a terrible person with questionable tastes, but it doesn't change the fact that he was still Sakura's brother and apparently a friend who once was the best friend of Shirou.
If the moment came when Shinji needed to be killed, he was sure that young Emiya would do it. And maybe Sakura too since she was a mage. But not at that entrance door, that soon.
If you're gonna start a fight that can lead to death, if you're gonna get your hands dirty with the blood of your best friend, your lover or even your own child... it's better to be absolutely sure before doing the sin.
Impulsiveness is not always the end of the world, but it can often be harmful. If Shirou had hit Shinji right then and there, he would gain his own ego's pleasure, but hurt the girl who loves him.
Such impulsiveness was the reason why Cú earned his title in the first place.
Well, that's all about Shirou and Sakura though, if I were the servant of one of these two and I was around, Shinji would leave the house without his head.
[Noticing that Sakura was cold, Shirou pulled out a heater and turned it on. The two sat down together.]
Ritsuka and Mash squeezed each other's hands, trusting that now they would see a scene of romance between the two. Maybe a little kiss?
Musashi laughed when she saw the section about repairing the device.
"Did you throw your charm like that too when you were young, old man?"
"I'm goin' to throw you off a cliff if ya don't stop with these comments."
["Senpai, do you remember? It's a story from a long time ago. A story from back when I didn't know you."]
Their eyes were covered by images of the Homurahara school at dusk, where a younger Sakura approached the window, her eyes empty.
["It was a bright red sunset. It was beautiful, yet lonely."]
"It's happening!" Ritsuka exclaimed, squeezing into Mash.
"She is a 'childhood friend'?" Illya shouted. "She already won!"
"What the girls mean by "childhood friend'?" Iskandar asked.
"It's a character archetype in romance stories that are in love with the protagonist," Gray explained. "I don't understand why they think Sakura would win, though. The childhood friend rarely win."
El Melloi II frowned as he found the girl's specific knowledge unexpected. He knew she liked this kind of story, but not from Japan.
"I don't understand them," Artoria spoke in genuine confusion.
"Oh, my poor Artoria..." Irisviel sighed.
["And then there was one person high-jumping alone in the courtyard. And back then, I wasn't a very good girl. As I watched that person, I kept thinking he should just screw up."]
Mordred laughed outside. "Should have continued like this, I prefer that Sakura."
["But... No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't make the jump. He came to accept that he couldn't jump, cleaned up and went home."]
Scathach chuckled. "Look, pupil, Emiya really is your rival. With all those jumps it just reminded me of when you entered my house by jumping over the bridge."
"He won a maiden's heart and I won your painful training. Lucky bastard as usual."
The two shared a good laugh.
["Sakura, in other words, that's..."
"Yes. He's the upperclassman who's next to me right now. I'd know about you from back then."]
"It's happening!" Ritsuka and Illya exclaimed at the same time.
"Damn it, I want a shoujo story too!" Kuro punched the ground in defeat.
["Senpai, can I ask you something that's really difficult to ask? I heard from Miss Fujimura that you were adopted into this family."
"Yeah. That's right."
"... You don't mind that you were adopted?"]
Illya wondered if her brother had struggled too. She prayed he didn't feel bad now days.
Miyu cracked a small smile as she remembered that she had worries about that too one day, but her brother made sure they didn't last long.
["It took a while for me to get used to it, but that was not something I particularly care for, right?"
"Everyone around you must've been kind."
"In my case, everyone older than me was so unreliable. Kiritsugu couldn't do housework at all, and you've seen how Fuji-nee is. So, as I've been doing housework, I've become who I am now."]
Many people thought that Emiya's skills in the kitchen came from marriage or something like that, but with time they noticed that such skills were too good to exist for a simple reason like love. He was a profissional cook.
"So that's why you love doing chores?" Boudica smiled. "I can empathize with that."
"All of us," Jeanne completed. "Although as a Heroic Spirit my strongest memories are on the battlefield fighting for my country, I still can remember when I ran through the fields with my family. And when I work in our farm too, of course."
Martha smiled. "My sisters and I would always compete to see who was better at these things."
"Oh? Me and my brothers too!"
Artoria listened to that wanting to participate, but the truth was that she always hated the farm. Her only memories of the place were those damn pigs who only knew how to eat and shit, and they all seemed to hate her.
"Everything a good wife needs, ain't, father?"
Turning around, Artoria saw Mordred's head through the door, with a cynical smile on her face.
"And what is your point with that comment?" Artoria retorted with a death glare.
"Nooothing..." Mordred disappeared, going back outside. She felt that she would get a kick in the face if she stayed there.
["But I wanted to be someone like Kiritsugu."
"Be a hero of justice, was it?"
The heater stopped working and Shirou got upset since he thought he had already fixed it.]
You still have a lot to learn, boy. Muramasa thought.
["Senpai... I'll ask you one more question. If I become a bad person, would you be able to forgive me?"]
Ritsuka and Mash who were loving the scene, suddenly felt a bucket of cold water fall on them.
"I don't like where is going anymore."
["If I became a bad person, would you be able to forgive me?"
"No. If you do something bad, I'll admonish you. Stricter than anyone else."]
Nice answer, Parvati smiled.
Kama had a similar opinion, but didn't want to admit that she was pleased with Shirou.
["I'm glad. I'd be fine if it was you, Senpai."]
Lancelot sighed. What terrible nostalgia, Sakura reminds me of my greatest and unfulfilled wish...
["I'll going to sleep now. Have a good night."
With Sakura no longer there, Shirou turned his attention to the heater, not forgiving the object for stop working.]
It was easy for Shirou Emiya to fall in love with Saber, their had many similarities.
It was easy for Shirou Emiya to fall in love with Rin Tohsaka, their goals are the same and she liked the boy anyway.
But Sakura was a mystery box for the Counter Guardian. He recognized some worrying signs in her, specially when he remembered the whole context of her family and how the movie was building an invisible tension between the two lovebirds.
And to be honest, Emiya didn't care about Sakura Matou. But he was interested in what a relationship with her could result in Shirou Emiya's sick mind.