Page K05 C) Run away and use Ruler form

-Page K08-

I'll play it safe for now. I won't risk the advantageous position Caster and us have created. That's the most important thing. "I'll run away to get help, Cirno. You use your Ruler form to hold them off in the meantime."

I turn around, away from the battlefields, but I can still see Cirno smirking. Or to be more precise, it became such a big smirk that it is now audible. "Sure, but you better be quick about it. Otherwise there won't be any butt left to kick." A powerful force radiates from Cirno, and I can feel that even Berserker is halting its tracks, wary of what is going on. As I run away I can hear Cirno giving a speech full of authority to the enemy servant:

"So, Berserker, tonight you face me of all people. Yes, I can feel your strength. In madness you have succeeded in rivaling someone like me, a feat unheard of in history. However! You have one major weakness: you are alone! A raging man, lonely fighting for his master. Let me show you the difference between you and me. Let me introduce you to my friends, my followers, my team! Meet the power of t…" I cannot hear Cirno's voice anymore, but I'm confident in her ability. So I do the only thing I can do for her:

Run. I have to go to Kuzuki, Caster and Assassin as quickly as possible. Going faster with each step. I will reach them in time. I have allies, so I can trust them I'm ten minutes away from friendly territory, but I can do it. I will make it in time!

Faster. I have to get there in time. My body starts hurting, but I have to continue. I have to go and reach them. Cirno will hold out. She will.

Quicker! My body is burning from within. Legs, torso, arms, head. All of it is in pain as I sprint at Olympic speeds. But that is not enough. I have to be…

…even faster! Reinforcing the body, a dangerous form of magecraft for a half-assed magus like me, with horrendous results if it goes wrong. But I don't care about failing. I reinforce my legs to move at speeds beyond human.

Faster!

Faster!

Faster!

To the speed of light and beyond!

I change the distance between me and the temple from ten minutes to four, and I'm already halfway there. My body is hurting from all the running, and my hand is going numb from pain. But even though both body and soul scream it out a moment of clarity occurs:

Why aren't I calling Caster on the phone?

Such an obvious solution, but I didn't even think about it when my head and body were filled with adrenalin. I pull the black obsidian rock from my pocket, slide on it to activate its power, and hope that Caster picks it up.

"Hello? Why are you calling me, boy?" It works. Caster is hearable from all the way on top of the mountain, and I can tell her about what is happening.

"Cirno and I have met Berserker and his master. Cirno is currently fighting against that thing, and I ran back to get reinforcements from you. The location of fighting is currently…"

"Spare your breath, boy. I've already figured out your location, along with that of the fight."

"Oh." Well, that will spare time. "So, can you come over to us now, Caster? We need your help."

"It's a shame, but that's of no use. You're already finished. It was nice meeting you, boy, but too bad you couldn't fulfill your dreams." With evil intention she speaks these words. I don't get it, what is she talking about?

"Caster, explain, I don't understa-"

My call with Caster is hindered by a single shot. The shot pierced my hand and the cellphone it was holding. I look at the weapon that destroyed the cellphone: A sword like bullet, made from a single magically enhanced wire. No, structural grasp tells me that it is made from a single hair. What is-pain pain painpainpain!

The pain from my hand finally reaches me in earnest, and I let out a large scream of pain. My hand's fingers are dangling loosely, nearly fully cut off by a single laceration in the right half of my palm.

I look at the perpetrator, and I see her standing haughtily. The girl again, Illyasviel as she calls herself, and the black giant behind her.

How did this happen? I can understand it if she was here alone, and Cirno is still fighting Berserker back in the strets. But why are they both here? What happened to Cirno?

"Cirno, come to me!" I try to use a command seal, but nothing happens. No Cirno. Where is she? Where's Cirno?

"Is that the name of your servant, onii-chan?" The girl speaks elegantly, but with a new sadistic streak. I stare at her, asking the important question:

"What happened to my servant, Illysviel? What happened to Cirno?!"

"She's dead, Shirou. She summoned an army to deal with my servant. But too bad, the power of numbers doesn't work against my servant, the truly strongest."

No.

Impossible.

Cirno… died?

How? Wasn't she the strongest? How can she lose this easily?

I try again. And Again. Multiple times I try to summon Cirno back here, back from wherever she is, but each try is as futile as the next.

"If you don't believe me, onii-chan, then simply look at your hand. See? No command seals? You're not a master anymore because your servant stopped existing."

I look at my hand, and see that the eight command seals I had left are now all gone, only a grey scar-like mark hinting that they ever existed. So that means that Cirno is dead. My mind breaks. Impossible. I… I failed. I tried to help her. I tried to help Caster. I tried to save the city. But I failed. I fall on my knees, my body not responding.

"Ah, don't worry, onii-chan. It's not over for you yet. I'm going to have looots of fun playing with you… I wonder what I shall do first to you…"

I do not care what happens to me. What I lived for… I couldn't do it. I am now a man with a failed purpose. I have nothing left. Truly, my Grail War is finished.

Bad end

Magical Dojo is a strange hint corner.
If you would like to finish this by yourself, then stop reading right now. What's below won't change.
If you want to keep the characters images, then we recommend doing the same.
But if you're still here, then here is some advice and a funny skit:

The large Greek trireme is as empty as ever, with only our two familiar women on deck and Captain Murasa at the steering wheel. The two women solemnly look to the horizon, where in a very, very far away place Shirou is being tortured by Illya.

What is his fate? Will he become a doll? Or have his limbs ripped off and being transformed into a magical staff? Or will some other painful punishment take place, like having his head severed from his body and kept alive in excruciating pain for who knows how long?

"Well that failed quickly." The women on the left, known as Kirisame Marisa, complained. Still dressed in her ancient white chiton, she lets out a sigh of pity for the boy. "I expected them to last longer."

"It was bound to happen. Facing Berserker will open up tons of bad endings." The other women, Arthuria Pendragon, answered with noble words. Dressed in a black suit and bowler hat with a classy monocle for an accessory she looks absolutely stunning. "But Marisa, we have a job to do. Shirou has a bad end, so let's start our session."

"Yes yes…" With a shrug she stands straight, looking at a camera that stands at the side of the deck. "Hello, everyone! Welcome to Magical Dojo, ze! I'm here to make sure that that idiot of a fairy and her master eventually ends up at a good end, which you guys failed horribly at!"

"Correct. You even led Shirou to his current predicament. If I could I would Excaliblast you right now, but because of fourth wall limitations I'm afraid I cannot. My apologies, Shirou, I cannot avenge you."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Seiba. It ain't skin of our back. We just need to make sure they won't make this mistake again." Marisa swings her arm around the king, cheering up the sad knight from her depression.

"Yes, you are correct, Marisa." Arthuria says with a disturbing grin. "So let's discuss what went wrong." Turning fully serious she points to the problem: "Shirou! You ran away from battle! Didn't you learn from the VN that that almost always leads to death?! This is basically Tiger Dojo 2 all over again!"

"Objection!" Marisa shouts, pointing her pointer finger to the camera as a CAPCOM remix of her theme music starts to play in the background. "That's not the reason. There's a much bigger mistake made here!"

Arthuria looks shocked, unable to believe it. "Really? But where did Shirou fail then?"

"It's Cirno's fault. She picked the wrong class for fighting Berserker. If something like this: If Saber increases her power then Ruler multiplies the number of powers on their side. It's a weapon for fighting against multiple opponents, to overwhelm them through numbers. But against Berserker a single powerful blow is better than a plethora of weak attacks because of his Noble Phantasm God Hand."

"No, you're clearly in the wrong there, Marisa. This is karma for running away. You have not been long in the Nasuverse, so I understand that this is still new to you. Running away from battles instantly gets you killed. You must never run away. If I were to speak in mecha terms, then you must be a Kamina, not a Shinji! Do you understand, Shirou?"

"Except that the former dies and the latter survives. There's nothing wrong with running away when the time is right, but at least pick your classes wisely, Cirno!"

"I'm sorry to say that your knowledge is not infinite, magus. This time you are clearly in the wrong."

"Oh really, servant? Is it not someone like you who doesn't even understand the concept of dating? How can you be so sure that your knowledge is right this time?"

"I'm not given any useless information, unlike you. I expected more from someone who copies her weapons from others, but I guess you are not refined enough to be considered powerful."

The tension is gets higher with every word, until Marisa pulls out her hakkero while jumping ten feet back. "You call me weak? Well, how about we test it then?"

In response the Barrier of the Wind King disappears, showing the true form of the Sword of Promised Victory as Saber retreats the same distance. "I will honorably accept, and show you your wrongs… if you survive, Marisa." She adds that last one with a grin one bit too large, ready to kill her partner…

…who is equally ready to kill in return. "Surviving? I'm afraid you're gonna take a few lessons in it! MASTER…"

EKUSU…"

"There will be no fighting on my ship!" The captain suddenly jumps in the middle of the ship, startling both fighters. Before either can react Murasa has anchored out of commission, leaving her as the only conscious person on the ship.

Now that she is all alone she thinks of what she has to do to finish this dojo. Pickpocketing a few cheet sheets from the two victims she reads the advice to all viewers:

"lessee… everyone, this is your captain speakin'! I bring the following words of advice for all you readers: Don't run from battles, and don't use Cirno's Ruler class against Berserker. And not to forget, we have to give you Star Stamp K02. Congratulations! Unless you plan on getting more stamps I hope we'll never meet again. Bye!"

-Magical Dojo K02, end-

Status Screen Updated!

-Page K08 end-