Chapter 9: An Assassin in the Night
This place has changed from when I was last summoned, was what Saber thought when he finally made it to the steps of Ryudou Temple. The air was stagnant and smelled of death, and the spiritual leyline of the land was already contaminated with dark energy. Every instinct in the knight's body told him that if he entered the temple, he would not be coming out alive.
Nonetheless, Saber proceeded to run up the stone stairs. He'd already come this far; there was no way he could turn back now.
In no time at all, the first flight of stairs was behind him, but before he could continue with the second, smaller flight, he looked up and stopped. A cloud drifted away from the moon, the latter's light bathing the temple in a silvery glow. At the top of the stairs, standing with his back to the temple's entrance, was a man dressed in the garb of a samurai, a Japanese katana in hand.
Saber frowned, gripping his invisible sword tightly. He had no doubt the man was a Servant, but what was strange was that Saber could sense nothing from him—no mana, no Noble Phantasm, nothing. Granted, that fact should have meant that Saber could easily kill the samurai in one blow if he so chose, but he had the feeling that underestimating this enemy would cost him dearly.
"Just who are you?" Saber barked out, his voice as sharp as a whip.
The samurai's lips curved upward in a smirk. "I'm a Servant of the Assassin class, Kojiro Sasaki."
What? Saber thought, surprised. Servants were supposed to hide their identities; if their true names were revealed, it left enemies free to exploit their weaknesses. Saber had never even let Shira know his real name—there was always the chance she would let it slip to another Master (not that he believed she would do it intentionally, but a skilled magus such as Rin would have ways of getting the information out of her).
All in all, a Servant's true identity was meant to be their most closely guarded secret, yet this Assassin Servant had disclosed his name as if it were nothing.
Saber quickly forced back his surprise. "How very shrewd of you." Or audacious. "Having given me your name, as a knight, I am obligated to return the courtesy." He looked up at Assassin. "Well then, Kojiro, allow me to introduce myself. My name is—"
"That won't be necessary," Assassin interrupted, slowly walking down the steps. "An adversary who feels obligated to give his true name? I guess that makes me the one with bad manners."
Tensing, Saber got into a fighting stance, his sword at the ready.
"Personally, I find names to be irrelevant," Assassin continued. "For people like us, only our swords need to know our opponents."
He was now standing a few feet away from Saber. "That is the true role of a Servant." He pointed his katana at the knight's face. "Wouldn't you agree, Saber?"
Saber smiled humorlessly. "Oh, believe me, I agree with you completely." And with that, he jumped back several feet away from Assassin.
"Very well, then." Assassin's smirk faded, his mouth setting into a grim line. "Let's start doing our jobs, shall we?"
The samurai raised his katana higher and took a battle stance. For a moment, both swordsmen silently stared each other down, both waiting for the other to make the first strike. Finally, Saber rushed at Assassin, who parried his blow. The air filled with the sound of clanging metal as steel met steel.
Meanwhile, at the Emiya estate, Shira jolted awake from a deep sleep with a gasp, her chest painfully constricting.
What...what's going on? she thought groggily, clutching her chest. Saber?
She stumbled toward Saber's door and opened it. What she found was Saber's neatly made futon, but no sign of her Servant.
He's gone?! Stunned confusion replaced Shira's tiredness. But where could he—? The answer dawned on her suddenly. If Saber wasn't here, and his bed didn't look like it had been slept in since last night, then that meant he must've gone to Ryudou Temple.
In other words, he did precisely the opposite of what she had told him.
By now, Shira's mind was clouded with anger. God damn it, Saber! I said we should stay put, not throw ourselves into a fight! But did you listen? Of course not!
Even as her furious thoughts continued, Shira went to her room for a quick change of clothes, then hurried outside to grab a bike from the shed. If she was fast enough, she could make it to Ryudou Temple before Saber got too badly injured.
And once she knew he was okay, she was going to scold him for doing something so stupid.
The next few minutes were spent with Saber's invisible sword clashing against Assassin's katana. With a yell, Saber lunged towards Assassin, his sword swung downward, but the samurai merely sidestepped the attack and swung his katana in the knight's direction. Saber raised his sword to block the attack, sparks flying. He struck again in an attempt to disarm his opponent, but Assassin counterattacked, the force of the blow sending Saber flying backward.
Saber regained his footing, landing on the flat stone surface that separated the first flight of stairs from the second. He rushed towards Assassin, his attacks more aggressive, but Assassin calmly blocked every one of them. At last, Saber leapt backward, cursing the disadvantage of fighting on stairs.
"You're proving to be quite difficult," Assassin commented. "I never thought an invisible blade could cause me this much trouble."
Does he mean to mock me? Saber thought, glaring slightly.
"My sword style is exceptionally brutal," Assassin went on. "If you were an average opponent, I would have taken your head off with my very first blow. I am happy that you have lasted this long, Saber." He smirked. "But that can't be all you've got. Surely that invisible sword of yours isn't just for show."
"I'm not here to talk," Saber snapped, "I'm here to fight!"
He rushed forward again, his sword raised. Once again, Assassin sidestepped the attack.
"I think I've accurately measured your blade," Assassin said casually. "I'm guessing one Shaku long and one sun wide."
That sentence was enough to stop Saber short with a shocked gasp. He turned to face his opponent. "You believe you have successfully measured my weapon in the short time we have been fighting? And without using any magic?"
Assassin ignored Saber's questions. "Stop hiding behind that sword, Saber; show me the true extent of your abilities."
Saber paused, his face hardening. "Are you suggesting that I have been holding back?"
"Are you suggesting that you haven't?" Assassin countered. "Whatever your reasons are, it's insulting to be attacked by someone whose blade is still sheathed."
The knight remained coldly silent. He knew exactly what Assassin was trying to do: he was trying to goad him into revealing his Noble Phantasm. That was the one thing Saber should not—could not—do, for more reasons than one.
Assassin smiled grimly. "If you're reluctant to show me your true capacity, then I'll just have to show you my own."
So saying, Assassin stepped down to where Saber was standing. "Raise your sword, or you will most definitely die, Saber."
Wordlessly, Saber did what he was told, lifting his sword and taking a battle stance. Assassin slowly raised his katana to be level with his head, gripping the hilt with both hands and pointing his weapon horizontally. He closed his eyes in concentration.
"Secret technique." A few seconds later, his eyes opened. "Turning Swallow Strike!" His katana struck at lightning speed, but there were two blows coming in Saber's direction, not just one. Saber just barely managed to parry the strikes, the force of Assassin's attack sending him into the air and tumbling to the hard, unforgiving stone stairs.
"Well, you blocked it," Assassin stated, sounding the slightest bit impressed as Saber got himself back up. "A swallow senses disturbances in the air and changes its flight path accordingly. To prevent this, you simply close off all avenues of escape. The first strike attacks the swallow; the second slashes the evading fledgling in half. But swallows are nimble creatures, so the two strikes must be made almost simultaneously."
Saber's eyes narrowed. "I believe you are oversimplifying the technique you used. When you struck, your blade was genuinely in two places at once. You used Multi-Dimensional Refraction—and without needing any magecraft."
So Saber's suspicions had been confirmed. Whatever Assassin—this Kojiro—was, he was clearly not an Epic Spirit. He had no real Noble Phantasm, but the attack he just used—which was only possible due to the samurai's inhuman skill—was on par with one. Saber couldn't help the grudging respect welling in him.
"Yes," Assassin agreed, now staring out into space, "but unfortunately, my footing was bad. The key to the Turning Swallow Strike lies within the third blow. If these steps were a bit wider, I would have been able to land a vertical strike as well."
Assassin paused. "I had cursed my fate in being summoned into this world, but not after tonight." He turned to face Saber. "This is the sword match I never had while I was alive. If the world grants me one opportunity to utilize everything I know, then being summoned would have been worth it after all."
Saber tensed, hoping the look on his face showed only hostility and not the apprehension, even fear, he was suddenly feeling. If Assassin used the Turning Swallow Strike a second time, he wasn't certain if he'd be able to block it. That technique was even deadlier than Gae Bolg; with the aforementioned spear, one could find a countermeasure upon realizing it was targeting the heart. But with the Turning Swallow Strike, there were no such countermeasures—the only thing to do was to make sure Assassin would not be able to use it.
And to do so, Saber realized, I must attack him without holding anything back.
Which meant unleashing his Noble Phantasm.
"Well," Saber spoke, his voice devoid of any emotion, "you are clearly an enemy I cannot afford to go easy on."
It would mean draining himself of his mana, possibly even causing him to disappear, but if using the full extent of his power meant defeating Assassin, then so be it.
Saber readied his sword as Assassin approached him.
"So, is your head finally in the game, Saber?" The samurai grinned wickedly.
The knight did not even bother to glare. And as Assassin slowly raised his katana, Saber waited for the right moment to release Invisible Air from his sword.
Even though Shira had been pedaling as fast as she could, it still felt as though it took too long to reach the mountain. She got off her bike and hurried across the mountain pass, finally finding the stairs that led up to Ryudou Temple.
But before she could continue to where Saber undoubtedly was, a massive gust of wind as powerful as a typhoon stopped her in her tracks. Shira squinted her eyes, trying to look ahead as she struggled to maintain her balance. She could just make out an armored figure—Saber—standing in front of a man wearing a kimono, the trees surrounding the mountain creaking in the wind.
Slowly, Shira was able to get close enough to see that the sudden wind must have been Saber's doing; as the pale blue glow engulfing his sword got brighter, the wind grew even stronger.
"Saber!" Shira cried out, trying to be heard over the noise. Damn; how am I supposed to reach him if—
Her left hand suddenly throbbed painfully before she could complete that thought. A quick glance showed that her Command Seals were glowing. Shira sensed mana—Saber's mana—filling the wind, and she looked up to see the glow of her Servant's sword intensifying even more.
While she didn't know exactly what Saber was planning, Shira knew it couldn't be good. Is he crazy?! He's not even fully healed!
No, more importantly, Saber had no way to replenish his mana; therefore, he should not be using so much mana at once. And if all of his mana was used up, he would surely—
"SABER!" Shira screamed again, forcing herself to run despite the wind still blowing. Whatever it took, she had to get Saber to stop whatever it was he was doing. There was no way she was going to watch him die.
Shira stopped just as she got a little closer to Saber, not because of the wind, but because she suddenly heard the sound of someone darting through the trees.
"Who's there?!"
Saber and his opponent must have heard that sound as well, or maybe it was only because of what Shira had yelled out, but a few seconds later, the wind subsided, stopping altogether, and the glow faded from Saber's sword, leaving it invisible.
"Delay your strike, Saber," the man wielding a katana said. "It appears someone is spying on your sword technique. If we continue, this fight will no longer be between the two of us." He turned his back and walked toward the temple's gate.
"Wait, Assassin!" Saber exclaimed. "You intend to leave this fight unfinished?!"
"If you cross the temple's gate," the man—Assassin, apparently—replied, "I will finish what we started, but my orders only extend that far. Besides," he turned around to face Saber with a smirk, "the fact that this battle was interrupted turned out to be quite lucky for you. I suggest you leave before our uninvited spectator turns his attention...to the girl."
As Assassin disappeared from sight, Shira finally hurried over to where Saber was standing.
"Saber, just what the hell are you thinking?!" she demanded. "I specifically said that—"
But she was cut off mid-rant as Saber's armor suddenly glowed white and disappeared from his body. He started to tremble, beginning to fall when his legs were no longer strong enough to carry his weight.
"Saber!" Shira's anger melted away into concern as she quickly grabbed him before he could hit the stairs. "Are you alright?"
But Saber, with his head bowed and his eyes closed, didn't respond.
For the next two hours, Shira was forced to carry the unconscious Saber on her back. He wasn't terribly heavy, but there were times where she was forced to stop and rest for a few minutes before going on. What was more was that she often found herself distracted by Saber lightly breathing against her, causing her face to feel inexplicably warm.
It was moments like these where she didn't know whether to be thankful for or lament her Servant being unconscious.
At last, she finally made it to the estate and lay Saber down in a sitting position in the entryway. With a sharp exhale, Shira straightened up, letting her gaze wander to Saber.
She couldn't help the small smile that graced her features. Saber looked just as peaceful as the first time she saw him sleeping. It was almost enough to make her forget how mad she was at him.
Don't think you're off the hook, though, Shira silently warned Saber as she bent down to wrap her arms around him. But before she could get him standing, a voice cut in.
"Oh. So this is where you like to have your fun."
"Tohsaka!" Shira looked up to see Rin standing there with an amused grin on her face.
"Interesting hobby," Rin remarked. "Don't let me stop you; go right ahead."
Immediately, Shira let go of Saber, shooting straight up. "No, no, no! It's not what it looks like, I swear!" Honestly, though, she didn't know what this could've looked like to an outside observer, but if it got Rin in the mood to make fun of her, it couldn't be good.
"I was just trying to get Saber to his room!" Shira continued to ramble. "I had to carry him and everything! You can see that, can't you?"
Rin snorted, still annoyingly amused. "Oh, of course I can."
"You're such a liar!" Shira snapped.
"Let me guess," Rin said, sounding more serious and ignoring what Shira had said, "Saber went off to fight alone, and you tried to stop him?"
Shira nodded briefly.
Rin walked over to Saber. "I'll carry him to his room."
"No!" Shira objected forcefully as Rin put an arm around Saber and got him into a standing position. "I'll do it; you go back to bed." She wasn't sure why she was being so vehement, but she didn't much care.
That amused smile was back on Rin's face as she turned to face Shira. "Relax; I promise not to take advantage of your precious Saber."
"My precious...?" Shira repeated, dumbfounded. "What is that supposed to mean?!"
"You figure it out." Rin turned and walked away, Saber leaning heavily on her shoulder. "And make us some tea while you're at it; I want to know what happened tonight. And please use my tea set."
"Fine, whatever," Shira grumbled.
Several minutes later, Shira was in the kitchen, pouring the newly made tea into Rin's porcelain teapot.
"How's it coming, Shira?" Rin asked as she entered the room.
"It's done," Shira said, looking up to see an awake Saber standing in the kitchen's doorway. "Saber? I thought you were still asleep."
"His body temporarily shut down," Rin explained as she got herself a cup of tea and took it to the dining room table. "He came to just a few minutes ago; it's not like he was in a coma or anything."
"Oh. I see." Shira paused as she and Saber joined Rin at the table. Okay, now it's interrogation time. "Saber, why did you have to sneak out like that?"
Saber regarded her coolly before speaking. "I went to Ryudou Temple and ended up fighting an Assassin Servant. It was not long before the presence of a third Servant was detected and we called the fight off."
"I didn't ask where you went," Shira reminded him heatedly. "I asked why you felt you had to go fight in the first place."
"Servants fight, Shira; it's what we are summoned to do," Saber said, his voice laced with impatience. "What I would like to know is why my Master tells me to avoid fighting."
Shira looked away from those piercing blue-green eyes. "Well..." Her voice trailed off; in her heart of hearts, she knew the answer, but knowing it and saying it out loud were two different things.
"Do you truly believe you can survive the Grail War without having me fight?" Saber questioned.
"No," Shira admitted shortly, "it's just—"
"Do you think you can get through the War without fighting at all?"
"Of course not, but—"
"Or perhaps you think so highly of yourself that you believe you can defeat a Servant?"
"That's not it at all!" Shira exploded, standing up and glaring at Saber. "You want to know what my deal is? Fine, I'll tell you. I don't ever want to see you get hurt—it's as simple as that! While you were fighting Berserker, I had to stand there watching helplessly from the sidelines while you got the crap beat out of you and were nearly killed! I'd rather go into battle myself than have a repeat of that! There is no way I'm gonna sit around and let you die right in front of me!"
She exhaled roughly, her eyes suddenly stinging. "If that happened...if you died and it was my fault..." her voice had lowered, and she blinked rapidly, "I would never forgive myself."
Shira had not meant to say all of that. Maybe it was her tiredness that had caused her to snap, or her annoyance that Saber hadn't let her get a word in edgewise, or all the frustration she had felt ever since their argument earlier tonight. But whatever the reason, it had caused her to rant, and once she started, she hadn't been able to stop.
To Saber's credit, only the widening of his eyes and slight parting of his lips were the only visible signs of his shock at his Master's impassioned rant.
She does not want me to die?
A part of him wanted to laugh bitterly; according to history, his death was many centuries ago, and from his point of view, he had died even before then. But another part—the part of him that found Shira so puzzling—was mystified that this girl, this unusual Master, cared so strongly about whether he lived to see another day.
Saber slowly stood up. "Shira..." he began.
"So," Rin, who had been quiet up until this point, interrupted, "what you're saying is that you value others' lives more than your own? You'd fight even though you know you can't possibly win?"
Shira shrugged as she looked at the other girl. "I guess that's one way to put it."
"Shira," Saber said again, causing the redhead to refocus on him, "you have to realize that you getting hurt yourself does not help matters. That said, if you're going to insist on fighting, I will allow it, but only on one condition."
"And what's that?"
"You must agree to take up swordplay," Saber stated. "Whenever your schedule permits, you and I will meet and I will teach you how to use a sword."
"Really?" Shira asked. "So, if I agree to this, I'll be the one who's doing all the fighting?"
"That's crazy!" Rin protested. "Even if Shira learns how to use a sword, it doesn't mean she'll be able to go up against a Servant."
"It's better than going into a fight blind," Saber pointed out. "At the very least, I can teach Shira how to keep her cool in the heat of battle." He turned to address his Master. "Anything else will depend on how determined you are to learn."
"That won't be a problem," Shira declared confidently. "I can promise you that."
Rin still wasn't convinced. "This isn't exactly an ideal time to take fencing classes."
"You are right, Rin," Saber concurred, "but this is war. Shira needs to know what death in the throes of battle truly entails—preferably as often as possible."
Shira's confidence wavered slightly; judging from what Saber had just said, she suspected he was going to be a tough instructor.
"I should turn in." Saber went to the door. "Oh, and Shira? I suggest you get some sleep as well. Rest assured that I will not go easy on you merely because of your gender."
And her suspicions had been proven correct. All Shira could do was stare as Saber left.
"Well then, I suppose now you're free to die your hero's death," Rin teased. "If the training doesn't kill you first, that is."
"You're hilarious, Tohsaka."
Author's Note: "I don't ever want to see you get hurt—it's as simple as that! ... If that happened...if you died and it was my fault...I would never forgive myself." Well, it's not a declaration of love, but it's progress. :)
In summary, Assassin is in the house, green is not Shira's best color, and Saber and Shira have their second lovers' quarrel.