King of Fakers: Chapter 4 At Least Once.
Ilya puffed up her face. Her eyes showed a clear sparkle of annoyance.
What Shirou had said began to stress her mind. She had never really thought about these types of things and was just defeated with a rather powerful speech.
Saber smiled as red and blue threw themselves against one another, the sparks coming to life, igniting the air into a haze of heat. At the very least she knew her Master had the words to back himself up and perhaps the strength if, his previous attack had any indication.
Saber was by far the more agile... but any semblance of damage seemed to be like fuel to a never ending fire... for both of them. Their smiles only grew wider. Shirou couldn't help but smile too.
The battlegrounds of heroes, from all time fighting to the end, reaching for the top of the world.
A once in a life time chance, to see, to witness and partake in a splendid and beautiful ritual. Another beautiful clang of metal upon metal, chains against flesh, then the warriors backed away.
"Wonderful. I can see how you gave my ancestors a hard time, but your fate is predetermined. This is my victory and no one will take that away from me!"
Saber tensed her legs, preparing for a completely offensive and final charge!
"Saber, retreat." The words left Shirou's mouth just before she could throw her tiny body forward.
She halted and turned, frustration on her face. "Praetor. I would prefer that you do not interfere in my battles." A happy roar, she turned and braced herself. In that moment Berserker began to charge like the name of his class, a wild rampaging, powerful and unstoppable assault until all in their vision became but ash! Saber had no choice! She flipped back yet again, making a well executed dodge, while releasing a slash from the red blade; countering the mad swing of her enemy.
"Saber. So far he's only been using one arm." Shirou spoke with absolutely no tone of worry.
Saber's eyes widened for a moment, her body shook, then she regained composure, all in mere moment. This would be all the more challenging then! This time... she wouldn't stop for anything in the world! Landing like a petal of a flower, she glided to the floor and then continued her attack.
Saber's whole world seemed to slow down, the blue light of Berserker's blade was about to come crashing down like the wrath of the gods... and she met it head on, with her entire body!
Her blade moved to one side, her small body embraced the full impact of the blow!
Narrowly missing her head and heart, the damage inflicted was horrendous. Saber coughed out blood. Even then Shirou looked only slightly worried. Ilya froze in shock... she had no idea why Saber would do this. Berserker looked a bit disappointed... then he saw the gleam in her eyes.
A large crackling wind devouring sound, as if the very heavens were being torn apart!
If the blue lightning was the wrath of the gods then the eternal flames was the howl of thousands of battle lusting demons, singing in chorus with the god of war!
Berserker was shot into the air, and he smashed against the already brittle ground, laying waste to it leaving only an empty black hole and shattered stone.
The mass of muscle slowly began to stand again. Feistier then ever, wiping blood from his mouth with a cocky brush from his left hand. His wounds slowly began to heal as his eyes rested upon Saber yet again. "Praetor. Healing." Saber made a very clear cut demand of Shirou. Who then sighed.
The sigh was like death to her ears. "...I can't use healing magic. If you were going to do something as risky as that, you should have said so, little lion." Saber's blood began to boil, as well as leak from her perfect body unto her dress.
"I can't believe that I have been given a Master who can't do such a thing. The best? If you can't do that then why did you say you were the best! The best is perfect in everything! Even if they can't do it or if they dislike it."
Silence from Shirou for a moment... yet a vein had slowly appeared on his head.
"Even if I can't do it, or if I dislike it? …Don't mess around! The King can do and excel in whatever and whenever he wants! To have to prove yourself to a bunch of mongrels, aren't you simply doing the wishes of others!"
Blatant fury raged in Saber at Shirou's words. A person had rarely if ever stood against her.
The feeling was very... unknown to her, she alarmed herself to her opponent.
A gigantic left fist, dodged with a kick back... the flashing blue light, parried with a song from the red flame. Yet in that moment she had done everything wrong. A battle between Servants can change with a simple attack, movement, technique or ploy. She was open for the briefest of a margin of a second. But that was all it took for the man's grip to begin to dig itself into the right side of her waist, the large fingers like spiralling daggers!
Her body was already torn, the punishing grip would have been beyond fatal for any other living being, but Servants are the miracles of humanity. They surpassed anything "normal" a long time ago in ages were magic and battles such as these were bouts to simply live another day.
Yet in a few moments this life would be gone... if it wasn't for a red haired boy.
No one had noticed him... no he moved faster then they thought he could possibly have been capable of doing! He was but a mere few metres away from Ilya, she shot a blast of light, but he had almost effortlessly dodged it with a jolt of force to the right. The large Dao blade emerged in his hands once again, raised to strike the pale small girl down in a single deadly swoop.
Berserker had little choice, he threw Saber to the side and leapt before the blade!
Not a scratch. Yet Shirou smiled. "Second Light... Silfarion!" The Dao changed yet again, this time into a blue hilted sabre with a reversed blade pointing upwards.
Shirou's body was propelled back from where he came almost instantly... the speed granted was insane! Shirou threw the blade to his left hand and in his right a white hilted katana appeared, with a Japanese signature engraved upon the blade, which shone... yet somehow paradoxically... at the same time was as dark as any shadow. Shirou made a deadly stare as he was guarding the crimson clad woman laid on the floor, as she slowly tried to stand yet again.
"Come, hero of slaves! Like the commoner dog you are!" Berserker seemed to twitch.
A growl came from the hero. "I don't like your voice!" And he really meant it, in the simplest way he could, it was genuine annoyance, the feeling of the powers that plagued and controlled him seemed to bring themselves to life again whenever the boy moved his lips.
The giant smothered the ground before his feet into dust and brittle as he resumed his endless charge into the realms of madness and the pain of war!
Shirou's response was a well timed smile, and a gentle yet fast paced, elegant stroke with perfect mastery... yet it seemed to be abstract. It happened within an instant. The katana released three quick consecutive strikes... that soared right above Berserker's head.
"Tennen Rishin Ryu...Mumyo-ken!"
A perfect hit. Three large rips occurred on the head and shoulders of the warrior, plummeting him backwards. The technique had hit it's mark without a doubt, even if the blade didn't... no the intent from the start was never to strike with the blade.
It was to rip him to shreds with the shadows of the night. The very floor, the walls, the rubble and the heroes own shadow had turned against him in a sudden deadly movement.
"Sandanzuki!" A youthful flawless technique. Memories of a dying young man, coughing blood, left behind... not able to fight in the war to save his home.
Shirou brushed them aside. He didn't need that right now.
The giant's smile did not fade even then. Even at this moment... he was slowly getting back to his feet, but at the same time... Saber was back up on hers.
"Saber, retreat for today. We've had enough entertainment. A King can feel defeat, sorrow and fear only once. I think this is fine enough for defeat."
"Like I'll let you. Berserker, kill them, ah but make sure there's something left of Kotomine-san to play with alright?" A happy snarl as the howling beast began to rapidly obliterate anything in his ways, waving his arms like a madman, the blue lightning sinking its fangs into the floor as he charged forward. Yet Saber and Shirou had been able to leap away just in time.
"Go Saber! Keep up with me! Second Light Silfarion!" Abandoning the katana Shirou evoked the powers of the sabre in his hand once more, the boost of speed was enormous, one second he was almost at the mercy of Spartacus's wrath... and now he was a safe distance away... and still moving.
"See you later! Creepy little flat doll!" Shirou yelled, he was fairly certain he could escape... a Master can see the stats of another Servant. Spartacus was now as fast as Saber and with Silfarion he could keep away... Ilya bit her lower lip. She could probably chase him down if she used a command seal... but she didn't want to. It would mean she had taken this fight seriously, that he was worth fighting and wasting a precious thing against.
"Berserker... stop." And she began to walk away.
Shirou and Saber were in Shirou's room.
A note had been left on the fridge by Gilgamesh and Kirei.
"We'll be gone for a while. Do not lose... and do not damage the house or the church."
Shirou was drinking a bottle of milk while Saber was standing... and bleeding on the floor.
"So... aren't you going to spirit away now? You know heal, rest up... whatever?"
Shirou looked dully as he laid down on his bed. Saber was silent but she stared long and hard at the boy's face. "...Praetor why..." Shirou raised his right hand cutting her off.
"Call me Shirou." Silence, frustration. "...Shirou! Why did you... let me suffer the humiliation of defeat! I was going to win and then you!"
Shirou yawned and placed the empty bottle on the floor.
"That all? Really? We retreated because I felt like it. We didn't run. So don't be worried over this. We'll just crush them next time. Your a ruler aren't you? There's no point in worrying about those lesser then you or what they think. Like I said a king is absolute. He does not do the bidding of others. He is merely selfish and selfless whenever he desires. Though there's only one absolute king, my father... but if your faking it at least play the part well."
Shirou didn't really seemed irritated or bothered. In fact... Saber could swear he was... nicer, calm and much like a normal boy.
Like a two faced coin almost, or he just switched a mask for another or this perhaps... or what she saw before was his true self?
Or he could simply be such an individual that really does act however he wants and not really care how it affects others.
Saber herself understood that. Actually most of what he said struck home. The only difference is that Shirou said that compassion or help is not required but rather something to be enjoyed no matter what the cost. She herself followed this rule when she was alive, the only difference was small... and most likely caused by how she was raised to be. Taught things and educated, treated in different ways, to become something she originally wasn't but enjoyed anyway. Shirou essentially was saying she should have skipped the first step.
Saber could only make a pout and a sigh, she looked around the room for a moment. Glancing at everything, the walls, the crude drawings as well as the decent ones. The aesthetics of the room was actually simple, a tiny bit cluttered... and straightforward. It didn't imply anyone with a haughty attitude.
The room was probably much like one of a normal teenage boy, perhaps a tad cleaner. Saber could infer little things about her Master.
The drawings were horrendously bad at the start but gradually became a little better, he wasn't the type to give up or think of things as mistakes, he kept up the bad ones as well as the good ones on the wall, a sign of progress.
The calender had no real markings on it other then to do things such as purchase food or "meet with" a person. Everything else was blank.
So to her Shirou was a person who did things as they came, not particularly a planner just someone who lived life.
She noticed Shirou staring at her, her wounds had began to heal and the bleeding had stopped. She was standing tall... well as tall as she could with her height, her sword was no longer around her, when her eyes darted across the room they locked onto things with precision and analysed them carefully, like fine pieces of art.
The analysis was different from Shirou's who analysed them for their practicality and what constructed the object. She looked at them differently, seeking a different sort of use or meaning to them.
It marvelled him and annoyed him at the same time... it was unusual for him to feel like he was being read like a book, it was strange certainly, at the very least. Yet he couldn't help but notice she was rather cute, focused and they were at least similar in some respects, they angered each other but they didn't seem like they would get into any large arguments, well as far as arguments that occur in war are concerned. They both could sense that about each other.
It was now Shirou's turn to think about her. The boy stared at the woman with some wonder, the battle just a while ago was still fresh in his mind, Saber had used her agility to it's finest, to try to gain the upper hand and suppress Berserker. When it wasn't working she tried to sacrifice defensive or more passive measures for an all out attack to demolish her enemy. Had it not been for the dire situation, Shirou playing the fight in his head again could almost see it as if a cat was playing with their prey... at least until Berserker had struck that rather fatal blow with his fingers.
Even then, she hadn't gave up, when he went back to defend her he already saw signs of her standing again, which was why she was able to recover to her feet quickly. The moment where she left herself wide open however...
Didn't seem to fit with her fighting style or behaviour. She seemed rather frustrated at the moment she had taken the hit while simultaneously smiling reluctantly, as if she felt she was going to win... "With her speed, she shouldn't have been open to that hit, so she shouldn't have risked that situation... wait there's no reason why she should have let herself be hit." Shirou began to muse in his head any logical reason for the risk she took. It was unnatural in every aspect... he should ask her.
"Saber, why did you let yourself be hit back there?" The small woman in red's attention was brought up, she had been in a trance like state for the last few minutes while surveying the room.
"Oh...? Ah. The moment where I took his attack head on? I have a skill called Imperial Privilege. It let's me copy the skills of other servants at times making me becoming equally good at... no far better at their own expertise or field. It allows me to be perfect, I can't do worse then my opponents in what little they excel at. In this case Spartacus's skill is to get stronger when he takes damage, like a cornered animal surrounded by predators, naturally fighting for it's life with the touch of death on their shoulders... it's a sickly skill so I didn't like copying it, but I guess it has it's values."
Shirou thought about this for a moment. Then made a small laugh. "So you copy the opponents skills and I copy their weapons and techniques? Father is right... maybe I'm only good at being a "faker"! Haha... but I don't mind that. Actually I like it. Being a faker is what I am, to deny that is to betray myself."
Shirou nodded a few times to himself in a jovial manner, he took pride in the fact that, Shirou was Shirou and will always be Shirou.
If there was anything the King of Heroes had taught him it was this. Be who you are, and never bend to anyone else's will... except for his of course.
Though Shirou could swear he occasionally saw the King being rather amused by those who challenged him, if only ever for a brief moment.
"So Saber, we're done for the night. So just go to spirit form and rest, don't look so untidy to me in the morning. Or ever again. Your mine and no one else's, so I can't have you be a disgrace. Perfection is all I ask." Shirou closed his eyes to sleep. Then heard her voice.
"Shirou, can I sleep in a bed?" Shirou opened his eyes for a moment, furrowed his brows in confusion and looked at the small girl.
"...Why? Servants don't need to sleep right? If they just remain in spirit form they don't take up any mana and heal automatically right? There would be no need for you to..." But he was cut off. "Also some food and a hot steam bath would be good too." This was an order... not a request. Shirou could tell.
"...Like I said there's no reason for you to do that. You don't need to feel anything." The response by Shirou was met with a small burst of frustration.
"I don't need to feel anything! I want to because I want to. I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. Servants don't need to, but they can and they would enjoy it, because we lived and existed and we are feeling that again. Who wouldn't?" Shirou blinked a few times, unable to actually think of a good response.
On one hand the situation was actually the behaviour he had requested of her, since she was, in his world a fake ruler. Yet this would actually mean he would need to do things for her, or have to accommodate to her wants... or at the very least make some sort of fragile agreement.
So there was silence for a while. "...Alright. I can cook for you since I enjoy it anyway." Shirou reluctantly said, and in response Saber made a slow nod of acceptance.
"As for the steam bath... we don't really have that type of thing here. If we look we might find one in the city, it's not impossible for people to have built some. For a bed... I don't really... there is one but..." Shirou's thoughts wandered to something he disliked and had never really thought about until now. He had no idea where Kotomine slept. For one, the idea of anyone sleeping in the fake priests bed, was disturbing at least, almost a torture or a too cruel joke gone wrong. And secondly, well he had no idea where it was or if it even existed.
"There's no other beds other then the one I'm in right now." Saber looked at the bed now. "Give it to me."
Shirou just looked at her with a irked and very confused look on his young face. "No."
"Give it to me." The words were far harsher this time... "...Are you deaf? This is my bed." "I said. Give it to me now. Shirou."
They began to banter back and forth like little children on who got to play with a new toy first, yelling and screaming at each other. Unlike this situation there are now parents or adults to explain to them exactly why they should stop or give an alternative idea or compromise.
"Shirou! I'm the one who will be doing all the fighting! So I deserve more then you!" She pulled the sheets of the bed making Shirou stumble to the floor as a result of the meagre tantrum she was making, he groaned quickly and got up to his feet. "Are you blind now! I was fighting, pretty much five minutes ago! Against something that isn't human to protect you. Miss, Not so Perfect." Saber twitched for a bit. She couldn't deny that. At least most of it.
"That was a stupid thing to do in the first place!" Was the best retort she could make on the spot. And Shirou immediately struck at the blatant weakness of it. "That's all you can say?" A momentary silence.
"What if you give it to me for two weeks and then you can have it one day after that?" Nero smiled at herself. To her she was being generous.
"...Are you stupid? Who would agree to that sort of deal? Anyway we might have won the whole war by then and you would be gone."
Saber froze at the word gone. The idea of fading the world, because she was a replica of her true self... and a spirit that could not survive due to the rules of the world... the idea she would just fade away and forget what she was enjoying right now...
She threw it away from her mind. She didn't need to think about that now, and she couldn't let herself show weakness to anyone.
"I thought I was rather generous, Shirou. Alright I'll take it for one week and you have two days afterwards." Shirou made a crossing motion with his arms, displaying his flat out denial of the deal. "How about, I sleep in my bed. And you disappear from my sight for a bit?" Saber's eyes narrowed and so did Shirou's. Neither was going to let the other win. "...Saber you can have it. I'll go cook now."
Shirou left the room and smiled to himself. He very much enjoyed what he just did, feeling a piece of accomplishment and pride.
Not because he gave in, but believing he was the more mature, until... he stopped in his tracks... and ran back into the room.
"Trace on!" Soon an exact replica of the bed was next to the original. "...You could have done that the whole time?"
But the door had shut again before Saber could see Shirou's face. And she smiled, she had one because Shirou was an idiot!
Then she shook her head realising how silly it was to think of someone else's faults as a victory over such a trivial thing. She would never had let anyone see her or know that she did this though. She made a small sigh, the boy was interesting, yet got on her nerves. They were similar but yet so very different.
She didn't dislike him... but for her to be so furious and childish against someone else in this manner, it was just odd for her.
Saber, it's done!" Called Shirou and the red clad girl's eyes flashed alight and quite subtlety licked her lips. The smell from the food had been driving her insane... Shirou was definitely a good cook. Saber took out a fork and spoon and stared down the dish placed before her.
A large grilled steak was on the plate before her, the fumes were delightful, steaming a small fraction of the dishes true taste into the fangs of whoever was blessed enough to be fed. Shirou saw the look in her eyes as she began to cut and eat the well cooked piece of meat.
He had seen the look before, Rin sometimes would eat over here once in a while, and she quite enjoyed what he cooked, they occasionally challenged each other and it was helpful and delicious for both of them, despite both saying the others cooking wasn't up to scratch... and then giving a comment such as "but it is well prepared" or "well, it's okay for now."
Surprisingly after Shirou had left his thoughts he looked back and saw the meat had been wolfed down quickly and Saber was now drinking some wine.
Shirou was about to say something but stopped, if it would annoy the fake priest he wouldn't question how she got it or reprimand her.
As if the world had horrible timing the moment after she had finished the glass of wine the doorbell rang, and at the same time Shirou's hand pulsed. Saber rose to her feet and glared towards the direction of the door. "Would another Master and Servant really just walk up to someone's front door and ring the bell?" Shirou focused and project another rather large curved black Chinese sword, with several characters on it.
For some reason Saber chilled at the sight of it. Shirou smiled. He knew that the sword was working...
They walked to the front door and Shirou twisted the knob, taking a step back and raising his arm... then stopping. Speak of the Red Devil.
"Oh it's just you Rin." The dark haired girl frowned. "Just you? Shirou... you know why I'm here right?" Shirou thought for a second... and projected the calender in his room. "...I don't see anything important on here." Rin sighed and lifted her hand, showing her command seal.
His response was a dull look. "Eh? Ah your a Master too... right your a Tohsaka so the grail prefers you. Well that's okay. You won't hurt me... or can't hurt me anyway, Rin. I know everything you can do. So what are you here for?"
It was Saber's turn to smirk. The reaction of someone else feeling the brunt of Shirou's warped personality was rather amusing. She even liked it and was watching eagerly as Rin seemed to grow more frustrated, yet she kept her right hand on her blade. She didn't strike when the door was opened because of the looked both Rin and Shirou shared when they saw each other. There was no real intent to harm either one of them.
Though she was still a Servant and she was a Master. So she would strike the moment she felt even a small inch of true killing intent.
"...Sigh. Oh well. I've dealt with it most of my life. A little longer won't matter. Shirou, obviously an alliance is what I request."
Shirou raised his right hand to stop her. "What are you talking about? Your mine, right Rin? I would never hurt you."
The twin tailed girl's face wet a bright pinkish red as her body began to feel hot and warm... she hated when he did this.
"Idiot! You never watch what you say... do you? Wait, that's wrong. You're just this way naturally. I have to learn to deal with this... god."
She brought her right palm to her face and took a few deep breaths, regaining her senses and clearing away her embarrassment into the back of her mind.
"Well... alright, it doesn't matter the results the same, it's just what you and I call it. So... I guess she's Saber right? The strongest and the best?"
She smiled and settled her gaze on Saber, Shirou could swear that he could feel... envy from Rin. "Ah... I got paired up with Caster. She's seems to change her personality every few minutes like she can't tell which one's right or something. Aw, your so lucky to have such a cute Saber."
Saber smiled and closed her eyes for a second, she had always loved praise and she probably always would.
"Okay that's all clear then! See you later Shirou!"
X
It was another morning for Tohsaka Rin, wake up get given Chinese tea and then head to school with Caster in spirit form in tow.
Caster noticed that she walked faster near certain sections of the city... as if running from something. However today was different.
She had stopped right in front of one particular building... Caster could tell it was magically defended and looking at it, for some reason disgusted her.
Caster knew that the purple haired girl called Sakura lived there and Rin didn't like to talk to her if she could help it... they seemed kind of wary and sad at times, almost as if they wanted to forget the other existed. The reason why it was different today was because of a pulse on Rin's arm... which Caster's gaze saw almost immediately, and the cause of it all?
A tall young man had left the old manor, he had a pale complexion, had shiny black hair that stretched below his ears and almost empty yet fixated eyes.
He wore a large winter like coat of dark colours with a fur like collar that stretched upwards, shielding the sides of his face. His hands were in his coat pockets and as he left the building his eyes fell upon Rin, who instantly took a almost dramatic step back as her arm vibrated violently.
Her entire body began to shake... she tried to speak but only a small stumbling assortment of sounds came out for the first few seconds.
"C-Caster, can you sense any servants nearby?" Rin managed to muster the words. Caster shook her head.
His gaze contained a look of such loss and determination, a madness, a pure calculated blood lust emitted from his every pour, it would shake anybody's very core. The man looked away and walked on. Rin exhaled in relief.
"Right... he can't do anything to me right now in broad daylight with all these people around without getting noticed... I was lucky today, for once."
Rin tried to calm down and avoid a few glances at her that obviously were inquiring why she was acting the way she was.
"Rin, that type of person is the most foolish and at the same time one of the most deadly. Don't ever fight him head on. I know what people like him are capable of, anything in his way will end up dead." Caster had been silent until then, the time when she seriously spoke she was always straight and too the point as well as comforting. Rin was glad Caster was by her side.
"What was he doing at the Matou home? I..." Rin's thoughts muddled as she tried to make sense of why a Master would be near another potential enemy, Rin was frightened the thought of the ancient Matou Zouken aiding the dark haired man for victory in the war... the result could be disastrous, at least for her. She then began to walk slowly to school with the image of the man burnt into her mind. Who was he? Who was his servant? What was he doing there? One question would only lead to another, all with no answers.