Opportunity of Fate Chapter 18b

Rin-

Rin looked over at Roland. "Time to show me what you can do."

Roland looked down at her and smiled. "I do wish you hadn't chosen an insane demigod for my first outing. Maybe something simple, or some scouting to get myself warmed up." He looked off at the devastation Heracles was causing. He smirked, "But then, I did always like a challenge."

And he charged.

Rider shook her head, "Damn Frankish buffoon. Always with the frontal assaults. No finesse at all."

Rin asked acerbically, "Are you not a Knight as well? Saber in the last Grail War? Don't you believe in the chivalrous straight forward approach?"

Arturia paused, "Yes. Honor must be met. But that doesn't mean you ignore tactics…." She was gone like a blur, her invisible sword in hand.

Rin looked over at Shirou, "You don't need any help?"

Shirou was carrying Ilya in his arms, a tearful Sella nearby. "I will be back shortly." He turned to run.

Sella closed her eyes and said, "Wait. I need to follow but there are some things you need to know about Heracles." She closed her eyes and muttered under her breath.

Rin glared at the homunculus. "What?"

Sella glared back. "You do realize without him I would let Berserker simply kill both you and this section of town? I care nothing for you or anyone living in this third rate nation. But Ilya I love. Shirou has promised more than anyone, even her own family to help her. And…"

Shirou said simply, "I am her family. Kiritsugu was my father, and he would have shared his love had the Einzbern's simply let him."

Sella waved her hands, "Irrelevant. You offer her the best chance of survival. As long as she is on your side, I suppose I must follow."

Rin shook her head. Homonculi were known for programmed loyalties. "Very well, what do I need to know?" The fact that those loyalties were programmed in made them strong, but also limited. Sometimes a homunculus could remain loyal, but often only to the level dictated by their programming. Nothing more than a magic robot, or more appropriately, a golem with emotions.

Sella glared at her again, "Berserker isn't a normal Servant. Well he is, technically, but…. Well Ilya has more than a hundred circuits, and the power drain on her was immense. His abilities, even without reason are top notch.

Rin could see that herself. "And?"

"He is immune to any attack save those of the greatest level of noble phantasmal rank."

Rin stared at her. And swallowed. She had seen that he was tough, but….

Sella looked down and said, "And from his twelve labors he has twelve lives."

Shirou said softly, "Twelve lives? We have to kill the beast twelve times?"

Sella nodded, "Without Ilya providing power, I don't know how effective Godhand is. But it will revive him from a simple death. Some weapons might harm him more than others, I don't know. It was theoretical." She looked at Shirou, "You can see why they assumed he would be the final victor?"

Shirou looked down at Ilya, his face wracked with worry. When he looked at RIn it was much the same. "I have to get her to safety, Rin. I will be right back." He muttered his Reinforcement aria, turned to go.

And stopped.

Rin asked, "Shirou?"

He turned and kissed her.

She pulled away for a moment. Now was not the time. The whole angle was awkward, as he was still holding Ilya. But Shirou preservered.

After a brief moment he pulled away, his eyes tear stained, "Don't die, RIn. I, I," He looked away for a moment, "I care, no, I love you Rin. I am a lecherous monster, but I do. I love you both."

Rin reached up to touch Shirou's cheek, "Go save her. Save your sister. You have helped me with mine, I will help with yours. Make sure she is safe and come back to me." She felt a sudden pain roil through her.

Her Servant had just been badly wounded.

Shirou asked, "Rin?"

She smiled, "Just go." She began to cast a spell to heal her Servant. It was a little inefficient in terms of prana use, but her od levels were still high.

Heracles might be nearly unstoppable, but without a source of prana to feed him, he would fade soon. Or so she hoped. She moved swiftly to aid her Servant.

A sudden quick hit to a pressure point on her back, followed by an agonizing hit to her head and she knew no more.

-Scene Break-

Shinji Matou-

Shinji had been warned. Caster had told him to avoid the eyes of the being who was being summoned.

Hades. The old Greek God of the Underworld.

For the most part it had been easy. The god for the most part didn't even look at him, merely argued in some foreign language with Caster. Caster was on her belly placating the angry God.

Shinji had gotten a brief glance toward him. A look of utter contempt. For just that second their eyes met.

They had been hard and grey. And they had seen everything. They could measure the value of a soul with a glance. In no way merciful, they reflected that back to the one unfortunate enough to catch his gaze.

Shinji knew his true value. He had always secretly known. That what value he possessed had been squandered. That he was always so angry at Sakura because she was better than him.

And not just because she had working magic circuits. Not just because she was able to carry the legacy that he and his father had not. No, she was the better person.

Oh. She was far from perfect. She even lacked some traits of a good sister, and if her friends thought they truly knew her, they were wrong. She had as much a mask on as anyone he had ever seen. Would Shirou still care for her if he knew what she had been subjected to?

To twist the knife, Shirou might. There was an emptiness to the man, but he had been a solid friend to Shinji, even when Shinji hadn't been one back. Shinji grit his teeth. He hated this. He hated knowing that he was contemptible.

And that he had become so by choice. True his grandfather had pushed him in the direction, had guided him. But Shinji could have been nicer. Could have treated her well. Sakura had needed someone, and he had been given an opportunity.

He had squandered it.

Shinji fell to his knees and watched his life review in his mind. He watched as Sakura joined the family. He had greeted her, had tried to help her a little in his childish clumsy way. She had swiftly gone from frightened and uncertain, to quietly crushed.

And he had never asked why. It hadn't been important to him, hadn't seemed relevant. He had only been seven at the time. Just a boy.

That was forgivable.

His later actions were not.

Shinji Matou had never understood why his father had killed himself.

Until now.

He stared at his hands, "What have I let myself become?" He had never realized that he was evil before. There had always been justifications for his actions. Always a reason why it was okay for him to hurt his sister, or to use and corrupt the junior years.

Did he like being what he was?

No. Not really. It made him feel hollow. Weak.

It made Issei right, and Shirou strong. Issei espoused good, and followed through, more or less. But Shirou… despite that emptiness, or maybe because of it, he was good. Moreover, looking at it, analyzing his life and that of his closest friends, Shinji could see where Shirou drew his strength from. Shirou, whose very hollowness should mean he was weaker, was so much stronger than Shinji inside.

And so was his poor broken sister. She not only had the right genes to be a magus, apparently the Tosaka genes were hot property, but she was simply better than him. Even broken as she was, even torn and tattered by everything Shinji and his grandfather could do, she still held on. Desperate perhaps, despairing perhaps, but holding on nonetheless.

Shinji's mind worked overtime as he realized that he could have done more. Had he simply helped Sakura, had he not tried to ruin her, he could have had her for himself. Not just for sex, but for more. And while he had always longed for the other sister, not even realizing they were related, he would have had a Tohsaka of his own. Perhaps he wouldn't have directly had the power, but he would have been close to it.

And their children…. Tohsaka's mother had come from another line of dying mages, but one that had the trait of providing spectacular magi to other lines. The Matou line would have lived again.

It would have been a little shameful at first, but there were documents and a definite paper trail showing that Sakura was not a blood relative. Things could have been good.

No chance of that now.

Shinji saw out of the corner of his eyes as Kane Himura and Kaede Makidera naked spirits were led in chains into the circle to the scowling Hades. Shinji felt his Gaze one more, but he couldn't and wouldn't meet it.

Not now that he knew his true worth.

A soft voice carried over the air. "Take me! Let my friends go and take me!" Yukika Saegusa had arrived.

Hades spoke to Caster, in some lost language, one hand pointed at the girl.

Caster replied, fondly.

Hades sternly asked, "Come to me child. Let me have a look at you."

Shinji glared at Caster. This whole affair could have been in Japanese?

Saegusa's voice was shaking, "Take me. Just let my friends go."

Hades voice was fond, "So mankind had not fallen as far without the grace of the gods to lead them."

Kane and Kaede tried to talk, but their spirits were without substance, and so no words could be heard.

Caster said, "They are much the same, I think. Individually lesser beings perhaps, but there are so many more of them. There are wonders to this world, albeit mundane ones, fitting to a more mundane world."

Saegusa looked up at Hades and pleaded, "Please let my friends go."

The cold and foreboding man bowed slightly to Saegusa, "I cannot my dear child. By ancient Covenants I must accept her gift, as Lady Medusa must accept mine. They can be recovered. If you truly wish to save your friends, there is a way." He whispered something into her ear.

Saegusa backed away and looked wide-eyed at Shinji. She wiped her hand across her eyes and shook her head.

Hades continued his conversation with her, softly saying words that Shinji could almost but not quite hear.

Saegusa looked up at the Greek God, "There has to be a different way!"

Hades sternly said, "The world is a hard place sometimes child. Perhaps you can find another way. Continue to be good hearted and sweet and you will always have my blessing upon you."

And he was gone.

Shinji climbed to his feet. He needed time to think. Time to understand what he had seen. Did he even have a right to continue? Or should he simply surrender to his sister.

To do so would be to suicide. He understood that.

And he did not want to die. Even now, even realizing his lack of honor or true self value, he did not want to die.

He merely deserved to. He ran his hands through his hair.

Saegusa was next to him, her small presence making itself known. "You will do it, right? Dedicate your heart to their return? He promised me they could come back if you did."

Shiinji tried to ignore her, to walk away. But somehow she hedged him in. He looked at her, at the mixture of anger and hope in her eyes.

"Look at me when I am talking to you!" Her voice was quiet but firm, so certain that her moral composure, her honor and dignity, would allow her to compel him. Even if she didn't realize that was what she was doing, even if she didn't realize how much she was emphasizing his lack of such moral fiber.

In that moment he was full of rage. He wanted to crush her, to kill her, to remove her sense of safety. To show her the true meaning of power. And while she was wailing and calling for help that would never come, he would take her and…..

If he could have done anything, he would have tried to stop the first blow. That open handed punch that knocked her to the ground. He did stop the kick that would have followed. He stood there examining his own hand.

Yukiki Saegusa quietly asked, "Are you going to rape me now?"

He could read it in her eyes. She would resist, but they both knew. Unless she was very lucky….

Shinji shook his head. "Caster, take care of her. See to her needs and comforts." He turned to face Saegusa, "I can't let you go. Not yet."

Saegusa's voice was quiet but confused, "Will you help me then?"

Shinji looked down at the usually happy and kind track manager, "I don't know. I need to think. For the first time in my life, I need to sit down and really think."

And he stalked into the night.

-Scene Break—

Luvia Edelfedt

Luvia finished the repair spell. Time was important to such spells, as there was a limited window while the world remembered how everything had been. If you operated in that window, and the destruction had been magecraft, you could even get a small boost from Gaia, as it tried to retroactively stop or mitigate the damage of the human magecraft.

And timing was key, because once the world accepted such changes, to change them again, even back to its old state; you would have to fight Gaia to make the change.

Repairing the Dojo had taken the better part of two gems of power. Explaining its destruction could have been worse, so she wasn't about to complain.

Her uncle called out to her, "Good job my dear. I have finished with my analysis and will be heading back to Shinto.

Luvia wiped her brow, "So what is the analysis?"

He sighed, "We won't be able to stop it. There is simply too much power involved. You could slow it, delay it perhaps, but outside of confronting Caster directly, there is little hope of stopping it."

Archer added his opinion, "The Children will still do so. Sakura Matou told me a bit of their plans."

Luvia looked at Archer. "The Children?"

Archer looked at her Uncle. "There is an alliance amongst the Magus heads, all of them children, all of them going to this school. Three families, all close."

Luvia nodded, "Tohsaka, Emiya, and Matou. Yes from the little I have seen of them, they seem close. Tohsaka in particular would be prime example of someone from a backward nation being a valuable addition to the Clocktower."

Her Uncle nodded, "Yes she would. There has already been discussion about that back home. Her potential is quite amazing. But that isn't what we are talking about. They may or may not know everything about this barrier. They do know it is here. It was Archer relaying Sakura's warning about it that led me here."

Archer said quietly, "She wanted us to be aware that one of our enemies could get a significant boost. And that they would do what they could to stop it." He looked back at the main building of the school, "Tomorrow they will find a critical node for the spell and disrupt it there. They won't be able to stop it, but they can keep it from manifesting."

"They hope to draw Caster to them."

"Yes. It is risky, but they can't attack Caster in her hidden Temple."

Archer laughed, "Assuming they could find it. I don't think I can, and your Uncle and I are experts and hunting monsters."

Luvia's lips tightened. "That plan sounds horribly risky."

Her Uncle said, "There are nodes they can hit. It could very well work. But I have talked with Archer and we have a different plan."

"Caster's true master is Sakura, but her Grandfather gave her the option of not having to fight her friends. He crafted a Book that would operate as a single Command Spell, one that provided complete loyalty." Archer closed his eyes, "he then gave this Book to her degenerate brother, a man who had raped and abused her. He is the current Master of Caster. But if he were to lose control of Caster, Sakura would regain it and stop this potential atrocity."

Luvia looked at the wooded area behind the school. "But you say you can't get to her. How can you possibly get at him or that Book? He would be a fool to just leave it around."

Her Uncle smiled at her, "The Book is made of the Grandfather's familiars. To destroy it, I need to destroy them."

"Still not seeing how this is going to work."

Archer tapped her shoulder, rubbing it lightly. "My dear, all you have to do to kill the Familiar is to kill the Master. Just like in the Grail War. Sakura described his magic, and I have faced similar forms before. As has your Uncle. Nothing quite this powerful or virulent, but I have a weapon that can defeat it."

Luvia looked away from Archer, with a slight blush. Why did he always make her feel this way? None of the boys at the Clocktower had wound her up nearly as much. So far she hadn't fallen under his spell.

It just wasn't fair!

She stammered, "You are going to kill Zouken Matou."

Her uncle grunted, "The world will be a better place without him."

She stared at her Uncle, "And if you fail?"

Archer pulled away and she turned to look at him. Gone was the bow he had used before. No longer did he wield the Moon Bow, Gandiva. In his hands he held a crescent shaped object. It was gold-like in color, but not quite. The color was not completely understandable by the human eye. It seemed both shifting in shape and entirely immutable.

Luvia found herself shaken in fear and yet unable to look away. What was that thing?

Archer looked up at her sadly, "This is Parashupastra. It is the weapon of Lord Shiva and Lady Kali. And it always strikes with enough force to kill. The world itself could be slain with this. My heart tells me that Zouken deserves to be removed, that he rates such force."

And it was gone.

Luvia looked over at her Uncle. "I will call you tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

She alternated her glances between Archer and her Uncle. "I need a stiff drink."

And she stalked into the night. It would be a long walk to the other side of the city, but she needed to think. Who knew, maybe is she got lucky she could get involved in a nice bar brawl somewhere and burn off her tension.

-Scene Break—

Issei Ryudou

Issei closed his eyes and tried to remain calm. He had expected anger. He had expected some form of punishment.

But not this.

Not exile.

Issei Ryudou was no longer allowed to live at Ryudo Temple. His bags had been packed and waiting for him. Dinner had been eaten in silence. His brother had ignored him. Shunned him.

Why? Sex outside of marriage wasn't a good thing, but not this level of sin. Not to be punished like this.

All he had gotten out of his father was that it was Grandmother's will. Which considering both his Grandmothers were dead made no sense. His only living family consisted of his brother and father. His family had been them and the monks that lived here.

No longer.

He tightened his grip and tried to calm down. He sat facing the large pool of water that faced the Temple. In his hands was the last gift his father had given him before driving him from the Temple dining hall and forcing him to wait here.

It was a ritual dagger.

Did his father actually expect him to suicide in shame?

He drew the dagger.

It did not shine in the moonlight. It was grey and dull. It was perhaps eight inches long and sharpened on one side. The other side was rounded.

It looked like it was made of bone or perhaps some enameled wood. And it was heavy.

Issei glared back at the main Temple building. He had spent his life fallowing his father's advice. He had tried to be the best son he could. To follow in his father's footsteps. He had been as helpful to as many as he could. He tried to be a good influence to his peers, to help them in any way he could, all in preparation for a life of service as a monk.

And after a lifetime of success, he made one mistake, and he was tossed aside?

It made no sense. His brother chased girls. He had actually been dropped off, badly beaten by some of Fujimura's thugs when he got too close to Taiga on more than one occasion.

Issei settled his glasses and sat down near the lake. He had been told to wait here and so he would.

Where else did he have to go?

So he closed his eyes and began to meditate, to release the pointless anger that had built up inside of him. As he was about to let go, thoughts of Ayako sprang on him. He smiled for a moment thinking of her.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

She had been rattled after her discussion with Sakura and her mother, but had been determined to get herself on an even keel before she went home. He had left her there, in the dojo she loved, watching as she examined every single bow.

He hoped she had had a better night than he.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

He let thoughts of her go and concentrated on the soft sound of the small waves of the lake. It was soothing. Almost inaudible, but here in the mountains away from the town, underneath the true brilliance of the night sky….

Breathe in. Breathe out.

He sat there and drank the silence in. Drank in the pure mountain air. He let his worries and anxieties go, let the calming impact of nature fill him.

Until he was one with it.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

There were ripples to the world underneath what could normally be seen. He himself would never have truly understood what he was seeing without the magic the Doctor had introduced him too.

Issei Ryudou was a sensitive. Not a particularly great one. Not to the point of ESP, but a latent gift that responded well to practice. And he had practiced.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Usually it required a focus, something to keep all the other activity from drawing his attention away. But in a place and time like this, given the time to prepare, he could slowly come to feel a place. Feel the patterns of mana and prana as they coursed through the world.

And while he lacked the internal prana to alter the world, he could make devices and charms to alter that flow. He could feel the tiny alterations he had made to the Great Wards that covered the Temple. A tiny refinement to cover nature's ever changing flow.

Through those links he could feel as an entity of great power began to walk the steps to the Temple itself.

For a moment he startled, nearly losing his balance.

No.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Calm. Assess the situation. Prepare the appropriate response.

The woman was not alone. Several spirits followed her, most tiny things flitting about, but a few major ones that could only take the pathway. The Great Wards had been constructed to deny access to enemy spiritual attack.

And she was human. That was also evident. A powerful magician of a style he had yet to meet. A true Eastern Magus.

Issei himself was not truly Western or Eastern, but a mix. Weak but versatile. Although given how inexperienced he was, Issei knew he would have to hope this Magus wished him well.

He got up to greet her at the gates.

Remain as you are. I wish to see you in your native environment. Continue your reverie. Pay me as little attention as you may.

His mind rocked at the sound of the woman's voice in his mind, almost as if in his ear.

A Trick I might teach you someday, if you are good. Now regain yourself.

Issei blinked. He took a deep breath and…

Breathe in. Breathe out.

It was hard to regain the rhythm, to ignore the woman who was coming. He recognized her from her work. Some of it was in this very Temple. And it had been all over both Fujimura and Emiya households.

Grandmother. Now it all made sense. She was the regional leader of the Eastern Magi. The organization was both more and less tightly knit than the Magic Association was in the West. Bound more by tradition and culture than by actual law, each nation had its own Association of sorts.

She was an old but vibrant woman of indeterminate years. Her Kimono was white and inlayed with crimson and golden sigils, some of which he recognized, many patterns he didn't. "Well dear, you have grown up to me so much more than I would have thought. When I tested you as a child, I put you down as a borderline sensitive. To take a look at your kids if you ever had any. You seemed like good Monk material myself, so I wasn't too optimistic on that account."

"My Lady," Issei said bowing, "How do I address you?"

"Grandmother works. Look kid, we don't have a lot of time. We need to convince these Oni that you didn't mean to abrogate the treaty by devising weapons on Mount Enzo. A war would do no one any good. Not even them. They know this. We know this. So let's get this over with so I can go back to my nice lodge and quiet research." She walked to the lake and started throwing tiny paper slips. Each became a stepping stone.

One by one she walked further along the lake, until she was near its center. Issei followed several steps behind. "I don't understand why this involves me."

"Issei, this mountain is the best place in the local area for a Magus. Even Western ones. Yet none have lived here for centuries. The Temple keeps the Western Church at bay, or they would be here. And that limit keeps the Western Magi out as well. What the Church can't have, they will deny to their magical brethren. But one of us would fit right in. You are about to find out why." She took four more slips of paper and placed them in the air. It opened as a door. "Come Issei."

He watched where she had departed and there was nothing on the other side. Not even a glow.

Issei Ryudo had spent a lifetime of following authority. Despite it causing him mostly trouble over the last few days, he could not change so fast. And so he followed, not knowing what to expect.

-Scene Break-

Sakura Matou

Dark Sakura had to smile. It seemed that in every personal iteration, she would always find comfort in brewing tea and serving it to others.

She blamed Shirou.

Why do you bother?

"You would never understand would you?"

They will betray you. Surely you can sense this! Once they know the truth…

"Shirou knows." Her eyes lit up, "And he loves me anyway."

What of your sister?

"What Sister did… It will cause trouble for years." She clenched her fists, "But she claimed me as her sister, at the cost of family prestige and honor. Things she values highly. She fought Brother over his actions, she…." Sakura blinked back tears.

You are hopeless.

She wiped her eyes, "The opposite actually. Now go away, I need to talk to my friends." She carried the tea out into the dining room.

Once she had been a bundle of rage and suppressed emotion. The very idea she could cry, that she could feel positive emotion, that she could feel love, had seemed impossible for her. She had been the dumping ground for all the emotional excess the regular Sakura could not handle, only now it was all bleeding together, and she was not sure where the Darker side truly lay.

For Normal Sakura had given her the reigns, had trusted her not to rampage and destroy her life. To not listen to the voice that promised power and prestige. To keep her safe and to protect her friends.

She looked over at Taiga and a smirking Ayako. They among others would do their best to protect her, even as Sakura frightened them. She would do the same for them.

Taiga was nodding in appreciation, "Yes, it is good that you have that blade. It is fitting. You have never lacked courage." She raised one finger, "But what you did tonight. That wasn't normal. Did Sakura or Emiya teach you their Western Ways?"

Sakura said softly, "And how do you know about my Western Ways, anyway, Teacher?"

Taiga looked away and was scrambling for an answer.

Ayako dryly beat her to it, "The Fujimura's used to be among the folks who protected people from magical threats along the Mion River. They even had ties to the Temple."

Sakura asked, "Issei's Temple has ties with the Yakuza?"

Taiga waved his hands, "Grandfather isn't really….."

Both Sakura and Ayako glared at her.

Taiga looked away.

Ayako continued, "No, Raiga's family was pretty badly purged after the war. His family was tight with the Army faction during the war, and well they suffered for it after. His father suicided when the Emperor surrendered. A couple of his uncles and cousins made some bad choices after the war, and the family was ruined. The man didn't have a whole lot of choices after the war. According to Father, while we would be better off without them, we could do a lot worse than having Raiga Fujimura as local obayun."

Taiga stood, "You Mitsuzuri's! Always with your prying eyes and agile tongues! Maybe my family wasn't quick enough or facile enough to earn our way into the American invader's graces. Maybe we weren't willing to spy on our own people just to get by."

Ayako stood, her face pale. "You will take those words back. This nation, no the very world is a better place because of my Grandfather, and I will not have you say ill about him."

Taiga sneered at her, "You honestly believe that just because you have a blessed blade you are my equal? You have sparred with me before." Her eyes tightened, "I have strength and skill, experience and talent, all far greater than you. With a bow you might be good. You showed some talent with a naginata before you switched to Kendo. But you are a long way before you gain even the first Dan. I am a Fifth Dan Kendoka, Mitsuzuri. You don't stand a chance."

Sakura stood, "What is wrong with you two?"

Ayako waved a hand at Sakura, keeping her eyes on Taiga, "This has been long coming. It is to be expected. My father is responsible for some of her friends and family being in jail after all. Just business. But this is the Tiger, nothing is just business with her."

Taiga drew her blade, "We can settle this now."

Ayako smirked at her, "Seriously. Do you really plan on killing me? What would your Grandfather do then? What would Emiya think?"

Sakura said quietly, "I would never forgive you. You have been a comfort for me, but I will not allow you to hurt my friend." She glared at Ayako, "Any more than I am going to let you hurt Ms. Fujimura. What is wrong with you two?"

Ayako sighed, "Both of us are unconventional traditionalists in our own way, Sakura. Both Taiga and I believe in family honor. Our families have stood in opposition for generations now. At school and in the Club, it is easy to forget. To just pretend it doesn't matter." She met Sakura's eyes with a sad smile, "But it does."

Taiga said, "A duel then?"

Ayako nodded, "With Shinai. You will probably beat the crap out of me. But we won't know until we try." She flashed a smile over at Taiga, "It will give you a better idea of my baseline to train me anyway."

"You expect me to train you after this?"

Ayako nodded, "You are the best swordswoman I know."

Taiga preened.

Sakura shook her head, "I don't understand the two of you at all."

Taiga proudly said, "Shirou would understand."

Ayako shrugged, "Yeah. It's a warrior thing, probably."

There was a commotion from the front hall. Shirou rushed in, carrying a body of a small grey-haired woman. An ashen haired woman followed, she then fretted over the first.

Shirou placed the carried woman on a table and turned her around. "Taiga, Sakura, I need a first aid kit."

Ayako handed Shirou a cup of tea, "Here. You will need this."

Taiga grabbed one of the med kits.

Sakura asked, "Where is Sister?"

Shirou said, "She is holding the line. We need to go back to get her."

There was a golden sound that rocked through the Emiya Residence.

Ayako held her sheathed blade and wryly said, "Ready as I will ever be, I guess."

Sakura turned, "Sister needs help."

Shirou grabbed Taiga and said, "This girl is Kiritsugu's daughter. Protect her with your life. We WILL be back."

Ayako asked, "Not going to stop us?"

Shirou said, "I might need the help. Just be careful. None of us, not even myself, can stand directly against a Servant."

Ayako smirked and winked at Sakura, "If you are sure."

Sakura pulled in her magic. Once upon a time she had been ashamed of the need for being in a state of low level arousal to call up her magic. At the moment she didn't mind, leering slightly at Shirou as he ran in front of her. His reinforced body quickly out pacing her.

She quickly cast an aria of Reinforcement. It was one she had played around with at school, one not based on her element, but pure physical magic.

Wind causes flowers to dance on the wind,

On Altered tree they merely chime,

Cherry Blossoms of Steel.

She smiled as she felt the magic pour into her. Ayako was pacing her. It felt good to have her friend at her side. Both maybe a little less human than they had once assumed.

But they were friends and allies and their enemies would falter and fail before them!

Or so she hoped.

-Scene Break—

Arturia Pendragon-

Arturia raced to help Roland in his fight against the Masterless Berserker. Everything the monster did now was simple pointless devastation. Already there were several damaged homes and businesses.

Roland was moving quickly, trying to steer Berserker away from the houses in the area.

Arturia analyzed the situation. Her lack of armor was a serious problem. Even with the boost it gave her in speed, meant any wound she took could be fatal. But she could not just stand here and let Roland take a beating.

Roland called out, "Any day now Rider."

Arturia nodded. She had an idea. "Wolf pack tactics." She attacked Berserker's flanks, nearly getting killed for the trouble.

But she could see the flow of the battle change. Roland was using her attacks to control the flow of the battle and to set up Berserker for a major attack. Probably with his Noble Phantasm.

All Arturia could hope for was that Godhand wouldn't be active without a Master. Or weak enough that a few solid hits would permanently kill this monster. Even without a Master he was ridiculously strong and insanely fast.

The three Servants fought in zone that had the ferocity and deadliness of a tornado.

There were ancient tactics to fighting a giant, similar in many ways to that of dogs fighting a bear. In a single fight, you simply prayed you got lucky. The Giant could focus on simply you and usually that meant a dead human. But add the second person and things changed. The odds became much closer to even, perhaps even favoring the humans.

It all depended on the skill of those involved, and whether anyone made any mistakes. Say trusting one's shield a bit too much.

Roland took a solid blow to the shield arm. Not entirely direct, or the arm would have been torn off, shield and all. But solid enough to shatter the shield and the arm it was attached to.

Arturia counterattacked furiously. It was the only thing that saved Roland from the follow up blow.

Perhaps a normal battle would have been decided here. Roland badly wounded would have retreated, and Arturia would be forced to simply skirmish and mitigate Berserker's damage to the surroundings, until she too was wounded or killed.

But this was not a normal battle, and these were not normal warriors. As Arturia led Berserker away from the crippled Saber, she heard Roland call out, "For God and for Glory! DURANDAL!" And with his single good arm, he swung his blade in a diagonal arc, holy fire erupting in wave of power strong enough to rip apart solid stone.

Arturia watched as Berserker was cut in half. A panting Roland, placed on foot on the giant's shoulder and said, "Thanks for the assist."

She smiled at him, "Assist? Sure you may have landed the killing blow, but without me you would be dead."

"Well, maybe. But still it was my blade that…."

Golden light began to flicker along the bisected body and the two halves began to reknit.

Berserker began to stir once more.

Arturia looked down and began to dissolve Invisible Air. Every slash she had made with Invisible Air had done very little to Berserker. It would take Excalibur to beat him. "Ware, he rises again!"

Roland leapt away, "That is just not fair." He paused, "Something is wrong with Rin, her magic isn't supporting me fully."

Berserker stood up and roared.

Arturia stood there, wind whipping around her, her blade beginning to show its true golden nature. "Go to your Master. I can hold him here for a minute or two."

Roland nodded, "I will be right back."

And Berserker and Arturia began another round of the fight. Arturia was able, just barely to keep out of Berserker's grasp. He seemed to be slowing, or maybe wounded from Roland's major attack.

Arturia was certain she could kill him if she only could have a moment to charge Excalibur. But Berserker kept pressing her.

Until he suddenly stopped.

ENKIDU

Chains appeared out of now where and wrapped themselves around Berserker.

"No need for pointless heroics, my darling Arturia. I, Gilgamesh, your adoring husband, have come to save you from your peril."

Arturia hissed, "Archer? But how? It has been ten years!"

Gilgamesh posed on a lamp post, "And you remember somehow, don't you? Where did we leave off before your Master stole your reward? One that I will grant you willingly, if you will only consent to be my wife."

"Never! I have no desire to be another gilded possession in your collection. I am myself, and I. WILL NOT. BE OWNED!" She held up Excalibur and began to charge it.

Gilgamesh didn't give her enough time. Blade after blade rained down upon her. And without her armor, some of the near hits began to wear on her.

She needed to rethink her current tactics. She was fighting him like she had last war, when she had been Saber. But this body, for good or ill, wasn't a Saber. It was not as strong or as tough. But it was faster and more agile. She would have to compensate somehow, or he would wear her down.

Her instincts saved her leg, if not her positioning. She was tossed about like a ragdoll in the explosion of yet another blade launched from the Gates of Babylon.

There was a beautiful golden sound that came from behind her. A horn of some sort?

Arturia struggled to survive under the never ending onslaught. Gilgamesh had gained wisdom and fired his prizes faster and in greater volume. He wasn't playing with her; or rather he wasn't as contemptuous as he had been.

Soon she would be too tired to fight back.

And he would take her.

Would he simply rape her and leave her body to die? Or did he have some Babylonian magic that would make her into his willing concubine? Arturia didn't know. Normal magic she knew would fail against her still strong Magic Resistance, but Gilgamesh had too much, always had something more, that you simply could not be sure that he didn't have some method to corrupt her.

Arturia had very little let to her. Her kingdom had fallen. Her life was mere seconds from death in her real life. And her only true hope to save her kingdom would mean the person that she knew would never truly exist. She would exist only as an entity fighting forever for the World.

All for the sake of the people who had trusted her to make them safe, to keep the peace, even if they never understood her, even if she never let herself be understood. She had sworn an oath. She had done everything she could to make sure she had fulfilled it. This little bit was the last she could do. To give her people a better chance under a better leader.

All she had left was who and what she was. Her honor. Her chivalry. Her sense of self. The thought that someone might be able to take that from her…..

She would rather die.

So she began to overpower Excalibur. It would explode, its force not released as a line of holy light, but rather as a globe, perhaps as large as a quarter mile? Maybe larger?

Enough to kill Gilgamesh. That would be her service to the world.

Her last service.

And the rain of swords stopped.

Shirou stood above her, glaring at Gilgamesh. "How could you? Don't you know what this is? How precious and ancient a blade? How can you be so callous as to simply toss it away like some worn penny?"

Gilgamesh flicked his wrist and a half dozen blades leapt in flight.

Shirou was breathing heavily, but one by one each of the blades disappeared from the air and for a fleeting moment rested in his palms. Shirou called up haltingly, "Don't you have any honor at all? Each of those is priceless. If you wish to wield them, wield them. Honor their existence by using the for what they were made for."

Gilgamesh called down to Arturia, "He is your Master?"

"I am proud to call him so."

"I am not done with you, Wife. You will bow to me, you will be mine. Killing him would only complicate things now."

And Gilgamesh disappeared.

Shirou slumped and landed on his knees.

Arturia moved to catch him.

He smiled at her, "Glad I got here in time." And he fell unconscious.

Ayako and Sakura came to the clearing, Sakura helping a hurt Rin.

Rin asked shakily, "Did we at least win?"

Arturia shook her head. "Things have just become more complicated."

And they retreated to the Emiya estate.

-End Part—

A/n- Hard Chapter. Hopefully the next will be faster. Hope you guys enjoy.