Pain.
That was all what Shirou mind could process at the moment, as the soaring agony surged through his body.
After hearing Illya's battle cry, Shirou's instincts kicked in and he shoved Ayako aside with all of his strength. After that, he jumped back before the Black Giant's axe hit the spot in which he stood. Quickly tracing a pair of swords, black as the night itself and white as the purest cloud, he grimly stared at his foe.
Saber was not having a good day. Actually, she was not having good week. Ever since the summoning, the Servant of the Sword was growing increasingly frustrated with her Master, who not only did not have an idea of just what he had gotten himself into, but also didn't even seem to want to fight! It was preposterous! She, as a Servant and a knight, couldn't stand by and let other people fight while she did nothing!
And even after all that, her Master had the gall to just disappear! It was already getting dark, and Shirou hadn't come back home yet. He had already told her he worked at a drinking place, but it was already past his work hours. Just what did he think was he doing?
Shirou wondered briefly, as he soared through the air, what did he thought he was doing. After making sure Berserker's attention was on him, he tried to dodge the hits that the Mad Enhanced Heracles threw at him.
Bad idea.
Barely blocking the first swing of the… weapon (Shirou couldn't comprehend how anyone would call it such) he was sent flying a good ten meters before crashing painfully in the concrete.
"Shirou!"
His mind froze. Due to the surge of adrenaline, he almost forgot that Ayako was there.
Wait. Ayako was there.
Meaning that… oh hell. She saw him using magic, and she saw a Servant of the Holy Grail War. If Shirou's experience with Lancer was anything to go by, this was not going to end well.
Ayako ran to Shirou's side, frantically searching for wounds. "S-Shirou, are you okay? What's going on?"
He quickly stood up, a grim look on his face. "Ayako, I need you to listen to me now. I want you to go to my house, and tell everyone of what's happening, okay?"
"What are you talking about? We need to get out of here!" She exclaimed.
"Look! We don't have time for this! Just go, I'll be fine."
"Hoh? Is your girlfriend leaving so soon? I'm sorry Onii-chan, but you know the rules. No witnesses! Berserker!"
Shirou hastily took Ayako in his arms, earning a soft squeal from the brunette, and dashed backwards, barely avoiding Berserker's swing. He gritted his theeth as his leg muscles almost snapped under the sudden pressure. With a grunt, he jumped high into a nearby rooftop.
Letting Ayako escape and buy her time was no longer an option, as Illya was adamant in fulfilling the War rules. He needed to get there to safety, and that was in his house, where Saber and Archer could drive the giant off.
Rin Tohsaka was many things. The school Idol, loved by almost everyone. A genius Magus, said to have no equal in her generation. The master of Archer, even though she would probably sell her Servant for the Saber class. However there was one thing that could be said about her and be completely sure that it was the truth.
Rin Tohsaka was not a patient person.
"Agh, where the hell is that idiot? Doesn't he know that once the sun sets he will be an easy target for any servant?!"
Unfortunately, Rin was unaware just how right that statement was.
She was currently in the Emiya household, as her alliance with Shirou allowed for them to join their forces in both offense and defense. She was sitting at the living room table, enjoying a cup of the tea that she brought from her home. Saber was back in the dojo, meditating apparently.
Rin sighed. Not for the first time, she was having doubts about this alliance with the "Ally of Justice", better known as the Insufferable Idiot. Having Saber on her side was a quite nice benefit, but she couldn't help but grimace every time she looked at her stats. To think that the most sought class in the War would be under the most useless of Masters was quite depressing, even though that had been improving as Shirou gained better control of his newly awakened Magic Circuits, although he was still a long way from Rin and the other Masters Prana output.
Still, he was very loyal and someone she could be sure wouldn't betray her, which was probably the best advantage one could get in the Holy Grail War. In fact, she trusted him more than her own servant, which sadly wasn't that much of a feat.
Rin's musings were cut short as Saber suddenly dashed through the living room.
"Saber? What's going on? Why the sudden rush?"
The blonde knight looked grimly at her. "Shirou is in danger." She said, before bolting out of the house.
Rin sighed. Sometimes, she hated it when she was right.
As Shirou dashed through Fuyuki's rooftops, Ayako squirmed in his arms.
"Shirou Emiya! Put me down in this instant!" She screamed.
He grimaced. She looked like she was almost going into shock. The sudden chase through the air wasn't helping, either.
"I'm sorry Ayako, but we need to get the hell out of here."
"But why?! Why the hell was that little girl with that... that monster?! What is going on?"
"Listen, Ayako, I can't tell you right now."
"Why?!"
Behind them, at a terrifingly close distance, a deep, unnatural roar was let loose as Berserker chased them, the white-haired girl in his massive shoulder. She was giggling pleasantly, as if she wasn't riding in a giant and trying to kill two people.
"Hahaha, you are quite fast, Onii-chan! But you should already know that you can't outrun my Berserker!"
"Well, for starters, because we have them on our tail." Shirou stated dryly.
A/N: Short update I'm afraid. I got delayed because no matter how much times I wrote this chapter, I never seemed to like it. However, the next update will be much faster, as I have decided how do I want this short story to go from here. Don't worry, there will be more Shirou/Ayako moments!
Also, thanks a lot to my two reviewers, as they were very kind and inspired me to try and finish the chapter faster :D