Alright! Back with more! But to clarify things, Naruto did not become a Counter Guardian. Alaya employed him for the task of destroying the Grail, but he's still a Heroic Spirit. He just haas this one job, then he won't be a Counter Guardian.
Update: I made a major mistake about information given by the Throne of Heroes. I originally said it was the Holy Grail that does it, not the Throne. My bad, and thanks guestI can't reply to for pointing out that glaring mistake.
Anyways, no time to waste. Let's go!
Disclaimer: First chapter
Night 3
"Are you ready, Demigod, Einzebern?" Archer asked with a slight distortion in his voice. It sounded demonic, yet clear enough to understand. The Prana Archer released looked like blue flames either seeping in or exploding out of Archer. Soon, the color changed into a warmer color. First it turned yellow, then a fiery orange, then ultimately changed to a hellish red. Archer's coat changed color to imitate the scheme of his Prana; the blood red coat and the mild battle-lusting face of Archer almost made him look like a blood Knight. He madly grinned from ear to ear...
I am the bone of my sword!
Berserker raised his weapon, blocking the punch aimed for his face. He looked to see the grinning face of Archer took a malicious version, as his punch created an explosion powerful enough to push Berserker away and drag his feet across the floor. The massive Servant retaliated by meeting Archer's charge. Archer saw the swing and lowered his left fist while his body learned forward to keep him low to the ground as well. At the right time, he rocketed his fist up, parrying Berserker's blade upwards with enough power to disrupt Berserker's posture. Archer sprinted forwards with his forearms covering his torso like a boxer. Berserker recovered rather quickly, and brought his weapon down, forcing Archer to spin clockwise while moving to the right. The blade totally missed its mark, making a small trench on the floor of the Einzbern mansion. Archer dragged his right foot back and leaned on it. He sprung from his right foot, and twisted his torso to redirect that energy towards the back muscles. His right arm moves outwards to punch, the energy moving up from the body to the arm.
Steel is my body and fire is my blood!
Archer reinforced his arm, gathered Prana at his fist, and added Chakra into the mix. The arm reached closer and closer to Berserker's unguarded side, and made contact. The punch itself made Berserker wince at the attack, but like the first punch, it had that second function to explode. The area Archer punched created a magic circle, and all the energies he used became infused inside the circle of power. Like a cannon shooting its ammunition, Archer's arm recoiled back as the explosion erupts, tearing Berserker's side as if a cannon actually shot the Servant. Archer returned to his boxing stance, his right gauntlet slightly steaming before cooling down. He jumped towards Berserker's head and this time used his left arm to do the same thing, effectively decimating the Servant's head. He used Berserker's chest as a platform to jump up, then punch Berserker's already dead body. The explosion incinerated any skin or launched chunks of Berserker's body.
I am tempered steel forged in fire
Archer made a set of hand signs, and the air around him twisted around. Wind and water revolved around him, turning into a dome of turbulent storms. Red lightning arched past the dome, electrifying anything it touches, even the recovering remains of Berserker's body. Archer created a vortex in which objects gravitate towards him. Illya was forced to cling to a handrail to keep herself standing. After half a minute, Archer released the technique, and blasted everything away with a wall of wind.
and blessed by water.
Berserker's recovery looked disgusting. His chunks rolled towards the torso with a gaping hole. Blood came to life and snaked its way to its body. A black fog covered the gruesome recovery, but it did not mute the squelching that came about. Archer changed his gauntlets into a lance, its onyx shaded blade, shaped like a kite, took almost three fourths of the length. The rest of the length was for the black leather-wrapped handle. On the blade itself, a roman numeral three glowed gold underneath a crimson omega symbol. The omega symbol grew larger, ending at the points, where the lance's kite shape tapers towards the handle, and sprouted a sort of guard in the shape of the omega symbol.
Berserker's body squirmed as he formed his face. Archer could see the eyeball slowly form as well at the blood vessels behind it and on his cheeks. Skin covered that layer, finally completely recovering from Archer's attack. "Quite the fearsome blow, Archer." Berserker commented. Archer slightly nodded, accepting his compliment. Berserker continued, "Will you finish the invocation of your aria, Archer?" The red Knight agreed, and resumed it.
Unknown to the chaos of battle,
Both Servants closed in on each other, Archer twirling his weapon whereas Berserker dragged his weapon across the floor, breaking apart under the sword's serrated edge. Archer twirled his lance down. In contrast, Berserker swung up. Both of the large weapons met in a resounding clash. Sparks flew off the clashing metal, and both struggled for dominance. Archer let go by raising his lance while turning right. He gripped the handle like he would a sword, and nearly bisected Berserker's gut. However, Berserker expected it, and backed away.
nor to the placidity of peace…
Archer stabbed his lance into the ground. His eyes closed as he focused on his aria. Berserker took no chance in letting the enemy finished, and charged. He swung his sword horizontally in order to attempt bisecting Archer as payback.
I stand here as the unprovoked Vanguard to protect,
Archer lifted his lance off the ground, and twirled it up, raising Berserker's weapon as well. With one hand, Archer thrust at Berserker multiple times to impale the large Servant. The skilled Demigod blocked the attacks, and was surprised to see Archer's attacks pushed him inches backwards. Berserker parried, making Archer improvise the next strike as a diagonal slash that only struck ground. He pulled the lance back, only to thrust it back at Berserker once again.
To safeguard those precious to me!
The lance's roman numeral three glowed brighter and moved above the omega symbol. The lance split into a trident-like lance, cutting through the air. Berserker's sword met the lance at the one of the gaps. Berserker twisted his blade at the handle, forcing Archer's grip on his weapon to loosen. Archer grabbed the shaft once Berserker stopped twisting his weapon; the Knight pulled back, twirling the trident behind him. In that moment, he let the weapon revert to its default form, hiding itself from Berserker's eyes. He also used Invisible Air to conceal the blade as he went to stab Berserker's gut.
The squelching sound of a body being pierced by a sword came with Archer's shout, "Strike Air!" Invisible Air contorted like a storm, turbulent winds unveiled Archer's sword, and blasted out like a tornado, tearing Berserker's torso off by the waist. Berserker's body lay in two on the polished and also demolished marble floor of the mansion. Archer returned to a relaxed state, sheathed his sword and calmly retrieved his visor. Berserker's recovering body filled the silence between Archer and Illya.
"Ojou-san." Archer called, stopping his aria before the end, his back facing the Homunculus while refitting his visor on, "I really do wish to help you. If you bear hatred towards my Master, let go of it. Kiritsugu Emiya loved you so much, wanted to take you with him, but your Grandfather wouldn't let him take you away from the Einzbern home. Your status as the Lesser Grail was something he cherished unlike your father, who wanted his daughter. Your baseless revenge will only hurt the only true family you have left. If my aria hasn't said it, I vow to protect those precious. My Master by contract and by companionship is someone precious, and seeing as you're his elder half-sister, that extends to you as well. I will protect you unconditionally, Ojou-san. And I never go back on my word, Believe it." He disappeared into flames, and left the battle-torn mansion. Only then did Berserker finish recovering. The humongous Servant went closer and kneeled to his Master.
"Shall I pursue, Master?"
"No. You've lost several more lives to Archer. We have to let you recover. Five lives means if each of these Servants has an A-ranked Noble Phantasm and strikes you down with it, you will die." Illya answered, stating truth, "We must let you recover."
"As you wish, Master." Berserker relented. He then started on another related topic, "Do you believe what he's saying, Master. Those employed by Alaya are said to protect humanity from calamity and extinction of the human race. However, in an earlier conversation, Assassin identified Archer as a Heroic Spirit; a situation most interesting since Alaya only employs its guardians rather than ask for the help of a Heroic Spirit. If the Grail is indeed corrupted, then you have to keep yourself safe at all times." Illya nodded in understanding, yet could not feel the taint she's supposed to feel, though her mind focused on the word 'family'. Shirou Emiya was indeed family, but also a scapegoat to her suffering. This Archer knew far more than the usual Servants are supposed to know. He knew so much it terrified her.
"Just who are you, Archer?" She kept in the back of her mind the abilities he displayed so far. That damnable transforming sword wasn't something found in recorded history. If so, then who could Archer be? That weapon is surely no doubt a Noble Phantasm capable of killing Berserker, but how many forms does it take? She saw five, and since his class is Archer, it must turn into a bow, six so far. She wondered how much more forms it has while heading to her mansion's library to research Archer's identity.
"Did you have fun wrecking Berserker, Archer?" Assassin asked. Both Archer and Assassin were taking a drink of sakē on top of the bridge connecting Fuyuki city to the next town over. They admired the horizon the moon reflected. Night life looked quite calm, far more so than their timeline. "I could feel the Prana you unleashed almost reach the city, and you were in the middle of the forest."
"First, yes. Second, I wanted to protect the vessel." Archer replied. The answer stupefied Assassin. "While Alaya said to destroy the Grail, I can protect her at least until the end."
"And suffer the wrath of disobeying Alaya's will?"
"I'm a Heroic Spirit first and foremost. Alaya simply asked me to destroy the Grail; I'm no Counter Guardian, nor am I allowing myself to just follow its orders like a dog." Archer replied seriously. "It didn't say how or when or even if I can just destroy the location where the Greater Grail will be summoned. Just destroy. Frankly, I can hardly justify myself in killing an innocent that'll be the trigger of the apocalypse. It also doesn't make sense. If she doesn't feel the corruption, then who holds its taint? Who made another Lesser Grail that holds the corruption?" Assassin sighed, fully knowing Archer's habits and behavior. He placed his cup of sakē on the metal girder they sat on, and remembered how good-natured the man next to him was. The selfless idiot that would save his precious ones, even his own flawed rival to the point of death.
"I see the flaw in Alaya's words." Assassin remarked, "All Alaya ordered me to do was to eliminate major threats that pop. Even then, Alaya didn't say who to eliminate." Archer leaned back, placing a hand on the girder to support himself. The blonde had an idea who the threats Alaya might be speaking of, but the reality his Servant Archer had came from wasn't like this new one. His existence rewrites things, most likely; however, he can attempt to make the perceived reality stay on the rails for a while longer before the whole War's events change.
"I can't help you there, Assassin." Archer said sadly. "But if Alaya is ordering you to kill masterminds, it might not be so bad. We are assassins by occupation." Assassin snorted. While Archer had the skills to be an Assassin, he could hardly identify Archer as an assassin. Due to the teachings Archer's Servants gave, he was only a warrior with a myriad of skills at his beck and call. A combat pragmatist, a fighter that will use anything to win. Even if he were to use his skills to kill discreetly, Archer will always favor the direct approach rather than the devious route assassins eventually take. "Though I will give a hunch that Kirei Kotomine might be a potential threat. As a mediator and lone spectator of the War, he shouldn't be able to have the presence of a Master, nor should I be able to sense Lancer's presence nearby the church. A Lancer is always direct, and we know this summoned Lancer. For him to stay back when a potential battle is ripe for the taking is unlike him at all." Assassin agreed. Definitely unlike Lancer to stay back.
He stood up, patting away dust that may have accumulated during their near midnight break. The cloak Assassin wore fluttered in the wind, revealing his black kimono and onyx Spaulders lined with gold. He wore a deep blue obi with red roses stitched to appear like a garden of roses. His navy blue pants were fashioned to fit black greaves with gold designs on it. He wore no metal boots, opting for his regular sandals for silence rather then clanking footsteps. He turned to Archer, "I'll look into it. Thanks for the extra info." Archer waved it off as if it was nothing of particular importance to talk about possible threats to their mission. "Now then…shall we have that rematch?" Assassin revealed his sword, Rozū, and poised it beside him. The point of the red longsword with a serrated edge lightly stabbed the girder.
"Better question is…" Archer stood up as well, "Which one is the real one?" Assassin turned around to see a small battalion's amount of Archers standing on top of the bridge as well. The Servant of the bow cheekily smiled, "If you can find the real me in one minute, we'll fight. If not, there's always next time." Archer dispelled, letting Assassin figure out which one out of the fakes is real. "Clock is ticking," one of the Archers told the Assassin. They fumbled about the area, while Assassin slashed at them to verify their existence as the original or another clone. At the half a minute mark, he charged his sword in electricity, then stabbing it on the bridge, reaching the clones near the bridge, and eliminating them. The simultaneous poofs wasted ten seconds off his time, allowing move clones to stay away from Assassin's area of effect attack. Using his speed, Assassin cut through the fakes in one fell swoop, allowing only two to be left on the bridge.
"Time's up." Archer stated from behind Assassin. "Later, Counter Guardian Sasuke Uchiha." The Servant disappeared once more, leaving his 'enemy' alone.
"Hmph! Same to you, Heroic Spirit Naruto Uzumaki." He fizzled into shadow, and returned to his Master's side.
Shirou heard the cries of a baby. An elderly woman held a bloody child, recently out of the womb, and expertly cleaned it, while the other nurses cut the umbilical cord. Out of the blood, and other secretions, a little boy with a small tuft of blonde hair cried louder. A man resembling Archer held the boy in a careful manner, the father.
"Look! It's our son!" He went closer to his wife, and allowed the woman who birthed the child, a red-haired woman, cradle her newborn. She cupped her son's tiny, supple cheek, the whisker marks were there, signifying this was Archer's birth. The husband gently took the child away and gave it to one of the nurses. "You can cuddle with him a bit later, but now, we have to suppress it before it can get out." Shirou looked confused. What was 'it'? He didn't get a chance to know because there there the distinct sounds of two bodies hitting the ground.
The husband and wife turned to the sound to see a man in a black, hooded cloak and spiral mask, hold the child calmly. "Lord Fourth, step away from the Jinchuriki, or else this child will die after its first minute." The dark voice the masked man held had some weight in tone alone, but Shirou, as well as the parents knew that it was only half of it. And what in the heck was a Jinchuriki?
"W-Who are you?" Questioned the man. Beside him, his wife squirmed, in pain like something else was about to emerge from inside her. Concern filled the man's eyes, wordlessly telling his wife to hang on.
"Hurry up and move away from the Jinchuriki, Lord Fourth." Ordered the masked man, "Don't you care what happens to your little brat?"
"Wait! Stay calm!"
"Speak for yourself. I'm supremely calm." He chucked the baby up in the air, revealing a Kunai in his left hand by doing so. The woman called her son's name, yet Shirou couldn't hear Archer's name. The husband glowed in a golden flash, teleporting himself to the baby's position. Shirou looked surprised to see a man teleport. "Impressive. However…" The father caught the baby in time, but the cloth looked to be laced in paper tags that sizzled.
A bomb! The father teleported away just in time, and landed on a clearing. He inspected his son, unscathed at all. He teleported away again, and reached a dimly lit room. He placed his son in another small blanket and placed him on a bed. "Don't you worry, I'll go get mom." He teleported away to get his wife, leaving the child to his crying marathon.
The young Master looked around; he was in a dimly lit room occupied by the woman with red hair and her child. It seemed several minutes skipped, since the woman wasn't here before. He guessed that the man must have saved her, and was fighting the masked man. The ground shook, and the baby's cries increased in volume. The woman cradled her child with care, yet Shirou could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Another earthquake resembling the average strength of Japan's earthquakes shook the building, eliciting more eardrum-piercing shrieks from the newborn.
"It'll be alright…-" Shirou strained to hear the name the woman uttered, but the shaking cut the away the words. "Mommy's here for you. Daddy will be back soon, and we'll be one big happy family. Daddy…couldn't wait to meet you; he bought a toy even though you were still inside mommy." Her exhaustion hasn't reached her peak, but Shirou knew the woman couldn't last much longer.
Suddenly, the father appeared out of nowhere. He wore a headband with a metal plate with the carving of some stylized leaf. He wore a white cloak with flames, a green flak jacket, and a set of blue long-sleeved shirt and blue pants wrapped at the heel with wrappings, and his footwear consisted of sandals. He walked closer to them, asking what he already predicted, "Are you okay? How are you and little -" Again, Shirou was denied the reveal of the child's name.
"He's fine, dear. What's going on?"
"I need to take him with me." He said calmly. "I need to finish this."
"W-what do you mean?" The woman asked. "Didn't you take care of it?"
"I severed the contract binding it. I haven't defeated it at all. I'm planning on sealing it."
"Into what?" She received only a subtle glance directed at their son,
Into our child?!" The woman looked absolutely shocked, "But…what about-"
"It's fine, Kushina. I'm ready to do this." His smile looked serene. It looked much more calm compared to Archer's overbearing smile. "I'm ready to die for our son. I'm ready to use the Reaper Death Seal." What? "He'll need a mother in his life to keep him in line. You have to stay here. I can't let you die." He expertly snatched Archer's baby form, but Kushina wrestled control.
"Take me with you, I can restrain it…at least for a little while longer." Restrain what exactly? Was there some great calamity during Archer's birth? "Please! At least look at your child properly before doing this. Look at the son you'll leave behind, the young man you'll never see…grow up!" She met her husband's embrace, and Shirou saw tears flow out of the man's eyes.
He kneeled to her, looking defeated as he did so. "That is exactly the reason I want to get this over with; so I won't die of regret. What I'll do to our son is unforgivable, inexcusable, I won't be able to see him grow, protect him from the others, teach him, all those things a parent yearns to experience with his or her child! I don't want this resolve I have to waver! I want to live to keep our family together, Kushina!" His sobs reach Shirou's heart. This sound of a man crying made him remember the fire, the only day he heard Kiritsugu, his adopted father, cry.
Kushina returned her husband's hug, "You forget that it is a parent's role to do all they can for his or her child. I-I fully understand what you have to do. But please, look at your son once more. And…let me stand by you until the end." Her request surprised Shirou. What a woman. She had so much willpower. So this is Archer's mother…
The man nodded. He looked at the son that he will never see grow, never see his strength, never see what their son would do, nor would see him find proper love. Tears flowed outward, all the things he couldn't teach his child, couldn't experience together, couldn't tell his child, and they, as a family, would never eat ramen together. All of his childhood will be lonely, and Minato could see it. He hugged the child tenderly, his tears nearly soaking his son's blanket. Kushina gave the two a hug, and the parents visibly cried; This will be their first and first and last time they meet as a whole family. Baby Archer cried as well, louder than both his parents combined. After a minute of the water works, Minato, still hugging his child and wife, teleported them to a forest clearing.
In front of Shirou now stood a titanic Kyuubi, a Japanese mythical beast. The beast saw the husband and wife, and the man yelled, "Now!" Kushina created golden chains that emerged from her back. Shirou thought it was Magecraft, but underneath, he knew it was vastly different. He couldn't explain it into words, but he just knew. The chains wrapped around the Nine-tailed fox, and restrained it. "Do your part, Minato-kun!" Minato nodded, making several hand signs that did absolutely nothing, yet visibly affected and exhausted the beast.
"Hang on just a bit longer, Kushina!" Minato yelled. "Just one more minute, and it'll be over." The man walked over to his son and implanted something. He continued making another set of hand signs right when Kyuubi roared as Kushina's grip slacked and allowed the beast to lunge with it's giant claw.
"Minato!" Kushina ran to her husband's side, impaling herself along with Minato to prevent the claw from skewering their child as well. Blood erupted from their mouths as they struggle in this strange version of tug of war that was absolutely heartbreaking for the teen spectating it all. They fended off the sharp claw of the fox for the moment. While they did so, they said their parting words, words of advice so trivial compared to the situation at hand.
Kushina worded out his name once more, denying Shirou Archer's name, "Don't be a picky eater… Eat a lot…and grow big and strong." Her pained words hit Shirou in the heart, did he have a mother like this? Did he have a family that took care of him like the parents he's seeing are doing now? "Make sure to…bathe everyday…and stay warm. Don't stay up late… Get plenty of sleep." He remembered how Kiritsugu attempted to be a father, telling him some of these things Kushina was saying. While the man wasn't there most of the time, he cherished their bond. Unlike Archer, his bonds with his parents were cut short. "Plus…make friends… You don't need a lot…okay? You only need a few…that you can really trust." Shirou took a moment to imagine Shinji, then erased the image away, leaving Fuji-nee, Sakura, Issei, and probably Rin and maybe Luiva as well. He smiled a bit. These were his friends, those he could trust. "And…your mom was bad at this, but…study hard…and learn your ninjutsu! Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses… So even if things don't go well…don't get depressed, okay? At the Academy, respect your teachers…and those senior to you" Shirou started to have tears well up inside him. He could actually feel the mother's bond with her child! "Oh…and regarding the three prohibitions, be…careful about loaning and borrowing money… Make sure you save money…from your mission pay. Don't start drinking until you're twenty one… Too much is bad for the body, so…do it in moderation."
What's with these advice? They were dying! Just spend the last moments admiring your child! Just then, Kushina continued, "And the most problematic… Girls…" Shirou stopped. How true was that statement. "I'm a girl…so I don't really know much about this… But…at some point, you'll notice girls… And that's normal. Just don't fall for the first one you see… Find…someone like me!" Shirou felt hollow…seeing this death somehow connected him to his lost parents, the ones he forgot. Did he have a sibling? A little brother or sister? "Also…going along with that last one… Be wary of Jiraiya-Sensei… He'll hook you up…with simpleton skanks…so choose only the one that's right…for you." She balled up her fists, "-…There'll be plenty of hard…painful…times ahead… Take care of yourself! Make sure…you have dreams…and the confidence to…make them come true!"
Her arms slack, and she huffed. She wasted her breath, giving advice Archer would never hear. "There's so…much! So…so…much!" She sobbed, clearing away a tiny bit of her and her husband's blood off Kyuubi's claw. "There really…there really is…so much more that I…that I want to tell you… I want to be with you longer!"
"I love you." She strained to say. "I'm sorry, dear. You don't have much time…to say much."
"T-That's alright…" Minato answered, "-, My words to you as your father…is ditto to what your loquacious mother said…" He gave his boy a pained, yet toothy grin.
The baby Archer cried, seemingly understanding the dying words his parents gave.
"We love you forever and always, -"
The words were silent, yet Shirou knew by instinct that this was what Archer's parents said. They were already dead people standing. Blood leaked through their punctured guts; they won't last long at all. He crumbled his fists…this is what the feeling of family was like? T-then what happened? Did they die? Or did they survive, but give up on him?
The Kyuubi roars, trying its last ditch effort to kill the child. Both parents placed their palm on their child's stomach, and yell, "Seal!" The boy's stomach glows with a glaring blue pillar of light, Kyuubi is drawn into it. Shirou understood what was happening, they were imprisoning the Kyuubi inside the boy, a vessel to contain the beast of mass destruction.
The parents fell on their side, the mother fell on the left of the basket the baby laid on, while the father fell on the opposite side. Their eyes were glazed, gone; life lost in the battlefield, and an ultimate parent's sacrifice to ensure their child's safety. What a cruel fate for such loving parents to perish on the day their child was born. Archer's wailing echoed in the forest as if mourning the loss of his parents.
"Gah!" Shirou woke up with a startle. "That was Archer's birth…right?" Quite the vivid image. It almost made him feel like their son. Kushina's hair made him think about whether his mom or dad had red hair. Right then and there, a pain shot up in his brain. A memory of some sort popped up.
"Onii-chan! Play with me!" He heard a little girl say. She laughed while tackling him. "C'mon! Let's play! I'm bored!" Shirou braced his head. The tiny memory seeped in, hurting his brain, yet he wanted more. He had a sister; a little sister with short black hair and wore blue sundress, clung to him tightly. "Pleeeeeeaaaaaaassssseeee?" The memory ended, causing the boy pain. He wanted more! He wanted to know who his sister was!
He slammed his fist on the floor before standing up. Getting frustrated won't do him any good. He left his room, and noticed that he was exhausted more than when he would usually trace late at night. He stumbled a bit, but not enough to fall over.
He walked to the kitchen when he heard, "Good morning, Master." Shirou had woken up to see Archer cooking in the kitchen. Yet despite that, Shirou rubbed his eyes to see if he was dreaming this up. Archer, the Heroic Spirit knew how to cook? Was this the same Archer that could take down Berserker if he was stronger? The eyes didn't lie when Shirou saw Archer still cooking. "What's wrong? Never saw a guy cook before? Strange… You cook, yet you never get that type of reaction when you're cooking." Archer gave a calculating stare as he tried to figure out the source of his Master's confusion, "Must be the pink apron…" he mumbled to himself as he cooked.
Shirou had to admit part of his reaction came from the apron, but it was hardly the source of it all. The man didn't make fun of him yet. Usually that's the first thing he does in the morning. Granted he only met his Servant two days ago, Archer had made a habit of making fun of him, and while not being insults in the least, it was slightly demoralizing. Even worse than the mocking, his super awesome Servant was cooking in a frilly pink apron like it was nothing to gawk at. He could see Archer's manliness level drop a few levels. It wasn't near the level of revoking Archer's man card, but it was certainly less than average because of what he wore. Plus there's that dream he had last night; he didn't know how to approach the topic of his dream.
Feeling like he should just ignore Archer's comments and ask about the dream later, Shirou greeted his Servant with a slightly exhausted greeting of "Morning…"
"Hmm?" Archer paid attention to his Master's state of tiredness, "What's wrong, Master? Did you not have enough sleep?" Shirou shook his head, and noted his Servant's worry.
"Nothing of the sort. I just feel drained…somehow."
"Drained huh?" Archer lowered his head to focus on his cooking, "I may have an answer to that." Shirou looked up at Archer after he took a seat at the table. Silencing himself to hear the answer, the Emiya Master waited for it. "Do you remember a skill called Mad Enhancement?" A nod. "Mad enhancement is a skill that takes a large amount of Prana from the Master. While you cannot supply us Servants with your Prana, Mad Enhancement forces a connection to fuel the Servant, me, with the enhancement. And I must say…I used it to the limit. I used it with Ex ranking. You would certainly have died had I not used my own resources to only leave you with a minimal amount of participation." Again, Shirou looked astounded and shocked. What's with Archer taking these risks that would most likely get his Master killed?
Furthermore, "You say Mad Enhancement. Does it take away your sanity?"
"Normally, yes. Berserkers usually hold on to this skill as they are the ones who gain power from Mad Enhancement. Usually, Masters would use a modified summoning chant to impose Mad Enhancement on a Servant capable of going mad, but can be summoned normally." Shirou knew to expect an exception when Archer said 'normally'. "I myself was born with the capability to go mad from power. I had a power I couldn't control based on my anger." What? So he was some kind of green, steroid-induced hero? Obvious reference and joking aside, Shirou guessed that it might have something to do with the Kyuubi he saw. "I learned to control its power, making me able to keep my sanity despite the madness and the power boost that came along with it. It translated into me being unable to lose my sanity." Shirou nodded understanding what Archer disclosed, further implying that the dream was an actually true event. "But enough about that, are you hungry for some tuna?"
Shirou nodded, "But what about the others?"
"Saber is doing warm ups to polish her skills; she won't be revealing herself for a while, in turn, making her an inactive participant. She has to keep her skills sharp." Archer replied in a tactician-like manner, in other words, as-a-matter-of-factly. "As for Sakura or Taiga, they've yet to arrive. Though they should be here right about…now." Right on the mark, the door opened, meaning Taiga barged in again with Sakura following behind. Archer greeted the newcomers with a gleeful smile as the two women entered the dining room. Sakura bowed, while Taiga looked like she was struck in the heart. Archer had to wonder what happened during his life to make him both the enemy and desire of women. Oh, and how he managed to live life despite being an orphan.
"Good morning, Mister Gunther." Both women said. Though Sakura came up with the question plaguing both women's brains, "Why are you cooking?"
"Is it so weird for me to cook?" Archer asked irritatingly. "I may be a man, but I was raised to be responsible for myself." The the tuna in the pan caught fire, almost seemingly reacting to Archer's rage. Did his anger also affect things around him? Shirou hoped not. He didn't want his house to burn down. He didn't even know what Archer was capable of when he's insane! He could destroy the city if the large Kyuubi he saw was a beast of mass destruction. "As for Clarisse, that's another story…" the fire extinguished itself, and he mumbled, "…that glutton."
Saber entered the room, and walked over to hit Archer in the head. "I dare you to say that again, Erik." Archer landed on the floor. Saber huffed, and hastily took her seat. Moments later, Archer recovered, finishing his cooking, and served the tuna along with sunny-side ups and bacon. The Japanese people looked unimpressed by the menu Archer cooked up because of his (looks like) western origins. Which totally contradicted Shirou's dreams.
"Eat up, folks! Food's still warm." He took his seat next to Saber, and clapped his hands together, "Itadakimasu!" The others followed his lead, and ate. Though Saber noticed something vastly different about this.
"Erik…" Saber said demonically, "Why is my plate a tea plate?"
Nothing much happened during school. Shinji stayed away from Shirou for some strange reason, and he even didn't so much as belittle him. Despite that, he actually worried about what he saw in his dream. Archer was right when he said his father looked western whereas his mother looked oriental in contrast to her western red-hair. Wait…did that mean he was half-Japanese?!
"Hey, hey, Master o'mine. What's bugging you?" Archer asked, while taking some practice with his bow on a poor straw dummy. Archer consecutively shot the dummy right where a person's sternum should be, and the dummy's head. It looked like a porcupine with all the arrows Archer impaled it with.
"Nothing much." Shirou answered. He wasn't ready to disclose what he learned in his dream. He opted to openly question about his true family, "Do you think one of my parents had red hair?"
"Yeah. Genetics and all that science stuff dictates your parent or at least a relative of yours had red hair." He nocked another arrow, and released it on the dummy's head again. "If it's about your parents, you must have seen something to make you ask that question. What did you see?" Shirou stiffened. Well you don't get to be a hero without being observant.
"I-I… I think I saw your birth, Archer." Right then and there, Archer stood petrified while drawing his bow. "I saw a woman with long red hair taking care of you while there was a battle taking place outside. Then I saw a look-alike of you that was your dad taking you to seal a gigantic Kyuubi into you."
"What else did you see?" Archer asked monotonously. Despite that, Shirou knew that Archer had a bit of anger in his voice. "What did you see in the dream sequence?"
"I saw a masked man that used you as a bargaining chip… And your parents final words." Archer remembered his mother's explanation, what actually happened in the past. While his birth was set at an unfortunate time, he didn't regret it.
Archer closed his eyes, and relaxed. His Master hadn't seen the effects when using Kyuubi's power. "I see…" Archer wondered why his Master saw given the vision of his birth. "Then you shouldn't worry about the memory. It's unfortunate that I didn't get to see my parents, I lived life as best as I could. It's not so bad. I met Saber later on in my life." With that said, Shirou understood that Archer and Saber weren't true siblings just like he and Taiga. "You were adopted after the fire, right? There may be a chance that your parents are alive, or not."
"Actually…I think I also have a sister. Something like a memory sparked out this morning after the dream sequence of your birth, Archer." The Servant wasn't surprised. Second magic always has something different for something so similar. Though he wondered, what did his Master's 'sister' looked like? He suspected another red-haired girl, though he may be wrong; he didn't get his mom's red hair, so there's a chance that the sister has a different colored hair. "She looked like...she had black hair. And it looked and felt so...strange. I never had a little sister before... I must have concocted that appearance."
"Maybe you really do have a sister. You did lose your memories, so there's a chance she's alive."
Shirou accepted the speculation, yet there was something bugging him slightly. "How do you really know my dad? How did you even know I was adopted after the fire?" Archer held a professional poker face. The Servant already expected this round of questions to happen sooner or later. What's with Saber calling Shirou of the past 'dense'? But moving on, he had a lie to explain.
"The Throne of Heroes gives a Servant relevant knowledge. Culture, technology, history, and other important details like legends of other Servants or our Master's life story so far is given to us. So when I came to your call, I learned all about your life, at least after the fire. The one before it, the Grail refused to disclose for some odd reason." He saw his Master's downcast eyes, and continued to talk, "Though don't let it get ya down, Master. You're A-okay in my book." He gave the young Master a thumbs up, yet the young man couldn't reciprocate the same attitude. To Shirou, there was so many things to ask about his past and Archer's as well as Saber's.
Archer felt a presence knock at the border of his boundary field. He drew his swords, startling Shirou, who backed away from Archer's blades. The Yin and Yang swords gleamed against the sunset. Shirou kept to memory the appearance of the swords because of its entrancing effect on him. "Is something wrong, Archer?" Archer had already suited up, his Knightly appearance screaming for battle. "Why are you in your battle attire?"
"Lancer is knocking on our door." Archer calmly stated with a small smile on his face. Shirou looked quite surprised that Archer wasn't tense about the new situation that arose from Lancer's arrival. He could past it off as Archer already used to battle, or that he knows Lancer in a unknown way. That smile Archer gave off just had to be a smile when seeing an old friend -not that Shirou has one. "It seems he wants to fight. I'm letting him in."
"W-What? You'll let Lancer in?" Shirou asked. "Why?"
"He had the decency to knock." Archer nonchalantly answered. He raised his left index and pointed itself to his chest, "Where I come from, you usually get impaled in the back with a Kunai sticking out your sternum. When it comes to Servant fights, you almost get the same effect, but only with an Assassin. Though a Servant can get the jump on another in they're fast enough. After all, a win is a win, right? Cheap shot or not, it works. To have Lancer knock is a blessing I would only expect from Saber herself or any other chivalrous Servant." Shirou gulped. He realized how true the situation was. Why waste energy when you can kill your enemy before they realize you're there in the first place. "Granted, Lancer is direct. He's never one to shy away from one-on-one combat. To use underhanded tactics like assassination is beyond his beliefs of a proper fight." Archer saw Lancer jumping the rooftops, then land in front of the blue-clad man twirled his lance, resting it on his shoulders.
"Evening, Archer, Emiya." Lancer greeted. "I've come to settle the fight we had two days ago."
Archer stepped back towards his Master in a protective manner. "Are you sure it's only that? Did your Master order you to fight?" He received a nod with a frown upon his face. Lancer raised his weapon, making it vertical before he stabbed the point of his lance on the ground to say his tirade.
"Hit the nail right on the head, eh Archer?" Lancer said sarcastically, "My Master wants me to eliminate the competition. In other words, he wants to eliminate you from this War. He said I could win in two ways…the logical one, then the dishonorable one. You know which I'm leaning on, right Archer?" He received a nod, and Lancer kept on talking, "Anyways, he prefers I use the latter method because he believes I should keep my skills hidden -what a load of BS. You know my identity, so you know my Noble Phantasm." Shirou was getting close to figuring out what Lancer meant about the dishonorable way to win at the same time Lancer was about to finish, "Enough chit-chat, I want to fight you, not kill the cockroach."
"Just don't lean into some guy's lap, then we'll be fine, Dog of Culann. Wouldn't want to loose your bite and be all bark now do we?" Lancer grit his teeth. Archer always has an insult to use, doesn't he? He wanted to beat him just to shut that overactive mouth, "Oh, and don't call my Master a cockroach again. You won't be getting any Scooby Snacks anytime soon if you keep saying that."
"Funny. I got a comedian as an opponent." Lancer deadpanned. He grabbed his spear, and readied himself for battle. Archer did the same, keeping his position in between Lancer and his Master. Shirou himself stepped back at least by the hallway. He needed to see this fight, if only for a moment. "Let's see your true skills emerge, Saber wannabe!" He charged at him in a blue blur, the glinting red spear also making a blur effect on the weapon as he got closer to his opponent.
"Right back at you, Unlucky Irish!" Archer charged too, his weapons met the other in a clash of orange sparks of determination.
Outside Shirou's door, Rin was getting irritated. Why wasn't the boy answering the door? She arrived a minute ago, yet there still wasn't an answer. They were supposed to meet up to discuss their stratagem for the War. With potentially five out of the seven Masters revealed, they had to strike quickly. Yet he blew her off like nothing! So here she was -trying- to meet up with him to talk about this. "Oh where in the hell is Emiya?"
Saber revealed herself from her Spirit form beside Rin, "It's unwise to stay here in the open, Master. We should return home as soon as possible. Preferably, I'd like soon to be now." Her bluntness surprised Rin. The Master hadn't seen Saber this irritated or visibly hostile about something so trivial.
"But I have to talk to talk to Emiya." Rin answered. She insisted on it. "We have to discuss our strategy if we want to win effectively. I understand you detest Archer with a passion right now, but you must learn to be passive about this. He knows the Code of Chivalry; hopefully, he knows the basics of tactics, and how to discuss it. Properly." Saber looked at her Master's firm stance on the idea, and relented. Her Master could be as stubborn as a mule. Just then they heard the familiar sound of clashing metal. Understanding this to be a Servant battle, they rushed into the home.
At another nearby area, a blonde haired man in a black blazer, a white, buttoned, long-sleeved shirt and slacks stood atop an utility pole. He stared at Archer's and Lancer's battle with a keen eye. While he shouldn't get too interested, he can't help but get a slight bit amused at Archer's ability. Copying weapons or Noble Phantasms, while weaker than the originals, was an essential skill the man had to admit. Though compared to his Noble Phantasm, Archer's crude ability will never be as refined as his. He had enough of the angle from the view he had, and jumped in closer on the action.
"I've broken twenty-seven of those things, but you still pump out more. What the hell is that Noble Phantasm?" Lancer angrily asked. "That ain't normal!"
Archer chuckled, "Aren't we abnormal phenomena as well? People, legendary people that should be dead my legend's facts, are alive and fighting for the fictitious Holy Grail. Sounds like something that came from an Anime or Visual Novel." Shirou was about to ask why Archer knew about Anime when he realized they just talked about this minutes ago. So he promptly shut his mouth. "And to humor you, the act of creating these swords is not a Noble Phantasm. To reiterate, I make them. From my own Prana. A projection make real. A projection strengthened, reinforced to be a blade of exceptional craft, but a copy that will unable to attain the perfection of the original. Did I answer your question, Lancer?" Shirou noted this skill because projection and reinforcement were his only skills he knew of and practiced constantly. Whatever Archer did yesterday certainly helped some with his ability to Trace.
Lancer lowered his stance, and answered, "Yeah. What a nasty ability, Archer."
"Most interesting, Mongrel!" Shirou turned to the source of the voice, the man who stood atop the utility pole. Lancer looked surprised to see the newcomer, but didn't say anything. Archer himself didn't spare a passing glance.
"Hello to you too, King of Heroes." Archer greeted calmly, "If you don't mind, this 'Mongrel' wants to finish his fight with the Dog."
"Hey! Don't call me a 'Dog'!" Lancer barked.
"I said it earlier, and you didn't say anything, Lancer." Lancer didn't have an excuse, so he clammed up, amusing both Archer and the man dubbed as the 'King of Heroes'. Shirou tried figuring out his name by title alone, but wasn't able to find a name right off the bat. The only clue to the title was the inference that the mysterious man was the first hero. If so, he'd have to be an Epic Hero of the Anglo-Saxon period. Shirou was quite happy to know his lessons in Fuji-nee's class had some application to today's battle; the idea of figuring out the identity, not so much…
"Even so, you shouldn't belittle your enemies!"
"Like that guy?" Archer pointed his thumb at the King of Heroes, who had a smug smile at being pointed out for such a not-so-admirable trait among warriors. "Sorry, but I've been known to piss people off." Shirou prevented the urge to say, 'Yeah, no kidding…' but managed to seal his mouth before words came out. "Yeah. I guess it's been a part of me. Both my enemies and wives experience me my constant insults or teasing. For the former, it's comes off as a natural thing. The latter however…" Archer cringed. Though not enough to say that he was terrified.
"What? Waitwaitwaitwait. You have wives? Not 'A' wife?"
"Yeah?" Archer answered with the hint of a question in there. "I came from a time where being the last of your noble bloodline allows you to have multiple wives. And they're the best thing that happened to me." He smiled; it was so much different compared to his mischievous smile or just a regular smile. It was a smile filled with love. Despite how cheesy that sounded, that's all Shirou could explain about it.
Saber and Rin came around that time. Enough to hear that Archer practiced polygamy. That irked Saber even more. She found it crucial that a marriage should be between one man and woman connected in holy matrimony. She didn't find that during her rule. Many greedy suitors came after revealing her gender, effectively preventing Saber from pursuing a husband. There were times she felt her heart tingle for Gawain, but she didn't seek that desire. Digression aside, the point was, Saber did not like the idea of polygamy.
"Most glorious, Archer. You have been given a fine opportunity. To have wives rather than concubines is something most notable. I haven't gotten the luxury as you have." Archer raised an eyebrow. The King of Heroes had concubines, but not actual wives in his harem? That's a surprise.
"Hm? You're still here, King of Heroes?" Saber and Rin looked shocked at that. The King of Heroes was here? So he's the eighth? They racked up possible Masters who could summon him, but came up with none. Who summoned him? "I'd have thought that I bored you because of us Mongrels' gabfest. Something like us shouldn't be of importance to you."
"Hah! You should be honored that I grace you Mongrels with my presence!"
"Yeah…no. I fought you before. Can't really honor a man who hides behind his glowing portals of death. Even as an Archer, I value those who face me face-to-face in close combat. Where's the fun in picking your opponent from kilometers away when they don't know that I'm there to end them?" The man narrowed his crimson eyes. His anger slightly showing at the obvious rudeness. He couldn't blame Archer. He too had a knack to do so to his enemies. But for him to had fought this Archer…most interesting. He couldn't remember when he fought this Servant, but it might have been quite the interesting one. Archer continued his sentence, "And if I didn't say it earlier, I'm fighting the dog over here." That got another 'Hey!' from Lancer, "So once again, If you don't mind, King of Heroes, I'd like to fight Lancer."
"Say what you will, Archer, but you cannot deny that you wish to bask in my glory!"
"Nope. Too bright." Archer deadpanned. "We've got the sun for that. If that thing blew up, then maybe then I'll 'bask' in your glory." Lancer still stunned by the King of Heroes's entrance, gawked even wider at finally registering the fact that Archer was back-talking and dismissing the man as no threat!
"Haha! You are the most interesting Mongrel I've witnessed in both my living and Spiritual life. Consider yourself worthy of a battle next we meet, Archer. I shall allow this battle to continue. Make haste, Archer. My Gate of Babylon itches to use your treasure." The man jumped away, leaving all spectators but Archer himself shocked.
Archer badmouthed a terrifying Servant, and lived!
"Now that annoyance is out of the way…" Archer made his swords disappear, and pulled out his sword. "Let's get to the real battle." Lancer shuffled back slightly. Archer was drawing out the multi-purpose weapon, a threat he had yet to decipher. No doubt it is Archer's Noble Phantasm, but what secrets does it hold? He had yet to figure out his title, and there was this stinging sensation in his mind. Information kept trickling in his head. He got one clue; a vital one that depicted Archer's identity.
The Shadow of Heroes.
Archer turned his sword into the spear. However, this time, he willfully altered the blade's size, making it a normal-shaped spear. The omega symbol glowed, revealing the extrusions of metal forming the same symbol once more. Lancer readied his Gae Bolg to counter his 'lance'. "So it's a battle between spears now, eh Archer?"
"You got that right, Lancer. You may be the swiftest Lancer-class Servant, but I'll catch up to ya in no time." Archer took off his breastplate, revealing a black, cloth-like armor that had white lines shaping the basic shapes of the muscles on his torso. His Pauldrons disappeared, displaying broad shoulders and detached sleeves tied to his biceps by three black straps on each arm. His clothes altered, making the cloth at the center, between his legs, go away to show black pants with straps holding scrolls, but the silver greaves still stayed The jacket itself shrunk, the bottom of it just ended by his ribs while the tassels drooped a bit lower. His metal boots changed to steel-tipped shoes.
"Fool! You would discard your armor for speed?"
"You're not the first to call me a fool, Lancer. I know what I'm doing." Archer barked. "Now strike with all of your strength, Lancer!" Archer swiftly charged, his lance, cutting air, almost grazing the ground, glowed an unholy red hue. The spearman lowered his lance, making its point meet with the other. When it did, he twirled his lance to the other side, effectively misdirecting Archer's lance without effort. Both lances struck ground, but almost immediately, Lancer felt no resistance from Archer's weapon. A golden glow enveloped Archer's gauntlets. Lancer couldn't stop his attack, the rotation of the lance was meant to misdirect, then attack at Archer's defenseless front. Archer simply redirected the spear, and punched the man with enough force to launch him to the walls of the Emiya Residence.
"So this is what you mean by controlling space, Archer?" Lancer grunted as he pulled himself out of the crater. "Long, mid, short, you are by definition the embodiment of an Archer then. More so than the King of Heroes can be." He saw Archer revert his gauntlets into the lance. The Servant of the bow smirked. "But I guess that's what it means when you're the Shadow of Heroes, doesn't it, Archer?"
"The Throne finally gave you some pointers?"
"Yeah. And I could hardly care less!" Lancer straightened himself, and rushed at Archer, who readied his lance to face the spearman.
Lances met at the edge, scraping the other in a line of sparks. It was the extrusion in Archer's lance that prevented Lancer's weapon from inching nearer to Archer's face. The blonde smirked at his opponent, who returned the gesture. They both reared their spears, and created a rapid set of clashes from thrusting their weapons at the other. At one such point, Lancer misdirected Archer's lance, and twirled his weapon in the same maneuver before, cutting the ground as it twirled to create a deep gash to Archer's torso. Yet, Archer knew this, and gracefully evaded the attack with a simple sidestep. Archer used the opportunity, and aimed at Lancer's exposed side. It it were any ordinary warrior, Archer would have dealt the killing blow; however, Lancer expected this. A parry meant you knew your opponent's mindset. A parry meant that you can exploit their mind, their mistake. And this Servant knew his tactics before he could execute them. He thought it might be clairvoyance, but his body dictated something else. The information that trickled only increased in volume; his body was getting accustomed to fighting the Servant of the Bow blow for blow.
Memories unfamiliar seeped in.
A blonde boy summoned him along with eight others. An assassin born and bred; a failure, summoned him along others…to teach him.
'It hurts…'
Faces come and go. Places blur beyond recognition. Events burn away like nothing, yet he couldn't forget this one thing…
"Why are you so carefree, Lancer?" The boy asked. "You always enjoy battle, and turn lax after."
"I was destined to live a short life. I fought with all I had while enjoying it while it lasted…"
"Do you think I'll live a short life?"
"No. You're too stubborn like I am to die lying down! Knowing you, you'll die standing up because you don't know the meaning of surrender."
"Surrender? What's that mean?"
"Hah! Got a comedian in the works here, eh?"
"Huh…" Lancer said in amazement. His mind was split, yet he had enough focus to keep a constant offense and defense. He regained that split focus, the pulled back his spear, pulling it along with his spinning body. He cut the ground with the point of his weapon, creating tiny trenches along its path of destruction. Archer halted its advance with the impailment of his own spear, then used his weapon as a platform to lift himself. He pulled it back, twirling as he did so, and aimed it threateningly. "Long time no see…Anfa." Almost immediately, Archer's aim dwindled. Metal grazed Lancer's left cheek, the blade embedding itself into the ground.
"Hey, hey…I thought you forgot about me ya stupid Hound." Archer said monotonously. "What happened to the 'I won't forget you, kid!'?" Lancer hollowly chuckled. He did say that. For the failure of an assassin to remember his words…nothing short of amazing. That was sarcasm by the way; he picked it up after hanging next to Archer. That red-clad man could snark any time of the day depending on his mood. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad.
"Heheh…my bad, Anfa."
Shirou stared questionably at the change of Lancer's demeanor and tone. The man gave a smile that the teen knew was that of familiarity. So did it mean, Lancer knew Archer?
"Are we calling this a draw, then?" Archer asked.
"Yeah. I'll leave for now. We'll settle this next time." Lancer retrieved his spear, and turn his back on Archer. "Don't get too rusty on your spearmanship, Anfa. I saw how sluggish your swipes and thrusts; fix it. You've been relying on those fists of yours don't cha?"
"Not really." Archer answered while Lancer casually strolled away. "But you have to admit it is effective." Lancer snorted.
"My way is cleaner. That way just leaves chunks of burning flesh all over the place. For an assassin like you, you shouldn't do things like that. Or did the nightcrawler not tell you that?"
"She did. It just feels so satisfying to see my opponent cave in after feeling the impact of my punch. I just enjoy the feeling of seeing the effectiveness of a punch." Lancer waved Archer's explanation off. He clearly didn't want his brand of fighting to be badmouthed by the lax Archer. The blue-clad man bent his knees, ready to leap away from sight. It was nice to remember the Throne of Heroes to give him his memories of his contract with Archer. Teaching the boy was fun. To battle his student in the arts of the spear was an honor. He was about to spring off his feet; however…
With this command spell…I order you, Lancer to use your Noble Phantasm to kill Archer's Master. Keep using it until Archer's Master' perishes.
Lancer stopped; his movements became restrained. Archer, Shirou, Saber, and Rin noted this. It seemed that Lancer was trying to resist a command spell through sheer willpower. "Anfa! Stop me! I'm going to kill your Master!" He took his stance, a red aura coated his spear. Air shuddered as the causality-shifting Noble Phantasm illuminated the surrounding area. "Hurry!" Lancer turned, and thrust his Noble Phantasm while yelling his Noble Phatasm's name, "Gae...BOLG!" A crimson line of unpredictable lethality zigzagged its way to Shirou; it completely ignored Archer, who was in front of Lancer. The snake-like motion of the spear's point inched closer to Shirou's inevitable death.
Yeeppp…Cliffhanger. Not much to be said. Naruto uses Mad Enhancement and reveals his quest. Modified the Kyuubi attack to have a bit more drama. Not sure if it's effective, but hey, it's an attempt. And yes, Miyu is in this world as Shirou's biological sister. Gil takes interest in Naruto, and Lancer deals the fatal blow as soon as he remember's Naruto. Oh what'll happen next? Find out in the next installment!
Small note: Anfa is Gaelic for Tempest.
So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.
This is Azure, signing off.