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Sorry for taking so long, I reread HF and I'm still reading HA. This is gonna take a while…
Also, Shirou not being able to project Excalibur is a retcon. I mean, Archer states straight to Saber that he can do it, and Shirou actually does it at the end of HF. During MIGHTY WIND (Sparks Liner High), Shirou declares he can do it, but decides against it since it takes too long.
SCHOOL IS ENDING. I will soon be free~ maybe...
Chapter 16 – Alliance/Planning
Day 4
The condition for victory to be achieved is time.
Cu Chulainn guarded the area with great vigilance, his eyes sweeping across the trees. So long as the enemy doesn't reach the grail within the given time, they would win.
To that end, a Bounded Field was set up with the Holy Grail as the power source. It was a simple defensive barrier, but the massive Magical Energy of the Holy Grail turns that simple shield into a fortress.
Their only remaining concerns were possible interference from Servants that may have been summoned using those cards.
He and Saber had a massive advantage over their enemies, namely, the Magical Energy provided to them by the grail. Not only that, but they were also both renowned warriors with powerful Noble Phantasms that they could repeatedly use due to the former.
While the current conditions seem to guarantee their victory, nobody in their camp were taking chances.
The birth of Angra Mainyu will take less than a week from now, or so Saber predicts. Her instinct wasn't as sharp as it used to, so she might be wrong though.
She reminisces her previous defeat. A combination of Rider's Noble Phantasm and Shirou's borrowed power from Archer.
It is unfortunate, but since this was the time of the 4th Holy Grail War, Shirou is still a child. She wanted to challenge them once more and claim victory in their rematch.
For now, she continues waiting for possible invaders in the cavern, just like last time.
Justeaze finished extracting the Magical Energy from the Enforcers' bodies and Mystic Codes. Adding in the large number of victims when she used the power of the grail, only time to develop the body is left.
She gazes at the dark pillar. Soon, it will be born into the world.
Night was approaching, it was time to enact another part of her plan. With a gesture, she calls upon the soldiers of Angra Mainyu.
Five knocks with intervals in between them was heard in an empty hallway in a hotel.
The door opens up a bit with a woman peeking out of the gaps. After taking a look at the person who knocked, she closed the door, removed the locks and opened it again to let the man in.
It was standard procedure for the two of them.
The man enters the room quickly and the woman scans the hallway for any possible threats. After a few seconds of observation, she closes the door and reapplies the locks.
The bed was filled with various items like guns, attachments, briefcases, and grenades.
"The equipment you requested has arrived a while ago." She states. "I have also gathered information regarding the events here at Fuyuki as well."
"Maiya, the item I left you, where is it?" Kiritsugu asks as he tests the equipment.
"Right here." Maiya points to the lone case on the other bed.
Kiritsugu opened it, revealing a handgun. Looking it over, he saw no defects or damages.
Suddenly, Kiritsugu ejected the shell that was inside the gun and replaced it with a bullet.
"…Approximately two seconds, I've slowed down." He assessed.
"Indeed." Maiya concurred as he returns the gun inside the case.
"Where is the report?" He asked.
In response, she gave him a folder and played a recording on the screen.
What he witnessed, was a slaughter. Enforcers specializing in melee were overwhelmed in both power and skill. Those that cast Magecraft from afar were mowed down by massive bursts of energy as their own attacks were either negated or dealt negligible damage that immediately healed. The barriers they cast were useless against the stronger Mysteries that were Noble Phantasms.
"So those are Servants…" He didn't stand a chance, that much he can tell.
The recording was changed. This time, the Enforcers were at full retreat, but they were stopped by a dark hole that spewed dark mud into the ground. There, an Einzbern took their souls as she left the area. Maiya stopped the recording.
"A few hours after that, a powerful Bounded Field was erected in the vicinity of the battle." She reported. "It is a simple barrier Magecraft that prevents any physical entry, whether it is by underground, sky, or land."
While listening to Maiya, he also looked at the report in his hands.
'A total wipeout of the Enforcers sent to Fuyuki, the recent death of the Second Owner, return of a Matou, approximate damage the events caused—' He quickly read through it.
"The Clock Tower has ceased its attempts and is currently in an internal dispute." It was only natural, such a disastrous result would split the organization in whether they should continue to try to obtain the Path to the Root or end their futile attempts. "The Church has not made any moves."
"…" The odds were stacked against him. Forget about trying to resolve the incident, he would probably be obliterated if he so as much approached the area. 'Maybe I should…' His doubts worsened, he wanted nothing more than to run away, but there will no longer be a world to live in if the enemy succeeds. He wanted to help, but he was powerless to do anything.
Maiya opens the window to allow the Familiar carrying a recording inside.
She removes the equipment and plays the new video. Fast forwarding a bit, they see an interesting sight, a hulking giant chasing down a man with a red cloak. After a few gestures and words, they seem to have come to an understanding as the giant disappears.
The familiar was approached by the red cloaked man as he did some hand gestures. Kiritsugu realized its meaning, Come here.
The rest of the video was the familiar returning to this room.
"Maiya." He ordered. This was an opportunity he cannot pass up. They might be the only ones who can oppose the current enemy.
"Understood." She started packing up their items.
It was time to go to Einzbern Castle.
"Wait, Berserker!" Archer shouted as he evaded another swing. "I'm not here to fight!"
"-" Berserker stops his assault, but he kept an eye on Archer.
{It's fine Berserker, he can be trusted.} Illya allowed Archer entry.
"I would like to meet your Master if you have any." He requested. "We want to borrow your power to resolve the problem we have on our hands."
Berserker drops his battle stance as he disappears.
"Phew, that was quite the experience." Before entering the castle, he approaches a familiar that was nearby. Considering that it had a camera and the current time period, he has a safe guess on who it is. Gesturing a few times, he waited for the familiar to leave before entering the castle.
He steps inside the castle. Looking up the stairs, he sees—
'That's impossible!' Archer thought so, because the person he sees is—
"Fufufu, are you surprised, Archer, or should I say, onii-chan?" Illya declared with a mischievous smile. "Welcome to my castle." She curtsied. [1]
"Illya…"
"I know that you probably have a few questions." She turned around and flew. "Follow me." She phases through the wall, Berserker trailing along behind her.
Archer enters his spirit form and follows them.
"Matou Sakura is going to be fine." Kirei diagnosed.
"R-really?" Rin's worries lessened with those words.
"Yes, it is only a matter of time before she regains consciousness." He confirmed. "The same could not be said for the other two Matous."
A chill runs down her spine at that statement. "Kirei-san, what happened to them?" She really didn't want to ask, but if another event like this happened, she wanted to be prepared.
"Their entire soul was eaten. It is already impossible to save them." He declared. "Matou Sakura seems to have her soul temporarily removed from her body before it returned. It is strange that only she was able to return to her body, but no matter, she just needs to readjust her soul to her body, and she will make a full recovery."
"Thank goodness…" Aoi sighed in relief.
"I'm going to call Kariya-oji-san!" Rin rushed to get the telephone.
"Sakura is alright? Thank goodness." Kariya breathed a sigh of relief. "How about Byakuya and Shinji?" He couldn't make sense of the notes written here. It was a good thing that someone competent was looking over them.
"Um… Kirei-san said that they can't be saved…" He heard Rin reply despondently over the phone.
"I see…" Too bad for them, he really wanted to at least save Shinji, but it seems that it wasn't meant to be. "Don't feel too bad, Rin-chan, it wasn't your fault, and there isn't anything we can do for them."
"Yes… I… I'll become a great Magus in the future so that I can prevent things like this from happening again!" She replied with determination. "Thank you, Kariya-oji-san! I'll continue studying now. See you!"
Dropping the phone, he relaxes on the couch. He slept peacefully, the exhaustion of being awake all this time hitting him.
"Urgh…" Shirou felt sluggish as he woke up.
Looking around, he sees white all over. Nurses and doctors fretting over patients in beds all over the room. Some of them seem to have especially severe burn marks.
'Ah!' His mind sharpened in concentration. Without a doubt, he went through the Fuyuki fire once again but— 'Kiritsugu wasn't there.'
Looking back at the events that led to this, he only has one conclusion. It was Zelre— oh, wait, the Kaleidoscope, 2nd Magic's fault. He didn't know the specifics, but looking at the evidence around him, his smaller body, the patients, and them talking about the recent fire that occurred, he can conclude that he was sent to a parallel dimension. If he was here…
{Sakura? Rider? Can any of you hear me?} He asked through their link.
{We are fine Shirou.} He heard Rider reply. {Sakura is still asleep, her soul is still adjusting to her new body.}
{Thank goodness…} He felt relieved at those words. {Where are you two now?}
{We are in the same hospital as you are, though we are on a floor above you and we don't have any roommates.} Rider answered.
{Wait, why is Sakura in the hospital in the first place?} Did Sakura get caught up in the fire?
{I don't know, the moment we were transferred, we were already here.} She responded. {I have been guarding Sakura ever since I got here. I only left temporarily when I sensed you approaching the hospital to check on you.}
{Oh, thank you Rider, we can always rely on you.} He praised Rider's reliability.
{It is my duty to protect the two of you.} She states with affection.
"Are you alright?" He heard someone ask. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
Blinking at the sudden interruption, he answered. "Three."
"Hmmm, good, you don't have any visible injuries, and your motor functions doesn't seem to be affected." The nurse wrote some stuff on her clipboard. "Do you have any guardian we can call?"
Shirou was stumped. Were his parents still even alive? Did he even have relatives? He seriously didn't know how to answer that question.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She suddenly apologizes. "Ummm, I don't think the orphanage is that bad, cheer up! I'm sure you'll find a family willing to adopt you."
It seems that the nurse has a misunderstanding, but he doesn't say anything since it's working in his favor.
"You can call us if you have any problems alright?" A hand ruffled his hair.
"…" He was saved from explaining his situation. Once he recovers, he will visit Sakura, he decided.
{Fufufu, do you want to be adopted by me Shirou?} Rider teased.
{Please no.} He declined flatly. He couldn't imagine the sheer awkwardness of your lover suddenly becoming your mother.
"That's the situation we are in right now, Archer." Illya finished with a serious disposition. "It's good that you remembered what happened right until you died giving your arm to Shirou. It saved me a lot of time explaining what happened."
Archer was incredulous, but fortunately, he was used to it. It wasn't any weirder than those GUDAGUDA events in any case.
"So Angra Mainyu from your world corrupted the grail in this world and is currently using Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern as its agent. You know this because you are a Lesser Grail. When she summoned Servants, it seems that she accidentally summoned everyone else, evidenced by Berserker. Finally, they only need at maximum, a week from now to incarnate Angra Mainyu." He summarized. "On another note, your world's Emiya Shirou, Matou Sakura, and Rider are here?"
"That's right." Illya confirmed.
"That only leaves us with Caster then. Assassin is different from the one in our Holy Grail War and is allied to us. Saber and Lancer are Servants of Justeaze. You have Berserker. And your story explains why Rider isn't summoned together with us even when I have her card." He flashed Illya all three cards.
"I see, so Saber and Lancer are our enemies… two Servants with nearly infinite Magical Energy to call on and four Servants in opposition to them." Illya calculated their odds. "This is bad, Saber alone can match most of the Servants we have. If you add Lancer on top of that, it would be nearly impossible, not to mention the great ancestor... Who is Assassin? You said it was a different one from our war."
"It's…" Archer sighed. "Counter Guardian, EMIYA Kiritsugu."
"…I understand." Illya replied coldly. "We will cooperate when necessary, please don't worry about me affecting the goal with my personal grudge. Anyways, is there anything you have that we could use to even the odds?" She changed the topic. [2]
"These." Archer handed over the Class Cards to Illya who took it. "They are known as Class Cards. A Master can use that card to obtain the power of the Servant engraved in it."
"So that's what they do…" Illya then sulked. "Mmmmm, I wanted to use Berserker's card…" She pouted.
"Right, you are a spirit right now." Archer noted. "Naturally, there are restrictions to its use. First, only people with potential to be Masters can use the Class Cards. Second, the power the Masters can draw out of the card depends on their compatibility, but it will never reach the level of the actual Servant. Third, cards cannot be used simultaneously, save for carrying over the Berserker card's Madness Enhancement to another card. Lastly, without enough Magical Energy or sufficient damage, the card will remove itself from the user." Archer enumerated.
"I see, so you sent Assassin to seek out potential Masters in the city." Illya deduced.
"That's right." Archer confirmed. "Though considering the cards we have, only Berserker doesn't have a Master matched with him considering your current state."
Emiya Shirou will be given his own card.
Emiya Kiritsugu who he called over will receive Assassin's card.
Matou Sakura will be using her Servant's card.
With this, their odds of achieving victory have risen considerably. Fortunately, the enemy doesn't have any humans that could use the Class Cards, nor do they have the knowledge on how to use them.
"The great ancestor can probably use the cards, but she most likely won't do so." Illya assessed. "Setting aside her compatibility, she isn't a fighter. Using cards like Saber or Lancer to engage in melee combat will put her in unnecessary risk. If she obtained the Caster card though she might consider using it."
Archer almost forgot about it, the Einzbern homunculi's attribute, those created to be Lesser Grails, Wishcraft. Magecraft that skips over logic and provides the results so long as it was within the limits of their Magical Energy. Considering that Justeaze is the template of the Lesser Grails, it was natural that she too was able to use this ability. [3]
"Fortunately for us, the great ancestor doesn't have sufficient knowledge to use it well. She has a problem regarding memory you see, she kept on repeating the same day over and over, unable to retain additional knowledge." Illya explained. "The only spells she should have are Storch Ritter and Degen. Though she may use the power of Angra Mainyu to indiscriminately spread curses now that she is in that state."
"I see, though that doesn't really help when she has access to near infinite Magical Energy." Archer contemplated for a bit. "Can you make your world's Emiya Shirou [Project] the Jeweled Sword Zelretch once more? I will take him here since you can't move in your current state."
Illya's mood takes a turn for the better.
"Of course! Oh, and bring Sakura too, I want to see my sister in law." Illya cheerfully waves her hand as Archer leaves.
The duo of Maiya and Kiritsugu have left their vehicle behind and are now travelling on foot to Einzbern Castle. They scanned the trees for potential ambushes and traps while advancing at a quick pace. Fortunately, since Kiritsugu is recognized as an ally of the Einzberns, the illusions that lure people away from it don't have any effect on him.
They were about to reach their destination, sure enough—
"Wait." They swiveled to point their weapons at the source of the voice. "The new residents of that castle might attack you. I would advise against you trying to enter there."
Archer slowly walks towards them without any weapons. They both felt an overwhelming amount of Magical Energy emanating from him. An amount that cannot possibly be human.
"I am Servant Archer. My mission is to destroy Angra Mainyu. I would like to form a team consisting of Servants and Class Card users to defeat them. I have recruited Assassin and Berserker to join me, and I will find Rider after our discussion." He introduced himself. "Follow me. There is a more secure location for our dialogue."
A shadowy figure moved from place to place, cutting through the trees to reach a certain location.
Assassin stops his movement, he checks the quality of the leyline, the surroundings, and calculates the distance from Fuyuki city.
"Excellent." He remarks.
Concentrating, he begins to chant.
Observer of the stars
Preservers of the Human Order
I stand here as a protector of Humanity
I declare this land to be a bastion of new hope
Manifest, Novum Chaldea
A single use Noble Phantasm entrusted to Assassin, the establishment of the Chaldea Security Organization's second base. He manifested it underground to avoid anyone accidentally seeing or entering it.
Strength surged in him, the base was providing him with Magical Energy. Entering, he checks the security and the contents. Finding nothing wrong, he leaves the base behind to rejoin Archer. They had another mission to complete after all.
"That's the current situation, do you have any additional information that might help us?" Archer refilled their empty teacups as he asks his question.
How this Servant managed to get utensils, food, furniture, and appliances to this forest and made them work, Kiritsugu didn't know. The food was really good though.
"There are none." Kiritsugu sips his tea. "So those Class Cards can be used to obtain a fraction of a Servants power…"
"Correct." Archer nodded. "There are already candidates in mind for these cards. You were actually one of them."
"…" Kiritsugu felt that it was suspicious, Archer said that the power someone can draw out of the card was dependent on their compatibility. So how did Archer single him out when he just arrived here?
"I know the identities of the Heroic Spirits in these cards. Well, it's better to show you why you were chosen even if I should've known nothing about you." With those words, Archer tossed the card to Kiritsugu who caught it.
"Assassin?" He felt that it was quite appropriate for someone like him. He couldn't help but feel a force pulling him into the card.
"I already explained how to use it and its restrictions. You'll understand why you were a candidate when you use it." Archer encouraged him to use the card.
Looking at Maiya who was dutifully standing at his side, he activates the card.
"[Include]" He chose the safer option.
A knife manifested in his hand, its name is Phantasm Punishment: Mystery Bisection, a knife that has the power of the double attributes of Severing and Binding. It causes fatal damage to opponents that possess either Magic Circuits, Magic Crests or anything similar to those inside their bodies.
And he knows exactly how to use it, its properties, and its owner. His name is Emiya Kiritsugu, a Counter Guardian and Hero of Justice.
"I see… so this is why I am a candidate despite never meeting you." There can't be anyone more compatible with a card than the person themselves. Certainly, with him using his own card, he can bring out the maximum potential of the card. Still, to think that he became a Counter Guardian…
"I'm glad you understand, be careful with it though, as much as possible, you should only use Emiya Kiritsugu's own abilities and not Assassin's if you get what I mean." Archer advised.
After a few moments of thinking, Kiritsugu understood what Archer wanted to say. If he keeps on using this card, then…
"As long as you have that card, such a scenario won't happen." Archer assured him. "But once you try to use them without it, then you will face the repercussions of your actions."
"Thank you, Archer." Kiritsugu held out a hand to Maiya who gave him a walkie talkie. "Use this if you want to contact us. I will practice using this card until it is time for us to make a move against Angra Mainyu."
Archer took the item and started moving away.
"I understand, I will seek out Rider to see if she wants to join us. Although I'm curious." With his back to them, he asks a question. "Why are you fighting with us?"
"…Because I want to protect my family." Kiritsugu answered. "If Angra Mainyu manifests, then there won't be a world where I can live with them. I already decided to abandon my ideals for them. After this, I want to live in peace and retire."
"Thank you for indulging my curiosity. I will contact you once it's time."
Archer leaps away from the duo, they never saw the peaceful smile that he was sporting as he left.
They too left with only the moon as the witness to this meeting.
The Saber Class Card began its journey by accidentally touching the grail. Due to this, certain properties and abilities were added to it.
The grail, realizing that something was stuck on it, blew the offending article away, Sending it all the way to the mouth of the cavern.
As luck would have it, a jungle crow noticed a shiny object near the mouth of the cave. Giving it an experimental lift, the young bird realized that it was quite light. Spurred by its curiosity, it took the object to its home.
"Guh… it hurts…" The young girl murmured before waking up. "Errr, what was I doing?" She asked herself.
Wracking her brain, she recalls why she was here.
"I secluded myself in the hills to polish my kendo skills… I ate three days' worth of food in one go for energy… the food got stuck in my throat and my chest hurt… I couldn't breathe and had a near death experience." Confirming the events that led to this situation, the girl realized something.
"Oh no! I ran out of food!" Realizing the problem, she energetically got up and rushed to the city. Before she realized it, she was lost.
"Ummm, was it this way or that way?" She looked around the area, but she didn't find any landmarks. "Waaaaaaaah! I don't wanna die of hunger!" As she was lamenting her situation, she saw—
A beast, a pitch black beast with glowing red eyes. Fear and revulsion struck her heart. She felt sick just by looking at them. And then it—
"███████████████"
The shrill sound of its howl shook her to the core. The beast locks on to its prey, crawling towards her, its claws scraping the ground. She backs away slowly until her back hits a tree.
"!" It was only instinct born of her rigorous training that saved her, throwing herself to the side, the claws missed her just barely. The attack left deep gouges on the tree she hit.
Run, she needed to RUN!
As she turned around to get away, she saw them. Beasts the same as the one that almost killed her. They surround her from every direction. There was no escape.
"Ah…" Her legs turned to putty as she fell on her behind. Fear paralyzed her entire body. All she could do was curl up. "I… I don't wanna die…!"
The beasts close in on her, as if answering her prayers, a card fell from the tree the beast struck. At that moment— [4]
A massive burst of power centered on the girl pushed the beasts back. As the gale died down, it revealed the girl, clad in armor on her feet and legs. A black colored feminine dress with red linings adorned her body and her ponytail was now held by a black ribbon.
"Eh?" The girl was stupefied at this turn of events. She suddenly had a strange sword in her hand and she feels… really strong right now!
The beasts, unconcerned with their prey's sudden boost in power, charged.
"Wah!" She instinctively swung the blade in her hand, cleaving the beasts attacking her in twain.
Seeing the beasts fall invigorated the girl. Once more, as beasts gather to take her down, she kept swinging her blade over and over. Even when their attacks came from her blind spots, she was able to react to them just fine. She cut them down like wheat, but they were simply endless.
'At this rate…!' Her body was tiring out, even when she could take them on now, if this continues, Her body and mind will be too tired to fight. Suddenly, an influx of knowledge ran through her brain. It was a power that could resolve her current problem.
A typhoon with her blade at the center formed. She points her blade at her enemies and lunges at them.
"[Strike Air]" Her bellow was followed by a gale piercing through enemy ranks. The compressed wind annihilated multiple enemies in a single motion.
"[Strike Air]" She repeated. More enemies and trees fell victim to such a powerful force. Despite that, the enemy ranks fill up just as fast as before.
"Guh! [Strike Air]" Again and again, she repeatedly used the same attack, mowing down her foes in a straight line.
How long has she been fighting? She swung her blade when a beast gets close, she dodges when is attacked, and she kills scores of them with that special attack. She was hearing some gunshots somewhere for a while, but she ignores it, for now she was fighting for her survival.
At long last, the beasts' numbers began to thin. Hope blossomed in her heart. 'Only a little more push…!'
Her strikes were noticeably sloppier than usual and instead of dodging attacks she blocked them and returned a counter, but the vigor in her movements never died. Her injuries piled up as the battle continued.
"[Strike Air], haaa… haaa…" With ragged breaths, she took out another batch of enemies and examined the battlefield.
This was it, counting her enemies, there were only ten left, she can—
She fell down. A feeling of emptiness and nausea welled up in her.
"Eh…?" She didn't know it yet, but she just ran out of Magical Energy. The sword that cut down so many beasts disappeared and so did her armor. She couldn't feel her limbs anymore.
"No… it can't end like this…!" She tried to forcefully raise her body, but all she could do was twitch her limbs.
"Ah… no… NOOOOOOO!" She wailed, unable to accept her current dilemma. "Even though I gave it my all… even though I continued to fight even when I was scared…!" Tears flowed to her cheeks.
The beasts, uncaring of her feelings, pounced on her. The girl saw her doom approach, despair was written on her face, but it wasn't meant to be.
*Bang*
A gunshot rang out in the forest, eliminating the beast leading the charge. Then—
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
Every shot eliminated a single enemy.
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
Heedless of the danger, the beasts continue to charge forward.
*Bang*
*Bang*
There was only one left, but the last beast was already on to her. She braced herself for the pain, but it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw the beast being cut in two vertically.
A black-haired man wearing some sort of armor and some red cloth on his waist greeted her eyes. His hand held a knife, it was most likely what killed the beast.
Kneeling down, the man says. "You did great kid."
The girl collapsed from relief, fainting with her face planted on the ground.
Kiritsugu looked over the young girl. She was wearing a strange attire, a blue jacket and black bloomers, quite an odd combination of clothes.
Using his senses as a Spellcaster, he confirms his suspicions.
'She really is the source of that power.' He thought. 'And considering that she was fighting those things…'
A while ago, Kiritsugu found a perfect target to test the power of the card. After defeating the horde of beasts storming out of the forest, he confirmed several things.
First, it truly is him, using the [Install] function of the card allowed him access to all of the Servant's capabilities and identity. Denying it is no longer possible, especially when he pulled out his new Contender from the armaments of the Servant that included various guns and grenades and used Time Manipulation Magecraft.
Second, what Archer said seems to be true for now. His existence is still not being overwritten by the Counter Guardian known as Assassin, but he couldn't help but feel that something was a bit amiss.
Third, the Magical Energy cost was surprisingly quite low, considering that he was using the power of a Heroic Spirit. Maybe it was his compatibility, or an attribute of the Servant itself. Either way, even when using the Noble Phantasm, Chronos Rose, he didn't feel that much of a dip in his reserves.
It was a good thing that these things were weak. His ability to slaughter them in mass was exceptional due to the nature of firearms. They couldn't even get close before they were gunned down.
The guns he used were made from Magical Energy, there was no need to reload, no jamming, and no maintenance required. All he needed to do was feed it Magical Energy to keep it working. He would need to get a spell to remove the noise though, it might attract the attention of the mundane.
While fighting these things, he felt a burst of power coming from the forest. After taking care of them, he quickly navigated the forest to the direction from where he felt the battle was going on. Even with his newfound speed, or precisely because he wasn't used to such speed, even if he was rapidly adjusting, it took him a while before he reached the site of the battle. As expected of a Servant, its physical capabilities outstrip anything he could possibly do.
Uprooted trees, pulverized rocks, and cratered ground was what greeted his sight. [Reinforcing] his eyesight, he sees a girl in armor facing down ten of those beasts. As she stepped forward, the girl fell down and the beasts pounced on her.
Thinking fast, he pulled out a long ranged rifle and shot them down one by one. The last beast though was already on the girl, considering the angle, he might also hit her.
"[Chronos Rose]" The world slowed down and only he remained unimpeded. No, it was him that became faster. A sprint not even taking a second allowed him to reach the final beast and cut it down with his knife.
He didn't know how this girl got this kind of power, but for now, he should take her with him. After all, she doesn't seem to have any identification on her and she will be a potential ally to them when they are about to—
'I'm… considered drafting a child in this battle…?' Kiritsugu finally found that something that was nagging him. It seems that his senses as a Hero of Justice was returning. His reflexes felt as if they were retrained for years, his mindset too was returning to when he was still a freelancer. 'Dangerous…!' Thankfully it seems to be quite minor. His love for his family was unaffected, but he was mercilessly evaluating the use of the people around him to complete his goals. He would need to undergo a few meditative exercises to mitigate this mental erosion.
"Kiritsugu?" Snapping out of his thoughts, he returns to the matter at hand.
"Maiya, take this child with us." He ordered. "She seems to be a powerful Magus of sorts or another one of those Class Card users." There might still be some of those beasts roaming about after all.
"Roger." Maiya scoops out the young girl in her arms and carried her away.
Kiritsugu [Uninstalls] the card and follows Maiya back to their transport.
A group of four teenagers were hanging out. They were just wandering around in the middle of the night, their purposes were unknown. Were they attempting to do something? Were they just wandering with no aim?
Whatever the case, they were awake. That was going to be their final mistake.
They didn't notice it at first, but they certainly did when they saw their friend getting killed by a monster.
"███████████████"
They lashed out violently, but it was stronger. In just a few seconds, all four were dead. Just as the beast was about to move on to its next victim, its head was blown off.
"So they intend to do that kind of tactic huh…" Archer assessed.
This was the last shade in the city, this was the only attack that he couldn't stop. He stopped every other one before they could kill someone, but there were simply too many of them.
The enemy intends to use this place as a hostage, if they tried to amass their power, they would leave the city unguarded, if they fought those shades, they would use up their Magical Energy. It was the perfect tactic in this situation. A stalling that would allow them to win the war without a single dangerous battle.
They need to consolidate all fighters as soon as possible. The faster they solve it, the more people they could save. Now, where could he possibly find Emiya Shirou, Matou Sakura, and Rider?
With the help of Rider, Shirou snuck around the hospital. Using Rider's meagre knowledge on Magecraft, they managed to hide him from lookouts and surveillance equipment. [5]
After a few minutes, Shirou reached his destination. Opening the door, he entered the room.
He approached the bed, slowly and quietly so as to not disturb her sleep. He climbed up the bed and looked at his wife's face.
He heard light snoring noises coming from her peaceful face. He reached out his hand and tenderly stroked her locks. They were still black, the same color as Rin's. [6]
He was happy for her, Rider already confirmed the death of Zouken in this world by overhearing the conversations going on while they thought that Sakura's room was secure. Shinji and his father were also dead. Their bodies may still be alive, but the people known as Matou Shinji, and his father were no longer there.
"…" He was a bit sad, but he looks back at her. This was the person who he abandoned his dream for. He has already decided to be a hero for Sakura. Sure, if it doesn't put anyone he deems important or himself in danger, he would try to help, but otherwise?
This place was a new world, one where Sakura can have a proper childhood. There would be no evil grail trying to possess Sakura, no evil grandfather manipulating her, and she has both Rider and himself to lean on.
She was finally able to forgive herself of her crimes after all this time. She did all that she could to help others as penitence for the suffering she wrought in the past. And he was there with her all the way, judging himself to be guilty and joined her in repenting. He still remembers Archer's words—
"I don't know which path Emiya Shirou will choose. But if you are to deny everything you've done to save one person the crime will definitely judge you."
Yes, he deemed himself to be guilty. He betrayed himself, he was superhero that let many people die for Sakura's sake. A selfish superhero. The ideal he believed all that time…
"Shirou, you should return to your room, they might notice you not being in your bed." Rider warned.
"Oh, sorry Rider, I was just lost in my memories." He lowered himself to the floor and began his trek back to his room. Before leaving the room, he turned his head to give Sakura a loving gaze.
"…" His steps didn't echo due to Magecraft. Looking outside the windows, he sees the moon shining brightly.
His perception of the moon changed, becoming a black hole that radiates despair and devours hope. He blinked.
'Ah, how could I have forgotten about that?' The cause of the Fuyuki fire was Angra Mainyu, therefore—
It seems that he will need to train his body once more. This was a world where Sakura can live happily, and he intends to keep it that way.
[1] Remember, this is HF, Illya knows who Archer actually is. If you don't know how, read the VN. Day 10, after the rescue.
[2] She was conditioned to hate Kiritsugu, and since this is the Counter Guardian version, her hate is even higher since she doesn't like his philosophy. Though if she meets this world's Kiritsugu, they will probably have a rocky start before becoming good friends.
[3] When you try to enter Einzbern Castle to visit Illya, Berserker will block you and the lore of Wishcraft is explained a bit when Illya shows up. Bazett also explains a bit. In the translation, it is "wish granting" I just changed it to Wishcraft since it sounds better.
[4] Taiga luck is canon, read Jaguar's F/GO material.
[5] If you didn't know, Rider is Sakura's Magecraft teacher. It's in HA.
[6] Dark brown or black? Honestly, I can't tell the difference.
AN:
Now that I look back at the VN, I see some stuff like:
"We barely had the edge in the confrontation of the Noble Phantasms. Bellerophon had ninety percent of its light offset by Saber's holy sword."
Explains why Saber didn't die.
"Archer is overwhelming even in my eyes. In terms of pure power, he is stronger. There's no way Rider can hold him back."
STR parameter: Am I a joke to you? Rider: B EMIYA: D
I can't write snarky Archer for now, I don't know when I should have him do snarky comments.
Oh no! Taiga got kidnapped by the good guys! The yakuza better watch out.
Class is ending, soon, I will become busy again, dammit. That program ain't gonna code itself.
I will find time to continue this story, but don't expect it to be updated regularly.