Before the fifth day reached its dark hour, the fragment of the second movie was ready. But considering what had happened in the first one, they decided to let the event occur on the next day. The last thing sought to Master and Mash was the increase of their fatigue by jumping from a whole day of searching for new scenes to another day following the movie's characters around Fuyuki City.
"So, King of Heroes, how in hell you can use a vehicle and we don't?" Artoria Alter asked. "I would prefer to follow Shirou on a bike than walking."
"Yes! Umu!" Nero slammed the table. "Answers, now!"
El-Melloi II fears and traumas boiled inside him at seeing Gilgamesh hearing the same words that he just heard, in the same tone and manner.
Gilgamesh haughtily replied, "Have you fools finally lost your mind? I can use a vehicle exactly because is mine!" He laughed. "Of course you mongrels can only dream about achieving the miracles that I do."
Iskandar noticed the worrywart at his side. "Be at ease, Waver, he's in a good mood today."
"Good mood?" Ishtar sounded exasperated. "I'd call that as 'being very high.' Damn king following me to wherever I go!"
"What he meant is that we found a working vehicle in the city," Enkidu explained. "And we're not following you, Ishtar. No life seeks calamity, after all."
"Ai yi yi. 'Course yar lot's gonna start a fight. Let this old man eat in peace for once!" Muramasa complained.
"I will repeat: there's no way I'm going to make this potion to you."
"Why not? I can take it." Shuten shrugged her shoulders with an easy manner. "A deadly poison that can alter space, flooding the ground with a dark mud-like substances that acts as a portal to summoning mythological monster? It sounds tasty."
"Stop botherin' Circe, will ya?" Kintoki said.
"Fufu, aren't you so worried about me? That's cute, golden boy."
Ble-ah, I fell for her trap!
"So, what you do when not battling?" Astolfo asked.
Prince of Lan Ling stopped eating when he noticed the question was aimed at him. "Well, I like to read. Lady Murasaki Shikibu recommended many books."
"Where are the children, Iri?" Artoria asked.
"Still running Ryuudo Temple's stairs up and down."
"Are you serious?" Atalanta was shocked. "You teacher wanna be!"
Chiron couldn't answer the huntress' frustration since it was already out of his hands. The magical girls asked for his and Scáthach teachings. The Queen of the Land of Shadows didn't seem much interested, but eventually she changed her mind and now the four Heroic Spirit were outside, training since the searching for scenes ended. Chiron himself would have to wait for his chance of teaching.
"Those poor girls..." Atalanta sighed.
"They're pretty much screwed," Jason said.
The night filled with chitchat and laughter served only to torment the inquiet Kama. The little girl didn't have the posture of a god or a powerful servant anymore. She hid beneath a blanket, grasping the futon mattress with trembling fingers.
She said to herself: I'm going to be all right. It's only a fight to recover my body. A cakewalk. Nothing more nothing less.
And, then, in the morning of the sixth day, Parvati found the goddess of love with a body of a teenage.
"You... grown up..."
She snorted at hearing Parvati's surprise and said, "Good observation skills."
Outside the notion of the goddesses, someone put the two between their fingers... or explaining better, the servant formed a square with the index and thumb fingers focusing only on those two.
"Hmmmmmmm..." Astolfo felt that his detective senses were tingling.
With breakfast finished, the fifty-three chaldeans were ready to began the movie.
"I HEREBY ANNOUNCE THE BEGAN OF THE SECOND FRAGMENT! GET READY, MONGRELS! FUAHAHA!"
"Errr... Thank you, Gilgamesh..." Ritsuka stifled a smile. "Start."
[Underneath a thickening darkness, the snows fell straight and steadily on a windless night. The temple bore witness of the boy racing across the grave of Heroic Spirits.
"Saber!" Shirou screams flooded Ryuudo Temple silence. "Saber!"]
"Oh no!" Illya cried out her fears of being at Ryuudo Temple again. "How many times today!? I can't take it anymore!"
"Calm down, Illya! It's a scene from the movie, not real life!" Ruby tried her best.
Scáthach saw the fear as one of the first obstacles that the girls would have to defeat.
"Since we're seeing the scene with our eyes instead of being able to move freely, I'd guess it's a flashback or a dream," Amakusa told. The first thing he did was try to move, and when he noticed that his vision was stuck to a non-existent camera following Shirou, the conclusion was quick and obvious.
Kintoki moved a little to the side as he watched the scene, bumping into someone. He made sure to hold the person to make sure it didn't fall. "Sorry, pal, are you alright?"
"Oh my. Where you think these hand of yours are touching, boy?" Shuten giggled.
"Oh, shoot!" He drew back his hands quickly.
"You bumped into me, dude, not her," Jason said. "We're still in the same place. Stop falling for every trick of hers."
[The sound that only a knight in armor could make came from one of the houses in the temple, drawing Shirou's attention. The figure that looked like Saber was there.]
"A dream, huh?" Jekyll said. "More like a nightmare."
If the random scenes had been a hot and comfy shower, the resurgence of their fallen King was an acid bath. Wordlessly, the knights continued watching.
[Overwhelmed with desperation, the boy pursed his knight throughout the temple, never managing to catch up with her. Until they arrived at the lake, and she was swallowed by darkness.]
"Well, that's just sad." Shuten said that with a smile. "It was funny to see the others having a pathetic end, but not you, King of Knights. I like you."
Artoria would rather have listened to the oni saying that she saw her as an enemy than... that.
"I doubt any of us would have run away from this outcome, Saber. Unfortunately that shadow allied with Assassin are fearsome foes. I admit that I can't see myself having a different end." Iskandar patted the woman on the shoulder.
Enkidu decided not to mention that Iskandar was patting his shoulder instead of Artoria's.
[Saber gone, Shirou's next encounter was the shadow, and he could only fear while being attacked. Marked in the snow, where he stood before was only the shape of his body, like a shadow of what he once was.
"Who are you? What in the hell are you?"
And with that question, the nightmare ended.]
"That was a bit scary..." Gareth said.
"But it raises the main question," Jekyll replied. "His battle against Zouken and Assassin will be hard enough already, but they're physical threats at least... but this shadow is totally different. Plus, this thing is..."
"What?" Gareth waited for the scholar to continue.
"Nothing. It's just too powerful. That's it." Jekyll sighed in relief, he almost let a spoiler escape from his mouth.
[Shirou got up from his futon. Winter had indeed descended to Fuyuki City.]
Artoria stared at the boy's physical state getting up from the futon with a somber expression. Now that he no longer had Avalon's healing, any wound on his body would be a serious matter. Be careful, Shirou, please...
["On-site investigations are continuing, but as the police entered the destruction site this morning they found some of the temple buildings have collapsed. We'll take you to the scene."]
"I'm not going to lie, but I think it's amazing how they've managed to cover up this war. The amount of destruction in such a short time is only justified if a damn war has started between the yakuza in Fuyuki!" Ritsuka spoke in a tone divided by admiration and disbelief.
"I'm not Yakuza's expert, but I think a war between them wouldn't cause this kind of destruction, Master..." Lan Ling replied.
"How do they cover it then?" Ritsuka didn't ask anyone specifically.
"In cases where everyday events can serve as excuses, things like gas leaks or simply saying that there's a serial killer walking around are created," Emiya explained.
This second option is very useful and even more recommendable, considering that it would make everyone spend less time away from home, especially at night. Means less problems for the war itself. Lan Ling pondered as he listened to his companion.
"And when things get too bizarre, this is when Magecraft kicks in. Hypnosis and that sort of thing." Emiya concluded.
"It's times like this when I realize how scary Magecraft can be..."
Emiya gave Ritsuka a small smile, sometimes he forgot that she was more accustomed to gods and beasts than normal-mage stuff.
"All this trouble comes from your lack of planning, mongrels!" Gilgamesh snickering appeared to the surprise of no one in that group. "A task so simple and yet they manage to fail at something so mundane. Pathetic."
"How'd you do it, then, oh mighty one?" Jeanne Alter sneered.
The smile died as she received a few pats on her back from Gilgamesh. An attitude that one might mistake for a friendly act, but coming from the King of Heroes it was but a gesture that screamed: I understand that you are dumb as a mule and have the discernment of a cactus, but in my boundless kindness I will explain so that even a door like you can comprehend.
"FUAHAHAHA! Great question, mongrel! I would make an entire region for this war, where servants could fight and kill each other without having to hold back because of current humanity's limited notion of power! And then, by the very end, I would grace their eyes with my presence!"
"You mother—" Jeanne Alter prepared herself, but Emiya caught her from behind, covering her mouth. "W-What you doing, Archer? You gave up on Saber and now you want an Avenger!?" She seemed disgusted.
"W-What? Of course not. Are you trying to be killed?"
"That's the only chance of insulting this guy. We have to take advantage that he's high and passive!"
"We don't know how far the potion affects his personality. He's certainly more friendly, but let's not risk it."
Jeanne Alter had to agree with him. She wasn't even angry, she wanted to curse that king just once at least. "Well, I hope someone else tries, then."
"What an empathetic soul you are."
She giggled and smirked. "Thank you. Oh, and Archer?"
"What?"
She landed a punch on his chest. "Don't touch me again." The disgusted expression was still in her face.
Emiya wasn't affected by the punch, since the Alter hadn't as objective truly hurt him, but blurry memories of experiences with that type of woman while he was still alive came back hunting him. What's it up with me and blondes...? Even in Chaldea, tragedies like a space-Saber appearing from nowhere to disturb his peace continued to happen.
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh didn't even notice the scene happening next to him because he was busy talking to Ritsuka.
"So, basically, you'd do the New York thing?"
"Exactly, Ritsuka Fujimaru! But even better! Fuahaha!"
["Senpai... Senpai?"
"Y-Yeah. What is it?"
"Oh, I just... Saber left for her home all of a sudden, didn't she?"
"Yeah..."]
"Poor Sakura..." Tamamo sighed. "But for what it's worth, she looks great dressed like Rin."
"Absolutely!" Ishtar smiled.
["But now, you no longer have to go out at night, right? So, you're not going to be in danger anymore, right?"
"No. You're wrong about that, Sakura. I wasn't tagging along with Saber. She was the one who was tatting alone with me. I might be going out more often now. But I don't want you to wait for me at the entrance."]
"It seems that in some ways these two are the same, even with infinite years apart when talking about age..." Tamamo shook her head in disappointment. "You idiots should learn how to understand the feelings of a girl next to you a little better..."
["That's right. It's not over yet. The one I must fight is still in this city."
And with that Shirou Emiya left his home and safety to return to the city and fight.
The title 'Heaven's Feel II - Lost Butterfly' popped into everyone's head there.]
"Artoria?" Mash was genuinely surprised when she walked out of the Emiya house and right at the entrance found Artoria Alter.
Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but Alter's case at this particular time was special.
"W-Why are you on a motorcycle!?" Jason asked.
"The right question would be 'how am I on top of a motorcycle?' And the answer is simple..." She cracked a half smile. "I never left it!"
"That doesn't answer any of our questions!" Jason exclaimed.
"Certainly not…" Tristan echoed his teammate with a few notes.
Jekyll put his hand on his chin and stopped to consider how that could have been achieved. "Let me guess, you found a working bike in the city and brought it here. And stayed on the bike even when Master announced that he would start the second fragment. Since you never left the bike, it wasn't left behind?"
"Exactly."
That was smart. Jekyll and a few others theorized about the possibility of objects becoming intangible again when the fragment started. And they were right. The food inside the bags that Raikou and Tamamo were carrying remained, but most of the objects weren't interactable anymore. Now, they were back to only special cases like chairs and tables they could interact, but couldn't move around, and literally walk through doors as if they were in spiritual form — only the allowed ones though.
El-Melloi II still with his packs of cigars collected around the city proved it, and obviously Alter and her motorcycle too. But the book Jekyll was reading could not be picked up again... curiously, the book remained on the dining room table where the movie scene took place a few seconds ago, but none of the characters paid any attention to it.
"Impressive, Your Highness. Does the bike work, though?" Bedivere approached.
She responded by letting her group hear the strong and loud engine. "How is that, Sir Bedivere!?" Artoria Alter was truly and sincerely happy.
["New City. Central Park. Ryuudou Temple. What is the shadow-like thing after? And what is it's relationship with Zouken? Is it working for him? Or is he just taking advantage of it?"]
But that happiness ended quickly. Instead of making them walking through the city following Shirou, the fragment jumped straight to the next scene.
Jeanne Alter wheezed, chuckled, cackled, laughed, etc etc when she saw Artoria Alter falling on the ground, no bike and the closest one would see of that king crying.
"My condolences, Your Highness..." Bedivere helped her got up.
Tristan made some sad notes, but stopped at the sight of a furious king looking at him like he was mocking her. He was not.
"A map, huh." Yu Mei-ren was genuinely curious as to what someone as weak as him was intending to do from here on out.
"He's planning his next move," Chiron said to the three Magical Girls. "What would you do in his place, in this situation?"
Illya crossed her arms. "Hmmm..."
"I would have abandoned the war." Kuro shrugged. "Bought some tickets to the next town and have Taiga come along. And whoever else he wanted."
"Attack the Matou's house at night, when the old bastard is sleeping." Yu Mei-ren announced her plan. "Easy and fast."
"That's wrong in so many levels..." Lan Ling sighed.
Look for an alliance with Illya. She probably wouldn't hurt him now. Or Rin, she'd work too... Miyu thought, but forgot to speak aloud.
"Shirou really has nerves of steel for joining this war even without Saber." Boudica admired the boy's courage.
"More like the stubbornness that his old version has too." Atalanta made some chuckle. Emiya ignored her.
"I fully agree with you, my beautiful and praiseworthy Atalanta!" Nero exclaimed.
"Grrrr... ominerous as always when saying these things. Leave me alone!"
"He didn't make a deal with Rin Tohsaka?" Gray asked Reines. "Why didn't he look for her first?"
"It was temporary. If it was our Rin, I'd say she wouldn't care about Shirou losing his servant, not to the point of hurting him, but since this is an alternate world, who knows?" Reines replied.
Muramasa walked towards the park with a few benches.
Jeanne saw Muramasa putting a hand on his back and walking with some difficulty towards the park (even if was purely psychological), and then she looked at Shirou Emiya staring at the map.
"What a bizarre sight," Raikou said as if she had read Jeanne's thoughts.
"Do you think so too?"
"Yes. It's a strange thing even for me as a Berserker."
"I find it extremely amusing. It's like seeing an older version of Shirou." Sitonai chuckled. Deep down it was a little sad to know that such possibility was impossible for that boy who would never abandon his ideals, dying at early age in some corner of the world, alone and injured. And in the worst cases he would still come back to "life" to be trapped in an endless hell if he decides to make the contract with Alaya.
Parvati giggled at Sitonai's comment, agreeing with her. This got the little girl's attention.
"You seem more lively than usual, Lady Parvati. Your conversation with Emiya worked wonders. Who would have thought all those wrinkles popping up on your face were because of such a silly reason..." She put a single finger in her mouth, smiling like a devil.
"W-Wrinkles!?" Parvati revolted. "How rude you are! Lady Skadi will hear about this later! And my stress wasn't silly, it was... wait a minute, you overheard everything!?"
"I didn't eavesdrop. Neither I nor the rest of the house, the few ones there at least. Did you see how thin the Japanese walls are? The only way we wouldn't hear would be ripping our own ears off."
["Emiya?" Rin called, surprised to find him there.]
"Speaking of the devil..." Reines said.
As soon as Rin appeared, the servants were divided into groups again and teleported to the Tohsaka mansion, specifically Rin's room, where Shirou was now sitting in a chair.
["Good timing!" Rin yelled from downstairs. "I wanted to have a chat with you, too."
Shirou, honestly, would have preferred this conversation to take place at school rather than in a girl's room.
"Archer, can you make us some tea?" Rin's voice could be heard from there. "You don't want?" But not Archer's voice. "What's with that face? Jeez, fine!"]
Servants chuckled at that scene so like Emiya, even the most distant one like Circe.
Circe, herself, was very happy and in a good mood after she saw the scenes with Medea and Sakura together. In general, all the shards they found through Fuyuki City were uplifting.
[While the two were arguing downstairs, Shirou found a picture of young Rin wearing ribbons in her hair that reminded him of someone else.
"What are you doing?" Rin asked, entering the room. "C'mon, let's discuss our game plan."]
Ishtar arched an eyebrow touching her own ribbons.
And Kama felt her hands automatically go to her own hair, but stopped midair. What am I doing?
"It seems I'm wrong. It wasn't temporary," Reines said.
"Good. Now Shirou has more chances," Gray answered.
[The sound of the doors of a subway train closing woke up a young Sakura Matou.]
"What the...!" Jason looked around, surprised. "What the heck is this?"
All the groups became as confused as the captain. One glance was enough to discover that place and that Sakura were part of a nightmare, but instead of just covering their eyes, they were actually in the place together with the little girl.
[Sakura turned to the train next to hers, there stood the silhouettes of a father, a mother and a daughter talking to each other. Happy.]
"Sakura..." Warning bells went off in Medusa's head before she could figure out what was going on.
[The little girl desperately jumped off from her bench and ran towards the family who were moving away, faster than her own train. She faced a door, an obstacle, but opened quickly to move to the next wagon.]
The servants followed her without speeding even a little. They could reached the child walking normally. And that was sad, considering what means to her desperation.
[She started running again, but she fell to the ground.]
"Is that a... butterfly...?" Raikou was the first to noticed.
[It was. A butterfly being carried away by ants. But that was nothing compared to the hundreds of insects and worms that emerged from every possible corner of the wagon.]
"What the fuck is this!?" Mordred roared. "What the fuck!"
The reaction of the rest was the same. Again, few opened their mouths.
[From the vents, benches, doors and windows... from everywhere, they came. Looking for the little girl. At the bottom of the wagon, a spiral of worms ran towards her.]
And towards them too.
Kama who was turning to all directions, more lost than the girl with lifeless eyes, closed her own eyes with her hands, afraid of the spiral.
["I have to get ready for dinner." Sakura already awake muttered to herself and got up from the bed.]
"It's over already."
Startled, Kama shot upright. She didn't even noticed that in fear she had crouched. Trembling, she turned to the one who warned her, that also put his hand on her shoulder, more gently than she ever expected.
Emiya was silent, and silent he continued while she was pulling herself together. The goddess searched around, but no one seemed to noticed her or even care, everyone had they own thoughts to deal with after seeing that scene.
Parvati seemed to be fine too. But she, herself, was not. And that frustrated her.
Kama didn't say anything to Emiya and just followed Sakura.
[Just before Sakura arrived in the kitchen, the doorbell was rung and she went to open it.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier that Sakura had a fever?" Rin complained.
"Cause you didn't give me a chance!"]
The servants found themselves, together, near the Emiya's house. It was now afternoon and soon it would be night.
"Who rang the bell?" Nursery asked.
"We gonna find out now, I think," Jack answered.
["The hallway, Emiya."
Rin didn't even need to tell Shirou, he noticed the footprints on the floor. The house was dead silent.]
"Footprints?" Astolfo said.
"Footprints don't matter!" Circe exclaimed. "There's blood on the floor."
"This is not what I think it is... right?" Mordred ground her teeth and fumed in anger.
[The phone rang and Shirou slowly picked up the receiver.
"Hello? Are you finally home, Emiya?" Shinji said.]
"Motherfucker!" Mordred kicked the wall hard enough to explode it.
["I won't do anything to Sakura if you come alone. You know what that means, right? If you come by yourself to get her, that is."]
"This bastard...!" Raikou growled.
["So you want me to fight you without Saber?" Shirou asked.
"Yeah, I'm glad you're perceptive when it counts. We'll fight at school. Come alone, okay? Rider set up a boundary field over the school. I'll know right away if you bring Saber along. If that happens... I can't guarantee what'll happen to her. Though of course, I don't think you'd do something so cowardly in front of Sakura."
Shirou heard the sound of Shinji kicking something and moans.]
"Scum!" Atalanta roared.
Tamamo couldn't believe how bad that Shinji was. The one she fought was a dipshit too, but nothing compared to that waste of oxygen.
"Coward!" Iskandar seemed very angry. "Forcing Shirou to even go without his servant!"
["I'll go right away. But just in case, I want to know one thing. Are you a Master, or are you Sakura's brother?"
"Is that a joke? I'm a Master, and I'm Sakura's dependable brother. What about you, Emiya? Are you a Master, or just a coward?"
"All right. I'm going to go fight you as a Master."]
Some of the servants — especially the ones who underestimated Shirou — were caught off guard by his strangely-calm demeanor.
["Yeah, if it ends up being a fight." Shinji snorted.
And Shirou put the phone down.
"Hold on! Are you really going to go alone!?" Rin questioned, bewildered.
"That's what he wanted. We can talk later, Tohsaka."]
"Is he faking it...?" Ishtar asked.
"If he is faking it, Shirou's a good actor..." Ereshkigal replied.
["That's my line. Shinji has Sakura as a hostage. You'll be killed if you go. Seeing you die will be unbearable for Sakura. We should wait and see, and come up with a plan."
"I see. Would Shinji kill me in front of Sakura?"
"Hm… I don't know, but that's highly possible since he's using Sakura as a hostage... Hey, are you all right, Emiya? You look calm, but don't tell me you've actually lost your cool."]
This scene was remaining Artoria of the meeting with Caster in her own war.
["Yeah. I can't think of anything else. I'm mad at myself for not saying anything because I thought it was a family matter. He said he's not her brother. Such a guy took Sakura..."]
"At least he recognizes that he was an idiot. It's a start," Stheno said.
["He took her, so I'm going to go take her back. Don't do anything, Tohsaka."]
"Never mind..."
After that, the servants and Rin followed a hurried Shirou through the city.
"Since when Shirou can run this fast?" Artoria asked in surprise.
"That's what love does for you!" Irisviel answered.
"Poor Rin, he's making her run like crazy after him!" Gareth said.
[At the entrance to the school, Rin finally lost her temper.
"Hold on! Didn't you join forces with me because you couldn't save people by yourself...!?"]
"Damn, this one is gonna hurt..." Robin said.
[Her words splash cold water onto Shirou's heated brain.
"I'm sorry. But Sakura's in danger. I know it's suicidal to go alone, but this is all I can do."
"... I thought so. I can't readily help you as long as Shinji is holding Sakura hostage... But Emiya. If you can manage to get Sakura back from Shinji, I can do the rest."]
"Shirou's reaction is perfectly understandable," Jeanne said. "Shinji was his friend and yet he's making every possible wrong decision."
Mordred spat on the ground. "This bastard should just go to Tokyo or fuck where he wants to go!"
"Funny how Archer is following these two in silence since the beginning," Enkidu said. And he, in fact, found funny as he accompanied the Heroic Spirit in his spiritual form. Knowing him, although Enkidu could not see his face, it was easy to guess what it was.
Gilgamesh just laughed imagining too.
"There's no reason for you to be laughing, Gil, you followed that boy as your Master, regardless if was serious or not..." Enkidu had a solemn expression on his face, but the disappointment was visible in his words.
[The school building was deserted. Thanks to the series of comas, the school closed early.
Shirou found Shinji and Sakura in the library. Rider was there too, as a guardian and, very soon, as an enemy. Seeing his rival, Shinji pulled Sakura closer and put a dagger to her neck.
"Shinji! Let her go!"
"Don't worry, Sakura. I won't kill Emiya or anything," Shinji spoke into her ear, ignoring the raging boy not far from him. "I just want him to feel a little pain, that's all."]
It was bizarre for the servants to hear Shirou's teeth screaming as he gritted them so hard. His anger was bigger than any feeling they had right now towards Shinji Matou.
"Their plan is questionable to say the least," Scáthach said.
Rin gave him ten minutes, and then she would invade the place.
"Can we kill him?" Jack asked.
"I help!" Nursery smiled.
"No, you can't—" Atalanta stopped. "You know what? I'd help too if we could."
"Yay!" The girls cheered.
"I'll help too if we ever get the chance!" Parvati showed her fists. "If one day a pseudo-servant appears with Shinji's face, I will accept him into Chaldea with a 'Hi-yah!'"
"Yeah! Hi-yah!"
"What if said pseudo-servant with Shinji's face be your beloved Shiva?" Shuten questioned.
Parvati turned white. "T-t-that would never be possible!"
Shuten and Reines giggled like hyenas at the woman's reaction. In fact, in that moment, only those two could find something funny in that situation.
Kama hate the fact that regardless of appearance it would still be Shiva there... but if it was a Shinji pseudo-servant, she'd kill him or kill herself, these were the only two endings possible.
"If Shiva decided to appear, he'll probably wonder why all of his fellow gods put themselves in bodies of young mongrels," Gilgamesh said.
["Emiya. Fight with Rider. If you survive, I don't mind letting go of her."]
Medb wasn't the least bit surprised by Shinji's attitudes. In her lifetime she'd seen a hundred men like him, a bunch of assholes who were usually the first to die on the battlefield... since she put them on the front lines.
"If that kid shows up in Chaldea, I'd throw him in the detention center at Connacht Castle," Medb said with disinterest. Even so, you could still hear a bit of disgust in her voice.
Medb Penitentiary sent a chill through some members of that group. Ritsuka and Mash gulped, Artoria Alter thought the idea was silly because any fool could run away from that place and Nero...
"Umu, it's true!" Nero didn't have any good memories from the prison, that day or even escaping from there. "If it were me though, that fool wouldn't be so lucky. In Rome, I'd stick his head in Bocca della Verità and cut myself his empty skull if didn't work! Of course, if it existed when I was alive, umu!"
You put your hand there, though, not your head... Mash thought, but decided to not said anything, she didn't want to correct Nero about Rome of all things.
"That place was fun." Enkidu smiled.
["Get him, Rider!"
Shirou's eyes widened when Rider crossed the meters that divided their distance in less than a second, appearing right behind him.
"If you were going to fight, you shouldn't have come alone."]
"And you're pathetic for following that brat's orders, Medusa..." Stheno sighed as she stepped out of the way of a Shirou flying between the shelves, after a kick from Rider.
"And put pathetic on it!" Euryale added. "But I suppose, maybe here's the start of a relationship where two can shower the other without shame!"
Medusa didn't need the sisters' words to noticed it. She knew it was pathetic even in her own war. But it was for Sakura's sake. At her request. For her sake, I'd do it all over again...
[Shirou rose and ran through the shelves trying to cut his way to Shinji and Sakura, but Rider obviously caught up easily, kicking him once more and knocking one of the shelves on him. After escaping that shelf, he was welcomed by one last kick. His back slammed against the side of a shelf, stunning him.]
Artoria trembled in frustration. I should have been in this fight, beside him, protecting him...!
"Shirou has admirable resistance..." Jekyll commented, surprised.
"Didn't I said this before?" Jason answered.
"He strengthened his uniform," Circe told. Everyone looked at her. "Quite smart of his part."
"Good thing she isn't attacking him to kill," Amakusa said.
Illya was too worried to care about those things. "Has the ten minutes already passed!? Where's Rin?"
"Not yet," Miyu replied.
[Rider pulled Shirou, by the collar, closer to her face. "Endurance rewards the true victor," she murmured in his ear before throwing him away again. Only this time bringing him closer to Shinji and Sakura instead of pushing him away... but, of course, Shinji himself didn't notice, he just laughed, victorious.]
"What a foolish battle!" Gilgamesh complained. "Only a blind fool wouldn't notice that the damn woman is on faker's side! She's going to help him save that mongrel and then the two other mongrels will show up to help! I order: next scene!"
"Next scene my ass!" Ritsuka objected. "And you better not be using that future-seeing-power that your Caster use sometimes to spoil us!"
"Hah! If I use, this already boring movie it would become an offense in my eyes so big that I would have to destroy this Singularity!"
"If you don't stop disturbing the movie and making Master worried, I'll take you out of the library," Enkidu told in a calm tone, as always.
"Okay..."
["Good! Now, don't hold back anymore. Just kill him off right now, Rider!"
Sakura couldn't believe what she just heard. "Stop it! No!"
Rider landed a full punch on Shirou's stomach. The force was such that she lifted the boy off the ground and launched him into the air. In fact, towards Shinji.]
As soon as Shinji's laughter was interrupted by a "Huh!?", some of the servants replaced the silence with their own laughter.
[With a determined look, Shirou turned to his enemy and attacked him. The result was Shirou holding the dagger aimed at him in his now bleeding hand, in front of a freed Sakura. And, in the distance, Shinji stood up, alone.]
"C'mon, this guy is just too pathetic..." Mordred shook her head. "That was nothing big and yet he managed to lose the only thing that gave him an advantage against young mother."
"I honestly don't think that dagger would have made any difference. I think even a sword in his hands would be useless." Robin scratched the back of his head. "I've seen a lot of guys like him. Bark too much, do too little." And when Robin remembered his examples, he could say that they were ALL men from the village he had protected while alive.
["Senpai..." Sakura was worried.
Shirou dropped the dagger covered in his own blood, his eyes still focused on Shinji.]
"Huh. Still doesn't intend to kill him, by the looks of it..." Sitonai sighed.
"What did you expect?" Emiya shrugged.
["W-Why?" Shinji stuttered.
Shirou pulled his uniform and let the reinforced book fall to the ground.]
Illya gasped. "Oh! That's cool!"
"I guess even Big Brother couldn't take a punch like that without something to protect him..." Kuro spoke as she was discovering new ways to use her own powers. If there's anything useful about living with Archer, it's figuring out how much potential I have that I don't use yet... She looked away, embarrassed, when the man felt someone staring at him from behind and found her.
["Magecraft..."]
"Shinji seems genuinely surprised that Shirou knows how to use magecraft..." Mash was a little confused.
"I imagine that Shinji thought Shirou shared his lack of talent, fufu..." Reines chuckled at how pathetic that kid was.
Gray seemed confused, but a look from Reines said she should expect the answer to come soon.
[In frustration, Shinji ran to Shirou, screaming, but received a punch direct on his face.]
"FINALLY!" Kama almost screamed. "Don't stop hitting this piece of shit!"
"Man, what's wrong with that girl?" Mordred complained as she stared at Sakura's shocked expression. "You should celebrate that bastard got a well-deserved punch to the face!"
"He's still her brother..." Jekyll tried to argue.
"To hell with blood bullshit!" Mordred stamped her foot. "This little shit shouldn't be called a brother!"
"Oddly enough, I agree with you," Gawain said. "All of this boy's attitudes towards Sakura are shameful. He doesn't deserve the bond of a brother or even carry the same blood as her."
[Shinji got up from the ground with his face swollen and screamed, "Rider! Kill him!" And the book in his hand glowed purple.
But before the servant could advance, the window next to them shattered. The duo Rin and Archer came up with a surprise attack: Tohsaka's gems explode on Rider paralyzing her and Archer slashed her with one blow using Bakuya.]
Ishtar cheered and spun in the air in elation at the sight of her vessel's triumphant entry. Ereshkigal shared the sentiment by clapping her hands to the scene.
"That was a good entrance, Emiya!" Astolfo laughed. "Could have been faster though!"
"If Medusa hadn't chosen to spare Shirou, he would be dead by now..." Scáthach sighed.
I mean, it is a win either way... Emiya crossed his arms, curious about what happens now.
["...huh?" Shinji was more than lost. "T-Tohsaka? Why?"
"Emiya and I have formed a coalition."]
"This Shinji guy is the very definition of a human being..." Yu Mei-ren sighed.
"Not everyone is like that, Yu." Prince of Lan Ling disagreed. "Master, for example, is a modern human worthy of respect."
"I mean, she's a little better... just a little," Yu spoke loud enough for Ritsuka to hear, but the girl didn't react.
And I won't!
["It just so happens that we were together all day today. And because you used Sakura as bait, you completely made yourself my enemy."]
"That's my girl! Say more, say more!" Ishtar said.
["Sakura... Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura!" Shinji looked more and more frustrated. "Why do you care about someone like her? I was the one who became a Master!"]
"This guy..." Kintoki didn't even know what to say. "Damn."
Raikou and Boudica shared the same feeling at that point: although there was before disgust and anger, honestly the two felt more pity for him than hatred. He was just another kid lost in his own stupidity, making all the wrong decisions and probably heading for a sad ending. An empty life with an even emptier ending.
["Stand up, Rider!" As if the scene from the first movie was repeating itself, Shinji used the book again to force an injured Rider to her feet. "Damn you!"
Shirou was frustrated with the injustice and prepared to interrupt Shinji, but a mumble from Sakura stopped him.
"You can't... Rider, please don't... Stop right now!"]
"The book is burning again…" Gray whispered.
["Emiya, get down!"
Shirou landed on his butt when Rider reappeared beside Sakura, holding her with strength and affection at the same time. The wounds from Archer were instantly healed and, most importantly, her magical energy was multiplied enormously.
The real Rider finally appeared.]
"Her power has returned to what it was in the temple," Iskandar noted. "Looks like your theory was right, Waver."
El-Melloi II shrugged. It was no big deal, anyone would notice that, if it was interested in paying attention. "Just one more reason for this kid to be more pathetic. Honestly, I feel sorry for him too... He manages to be worse than the worst of my students." And he lit another cigarette.
["Gotta be kidding. This is... Rider?" Rin was clearly taken aback by the woman.
"Good going, Rider!" Shinji celebrated. "Keep at it and get rid of them all!"]
Reines sighed. "Christ... pay more attention, idiot..."
["Hey, Rider!" Shinji yelled as he felt ignored.
"I see," Rin said. "Matou's bloodline is already obsolete, and can't produce anyone who can handle Magecraft. I'd thought Zouken was the one who summoned Rider and had lent her to Shinji. But it was actually a lot simpler than that."]
"Hmph..." Ritsuka had already guessed the part about Shinji not being Rider's real master, but she didn't know that the boy couldn't use magecraft. "Now his frustration makes more sense."
"It should be obvious that the person to participate in the war would be the rightful heir of Matou," Reines explained to Gray as Rin herself said similar words. "Sakura was clearly a mage. And by the looks of it, she seems to have a lot of magical energy to give."
El-Melloi II would still add that Sakura had an extra factor, but he stayed quiet.
["Sakura... is a Master?" Shirou was stunned to discover that.
"The transfer of Command Spells. She used to Rider obey Shinji Matou's orders and with that, Shinji became Rider's Master."]
"That's what the book was for..." Mash noted. "Only one command left for Sakura, then."
"True, Mash. Good observation," Ritsuka said.
["Hey..." Shinji called them.
"Meanwhile, you lost your authority as her Master and became an ordinary mage..." Rin continued explaining as Shirou processed the information.
"Who are you guys looking at?" Shinji called them.
"Because the Matou family is the one that created Command Spells, such a trick was possible, wasn't it, Sakura?" Rin continued.]
"Well, thank you, Matou family. Without you and the Command Spells we wouldn't be able to charge the Black Barrel," Ritsuka said.
["Hey!" Shinji yelled exhausted from being ignored. "Look over here! We haven't finished yet! One more time, Sakura! Give me control over her one more time!"
Sakura stayed quiet and didn't look at her brother.
"Why are you acting so goody-goody after all this? You have one more Command Spell! Use that, and..."
"Shinji." Rin interrupted him. "Rider will become free if her Master don't have Command Spells. And when that happens, even if you make a False Attendant's Writings, it'll quickly be burned up, and that'll be it for you."]
"False... False—what!?" Mordred asked.
"The book," Jekyll said.
"I know it's the damn book! What the hell is that name!?"
["Because you were only controlling her with borrowed Command Spells, you were never a Master to begin with."]
"I... feeling sorry for him now..." Bedivere shared Shirou's expression.
"He really is worthy of pity. He is not a nice person and certainly not worthy of respect. But he would make a good court jester," Tristan replied.
"Do NOT offend Sir Dagonet!" Artoria scolded.
All the knights cracked a smile and almost laughed when they heard that. Except one.
"Sir Dagonet?" Irisviel asked.
"The Fool. He was one of my knights. Sometimes he acted so stupidly that a court jester would look like a poet next to him." Artoria seemed very happy remembering the man. He certainly provided several amusing moments for the Round Table.
"If you want to know more about him, just ask his best friend." Mordred smirked and pointed to Lancelot.
Mash looked at Lancelot with curiosity.
"We. Don't. Talk. About. Him."
Mash was surprised, Lancelot never acted so cold before.
["That's right. I knew that... I knew that! I knew that! I knew all along, from the beginning, I'd never fit this role!" Shinji clutched his chest as he let his frustration and anger out in his outburst. "Since I'm not a Master, you should do it. Kill them all in my place, Sakura."
"No, brother." Sakura finally looked at her brother with conviction. "Let's stop it here! You broke your promise. You said you wouldn't kill Senpai! So please... no more!"]
"Sakura, you really are a docile petal..." Tamamo commented with a forced smile. "We'd be in serious trouble if I was your servant."
"Ritsuka is no different. She always chooses the most peaceful path," Artoria Alter said.
"I don't need eyes in the back of my head to feel your judgmental glares!" Ritsuka exclaimed.
["Then, fine. Why don't you just..." Shinji held up a piece of crystal between his index finger and thumb. "... die?" And destroyed it.
At same time, Sakura earring broke and chemical-like liquid was poured out of it. She fell in her knees and convulsions began, shaking so bad that it seems like she was going to crumble like a building in an earthquake.]
"W-What's happening!?" Gareth was confused by that scene. "Mages?"
El-Melloi II frowned, trying to identify what it was. Obviously it was chemistry, but it wasn't an area he was all that familiar with.
[Shinji ran away and Shirou ran to Sakura's aid, but Archer stopped him by pulling him by the shoulder and tossing him to Rin's side.
"Get away from this place, now! Once we carelessly feed her magical energy, we can't revert her!"
"Feed her...? What do you mean...?" Shirou's question died in his throat when the library turned red and the air became a mist, moistening their skin, and every wall started to sweat like honey.]
"The bastard is running away! Don't let him get away! Fucking kill him!" Jeanne Alter pointed towards the exit and screamed in frustration. "Why the people in this damn war never finishes their DAMN JOB!?"
"Blood Fort Andromeda!" Ritsuka exclaimed upon realizing it right away. She slightly closed her eyes as she felt a burning sensation in her chest from the boundary field created by Rider. If I'm feeling this, imagine what they are...
["... Tohsaka?"
"It's the boundary field Shinji set up here. But it's much stronger now that Sakura is Rider's Master."
On the other side of the hallway was Sakura, clawing at her chest in agony. And Rider, who was confronting Archer to protect Sakura.
"Pull back, Rider! Your Master is running out of control! At this rate, she'll use up all her magical energy and self-destruct!"
"It simply means she must take in more magical energy than she's expending," Rider said with a simplicity that surpassed the limits of coldness.
"So, a change in your Master hasn't changed the fact you are a rotten bitch!"]
"Holy shit, that was a dope line!" Ritsuka felt her eyes glistening. "S-Sorry, Medusa..."
"Don't worry, Master."
"Do you think you can defeat her?" Artoria asked.
"No way," Emiya replied. "I would have better chances if it weren't for this scenario, where the only servant desperate is me."
[Archer rushed at Sakura still crouching on the ground, clashing with Rider as she blocked his way.
"Hey, are you okay with this, Tohsaka!? He started fighting with Rider…!"
"...Of course they have to fight. We won't last like this... And as a fellow magus, I have to prevent Sakura from becoming a heretic."
"Wait. What is that? Why Sakura?"
"She's running wild. Rider made this boundary field, but Sakura's the one maintaining it. I don't know what Shinji did, but Sakura's attacking indiscriminately now. I bet Sakura is like us. It's just painful and she just wants air, so she's sucking on other people's air, or magical energy in this case. I can't leave her be as the supervisor of Fuyuki."
"You can't leave her be? What are you going to do to Sakura!?"
"... Ask Archer. I only know of one way to stop a magus like that. But Archer might know of some other way."]
"You have?" Artoria asked.
"Yes. Kill her." Emiya responded coldly.
Medusa clenched her fists. She wanted to punch Archer so hard right now that only the gods knew how she was making an effort not to. A man like him would certainly had more ways to deal with that — his arsenal was unlimited after all — but the problem was that Archer didn't care about Sakura Matou. The end. If she hadn't knowledge about who he was, she wouldn't care, but knowing that he had a Sakura too, one of the few people of meaning in Shirou Emiya's life... that was unforgivable.
["I understand your power. I am sorry, but you cannot defeat me."]
"When you talk like that you look pretty badass, Medusa!" Musashi praised. "You should act like this more."
"You better leave her alone," Muramasa advised as he felt all the negative energy Rider was aiming at Archer.
["…No, Rider…!" Sakura begged.
"Please endure there, Sakura. I will solve everything." But Rider insisted.
"Stop, please stop, Rider. I didn't call for you for something like this."
"... I cannot follow that order. Your life takes priority above all else."
Rider raised her arm. There was four meters between her and Archer. Maintaining that distance, the servant put her hand on her face and…
"Also..."]
The servants who once shared the battlefield with the woman recognized that gesture immediately.
"Oh, no…" Jeanne blurted out, covering her mouth with her hands.
"This is going to be a BIG problem!" Robin exclaimed. "Good luck, Archer!"
["... This is what you wished for, Sakura." She released the black seal.
Rider's naked eyes. They were inhuman eyes, one of the highest rank among numerous mystic eyes.
Archer was frozen in place. He tried to charge forward and slash at Rider, but his legs were already petrified up to his knees.
"No way, mystic eyes of petrification…!?" Tohsaka's voice was almost a scream.]
"That's not golden at all!" Kintoki exclaimed. "And now, how to get out of this situation?"
"Is there anything you can use as a counterattack, Emiya?" Prince of Lan Ling asked.
"Even if I did, I feel like I won't get the chance to use it."
["Get away, Rin! The real attack is coming...!" Archer screamed, his body now petrified up to his waist.]
"What a terrifying power." Chiron admitted. "In a normal Holy Grail War, this Noble Phantasm would be quite a weapon. If it wasn't for Shinji it could have defeated many of the servants of this war already."
Miyu who had already used a Rider card could only agree with her professor.
"Yes, this war has some great servants, but it seems they are all being limited for some reason." Iskandar sighed. "It would be pretty dull for me to fight a war where my opponents can't give their all."
"As if it matters! Only a fool would want enemies to be at full power!" Jason snorted.
"Talking like a coward like always, huh?" Circe spoke.
["Wait… even if you tell me…!" Rin was moving too slowly.
Something terrible was flowing forth from the other side of the hallway, a sharp thing like a spear who aimed straight at Rin Tohsaka. She'll die.
"Tohsaka!" But Shirou put himself in front of her.]
"Again!?" Nero screamed.
[Seeing that, Sakura screamed in horror as she watched Shirou falling. And following it, she fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.]
"..."
"..."
"..."
"FUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Gilgamesh laughed. "That was fun!"