[Shirou opened the door.
Rin was already there, standing in the corner of the chapel. She had the cold face of a magus, saying Sakura would be her enemy if the crest worm wasn't removed.
"..."
"..."
Tohsaka didn't look at Shirou, and he had nothing to say to her either.]
The sound of rain echoed inside the place.
"Are you kidding me!?" Ishtar shouldn't be surprised by anything coming from the obnoxious king, yet, there she was, bewildered to find Gilgamesh in the same spot where he had been when everyone had left the church hours ago. "He's still sleeping!?"
"Of course," Enkidu answered with a solemn expression. "Gil was bored. So he slept."
When Kirei started explaining, Gilgamesh fell asleep. Enkidu had to hold Gilgamesh by the shoulders so he wouldn't fall into the waves of worms when the servants were standing inside the worm pit.
"Whoa, guy lets his hair down like nothing," said Kintoki, more impressed than incredulous.
["The operation is complete. There is nothing more I can do." Breaking the deep silence, Kirei Kotomine appeared.
"Eh...? Hey, Kirei. What happened to your Magic Crest?" Rin asked.
"Hm, you can tell? As you can see, I used all of it on Sakura Matou's treatment."
"Y-You used it all!?"]
A benevolent act with such a large scope coming in such an abrupt manner from that priest of all people caused El-Melloi II to knit his brows. That was one extreme measure, one no magus would risk it, not for someone who wasn't his heir.
Even Reines always amused by Kirei's presence couldn't hide her complete distrust, whatever he had in mind went beyond simple mind games.
"How come he lost his Magic Crest?" Gray asked. "Shouldn't it be permanent?"
"Now that you mention it..." Mash frowned.
["D-Do you understand? We're talking about a Magic Crest here! Why does something you built up for generations go away in just a few hours…!?"
"It could not be helped. The Crest I received from my father is not permanent, like the one you have. It is a consumption type that goes away the more I use it. We have never been a family of magi to begin with. You can think of it as a lower-rank Command Spell."]
El-Melloi II became more and more certain that the real danger for Shirou Emiya was not the shadow or Zouken, but that damn priest. What's you game here, Kirei Kotomine?
"Yup, this guy don't pass the smell test," Kintoki said. "Don't like him one bit. He's about to pull a fast one on Shirou."
["Then you really..."
"Yes. I've used up all of it for the treatment. It was the extraction of an eleven-year old pus. It should not be surprising that it took all of my remaining Crest."
"...Kotomine." Shirou was impressed with the priest.
"What? Do not tell me it's troubling for you. You two are the ones who told me to save her. I merely answered your wish."]
"Hmph... Rasputin really picked the right guy to use as a vessel..." Ritsuka sighed.
"What matters is Sakura being fine now, no?" Jack asked. "If she's fine, we're happy too."
["Oh... no. It's not troubling at all... Um, thank you."
"Do not thank me. You will take it back later anyway."
"... Take it back later...?"]
"Here we go..." Ishtar snorted.
["So, how's Sakura? You did that much, so..."
"She escaped death, but it is just temporary. I was able to remove most of the crest worm, but some parts were buried too deeply to be removed. Some of it has eaten into the nerves. I can extract it all if I remove her heart, but that will kill Sakura Matou as well."]
"I wonder if this is a life worth living..." Jason wondered.
Jeanne did not like the pessimism and exclaimed, "Of course it is. She's struggling until now for a reason."
"Even a cripple can be an existence worthy of living if they fight for it. Kotomine gave the girl a chance, if she wasn't just a weakling mongrel, her existence could gain meaning." Gilgamesh had just woken up and was yawning.
"What he means is that even a manufactured being can turn its life meaningful with the right time, people and conviction," Enkidu echoed his friend's words in a friendlier tone. "Sakura can achieve what she aims for."
Realizing that Enkidu's words were comparing himself to that disgusting existence of a girl, Gilgamesh got very irritated, and if it had been someone other than his only friend he would have killed them right there.
["All I could do was to remove the crest worm that did not metabolize with her nerves, decreasing her pain and the pressure from Zouken. Her life should have ended tonight, but I prolonged it on a whim. Well, it will all be vain effort if the worm in her nerves start moving again."
"Then Sakura is..."
"It means nothing has changed. She will have no problem living normally, but Zouken can easily drive her berserk. That old man can force her to fight, whether she wants to or not. In short, she is a bomb with a lit fuse."]
"Like I said..." Jason shrugged.
"Do you want to become a pig?... No, a jagoff like you as a piglet would be an offense to my piglets. I would turn you into a new type of germ never seen before. How about that?" Circe asked with a gentle smile.
Jason went to the other side of the church. "Crazy damn witches..."
["I see. Then there's only one thing left to do. I'm sorry for making you use your Crest." Rin started to walk.]
"Rin is kinda mean..." Nursery complained. "Poor Sakura."
"I got to tell you, Rin is impressing me. I always mock her, and many times side with Luvia, but she is acting like a proper magus here," Reines said.
["Hey, stop, Tohsaka…!" Shirou grabbed Rin's hand to stop her.
"What? Talk to me later."
"What are you saying? Are you planning to kill Sakura?"
"Hey, it's something that has to be done. Didn't you come here, prepared for that?"]
Artoria had to admit that she wasn't used to seeing this side of Rin, although she learned later that Rin attacked Shirou at the school, before they formed an alliance.
["I'm not prepared for such a thing. I came back for Sakura."
"Then what are you going to do...!? Look, Sakura can't live unless she fights as a Master. She has to absorb other people's magical energy to survive...! Don't you see how this will end!? Killing her here is for her own good...!"]
Amakusa looked at El-Melloi II and then at Jekyll... even at Emiya and his unexpressive face. Seems like many people already realized what Sakura represents as danger.
[Shirou and Rin started to argue, but they were interrupted by the sound of breaking glass.
"Did you hear that, Emiya...?"
"A window broke? And after that..."
"Running footsteps. The only ways out of here are through this chapel or the back door. What is she doing, breaking the window to go outside?" Kirei looked mildly amused by the idea that quickly popped into his mind. "Oh, I see. Most windows here have fixed fittings. She had to break it to get out. For someone who's still recovering, she's pretty violent."]
"She overheard the argument, didn't she?" Raikou realized. "Oh no!"
"Fufufu." Shuten giggled. "She's just out for a stro~ll..."
["Recovering... do you mean Sakura!?" Rin asked.
"Who else? From the room she was in, you can somehow hear everything said in the chapel. I am sure she fled when she heard you discuss killing her."
"Wha—"
"Forgive me. It is a structural defect."
"Don't lie, you fake priest...! I'm sure it's intentional!" Tohsaka shook off Shirou's hand and started running. She ran not to the room, but to the door leading outside.]
Shuten chuckled at the chaos created by Kirei so subtly. "How sad that such a man wasn't born at the time when I was still alive. He'd be a good companion. Maybe I'll save some time for this Rasputin servant... Ha! Who am I trying to fool, he'll definitely show up in Chaldea eventually — like everyone else."
"I'm hearin' your schemes, Shuten, and I ain't lettin' you create a mess for Master again!"
"Yeah, yeah, brat."
[Shirou found the house key in the bedroom and jumped out the window, starting his own search for the girl.]
"And here we go again runnin' around like a bunch of damn idiots!" Muramasa complained as he jumped out of the window along with other servants.
"That's the most fun part about all this!" Musashi said at his side. "A normal movie is boring as hell, I can't understand how people sit through three whole hours doin' nothing!"
"That's 'cause you're a crazy swordswoman!"
"Sure am! Now stop complainin', old man!"
Inside the church, Enkidu turned to Gilgamesh, they were the only ones still there.
"Aren't you going to follow Shirou like the rest?"
"To run alongside these fools searching for that girl would be shameful to a king like me. When the next scene worth of heed finally appear, I'll be there."
Enkidu joined the others.
"..." Gilgamesh just sat there, alone. "I was counting on you staying with me..."
The first to find Sakura Matou's whereabouts was Atalanta, but the first to actually arrive there was Medb who simply guessed a direction which turned out to be the right one.
[Sakura wandered alone and exhausted. Her aimless journey stopped in front of the beautiful view of the city, on a night of rain; several lights illuminated the dark city. But everything seemed black and white for the girl at that moment. With the tears mixing in the drops of rain, the girl crouched on the ground and hugged her legs.
"I've... now lost all places I can return to..."]
"The world of men is certainly a cruel place for women, isn't it?" Medb whispered to no one in particular. She heard the servants approaching, but more importantly Shirou Emiya's footsteps too. "Are you going to trust his love, Sakura? Or better, trust your own love?" She giggled like a little devil. "Maybe this romance of yours can show me a bit of what true love really is. That is, if he stays by your side until the end."
["Sakura..." Shirou called after finally finding her.
"... Senpai?" Sakura stood up and took a few steps back.
"Let's go home. You're not fully over you cold yet, right?" And with that he started walking towards her.
The girl took a step back for each new step Shirou took. "I can't go home. That thing earlier... It wasn't a poison or anything. It's only an elixir that heightens the senses. With only some of that, I lost myself and hurt you!"]
This is the time to show how you really feel about her, Shirou Emiya... Atalanta couldn't deny the fact that she was being extremely judgmental of the boy's decisions since the fragment had showed Sakura's story. If he had abandoned her, the huntress would have been very disappointed in him. She needs this.
"If you're right, I was summoned by this family in the first war you participated in, my king?" Lancelot asked. "I see... I really wish I had come in a different class, if I was at her side I would have made sure to change this girl's fate before so much suffering."
"Sir Lancelot, errr..." Bedivere didn't know how to warn him without making it so obvious who could be hurt by hearing that.
Lancelot took notice of his friend's warnings and found Medusa nearby, close enough to hear everything he said and would say. Hanging her head so low that her chin touched her chest, she stood there in silence.
"Sorry, my lady, my intention was not to judge you. I know that your situation was completely different!"
"D-Don't worry about this..." Medusa replied awkwardly. M-My lady...!?
"How sad, how sad..." Tristan played a few notes and received a glare from Artoria.
"Not now, Tristan!"
["I'm not hurt at all. I'm totally okay with something like that."]
"To be fair, he's right. He was the one who jumped in front of Rin!" Astolfo pointed out.
"Thanks for reminding us," Jeanne Alter replied wryly.
["I am Mage of the Matou family and kept that fact hidden from you for all this time!"
Shirou didn't care. "And I didn't tell you I became a Master, either."
"... The reason why I was going to your place so much was because I was scared to stand up to Grandfather! I said I was helping you out, but I've been fooling you all along!"]
"To use a desperate tactic like this to push him away..." Sitonai shook her head. You only forgot who you talking to. You're gonna have to try harder. Now that he already chose you, nothing is going to change his mind... that's one the reasons why we love this stupid hero of justice, right?
"What?" Emiya questioned Sitonai when he felt her gaze on him.
"Nothing at all."
[Shirou continued walking towards Sakura not caring for anything she said. And Sakura who noticed this searched for other ways to prevent him from going forward.
"Always... I always thought... I'm not someone who can stay at your side. So, I kept thinking that I'd end all of this today. And starting tomorrow, I'd pretend I didn't know you. That I'd ignore you even if we pass each other in the campus hallway and pretend I didn't know you after school. That I'd go home all by myself and forget everything that has happened up until now!"]
"Kyaaa, this is top tier romance right here!" Ritsuka radiated satisfaction. "If this continues I think I'm going to cry..."
Master really likes her shoujo mangas... but no more than mechas, I guess... Mash had to admit that every now and then she picked up a few volumes to read... sometimes she even imagined herself in the shoes of the protagonist...
["But I couldn't do it! It was scarier than the moment when I put a knife to my wrist to commit suicide."]
"...well, never mind..." Ritsuka's fangirl moment died immediately; she remembered what they were actually watching.
["I was scared of deceiving you, and I was scared of stopping the deceit! Everything around me was just scary! I was no longer able to take even one step forward! I just didn't know what to do at all!"]
Ereshkigal didn't consider herself a kind person, but she wanted to hug that girl. Master was certainly helping her create a gentle side, but her background filled with emotional connections built upon blood, obligations, illusion and despair didn't help with that.
["I wanted to protect my time together with you going forward, as well. For me... For me, that was the only thing that means anything to me."
The person I want to protect. The person who is important to me. If I don't want that person to cry anymore... If nobody is going to reprimand Sakura and she has to do herself... I'll lead her by the hand and make sure to take her to a brighter place. Even if nobody were to forgive her...! Shirou finally stood in front of the girl, there was no longer any distance between them.
"I will continue to forgive you in your place. So don't cry anymore. I fully understand now that you are a bad person."]
Boudica and Raikou looked at each other, relieved. Tamamo opened a half smile feeling a little nostalgic. Jeanne rested her hands on her chest knowing that poor girl had at least one person she could count on.
Emiya didn't know whether to frown at that bizarre scene or widen his eyes at the possibilities that it brought. Maybe...? But he quickly put such thoughts out of his head. No, it's not possible.
["I don't know when I'll lose sight of myself again, like I did earlier. I'm sure I'll do something that'll be simply irreparable. So where are you saying someone like me can go home to?!"
Shirou just raised his fist, opening it for the girl and revealing the key she had left behind. "This is your home, Sakura."
The girl hesitated.]
"What on earth are you doing!? Take-the-key!" Ishtar looked more stressed than Shirou himself.
["I... I can't! Because I'm not a virgin. My first time was quite a long time ago. That's not all. Ever since that first time, my body has been touched by unnatural things. I don't deserve to be protected by you!"
Shirou didn't think twice and threw himself at the girl, hugging her tightly.
"I will protect you. No matter what happens, even if you try to kill yourself, I'll protect you, Sakura."]
"YEEEESSS!" Ritsuka couldn't take it anymore and started crying.
"WAAAAAA!" Raikou shared the tears and hugged her master.
Atalanta smiled in relief, and Shirou gained more of her respect; the same could be said about some of the others.
"See?" Bedivere patted Lancelot on the shoulder. "Shirou isn't not as bad as you feared."
"I'm uncomfortable right now..." Gray muttered.
"Yeah. I can see why..." El-Melloi II was not, but he understood the young girl.
"Girl is just jealous! She wish to have a boyfriend like that too!" Add laughed before he was silenced by being shaken.
Artoria looked around, confused. This snarky voice... must be just my imagination...
["I will become a hero of justice just for you, Sakura!"]
"Big Brother?" The last thing Sitonai expected to hear was Emiya having a chuckle from that scene. He was cynical, yes, but he never laughed at inopportune moments.
If this goes the way it looks it will... Emiya chuckled again, indifferent about the weird looks he was receiving. It was just too hilarious to contain his own voice; just suspicious, he wanted to laugh and laugh, the mere thought that the secret to make Shirou Emiya abandon his ideal was Sakura Matou — the girl he discarded as a boy and disregarded as a servant — made it hard not to cackle like an idiot.
[Shirou and Sakura crossed their hands heading to their house.]
The servants that cared about the two young lovebirds were in a much better mood. Of course, the events about Sakura were still fresh even after so many hours, but at least knowing that Shirou — the person she cared the most — was determined to stay by her side made everything more optimistic.
"We didn't know if we would love young uncle Emiya, but we dooo!" Jack was without a doubt the most excited servant in the group, even more than Raikou or Boudica, and the reason was very easy to guess.
"Is that so?" Atalanta said, smiling.
"Yes! We don't have a notion of what means having a home to return to, but we kinda start to learn the importance of it 'cause of Master! So seeing Shirou give Sakura a place to return and call home is really nice!"
[On the way back to their home, Shirou and Sakura met Rin and Archer.]
Lan Ling got startled by Yu Mei-ren lightening up because Emiya appeared at the end of the street. He knew she liked Archer more than she would admit, but that reaction was a little too much.
"Shhh! It's now. We about to see a seed of a future battle!"
Oh, I get now. She still thinking we'll see these two fighting...
["Shirou Emiya. If you kept the belief you've been sticking with, continue to do so. The results are obvious. But if you're going to choose a different path, there is no future for Shirou Emiya."
Shirou and Sakura continued on their route without looking back.]
"What!?" Yu complained. "That was more friendlier than it should have been!"
"Boring!" Shuten echoed the same opinion. "I thought I'd see a confrontation between Heroic Spirit and his younger self, but by now it's clear there won't be no battle."
"How in hell you know about this!?" Emiya exclaimed.
"Now thanks to this fragment I'll be forced to agree with her." Yu sighed.
Jeanne Alter agreed with all them. "I understand the frustation. The only reason I came to see this movie was to see Archer's embarrassing moments, but he's not only barely showing up, we're being obliged to watch some disturbing shit! I want my good time back!"
"I have to admit, I wanted to see Archer fighting against his younger self too. It'd be funny!" Astolfo chuckled.
"You know what's worse?" Mordred said to her friends. "I wish we were watchin' what we thought we were goin' to watch... but now I'm curious about this war and I want to see how it's goin' to end!... Still wanted to see young mother beating the shit out of Emiya though." She laughed at the end.
"At least we know some stuff about his younger self that can be used against him!" Kama joined the conversation.
Parvati patted Archer's back. "They just like to provoke you. Ignore them."
"Don't worry, I'm used at this point..." Emiya replied. "I've said this before. If Chaldea it's locked it becomes an asylum, and if your put a tent over it becomes a damn circus."
Parvati chuckled. It was good that despite how much he complained about Chaldea, the goddess could tell how much he liked the place.
When the couple arrived at the Emiya household, the servants were divided into groups again.
["What's wrong, Sakura? Do you have a fever? You were in the rain for so long."
"I-It's not a cold. My magical energy is a bit... lacking."]
"Doesn't look like a fever to me!" Jeanne Alter chuckled. "It seems more like she is feeling something that starts with the letter 'h'. And follows with the letter 'o'. And then with the letter 'r'."
"Horrible?" Jeanne guessed.
"Horny. You idiot."
"W-What a disrespectful thing to say about Sakura!"
["Is there anything I can help you with?" Shirou asked.
"Um... Would you like to..." Sakura was embarrassed to ask for what she really wanted.]
"Oh...my..." Jeanne blushed.
And Alter gasped. "Damn, I was kidding before... She really is horny..."
Medb sometimes caught herself glaring at some women from Chaldea who acted like children when the topic was lust. Although in their case it makes sense... they're both saints.
"So what people mean when they said Master used to bully you?" Lan Ling asked what had been bothering him for a long time, especially after some of the stories Rider himself had told him.
"Haha! Yes! But luckily with the arrival of more servants I stopped being her target and now Master bully others!"
"You didn't answer the question."
["No! I'll be fine if you could give me a small amount of your blood."
"S-sure."]
"I have stories about Master myself," Shuten whispered behind them.
Lan Ling and Astolfo nearly had a heart attack.
"One time, we were in a jam and I offered a way to get magical energy back, but she decided to give her blood. Poor innocent girl. I sucked half of her blood and blamed it on the monsters when we got back. Good time."
"You just admitted an act of treason, Shuten!" Astolfo pointed at the oni.
"Did I?" Shuten displayed a sinister smile and focused on Lan Ling. "You have a good smell. And if I didn't know already about your gender, I would guess that you're a woman. Would you spend some time with me for a couple of drinks?"
"Don't let that thing get closer to you, do you understand me?" were Yu's words to Lan Ling when she referred to Shuten Doujin. Luckily, he didn't have time to take any drastic measures because Raikou popped out from nowhere between them, hugging him away from the Shuten.
"Stay away from him, disgusting oni!"
"... How did you end up here? You weren't even in our group..." Shuten lost her smile. "This is getting annoying."
"I felt wrongness and I knew it was you!"
"...doesn't explain how you switched groups, though..." Astolfo said.
Somebody help me... I'm suffocating here. Lan Ling struggled with her face still buried in Raikou while she threatened Shuten.
[After cutting his finger, Shirou let Sakura suck his blood.]
"Why is this scene being so sexual!?" Jeanne covered her face.
"C'mon. Are you really getting all fussy 'cause a silly scene like... that?" Jeanne Alter teased her counterpart, but she was blushing too.
"Y'know, girls, after watching the fragment with that Sieg boy, I'm more sure than ever that you two really need a man, like... NOW, very quickly — especially Alter," said Medb.
"W-What!?" Jeanne's face lost its color.
Alter chuckled... a forced one, but one nonetheless. "She's right. You really need one. Maybe we should ask Master to try summoning that guy when we finish this Singularity."
"Pardon!? How dare you say these things to me!? I'm your big sis! And besides, she said to you too! Do you have someone Mrs. Awesome!?"
"Of course I have. His name is 'it's not your fucking business if a have someone or not'!"
The two glared at each other.
"Haha! Calm down, kiddos. That's how life works." Muramasa laughed patting the girls on the head.
"Kiddos...? Who you think you are!? Get away from me, old man!" Alter released a jet of fire with one of her hands, but Muramasa easily escaped.
"D-Don't attack him! Are you crazy?" Jeanne said.
"As always such a deliquent lady. Normaly, this would make me sorta angry, but this old man here find cute. Makes me remember the few moments with my granddaughters." Muramasa kept his happy tone and smile.
["I shouldn't go any further! I can't contaminate him any more than this!" Sakura slipped through the door and sat on the floor.]
Medb decided to ignore the craziness going on right next to her and stay focused on the movie, since she seemed to be the only one willing to do it in that group.
Seeing Sakura hating herself so much for wanting to advance her relationship with Shirou, and equating her desire for him with a unforgivable sin made the queen very frustrated. Had she been summoned by Sakura, Medb would teach the girl that sometimes "impurity" wasn't a sin... she also would kill Shinji, but the old man would be a problem.
[The next day, in the morning, Shirou and Sakura were making breakfast.]
It was said that only relationships with a lot of time and connection could have people talking between themselves just with eye contact.
That was a lie.
Tamamo and Circe had never spoken before, or had some reason to do it, but in that group and at that time the two interacted — and very well — only with eyes and grimaces.
They cried for help, for another group, because now they were stuck with the Emiya family — also known as the complicated family with members from all those different worlds.
Ritsuka was there too.
Whoever was responsible for splitting the servants into groups, sometimes the impression was that it wasn't so random...
Tamamo sighed. Let's analyze the relationship chart, then... Before the fox thought it was her impression, but Ritsuka was cleary avoiding Emiya... like how she was doing since she'd came back from Olympus. Of course, as it was in Chaldea, in a well-disguised way; she had no problem staying by his side and talking in the same group, but she wouldn't speak directly to him. How curious. Until recently, the two seemed to have returned to normal...
The next on the chart was Emiya himself. He was silent, arms crossed and, distant, in a corner of the dining room.
The rest of the family — the three girls and Irisviel — had wanted to truly talk to the Archer since they found out about his identity. And if the fox wasn't wrong, Emiya made an effort and interacted a lot with Illya at the last summer event, but as soon as it was over, he walked away again — in the same way someone looks back and is embarrassed of the actions he took during the day. As always, you're the one running away from these people. Gah, coward!
The Sitonai-situation wasn't something Tamamo was very knowledgeable about. The Emiya-problem had been going on for a long time, but Sitonai had recently been summoned. The goddess seemed to be uncomfortable next to Irisviel, but just her... however, the one avoiding the other was Irisviel, not Sitonai herself.
["Thank you for the meal," Shirou and Sakura said at the same time when they finished serving the breakfast.]
They seem to be in a better mood now. Irisviel was happy for Shirou's decision to stay together with Sakura. To be honest, she was even a little jealous. The roles here were a bit similar to what she and Kiritsugu once had.
As soon as her deceased beloved came into her mind, she tried to hurriedly push him away, but it was difficult. Shirou there, all smiles and kind, reminded her of Emiya when he was rarely gentle with her and, consequently, of Kiritsugu too — the side who only she had seen.
And... Irisviel didn't look at her, but Sitonai was on her mind. From time to time the two came across each other in Chaldea, but their conversations were usually just... greetings. She didn't know if was her own fear or Sitonai's discomfort that was preventing them from having a real conversation.
["You're not gonna eat?" Shirou asked, almost forgetting the third presence at the table, too focused on Sakura.
"It's okay. Don't be shy." Sakura encouraged with a smile.
"We Servants don't require the intake of nutrients the same way you do."]
Artoria was having a hard time; she was feeling something she rarely felt during her life: jealousy. Rider was sitting exactly where Artoria had been in her own war, eating the very food that Shirou would, normally, made for her. Don't be immature, Artoria Pendragon. You failed him in this war and now Shirou needs a strong ally...
["Is that so? Saber used to eat a lot."]
... but damn you, Medusa!
Bedivere had to restrain himself from laughing. So like you, my king. Percival would be glad to see you now eating as you like.
Tristan tried to open his mouth. "I would—"
"I do not seek revenge, but you are forbidden to broach the subject. Or do you think I forgot the song you made about my dinners in Camelot?"
"M-m-my king, I'd never—"
"She may not have held a grudge, but I have. Prepare yourself, Tristan, I shall turn your sadness into pain," Artoria Alter said.
And so Tristan played with his harp, saying "I'm screwed."
["Your way doesn't suit me." Rider insisted.
"Well then..." Shirou shrugged and exchanged the choopsticks for cutlery.]
"I can see how these two ended up bathing together in the future..." Stheno still saw Shirou as foolish and dumb, and Sakura as someone trying too hard to be a goody two-shoes. "It's really lonely not having Euryale or Medusa here with me..."
The tactic of maintaining physical contact so as not to be divided into groups stopped working in this second fragment, and she had no idea why.
["For our strategy from now on... I will have Sakura win, and have her use the Holy Grail."]
Artoria gulped as she remembered Shirou's hopeful face when hearing from Kirei the idea of using it to help Sakura. So many things happening made her forgot about the Grail being corrupted.
"Shirou..." Artoria didn't have the fortitude to watch her former Master's disappointment when he discovered that that would not be an alternative to help Sakura.
[Medusa asked how he intended to win the war and Shirou proposed an alliance with some other Master.
"Who else is left?" Sakura asked.]
Irisviel's eyes widened at the possibility that sprouted in her head and Sitonai opened a small smile.
["Tohsaka's Archer, Sakura's Rider... Zouken has his Assassin in tow. Other than that, Illya's..."]
"Yeeees," Irisviel whispered.
"Yeees?" Sitonai echoed.
["...Illya's Berserker!"]
"YES!"
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!" Jason jumped.
Chiron would never see that alliance as a possibility at the beginning of the first movie, but now it was quite obvious that not only would it work, but Illya would love it too. Having Heracles as an ally is a sure win. And the problem, the centaur knew, was exactly this fact.
["Is it going to be all right?" Sakura asked, worried.
"Yeah, probably. Don't go outside, okay?"
Shirou left.]
Lancelot had barely been paying attention to the fragment since that little interaction between Shirou and Archer. A man who only has ideals for life and a burning love that conflicts with it. Two extremes, neither can coexist with the other, and he needs to choose one, huh?
["Are you regretting this?" Rider asked.
"I can't have regrets after coming this far. Rider, if things get dangerous, bring Senpai back home."
"But Sakura, I think the one we should be careful of is that priest instead of the elderly man."]
Smart observation. El-Melloi II completely agreed with Rider.
[Sakura didn't seem the least bit affected by the suggestion of danger.
"Oh, yes. He is a problem. But rest assured, Rider, because there's no way he can win against me."]
"What the...?" Mordred was almost startled by Sakura's sudden change.
Gareth beside her shared the same reaction. And Medusa literally had the same surprise as her movie counterpart.
"Sakura…" was all Medusa could mutter, feeling her body stiffen.
["Shirou."
"Huh?" Shirou turned around, surprised. "Sab—"
"Wait. I must speak with you before you leave."
It was Rider.]
Artoria felt like Gae Bolg had pierced her again.
[Medusa asked why he was helping Sakura and Shirou replied that he loved her, there was nothing complicated behind it.
"All right. I answered your question, so it's my turn. I have a request to ask of you," Shirou said.
"O-Okay, I shall answer it to the best of my ability."
"It's easy. Can you say my name with a different accent than the one you just used?"
"...? I-I understand. Shirou is fine?"
"Ah. No, that still sounds weird. Can you make it a little more, uh..."]
"I do not understand the reasoning behind this request," Gawain said, genuinely confused. "What are you getting at, Shirou Emiya?"
"When hearin' his thoughts is ACTUALLY important, the movie doesn't show!" Mordred complained.
["Um, S-Shirou. Shirou. Shirou. Shirou, no, Shirou." Rider struggled as she practiced pronouncing his name.
"Sorry, the way it was is fine."
"Shirou... Hm, so is this the correct pronunciation, Shirou?"
"Yeah, it's perfect. I'm sorry I asked you a selfish request."
"Selfish...? You did not like to be called with the accent I used, right? Then I believe it is right for you to correct me."
"You're wrong. I did like the way you called me."
…That's right. I liked it, so I don't want anyone else saying it the same way. I know it's a stupid thing to care about, but she was the only one I wanted to hear call me like that.]
"Oh." Gawain and the other knights... no, the majority reacted the same way.
"Damn..." Kintoki scratched the back of his head.
Artoria felt Gae Bolg piercing her once again, but this time it had hit the heart.
[Shirou waved to Rider and started running. He went to the intersection and caught a taxi.]
By the time he entered the vehicle, the groups were broken up and all the servants were gathered at the intersection watching the taxi drive away... slowly.
"Er... shouldn't we, uh, have been thrown to the castle or close by already?" Gareth asked.
"Just wait a bit, soon the fragment will switch to the next scene," Lancelot answered.
...
...
...
"Taxi ain't even in sight anymore..." Kintoki said.
And with that words, they knew.
"Goddamnit!" Muramasa threw his haori on the ground.
Musashi started laughing.
"Man, we're gonna be walking until Illya's castle!?" Robin sighed. "That's troublesome, but whatever."
"Wherever you are, culprit, fuck you!" Mordred gave the middle finger to the sky.
"Bastard's prob'bly laughing his ass off..." Kintoki didn't care about walking, but, he had to admit, that was a dick move. "Not golden at all."
"Is not that bad guys, c'mon," Ritsuka said. "How much time it takes to arrive there, Iri?"
"Hmmm... An hour on the taxi, I suppose... maybe two walking..."
"We ought to accompany the taxi. If we take an hour longer than Shirou, we might miss something important." Mash warned.
"Running, then?" Scáthach stretched getting ready.
"Running!?" Ritsuka exclaimed. "It's just a taxi, people, hold on! You guys can just walk fast and there will be no problems!"
"We losing the taxi, morons!" Jeanne Alter empathized the obvious. Things were moving in real time, after all.
"It's time, friends!" A thunder crashed among the group and Iskandar jumped into his chariot. "C'mere!"
"Are you going to—"
"No, Reines. This time I'm going with you guys," El-Melloi II answered already inside the chariot.
Stheno and Euryale looked intently at Astolfo.
"Ah, c'mon! My poor and beautiful hippogriff..." Astolfo sighed. "Sad thing Siegfried is no longer here. I'll have to be alone with 'em."
"Big Brother!" Sitonai called for Emiya. "It's Shirou!"
While the other servants decided how they would follow the taxi, the goddess summoned her familiar, the bear named Shirou.
"Get in!"
"I refuse!" Emiya exclaimed.
"The bear is actually very nice," Artoria said. "I talked to him once. A good familiar."
"... what?" Emiya thought he heard wrong.
"Damn, she has a bear as familiar, I always forget!" Kuro crossed her arms enviously.
"You girls can get in too, if you want..." Sitonai smirked.
"Grrrr!"
Suddenly, something popped into Illya's brain. Normally, she'd let it go, but Kuro's accusing her of not being funny and Miyu's betrayal were still zinging in the back of her mind.
"So, Sitonai, do you want us to get in your bear-hicle?"
Sitonai looked at her counterpart in silence, and so did the others.
"A bear-hicle, huh? Un-bear-lievable, right?" Illya giggled... but no one reacted still. Looking around, she felt everyone staring at her. Even Miyu had a disbelieving face. "G-Guys..." She felt tears appearing in her eyes.
"FUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"He liked it!" Illya smiled.
"I'm not laughing at your miserable joke, I'm laughing at you! FUAHAHAH—" Enkidu stopped Gilgamesh with a slap on the back.
Now, Illya had, in fact, tears on her eyes.
"The joke was good!" Atalanta rushed to console her.
The others who had a bit of empathy forced a few laughs and praised the girl — or tried to.
[A few minutes' walk from the national highway. Even though I've never seen it in person, the forest's entrance looks familiar. It's white like morning mist, even during the day.]
Illya, Kuro and Miyu immediately regretted becoming Scáthach's students. She forced them to run with her until there, and by running meant getting out of the taxi's way to go for a longer route.
"Thanks, Sitonai!" Ritsuka and Mash thanked the goddess for letting them ride the bear.
Sitonai just smiled. She found weird, though, that Ritsuka just climbed on Shirou only after Emiya made it clear he would not, leaping towards Fuyuki's rooftops. But as soon as the thought entered Sitonai's head, it was gone.
[With Rider gone as well, Sakura finally yielded and almost fell to the ground. She dragged herself along the wall until the last strength in her legs died too. Lying on the floor, she was breathing hard.]
"What—!?" Jason exclaimed, surprised.
Immediately, they knew that this scene was set right after Shirou left the house.
"The asshole really made us follow the taxi and when we finally get there, he teleports us here!?" Jason spat out the anger that some of the other servants felt as well.
Muramasa didn't even have the strength to complain anymore. He just sat in the doorway and... stared at the door.
"What's going on with her?" Nursery asked.
"We think she's sick... we think," Jack answered.
Is she... moaning? Reines frowned.
[Sakura put her hand between her legs and squeezed one of her breasts as her sighs turned to moans.
"Senpai!"]
"FUAHAHAHA!" Gilgamesh burst out laughing when he saw the group's shock.
"Is she sick?" Jack questioned.
"No. She simply... checking if she has a fever..." Scáthach noticed that Atalanta and Raikou weren't in her group, and she decided to protect the kids herself.
"I thought we're suppose to check a fever in the forehead. Between the legs in new to me!" Jack smiled.
"FUAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Man, this girl's nuts. I knew it! I saw too much of Medea on her!" Jason backed up a few steps.
"I warning you, Jason..." Circe threatened.
"Can't a girl enjoy her own body now!?" Medb complained.
"Not in the middle of the hall! At the entrance to the house!" Jason answered. "I mean, she can. But and if Shirou came back because he forgot the key?"
"Good for them!"
"Man, you're pissing Circe off, stop this." Robin muttered to Jason. "Last time I made her lose her temper, she turned me into a pig! And I only went back to normal because people found strange a goddamn pig in the middle of Chaldea! And you know who helped me back then? Gilgamesh of all people! You don't want to owe this guy a favor, listen to me!"
"FUAHAHA, GOOD TIMES!"
It was the Caster, not him.
"Everyone out!" Gawain exclaimed. "She isn't stopping!"
And she, in fact, did not.
Reines joined Gilgamesh, laughing at the preposterous situation — she thought she'd seen everything in Chaldea, but that Singularity was proving her wrong.
[Later, in the bathroom, Sakura washed her hands. As she stared at herself in the mirror, a sudden smile appeared on her face.
"I got it! All I have to do is keep him from going outside. That way, he won't be in danger again, right?" She had a frightening expression. "... huh? What was I just thinking about?"]
"Why am I being scolded? Look, she is in fact crazy! Pure nuts!" Jason whispered to Robin.
"Enough of you, jagoff. I've been putting up with your comments since the beginning of the first movie. You're a idiot and you don't deserve Medea!" Circe summoned her staff and took aim at Jason.
"W-W-WAIT!" Jason begged.
"Begone!"
"I told you..." Robin sighed.
[Sakura sighed and left the bathroom. But her shadow remained fixed where she was, until it moved after her.]
All the groups reacted with surprise.
"This is..." Gawain said.
"Yes. Finally, a confirmation of what was already obvious!" Gilgamesh's sarcasm was palpable. "That's why I warned this mongrel that she should have killed herself before things got to this point."
"You did what...?"
"Ah..." Gilgamesh forgot that the film had not yet revealed what he said.