Ashes (II)

"Where is my brother?" Illya asked.

It was already afternoon, and she had seen neither hide nor hair of the redhead Magus in several hours.

"In his Workshop," Saber replied while sitting on the porch overlooking the courtyard. "Rider is with him."

"Hm."

It had only been a few hours since they came looking for him after his vanishing act. Nothing had changed, and there was literally nothing for them to do until nighttime. This was a chance to rest and recuperate, but naturally, Shirou wouldn't do that.

Or couldn't, in all likelihood. He'd been technically asleep for over a day and while it was dubious how much actual rest he got in that state, he probably couldn't bring himself to rest again. However, he should have been saving his strength, at least. But judging from the sound of clanging steel one could hear coming from down below, that was the furthest thing from his mind.

Nevertheless, Illya followed the sound down a flight of stairs to a dimly lit basement. Rider was standing silently next to the last step, both watching and watching over her Master. She didn't pay any mind to Illya other than a sideway glance when she passed by.

Illya didn't approach her brother, who was working at the forge, hammering down a piece of metal while countless other failed attempts laid on the ground all around him. She only looked at him from a distance as he worked tirelessly. She forced herself to disregard the feeling churning in her chest.

Who would have thought she'd want to console the person she plotted to kill for years? Such were the twists and turns of life, although it wasn't just that...

"The way he's going at it, he isn't going to create anything other than scrap," she said casually to the Servant.

"Do you have knowledge of Item Creation?" Rider asked. "I don't," Illya replied.

"Then how would you know?"

She shrugged her shoulders as if to dismiss her previous comment. She turned her attention to the Workshop instead, looking over the details of the place her brother had shared with Caster. There was nothing of great interest, but Illya could see the passage of Heroic Spirit in the way things were arranged.

A woman's touch, no doubt.

It was difficult for Illya to be here, in this place, but she felt compelled to come. After several hours without seeing him around, she had to check on him, but now that she saw him, she didn't feel any better.

She put a hand on her chest and sighed.

'You really are a troublesome person. Even now... you could show a little consideration, at least.'

She shook her head. No one could choose their own feelings. Illya wouldn't begrudge anyone that. Especially when her own feelings had been all over the place recently.

She felt sorry that she couldn't do anything. Even if she spoke with him, even if she told him, it would do nothing good for anybody. It was difficult being in a place where she wanted to do something but with nothing she could do.

It certainly was cruel.

'Is this how you felt too, father?'

She had spent so many years hating Kiritsugu that it never passed through her mind that he could have been hating himself even more. She glanced one more time in her brother's direction and then turned around and left the Workshop. The longer she stayed, the harder it was for her to breathe.

She resolved not to go in there ever again. Nothing good would come of it.

[br]

Once again, Shirou stopped hammering. Once again, he looked at his handiwork. Once again, he furiously cast it aside, causing the newborn blade to bounce and clatter on the ground until it stopped with all its discarded siblings.

There was nothing wrong with the blade or any of the others he had made before that, and that was precisely the problem. He was trying to create something that could receive the Conceptualization of Rule Breaker that Medea had left behind for him, but the truth of the matter was that he couldn't do something like that.

He knew the forging process of hundreds of blades, dozens of which were Noble Phantasms. He had been taught Item Creation by a Magus from the Age of Gods, but it was still insufficient.

He didn't lack the skills to create an appropriate vessel. He lacked the necessary materials. More importantly, he also lacked the required vision.

What kind of weapon was he trying to create? He could project any of the Noble Phantasm in his arsenal, many of which had extraordinary abilities. Furthermore, he could wield each one with the skills of the original Heroic Spirit.

He couldn't imagine a blade he wanted to have that he didn't already. It would be a complete waste to use Medea's final gift to make something he didn't need.

He didn't want a new sword in the first place. He already knew what he wanted, but no amount of blacksmithery could fill that void. Perhaps Medea wanted him to make something else. An armor, maybe, or a shield. But Rule Breaker was still a blade. Its base concept wouldn't allow it to become something else without losing a good portion of its power.

Shirou wouldn't waste it like that, either.

Yet all he could do was create one inadequate blade after the other. In truth, he wasn't expecting anything to come of it. He just couldn't bear the thought of doing nothing, the thought of being unable to do anything.

So he just kept on forging, even though it was pointless from start to finish.

He completely lost track of time. He could have been at it for a year for all he knew, for all he

cared. It was only when someone put a hand on his shoulder that he snapped out of it. "Shirou, it's almost evening," said Rider. "You should rest a bit and eat something before we

move. We can't afford for you to be exhausted when something goes wrong." "...Right," he agreed.

He didn't want to eat or rest, but Rider was correct. He needed to be prepared for combat unless he wanted to fail even more people.

He slowly walked out of the Workshop and went to clean himself from all the sweat he had built up in the previous hours. After, when he got to the dining room, he found Tohsaka in the middle of cooking dinner while the others sat at the table.

"I hope you don't mind that I took over your kitchen," she said. "It's fine," he replied. "Thanks for taking care of the meals."

He sat at the table with the others and turned on the television. There was no mention of any accident or weird occurrences on the news, of course. The world could go to hell, but it would do so without knowledge of the supernatural ever leaking out. If the various organizations that existed in the Moonlit World cared even a little bit about the lives of ordinary people, things like Grail Wars wouldn't happen.

A few minutes later, Rin brought food to the table, and they ate without any of the chit-chat that they would have exchanged normally.

"Where's Dojima-san?" Shirou asked.

"He said he had to take care of something," said Rin. "He'll keep in touch. By the way, did you charge your phone? He said he couldn't reach you the other night."

"It got busted in the fight. I'll buy a new one tomorrow."

"Hm. Did your body heal fully?" she asked.

"It's fine. I'll be able to fight like usual. Don't worry about me. Focus on what you have to do."

Tohsaka nodded and left it at that. He knew she was worried about him while trying to be tactful about his feelings, but right there and then, her concern annoyed him more than it usually would have.

At that moment, he would have rather been by himself. Unfortunately, he was aware that he wasn't good enough to deal with the situation alone. He had to rely on others, and he would. But not a minute longer than he absolutely had to.

For the rest of the meal, nobody spoke a word. There was really nothing that needed to be said, after all. Afterward, everyone took a moment to relax and prepare themselves mentally for the night to come.

[br]

Caster had placed three seals, one for each location where the Grail could manifest. The first one was the Ryuudo temple, on top of the mountain. The second was Fuyuki Memorial Park, where it had manifested the previous war. The third was Tohsaka's mansion, as they owned the land and thus had the privilege.

They naturally decided to start with the last of the three. Tohsaka's place was smack dab in the middle of a residential area. The last time the singularity opened, they barely managed to contain the abominations. The park and the mountain were easier to hold.

They went together, all of them. Their fighting force had been halved in a single night, and they couldn't risk splitting it any further.

Tohsaka put herself to work immediately upon arriving. Even though this was her grounds, they were still skulking around like thieves. Part of it was the inherent rule that anything pertaining to Magecraft in general and the Grail War in particular should occur at night.

Another part was an attempt to stay undetected by the other factions. It was hard to say whether it was effective or not, but even if they managed to sneak by unnoticed, they would be giving away their intentions almost as soon as they began.

"It's here," she said, tapping her foot on the ground in a particular spot

"Alright, step away," said Shirou, who had brought along a shovel specifically for this task.

He immediately started digging.

"Maybe you should let either Rider or Saber take care of it," said Illya.

"I got this," he replied.

Saber shook her head at the white haired woman. The message was clear.

Shirou would not stand others exerting themselves while he did nothing, and now more than ever he needed to do anything that would help, no matter how insignificant or illogical it was, and even if there were far better alternatives readily available.

It took a few minutes but eventually he dug up a cone-shaped stone that couldn't possibly be of natural origin.

"That's the keystone," said Tohsaka. "Move aside and let me do my part."

Shirou stepped back and Rin immediately kneeled at the edge of the hole, putting her hand on the keystone. She started reciting a spell, and the keystone started to emit light, which intensified the longer Rin went into the chant. After a minute it became too strong to look at directly and within two minutes the place was as bright as day.

The ground started to shake, like a miniature earthquake which grew in intensity with the light. Similarly, the temperature started to increase and soon it became sweltering hot. Even the Servants had to take a step back.

"Rin, are you sure it's safe?" Saber asked.

But her Master couldn't reply because the ritual couldn't be interrupted without having to start all over again.

At last, after several minutes, the light focused on the tip of the keystone, shooting up into the sky like a pillar-size laser beam. It impacted against an invisible glass ceiling, forming spider web-like cracks from which a dark light shone through.

"Watch out," said Shirou. "A singularity is about to open."

He traced the Married Blades and prepared himself for combat, like his other companions. His battle garment, Twisted Embrace, had been completely destroyed in the previous fight. He instead Reinforced his clothes for some minor extra protection.

Mud started to drip from the cracks, hitting the ground and giving birth to several abominations, which immediately rushed at them. There were only a few, however, and they were quickly struck down.

Rin continued with the spell while more and more abominations came through, though still in manageable numbers.

At last, with an unearthly howl, the keystone released the last of its energy, exploding in the sky like a miniature nova. When the light faded, the cracks were gone and the abominations stopped coming through. The mud from which they had risen quickly evaporated and darkness fell on the city once again.

"That went well," said Illya.

"Rin, are you alright?" Saber asked, rushing at her Master's side.

Tohsaka was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

"I'm... I'm okay," she said in between breaths.

Some of her hair and clothes were singed from the intense heat, while the tip of her fingers which had been in contact with the keystone were badly burned.

"You are hurt," said Shirou, rushing at her side and grabbing her wrist to examine her wound.

"It's just a little burn, don't fuss about something so small. Actually, I thought it would be worse."

"Teach me the spell. I'll do the next one," he said.

"While I appreciate the offer, it's better if I handle it," she replied, gently prying her hand off from his "With one less seal, there's going to be much more energy at the last two. This time only a few of those things came through. The next one is going to be worse. Much worse, and the last one will be the absolute worst. You are a better fighter than you are a Magus, Emiya, and I'm a better Magus than I am a fighter. Let's stick with what we do best."

"Still, maybe it would be best if you taught me. We'll never know what might go wrong."

"Don't worry about it," said Illya. "I saw enough to perform the ritual if Rin needs a backup. She's right, it's not too complex. It's really just long and tiresome."

"Eh, alright, fine," he reluctantly agreed. "Next is the park, right?"

"Yes, it's better if we leave the temple for last. We won't have to worry too much about containment there. Come on, let's go."

She turned around and together they left the premises of her grounds. None of them could have noticed the tiny insects hovering just outside of the Boundary Field of Tohsaka's home, watching with only an inconspicuous buzzing sound to give away their presence.

[br]

"That was one hell of a lightshow," said Dojima as he drove the van which he had rented to drive them all around. He had been sitting just outside of the mansion, watching from a distance at how things went.

He had his gun on him, as well as the Thompson Contender that Shirou had given him, but he could use neither. His regular gun would do little against the abominations and the Contender had limited bullets that were best kept in reserve for high-value targets.

His "contributions" were limited to driving them around. In reality, almost everyone else could drive his vehicle, but Shirou had insisted that the getaway driver should be someone who wouldn't join the rest of the fight. Apparently, it was something his father had taught him.

Old man Emiya was a bonafide criminal on top of being a magical hitman. Dojima had only a vague idea about Shirou's adoptive father, but what he knew of the man he didn't like. Just as he didn't like the look on Shirou's face in the rearview mirror.

Having lost his wife to a hit-and-run car accident, the culprit of which had still escaped him to this day, Dojima knew perfectly well what Shirou was going through. Just as he knew that no words of consolation would help him cope with the loss.

Back then, Dojima dealt with the grief by throwing himself into his job at the expense of everything else, health and family included. If it wasn't for his daughter's intervention, he would have wound up in a very dark place. His bond with her had saved him.

The question was, who would save the young man from going to that dark, lonely place? Clearly he was surrounded by people who cared for him, but it wasn't the same. Dojima had pushed away nearly everyone in his grief. The only reason why he didn't push away his daughter was because he had responsibilities toward her that even his grief-stricken self couldn't ignore, and that had been his lifeline.

Would any of the people Shirou had left be enough to anchor him to life?

He wanted to say something, but he didn't feel it was his place. His relationships with the other people in his van were nebulous at best. Furthermore, well... they first had to win the war before they could make heads or tails of the ashes they'd be left carrying around.

By car, it didn't take long to cross the city and reach Fuyuki Memorial Park, especially as there was no traffic at that hour.

"Alright, here we are," he said as he pulled over to the curb.

"Thanks, Dojima-san," said Shirou with the faintest of nods. "It's better if you park a few streets away just in case something manages to get loose. Keep the engine running and if anything weird happens, floor it out of here."

"Alright, but I'll circle right back as soon as I see that things are over. It's going to be pretty obvious anyway."

"Stay safe," he said as parting words before getting out of the van.

Dojima watched as the group walked into the deserted park. He moved the car away like Shirou requested, then he pulled out a cigarette and started smoking. It didn't take long for the fireworks to begin again.

This time, however, it was a whole different show. [br]

Kotomine Kirei couldn't say he had a plan. Mostly he had a preference. He preferred that the Grail War would be won by a person with a good heart, so that he could savor their despair when their wish was turned against them.

Yes, he was more than happy to sit back and watch as things unfolded, using the Servant he had stolen from his old time friend Bazett to nudge things along. Unfortunately, things hadn't gonne quite as well as he would have liked them to.

He had been exposed for the manipulator he was, thus limiting his ability to influence the conflict. Moreover, the corruption of the Grail had already been revealed, so nobody with good intentions would make use of it.

It was a shame, really.

But, he wasn't a man to dwell over lost opportunities overly much, and there were greater pleasures in life to be had. For instance, it had become apparent that Matou Zouken had become an active participant of this War.

There was an old feud between the priest and the centenary Magus. More of an incompatibility, actually. Suffice to say that Kirei would take any opportunity to deprive the Magus of something he wanted. Kirei had decided since the Fourth Grail War that Zouken was an enemy that he would have to destroy one day, given the opportunity. However the Magus was extremely elusive and wouldn't dare risk showing his face around an Exorcist like Kirei.

But there were many ways to skin a cat. He only had to force the Magus to come out directly. Even if that meant breaking one of his own most cherished toys.

A true man of God always knew how to make sacrifices.

[XXX]