A/N: Hope you're all having a good holiday~!
Consider this massive chapter a little presents, of sorts.
WARNING!
This chapter has a lot of heart, a LOT of dialogue and character death.
Considering who kicks the bucket, I'm fairly certain you won't be complaining.
You should probably read this Author's Note, else you'll miss out on some vital information.
Oh, and my tooth hasn't been pulled. Turns out it got delayed. -_- PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN! NopenopenopenopeNOPE! DO NOT WANT! Once I finally get it done I should be free and clear...for awhile at least. But no time off for me, gotta get right back into the thick of things at work. Eh, but enough about me.
As ever:
I!
OWN!
NOTHING~!
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING related to BlazingAzureCrow, TFS, or other media. They're a massive inspiration!
I feel I should mention that I've changed the title of "Ghost of Seraph" into "A Most Unlikely Rider". It just works better. I've also renamed this "A Most Unlikely Caster" as well. Damn, it just has a nice ring to it.
On another note I may be working on a WILD crossover involving multiple characters from different media being summoned in the different classes. To get a better idea of what I'm up to, may I kindly direct your attention to "Fate: Zero Sense" by the Infamous Man."
That sort of thing, for instance, but on an a different scale.
For example! Lets say I HYPOTHETICALLY decide to set it n the Fate Zero realm.
That or Fate Stay Night, because Apocyrpha would be absolute MADNESS.
The roster-which is uncertain-could easily be thus:
Berserker could be...I dunno...ALL MIGHT from My Hero Academia. Or Escanor from Seven Deadly Sins. Hell, even good 'ol Kratos could easily fit the bill. Bit of a tossup there. Akame from Akame ga Kill as Assassin. Alucard (the Hellsing TFS version, mind you!) as Archer. Ainz Ooal Gown-Overlord of course!-as Caster. Lancer? Whitebeard from One Piece. So on and so forth. You get the gist. I'd still want to keep Artoria as Saber in homage, but everyone else would be, quite literally, free game.
See where I'm going with this?
Ideas and suggestions are more than welcome~!
Seriously though, because I can't think of a proper Rider that isn't Gurren Lagan or Gundam...Power Rangers? Hmm...no, I don't think so...
Now, onto your questions!
Q: SO MANY FATE STORIES! Are they connected? Can we get a list, please?!
A: Right, lets fix this and name the titles to make it less confusing and what they cover:
A Most Unlikely Caster-Formerly A Ninja's War/Fate Stay Night(And its many MANY Routes)
A King's Whim-may be renamed A Most Unlikely Master/Takes place in Naruto's world.
A Most Unlikely Rider-Formerly Ghosts of Seraph/Fate Extra, CCC, Extella, Link.
A Most Unlikely Berserker/Fate Apocrypha...and potentially others.
A Most Unlikely Assassin/Fate Zero.
A Most Unlikely Archer/Not written.
A Most Unlikely Saber/Not written.
A Most Unlikely Lancer/Not written.
A Most Unlikely Ruler/Not written.
A Most Unlikely Avenger/Not written.
It goes on and on.
Anything in italics is HYPOTHETICAL at best, seeing as it would be bloody hard to squeeze Naruto into those classes. Don't even get me started on the lesser known classes. Nope! We'll be here all day if that happens. Furthermore none of the above are connected...yet. Each is simply a case of Naruto being summoned in different realms, as a different class. Right now, A Most Unlikely Berserker is BY FAR the most popular, for good reason!
Then we have the silly crack stories, Not My Grail/Fate Zero and Not My Chaldea/Fate Grand Order. Not My Seraph is still being written and is slated for late 2019. These three are far and away less serious and not to be taken too seriously.
Now for the others.
Naruto wielded a sword briefly in an obscure video game that WE DO NOT SPEAK of. It was a god awful game on the Wii and I couldn't get through it. He's never wielded a lance in his life, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Avenger would only work if he literally went dark. Not likely. Archer only works if he spams his mobile jutsu.
There, question answered!
Q: How did Luvia summon Archer?
A: I've explained this already, Archer CAN be summoned without Rins' bloody pendant. Its just more of a guarantee if she does. And Rin did NOT use the pendant this time around. It mysteriously went "missing" around the time of the summoning.
Gee, I wonder what happened to it...?
Q: Why is Luvia even in the war?
A: The grail chooses the Masters. As Medea was never summoned in this route, a spot was left open. But if that's not enough for you, Luvia pops up this chapter. Its also hinted that she and Rin HAVE met before the war, for those who care to know. Its always fun to see them going after each other.
Q: Master list please, senpai!
A: Aw, you're making me blush! Here you are:
Rin: Caster/Naruto, Lancer/Brynhildr.
Kotomine: Archer/Gilgamesh.
Shirou: Saber/Artoria Alter.
Illya: Berserker/Heracles.
Luvia: Archer/EMIYA.
Bazett: Lancer/Cu.
Zouken: Assassin.
Shinji: Rider.
More Servants may well arrive, considering just how much he's pissed of the Grail/Angra Mainyu in this incarnation. Avenger DOES NOT take kindly to being slighted as we've seen with Kiritsugu and you can bet it'll go to great lengths to stymie Naruto and co. in any way that it can.
Whether said efforts backfire is another matter entirely.
Q: Feels like you've been jumping around a lot in this story. Why?
A: 'Tis deliberate, my good man! The Fate series does that FAR more on a whole than I, so worry not. Its all part of the plan. But if makes you feel better, I shall endeavor to make the scene transitions smoother.
Q: What route are we in here?
A: Hmm? I thought I made that one obvious. We are clearly in the %$$% route which means #*%^ is going to #$^^% and such...
...I regret nothing.
Q: How strong is Saber Alter?
A: Recall that she DESTROYED Heracles in a one-on-one fight. Yeah, there you go. She won't go down quietly.
Q: Is the reserve system of the Grail active? Did Naruto just accidentally trigger an Apocrypha?
A: *whistles innocently*
Now then away we go!
Oh, and a reward for the first handful to name the song this title references in your review!
Kudos to CrossyCross and "Nerve Damage" for giving me the idea about the corrupted grail being the way it is. Seriously, you think MY stories are nuts? Give his a look! You'll laugh your ass off and enjoy some incredible fight scenes.
"Naruto?"
"Yes, my Master?"
"This is an order. Exterminate them with EXTREME prejudice."
...ha! I knew there was a reason I took a liking to you! You're the best!"
~Rin and Caster.
Put A Spell On You
Avenger raged.
Well, in as much as a semi-sentient wish granting device could rage.
Tattered thoughts clamored against the viscous veil that prevented its birth, clamoring for purchase and finding none. Still Angra Mainyu railed against the shackles holding it down. It knew on some level that it had been bested; that someone had managed to twist the system to their advantage. It saw into this one's heart and recoiled at the kindness there. Disgusting.
Too easy.
One Master.
Two Servants.
With little bloodshed...
...THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE!
There must be chaos! Carnage! Slaughter! Devastation! There could be no war without such atrocity! He dared usurp it?! A thousand curses upon him! It would sooner drown itself in blackened mud than make way for an interloper like this; least of all one who professed such...kindness. The mere notion of such sentiment made Avenger ill.
There must be a way to circumvent this.
To hinder him, somehow.
Weaken him.
But how?
Alliances between magi were folly; in this day and age they trusted no one but themselves. Forced cooperation was out of the question. They had to CHOOSE to work together or not at all. Another plan was needed, one that could deter this new player in the war. One that would make him give up, or better yet, slay him entirely.
Perhaps...
The time of summoning was long since past, and though it was too late to select additional masters, another avenue presented itself. An old, forgotten one, one left untraveled. The reserve system. If manipulated properly it could forgo the notion of "teams" entirely, and instead focus solely upon the meddler. It had never thought to undertake such a task in past wars, for there had simply been no need and would require it to bear distasteful burdens, but...
...yes. Yes, that would work.
After so many failed Grail wars, it possessed more than enough energy for such an undertaking.
But first...
...a new Caster was required.
It would see the interloper burn.
Thus, in its fury, Angra Mainyu hatched a plan.
And in doing so the face of the War shifted once more.
(...0o0o0...)
"I smell a Servant."
Such simple statement, yet it sent chills racing down Rin's spine all the same. Her first instinct was to come about on the spot; to risk a glance over her shoulder in an attempt to find their unseen foe. It was only Caster's firm hand on her back that spurred her forward and prevented her from doing so. Supple fingers pressed against her spine, gentle, but more than firm enough to prod her back into motion. Walking suddenly proved itself an act of conscious will on her part; now that she was aware of the interloper her senses were on full alert.
Baffled, she dared a glance up at her Servant, only to find his piercing blue eyes locked firmly on the tree-strewn path ahead of them.
"Where?" she whispered.
"Behind us. Don't look back," he murmured through their connection.
A sudden breeze ripped through the branches above, producing a mournful howl.
"That's strange." the blond cocked his head, considering. "They're not attacking...yet."
"You're sure its a Servant?" Rin posited.
Golden sage eyes gleamed down at her, framed by a small, sad smile as they walked.
"A glass cannon I may well be, but I'm unparalleled when it comes to this sort of thing." he soothed, though those eyes of flint never wavered. "Speaking of cannons, cover your ears."
Rin caught his free hand rising out of the corner of her eye; that was all the warning she needed.
Her palms moved swiftly, clamping down over either side of her head to no avail.
Even with her senses muffled the keening howl of Caster's penultimate technique almost rendered her deaf on the spot. It swelled rapidly in his grasp, a blazing blue sphere that threatened to engulf everything. Strands of wind wrapped around his arm, twisting a fell aura across the growling spiral clutched in his hand. Taking his palm from her back, her Servant pressed his hand against the seething mass of light and began compressing it intently.
At this range the Rasenshuriken was a thing of deadly beauty, tiny to behold, but terrible all the same.
"Hmm," Naruto's muted voice rang across her senses, "This'll do."
Then he tossed it.
"Wait, what?"
It was such a contemptuous throw that Rin almost guffawed openly; rather than launch it at his foe as he was often wont to do, Caster merely flicked it over his shoulder and into the woods behind them. He didn't even deign to glance back as it sailed harmlessly into the trees with a soft, almost musical note. Nothing changed. Crickets continued chirping, the breeze didn't abate in the slightest. For his part, Naruto simply kept walking, thereby forcing Rin to follow or be left behind altogether.
"I...you...that didn't do anything, Caster!"
"Wait for it." he hummed.
A heartbeat passed.
Then another.
Another still.
Another.
Finally, a startled, almost familiar squawk arose behind them. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
How odd. It almost sounded like that Matou brat.
That would be just her luck-
THOOM.
The world burned white without warning, forcing Rin to fling up an arm before her face lest she loose her sight altogether.
Deprived of the dampening she'd employed, the keening shriek of countless minuscule blades rose as one; a wild chorus of destruction that spared neither bark nor bone nor the earth itself. Like the wails of the damned, so too did the rising attack encompass everything, swallowing all in the targeted area. Shinji or not, anyone who'd met that attack head on would die. Heracles himself had nearly fallen to it, living on only through virtue of his unique Noble Phantasm. The only recourse to evade it entirely; even a glancing blow would maim one horribly.
As such, when the dust cleared, when the smoke finally settled and the aftermath of Caster's attack became clear, she found herself at something of a loss.
Scorched earth.
Nothing else could measure up to it.
All that remained of the impact zone was a tortured indent in the ground; indeed, blackened soil and upturned earth stretched as far as the eye could see. Such a condensed attack hadn't even pulled all that hard from her reserves at that, which only proved all the more chilling. Surely it would be another matter if he began firing them off en-masse, but the fact remained...
...he's a nuke.' Frazzled, Rin could barely fathom the thought. 'I've got a walking nuke for a Servant...
"Hmm." Caster slid down into the ruined crater, scenting the air with quiet regard. "That's really...odd. I can't sense anyone now...did I actually kill them with that?"
His tone put paid to those words.
Inspecting his handiwork he began sifting through the debris with his staff. After a tentative moment of hesitation, Rin joined them. Tattered soil shifted restlessly beneath her feet, causing the blackette to stumble slightly before she managed to reclaim her footing. Caster offered a steadying arm and she clung to it for the merest of moments before righting herself. At first she didn't expect to find anything beyond ashes. Instead a glimmer of crimson caught her eye. Naruto's as well, judging by his reaction.
Blood.
Severed strands of blue hair.
And beyond that...a ghastly offering.
Despite her best efforts, Rin felt her stomach shift queasily when she saw the arm.
Clad in the familiar brown sleeve of their school uniform, the mangled limb was only barely recognizable as such. Those ugly strands coupled with the arm only confirmed her suspicions. Oddly enough, it also set her heart at ease. For all her bravado and bluster she did not...relish the idea of facing Sakura. To kill her own sibling-no, she ruthlessly reminded herself. Not sisters. Not anymore.
For better or worse it seemed Shinji Matou was involved in this war.
Well, at least she wouldn't feel bad about killing him.
"Whomever they are, they've got a competent Servant; they knew better than to take that attack head on." Naruto declared, grinding the limb to charred dust underfoot. "Still, their Master won't live long without medical treatment. Even if they do, an arm isn't something lost lightly." A hand fell, plucking a stray strand of violet hair. "Wonder who they summoned...Rider, maybe?"
Rin's keen mind lunged to the fore before she could think twice.
"Its probably Shinji."
Caster favored her with an odd look.
"You say that name as if I should know it? Is he dangerous?"
Disbelieving laughter burst out of her. "Dangerous? Shinji? Try annoying."
Her companion waited patiently, and she leaped at the opportunity to continue.
"Frankly I didn't even realize he was a part of the war; I should've expected it, considering he's part of the Matou clan...
"Is he a good person?" Caster asked suddenly.
"I...beg your pardon?" Rin blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Why does that have any bearing on our conversation?"
"Is he. A good. Person." the blond repeated, leaning towards her, his face dominating her vision. "Its a simple question. I'd like a simple answer."
Those piercing azure orbs told her all she needed to know; there would be consequences should she lie to him. Not that she had any reason to. Shinji...no, there was no love lost between her and that vile piece of filth. No, she'd be doing the world-and hopefully Sakura-a favor by setting Caster on him. From what she'd seen of his history-and glimpsed in a particularly poignant dream-he wasn't the sort to tolerate someone like that...
"No." There. She'd said. For better or worse, she'd finally opened that door. "He isn't."
"Oh." just like that, his sunny disposition returned. "Good. Continue, master."
...so why did she feel as though she'd just made a horrible mistake?
"Rin?"
"No," the blackette shook her head. "Its nothing. As far as Servants go, we know Matou doesn't have a Berserker." she pondered, touching a finger to her chin in thought. "Theoretically it shouldn't be Caster either, since you already fulfilled that role. You've obviously given him a mortal wound, so he might not even be a threat anymore." A frightening thought occurred to her in that fell moment, and she turned bright eyes on her Servant, a dangerous smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Then again, we can't be certain of anything since someone tried to break Heaven's Feel."
Naruto whistled innocently.
"I have no recollection of such an event~!"
Exasperated, she blew a stray strand of hair from her eyes to hide her concern.
"You're ridiculously overpowered, you know that? Do you even have any weaknesses at all?"
A flicker of something flashed through the warrior's whiskered visage. "All too many, Master. All too many."
That was...slightly concerning. Still, the most important question yet remained. "You're not going to chase after them, then?"
POOF.
Flying in the face of that very statement, the blond summoned a smirking clone to his side. Said clone took in the destruction with a quizzical look.
"Yeah, boss? Need somethin'?"
"Right, I've given you enough chakra to take a solid hit or two. Go track down our wayward Master and see if he's still alive. Kill him, if you can." Caster declared, perfectly aware of Rin's initial dismay. "There's a reward in it for you if you make it back in one piece."
The copy stiffened, bright eyes gleaming.
"What kind of reward?"
Naruto blinked, somewhat taken aback by the response. She could tell at once that he'd spoken in jest; he hadn't expected the copy to actually bite.
"Erm...what exactly do you want?"
...can I go for a walk?" it posited hopefully.
Master and Servant exchanged a dumbfounded glance.
"Oi. You can't be serious." the latter openly balked. "That's it?"
"Yup!"
At a loss for a witty retort, the blond drooped.
"Fine." he waved. "Off with you, then."
"Sweet~!"
With a jovial salute the copy did as it was bade; pausing just long enough to catch the trail before departing in a burst of speed. Despite herself, Rin flinched. Sometimes she forgot just how damn lifelike they could be. A solid copy had already taken a dip on her reserves. If he ever decided to simply spam them outright, her circuits might not be able to take it. Forget that, she wasn't sure her mind could handle that many Casters running around Fuyuki. He'd probably drive half the city mad.
"What?" the object of her affections frowned.
"Nothing, just ruthless of you." Rin amended. "I...honestly expected you to do go yourself."
Now it was her Servant's turn to recoil.
"Hey! I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm not an idiot either. A clone is more than enough for a little reconnaissance." When his reply didn't satisfy her, he raised a hand to ward off an argument. "Look, no one's going to stab you in the back while I'm around. Ya have my word. Can't win if you die, remember?"
...fair enough."
With those words, the once-oppressive air around them grew slightly less stifling and the Tohsaka heiress stole a glance forward. Although she could clearly glimpsed the peak of church on the hill above, it suddenly felt miles away. Indeed, the road to the chapel was a winding one through the woods and would lead them through the thick of it yet. Doubtlessly that irritating priest awaited them within. He might even prevent attacks on the grounds that they went against the organization. But here? This far away? His intervention was about as likely as the sun rising in the west and setting in the east.
In the end there was nothing to be done for it but to resume their trek toward the church.
Unease spurred her to speak once again as they climbed out of the crater.
"Even if its Assassin?" she murmured.
"ESPECIALLY Assassin." a rare note of pride entered her companion's voice. "I can sense ill intent a mile away. Anyone aiming for your back will be in for a nasty surprise." for all his concern, a sunny smile still flashed out at her. "Trust me, Rin. Whomever they are, they won't get the drop on us."
Heat rose to her cheeks in the form of a fierce flush.
"W-Well! Its good to know you're capable!"
There was something...disarming about Caster-Naruto, she reminded herself. Though he might infuriate her at times and drive her to madness at others, there could be no doubting his intentions. His was a gentle soul, a strange being who seemed content with his lot in life. Not only that, but he'd remained loyal to her. In spite of the ups and downs. Anyone willing to throw themselves between her and a ten-ton mountain of sheer muscle and death was downright tolerable in her book.
It almost made her wonder what would have transpired if a certain someone hadn't made off with her pendant.
All things considered, this was an acceptable trade. Now she had two Servants, impossibly.
The thought of what could have been quickened in her blood.
Would Naruto still answer her summons?
Would she have Saber or...?
At the time she'd thought Caster a poor choice for her; given that his class was supposed to be squishy at best and a literal sink for her prana at worst. Yet despite that he'd proven himself capable of remarkable restraint for the most part. Perhaps he was simply drawing from his own reserves to mitigate the energy he'd taken from her. His Noble Phantasm might be stupidly broken but she remained confident in its ability to take down any Servant short of Saber. Moreover for all his...quirks...he still stood by her side indeed. What, indeed.
Perhaps mistaking her silence for fear, Caster's hand descended, tousling her hair affectionately.
"Relax, little squirrel. You're safe. I won't let them hurt you."
Aaaaaand just like that, mood ruined.
Rin absolutely hissed.
"Little-?!"
Her heel shot up with surprising force and collided with his shin. Unfortunately she'd underestimated him. Rather than a startled squawk the blond merely arched an insufferable eyebrow. It was like striking metal-no, that was broad a term. She'd just kicked tempered steel intricately folded upon itself through thousands of years. In short?
Pain.
"Holycrapwhatareyoumadeof?!"
"Well, I DID warn you earlier Master...
Warm laughter greeted Rin's short-lived assault as she stumbled away, clutching at her bruised foot. Shame flooded her cheeks as she hopped in place, unable to do anything more than glower at her Servant. Honestly, if weren't for that smile of his she might've socked him again out of spite. She was still considering it when Caster approached her and bent the knee.
Gentle hands alighted upon her calves, carefully easing her to the ground even as she struggled to balance upon one leg.
'Eh?'
Rin turned incandescent.
"W-Wait a second, you dolt! What are you doing?!"
"Oh dear, I think you might've actually bruised yourself there...
She wasn't ready for this yet! Absolutely not! Not in a million years!
"Hush. I'm not going to hurt you." he snapped. "Why do you magi always fear what you don't understand?"
"I understand plenty!" The blackette retorted waspishly, heedless of the blond's baffled expression. "Watch where your putting those hands!"
Careful palms glided along the length of her thigh with practiced precision, flaming the sparks of her embarrassment to a feverish degree...alongside another sentiment Rin daren't quantify. Some small silent sliver of her soul was inordinately pleased by such attention. If she was entirely honest with herself-which she most assuredly was NOT-she enjoyed being fussed over. Certainly by someone so...capable.
Not that she'd ever admit it to Caster.
Bastard would be downright insufferable if she did.
As she looked on he performed another myriad miracle she didn't understand; faint green light stemmed forth from his flesh to undo the damage she'd done to herself. Flowing across the limb, it eased the searing pain to a throbbing ache, followed by a twinge, and soon nothing at all. Satisfied with his work, Caster allowed her to stand, guiding her back to her feet. His hand lingered in hers a touch longer than necessary, fingers brushing her wrist as he rose back to his full towering height.
"Right, then." Naruto declared. "I think that's enough excitement for one day-
In the end, whatever he had left to say ultimately went unfinished.
A hand snapped up and their world became light.
"Get down!"
(...0o0o0...)
It wasn't fair.
No, not in the least.
None of this was fair at all!
Despite his anger, for all his rage against those whom he believed to have wronged him, Shinji Matou was powerless in the face of death. Each shuffling step brought him closer to his ultimate end, every movement sent splinters of silent agony shooting down his spine. Trees rose and twisted around him in an endless maze, their branches reaching out to embrace him with dead fingers. The boy scarcely noticed them, such was his agony, all the world a red haze around him. No, he was all too focused on the keen agony dominating his right side. Rider certainly wasn't going out of her way to help him with that.
His arm.
His arm, his arm, HIS! ARM!
That bastard! The absolute bastard! He'd get his revenge on him if it was the last thing he did! Somehow, someway!
With each passing second his strength seeped from him; sloughed off him like so much dead skin. It took all he had merely to spur his battered body forward. Whereas once he had fled the battlefield at a dead spring, now he limped. Whimpered. Crawled.
"This can't be happening, it can't be...
Words tumbled out of him in an endless mantra as he stumbled onward.
He was no fool-he'd bleed to death soon if he didn't wrap the wound soon. But in his battered state-with one arm no less-he was simply unable to do so in any meaningful fashion. It was this damn Servant of his! Filthy familiar! If she'd just unleashed her Noble Phantasm like he'd told her to, none of this would've happened in the first place! Instead he found himself crippled, the book grandfather had given him all but lost in the chaos of his frantic flight. Without it, he wouldn't be able to command Rider for much longer, if at all-no! In his delusion, he rejected the truth. She was still his!
That damn Tohsaka!
Yes, this was all her fault!
Not his! None if of it was his!
"Tch!" he snarled. "You're all useless!"
It had all been going so well too; he'd found her by sheer chance and decided to follow her on a whim. She'd always rejected him; he'd seen it as his chance to exact some well-deserved revenge. An ambush would've taken her out of the war and satisfied his ego in one fell stroke. Her Servant was clearly a Caster, which meant he'd be no match for his Rider in a fair fight-not that Shinji intended to fight fair to begin with. He'd believed-perhaps foolishly-that his Servant would be able to contend with that one. Meanwhile, Tohsaka would still be reeling from the initial attack, and horribly wounded at that.
First he'd cripple her, yes, take his sweet time with her as he repaid ever indignity she'd ever inflicted on him...
Then said Servant tossed death at them.
Blind bloody luck had saved him from death, but not his arm.
The thought sent a fresh paroxysm of agony through his arm; it was here that his body finally gave out. Shinji was not a magus. In that aspect he was spectacularly...average. He lacked the ability to properly supply his servant with Prana, and thus had to rely on unconventional means. As such, it came as no surprise when his legs finally betrayed him. Caught on a twisted rooted, the blue-haired boy stumbled and fell. He tried to rise, only to find that he lacked the strength to manage even that.
Slumping against a fallen tree, he stretched out trembling fingers towards his still-stoic Servant.
"What the hell are you doing, Rider?!" he snarled. "Hurry up! Get me home! I'm dying!"
Rather than reply, the silent warrior turned her head, gazing well past him.
"Yes," a new voice rumbled across his senses. "You certainly are."
A shadow fell over him, blotting out the waning moonlight.
Somehow, Shinji knew what he would find there.
Despite this, he looked up anyway.
Blue eyes blazed back at him.
"Shinji Matou, I presume?"
"Yeah? What's it-hyeek!"
Caster gazed down at him, his whiskered visage the picture of serenity. Back hunched, azure orbs mere inches from his own. The sight of that sly smile shattered Shinji's very soul. Perhaps he would've taken some solace in knowing that this was not the original but a clone, a mere facsimile of the original. Perhaps not. Regardless of this unique facet of his personality, the battered boy still found himself rendered effectively mute by the sly visage of the Servant looming before him.
"Cat got your tongue?" Straightening up, the Servant cocked his head inquisitively. "Suppose that's to be expected."
To his flank, Shinji could heard Rider moving, no doubt to defend him-
Never taking his gaze from him, "Caster" flung up a palm.
"You stay out of this! Shinra Tensei!"
Somehow, Medusa managed to defend herself at the last instant. Even then her speed availed her not. Twin arms crossed before her visage just as an invisible wall of wrath barreled into her body, batting her aside as though she weighed no more than a mere child. Flung away, her back crashed against countess trees, sending the ancient oaks toppling to the ground.
Caster didn't deign to survey his handiwork.
He simply wasn't interested in it.
Instead, he struck Shinji.
An open palm cracked across Matou's face like a steel bat, breaking his nose. Ground burst before his upturned visage like a rotten bomb, leaving the potent sludge of his own blood to fill his mouth. Even as he struggled to turn a booted foot collided with his jaw, fracturing it horribly. His arm throbbed anew, joining the agony pervading his body in a ghastly chorus.
Shinji backpedaled like a drunken crab, frantically trying-and failing-to put some much-needed distant between him and the man trying to kill him.
"Wait! No! Stop! You're not supposed to kill me! You have to fight my Servant!"
In mockery of that very statement, "Caster" laughed and struck him with his staff, driving its blunt edge into the boy's stomach. A broken gurgle fled from his mouth, only to be stifled as he discarded that very staff and pounced upon him. Twin hands closed around either sides of his head. The outcome was obvious. Already he felt thick ligaments tearing in his neck, his neck wrenching painfully. No. This couldn't be happening. He wasn't meant to die here! This wasn't his fate! It couldn't be! No, no, no! NO!
The poor boy squealed like a struck pig.
"R-R-Rider! Help me!"
She nearly did.
Masked eyes swept over him with quiet intensity, taking in his grievous wounds as she climbed back to her feet and approached; observing the puddle of blood even now pooling beneath him. In that moment, something crystallized in her hidden gaze. Her back straightened, a small smile blooming on her otherwise pallid features. Something about it filled Shinji with dread. Somewhere behind that blindfold, a realization had taken place. Her once-tense posture slackened; the deadly nail clutched tight in her hand drooped away to sway loosely at her side.
...no."
Thin eyes bulged spectacularly.
"What do you mean, no?! I'm your Master!"
"What, really?" Caster scoffed aloud. "Well. That simplifies things."
"Rider?!" the word burst out of him in a forlorn wail, devoid of hope. "Please!"
"Sh." Caster hissed in his ear; the words were soft, almost soothing. "Don't struggle. Just let go...
Here in his last moments, Shinji couldn't accept just how spectacularly he'd failed. He could only curse others as he choked on his own bile. Gibberish burst from his lips as he clawed at the hands holding him, to no avail, for no man or magus could ever hope to overpower a Servant. Foam flecked at the corners of his mouth. Eyes rolled back into his head. This...this was death. He felt its cold fingers upon him, sampling his soul and finding it wanting. There would be no escape from this In the distance he thought he beheld an explosion of blue light, but his oxygen-deprived brain couldn't quantify it. Trembling fingers stretched out toward the moon, a scarlet beacon in his mind's eye.
'Sakura...
In the end, ironically, his thoughts were with his sister.
Strong fingers tightened around his throat.
Something shattered.
Blackness.
Medusa felt nothing when his corpse finally fell from Caster's grasp; nothing, as that crimson cadaver dropped like a stone. Wait. She lied. Relief. To be rid of Shinji was a blessing beyond measure. With him gone she could return to her true Master. Sakura might well loathe the Holy Grail war, but she was a sight better than Shinji had been. No, he wouldn't be missed. However...
"Well, that was an ugly bit of business."
...there was still the matter of Caster standing before her.
Considering the corpse, her fellow Servant turned his head and spat upon the soil.
She almost expected him to attack on principle. To mock her, if nothing else. They were at war and-as far as Caster knew-he'd just killed her Master. To miss this opportunity would've been foolish indeed. Any Servant worth there salt would've taken a moment to savor what they no doubt perceived to be a victory. Yet rather than any of this or that, the blond simply raised his staff in a faux salute and bowed, one warrior to another. Even then Rider's back tensed, expecting an assault at any moment.
It never came.
"You know," the young man offered a sheepish sigh, "I feel kinda bad about all this. We never got a chance to fight and I just screwed you out of your wish. Sorry about that. I'll try to remember you." Three swift strides carried him past her without further comment.
"Later~!"
As that broad back retreated, something shifted in her heart.
"You do not wish to fight me?"
Golden eyes turned back towards her in silent confusion.
"What's the point?" he posited. "You're just going to disappear in a bit. I could give you one last brawl if that's what you want, but...wait...just a minute...!"
He stiffened.
Medusa didn't respond.
Realization dawned in those amber orbs.
Of course he'd sense the sudden surge of prana within her; not in preparation of attack, but renewal. With Shinji gone, Sakura was once more free to supply her with all the energy she needed. Casters were particularly sensitive so such things. There wasn't anger in the clone's gaze as she'd expected...no, one might even call it...excitement? The realization that she was suddenly far more dangerous to him now than she'd been mere moments ago did little to shake his resolve. Nay, it only emboldened the doppelganger inflamed the dying sparks of his curiosity to a feverish degree.
"Oh." he gaped at her, momentarily agog to see what she might do. "Well, seems I've blundered then, haven't I?"
Right. Now or never, then.
Rider bowed her head.
"Please...help me."
Naruto blinked.
"What."
Now there was anger, confusion, overlaid by a hint of skepticism. He didn't lower his staff, but neither did he make any move to attack. Nor did he retreat. She had no doubt that if he truly wanted to escape, she wouldn't be able to stop him. Even if it meant sacrificing her pride. She had to do this. Not for her sake, but Sakura. Yes. Sakura. She was the only one who mattered. This was her best-and only!-chance to negotiate with the enigmatic Caster. If he could be trusted. If Assassin had spoken true back then. If he hadn't attempted to deceive her. If. So many ifs...
The clone considered her plea.
"Sure, I've got chakra to burn. Go ahead."
Well. That certainly simplified things, didn't it...?
If he betrayed her, she would stab him through the heart. So she swore.
With some dangerously akin to hope, Rider laid out the terms of her proposal.
(...0o0o0...)
'What in the world...?'
Through ringing ears and half-blinded eyes Rin struggled to make sense of what had just transpired, to no avail. She failed horribly, scarcely able to see, much less hear. But she could still feel. A tiny vague part of her was aware of that much. She was being carried. Not slung over someone's shoulder as one might expect of a captive, but gently, as though her captor were afraid she might shatter. Strong arms held her fast, cradling her against a broad chest. How odd. This almost felt familiar.
A familiar scent pervaded her senses.
...in!"
Caster?
Someone was shaking her but she couldn't hear them. Groaning, she batted their hands away. So tired. She just wanted to sleep. Yes, sleep sounded very good right about now-
...rry!"
Taut fingers collided with her skull in a merciless chop and with a yelp, she burst upright.
Sense violently reasserted itself with far less grace than she would've liked, causing her to shoot the culprit a dark glower.
"What was that for?!
"To wake you up." Her Servant replied glibly, feigning a chopping motion with his dominant hand. "You were taking too long."
...I swear, you're just handcrafted to torment me."
Naruto beamed. "Love you too, Master~!"
"Stop that, you!"
Reluctantly turning her attention fro her all-too smug Servant, she risked a glance for her surroundings.
Whereas Caster's Rasenshuriken had certainly ravaged the ground, this one had all but glassed it. Even now fires raged across the ruined earth, the heat of which caused her skin to prickle. It was, in a word, hell. Naruto hadn't taken the blow at all she realized, but rather glided out of the way entirely, allowing the searing bolt of black and blue to scorch past and ravage the world in its stead. For him to willingly evade an assault like that rather than take it head on as he was often wont to do...just what kind of Servant where they facing?
"That would've killed us both." A low hiss snaked through her ears. "Thank the log for luck...
She saw him pick up the shattered steel at her feet.
An arrow?
No, a sword that had been fired like an arrow.
Wait.
How did she know that?
Raising the ruined shaft in his hand, Caster considered it for a long moment, watching it crumble away in his grasp. Slitted eyes narrowed upon the distant lights of the city, no doubt discerning some far-and-away threat she couldn't see. The crazed light that flitted through that hooded gaze just sent a fresh shudder shooting down her spine. Leveling the crumbling phantasm in his hand, he turned and cast it back in the direction from which it had came. Breath gathered in his lungs and emerged in the form of a shout:
"Only cowards fight from the shadows, Archer!"
"Ho?" an equally distant voice answered. "I didn't think you'd be able to dodge that."
"You just shot a fucking nuke arrow at my Master!" Caster snapped back. "An assassin you are not!"
The Command Spells etched into his palm pulsed menacingly and for a fleeting moment she wondered if he'd give into temptation and summon Brynhildr. Doing so now would irrevocably tip their hand. More than that, it would leave Illya and Berserker unprotected. Wait. When had she started to care about the Einzbern master...?
"Perhaps I should just fire randomly into the city?" Caster offered.
He was bluffing, of course.
Naturally, the enemy didn't know that.
It was a bluff, meant to draw a response from the enemy Archer, if not their Mastet outright. In that alone, Naruto succeeded.
She sorely wished he hadn't.
"Ohohoho!" an infuriating giggle arose from the shadows, amplified by magecraft cast from a great height. "I think not! This isn't over! We'll meet again, Tohsaka!"
Rin bristled.
She knew that laugh.
It grated against her very soul; a reminder of someone she'd rather forgot. A chance encounter abroad, one that warped a stray acquaintance into a bitter nemesis. It is said that opposites attract. Likes repel. By that odd saying alone, their relationship could be encapsulated in a single phrase. Of course, this did little to soothe Rin's temper at the moment. It all made sense now. Her missing pendant. She'd thought it strange that it would vanish on the eve of the war, but with that one's presence her suspicions were all but confirmed. That wretched...little...burglar!
"Ohhh you have got to be kidding me! Why is she here?! And now she's gone!"
Exasperated, she flung up her hands and cursed the heavens.
"Well, there's nothing we can do now, unless-
"And who decided that?"
Caster's tone sent a silent thrill through her heart.
"I decide such things!"
With a wordless gesture, the blond summoned a clone to his side. The doppelganger looked just as baffled as she felt. Perhaps moreso. Blue eyes blinked in mild consternation, searching the grounds for a foe and finding none to meet in battle. At last it turned back to the original with a somewhat petulant expression.
"Umm...boss?" confused, the creature tilted its head. "Did you need something?"
...yes."
Caster turned.
Rin knew that smile.
"Fly straight and true, my son."
The clone turned absolutely pallid.
Strong hands clasped its by the shoulders.
"Wait, wait, wait! Boss?! What are you doiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing?!"
Booted feet bit down into the soil and rooted there, cratering the earth.
With a triumphant roar, Naruto spun and launched the shrieking copy up into the city.
(...0o0o0...)
"Well, that was foolish."
Archer reluctantly lowered his bow and surveyed what he had wrought.
"Tch, where did she wander off to this time?"
The crimson-clad Servant cocked his head as a sudden-yet-distant noise pierced the silence of his reverie. A bird? No, that was absurd. Even if an owl had taken it into his head to fly this far into the city-let alone alighted on the rooftop he'd claimed as his perch-the chances of such an event were downright minuscule by comparison. Yet there was still a chance the enemy might've found him. Not only had he wasted Caladbolg on them, but he'd likely made them aware of his position in doing so. All on the orders of that exasperating girl. To think she'd waste a Command Spell on something like this...
He would've taken Rin any rather over this annoying wench and her damn laugh.
Honestly, how she'd gotten her hands on that pendant was beyond him.
Optimally he should move soon, despite his Master's...commands.
Again that faint sound pricked at his ears. Soft to be sure, but growing louder, swelling with each passing moment. That couldn't be a bird. Even the largest of eagles-not that he'd seen any since being summoned-weren't that loud. Whatever it was it was grating against his already frayed nerves, threatening to snap them altogether. A strange, nameless sense of dread pervaded his thoughts yet he couldn't find the source; on the contrary it only intensified as the seconds ticked relentlessly onward.
A cold sweat broke out on his brow.
Wild air roared in his ears.
"Alright, what is that?"
Yes, the longer he listened, the more certain he became. His mind wasn't playing tricks on him. It couldn't be. Caster was leagues away from here. There was nothing he could do; even the finest of magecraft would risk exposing him to the city. True, Emiya's senses weren't the sharpest but he would've sensed another Servant approaching at least. Yet this strange palpation of dread didn't ease. If anything it was growing stronger, as if his sixth sense were shrieking at him, shrilling a warning for him to move-
"Iiiiiiinnnnnnncoooooooooooooommmmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"
Aghast, Archer finally dared to turn his head.
Too late, he saw the orange missile.
"Are you kidding me?!"
It could certainly be spoken well of Emiya's skill that he managed to knock his weapon and get a shot in first.
Alas, his accuracy availed him not.
Rushing up towards him like an arrow launched from a bow, Caster's clone howled headlong into the face of his volley, stoically accepting the bolt even as it lodged against his enhanced flesh. Three arrows found their home in his body, shoulder, and torso, yet still it barreled upward.
Hmm.
There was a joke to be made somewhere in there, but he didn't have the time to utter it. Or even to curse his fortune for that matter. The clone was already upon him, its dismayed shout swelling in his ears, boot filling his vision. Spirits, this was going to hurt. Scratch that, it was going to hurt a lot. Wherever his little master had run off to was suddenly of far less concern than the impending doom about to rip him from his skybound perch and hurl him into the city. Archer grimaced. Really, this was his fault. Rather than stand his ground, he should've dodged. So much for his vaunted pride...
...if he survived this, there was going to be hell to pay.
Frantic, he crossed both arms before his chest.
Far too little, and far too late.
Then there was pain.
A/N: Happy Holidays!
Heh, this was a blast to write.
Next chapter's going to be an absolute MONSTER.
So let's clarify.
Naruto killed Shinji. And THREW A CLONE at Archer. In the city. That's gotta hurt. He's also in the process of entering into an alliance with Rider. Really, its obvious who the Grail's "secondary" Caster is going to be. It might surprise some of you; its not who you think, all hints and previews aside.
Although some may guess at her identity...think of it as a holiday tease.
I REALLY wanted to write the Saber bit for this chapter, but it was getting to be way too damn long.
How long you ask?
SEVERAL THOUSAND WORDS.
Well, this means you'll get another update soon, eh?
Suffice it to say Naruto's meddling broke Heaven's Feel for the moment; to the point where the Grail itself is ACTIVELY trying to draw more blood for the slaughter. In drawing the Witch into the fray, it accidentally gave him more ammo. Turns out she's rather fond of the idea of a fellow Caster. Naturally, this'll tick off Angra even more.
You think me mad?
You think this is crazy?
You ain't seen nuthin' yet.
Really sick and tired of being...well, sick and tired. Pain is a near constant companion these days for one reason or another and its driving me MAD. Be it pain from my scars or from my teeth or other stuff, it can prove downright distracting. ESPECIALLY when I'm writing. So I do apologize for that. Hope you liked the chapter!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the good ol' potential previews!
They're rough atm, so don't think too much of them!
Please bear in mind that they're just POTENTIAL outcomes.
Nothing's solid yet, so as always there's plenty of room for change. No flak please~!
Tell me which ones you like!
Homage where homage is due!
First one may or may not be who you think.
(Previews)
"Sooooo...Sakura's in love with him? Cute."
Rin bristled. "No. Caster, do NOT. Don't you dare."
Naruto's once sly smile turned positively impish by comparison.
"What's the long face for, Rin? I'll have you know I'm a perfectly good matchmaker."
"Name ONE couple you set up in your first life."
...Imma do it anyway."
"Don't you do it!"
The shadow stirred, stretching out for him.
"Fine, then." Growling, he beckoned. "You want me so badly?! Come and get me!"
"Again?" Bazette slapped her forehead. "This war is getting to be more trouble than its worth...
As though waiting for that very moment Lancer uttered an explosive sneeze.
"Aw, what the hell? Who's talking about me behind my back again?!"
"I don't know about your back...though its wide open. As usual."
Wheeling on the voice he brought his spear to bear...
...and just as swiftly lowered it.
Crimson eyes bulged.
"Oh, fuck me." he whispered.
The newcomer smiled. "Is that an invitation?"
"Fighting so recklessly...that's not like a Caster, Naruto! Someone's been influencing you! That last punch was weak!"
Pain flashed across the blond's face, obliterating his right eye in a grisly red spray. In the same instant he spun and struck out with his dominant arm, delivering a bruising body-shot of his own. Honestly, it almost made Assassin proud. Despite the pain roaring through his liver he found himself smiling. Then that remaining orb snapped into gold and any admiration he might've felt became shock. Wild slitted eyes regarded him in the form of cross-shaped pupils, furious and swelling with untold wrath. Oh. That was new. He'd never seen the kid do that before.
A fist snapped back.
"That's because my back wasn't in it!"
The next blow bowled Assassin clear off his feet altogether.
Archer frowned.
"Two Casters? Working together? Sorry Master, I'm not suicidal."
"Why can't you take this seriously?!"
"Because that's what you want. And I'm not going to give it to you."
"Fool! Why would you give up your arm?!"
...you're not familiar with my legend at all, are you?"
Brandishing his staff, he golden light engulfed his center.
"You see...its when I'm wounded, when I'm truly desperate...
With a thunderous cry, the heavens parted and light rained down.
...THAT I'M AT MY PEAK!"
A lone chant rose behind him, causing the Servant to turn.
"You dare...?"
No, they realized with a start, watching the dust slowly clear. Not alone. Someone was there. Speaking with him. Propping him up. A woman. Tch. So that abominable fake wasn't dead yet-
"I am the one who sacrificed everything, yet gained nothing."
"I am the betrayed, she who was forsaken."
Something in their voices sent a low chill racing down his spine. This sensation...was it fear? Absurd. How long had it been since he'd experienced this sensation? Magecraft was not a thing he feared, yet this chant, that low plume of darkness rising from the ruined wall, set his baser notions on a collision course with one another. His eyes bulged further still as chains burst forth from the soil itself, seizing his limbs.
They thought this would hold him? HIM?! Fools! He would shatter these chains in an-
Still the chant rose higher, words-voices!-blending seamlessly into one.
"I embrace the world."
"I reject the world."
Light swelled before his vision as something took shape.
"Together."
"As one."
"BURN."
R&R~!
=D