Fate: Glass Moon

by AllTheWorldsMangos

The events of Tsukihime and Fate/stay night would always take place separately. But what would happen if the two stories were to happen simultaneously? Fuyuki 2004. A Grail War, with 7 servants, a boy who sees death, a boy striving to become a Hero of Justice, a battle between Ancestors and the Church. Chaos begins.

5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Meeting of Consequence I

-oOo-

The girl had turned out even better than he was expecting.

He couldn't help the feeling of anticipation that stirred inside him at Assassin's report. Already having taken control of the curse running through her blood, the little schoolgirl had swiftly matured in a way most fascinating.

When it came to his previous hosts, Elesia had been an unsuspecting masterpiece of a form, but this human's constitution was just as, if not equally as rare. It was fortunate that Saber was dissuaded from pursuing her by his Servant revealing their presence. He would have to continue watching the girl's progression with care.

And if needs be, take advantage of it.

The 'connection' she possessed was something he had been theorising the existence of throughout many incarnations. Finally, it had been realised. Advancement to a fully fledged Apostle in mere days. If researched fully, the possibilities of its further development were monumental. Perhaps the so-called doctor could be put to use, she'd surely just love to examine such a rarity.

Although he would like to see it in person, venturing the streets has only become increasingly difficult. It would seem that the onset of the Holy Grail War had only heightened the Church's surveillance of the area and the Burial Agency had finally arrived recently. Not to mention that any Servants he came across would be an enemy as well.

He had been managing by sending Assassin out in his stead and only occasionally finding his own meals. They were both beings that indulged in blood, yet Assassin wasn't so kind as to bring back her best stock for him. The young girls that brimmed with vitality, she would often keep to herself.

It was beneficial as it strengthened his servant but still, how selfish of her.

"So, you are the Apostle that has taken root inside Fuyuki."

His head swivelled sharply at the suddenly unfamiliar voice. He squinted, while the cavernous area was dark, it was not so dim as for vision to be significantly impaired. Even more so as a Dead Apostle, he was easily adapted to the gloom. Combing over the area, he found no source for the voice.

Until he noticed the oddly grotesque worm crawling down the rugged stone wall.

"Hmm. You are not a familiar I have witnessed before…"

A smooth pale and segmented shell with a gaping hole at its front filled with jagged teeth. It writhed disgustingly, its body tilting upwards as its mouth pulsated. Seemingly staring at him despite having no eyes.

He considered the insect carefully. It was no natural species he knew of, even if augmented. Though useful as a way of spying, its purpose appeared to stop there. Considering efficiency, perhaps there were multiple, a singular bug of all things would be of little use as a familiar.

In any case, he had been discovered, a fair distance from his lair and with Assassin still out in the streets. Caution would need to be exerted.

"I am intrigued, just what exactly is your identity magus?" the vampire questioned.

"You think you are in a position to make demands of me? Perhaps you should speak with more respect lest I simply resort to reporting your location to the Church." The voice sneered. "What kind of game do you think you're playing Apostle? Are you attempting to make a mockery of this Holy Grail War?"

"How troublesome…"

The vampire watched as the worm squirmed, the creature had a mouth, but the voice wasn't coming directly from it. More so, like it was being projected straight from its body. "A low-ranking magical beast then." The voice echoing from the creature was raspy, clearly aged with time but still well enough to express its mirth.

In that case, he would take a more nuanced approach.

"While this may displease you to hear, I have become part of this war through legitimate means. I suppose you could say that the Grail chose me." He lightly flexed his left hand, displaying the soft glow of the command seals on the back. It only seemed to irritate the familiar further.

"Preposterous, chosen by the Holy Grail?" it spat. "While it may be considered a sacred ritual, the Holy Grail contains no will of its own. Do not attempt to deceive me."

"Oh? They seem quite sure of themselves. Does this mage perhaps have knowledge on the Grail I'm not aware of or is he simply ignorant? If its the latter they're not worth my time, but if it's the former…"

"I suppose I do not have sufficient experience with this system." He expressed a portion of his thoughts. "You referred to it as a sacred ritual… then I assume you are tied to this Holy Grail War's history in some way?"

"Not merely tied as much as the reason for its existence. I am Zouken Matou, one of the founding families of this ritual. A ritual you are daring to intrude on."

"Zouken Matou," the Apostle repeated. The name was familiar. "Are you perhaps in any relation to a magus line known as the Makiri?"

There were three families that founded the Holy Grail War, that much he knew. The only one of international renown was the Einzberns. The other two, the Tohsaka and Matou, had been generally dismissed by the wider community. The latter had seemingly even changed its name from the origins of Makiri. The play on words was quite amusing, how typical of a magus family to not wish to disconnect itself from its roots.

The worm's movements had stilled. Sensing the pause in conversation, the Apostle smiled. "Ah, so I am correct. You are indeed some sort of branch of that Eastern European bloodline."

"You… are aware of my lineage?" the voice muttered at a much lower tone. "How… abhorrent. I do not believe we have participated in any sort of contact with Apostles to warrant such attention, much less from an Ancestor."

"You'd be surprised at the people you can meet when you've lived as long as I have…"

No, he hadn't missed the obvious connection that Matou had when it came to the War, but it was the specific formation of Zouken Matou that had triggered a memory. His mind flitted back as it began to recall the information from lifetimes past until finally, reaching a conclusion.

It was the similarity of the first name, Zouken, when compared to someone of the past. It was unlikely that they would know, it was over 200 hundred years ago after all.

Around a time before the 1800s, his curiosity was piqued when hearing about the loss of Magic in the Einzbern family and their plans to recreate it. At the time, and considering the supposed nature of the third magic, he had investigated but ultimately dismissed their desperate efforts. Widely ignored the workings of the System they were attempting to construct.

However, there was one person of interest that he had talked with prior to its conception.

"Well, I can assure you, I am no regular Ancestor. I like to consider myself as much a scholar as you do a monster. The last time I conversed with one of your bloodline was centuries ago, I believe he went under the name of Zolgen Makiri."

The worm immediately stopped its movements, its mouth gaped open as if glaring up at him with a shocked expression. A curious reaction. The name must contain much importance in the family. Subtly, he cast an eye aside. There were more creatures. Similar to the first, but some of these had wings. They could be quite stealthy it would seem. He observed the worms carefully as a deep silence pervaded the dark atmosphere.

"I do not… This cannot be true." Zouken eventually broke the quiet. "For what purpose would my… ancestor have to speak with you?"

"Interesting…"

"It was a fairly memorable conversation, thought It was quite a while ago. I found his ideology to be fascinating if not a little childish. He would go so far as to say my own form of immortality was beyond flawed." His dark long hair swayed as he slightly angled his head. "That dream of his was something that had garnered my curiosity at the time, and I suppose I wanted to see what would become of his efforts in the future."

"Your… immortality- no, dream? What do you mean by dream? Speak Apostle." It said, agitated. The once measured dialogue becoming snappy as it ushered in a response.

He stared at the bug with narrowed eyes, unfazed by its mannerisms. The tone of voice was strange, there was something being missed here. Zouken's words were swift, but there was undoubtedly a hint of wariness. Were the Matou truly this prideful of their heritage? No. There was more to it.

"You should know, Heaven's Feel. The ascension of the soul." He answered slowly. "A state of being that uses the soul as an anchor to reality while gifting the user eternal life. The conviction at which your ancestor spoke of it was impressive, he had clearly defined it as his one singular purpose for living and would not compromise for anything less. His devotion reminded me much of my own. After all, we both shared a love for humanity in some way."

Yes, he could almost clearly recall the purple haired magus that had already lived far beyond his time. Attempting to construct a utopia for humanity, it was a noble goal, one worthy of being undertaken with True Magic. Zolgen did not wish for simple immortality. He would not relent to becoming a Dead Apostle. He would not settle for a corporeal everlasting life that would continue to degrade forever.

For him, an existence like that would no longer be considered humanity.

"Yes, Zolgen Makiri, the difference between you and your present-day relation is clear. Perhaps if you had managed to grow past the outside force that tainted your devotion like my own, your dream would have been accomplished."

And yet, there was something about this Zouken Matou...

He continued examining the multiple small insect-like familiars that now filled the area for any sort of response, but they simply proceeded to crawl around aimlessly. Their behaviour was another thing of peculiarity. Zouken said nothing. The Apostles description of his lineage's beliefs seemingly rendering him in deep thought.

…

…

"…Who are you?" Zouken finally uttered. "What is your wish for the Grail? Is it also… some perfect form of immortality? Do you truly believe you can accomplish such things, even if the ritual is never realised?"

A crooked smile split the vampires face, his eyes started to shine a deep crimson that contrasted with the pale features of his face. There it was. He had finally realised something, and the pieces had begun to fall in place. This conversation was now no longer held in Zouken's control.

The death of this latest incarnation would not come so soon.

"You seem to have misunderstood my intentions from the beginning," he began. "It is not my goal to disrespect this grand magecraft your family has imparted on these lands. A wish? Certainly, there are some things I'd utilise a wish for, however, any outcome observed by me would be satisfying as long as I myself, am their to witness it."

Standing at fully height, he rotated slowly as the words flowed from his mouth, arms spread. Making sure every familiar present fell underneath his gaze as if proclaiming for the world to hear.

"I am Michael Roa Valdamjong. For the sake of eternity, I will compete in this Holy Grail War. When it comes to this ritual's perfection, I believe I could be the very thing you desire."

Perhaps this could work to his benefit after all…

-oOo-

Day 4

For most people, it might've been considered a miracle to sleep soundly after the previous night, but Shirou managed it just fine. His internal clock woke him up early, the usual time as if was any other day of school. He had even woken up in his room and not the storehouse so in some ways, it might be considered an improvement.

He was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, for Saber and their future guest. He moved throughout the space with ease, showing no sign of discomfort from injuries of before. Saber had been a little worried about him, but he'd assured her that he was feeling fine.

To say he wasn't troubled by the previous night's events would be incorrect, he wasn't the type to dismiss things so easily. Still, he supposed it was a good sign that he was able to get up with a sense of normalcy after something like that.

A short and bright ring interrupted his introspection.

"That must be Tohsaka," Shirou thought as he recognised the sound of the bell signifying a visitor.

He finished wiping his hands on a towel before leaving the kitchen. Saber dutifully followed him to the door. She was dressed in a sort of airy, long blue dress that was usually hidden underneath her battle armour. It was still quite ornate, Tohsaka mentioned that she would help him with more fitting clothes for her to wear.

The night before, they had made it back into Miyama without any further disturbances and had parted ways with Rin shortly after crossing the bridge. She had said that she would need to prepare some things and would have to report the… altercation to Kirei and would see them in the morning. She had seemed… subdued at their parting. Hopefully the situation wasn't weighing to heavily on her mind.

She had come surprisingly earlier than expected, so it was a good thing he was prepared. While she was doubtful of his skills as a magus, he was at least confident in his cooking.

Still wearing an apron and arriving at the entrance, he slid it open to reveal the expected Rin Tohsaka. Already dressed in her trademark red coat, black miniskirt and thigh-highs with a signature refined nature. What was less than normal were the two large duffel bags she carried with her.

"Good morning, Emiya-kun, Saber." Rin raised an eyebrow. "Though it hasn't been long since we last met, did something exciting happen?"

"…Morning, Tohsaka-san. Please, make yourself at home." Ignoring the comment, Shirou invited her inside. Looks like he'd been worried for nothing.

She was just teasing him but was eerily close to discerning an aspect of his rather…embarrassing conversation with Saber about their sleeping conditions. Without his knowledge, she had spent the entirety of the last night in his room while he slept, deciding that it was too dangerous to leave him unsupervised. He supposed it was his fault for saying she could choose any room she wanted and letting her explore the house on her own while he went to bed.

Saber had been stubborn despite his attempts to rectify her logic. Fortunately, the knight had calmed down at the mention of breakfast and Tohsaka had arrived before a conclusion was made.

Rin stepped past, letting him take one of her bags. "That's just some clothes for Saber, she can't dematerialise so I decided to fetch some things from my house that would fit her. This bag is my own belongings, so don't touch them."

The Servant gave a short thanks at the gift as they convened in the living room, both women taking a seat at the dining table. The house was filled with the scent of fresh cooking giving the room a warm, homely feeling.

"You arrived at a good time; I've just finished preparing breakfast. Do you prefer tea or coffee?" Shirou asked.

"I'm not one to eat large breakfasts, much less twice in a row, but I'll take you up on your offer. Tea, preferably Chinese." Making her order, Rin looked around curiously at the polished flooring and traditional aesthetic. "You told me it would be fine to arrive this early, but do you really live here by yourself? I wasn't expecting your home to cover this much space."

"It was left to me by my father, I guess I don't officially own it yet until I become an adult. Usually Fuji-ne- Fujimura-sensei visits in the mornings," Shirou's voice explained from the kitchen. "She won't be coming around today because the archery club is having an extra, early-morning class. She should be back this afternoon."

"You have to handle that chaotic mess every morning? I'm actually almost impressed."

"Um…thank you?" he hesitantly accepted the compliment, re-emerging with a tray in hand. He noticed that Saber, who had been sitting stoically, was giving him his full attention as he laid it down on the table. Earlier when he had mentioned food, she had been quite forthcoming in its usefulness for supplying her with energy. He supposed it made sense since he was unable to give her a steady supply of mana.

"Well then, Itadakimasu." He clapped his hands together and they began their meal. It was much the same as what he had prepared with Sakura yesterday since he hadn't gotten the opportunity to go shopping. While mainly Japanese, he had added a little more variety to hopefully suit the tastes of his foreign guests.

"I must say Shirou, I was not expecting you to be such an accomplished Chef," Saber complimented. Her face appeared completely content as she ate.

Well, 'ate'was a bit of an understatement. Shirou thought he was a pretty fast and heavy eater, but the Servant practically inhaled food like a machine. Fish, soup, egg, rice, it all smoothly disappeared inside her delicate body. He imagined his funds over the next couple of days disappearing much the same way.

Meanwhile, Rin seemed to be eating rather slowly, her expression was strange. Was it not to her liking after all? He hoped it wasn't because of their apparent lack of Chinese tea. That countries entire culinary repertoire was a sever gap in the household's knowledge.

"Tohsaka-san? Is there something wrong?"

She shook her head slowly, chewing methodically. "No, its actually quite good, delicious even. I was just distracted by something."

"…" Shirou didn't know what to make of the comment, was she making fun of him again? She said his cooking was delicious so that was fine enough.

The rest of the breakfast passed in relative quiet. It was certainly a… different atmosphere then what he was used to. A rather sombre air hung unacknowledged just above the cordial small talk, but it was not uncomfortable by any means. Even with relative strangers, sharing a meal like this was something he found worthwhile.

-oOo-

"Well then, I suppose we should probably get down to business." Rin declared, her tone taking on an authoritative air.

"She really doesn't waste time on unnecessary things…"

In some ways, the extravagant breakfast had been a nice bit of levity in anticipation of the more serious matters they would have to discuss, but they couldn't be ignored forever. With the food gone and Tohsaka taking control, the topic of conversation had shifted, the mood turning to match it. Saber's posture had immediately tightened up as the knight's expression shifted to one of ready concentration.

"Rin, will Archer not be joining us?" she questioned. For some reason her eyes wandered towards the ceiling.

"Apparently not. He's being a little stubborn and right now, its best he stays dematerialised to recover. Considering his condition and strong eyesight, he's stationed on the roof right now which should help with intruders."

Saber seemed a little apprehensive at her terse response. Shirou glanced upwards. He'd barely even seen the Servant since that first night, yet he still felt calmer without him around.

Rin's voice pulled back his focus. "So, last night…"

Of course, there was only one thing they had in the back of his mind.

"Yumizuka right? That was…was that really her?" Shirou asked tentatively. He didn't know her personally, but he knew she was fairly popular with the guys. Shinji had mentioned her a few times in a less than appealing manner.

Rin stared at him in silence for a couple of moments. Shirou shifted awkwardly under her gaze.

"…What? Did I say something strange?"

She tilted her head. "No, I'm just a little surprised at how ready you were to talk about it. I was wondering if I should bring up the topic more tactfully but you're rather... calm. I suppose it's reassuring that you're not the type of person to get hung up on things beyond your control."

Was she referring to the carnage in the alleyway? Shirou felt that her assessment was a little lacking. It was definitely startling, and it's not like he didn't care about them, there was just nothing he could do for them now. It would be unfair to Tohsaka who acted strong and carried on so readily even in the face of such events.

"If its for the sake of preventing it from happening to others, then it was only natural to focus on that."

"Anyway, there's no doubt about it." Rin moved on, answering his previous question. "No matter how she acted or what she said, that was definitely the same girl. I already reported her to Kirei when I arrived home, so he and his little co-workers should be ready to deal with her. We should still be prepared in case we run into her again."

"Deal with her..." It bothered him.

"Rin, surely she was not the Ancestor you were worried about?" Saber asked. "I did not feel a strong sense of presence that would coincide with your warnings."

"You'd be correct, there's no way. Considering the timeframe, she must have been turned fairly recently. From what I know, they must have been bitten, at the earliest, the day before yesterday since I saw her in school and around Shinto. Judging from what we saw, she must at least be at stage IV or V, but that timeframe just doesn't make any sense…"

She trailed off with a frown. Shirou listened quietly but confusion lingered in his eyes at her terminology.

"Sorry, but what exactly do you mean by all that? The timing thing, and stages...?"

"Oh, right, third-rate magus."

"…You don't have to mention that every time."

Rin clicked her tongue as she ruffled around in the duffel bag by her side. "I brought some books from my father to help in the future but for now, I'll try to make this quick."

With a thud, she dropped a small collection of black tomes atop the table. Saber eyed the books curiously as Rin began her lecture.

"You see, there are multiple stages a person must go through when transforming into a Dead Apostle. The lower three are 'The Dead' and act as familiars, securing blood and bringing back meals. They are generally unintelligent and only act on orders or instinct. The middle four have the subject maturing into an independent vampire, gaining dominance over an area and coming to terms with their abilities. This is the level where they become a problem for Church Executors, like that fake-priest. The last two stages are the succession into an Ancestor, the highest rank of Dead Apostle. When a human's blood is sucked, they normally have to go through all these stages of development, which for the later stages, can take hundreds of years."

She stopped, letting him soak in her words for a moment. "Well, that was more than I expected," Shirou thought. He wasn't going to school today, yet he was still receiving a lesson. Her rather brisk explanation only filled him more questions, but it would do for now. He was beginning to get a stronger idea of the structure these apostles operated under. It was like some sort of twisted society that dragged others down into their family against their will.

He watched as his Servant reached for one of the books Tohsaka brought, he'd probably have to read through them for a more in-depth explanation.

"You appear to be well educated on the subject of vampires," Saber noted, idly flipping through one of the scripts. "You say these are from your father's storage?"

"Yep. Unlike other magi, my family has a more cordial relationship with the Church then others. Since the Church are the Apostles main opposition, the Tohsakas are well educated on their kind." She dramatically pointed a finger at Shirou. "You should be grateful, some stuff my father has is only known by the Clock Towers upper ranks! Even though he's not a Lord! … Though I don't like being connected to Kirei in any way."

Shirou nodded noncommittally, "So, you're saying that Yumizuka is at rank IV or V? Is that normal? You said it can take hundreds of years." he pondered.

"That's the problem. From what we saw earlier, yes, she seemed independent enough that rank IV or V are the only feasible options, but…" Rin leaned back with a sour expression as she recalled the previous night.

"Her development is just crazy. Its super rare for any one person to even naturally survive to that rank, yet the way she spoke seemed even beyond that. It doesn't make any sense! Unless the Apostle saw something special in her, but then that's a different problem."

"Something special?"

"Some sort of talent or hidden ability they value. They might take extra care in sucking her blood if that's the case. Though as far as I know, she comes from no notable magus background." She glanced sullenly at Shirou. "Though I've been wrong about that before."

"… should I apologise?"

Setting himself aside, he didn't like the sound of it. The idea that one of those creatures somehow saw something of interest in Yumizuka could be nothing good. What could they possibly want from what Rin only considered a regular high school girl? "Though, seeing the way she was acting yesterday, there was clearly more to her than we both knew."

"It gets even more confusing," Rin continued. "Yumizuka said that she struggled with familiars. Unless her parent is particularly careless, independently producing the Dead with that amount of freedom is more in line with lesser Apostles and higher, at least rank VI! There is no way she should, or could, have progressed that far in less than two days. It doesn't make any sense!"

Burying her head in her hands, the girl vented her frustrations, furiously running her fingers through her hair. It was a stark difference to the prim and proper second year he saw at school who seemed detached to the concept of struggle. Though Shirou found that this side of her wasn't bad either.

"It is not entirely unfortunate," Saber spoke up. "If she has progressed that far, then she likely cannot operate during the day. And even in my current condition, she should be no problem."

"You're right." Rin lifted her head up with a sigh. "I suppose in a way we're lucky that we ran into her and not the Ancestor. Nice to know that if we come across her in the future, we can have Saber deal with her easily."

There it was again. Those words. The dismissal in her voice. As if Yumizuka was some nuisance to be 'dealt with'. It didn't sit well with him. Did they not see the way she was acting? Clearly there was more to it. Saber glanced at him, noticing his slightly strained expression. Her emerald eyes narrowed momentarily, but she remained silent.

Shirou hesitated on whether to speak before he noticed Rin's glare. However, it wasn't directed at him.

"She's not even part of the war so this shouldn't even be our main focus… But its not something I can just ignore…" she murmured almost inaudibly.

"Tohsaka…?"

His call, in response to her words, was ignored. Her clenched fists slowly uncurled, an almost imperceptible movement that he just barely noticed during the brief moment of silence.

…

" Ah," She abruptly snapped a finger. "There is still one last lead that we do have on her, Shiki Tohno."

Saber looked curiously at Shirou, whose eyes widened in recognition. This was (finally) a name that he was at least somewhat familiar with. The family were well known in Fuyuki as they had a long history of business in the area and neighboring towns.

"Tohno…He's the son of the entrepreneur that passed away recently, right?"

"That's right, the boy's in my class. Are you familiar with him?"

"Not really, I talked to him for the first time the day before yesterday." Shirou recalled. "I thought I saw him getting harassed by Noel-sensei…"

"Hmph, Noel-sensei? Figures." Rin glowered. Clearly, she didn't have a good impression of the teacher, Shirou could understand the sentiment. "As for the boy, he's fairly average. Wears glasses, dark hair, usually well-mannered if not sometimes uncouth. Apart from his anemia, he doesn't really stand out."

Listing out his traits, the girl gave a rather uninspiring description of her classmate, but Shirou wasn't in a position to disagree with her as she spoke.

"Most importantly, he's not a magus or a Master. Just A typical teenage boy, completely dense when it comes to the obvious. Yumizuka had been majorly crushing on him for a while now, yet he's been completely oblivious. It's not much, but considering her fixation on him and how she'll "see him soon", he's likely to be a target for her in some way."

"Wait a minute." Shirou said hastily. "If he's in possible danger, then shouldn't we go find him right now?"

Rin brushed off his small anxiety with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry, He'll be at school, so there's no point rushing. Apostles can't operate during the day, remember? Plus, I'm not even sure where he lives, I think it might be outside town."

Of course, there was no way Rin would casually be having a chat with him while a classmate of hers was under threat. Shirou slowly eased back into his natural seated position, though something she said stuck out to him.

"Where they live? Don't the Tohno family live in a mansion not too far from your place?" Shirou asked. "If we know that Yumizuka is going to find him, couldn't we just stake out the area?"

"As enjoyable as that sounds, as far as I know, Tohno-kun doesn't actually live with his other relatives, for whatever reason. I've seen him in Shinto before though. He might be some sort of cast away or something. Its hard to find any information on the family's personal affairs."

"Really?" He said even more confused. "But I'm pretty sure I saw him walking from your district in Miyama towards the intersection, it was the day where the family living there was killed. I passed by him on my way to school, though he was distracted by the crime scene.

It was Rin's turn to frown. "What…? I didn't go to school that day so I guess I missed him. This has to be something that happened recently…"

"That intersection death is also suspicious…" she muttered under her breath, her face displayed displeasure at her lapse in knowledge. She looked to be in deep thought for a moment before shaking her head, moving on.

"Anyway, there is one more relevant thing that I want to say about him. Its something I only discovered yesterday and wanted to investigate more on the side. Its what put him on my radar in the first place." She stopped, making sure she had both their attention. "Somehow, during class, he was able to see Archer with me while he was dematerialized."

"What?"

Saber, who had been quite mute during the topic (due to the fact that it involved a person she was entirely unfamiliar with), responded to this revelation with a start.

"He could see a Servant in spirit form? And your sure he's neither a magus nor a Master?"

While Shirou was quite new to this, he could faintly grasp its importance. After all, he hadn't seen Lancer initially until he got close enough to stab him, and while Berserker's presence was strong enough to be felt, it was still awe inspiring having the hulking mass simply appear. Though the benefits provided for a Servant were simple, considering Saber herself couldn't disappear, its advantages had felt even more apparent.

"Don't ask me how, from what I could tell, he was as regular as they come." Rin said exasperated. "Just add it to a list of things I know nothing about that've just been constantly increasing since this War started. My current and only theory, is that he's some undiscovered rarity or mutation that happens to have some kind of mystic eyes that he was unaware of."

"Mystic eyes?" Shirou blinked at yet another unfamiliar term. It looked like he'd have to do a lot of reading.

The redhead was starting to feel that he didn't actually know anything about the people within his school at all. In the last 24hrs, it had been revealed that three people in his own year were surrounded in something mystical in nature. It was worrying.

…

"I'm…assuming we'll be keeping an eye on him?" he put forward during the small lull in conversation.

"For now, if possible," Rin agreed unenthusiastically. "You know, he could actually be a useful asset. Stick him up on some buildings, have him scan the area below and point out any Servants he sees… Does it work through presence concealment? Lenses? Maybe have him stationed at specific populated points of interests…"

She started to voice something mildly disconcerting, a faintly sinister aura surrounding her. Shirou didn't like the idea of a boy in his year being used as a glorified security camera and he wasn't entirely sure if the girl next to him was seriously considering it. Saber seemed indifferent to her attitude.

"Well, I'd say that's about enough for now." Rin stood up, signaling the beginning of the discussion's end. "There's still more to talk about -especially when it comes to the chaos that's congregated around our school- but we'll discuss that later today. Our conditions for the alliance will not have changed from yesterday. Since you so graciously spared me and Archer's lives but are massively uneducated when it comes to being a magus, we will act as comrades until the threat of Berserker is defeated. It will take a while for Archer to recover and during that time I will teach you as much as I can about magecraft." She gave them each a pointed look. "Is that all clear."

Though the way it was worded lefft something to be desired, Shirou and Saber both gave a gesture of approval. Things had somehow gotten more complicated since then, but the agreements remained the same. If he wanted to achieve his goals to their fullest, he'd have to put his all into the oncoming days. Whether it be Masters, magi, Servants, or Apostles.

"Rejoice, Emiya Shirou. Your wish will finally come true."

For some reason, he remembered those words. He shook his head in an attempt to discard them. That was not his purpose for fighting in this War.

-oOo-

"…Nii-san, have you met anyone strange recently?"

"..?"

Akiha's question interrupted Shiki mid-motion, his spoon suspended halfway to his mouth. After a small bout of internal debate, he put down his utensil and considered her inquiry. It was an unusual thing to ask seemingly out of nowhere, but he supposed she was just being overprotective. She had proven that much already over the last couple of days.

The dark-haired young lady watched him from across the table in the aristocratically decorated dining room. Sunlight filtered through the windows bathing the room in a gentle tranquillity. His sister was neatly dressed up in the monochromatic blues of the Asagami Private Girls Academy uniform. Prim and proper, both hands elegantly cradling a tea-cup. With her disposition, she'd likely fit right in with the tea ceremony clubroom, he wondered if his senpai would like her.

"Met anyone Strange huh…" Did snarky middle schoolers count? When considering the question, his mind immediately flashed to a scene with a woman of blond and a room of red.

Her stained white clothes.

The smell of iron…

He quickly dismissed the images. It was a dream, and there was no need to dwell on such things that didn't happen. That woman didn't exist, and he should just be thankful that no one took advantage of him before he was found by Hisui passed out in the park.

Though he couldn't remember much of last night, Akiha had drilled into him the worry he had caused the household after his lack of contact when leaving school. He had no excuses to give her and could only promise to do better. Despite her tough words, through some miracle, he had gotten off rather light, maybe she was taking pity on his circumstances.

Shiki realised that said merciful person was still staring at him with a dangerously ever-increasing level of intensity. He should probably stop inadvertently ignoring his sister's requests before something terrible happened.

"Uh, No. I can't say I have." He internally winced at the lacklustre response give the delay.

Regardless, her calm reply came, "That's good, you should always be cautious when dealing with strangers. Even supposedly unassuming old men could be much more dangerous than you think. Do take care of yourself."

"oh…kay?" he replied sceptically. "You know, I'm not a grade schooler. I know how not to be taken advantage of by strangers."

"Considering the last two nights, I'm sorry to say that your maturity is in doubt. Perhaps being away has caused a lack of development and mental growth for the past seven years…" She took a sip of tea, seemingly moving on from the topic with ease.

"…"

Standing by the wall to the side, Hisui said nothing, but her stony expression managed to convey a similar message of caution. Though perhaps softer than his sister's words.

Choosing to ignore the slight jab, Shiki stared at Akiha for a moment after the odd interaction before continuing his breakfast. He didn't have much of an appetite after yesterday and he had even attempted skipping. Kohaku had swiftly ridiculed his attempt to go without one and had prepared him some simple rice porridge. Even something so simple still tasted so amazing, at this point he was certain she was the best chef in Fuyuki.

Once finished, Hisui handed him his school bag and escorted him outside as usual. The scene was much quieter then yesterday. No police cars, noisy pedestrians or incessant buzzing. He took a deep breath, the feeling seemed to be extra refreshing today. The maid made a similar exhale before posing a question.

"Shiki-sama," Hisui said. "Pardon me for asking, but what exactly did you do yesterday? I know you were quite delirious, but could you detail what happened during and after school."

He sheepishly scratched his head. "Not much really, I felt faint, left the school, started walking to… started walking home, rested on a bench in the park…-"

His mind trailed off, attempting to grasp any other scrap of detail but unable anything. Not that there was much reason to falter, there was nothing to find after all. Though it did leave him oddly uneasy. There was the sensation of a headache that seemed to form the harder he tried to think about it. He brushed it off as part of his illness. Its symptoms were always strange.

"-and I guess I just lost track of time. Considering the dream I had, I was probably in and out of sleep," he spoke honestly. "It was quite careless of me, as Akiha said, I'll try and take care of myself."

Hisui's worries did not seem stymied by his explanations. "I see, please consider those words well."

She gave a deep bow as he exited the mansion gate, giving her a small wave. If even the stalwart Hisui was worried, he should really try harder. In that case, he'd make sure that this would definitely be the day where he performed his duty as the eldest son of the Tohno family. Even if it was something as simple as just going to school and coming home. Today was a Saturday, so it wasn't it even a full school day.

Shiki tried to feel optimistic on the onset of his third day at the Tohno mansion, but doubts still lingered in his mind.

-oOo-

It was quite calm in the Miyama shopping district. The light cool breeze of an early February Winter was blowing through the streets.

Shirou checked the time, 7:53. Considering Tohsaka had arrived at his house around 6, they had been discussing and planning things for quite a while. While in the process of giving her a room, the topic of Saber's sleeping conditions had once more been brought up. After a series of debates, (alongside some unhelpfully embarrassing comments from Rin) Saber had finally relented and compromised on sleeping in the room closest to him. His schoolmate instead, thankfully taking one away from the main building.

"Explaining this to Taiga…" Was not going to be fun. She was surely going to have a meltdown once she learned he had two girls sleeping in the same house with him. So far, his plan had been to just ignore it until the time came and hope it sorted itself out. Apparently he put a lot of faith in his future self.

Since he wouldn't be going to school today anyway (Taiga had been more than happy to let him off when he called in sick), Shirou thought he could take the opportunity to get some early shopping done. Keeping in mind the fact that he would now need to provide food for at least 4 people on the daily. Saber was quick to accompany him, unwilling to let him wander alone. He'd looked to Rin for support against the escort, but she had agreed with his Servant, saying it would still be a worthwhile exercise for surveillance and planning.

"I feel that ever since I began interacting with Tohsaka, I've had no control over my life…" he mentally sighed.

Right now, their current route would have them leaving the shopping district and heading towards Fuyuki bridge, though they'd probably keep crossing into Shinto for some other night. Considering the time and place, there'd hopefully be no one from his school to identify him with his foreign escort. The last stragglers shouldn't even know he was a student due to his lack of uniform.

He took a look at the girl walking alongside him. Despite her small stature she moved with confidence, her expression placid yet focused as her eyes steadily combed over the area. She acted more familiar with the streets then he was expecting, and she certainly looked the part. Saber was now dressed in a dark blue knee-length skirt, white shirt tied with a blue string bow and black tights in brown boots.

Under the early morning sun, it was hard to keep your eyes off the beautiful blonde girl. Honestly, her looks had personally become quite troublesome. With the number of stares she was getting, he wondered whether it was even any less conspicuous than her battle armour, maybe he could have pushed it off as some sort of cosplay. Would he have to dress up as well?

"Shirou, do you have a question to ask of me?"

"Eh?" He started at her sudden addressing of him, she must have noticed his stare. "Um…No, just thinking about something unimportant." Considering she was taking the outing so seriously; he should probably keep the cosplay plans to himself.

"Alright. Then, in that case, I will take the opportunity to pose one of my own."

Saber broached a topic as they continued down the sidewalk, walking at least a half-stride ahead of Shirou, head slightly tilted in his direction.

"During our conversation with Rin," she started. "I noticed that you seemed to express some grievances with her words, I suggest we clear up any misconceptions before tonight's events."

"Oh…well…" Shirou averted his eyes awkwardly. He should've realised that she would notice, she was beyond human after all. Not that he wasn't comfortable clearing things up with her.

"Its just that…you and Rin keep saying things like you'll "deal with her". Isn't that kind of premature? I feel like we're ignoring any possible solutions in favour of just killing Yumizuka."

"I do not understand Shirou. Would you not agree that it is the most viable option? Unless you have a more suitable alternative, I'd advise that you dispel such doubts."

Their steps continued, a consistent, rhythmic pattern on the concrete path. Saber's voice was assertive, in a way that aimed to quell his uncertainties. He understood what she was saying. It's not like he had any other ideas in terms of solutions, but that didn't mean much when they hadn't even tried.

"So what? We're just going to have you rush in and cut down an innocent girl? Shouldn't we be focusing on the Ancestor that turned her?"

Saber's eyes hardened at his veiled complaint. "She lost whatever innocence she had once she decided to kill those people. If this is about my actions yesterday, then I have to strongly disagree with your sentiment Shirou. Even you could see the danger she posed."

"Yes, but it was still possible to communicate with her," he pointed out. "Yumizuka said she wasn't going to harm us, and we could've learned more about her situation."

The sound of their footsteps had stopped at some point as they now stood facing each other. Shirou was struck by the intensity of Saber's gaze. Her stoic exterior betrayed nothing.

"Shirou, I admire your willingness to handle this without resorting to her death, but the safety of the civilians must be prioritised. Is this not why you entered the Grail war in the first place? To stop those who would bring harm to others?"

"…"

"Of course, I know that" he thought. He'd seen the exact same thing that everyone else saw.

The mound of corpses on a canvas painted in red, all with a singular girl as its artist. The disgusting sounds as she easily ripped through the only human in name bodies.

He wasn't blind to what he witnessed, and he wasn't ignoring what he saw her do. It was a meaningless loss of life that should never have taken place. She was dangerous and had already proven it. Justice would prove her guilty.

But even then, "All I want to do is live."

Those words. The pleading in her voice. The desperation in her eyes. In that moment, she looked… vulnerable. Separate from the cheerful way she had talked with them, those weren't the expressions and words of someone who was evil. If those were her true feelings, it was a reality he couldn't ignore. Not until he was sure.

"Even then, I think giving her that chance, it's the right thing to do. It's just like before with you and Berserker, I don't need a reason to save a girl."

"-!"

Saber's face briefly flashed to something indescribable at his words, as if taken aback by them. It was a stronger reaction than he was expecting. "Did I say something wrong?" Her expression quickly recovered as she regained her composure and faced her Master once more.

"Your approach is hopelessly naïve and idealistic." She declared. "The same goes for your hasty interference with Berserker. Wanting to save people is admirable, but you must understand in what way to prioritize your own safety as well as others. I am your Servant first and foremost, it is my duty to protect you. Do not risk your life in such a manner again."

"…"

The knight continued pressing. "When we come across the Apostle again, I will act as a Servant should and protect my Master from the possible danger. If I were to entertain holding back, it would risk putting you in peril."

Saber's words would of course be encouraging for any Master to hear. There was a clear depth behind them and in a way, they were comforting. Seeing what the other Masters in the war were like, he was glad that Saber wasn't so cold-hearted.

"…I understand, I won't throw my life away without reason." Shirou accepted her harsh words. "But we need to at least have a proper talk with Yumizuka. If, she has no intention of stopping her violent actions. Then I swear-

-I will stop her."

His eyes turned steely, matching the suddenly cold edge of his words. This was something he was sure of. Saber observed him carefully before giving a short a nod, her expression relaxing. Whether he had convinced her or not, it looked like she was satisfied for now.

It was about time to continue with their excursion when he noticed that something had grabbed her attention.

"…?" Glancing behind him, Shirou followed her eyes. On the other side of the street, a young boy ran down the sidewalk. Considering the time, it wasn't surprising to find a high schooler making a mad dash as to not be late, he was even wearing the Homurahara academy uniform, so he'd already missed homeroom. What Shirou did take note of, was the identity of the person themselves.

"Shiki…Tohno.?" Shirou murmured. Putting aside the impressive speed he was moving at despite being anaemic, It was not someone he was expecting to see today. Considering where the boy lived, it didn't make much sense for him to be going through the shopping district on his way to school. Actually, on closer inspection, that notion was incorrect.

"Tohno?" Saber repeated, eying him carefully. "Then that is the boy you were discussing with Rin."

"Yeah, that's…him." He confirmed. "But its strange, I can understand him being late for class but…" He stared as the boy rapidly turned a corner and out of sight, brow furrowed.

"Shirou, what is it?"

"Our school... is in the opposite direction."

He motioned with his hand. Homurahara academy was located on the west of Miyama. Instead, Shiki was heading in the same direction as they were, eastwards towards Shinto. Even assuming the boy had taken a small detour to go through the shopping district, his full send sprint away from Homurahara was concerning. Not only that, but his movements seemed almost frantic. He had practically barrelled forward paying no mind to his surroundings, if there were more people on the street, he would have taken part in multiple collisions.

"He appeared quite panicked." Saber observed, mirroring his thoughts. "Breathing hard, erratic movements. In fact, I would almost say he was running away from something."

"Running? But from what?" He couldn't see anything particularly dangerous, and the few people that were around were just as confused by the boy's antics. If he was in trouble they should at least go check and see if he needs any help.

And then a single woman walked by.

-oOo-

"Different." That's what Archer thought to himself. The city was different, and it filled him with unease.

He had understood from the moment he was summoned that this wasn't his Fuyuki. The era might be the same, and while it was true that he couldn't remember the details well, he was sure of it. There were too many discrepancies. His city did not have anywhere near the infestation of Dead Apostles that now occupied it. It wasn't until he attended the Clock Tower and began his worldwide journey that he even began to learn about them.

Since that point he'd had to deal with more than his fair share of vampires, so he was no stranger to their capabilities. What he couldn't understand, was how the situation got this far. The Burial Agency he remembered was completely ruthless when it came to hunting these things down.

Yes, this world was very different to his own, there was a surplus of names and faces that didn't even stir any sort of recollection within him. Tohno? The name was familiar, but it irked him. Did such a prestigious family also live here before? He couldn't tell.

Telling Rin he had memory loss wasn't exactly untrue, the fact that he hadn't even remembered the person that was his Master until she had introduced herself had dismayed him. It wasn't that the memories weren't there, just that they had been thoroughly worn away by time. Once nudged by an outside force, they could be excavated with ease.

Though there were some things that would never change.

Seeing Saber again, after all this time... It had stirred something that he believed he had moved past. Even now, he still can't make himself forget. It had offset him completely and she had almost killed him in their first interaction. Heh. Dying by her blade would have been a poetic end to his life.

"And then there's the boy." He considered grimly.

The same idiotic expression and the same idiotic mannerisms. He could barely stand to even look at Shirou Emiya and had opted to remain on the roof under the excuse of surveillance to gather his thoughts. Knowing what he would become, knowing what he wanted to be, knowing what he dreamt for.

Knowing how it would destroy him.

The boy would be better off dead, before he could stain the world with his fake ideals. Even if killing the boy couldn't save himself from the cycle, If Shirou Emiya stubbornly persisted down this road that would only end up betraying him-

"It would be a mercy."

…But, in his current state of recovery, achieving his death would be difficult, and currently of low priority. The situation was complicated and right now. Rin was more focused on helping the boy and Vampire slaying. She'd of course try to push off her reasoning with all manner of excuses, but he knew better. She was sentimental to the core, no matter how hard she tried to mask it. Yet she had also proven to be capable and level-headed when under pressure.

Maybe that's why she worked so well as his Master.

"Well Archer? Gotten over your grumpiness and ready to come down?" As if on cue, his Master's voice echoed in his head.

Peering over the edge, he spotted the young girl in front of the house glaring up at him with her arms folded. The intensity of which her eyes focused on his form was impressive considering he was dematerialised.

"Well?" She said impatiently. "Get inside already! Its about time you got yourself involved. As your Master I should at least take my Servant's opinions into account."

"How honourable of you," he remarked dryly but dutifully dropped to the ground and followed her inside. Looking at the house's interior…brought back no strong memories. It was the same as it always was. Not that it mattered to him.

"Quite elegant, isn't it? I wasn't expecting it from Emiya. If he has the funds to support this, he better not hold out on me." Rin spoke while gesturing around her. The authentically Japanese house was impressive, even when compared to her own abode. Though the aesthetic was a little more modern than the tea ceremony club room when considering things like the TV and Kitchen.

"Although it's a little lacking as a base of operations, it only has a single Alarm-based bounded field. I did struggle trying to detect it though, whoever made it clearly knew what they were doing," she acknowledged. "I'm not even sure what exactly triggers it yet."

Making no vocal comment, Archer agreed with her appraisal of the residence. It was at times like these when he was reminded of just how educated Rin was in the field of magecraft and how much she clearly seemed to enjoy studying it. Watching her fall into a rhythm could be quite compelling.

"So?" Rin moved her hands to her hips. "First impressions of our new roommates?"

"Saber is a worthy ally to have." Archer answered easily. "She seems efficient, pragmatic, and is the second most capable fighter in the war. A top-class Servant in all aspects. No doubt an alliance with her will be beneficial in the future fight against Berserker."

"And targeting Shirou Emiya from afar will be simple once they're the only enemy. Assuming he even survives to that stage." He kept that thought to himself.

His Master appeared momentarily taken back. "Wow, I'm surprised. That's one of the only times I think I've heard you speak while honestly complimenting someone."

"Hmph, when the person is worthy of praise, what else can I do but speak the truth? I'm not so shameless as to deny them that," he said dismissively. "Maybe you just haven't provided me enough opportunities to do so."

A singular eyebrow twitched. "I seem to remember your reaction to a certain command seal being quite different," she muttered. "In that case, what about her Master, Emiya-kun?"

"…Where would you like me to start? Apart from being an immature and hopeless fool, the boy is completely helpless as a magus and lacks any other notable skills that would be helpful. His only redeeming quality is the Servant he's tied to."

The girl raised an eyebrow at the biting edge in his voice, "A little harsh don't you think? Not that I can disagree with anything you said…" A statement that conveniently ignored the harshness of her own words when talking to him earlier.

"He essentially stumbled into the position of being a Master through sheer coincidence. And despite lacking the mindset of a magus, he doesn't seem too distraught over the carnage yesterday. Impressive for someone lacking the mindset of a magus, maybe he's more dependable than we thought?"

"… I wouldn't count on it."

Ignoring her Sevants insult, she shot a look at the kitchen. "He sure does know how to cook a good meal though. After trying both of your breakfasts, I'd say he could give you a run for your money in that department."

"Please," Archer scoffed. "I have an unsurmountable amount of experience over the boy, he could hardly compare." The mere idea was preposterous. The boy? A better chef then him? It almost made him laugh.

"Hmm?" Rin tilted her head with a small grin, sensing something in the Servant's voice. "I don't know… are you sure you haven't gotten rusty? As a heroic Spirit you probably haven't gotten any good practise in for years. And considering your memory loss…"

"I am not a worse cook than Shirou Emiya." Archer stated with finality, and the tiniest hint of irritation. "This discussion is completely pointless, and if that's the only good thing you can say in regard to the boy, then I question your decision in maintaining this alliance."

He efficiently shut down the line of dialogue and steered the conversation back on track. Rin's face twisted into a light scowl, registering the unapologetic nature of Archer's critique. Ever since saving the boy he had been acting difficult to work with. Well… more difficult than usual.

He sighed. "Seriously Master, it was only two days ago that I advised you against hunting Dead Apostles, and now we're diverting all our energy towards one when your own Servant isn't even in any condition to fight. Don't you find it a little reckless?"

"I only promised to not go after the Ancestor, surely a regular Apostle should be fine," Rin said unconcerned. "Don't worry, I haven't lost sight of my goal. If anyone's winning the Grail, it's gonna be a Tohsaka. And besides, we have Saber as an ally, if anything she's just as good insurance."

"Knowing you, one thing will lead to another and we'll be after the Ancestor in no time. Even with Saber as an ally, with the boy as her Master, somehow our position feels just as bad..."

A single eyebrow twitched on the girl's face.

"Sure have a lot of complaints don't you? We wouldn't be in such a terrible position of someone hadn't gotten themselves easily defeated in less time than it takes for me to fire Gandr!" She pointed a finger at him accusingly as if threatening to prove it then and there. "Sure, Saber's strong, but I saw you hold your own against Lancer so what happened? Suddenly decide to hold back against a woman?"

"You do bring up a fair point, Rin," Archer droned sarcastically. "After all, it was only the second strongest Servant in the war, a Saber, taking on an Archer class Servant in close quarters combat, after catching him unawares by surprise attacking his clueless master. Silly me for being unable to defend against such simple odds. Perhaps with a command spell I could have fared better but ah well, that was yet another aspect I had no control over."

He smirked unabashedly before noticing the girl's expression. During his spiel, her face had rapidly changed from simple anger to something much more sinister. He suddenly became very aware of the final command seal faintly glowing on her hand.

"Fine then, Archer…" She gritted her teeth. "You just go back to mooching off my mana to recover while I try to plan for the coming days. I'll see if I can add anything more to the defences of this place. Maybe I'll think of something productive for you to do in the meantime."

"Hm, maybe I pushed a little to far." Archer knew more than most what Rin Tohsaka was likely to due in volatile acts of rage. Really, it wasn't his fault that she was so easy to aggravate. Still, he should probably tread carefully for a short while. Something "productive" could only mean trouble.

"…Regardless Master, I still think that Shirou Emiya is a detriment to us," Archer maintained. "While I agree that right now we may require his protection, this is a Holy Grail War, and a rather troublesome one at that. Getting attached will only lead to more hardship that should be avoided. Alongside things like last night… well, I hope you're not getting cold feet."

"Oh, shut it!" She snapped. "I'm not going to lose my nerve at a couple of corpses, and I'm not going to go against my word for an easy kill against a clueless magus. If he's as worthless as you think, then we can deal with him anytime. Preferably without having to sacrifice my dignity."

Archer watched as Rin easily shifted her emotions from anger to an irritated tenacity. She spun on her heel, taking off further into the building. Probably with no destination in mind as long as it was away from her unruly servant and his equally unruly demands.

He smiled to himself, of course she wasn't going to cave that easily. No regular girl could bounce back with such fire after witnessing last nights massacre, her drive was truly commendable.

But it couldn't be put off forever. Once he was fully recovered, and the situation was desirable, he would decide and deal with the boy. Whether she liked it or not.

"Well, I tried to warn you." Archer relented with an invisible shrug. "Don't blame me when the boy ends up bringing more trouble than you accounted for."

-oOo-

Shirou blinked.

Almost imperceptibly. A white figure topped with a dash of golden locks appeared to glide past. He was suddenly struck by a sensation. Unlike the dense air at school, it was something much more natural and clearer. Like a soft breeze flowing through a dense woodland. The scent was so... pure.

Her stride never faltered, but in the space of a single step, her gaze flickered for a moment, first to Shirou before homing in on the Servant with an illustrious shine. Red. Like piercing rubies.

Saber's inflexible expression met the woman's scant glance. Her body had stiffened, ready to respond to any sign of hostile intentions. Unperturbed, the golden woman simply gave a small smile in return, it only intensified her lovely features. The interaction between them so fleeting it barely registered with Shirou.

And then.

As effortlessly as she came, the woman left. He blinked again, dumbfounded. A quick look down the path revealed her rapidly receding form. She moved casually, as if taking a stroll, but had already travelled a large distance. A moment later, her figure was out of sight.

Shirou exhaled softly, his body relaxing after its instinctual tension.

"Shirou, are you alright?" Saber's voice reached him, her vision still fixed on where the white woman had vanished.

"Yeah…I'm fine," he replied, a little unsettled. He wasn't even sure why. "What…Who exactly was that?"

Saber's expression was troubled. "I…am not entirely sure, it was odd. When she walked past, I felt the most unusual sensation..." Her voice was uncertain. For an expression like that to grace the knight's features, it was a cause for worry.

"What do you mean? Did you think she was dangerous? A Servant?" His face twisted sharply. "Don't tell me it was an Apostle?"

"No, it was definitely not a Servant," Saber said slowly. "And it felt much more different than a regular vampire. Against a Dead Apostle, as a Heroic Spirit there is a natural innate feeling of rejection. However, this impression was not the same. I did not feel a natural revulsion… yet I still felt as though there was a buffer between us."

Finally turning her head to look at Shirou, she added, "I am not entirely sure what, but that person's existence was not human."

"Not…human?" He shivered. If it wasn't an Apostle or a Servant, then what on Earth could it have possibly been? Where there even more supernatural beings in the city he wasn't aware of? Even Saber was apprehensive about its presence.

He committed the woman's appearance to his memory, nothing about it gave away anything particularly foreboding, but He couldn't just ignore it. If the last couple days have taught him anything, it was that you could take nobody's appearance for granted.

"Tohsaka, we should probably tell her," He reckoned. She was more experienced after all, maybe she'd know something. And if not, then it would still be better for her to be at least aware of the situation. They'd head back home straight away and…

An image of corpses flashed in his mind.

Back then, he had been too late.

If he had only made up his mind to go after her sooner, then maybe they could have…

…

"She had a bag." Saber commented abruptly.

"…What?"

"She had a bag with her," she reiterated. "It looked similar to the ones I have seen commonly used by the schoolchildren of your age. "

It was an odd detail. Thinking back, his Servant was right. The woman in white was gripping a schoolbag in her right hand. Not normally looped around her shoulder, but just clutched in her fingers. He almost hadn't even noticed it. Compared to everything else about her appearance, it didn't fit.

And if it wasn't hers…

Saber watched as understanding dawned in his eyes. "While it could be coincidental, the boy from your school that passed us by, he was not in possession of one."

…

Was it possible that the two passer-by's were unrelated? Between Tohno's frantic actions and the supernatural woman in white, the connection might simply be a coincidence. And to drag Saber into possible danger when she was still weakened would be undeserved, she was supposed to be resting from her injuries.

But in the small chance that it wasn't a coincidence…

"…Let's go after her." He came to a decision.

"Shirou-"

"We should follow her," he insisted. "I-… I understand that you're still recovering from Lancer and Berserker, and I know asking a lot from you, but what if something else like last night happens again? We should at least try to understand what it is we're dealing with."

…

Saber regarded him cooly for a moment before responding.

"You misunderstand me, Shirou. I am actually in agreement with this course of action. It is my duty as your Servant to fight by your side and as long as my Master wills it, I will do so to the best of my abilities. My condition as of now is of no major concern." She proclaimed all this with strength. No longer had she the visage of a simple teenage girl, her eyes shone with vigour.

Shirou gave a small sigh of relief. "… Thank you, Saber."

"Then let us hurry. It will be difficult catching up on foot while remaining covert. It would not do to have a repeat of last night's massacre."

-oOo-

Authors Note:

Whoopsie! (Happy Christmas/New Years I guess!)

Sorry for making you wait a while for an overall fairly slow chapter. Been busy alongside some procrastination that got the better of me. I suppose this is how all authors feel at some point. I'm not fully confident in this chapters writing but I feel like I'll never get it out if I delay it any longer.

Anyways, the start of day 4! A conversation focused chapter with not a lot of crossover. There were a lot more scenes that I wanted to add and switch around in here, but I decided to narrow the focus as to not get too bloated. They'll probably be in the next chapter. Alongside the long awaited meeting between our four titular characters of Shirou, Shiki, Saber and Arcueid.

Toughest (though probably the most fun) part to write was the conversation between Roa and Zouken in the beginning, I'm not sure if I managed to accurately capture their personalities as its an interaction I kind of decided on the spur of the moment. I felt that Zouken's information network of familiars would find Roa fairly quickly and he would become curious once realising that one of the Masters was a Dead Apostle.

The idea that Roa would have talked with Zouken (when he was actually Zolgen) hundreds of years ago and discussed their views on humanity and immortality just sounded super neat, and Zouken being unable to remember fully due to his mental degradation kinda works out. (I also finally got Roa to say his name so I could actually use it when talking from his perspective instead of using wishy-washy pro-nouns. I mean, everyone already knew who it was and it was only left ambiguous for narrative purposes.)

I think I've settled on Shirou/Saber as the main pairing despite how much I love Rin. I was reading through the Fate route for reference, and its truly amazing just how irritating Shirou can come across during the first half with his whole "must protect women" cover-up attitude.

Responding to some wonderful reviews:

-GameCrusher55

Thank you for the continued encouragement!

I do love the parallels your drawing between Yumizuka and Sakura in Heaven's Feel as well as Shirou's mindset. Bazett is definitely one of my favourite Fate characters but she will likely not be majorly relevant to this story unfortunately. If I ever get far enough in my writing to start a Hollow Ataraxia/Melty Blood/Kagetsu Tohya type sequel, then she would become more prominent (I can only hope I make it that far). She will still be a minor point of relevancy from time to time for now.

-Potato23

Considering your speculation, I hope your partly satisfied with this chapters opening scene. While I initially didn't want this story to lean more into Heaven's Feel side of things... yeah, it kinda keeps heading that way. I'll be honest, I actually completely forgot about the orphans Kirei has stuffed in the Church Basement (whoopsie). Since Mario and Ciel only visit and never stay the night, lets say they either haven't noticed their existence yet, or, as you said, maybe Kirei killed them all, its not like Gilgamesh actually needed them. Or maybe it'll be important later...

Thank you for the review!

-HighLordArak

You brought up some good points. Perhaps I did make Shirou's reaction a little too strong in the alleyway. I'll work on that moving forward.

Regarding Shirou's stance on killing, the way I see it, Shirou has never set out to kill anyone unless they have proven that they will do (or are in the process of doing) evil and/or are unable to be reasoned with. Even in the Fate Route, after catching Shinji, he didn't outright kill him immediately and instead gave him two chances to stop the bounded field willingly before attempting to. And that was a situation were people in the school were actively dying. There was no saving the people Yumizuka already killed.

When seeing a clearly distraught girl from his school, combined with the shock of viewing the massacre and her casually conversing with him, I'd like to think he wouldn't be so gung-ho as to just have Saber kill her on the spot. (Also sue me, I want Yumizuka to live longer than like 5 seconds.)

Kirei also fulfils the above criteria of doing evil and being unreasonable in the Fate route so yeah.

Thanks for the review!

-SmileyKurt23

When it comes to the near side routes, I for sure love Arcueid's route much more than Ciel's in both OG and the Remake. I just think the relationship between her and Shiki during the route is so perfect. A happy ending for them? That would be nice.

Thanks for the Review! Hope you continue to enjoy.

-DBoblivion

There sure are a lot of people who don't die when killed in this universe. Works out fine when you have a guy that can kill anything.

Sorry to disappoint you, but yes Archer is injured as per Fate route standards. I wanted him out of the picture for at least some of the earlier parts of the story. As for Saber detecting Assassin, you can take it as Assassin purposely revealing themselves as a way to dissuade Saber from pursuing Yumizuka.

Thank you to everyone else who decided to write a review! I do read and appreciate them all!

Once more I am unable to give a concrete date for the next chapter, very sorry. Considering how long it took for this one… yeah.

I'll see you whenever that is!