Chapter 5
After a heavy night of action, Ben was in deep slumber to get whatever hours of sleep he could before another day of school. As he rested, his mind sent him to another strange place, but this time, he was walking through a lively town set sometime way back in Japan's history. The young hero just walked through the street while taking in the sights of a thriving village. Ben was no history buff, but he didn't complain much. When he reaches an open space, he notices a crowd gathering and peeks at what's happening.
"There she is!"
"Wow! She's so pretty!"
"Yes, and she serves the court of the emperor!"
The crowd was enthusiastic, which piqued Ben's interest deeply.
"Sounds like a celebrity is in town. Better go check who it is." Ben said as she found his way through the gathering of people until he realised he was a ghost in this dream, so he just walked right through them.
"Alrighty, time to see who's the big cheese around…here…" Ben was gobsmacked to see Casko walking with many people wearing fancy clothing by historical Japanese standards. Around them was a group of katana-wielding guards keeping watch of the crowds as Casko and the others chatted. His Servant was also missing her fox appendages, meaning she was probably hiding them.
"Oh, I get it. I am looking into Casko's past! Cool! Looks like she might be royalty or at least a VIP." Ben guessed as Casko was wearing a very formal version of what she usually wears, along with very well-crafted golden jewellery.
"Wow…she looks…" Ben shook his head.
"Wait, Wait. Should I be looking into this? This seems like an invasion of privacy…But…"
Before he could decide to press forward, everyone around him disappeared. I was leaving only him and Casko, who was looking at the ground. The sudden eerie silence was deafening as it was unsettling.
"Casko?" Ben called to her, but she didn't react.
The boy walked towards her, and he was worried about her now with the sudden silence. He stopped after stepping in something wet…
"Huh? What the-"
It was blood, and it was a trail leading to Casko.
Ben ran to her, thinking that she was hurt and needed help. When he reached her, she was still quiet and not reacting to his approach.
"Casko! Are you hurt? Let me see if-"
"Why…" Casko spoke finally.
"Why…Why was no one there…"
She turns around very slowly, revealing her terrifying, bloody form…Many arrows sticking out of her body, with one right through her chest. Her face was dark red, and tears ran down her face. The white in her eyes turned to darkness as her irises turned pale yellow with beast-shaped pupils.
Ben was frozen in shock and horror.
"Why was no one there to…Save me? Am I that hideous to humans?" Casko tilted her head as the blood from her wound changed to a dark miasma-like substance. The liquid started to pool around them as Ben felt his feet sink into the ground. He tried to pull himself out of it, but then tendrils formed from the substance, dragging him deeper.
"Casko! Wait! CASKO!" Ben shouts as she stares at him being consumed.'
Ben then wakes in his bed gasping for air. After catching his breath, he finds himself in his room at the Emiya residence.
"Just a dream…" He mumbled to himself while rubbing his eyes. He couldn't understand what these dreams kept showing him as he thought of his previous one. The first one was when he first saw Casko in a field sobbing her eyes out, while the other was some soldiers chasing down a so-called witch. It led him to think that Casko had possibly done something evil when she was alive, but that contradicted how Ben felt around her. She was cheery and kind to him, showing no signs of malicious intent.
'There has to be something I am missing here…I won't jump to conclusions like I did with Kevin when his powers went out of control.' Ben promised himself as he dressed for the day and recalled his dark time against Ultimate Kevin. He was about to kill him, but thankfully, Gwen talked him out of it. There were times when Ben had to be drastic when fighting some of the villains he fought, such as Vilgax. But troubled people like Kevin deserve a chance to get help and have friends to support them when they need it the most.
"You trust people. You give them second chances, and they live up to your expectations."
Grandpa Max's words echoed in his mind, reminding him of how he changed Kevin for the better. For now, he will treat Casko as innocent until proven otherwise, and he had a good gut feeling that was the right way to go with her. Looking at his clock in the room, he noticed it was still a bit early for breakfast, so he decided to hang out in the courtyard for a bit to get some air. When he peeks out from the veranda, he spots Casko walking along the walls surrounding the property.
Thinking about how much of a beating she took last night, he decides to go check up on her.
"Yo Casko," Ben said, and his servant fox ears immediately perked up, and she turned around with a smile.
"Good morning Ben. You're up early." Casko said, tilting her head cutely.
"I'm used to getting up early after some late night hero-ing. How are you doing by the way?" Ben asked.
"My wounds are all healed up thanks to your very plentiful mana supply. Also I might have a bit of a bonus being summoned in these lands." Casko said.
"Bonus?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, It's kind of hard to hide the fact I am a Japanese servant. Both my Talismans and appearance give that away. But, that seems to give me a bit of a boost being in the same lands as my origin." Casko explained.
"Huh, that's handy. Magic is more of my cousin's thing, but thankfully I have you around." Ben said.
"Of course! I am your trustworthy Casko, after all!" Casko said with a spin.
"So, what were you up to?" Ben asked.
"I was just improving the boundary field that covers the property." Casko said, getting a raised eyebrow from Ben.
"Fufufu…I see magic really isn't your strong suit. Think of it like a configurable invisible barrier covering the estate." Ben's Servant explained as he nodded. He got the gist, thinking it was a bubble shield from one of his video games.
"Shirou has his set up for alerting intruders and it does its job pretty well. I am just improving it against people who are well versed in magecraft and could get around or disable the alarm." Casko said they walked the perimeter.
"So, like Rin or the other Caster servant?" Ben asked.
"Yep. With many masters still a mystery and a Caster servant lurking about. I'd better do my part and keep pesky prying eyes out of our home base." Casko said as she placed another talisman on the wall, and it faded into it.
"I'd bet you get along with my cousin Gwen. The only other magic users known were Charmcaster and Hex, both being our enemies." Ben said as Casko finished up her work on the boundary field.
"Sounds like you have a lot of stories to tell. I would love to hear more of them." Casko said with a warm smile. Ben couldn't help getting a bit of an ego boost hearing his Servant say that, but he halted himself as he tried to improve, not letting his fame get to his head.
"Sure thing. Just tell me if I start sounding obnoxious… I've been trying to not let the fame get to my head these days…And not be a jerk." Ben said, averting his gaze as he remembered the days after the Hybreed war.
"Did something happen?" Casko said, noticing the saddened look in his eyes.
"I've made lots of mistakes after stopping the Hybreed invasion. Broke my old watch trying to get the Master Control to fight Vilgax. The blast from that mutated my friend until the Omntrix was destroyed. The list keeps going." Ben said, recalling his screw-ups.
"I even let my relationship with a girl I was dating go south. It wasn't until recently I realised I was causing too many problems for her, so I decided it was best if we just be friends…" Ben said. He then catches himself emotionally dumping all his woes on Casko, causing him to feel super embarrassed.
"S-sorry Casko, I didn't mean to drop all the info on you-"
Casko then takes his hand and holds it with hers.
"It's okay, Ben, really, you don't have to feel ashamed for recognising your mistakes. Not everyone will admit to their screw-ups, so taking that very tough step signifies you becoming better." Casko said, looking directly into his eyes, her sheer spark warming a once cold spot in Ben's heat.
"I-I um thanks. Really Casko, I really needed to hear that." Ben admitted as she let go of his hand.
"*Teehee* I am always here to help my master," Casko said, Glad to see Ben smiling. Deep down, it slightly concerned her that her Master was still thinking about another girl, but she wouldn't force anything. For now, she wants to be the very helpful shrine maiden in Ben's eyes.
Back inside the household, Shirou was getting ready for the day himself. He got his clothes, left his room, and heard the house phone ring. He quickly answered, and Kirei gave an update on last night's victims.
"... I'm Glad to hear that she's doing alright. Were there any other survivors? Ah…Well. Thanks for the update." Shirou then hangs up the phone.
"Who was that on the phone?" Saber said, appearing beside him, Slightly startling the boy.
"It was Kirei giving an update on the victims. Ayako is in the hospital right now and is stabilised…There were no other survivors unfortunately." Shirou said with visible suppressed frustration on his face.
"Shirou, are you alright?" Saber asked.
"I am just trying to think if I could've done anything better last night. Maybe more people could've been saved…" Shirou said honestly.
"I understand your frustration. I wished there were more survivors, but we can't forget the good we have done, Shirou." Saber reminded him that they had saved a person and halted Rider's hunt for the night. His Servant was exemplary; they did some good, and he shouldn't discount that. A life was saved, which matters the most right now.
"You're right. Thanks, Saber." Shirou said with a genuine smile.
"You're welcome, Shirou." She said as they both entered the living to prepare it for breakfast.
"Hey, Saber, do you know who Rider is?" Shirou asked; he heard legends of people turning to stone from a monster's gaze, but he was still refreshing his knowledge of ancient history.
"I do. Rider is most likely the gorgon known in Greek mythology, Medusa." Saber's answer jogged Shirou's knowledge of the Greek pantheon. That makes two Greeks known to them now, along with Hercules.
"Wait, isn't she divine as well?" Shirou asked.
"Yes. But it's probably a lower rank due to her becoming the monster of Greek legend. We still shouldn't underestimate her." Saber said as she helped clear the table.
That still leaves six servants unnamed, which sparked a question in Shirou. Why hasn't Saber told him her True Name? He is her Master, but he wouldn't force her if she didn't want to say it to him.
"Saber, is the reason you haven't told me your real name is because I might risk exposing it to the enemy?" Shirou asked, causing his knight to feel slightly ashamed for hiding it from him.
"Yes, Please don't take this personally, but your lack of experience poses a risk should you accidentally say my name," Saber said with a saddened look.
"I'm sorry if I have offended you."
Saber then lowered her head.
"Whoa, hey! Saber, it's okay!" Shirou said, feeling bad for making her look so sad.
"R-really?" Saber said, raising her head.
"Yeah, it's actually a smart move on your end. I'd mess up and shout your name if you get seriously hurt. Totally screwing us over in the end." Shirou admitted to his faults as a master. Saber started smiling again, seeing her Master was understanding of her concerns. Then, another question asks Shirou about the other Servant in his household, Casko.
"Shirou? Something on your mind?" Saber asked as she prepared plates.
"Just thinking on the topic of true names…Not you but-"
"Casko," Saber answered, and Shirou nodded.
"Do you have an idea of her true name?" Saber asked.
"All I can tell is that her appearance reminds me of an old Japanese legend; I can't recall the name, just that it was about a Kitsune. Sorry, I have recently been brushing up on my ancient history." Shirou said, being honest about his curiosity.
"It's probably nothing to worry about anyway. Casko and Ben have been so helpful so far. We don't have to fight them in the end." Shirou said, and Saber nodded.
"Yes, their assistance has been a blessing," Saber said. The morning continues with Taiga and Sakura arriving for breakfast before school. The meal goes by without a hitch, thanks to Casko's way, with words assuring Taiga that nothing harmful will come to the boys during her and Saber's stay.
"Alright, I guess you both can stay here. But no 'funny' business with the boys." Taiga finally caved in but warned them about their behaviour around the boys. Everyone was relieved to see the teacher calm down and return to her usual demeanour.
'... I'll just have to be sneaky to get to my master's bed then…' Casko's deep desires whispered in her mind as she glanced at Ben, who was enjoying his breakfast.
"Man, you could feed an army with the amount of food you guys cook," Ben jokingly said.
"Well you know Fuji-nee's appetite is basically half an army," Shirou commented.
"I have to pack as much in or I will not make it until lunch!" Taiga said as she went for some meatballs...Unfortunately, any chance at seconds was taken away by someone else.
The shocked English teacher looked around and saw Saber munching on the last meatballs.
"Whaa..?" Taiga was shocked. This was the first time anyone had ever finished a dish before she could do her fill. This filled her with distress, and she hung her head in despair.
"How cruel, Saber", she mumbled while taking the little scraps onto her plate.
"Looks like Taiga has an enemy army to fight against", Ben whispered to Caster, and they both chuckled.
After Breakfast, Sakura and Taiga went to the archery club, leaving the others at home. Shirou and Saber were cleaning up as they had some more light conversation.
"I hope Taiga wasn't too harsh on you," Shirou asked Saber as he took off the apron he was wearing.
"No worries, master; she is your guardian, so I understand all her worries," Saber replied.
"From the information I received from her I have a good Understanding on your character." She added.
"Is that a compliment or a criticism?" Shirou asked curiously.
"I am praising," she said while closing her eyes. She didn't know why she was acting like this, but at the moment, she couldn't take her Master's smiling gaze. Shirou then gives Saber the apron and heads out for school. As much as she wanted him to remain home, she knew she couldn't stay at home, or Taiga would get suspicious. Thankfully, he would have Ben nearby in case something happened.
"Master, I wish for you to treat your safety as your highest priority from now on." She wanted to remind her Master of the dangers of the war, regardless of his reluctance to fight in his place.
"And if you find yourself in trouble, summon me with your Command Seal," she said to her Master. Shirou wasn't used to having someone so concerned for his safety, so he nodded.
Ben was getting ready and waiting at the front door with Casko standing by to see him off.
"Hmm…Where is he?" Ben grumbled while searching his watch's playlist of aliens for the new guy he got last night.
"Master, are you looking for a particular form?" Casko asked, noticing his rapid dial turning.
"Yeah, I tend to get new transformations at random or manage to get a scan of species not in the Ultimatrix, But I can't seem to find the guy I transformed last night," Ben explained how he gets new transformations while feeling frustrated. He always enjoyed getting a new alien, but this one seemed to be bugging out the Ultimatrix.
"Ugh. Sometimes I really miss my old watch." Ben said in defeat as he couldn't find the new guy.
"That's unfortunate since I do have some fondness for that one since you saved me with it." Casko said innocently.
"...Save me…"
The nightmarish visage of Casko flashed in Ben's mind.
"Master?" Casko said, noticing him space out for a brief moment.
"Oh, Nothing. Just hoping the watch adds the new alien to the playlists soon." Ben played it off as he didn't want to bring up such a disturbing dream.
"Well, then…I know Saber is probably mentioning this already to Shirou, but I just wanted to say that if you find yourself in trouble, I want you to summon me with your command seal." She told him that Ben understood her concern; there was still the threat of Rin Tohsaka and any undiscovered masters at school.
"Don't worry, there are people there, so I don't think any master would try anything. But if things get hairy, me and Shirou will get out of there." Ben didn't like the idea of the command seal, but he didn't mind using them to call in backup.
"Okay Ben, I hope you have a good day at School." Casko then smiles with her usual cheeriness.
While walking to school, Ben thought about Caster every time they were together. She was as happy as ever; however, that happy image clashes with the sadness and despair plaguing his mind.
Why was she so sad? Ben had never seen anyone cry like that.
'I'll have to ask Casko at some point; if she is suffering, then I gotta help'.
As the boys walked to school, Shirou thought of the dreams he was having. That field of swords under a constant twilight. He felt peaceful there, like...it was a part of him, but there was an image he couldn't clear up like he was missing details on the tip of his tongue.
"You good Shirou?" Ben notices him spacing out as they reach the gate to the school grounds.
"Oh, yeah, I'm good. Oh, by the way, Saber suggested that Rider's true name might be Medusa," Shirou said.
"That explains the paralysing eyes, but lacking in the snake department-"
Right when they both took a step beyond the gate to the school grounds, Shirou felt a spike of nausea, and Ben felt chills for a few seconds as the other students walked by them.
"Hey...Did you just feel something weird just now?" Ben asked as the sensations dissipated from them. Shirou nodded to keep the conversation quiet as they were out in public.
"Meet up after class," Ben said that this needed to be investigated if both simultaneously had a strange reaction. The duo get through their day without any problems. They meet on the school's second floor as Ben relieves himself in the nearby washroom.
"I'll wait for you outside", Shirou said, and he went downstairs. During his break, Shirou got some news from Issei about Mitsuzuri. She is still in the hospital in a significantly weakened state and has no recollection of her attacker.
'If she doesn't remember, then we don't have to worry about the Rider coming after Mitsuzuri.' Shirou thought about it until he got the feeling of eyes watching him, and he turned around to find Rin staring down at him from the top of the stairs.
"Tohsaka? You're still here?" Shirou said, greeting his fellow student.
Rin remains silent while staring at him.
"What? If you don't have anything to say, I'll be going then." Shirou said, not liking the look she was giving him
"Emiya-kun, Do you know how much of an idiot you are?" Rin said while slowly walking down the stairs. The aura of hostility emanating from her became more palpable with each step.
"What do you mean, 'idiot'?" Shirou said, feeling his instincts kick in, but he remained calm and non-hostile.
"For a master to walk around idly without his Servant, that's like saying, 'Please kill me.'. Gosh, it makes me so angry to see such foolishness before me." Rin said as she rolled up her sleeve and raised her arm.
"What are you talking about? Killing or what not, aren't battles supposed to take place where there's no one around? We're at school in broad daylight!" Shirou said, backing up as Tohsaka approached.
"Right…But is there anyone around right now?" Rin stated as Shirou scanned the halls and remembered the cancellation of afterschool activities for the time being. Tohsaka was well in the clear to fight a Master without risking witnesses. But Shirou still had one advantage she did not have: Ben.
"Tohsaka, Ben is still here. Do you really want to start this? He told me what happened last night when he and Casko returned to my place. It will turn into a two versus one fight quickly." Shirou said, confident that the presence of Ben would make her think twice.
"I don't have to worry about him, since he is not a threat to me at the moment." Rin started with a sickly smirk.
"Eh?" Shirou muttered.
Back on the upper level, Ben was passed out on the bathroom floor. After a few moments, a hidden talisman glowed on his back and burst into light. The aura covered his body and shortly woke him up.
"Oh…Man…What happened? I was washing my hands and then…" Ben remembers blacking out and realising its cause. A master tried to take him out of the picture since barely anyone would be at school now! Ben quickly checks his hand and is relieved; his command seal remains there. He wasn't sure if they could be stolen, but he didn't want to lose Casko to another master.
'I got to go find Shirou!' Ben reaches for the door but recoils his hand after it zapped him with some magic…
'Has to be Rin, she must be still sore from having Archer's butt kicked.' Ben assumed and activated his watch.
"Alright Rin, let's see if you're hot enough for Big Chill!" Ben dialled in his Necrofriggian form and slammed down on the watch.
But, instead of Big Chill, He ended up as Nanomech, his alien microchip hybrid form.
"Aww man… I'll have to make do with this; I can waste power on swapping now." Nanomech then flies into the vents of the washroom and groans about how he will have to work around this maze of a system.
"Are you serious, Tohsaka?!" Shirou shouts as he runs down the hall to avoid Rin's Magic fired from her fingertip. She used Gandr, a curse, to immobilise a target without killing them and used the power of her crest to keep up with Shirou's constant dodging and jumping.
"Of course I am!" Rin said with an oddly cruel smile as the shot just grazed Shirou's scalp, allowing him to feel the lethal force behind it.
"What was that just now?! I won't just get cursed if I get by that!" Shirou exclaimed as it made him fall over.
"Quiet you! I accidentally used too much power because my target was moving." Rin answered before charging up another barrage.
"Shit! That's pretty much like a knife then!" Shirou stumbles himself and bolts down the hall and to the stairs.
"Is that all you have to say!?" Rin shouted, feeling her frustration build before running after him.
Shirou didn't have time to run down the stairs, so he jumped them instead to keep ahead of Rin. When he lands, the shock of it runs through his body due to him not following through with a roll. He runs down the next set of stairs as Rin catches up to him and jumps the same, only to realise mid-jump that her skirt was flapping about, so she instinctively held it down. Thus leading her to mess up her landing as well.
"Damn it, I forgot to follow through!" Rin cursed herself.
"Ah, that aside, you should be more careful…or I'll see under your skirt…" Shirou said, trying to be polite and not sound like a pervert.
Yeah, that didn't help, as it only infuriated Rin even more, causing Shirou to run down the stairs and dash into a nearby classroom. He locks the door, allowing him some brief respite from Rin to enable him to find a way out. Shirou decided the window was his best option since he was just a little high now. That plan was cancelled as a barrier appeared, blocking the window access.
That means Rin was on to him right outside the door. Without any other option, he flips a desk and uses his Reinforcement magic to make a shield.
"Ben, I hope you are still around." Shirou is still reluctant to use his command seal to summon Saber.
Meanwhile, Nanomech was flying through the ventilation system, trying to find where Shirou was.
'Come on, Shirou, give me something to work with…' Nanomech said while flying through the dusty vents. He had to act fast as Rin couldn't imagine what she'd do to him, capture or kill; he was unsure.
*BOOM*
Nanomech heard a small explosion, and smoke filled the vents from one of the connected classrooms. He swiftly flew to it and saw Shirou stumbling out of the classroom from the other door with two broken desk legs as weapons.
"Man, this is such a mismatch." Shirou said, admitting the difference in power between him and Rin.
"You finally came out, Emiya-kun. I've won the battle. Come on, throw away that weird weapon of yours because there is simply no chance of victory for you, Emiya-kun." Rin said, demanding him to surrender.
"I won't know without trying. Don't talk so big when you're grasping for breath, idiot." Shirou pointed out that she was also strained from this battle.
'Hah, Nice one, Shirou." Ben thought to himself as he watched the standoff; he needed to wait for the right moment before striking and getting Rin's motive.
"Is that so, All right. I was going to make it as easy for you as possible, but maybe that was uncalled for. I'll give you my apologies first. Sorry if I end up killing you by mistake." Rin said while raising her arm again at Shirou.
"You meant that seriously?" Shirou said.
"Of course, in the worst case, I'll just have to tear out the nerves in your arm. That's better dying, though, right? This is my final warning over your command seals-OW!" Rin then recoiled from something, zapping her in the back.
"What did-OW! That?!" Rin shouts as she gets zapped repeatedly, Much to Shirou's surprise as he tries to spot what is attacking her.
"Hehehe! This is for knocking me out in the bathroom!" A high-pitched mechanical voice speaks.
"What?! Tennyson?! How did you get back!" Rin shouts as Ben zaps her again before flying in front of her. Rin finally got a better look at the tiny robotic humanoid, Fairy-like creature laughing at her.
"Ben!" Shirou said, happy to see him alive, causing Nanomech to turn around to give Shirou a thumbs-up.
"You know it! Nothing can keep me down-"
Rin crushes Nanomech between her hands.
"Hah! That's what YOU get for turning your back on…" A green light forces her hands open as a mass of green slime wraps up the Tohsaka mage. The slime follows the motions of a smaller saucer-like device as it restrains Rin.
"You can switch between forms!? Just what the hell are you?" Rin yells as she struggles against the restricting goo.
"GOOP!" Ben shouts as he swaps to his Polymorph form.
"Just your friendly neighbourhood superhero who is slimy, creepy, fast and strong. I'm every shape and size, I'm Ben 10!" Goop said before blinking for a few moments.
"I should've picked a better alien to say that," Goop said, as the Polymorth's species wasn't known for their threatening voices.
"Gosh you are so cheesy…." Rin shook her head.
"Well he did totally capture you without much effort." Shirou said.
"Can it! Emiya-kun!" Rin snapped, and Shirou obeyed.
"Now, I'll admit my defeat, Tennyson. Let's negotiate so we both can mutually benefit from the outcome." Rin said after taking a moment to regain her composure and accept her defeat. Any more acts of aggression on her end would result in servants being drawn in, and her Archer would be swiftly outnumbered.
Goop glares his eyes at Rin. He has not forgotten how Archer nearly killed Casko last night, and she was threatening to rip Shirou's arm off to get Saber.
"Ben…?" Shirou said, a little worried about why his partner was about to decide.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
"Tohsaka, Ben, That was…" Shirou turns around to the sudden sound.
"A person…Screaming, Right?" Rin answered. Shirou then runs towards the direction of the scream without another thought, as it could be another victim.
"Wait! Do you know what made that scream?!" Rin said, suddenly concerned for the redhead as he ran down the stairs.
"Of course not! Anyways, it came from downstairs!" Shirou said before disappearing around the corner. Rin then looked back to Goop, expecting him to release her so they could go after Shirou.
"Well? Aren't you going to release me?" Rin asked.
"So you can backstab Shirou to get Saber. Nope, not happening, I'll just get Casko, and she'll help with the victim." Goop refused to let Tohsaka go.
"If you do that, then there's a higher chance another servant could ambush us and risk civilian casualties. I can do it, and it will save you a command seal for future use." Rin said, and Goop thought for a moment. Rin was being truthful, and Ben didn't know how to use the command seal yet.
"Fine, just remember that you are not the first magic user I fought. I'll know what to do if you try anything." Goop said as he unwrapped his smiley form from Rin. She quickly checks for any stains on her clothes or globs in her hair as Ben reverts to human.
"Relax, Goop's anti-gravity device keeps him all together. No mess afterwards."
"Goop? Really? You name them?" Rin said while rolling her eyes.
"Why not? That's the fun part about it!" Ben answers with a smirk. Rin scoffs and runs after Shirou, with Ben following as well.
When they found Shirou, he was with an unconscious girl who was still breathing but barely.
"She's just unconscious, huh?" Shirou was confused as the victim wasn't injured. Ben slapped the hourglass symbol on Goop's chest and reverted to human.
"That's not always the case. The girl may have drained her life energy." Ben knew the signs thanks to his foe, Darkstar, who absorbed lifeforce from young girls. Ben walked up to the victim and gave her a once-over.
"It might've been Medusa that attacked her then. You did fight her, so she must be on the prowl to restore her magical energy." Shirou said, making his best guess on what happened here.
"Medusa…You are talking about Rider, correct?" Rin asked.
"Yes. Rin, you got any spells for this? She may look fine on the outside, but I'll bet she's not doing too good on the inside," Ben asked the magus. Rin was surprised that Ben knew that she needed her mana regenerated.
"Yes, give me some space." She said, and the boys backed up. Rin pulled out a gem and got to work healing the girl. Shirou was looking at Rin; he felt he had seen that serious look before but couldn't tell from where.
"By the way, Ben, how did you know she needed Tohsaka's help? I couldn't tell, and we were both basically the same when it came to magecraft knowledge," Shirou asked as that question popped into his head.
"Isn't my first time dealing with bad guys who can drain a person of their lifeforce. This guy I fought, Micheal Morningstar, was doing this to many girls, using his charm to draw them in. Real creep, that guy." Ben said, retelling the origin story of Darkstar. Shirou was impressed with Ben's experience and reminded himself to ask for more stories later.
"Gah, I can't focus. Can one of you close that door?" she asked, and Shirou went to close the door that led outside. Shirou then felt a spike in his senses, and time slowed down…Something was wrong, and he needed to block the doorway with his arm to avoid Rin getting killed.
"GARGH!" Shirou shouted as his arm was punctured by an invisible spike, leaving a hole in his arm.
"Shirou!" Both Rin and Ben yelled with concern now that Shirou was injured.
"Emiya-kun, there's a hole in your arm!" Rin got up to help him, but Shirou gestured to her to keep helping the initial victim.
"Ben, guard the door; I'll hunt down the attacker. There's a chance they'll loop back around for the girl." Shirou told Ben. Ben wanted to go with Shirou, but Rin could not defend herself while tending to the victim.
"Don't worry, I'll get Saber if I need help", Shirou reassured the group and headed out and closed the door. He saw nothing within the school grounds; however, there were woods beyond the property, and he could see leaves falling off a few branches due to something moving them rapidly. Ignoring the pain in his arm, he presses forward with only a reinforced desk leg to protect himself.
"How could someone throw a dagger at Tohsaka...at a girl's face?" he asked as he walked to the woods near the school. As he entered the forest, he watched his surroundings for Rider or any other servant. It was reaching sundown, so he needed to act fast to catch up to the assailant before turning back. Watching every tree in his line of sight, he could've sworn he spotted a figure hiding among them.
"Hehehe." Shirou heard a laugh, and he turned towards the sound and saw a figure running away. He could've sworn it was Shinji Matou, yet the boy was absent today, according to Mr Kuzuki.
"Shinji? I thought you were staying home from school?" he walked to figure it out, then felt a tug on his wounded arm, shooting a surge of pain. Then, in a blur, a familiar pink and black servant dashed at him and scratched his neck with her daggers. Shirou recoiled from the attack and checked his neck. It was bleeding, but she didn't strike an artery. Shirou got back up and heard Rider dashing in the trees.
The lone magus was waiting as he heard Rider dashing around him before Shirou deflected Rider's' attack with the desk leg he had. But he was knocked back a couple of feet from the force. He then got back up:
"Where are they? Medusa is definitely watching me…Damn it, I can't do anything against a servant ... .I know I'll get a Saber with my command seal!" Shirou remembered what Saber had told him; it was the right time to call for her. As much as his ideals were against it, he convinced himself he wasn't pushing the fight on Saber, just having her help him.
Then Rider hit him again, and Shirou rolled away. Shirou couldn't summon a Saber like this; Rider could get a surprise attack on her since he couldn't get a moment to focus. He got back up and managed to deflect another attack, causing a loud metal ping to echo throughout the woods.
"Will you not use a command seal?" Medusa calls out, confirming the Servant is her.
"Unfortunately I only got a few of these. I would summon Saber when there isn't a risk of her getting a surprise attack from you." Shirou said.
"Is that so? You might regret it if you try to act tough." Medusa said, still hiding from Shirou.
"It's hard to take a servant-less master seriously. I shall alter my methods then. I will kill you gently." Medusa then falls silent, leaving Shirou on alert for her strike. Rider may be hard to spot, but her chains still made noise, so Shirou focused on that. When the sound of the chains halted, he swiftly looked to this right and saw her standing there. Without a moment, she throws her dagger at him. Shirou manages to deflect by allowing him an opening to run back to the school.
"You know, for a servant, I think you lack power compared to the others." he said and ran back to the school as he knew it would be a better place to summon Saber or get back up from Ben.
"Hmph." Rider then played her trap, and Shirou was yanked to the height of a tree and was hanging from the now visible spike in his arm. He screamed in pain up until he was dangling over the woodland floor.
"Ever since my dagger landed in your harm you have been under my control." Shirou was in deep trouble as he was trapped at Rider's mercy. All he can do now is to try to pull out the spike.
"How amusing. Why do you hero types always go for the option that inflicts harm upon yourself?" she said calmly as Shirou continued pulling.
"Because we aren't afraid of a little pain! It's Hero Time!" Ben shouts, running up behind her with his watch activated. Ben slaps the dial on the Ultimatrix, ready for round two against Rider as he transforms into his Loboan form.
"BEN-WOLF!" A werewolf-like creature cried out and jumped at the Rider, claws at the ready.
"Now let's see how you deal with the big bad wolf!" Ben continued his attack while dodging Rider. The Servant is caught off guard by the lycanthrope-like creature, tries to use her speed to her advantage, and throws another Dagger at him. Ben-wolf then opens his quad-hinged jaw and unleashes a super-sonic howl that deflected right into the chain, keeping Shirou suspended.
"Gah!" He grunted from the landing. Rider is about to make one last attempt to kill Shirou to take Saber out of the war, but Ben-wolf grabs her chain and yanks her toward him. Following up with a powerful uppercut, Ben did not pull his punches due to the images of the dead victims still fresh in his mind. Rider was sent tumbling through the trees before fading into spirit form.
"Where did she go?" Ben was sniffing the air; she was long gone wherever Rider went.
"Dang it. Medusa got away again." Ben-wolf then checks on Shirou while Rin has already started to patch him up after falling out of the tree.
"Are you okay, Shirou? Medusa did a number on you. Oh, and sorry for letting you fall like that; I am still a little angry at her." Ben said.
"Yeah, I'm fine, mostly. Ow!" Shirou winced as Rin wrapped a bandage on his wounded arm.
"It's a quick fix. Now then who was that woman just now?" Rin asked.
"That was Medusa, the Servant we were chasing last night. We think she is one of the servants running around and killing people." Ben answered
"Who's her master?" Rin asked, hoping for some helpful info.
"We have yet to figure that out." Shirou responded, and Rin sighed as she wanted more info on that Servant as soon as possible to avoid any more casualties.
"I see. I was aware that there are other Masters at school, but,,," Rin said, revealing a big piece of war intel right to them.
"How did you already know?" Ben asked.
"Did either of you feel something odd when entering the school grounds? Like feeling sick or getting chills? It's a barrier covering the whole property and I know a Master put it up." Rin asked.
Shirou and Ben looked at each other before nodding.
"So whoever put up that barrier attacked the girl?" Shirou then remembered the girl they had saved
"Tohsaka, how is the girl found on the floor?" Shirou wanted to know the victim's condition.
"She's out of the woods," Rin confirmed that she did as she promised and healed the student enough that she wouldn't die.
"We put her in the nurse's office, figuring that'd be safer than laying in the hallway." Ben explained
"That's good." Shirou got up and stared at Tohsaka.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Let me make this clear: I didn't put the barrier up!" Rin yelled, feeling accused of doing the evil deed.
"That's not it," Shirou said, confusing the Tohsaka magus.
"Then what is it?" Rin asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Round two?" Ben asked. Rin paused momentarily, looking at Shirou and then Ben, who gave her a threatening grow.
"Calm down, Fido; I lost interest in fighting, so let's call it a day," Rin said. This caused Shirou to sigh in relief, and Ben reverted to human.
"Come on, we have work to do. That healing spell on your arm isn't last, so let's head to my place so I can properly patch Shirou up." Rin said. Shirou felt relieved but then surprised to be heading to the home of the girl he admired. On the other hand, Ben agreed to go as he needed to stop hostilities between them, as they had the same goals for the Holy Grail War. Rin took the boys to her family mansion, which was more Western than Shirou's, and it made Ben wonder if all magic users got mansions at some point.
"Nice place." Ben commented.
"Thank you. While I live alone, I do my best to keep the place tidy. Having Archer now does give me a break from it." Rin said casually. For some reason, Ben mentally notes how Shirou and Rin live alone. Once inside, they all sit in the living room so Rin can use her first aid kit on Shirou.
Rin noticed that his wound appeared nearly fully healed and no longer required stitches after she removed the makeshift bandage to clean the wound with her first aid kit.
. "It's almost fully closed, does it hurt?" Rin said, examining Shirou's wound as if it was no longer a gaping hole but just a mere laceration.
"No, it seems fine." He said while moving his arm to test for pain.
"Just like when a berserker nearly slashed you in two…This level of self regeneration is absurd. I can't think of anything else other than the possibility of Saber's power flowing into you," Rin said and finished treating Shirou.
"So as long as Shirou and Saber stay together he should be able to recover from most injuries?" Ben asked.
"Yes, But it may cost Saber mana in which she can't recover at the moment, so it would be best if he avoided getting himself hurt." Rin started and sat down on a chair to drink some tea.
"Right. Even with Casko's help, Saber doesn't replenish much mana." Shirou said, feeling a little bit inadequate as a master. Now that his wound is healed, Rin brings some tea to show her willingness to keep the peace going.
"You said earlier you knew of another master at school, but you don't know who it is?" Shirou asked, curious about her findings.
"I can sense his presence but not well enough to pinpoint the exact person. What I am sure of is that this person is pretty vicious because this is a person who is willing to sacrifice all the students at school just to make his Servant more powerful," Rin answered.
"Just like you said before…Is this guy crazy?" After the fight with the Berserker, Shirou recalled their conversation a few days ago. It was the morning after Berserker's attack when they talked about Masters using innocent lives to power up their servants.
"It doesn't matter if they are crazy or not; we can't let this happen. So what does that barrier do?" Ben asked the critical question.
"It is a life-draining barrier; think of what Rider did to that girl but to everyone at the sc." Ben and Shirou were stunned at this Master's antics.
"That's Crazy "Both boys said in unison.
"Yes, and I don't plan on letting this happen, " Rin stated, taking a sip of tea.
"Now, I wish to propose a ceasefire between you, Tennyson and me." Rin offered a truce for the sake of the many lives at school.
"For how long?" Ben asked, still wary of her.
"Let's start off with the barrier and see how we do then. I myself am pretty tired of us butting heads." Rin answered Ben. Rin still needed to trust Ben, but she could get info on him if she played her cards right. Ben momentarily thought and looked at Shirou, who seemed to like not having Rin as an enemy.
"Alright, if it keeps the school safe, then I am down for a team-up. "Ben said he can put his differences with Rin behind him to protect the school.
"I agree. I can't stand for this." Shirou agreed to the alliance, finally solidifying this truce between the Masters of Saber, Archer and The Extra Caster. About ten minutes go by, and the conversation changes into talk about Shirou's skill with magic while Ben plays with the dial on the Ultimatrix/
"Your father died before he passed on his magic crest to you, right?." Rin concluded after hearing Shirou's story.
"Yeah, though I don't think he had planned on passing it to me. Dad didn't want me to become a magus." Shirou said, chatting about his late adoptive father's unorthodox training method.
"That explains why you're pretty much an amateur. You don't have any knowledge of magic, right?" Rin said.
"Yeah, Reinforcement is all I know how to do. Like when I used the table-" Shirou was about to explain his craft, but Rin stopped him as telling her what he does as a mage was a bad idea. Shirou didn't mind since his father told him he shouldn't be bound by conventional rules and stop practising magic.
"That's ridiculous! You're not a magi nor the buffone that trained you!" She shouted out in anger.
"*Ahem* Maybe we are getting a little too heated here. Rin, I understand you're more formally trained but I am sure Shirou's dad had his reasons. Magecraft isn't all sunshine and rainbows after all." Ben said, stepping in to avoid conflict.
"I'm sorry, something came over me, I guess. To a magus, magic doesn't belong to himself. It gets passed along from parent to child, from generation to generation… It's the duty of a magus to pass it on to his offspring." Rin explained.
"What your father did was unforgivable in my eyes. He chose to be a parent over a magus.." Rin explained her outburst. Ben didn't understand, but it would seem that being a mage was a family effort…For humans, at least... Gwen was different thanks to her Anodite DNA, and maybe Ben could have a "spark" if he somehow summoned Casko.
"What about you Tennyson? You said you have no training at all, correct?" Rin asked to bring the conversation to him.
"Well, like I said before, My grandmother can use magecraft like a pro and my cousin inherited the spark, completely skipping our parents." Ben explained.
"Then what about your transformations?" Rin asked.
"All science. No magic involved. I am as surprised as you are with how I managed to summon Casko and supply her with mana." Ben gave a very brief explanation of his powers.
"*Sigh* Then must've been a protection spell left on you by Casko that woke you up from my Gandr shot. I'll ask some more questions later since it's getting late. At school we'll meet up at the rooftop during lunch to discuss our findings." Rin said, discussing their next meeting as allies.
"Archer", Rin said, and the red-clad Servant appeared from his spirit form.
"Please walk them home. So don't attack them or anything." Rin ordered; Archer nodded, and the boys headed out with Archer behind them. It was an awkward silence as they walked down the darkened streets late at night.
"Man, the girls are going to chew us out for staying this late." Ben said while stretching his arms.
"Yeah, Especially after fighting Rider. Saber is going to be mad hearing about this. Hopefully the news of the ceasefire will temper their anger a little bit." Shirou said while also feeling the unconformable stare of Archer walking a few steps behind them.
Ben could feel Archer's eye peering him down to his soul for the walk home. While Ben has become more amicable with Rin, Archer is still a whole different thing, even though they are supposed to be allies.
"If you have any questions, ask. We are working together." Ben said, breaking the silence.
"I am surprised you are willing to speak to me after our last encounter." Archer responded.
"That was my bad, I'll admit that. But you kept escalating, and I'm sure Rin told you what happened on her side of the fight." Ben stated smartly.
"That doesn't matter, it was by definition of what we servants are supposed to do. Or are you foolish enough to believe you can win without fighting." Archer asked while rolling his eyes.
"No, I know I can't stop this without a fight. Anyone can see that this battle isn't going to be without bloodshed. I only want to keep innocents out of it, is that so wrong?" Ben said, causing Archer to refocus his eyes on Ben.
"You may not believe me, but there were times I had to cross the line to save the day. I am not proud of it and sometimes I wish I did things differently." Ben answered while Challenging Archer's eyes.
"However, I won't ever make killing the default form of action as a hero," Ben said as Shirou watched with awe at how serious he looked and saw Archer disappear from his stare.
"Perhaps you are not the fool I assume you to be...If that is the case then what about you Emiya Shirou? From what Rin told me, you seem like a pacifist, more so than Ben." Archer said, taking one last verbal jab at Ben.
"I'll fight, even though there will be bloodshed. I can stand idly by while this war goes on." Shirou said, taking a page from Ben's book.
"Then tell me, why didn't you use a command seal during your fight with Medusa. I don't think you're crazy enough to fight a servant aon your own." Archer said, and Shirou recalled that fight; he was in turmoil about summoning Saber because he didn't want to see her get hurt.
"...I didn't have the moment to bring Saber into the fight without risking Rider getting a surprise attack on her. I would've summoned her to team up if the fight was out in the open schoolyard." Shirou said Acher blinked a few times, not expecting an intelligent and tactical answer. He still found it foolish for Shirou even to think he could stand beside his Servant in a fight. But it was better than just outright refusing to let Saber fight. He was expecting the answer to make his skin crawl, but it surprisingly didn't.
"...At least you seem to be coming close to reality. But I can tell that won't last long if you keep considering shouldering all the pain for yourself and thinking you can save everything in this world." Archer's words cause Shirou to grit his teeth.
"I'm sure Ben Tennyson should understand what I am talking about if his experience is true." Archer then turns around.
"We are close enough to your home, I'll take my leave." Archer said.
"Then go, or do you have one more cryptic message, oh wise one." Ben quipped.
"I wouldn't get too close to your servant, Ben Tennyson, if you value your life and ideals." Archer then leaps away, leaving both boys in confusion.
"Come on, let's go home. Big Red can sulk all he wants, but we are in alliance whether he likes it or not." Ben said, and Shirou agreed. Both boys then reach home, which is entirely silent as Taiga and Sakura have already gone home. Thankfully, they had some leftovers for the boys to eat. With full bellies, the two head to bed to end the day. Shirou went to his room and opened the divider to check on Saber. She was sleeping soundly, which relieved Shirou, as the last thing he wanted was for her to be missing.
"Your back, Shirou. Where were you out so late?" Saber said, awakening the moment she was about to
"I'm fine, I'm sorry if I made you worry. Saber," Shirou said to her.
"Shirou, I'm glad you're safe," She said with a smile and drifted off to sleep. Shirou then goes to his room to get some much-needed sleep.
Meanwhile, Ben entered his room and saw something under his bed blankets, which caused him to raise a brow. Ben lifted them to find a sleeping Casko curled up in a ball, causing an overload of cuteness. He decides not to disturb her and opens up his travel suitcase for the sleeping bag he brought.
"Master?" Casko said, rubbing her eyes as she woke up when her Master entered the room.
"Oh, umm, hey, Casko. Me and Shirou got caught up with…" Ben stammered as he didn't know what to say to her if she was mad at him.
"Master, I'm glad you're safe." She then got up to let her Master sleep in his bed.
"Casko, I'm sorry for making you worry". Ben said with guilt as he realised she must've gone to bed because she worried about him.
"Good night, Ben". Caster said, smiling as she left the room, and the young hero finally got some rest.
AN: Here we are with a new year and a fresh chapter (For when this was posted). I suddenly wanted to update this fic thanks to the Tunguska Event Release on FGO-NA and getting Koyanskaya of Darkness on the Gacha.
We finally reached the the start of the alliance once more and have begun the series of Archer sassing Ben and Shirou. As you can tell, Shirou seems more open to working with Saber than the OG Fate route, thanks to prior experience. However, he's still haunted by what Berserker did to her, so Shirou would still be reluctant to use the command seal until later. Regardless, this is how I would think Shirou would evolve by having Ben around to help him process his ideals healthily.
On the Ben and Casko side, I wanted to add more to the lead-up to Ben learning about her past, improving upon the original idea, and spicing it up in an epic way. Ben, being Ben, won't let the ghosts of the past scare him away and give this Foxy Caster a second chance.
Well, that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and have a nice day.