Fate/Build: The Mechanical Magus
By Tailsmo4ever
Consulted by Ten-Faced Paladin and Dr. Exposition (formerly known as Kamen Rider Chrome)
Phase 9: An Ominous Omen
Shinto-Touto Cyberware Headquarters
The boardroom was nothing out of the ordinary - it had a typical corporate meeting room look. It was just like any other room where decisions were made with the potential to influence the livelihood of a great number of people in Japan's workforce.
The trio - two men and a woman - were seated at the table, each accompanied by an aide and personal security. Although out of the ordinary, the heightened security presence was deemed essential in light of the content under discussion. Especially in today's climate, it was a wise precaution.
"Faust. Build. They're escalating," Masakuni Mido frowned, looking over the footage of cameras that showed Build fighting various Smash on the large screen before them. The CEO of Seito Zaibatsu was a curly haired middle aged gentleman, in a sharp, black uniform in red highlights. A red star insignia was on the left side of his coat. "It's starting to become an issue. Just the other day a high school was flooded with Nebula Gas and turned almost all of the students and staff alike into Smash. This will turn into a national incident if something isn't done soon."
"And that's on top of the reports of gas leaks and murders that had started making rounds recently," Yoshiko Tajimi chimed in. "The cases are also rather gruesome, with some of the victims having their hearts gorged out, while others are found to have the blood literally sucked out of them." She was a woman approaching her golden years, yet her beauty hadn't even begun to fade. She was a woman with shoulder length raven hair, light makeup on her face, dressed in a brown uniform with blue highlights and a matching skirt, a blue ascot around her neck, a blue flower symbol on her right sleeve and left side of her coat, and black heels. Though she is the CEO of Hokuto Technologies, it's said that she has a side job as a model. She had the magazine covers to prove it.
Taizan Himuro silently mused as he held his head over his folded hands in deep thought. The CEO of Touto Cyberware was the oldest among the three, being a man who more than likely should have retired years ago. His hair had long since aged to white and his hairline was receding. His eyes were also aging, and were behind spectacles. His uniform was gray with green highlights, the symbol of his company being a criss-cross over wings on his left sleeve. "I wonder... could this be related to the incident from ten years ago?"
"The Fuyuki Fire?" Masakuni inquired, "It's true that there was a fire that nearly burned down the entire city, and the cause of it is still being investigated. Are you suggesting that whoever was behind it is trying to start another Great Fire?"
"There were also reports of murders during that time as well," Taizan continued, "However the killer mainly targeted children rather attacking people indiscriminately, and he was dead before the fire erupted, likely at the hands of a vigilante."
"Someone who was either inspired by the killings or is trying to escalate them. In other words, what happened a decade ago and what is happening now are connected in a way," Masakuni summarized.
"Gentleman," Yoshiko interrupted, "There should be no change in the subject. While the killings are indeed concerning, there is the Kamen Rider and Faust that we need to look over. However, there might be a way to kill two birds with one stone."
"What is your proposal?" Masakuni asked.
"The answer is simple," she smiled, "We have Build work for one of us."
"Interesting," Taizan agreed, "Despite the both of them being on opposing sides, his technology is very similar to Faust's. If we convince him to join us, we might be able to-"
"Who said anything about convincing?" Yoshiko rebuffed. "If Build was willing to work with authority, he would have gone forward with it a long time ago yet he continues a one man crusade. No, this requires more draconian methods."
"You are suggesting that we use force?" Taizan frowned, sounding aghast.
"It does serve as an option," Masakumi nodded, "I would personally like to show Build our point of view on what is at stake. But if he proves uncooperative, we can simply take his gear."
"Listen to yourselves," Taizen frowned. "We aren't leaders of military factions, we run technological companies."
"Not accurate, and you know this," Yoshiko said, folding her legs, "My company has already made several technologies to support the Special Forces. Weaponry is the specialty of Hokuto after all."
"In that case, let's make it a contest," Masakumi suggested, "Let us see which of us will be able to recruit the Kamen Rider, either through persuasion, or otherwise."
"Oh?" Yoshiko muttered in fascination, "Interesting. I'll humor you. What say you, Taizen?"
"Pardon?" Taizen muttered.
"This country can benefit from understanding and mass-producing the Kamen Rider's technology," Masakumi added. "And we can benefit as well by making a profit. Though, how would we convince him?"
"The Kamen Rider's technology can be weaponized and what sells weapons? A war," Yoshiko answered.
"Enough," Taizen belted out gruffly, "All this talk about death and war is too upsetting. If we need the Kamen Rider to work with one of us then fine, I can agree to that. However, I will not condone becoming an arms dealer to do it. This meeting is now adjourned."
With that, all three got up from their seats with their aids and security closely behind, "Then it seems the deal is made. Once I have the Kamen Rider's cooperation, I will inform you both immediately," Masakumi said.
"Do try not to get ahead of yourself," Yoshiko sniped at him as he and his group left. She turned her attention to Taizen, "Well old man, I do hope you have a plan on how to move forward. But you should know that blind pacifism is an easy way to get killed in this society. Philanthropy isn't enough anymore."
With the two other CEOs having left, Taizen got up from his seat as his aide joined them, "I'm afraid that I do have to agree with them," Gentoku said. "As much as the Kamen Rider is against Faust, he is still a renegade agent. If we are to trust him, the best option we have is to bring him to heel."
"If we do that, it would give him reason for him not to trust us," Taizen argued. "All of this rubs me the wrong way. Monsters going on rampages and vigilantes running around unchecked. Feels like the 90's all over again."
"All the more reason we need the Kamen Rider," Gentoku insisted.
"We can't rush," Taizen frowned, "Where did everything go so lopsided? Ever since you, Masakumi and Yoshiko were struck by the light of Pandora's Box, you all changed. I am simply worried for them, as well as you."
Gentoku sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "You need not worry about me, Father. I've simply become focused. Now, shall we be on our way as well?"
Taizen grunted, knowing that he wasn't going to get his answers today, "Yes, of course."
Shinto-Nascita
Rin and Sakura stood at the Nascita door, the older sister looking at the sign with both hands in her coat pockets. The younger sister did visit the establishment a few times before so she could see Shirou since she knew he worked there. As always the food was good, but the coffee was much to be desired. That was the closest thing she could say about the drink without being rude.
"Come on, Sakura," Rin said, walking to the door and pulling it open.
"Hai," Sakura nodded as she followed.
"Deary me, look what the cat dragged in," a certain saccharine voice chimed as they walked inside. Rin blanched immediately as soon as she saw the speaker. Sitting a few tables away from them was Illya, waving at the sisters cheekily with a large bowl of ice cream in front of her. "It looks like you aren't dead yet either, Rin."
"You..." Rin grunted out. With the few people that were still in the restaurant, and the fact that it was only an hour to sundown, she knew Illya wasn't going to throw Berserker at her. Seeing the impish Master that chased her and Shirou down with full killing intent still put her on edge. "Decided to try out the city's establishments, I see," she said as she carefully approached.
"Something like that. Especially since Onii-chan prepared my ice cream just for me," Illya gushed/gloated.
She knew who she was referring to, "And how did you find out he was here?"
"Hmm, should I tell you?" Illya said, making herself look as though she was thinking. She shrugged, "Naw, you figure it out." She eventually noticed Sakura standing behind her, her eyebrows furrowing, "You smell like a Master. You're a Matou, aren't you?"
"Um..." Sakura began timidly as she fiddled with her fingers.
"Yes and no," Rin interrupted, standing in front of Sakura, "And don't even think of trying anything on her."
"Wouldn't dream of it, at least not right now," Illya answered dismissively, "I don't really have a reason to."
"Where's Emiya right now?" Rin asked.
"He's busy," Illya replied, stuffing another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. "He said he needed to take a break before he had to close shop, whatever that means."
As she was talking Shirou had stepped out from the back and noticed Rin and Sakura. "Sakura, Tohsaka, wasn't expecting you here."
"Sempai, hello!" Sakura waved.
"School is still out you know, so after taking a trip to the mansion to grab a few extra things Sakura could still use we decided to check on your 'job'," Rin said with air quotes. "And it's pretty brazen of you to let you-know-who eat here like nothing happened."
"I'm still here, you know," Illya grumbled, glaring at her.
"Illya was turned into a you-know-what." Rin blinked in surprise as she quickly glanced back at the little girl. "I'll explain everything once the shop closes. In the meantime, why don't you both relax and get something to eat?"
The sisters glanced at Illya then shared a look before they both took a table. Shirou smiled, glad that nobody would start a fight inside the cafe.
Rin looked at Illya, when Shirou said 'you-know-what', it was code that meant Illya had been turned into a Smash. Since she did look human, Shirou had likely saved her and taken the Smash essence to make a new bottle. It seemed that Shirou relied on Smash appearing to update his arsenal. It would be easy to accuse him of orchestrating the attacks to gain more power, but she knew Shirou and he was not that kind of person. Faust, on the other hand, would do something like that.
"A pretty nifty Workshop you have here, Onii-chan," Illya remarked, looking around the lab, "Really shiny too. But compared to my Workshop at my castle, it's pretty... small."
"What are you even doing here again?" Rin asked, "You got your ice cream, you should be headed home now."
"I want to know all about Faust too, and this seems like the easiest way to do it," Illya waved off. "It's why you're here too, Rin, isn't it?"
After the last customer left, Nascita closed the doors and Team Build retreated back down to the lab. Saber was already there, nodding at both Rin and Sakura as they entered before her gaze lingered cautiously at Illya. The white haired girl in question paid no heed. Misora was in her room nearby, sleeping after purifying another bottle. For some reason, Soichi was heating a hotpot in the middle of the floor.
"Pretty impressive, Shirou," Soichi remarked, stirring the meat and veggies in the hotpot, "You've got the attention of two more girls. I almost wish I had your charms when I was your age."
Shirou blushed in embarrassment, as did Rin and Sakura, "Soichi-san, it's not like that. They're friends from school and they happen to be girls."
"So sayeth the harem protag," Soichi smiled, "So, you're going to introduce these ladies since they seem to know about our little operation too?"
"Well, you already know Sakura and Illya," Shirou said, the purple haired and white haired girls bowing politely and giving a curtsy respectively at the introduction of their names, "And that's Sakura's sister, Rin Tohsaka," he continued as he gestured at the brunette, "Sakura, Rin, Illya, this is my boss, Soichi Isurugi. The girl sleeping in that room over there is his daughter Misora."
"A pleasure to meet you, Isurugi-san," Rin said with a subtle smile.
"Now don't be a stranger," Soichi said, getting up from his seat to pour a small cup of coffee into a cup, "The hotpot is almost done. In the meanwhile, how about some coffee while you wait?"
"Oh, don't mind if I do," Rin accepted, taking the cup. Shirou, Saber, and Sakura all gasped in reflex.
"Hey, Nee-san?" Sakura began.
"Yes?" Rin responded as she took a small sip- and immediately spat out the coffee in disgust, "Ugh! What is this?! It tastes like ass!"
"Tried to tell you," Sakura sighed as Illya laughed and pointed.
"Don't tell me you actually sell this to people! How do you even stay in-" Rin exclaimed before she stopped herself. Her eyelids lowered halfway as she figured out the answer, "It's Emiya-kun, isn't it?"
"What can I say? The kid knows his way around the kitchen," Soichi shrugged.
"I think it's best that we discuss the events of today now," Saber interjected. "Shirou, wasn't there something that you wished to ask of Soichi?"
"Oh yeah," Shirou remembered before asking Soichi, "When I was investigating that abandoned complex, I heard Night Rogue mention some named Katsuragi. I think it might be Takumi Katsuragi that he's talking about. Do you have an idea on what that means?"
Soichi folded his arms in thought as he sat back down. "Actually I do. Takumi Katsuragi was the one who founded Faust."
"...He founded Faust?" Shirou repeated in bewilderment.
"Katsuragi was a one in a million genius, considered to be one of the smartest people in the world. He wasn't even 20 when he was declared as such. But he did not really care much about ethics. One way to describe him was that he was a high-functioning sociopath. He had an unfortunate nickname because of his behavior: the Devil's Scientist."
"Devil's Scientist, huh?" Illya murmured.
"He sounds like a cheery guy," Rin said sarcastically. Hearing about this Katsuragi, she could not help but compare him to mages. Mages were all about finding the ultimate knowledge, no matter the cost. Ethics and morals were just obstacles that needed to be ignored when chasing the ultimate knowledge. In fact, that pretty much described Faust to a T. Experimenting on people for the sake of knowledge were ironically among the things she knew a few Magi would do. It made sense that Katsuragi would be the founder of such an organization.
"He's also the guy who designed the Rider System," Soichi added.
"Wait, I thought Shirou made the belt," Saber blinked.
"I did, but it was based on blueprints I found. I did not know who made it but I used it to build my Driver out of scrap," Shirou explained. "It's a miracle it even worked. But I didn't know that he was the one who designed the Rider System."
"How did you get the blueprints, Onii-chan?" Illya asked.
"Everything I used to create my gear was all here in this lab," Shirou explained.
"Wait, what?" Rin looked at Soichi. "Alright, what's a Workshop as advanced as this doing under a cafe?"
"Well, to tell you the truth," Soichi sighed as he took off his glasses and rubbed them with a handkerchief, "I used to work for Faust."
"WHAT!?" the Servant and Masters all shouted.
"Hey, keep it down. Misora doesn't like being woken up," Soichi said as he put his glasses back on, "And before you all fly off the handle, let me explain. It was a long time ago and it wasn't by choice. I only worked for them because they held Misora hostage. I escaped the first chance I got and stole the blueprints."
"If you escaped from Faust, why haven't they come after you?" Rin asked suspiciously.
"I'm probably not at the top of their to-do list. Whatever the reason, I'm grateful," Soichi shrugged. "Anyway, back to Katsuragi. The man had been winning numerous scientific awards since he was in elementary school, and made plenty of strides in the scientific community, but his main goal was to eliminate all diseases that made humans mortal. And so, he went as far as to experiment on people to find what made their bodies tick, but he ended up getting caught. So, he founded Faust so he could do his experiments without interference. During his time in Faust, he discovered Nebula Gas and learned of its mutagenic qualities."
"And that's how the Smash came to be," Saber concluded, snapping her fingers.
"That's right. He also discovered certain people did not mutate into Smash when exposed to Nebula Gas. He calls this immunity 'Hazard Level'. Under his direction, Faust created machines and weapons meant to harness Nebula Gas. I wasn't sure for what. But one day, he just vanished."
"Vanished?" Sakura blinked.
"He abandoned Faust for reasons unknown and took everything he could with him. Last I heard, Blood Stalk and Night Rouge are trying to hunt him down," Soichi said.
"Somehow I get the feeling that it wasn't because of a sudden change of heart," Illya muttered, strangely sounding much older than she looked.
"If he's running from Faust and he hasn't been found yet, that means he's still alive somewhere," Shirou pointed out.
"Or his body hasn't been found yet," Rin added.
"That's rather pessimistic, Tosahka-san," Shirou said neutrally.
Rin folded her arms and looked at Shirou with her usual cynical face, "How long ago did this happen? Two, maybe three years ago? Considering how no one else in this city, let alone the world, seems to know that Faust even exists, we have to consider that they are good at covering their tracks. What makes them especially dangerous is that they have the ability to operate in the daylight without fear of getting caught, and if they do I'm betting they would silence the witnesses. Am I right?"
"Pretty spot on," Soichi remarked, sounding impressed. "That's some insight on you."
"Thank you," Rin smirked proudly.
"But if Katsuragi-san is still alive, does that mean that he is a fugitive?" Sakura asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Soichi answered. "He might still be living in Fuyuki. He doesn't really take kindly to anyone abusing his research."
"Well, we're not going to find him by ourselves," Shirou sighed. "If he's in hiding, we're going to need to find out the clues to his whereabouts. It doesn't seem like Faust seems to know where he is."
"Are you saying that we have to find Takumi Katsuragi first?" Saber asked.
"Are you sure you want to do that, Onii-chan?" Illya added with a concerned look on her face. "From what we've heard so far, it doesn't look like he'll be a good guy just because he left."
"He's our only lead. And I'm definitely not going to ask Night Rogue or Blood Stalk," Shirou reasoned.
"Then why not look up his hometown, start from the beginning?" Illya suggested. "He should have a family, right? Maybe people who knew him before could lead you in the right direction."
"His hometown..." Shirou hummed in thought. "What was it again?"
"Now that is a mystery in itself," Soichi answered, "But if it helps, he does have one known living relative. Last I heard, his mother is living in Misaki right now."
"But that's so far!" Shirou protested. "It'll take us half a day, and that's by Shinkansen!"
"Well, unless you wanna sit around and twiddle your thumbs to figure out the answer yourself, you don't have much of a choice then, do you?" Soichi asked. "Being a scientist means doing the legwork too."
Shirou sighed in resignation, "I'll think of something... I always do. If it comes down to that, I'll have to make the right peperations. And I've also been hearing that Misaki has a serial killer problem too right now, so there's that."
"Oh, yeah," Soichi remembered, "Some people getting found with the blood sucked out of them, and others out right torn to bits like they were being chewed on by animals. I guess it wouldn't hurt to be on the safe side." As he was talking, he smelt a burning odor in his nostrils. Looking down, he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be cooking, "Crap, the hotpot!" He shouted in panic as he tried to pour more water into the pot.
"You need to pay attention when you're cooking," Saber sighed.
"I tell him the same thing all the time," Shirou muttered.
The hotpot was... edible. It was still mostly meat but it was much tougher than it should have been due to it being over cooked. After eating, the group began to make their way back to Shirou's estate.
"Well at the very least we have a name to go by," Shirou hummed, looking through his phone, "But going forward with the investigation is definitely going to take time. Gotta find the closest train schedule and plan from there."
"When would be the best time to go?" Saber asked.
"Maybe next week. Something where the schedule isn't so clogged up," Shirou answered.
"But uh... what about the Open House that you promised to visit?" Sakura asked.
Shirou blinked as he looked up from his phone, "Oh, right. Nearly forgot about that." Another idea crossed his mind, "Oh, I got it. Katsuragi-san was a graduate from Touto Institute. I might be able to get answers from there on top of learning about Pandora's Box."
"It seems like this Katsuragi guy was quite the celebrity, and not in a good way," Rin said. "I'd be surprised if we learned anything more about him."
"Any information is good information," Saber replied. "We can make use of what we have to find what we can about Katsuragi that might be able to help us unlock the mystery of Pandora's Box... hm?" The female night suddenly stiffened, outstretching her hand as a small gale of wind appeared in her palm, gripping it tightly.
As soon as she did that, two figures swiftly landed before them some distance away, brandishing long weapons, and wearing distinct maid outfits for some reason. "All of you, step away from the small lady! We do not wish to get violent!" one of the maids demanded in a sharp voice.
"Sella! Leysritt!" Illya beamed, running up to her guardians cheerfully.
The other maid lowered her battle ax as soon as she saw their ward approach, "Illya-sama. Unhurt?"
"Yep! Nothing bad happened! Onii-chan protected me!" Illya reassured them.
"Is that right?" Sella spoke evenly, noticeably still having own weapon at the ready as she eyed the group of four. Nonetheless, she gave a small half-curtsey in a show of humility. "Then you have our gratitude. I am Sella, and the other one is Leysritt, Illya-sama's maids. We thank you for protecting our mistress."
"It's, err, not a problem," Shirou said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. There was something about Sella's demeanor that felt off to him, but he set it aside for the now.
"Nothing happened at the castle while I was away?" Illya asked.
"Earlier today. Berserker went berserk. Demolished the East Wing. Feared the worst," Leysritt answered, her speech very short and cryptic.
"It was odd, and rather distressing," Sella added. "We didn't know why Berserker had such a fit and we couldn't just leave to search for you. Though as quickly as Berserker went on a rampage he suddenly became docile."
"Hm..." Illya frowned in thought, "That's weird. I'll go see what happened to Berserker... ooh, and that means I'll have to clean up the castle. That's no fun," she added with a childish pout.
"It's already dark, Illya-sama," Sella continued, "I think it's best if we went on our way."
"Hai~!" Illya obeyed, climbing up on Sella's back. As the maid turned to leave, Illya looked over her shoulder and waved goodbye, the cheeky smile still present on her face. "See you soon everybody. It looks like we'll be stuck with each other for a little while longer." With that said, Sella jumped and vanished into the night. Leysritt gave a small bow before she turned and followed suit after her twin.
As soon as they lost track of the Einzberns' presences, Saber relaxed her posture and dismissed her sword. "They are gone," she confirmed. "Are you sure it is alright to let them go, Shirou?"
"Yeah, it's best to let them go for now," Shirou nodded, "They only came to get Illya, not look for a fight."
"You're such a passive," Rin sighed as she eyed Shirou, "Oh well, I've been meaning to ask you a serious question and now I can do just that now that the elephant is out of the room. What was Illya doing in your place of work anyway eating ice cream like there's nothing wrong? Not only is she an enemy but you know that she wants to literally rip you to pieces, right?"
Shirou gave an uncomfortable frown as he rubbed his shoulder, "I think... Illya might be my foster sister."
Rin blinked, Sakura gave a quiet "oh my", while Saber's eyes slowly glanced away. "What do you mean?" Rin asked.
"It was when she was a Smash. She started blabbing her supposed grievances against me," Shirou said. "She mentioned the name of my dad, and accused me of stealing him from her. Apparently, she blames me for whatever went wrong with her life. I don't think she's lying either. That rage, that ferocity she threw at me, that's not made up."
"So, you're being nice to her not just because she was turned into a Smash, but because you think she might be family?" Rin asked.
Shirou nodded, "Yeah."
Rin slapped her forehead in exasperation, "Oh, for goodness-! Emiya, this obsession with being heroic is gonna get you killed someday. Not everyone is going to appreciate you, especially your enemies. They'll take advantage of you and stab you in the back right after you save them."
"And I've heard a lot of that already," Shirou groaned, "I just... need more time to think about what to do. If she still wants to kill me then I'll fight her. But if I can talk her out of it then that's better than nothing. And if she really is my dad's biological daughter, she might know things about him that he wasn't willing to tell me.
"You're willing to bet your life on that?" the twin tailed girl glared.
"We're working together, aren't we? And weren't you trying to kill me before?" Shirou retorted.
Rin sighed, "We're allies due to circumstances now, not just for the Grail War but because I'm ill equipped to handle Faust. I have my honor to swear by. That doesn't mean Illya will feel the same way, even if you two are family."
"I know," Shirou said. "But I still feel like I have to try and help her somehow. Maybe if I can find out more about her past, I can understand why she's so angry."
Saber nodded. "I agree. Regardless of what she thinks of us, she deserves some compassion."
Sakura gave a small smile. "I'll help in any way I can too."
Rin crossed her arms. "Alright, fine. Just don't be surprised when she decides to steal your soul and seal it in a doll for giggles or something."
"I know, I know," Shirou resigned.
Miyama-Ryudou Shrine
Caster scryed the Saber/Archer alliance as she wore a tight frown on her face. Earlier today, she had witnessed the Saber duo's fight against Berserker's transformed Master and one of leaders of Faust. It alarmed her that the Nebula Gas was able to affect Magi of such caliber, but it especially surprised her when the one known as Night Rouge confirmed Saber's identity. How was he able to find such information when he had no access to knowledge that mages mostly had? Was their mage working with them? If so...
Not to mention the possibility that Berserker's Master seemed to be joining them as well. While the priest did say that the ceasefire was to last for as long as Faust was operational, she wasn't known to work too well with others, with the exception of her Master of course. No, the combined forces of Saber, Archer, and Berserker, added in with the boy's armor, would not suit well for her. Then there was something she caught Saber's Master saying as they were leaving the cafe.
"Pandora's Box..." Caster muttered as her frown deepened, "They found it?"
Given her origins, she was very familiar with the artifact. In the days when the gods still ruled the world, a young girl named Pandora found a mysterious box. In her curiosity, she opened it, and unwittingly released all the vices in existence that plagues humanity to this day. As soon as she realized what she had done, she closed the box shut, leaving only hope trapped inside.
Caster took a small, but deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them in a focused gaze. If Pandora's Box was involved, then as the daughter of the gods, it was her duty to see to it that it was no longer misused. If it turned out to not be the real thing, then it still might be something for her to use in her plans considering the heavy importance it carries.
Either way, it was time for her to act.
Miyama-Emiya Estate
It was the dead of night, and the quartet had long retired to their respective quarters. Rin and Sakura lay peacefully on traditional futon beds within the outhouse, while Shirou found himself lost in a realm of dreams in his own room. Saber, ever vigilant, occupied the neighboring room, sleeping lightly, her senses tuned to the slightest disturbance.
A serene hush enveloped the resident, undisturbed until an uninvited guest dared to infiltrate the tranquility. Illuminated solely by the soft glow of street lamps, delicate strands of darkness silently wove their way through the air, homing in on the estate. With eerie precision, they slipped through the open window of Shirou's room, navigating the room with an almost sentient purpose.
The insidious threads bypassed the futon and honed in on Shirou's bag, deftly unraveling its straps as though guided by unseen hands. Inside, the intruder sought and seized Shirou's Build Driver and Fullbottles with a seamless grace.
A subtle disturbance stirred Shirou from his slumber. Groggy, he squinted at the sight of his bag being rifled through. The realization hit him like a jolt of electricity as he watched his Build Driver being extracted. His eyes widened, and in an instant, he was on his feet, desperately reaching for his prized possession. Yet, the deceptively slender strands that had infiltrated his room proved unexpectedly resilient.
Despite his efforts, Shirou found himself ensnared, the strand holding his Build Driver wrapping around his wrist with an insidious determination. A shiver ran down his spine as the thread embedded itself into his skin.
Shirou's mind went blank after that.
Saber's eyes opened as she slowly sat up from her futon, feeling that something was off. She stepped out of her room and went to check on Shirou. She opened the door, and only saw an empty, sprawled out futon with his bag spilt over the floor. She grimaced as she silently cursed herself. Of course an enemy Servant would try to target him when he had the weakest mana out of all the Masters. She knew she should have slept in his room with him.
Without wasting a moment, she went to the outhouse where Rin and Sakura were sleeping. "Rin! Sakura! Wake up!"
"Saber...?" Rin muttered googly as she and Sakura slowly got up, "What happened?"
"We have trouble!" Saber answered, "Shirou is missing! I suspect it's a Servant!"
Shirou suddenly snapped his eyes open, no longer finding himself in his bedroom. Moreover, he found himself bound by very thin and strong threads, tied around his neck, wrists, and ankles. He tried to move, but he couldn't budge. Tilting his eyes around, he found himself standing in the foggy Ryuudou Shrine.
"What the... what happened...?" Shirou managed to get out as he struggled. Looking down, he saw his Build Driver and a few Fullbottles gripped in his hands. He remembered trying to stop something from taking his gear, and then he suddenly blacked out and became bombarded with strange visions. A ship in the sea, several odd treasures, someone touching a dress and catching fire, someone clenching a knife, blood splattering into the ocean, all too incoherent for him to know what was going on.
The fog that engulfed the shrine soon began to warp and twist, thickening Shirou's view. Eventually, the fog cleared up again to reveal someone walking towards him. A shapely woman covered from head to toe in dark cloak and robes, the only hint of visible flesh on her being her lower face and glossy purple lips along with strands of blue hair come down the sides of her face.
"Good evening, Master of Saber," the woman greeted with a calm smile of sophistication that unsettled him as she stopped just a foot away. The elegance in her voice didn't help matters, "Can you guess who I am?"
"Given how you're dressed like some kind of cultist, I'll say that you're Caster," Shirou answered bittingly.
"An unflattering observation, but yes," Caster confirmed, the smile still on her lips. "I must be honest, for one with mana as feeble as yours you've become quite the talk of the town. Though I think I also have Faust to thank for that. I do have to repay them, after all."
"What, don't tell me you're asking me to join you too," Shirou asked.
The cloaked woman gave a dainty laugh, delicately holding hand over her mouth, "Oh, heavens no! I have no interest in such a thing. You have something that I require. Something that I'm going to need for my endeavors. So, I would like for you to give me your belt and bottles, if you please."
"No, they're not for you," Shirou glared, "Besides, I still have them in my hands now. All I have to do is gas these threads and then I'm out of here."
"Unfortunately, that can not be done, especially not by you," Caster said, her smirk sharpening. "You see, I've been watching you rather closely. You have to shake the bottles before opening them in order to energize the Nebula Gas for use, but in case you haven't noticed you are literally tied up by my spell and you're a bit too weak to dispel it, I'm afraid. And I've collected a sufficient amount of mana from several donors just to strengthen my magic."
"Donors? Huh?" Shirou blinked in confusion.
"You mean you don't know? What a surprise," Caster looked at him sideways as she approached slowly and gracefully, "Caster Servants are quick to set up their territory from the moment they're summoned. This temple here is my fortress, and the mana of hundreds of humans from this city is soaked into it like water in a sponge. And thus, it strengthens the barrier around his temple, as well as my mana overall. And the only thing that my power has no defense against is the Nebula Gas wielded by you and that sect of metal breathers."
"You're saying that you're the cause of the coma cases? You brought innocent people in this?" Shirou snarled angrily, "You're no better than Faust!"
"Perhaps, I won't deny that," Caster admitted, now closely face to face with Shirou. Her gloved fingers reached out and seductively caressed his face, her teasing making Shirou tremble in distress, "But you will be giving me something before the night is over. Either your Mystic Code or your Command Seals. I don't mind either one of them, though I think I'll settle for taking them both."
Miyama-Rooftops
As soon as it became apparent that a Servant had spirited Shirou away, Saber, dressed in her full battle armor, played hopscotch on the roof carrying both Rin and Sakura in her arms, both girls in winter coats, moving full speed towards the Ryuudou Shrine. When they saw the strands of threads crawling through Shirou's window, Rin traced them to the temple in the mountains, concluding that Caster was the culprit. With haste, they traveled to the temple through the air. Rin tried to call for Archer, but her servant was already on the move himself, leaving Saber to carry them herself.
Leaping over the last house before the temple, Saber landed with calm grace in front of the seemingly peaceful shrine and let the sisters go. None of them stopped to admire the beauty of the scenery. Street and sidewalk gave way to pure stone and what felt like endless amounts of forest. The moonlight poked through the branches and clouds in the night, making for a partially shaded set of stairs and numerous areas for an enemy to appear. Still, Saber was resolute. She gripped her invisible sword and boldly stepped forward before breaking into a run, Rin and Sakura close behind. Rin's pockets were packed with her gems while Sakura gripped a wooden sword in her hands.
Continuing to run up the stairs, the trio suddenly stopped when they saw a figure standing at the top of the stairs, not even trying to hide his presence from them. He was clearly Japanese, and from head to toe he was dressed in the purple and lilac garbs of a samurai warrior. He had long dark hair which was held in a loose ponytail while his right hand was gripped on a sheathed katana. He looked calm and collected, but it was clear he was ready to lash out at any time.
Using the process of elimination based on the Servants she encountered so far, Saber was the first to ask as she readied her blade, "Are you the Servant Assassin?"
"That's correct, Saber," the man nodded with a small smile, "I am the Assassin Class Servant of this Grail War, Sasaki Kojirou. Welcome."
Saber gasped in surprise over who Assassin blatantly revealed his true name, while Sakura blinked. Rin looked just as confused. "Wait, hold on! You just gave us your real name just like that? Are you sure that it's wise to give your enemies something that can be used against you?"
"It is only natural to name oneself before combat," Assassin justified coolly.
Saber glanced behind her, eyeing both sisters for a moment. Sakura she knew she could trust, but she was also aware that Rin could be cutthroat the moment she saw an opportunity. However, her code of honor was beginning to counter her sense of preservation. "Sasaki Kojirou, was it?" she said, looking back at the samurai, "Now that you have revealed your name to me, I cannot in good conscience not return the same courtesy as a knight."
"There is no need for you to do so," Assassin said as he slowly walked down the stairs, unsheathing his sword as he did, "I can already see that I've caught you in a compromising position with that act of mine. But no matter. The only way individuals like us need to know each other is through the song of our blades." He stopped, just six steps apart, and pointed his blade at Saber, his blade glimmering in the moonlight, "Apologies, but if you wish to proceed any further you will have to get past me through force. I am aware that my Master has summoned your ally here, but she does not wish to be interrupted right now."
"Your Master?" Sakura asked in confusion, "But it was Caster who took him."
"Indeed," Assassin nodded, "The Caster Class Servant and my Master are one in the same."
"A Servant summoning a Servant?" Rin blinked, surprised, "Then that means you aren't a proper Heroic Spirit at all. Caster found a loophole to summon a Servant of her own to do the fighting for her. She broke the rules."
"Rin, you and Sakura wait for my signal before going ahead," Saber whispered, just enough to keep Assassin from hearing as she took a battle stance, "I will keep Assassin from stopping you while you go and assist Shirou. Hopefully he has his Build Driver on hand."
Rin gave a nod as the both of them slowly backed away to avoid getting caught in the impending fight. Assassin took a step back on the steps before moving into a battle stance of his own. Both sword wielders stood quietly, waiting for the other to make a move, and the sisters stood on the side watching for their moment to react. After what felt like an eternity, a tree branch suddenly snapped. Both Saber and Assassin lunged forward, their blades clashing into the silent night.
"My Command Seals?" Shirou asked, still trying to break out from his bonds as Caster's thumb ran across his lips as her right trailed his arm and hand before fingering at his red markings, the same hand that coincidentally held his Build Driver, "What do you want with that?"
"To take control of Saber, obviously," Caster answered matter-of-factly. "Her true potential lies in the hands of someone better suited with Magecraft. I'm going to give control over to my Master so that she can deal with that irritating Berserker. While Faust does in fact need to be dealt with, I still don't have the means to get around their Nebula Gas, which is why..." she stepped back from him and tilted her fingers upward, willing the strings to lift Shirou's arm and loosen his fingers, causing him to drop the Build Driver. Caster caught the Driver into her palm, her smile unpleasant, "There, that's a good boy."
"There's no way you can use the Build Driver, so don't even bother!" Shirou shouted in defiance.
"I can't right now, but I have always been a faster learner. Now hold still," Caster said as dark energy covered her hand. "And one more thing," she continued as she outstretched her hand over his Command Seals, "Once your Command Seals have been extracted, all of your Magic Circuits will go with them. So your days as a mediocre mage and wannabe hero are effectively over." Shirou said nothing in response, still glaring as he tried to wrestle his way out, which seemed to amuse Caster further. "Now that's a lovely face. I do enjoy watching men struggle."
The sound of several whistles streaked through the air, causing Caster to immediately become alert and jump back. Scores of arrows zipped where she was standing, nearly skewering her, and instead striking the ground several meters away. The arrows vanished in a haze, as if they were never there to begin with. At the same time, the threads bounding Shirou snapped into nothingness, allowing him to move freely. He almost stumbled to a fall before standing upright.
"Funny," a new voice spoke up. Shirou looked up and instantly frowned, seeing Archer standing on a roof with his longbow vanishing, "I was expecting you to be dead by now but you are clearly tougher than you look, 'Hero of Justice'."
"Archer," Shirou muttered, "Thanks... I suppose."
"What in blazes?!" Caster suddenly snapped angrily, "How did you get here, Archer?! What the hell is that Assassin doing?!"
Archer jumped from the roof and landed between Shirou and Caster. "Good grief," Archer chuckled as he stood up right, "Hell hath no fury as the saying goes. A woman's anger is truly the stuff of nightmares. Assassin is preoccupied with Saber for the moment, so that answers your question. Though, this also means that you should have taken into account that we have strength in numbers right now."
Right on cue, both Rin and Sakura ran through the shrine gate, noticing the three of them in the middle. "Shirou! Archer?" Rin called out.
"Sempai, we came to help!" Sakura added.
Caster's teeth grinned as her lips turned into a snarl, "That useless samurai. He can't even keep two little girls from getting past him." She held her hand over her head, a flash of light materializing into an ornate staff that she dramatically swished down. "Fine then, if that poor excuse of a swordsman can't do his job properly, then it seems it falls onto me to get the job done."
"Then by all means, Caster," Archer replied as his swords appeared in his hands, "Let's see you try."
Caster responded to the boast by launching magic beams, each one moving with deadly quickness. Shirou was quick to jump out of the way while Archer was on the move, swerving around the blasts before slashing his blades at her. Caster managed to jump back before she was cut, but Archer quickly followed with a kick to her midsection. The witch cried out from the impact, her grip on the Build Driver loosening from her other hand as she was knocked straight into one of the temples. Archer grabbed the Driver and tossed it back to Shirou.
"Make yourself useful if you want to live for another day," Archer snubbed as Shirou caught the device. Purple light shone above them, prompting them both to look up. Above them, Caster was levitating, her cloak spread out like demented wings and numbers of magical circles surrounding her, all pointed directly at Shirou.
"I won't give you that chance, boya!" she shouted. Out of the corner of her eye, Caster saw fire in the shape of large gems flying towards her, and flying fast. Before she could make a move to defend, the fire gems struck some of her magic circles, destroying them in bursts of fire.
"Hurry up, Emiya!" Rin shouted, her hand pointed at Caster, "Out of all the Servants, Caster has the most destructive magical power! This isn't going to be like fighting Berserker so get in your suit already!"
Shirou didn't need any more prodding as he strapped the belt to his waist, and shook the bottles in his hands. Twisting their caps, he slipped in the orange Fulbottle first, and then the gray one.
"Taka! Gatling! Best Match!"
Caster quickly tilted left and right, avoiding more shots from Rin before she pointed her remaining magical circles at Shirou as his Snap Build Rider materialized. Without wasting another time, she fired her magic blasts straight down.
"Are You Ready?"
"Hen-gah!" Shirou grunted as explosions from Caster's attack engulfed him, hazardous energy bursts and explosions surrounding him. The area quickly went silent after the attack.
"Emiya/Sempai!" Rin and Sakura gasped in horror.
"Tch. Idiot," Archer scoffed.
Caster smiled smugly as she looked down on her handy work. It was almost too bad. The kid was bright despite being a below-average mage. Perhaps she could have used him as another pawn.
"Tenkuu no Abarenbou! HawkGatling! Yeah!"
Caster's smile dropped at the sound of call and flashes of orange and gray from the smoke. "You're kidding," she gasped in disbelief. A motion flew out of the smoke and hovered before Caster, spreading out his wings to blow the smoke from his form. Build was in yet another form, the left side being his Gatling Halfbody, and his right side being a new Halfbody. It was mostly orange with feathers sticking out to his left collar, his left leg being orange, and his right armor also matching the color with a black wrist guard. The left side of his helmet was orange as well, and the eyepiece looked like a soaring hawk. Most notably though, were the pair of large orange wings that were now on his back.
"Caster! I'm bringing you down!" Build declared as he held out his hand. His Build Driver flashed as a trail of light entered his hand, forming into his gatling gun, but now with orange highlights.
"Hawk Gatlinger!" the Build Driver announced.
Caster gave him a scowl, "Deary me, four against one isn't very fair now is it? Let me even the odds." She raised her staff, allowing it to flash in bright, ominous light. Her enemies instinctively shielded her eyes as Caster invoked her magic. Light pulsed through the area before the ground seemed to erupt with dirt and rock before monstrous skeletons pulled themselves out. Dirt and stone trailed from their white, bony selves as they grabbed hold of their swords and marched towards Rin and Sakura.
"Damn!" Archer cursed. He should've known Caster was going to target the vulnerable ones.
"There, that should be more fair. If you both want to take me on, I suggest you be quick about it," Caster taunted, "I doubt the girls are going to last too long against my Dragon Tooth Warriors."
Rin grimaced as she pointed her finger at the approaching army, the black and red Gandr energy before releasing the spell in rapid shots. Her magic peppered against several of the skeletons before eventually shattered them into piles of broken bones. As more began to close in, Rin bolted forward and kept up her shooting, blasting any skeleton down before they got close. Sakura was second, Reinforcing her wooden sword and smacking down other skeleton monsters she saw. She could use her Magecraft to fight but... she'd rather not.
"We can hold our own here fine enough," Rin reassured, snipping at another skeleton, "Just take out Caster as quickly as you can!"
Build nodded and aimed his gun at Caster. His finger squeezed the trigger, the barrels spinning before shooting bullets in the shape of glowing flapping hawks. The hawk bullets all collectively cried out as they nearly homed on Caster, and the Servant held up her hand to produce a shield in front of her. The bullets bounced off the magic shield, and she counterattacked with more energy beams at her rapidly retreating target.
"Didn't anyone tell you not to bring a gun to a sorcery fight?" Caster laughed, chasing Build around the temple as continued firing, "I am above modern technology, boya! That little slingshot is nothing to me!"
Build responded to her taunt by spinning around and shooting another volley of shots from his gun, each of the bird bullets homing at Caster. She darted side by side, the bullets shooting around her as she went. Two of the bullets managed to graze her left, causing her to his in slight pain and looked down, seeing both blood and strange gas leaking from her wound. Caster frowned at the development. The technology might be lacking compared to her powers, but it definitely had an effect on her more than normal guns did. As she projected more beams, she felt a sudden danger approach brought herself to a stop, barely missing an arrow flying in front of her.
Looking where the arrow came from, she saw Archer down below pointing his longbow at her, "Almost forgot about you."
"He makes for a decent decoy," Archer replied.
Caster pointed her staff down at the red Servant, launching her beams at him. Archer quickly jumped high into a flip just before the beams hit, burning up the ground he stood on and systematically destroying the windows. The Hero landed on another roof before running across it. The beams continued to chase after him, destroying the small houses and leaving nothing behind. Archer was quick, keeping the pace as he continued to outrun the blasts. Reaching the edge of the roof, he bent his legs and jumped up high, projecting another arrow at Caster and releasing the string. Caster projected another shield before her, blocking the arrow as mana rippled from the shot trying to pierce through. The witch clenched her teeth as she tried to pull her mana to try and strengthen her shield. At the same time, she felt painful shots jolt into her back, causing her to gasp painfully. Looking behind her, noticed Build flying out of her range with his Hawk Gatlinger smoking.
"Persistent little nothings, aren't you?" Caster spat, giving her mana one more push to neutralize Archer's arrow completely. She quickly flew up higher, barely missing more of Build's shots. The injuries on her back still singed and she was running out of options in dealing with two opponents that could attack from long range, especially with one of them that could chase her in the air. Looking down, she saw the two sisters still fighting off her minions. A wicked smirk plastered her face as she decided her next plan of action.
Rin looped off the head of one of the skeletons with a well-timed roundhouse kick and tossed three gems into the air. Energy glowed on the gems before shooting down on the army, exploding on impact and taking several more out of the battle. Rin took a moment to catch her breath, watching the remaining Dragon Tooth Warriors approaching her. "They seem almost tougher than last time," she grimaced.
Rin dug into her pocket and took out the Dragon Fullbottle. She gave it a few shakes as one of the Dragon Tooth Warriors lunged at her. Cocking back her fist which held the Fullbottle, her fist flashed in blue fire before she landed a hard blow at the skeleton. And the impact of her strike didn't shatter it. It vaporized it completely. Despite herself, she couldn't help but grin in sadisfaction, gazing at her still burning fist that held the Fullbottle. And then she realized that there was another glow above her. Looking up, she saw just in time Caster blasting a magic beam down on her.
"Shit!" she swore before Reinforcing her legs. The enhanced magical power reflected on the visible Magic Circuits propelled her to the side just as the beam hit, chasing her as she ran for her life. She ran straight for Sakura, seeing her still fighting off several of the skeletons with her sword, quickly scooping her up and jumping up high, and landing on the roof. Caster continued launching destructive beams at them, unaware of a pair of dao swords spinning towards her through the air. The sound of blades ringing came closer to her ears, making her respond by spinning around and blocking the swords with her staff before they could cut into her. More hawk bullets shot at her, forcing her to sweep through the air.
Still running across the roof, Rin suddenly stopped when a crowd of Dragon Tooth Warriors climbed up from the other side and blocked her path. More of them began climbing up, quickly surrounding them. "This doesn't look good," Sakura grimaced.
"It really doesn't," Rin agreed, setting her down. She looked down at her Dragon Fullbottle, and remembered how Archer suggested that it might be able to empower her Magecraft. She already knew that Magecraft didn't react too well whenever Nebula Gas was added into the mix, but whenever she utilized the Fullbottle she felt great. Using it to enhance her punches was enough to vaporize Castor's familiars, so perhaps now would be a good time to see how her spells could be used with it. "Sakura, step away from me for a moment."
Sakura nodded and took a few steps back. Seeing that she had some more room, Rin shook the Fullbottle in her hand, causing it to light up in blue flame once more. Then she pointed down at the oncoming Dragon Tooth Warriors, her Gandr igniting from her finger. However, something changed. Added to the black and red energy of her spell was blue spectral fire that was surrounding it, causing it to enlarging as seconds passed. She felt her magic begin to tremble, and she quickly held her arm to keep herself from losing control. She gritted her teeth as she pulled in as much energy as she could, her Magic Circuits starting to cry in a burning sensation. And then, she knew she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Nee-san?" Sakura muttered in awe, watching her sister's magic intensify.
"Get blown away!" she roared as she released her spell, a beam of blue energy exploding from her finger, kicking her off her feet from the release. The beam zoomed across, erasing all the skeletons it hit completely. And at the same time, the beam fired smaller side flares that struck down the rest of the skeletons in the wake. By the time it was all over, all the skeletons were gone, and all that was left in the grounds was a deep trench that went all the way down into the mountains and blue flames flickering about.
The beam didn't go unnoticed. Both Build and Archer both gawked in shock at the sudden blast of power Rin had just displayed, staring with stupefied looks as the heiress looked at her Fullbottle in surprise. However, neither of them were as surprised as Caster, staring down at Rin with a look of shock and awe under her hood. "That girl... she annihilated my warriors in a swing swoop. No mage in this day in age can pull off a feat like that so easily," she gritted her teeth in fury, "It's as I thought, she is a threat. If I don't kill her before she reaches her full potential, she's going to ruin everything!"
Caster held out her staff before her, spinning it around as several magic circles with complex codes written inside appeared around her, flashing brightly as it all pointed down directly at Rin. Archer's eyes widened in alarm as he was already running into motion to defend his Master, and at the same time Build instinctively flew down.
"Nee-san!" Sakura screamed, pulling Rin back to her feet as the bright light of Caster's magic grew brighter, "We have to get out of here! Get us off-"
"Machia Hecatia Graea!"
Dozens of beams, each with the width of a telephone pole, blazed down at the sisters with ruthless brutality. Rin felt her legs freezing as she watched the streams of death zooming down on her and Sakura, completely paralyzed. Just as it seemed as if her ambitions, dreams, and life were all about to come to an abrupt and violent end, a crimson blur dropped down in front of her and held up his hand against the onslaught.
"I am The Bone of My Sword... Rhio Aias!"
At Archer's call, a large, seven petaled flower of light bloomed before them, projecting seven barriers. The beams collide with the shield, heavy mana bearing down on him. The beams were breaking down barriers, slowly but surely, and Archer was struggling to keep them from getting close. Seeing that the barrier was not going to last long against the beam onslaught, Build decided to end the fight quickly. He held up the Hawk Gatlinger and started spinning the Revol-Magazine.
"10! 20! 30! 40! 50!"
As he spun the Revol-Magazine, the barrel of his gun began to glow. At the same time, there was a flash from a gun, and as if in response a spherical white energy graph surrounded Caster, trapping her inside. Her spell was cut off from her target, disintegrating and allowing Archer to disengage Rhio Aias.
"60! 70! 80!"
"Huh?!" Caster gasped, trying to move from within the sphere, "This isn't right! It's like one of my spells!" She managed to turn herself around, seeing Build was still spinning his gun barrel.
"90! 100!"
Build pointed his gun straight at Caster, forcing her to brace for the incoming attack, "Curse you!"
"Full Bullet!"
Orange light shined like the morning sun beyond the shrine gate, the stairs rumbling and rattling. Just as he was about to move in for another strike with his blade, Assassin suddenly stopped to a halt. Saber knew that his eyes were slowly trained on him, but he was very agitated for some reason. The tremble eventually stopped and the orange light slowly vanished.
Assassin sighed as he relaxed his stance. "That's enough, Saber. It seems my Master has gravely underestimated your Master and allies." With another disappointed sigh, almost as if he didn't want their duel to end without a decided victor, he turned and walked up the gate.
"Are you saying that you do not wish to continue our duel, Assassin?" Saber demanded, sounding insulted.
"My duty is to keep any and all unwanted visitors from passing through these grounds, and I have failed in that twice now," Assassin replied, looking back after her. "Rest assured, if we are both still alive, there will be a time for us to settle things between us. But for now I must tend to my Master. I am sure you wish to see to it that your Master is also well, correct? That is why you are here, after all."
With nothing more to be said, Assassin hopped over several of the upper steps and vanished through the gate. Saber grimaced, but followed after him.
Caster gagged painfully as her blood formed a puddle underneath her, her robes ragged and torn, her body pulsing painfully from the exposure of the Nebula Gas. Her breathing was harsh and painful, trying to force herself back up, only managing to get on her knees. A position that was utterly beneath her. Build stood several feet in front of her, watching her trying to recover. "I do have to admit, boya..." she managed to get through in between her coughs, "That Mystic Code is... definitely powerful... even managing to mimic one of my spells... I did not see that coming..."
"Once again you continue to exceed my expectations," another voice chimed in from across the field. Build looked over, seeing Archer stalking up to Caster as his dao swords materialized into his hands. "I don't know whether to be impressed, or just pissed off. Either way, it's not a very pleasant feeling."
"Well, come to finish the job... Archer?" Caster asked. Rin and Sakura ran up to them, pausing just a foot away. "Fine... but be sure to make it quick."
Archer gripped his blades and rose them to his side, the steel glinting ominously in the moonlight. "As you wish." He swung down swiftly at Caster's neck. Build and Sakura looked away from the impending bloodstain as Rin steeled herself to witness the removal of one of the pieces of the board...
...And in the middle of it all, Archer witnessed three blades of steel, each one moving to his right shoulder, right hip, and midsection.
"Hiken...TSUMBAME-GAESHI!"
It happened in an instant, but not in the way the teens were expecting. Instead of watching the grueling sight of Caster's head rolling over the dirt, there was a clash of metal before Archer was thrown backwards, tumbling over the ground painfully before crashing through a wall.
"Archer!" Rin gasped.
Assassin stood protectively in front of Caster, standing as if he had just executed a slash. "Ah, not bad Archer," Assassin praised, standing up, "You are the second one who avoided my technique tonight."
Archer groaned as he pulled himself out of the wall, the tail of his coat looking torn up. "That technique... that was not sorcery, was it? That was years of dedication behind that slash."
"So you saw through it, did you?" Assassin grinned, "Impressive. However, as much as I wish to test more of my skill against you, we must cut this short. Excuse the pun."
Caster's body glowed deep purple as her wounds and outfit mended themselves, though her breathing was still slightly irrational. She stood up and faced Assassin, "It appears we both messed up, tonight. We will have to regroup." Assassin gave an obedient nod, allowing Caster to take his shoulder before spreading out her cloak and taking to the air.
"Hey, come back!" Build shouted, running after them.
"I'll tell you this much, I learned much from this encounter and will see to it that I benefit from it as much as I can! Be prepared until then, because I definitely will." Caster taunted down at the populace before her. Her gaze turned down at Rin, her mouth turning into a deep frown, "Rin Tohsaka... I sense an ominous omen from you..." She and Assassin went higher into the air before vanishing into a dispersing haze.
"...And I do not like it."
Saber came up from the stairs and noticed her Master and the sisters standing around and looking up where Caster and Assassin vanished. Looking where Archer was still picking himself out from the wall, she gave a disappointed sigh, "So they escaped."
"It seems so," Archer agreed, getting out of the hole. "And now Caster has more knowledge of your Master's abilities."
"Think we can track her down?" Build asked, "Find out where she could go to lick her wounds?"
"A Servant like Caster would have prepared spells to prevent detection. If she does not wish to be found, she will not be found," Archer said dismissively.
"Sempai, are you alright?" Sakura asked. "She did not do anything to you, did she?"
"No, but she tried to convince me to give up my Driver and Command Seals," Build answered. "It was lucky she didn't get them."
"We won't find out anything by sticking around here, especially not now," Rin said, "We should head back. It's still pretty late."
"Good point, Master," Archer said, turning around to walk away, "We've already spent our welcome here."
"W-wait! We're still far from my house!" Build shouted back after him.
"You can fly now, can't you?" Archer snarked back as he vanished in thin air. Build gave an exasperated sigh, glaring where the red Servant vanished.
"Jerk..."
To be continued...
OMAKE: WELCOME TO THE TIGER DOJO
"NOW EXITING MYSTERIOUS ROUTE IN THREE... TWO... ONE... BEEP"
"Eh? What was that?" Illya asked. "It sounded like my voice too... Sensei! Did you do something creepy again!?"
"Hm?" Taiga blinked, "Oh, that's just a new security AI system that I just installed. I figured this place could use a couple more commodities, you know."
"But why does it have my voice?" Illya pressed on, a critical look on her face.
"You can find anything on the internet these days," Taiga waved off, "But anywho, it's time for another episode of the Tiger Dojo!"
"Hey, don't go changing the subject!" Illya exclaimed.
"ANALYSIS OF TODAY'S EPISODE COMPLETE. IT SEEMS CASTER HAS GAINED AN INTEREST IN SHIROU'S DRIVER AND VIEWS RIN AS SOME TYPE OF THREAT."
"Listen to me!" Illya protested louder.
"Hm-hm," Taiga nodded sagely as she ignored Illya, "The plot is really starting to, er, build up eh? Quite the series of events we're witnessing."
Illya gave off an exasperated sigh, "How about we start with reviewing Onii-chan's new Fullbottles?"
"Right, his new form!" Taiga agreed, putting the Taka Fullbottle into the black panel.
"Taka!"
"This niffty little thing is the Taka Fullbottle!" Taiga said, raising her fist as the chalkboard showed the Fullbottle. "What's special about this form is that it gives Shirou the power of flight! Whenever he uses this Fullbottle, he's always equipped the Celestial Wings!"
"And the Fullbottle also gives Onii-chan really good sight," Illya added. "The Left Eye Hawk is a really precise sensor that instantly lock on to moving targets from several kilometres away, and is excellent at aerial searches. It can even see through the dark. As you can guess, since it gives the user farsight, it's used better with any weapon that can shot from a distance. Which leads us to..."
"Gatling!"
"The Gatling Fullbottle!" Illya finished, the Fullbattle appearing on the chalkboard. "It's very tough and durable, and focuses on targeting enemies. It's a Fullbottle that focuses on everything that's a gun!"
"And this Fullbottle not only has shooting in mind, it's good for psycholgical warfare too," Taiga added. "The Gunshot Face Module- that's the gun antenna coming out its right eye- can play gun shooting noses that stresses out and confuses enemies! Between flying advantages and shooting tatics, I'm sure we can all guess where this leads too?"
"Taka! Gatling! Best Match!"
"Yep! You got it!" Taiga cheered as both Fullbottles appeared on the chalkboard and orange and grey confetti rained down. "The Aerial Avenger, HawkGatling! As a Best Match, the power of both Bottles complement each other. With the Hawk Bottle, Build is granted the Celestial Wings for flight and the Gatling Bottle also grants him access to increased accuracy. Through the power of both Bottles, he also gains a new weapon." She back handed the board, causing it to shift the image and show the weapon in question drawn on it, "The Hawk Gatlinger! This baby is capable of firing rapidfire bullets and by spinning the Revol-Magazine, he can charge up his shots, turning them into rapid fire blasts!"
"It's special attack is called the Full Bullet," Illya added, "After spinning the Revol-Magazine ten times, Build can charge up the Hawk Gatlinger so it can fire energy hawk bullets that bombard the enemy. And to prevent enemies from escaping, the technique also traps them in an energy sphere, immobilzing them so they can't run away. Even if they do escape, the hawk bullets will still chase after them until they get turned to swiss cheese."
"Bang, bang, boom!" Taiga did finger guns before blowing imaginary smoke from the tips. "Hasta la vista."
"And that's all we have for today," Illya concluded. "In the next chapter, Onii-chan will be going to-"
The lights in the dojo suddenly shut off completely, leaving Taiga and Illya in the dark.
"Uh... what just happened?" Taiga asked.
"UNFORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE NEGLECTED TO PAY YOUR BILLS AND THE ELECTRIC COMPANY HAS CUT OFF ALL YOUR SUPPLY."
"Eh?!" Illya gasped, "Sensei! Didn't you pay last week?!"
"I told them to give me time! I was short on cash!" Taiga protested.
"Short on cash buying booze, you mean!"
"Shut up! Hey, turn the light's back on!"
"I'M SORRY ONEE-CHAN, I'M AFAIRD I CANNOT DO THAT."
"Oh noo..." Taiga whimpered.
"I knew letting A.I. taking control of everything was a bad idea!" Illya exclaimed. "Just because you can make something doesn't mean you should!"
Tailsmo4ever: More to come! I swear!
