Heir to the Blacksmith

by Plasma Assassin

Shirou Emiya, born to a Clan following the name they had not officially been called in centuries, chasing after a dream created by their ancestor as relentlessly as any other Magi family reaches for the Root. This is the boy that Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel von Einzbern find in the rubble and mud of the Fuyuki Fire, and this is the boy that they adopted.

23. The engines of war rumble

"So, tell me more about this 'Muramasa' you spoke of. Surely you don't mean the legendary blacksmith?" Scathach spoke, relaxing as much as one could in the church pews, one leg crossed over the other.

"Somewhat, the one you know is his ancestor." Bazett responded, scowling at all the religious symbols around her, only thinking about the man that had tried to kill her two days ago whenever she saw them.

"You seem to think of him favourably?" The warrior noted, abusing her connection to her Master.

"He's very skilled, too addicted to weaponry in my opinion, but given his ancestry it makes sense I suppose." Bazett snorted, her mind going towards Shirou for a moment and not the sham of a priest she had once called 'ally'.

"Skilled? A warrior and not a smith?"

"No. Both."

"Truly?" Scathach gave an ever so slightly surprised look.

Sure, a blacksmith knowing how to wield a weapon was one thing. But to be considered 'skilled' by a combatant like her Master was a completely separate matter entirely.

"We have gone on missions before and he's kept up quite easily. Why the interest?" Bazett gave her Servant a curious, if not slightly suspicious, look.

Though Scathach wouldn't hold it against her, it was a very out of the blue question to ask after all.

"I was trying to categorise potential allies." The Queen of the Land of Shadows answered easily, seeing no reason to hide it.

"Potential- Hm. That may not be the worst idea…." The Enforcer hummed to herself, crossing her arms and staring at the floor as she thought her options over.

"With the supposed 'mediator' of this war attempting what he did, allies could be a useful advantage." Scathach advised, sounding not unlike a teacher nudging her student towards an answer, though Bazett was also aware that the woman was still leaving the final decision in her hands.

"...You have a point." Bazett finally acquiesced, ruffling around in one of her bags and pulling out a small metal device that Scathach found rather fascinating.

"Is that some kind of beacon?"

"Hm? Oh no. It's a mobile phone. A sort of….long range communication device." Bazett explained awkwardly, flipping it open to show the screen and keypad.

"I see…so familiars are no longer used for such purposes?"

"Magi are stubborn." Is the only response the Queen got before the woman punched in a series of numbers and held the device to her ear.

The Servant's enhanced senses heard a strange jingle play once before there was a brief sound of static followed by a male voice.

XXXxxxXXX

Meanwhile, Emiya Estate

"Heracles…" Rider muttered, a little nervous in the presence of the giant of a man.

Not to the point of being on edge, but more like meeting that older cousin at a party that you haven't seen in years and can't remember the name of.

"Medusa." He nodded, looking between her and the red-haired teen that her Master called 'senpai'. "What is your opinion of my Master's brother?"

"Muramasa? He's rather unique. And his eyes see more than they should."

"So, you've noticed?" The Demi-God commented idly, his gaze moving up to the single open eye of the subject of conversation.

"He took one look at me and deduced who I was." Medusa responded, still a bit touchy at being found out so easily by a human of the modern era.

"Interesting…."

"Are you worried he's going to be a threat?" Medusa asked warily, knowing how loyal her own Master was to the boy in question.

"A threat? No. Nothing like that." Heracles denied, thankfully, with a shake of his head. "Just trying to get a read on him."

"Ah. Right. Understandable." Rider responded, uncomfortably shifting as the conversation died out.

"Alright alright, I'll meet you there. Just wait in the front yard." Shirou sighed, pressing a button and closing his 'phone' as both Servants' had learnt it was called.

"You're going to your house, Onii-chan?" Illya asked, looking over at him as he stood up.

"I am." The teen answered simply, starting to walk towards his room.

"What for!?" Illya asked while Sakura gave an interested look down the hallway that Shirou had slipped down.

"One less person in the war." Immediately everyone's heads snapped towards the door to Shirou's room.

"An ally!?" Illya gasped excitedly.

"A fight?" Heracles guessed, far calmer than his Master.

"If it's a fight she knows better than to warn me she's here." Shirou scoffed from his bedroom, walking out a moment later.

And gone was the rather quiet, comfortable looking teen from before. In his place was a straight-backed, attention-grabbing figure that felt more like a strong warrior than a teenager of the modern era.

His feet were adorned in open toed, oriental styled sandals that Heracles could tell were made to be both durable and flexible. The pants he had chosen were of a thick material with just enough loose, flowing quality to allow a full range of motion and form fitting enough that it was almost impossible for them to be properly grabbed or snag on anything.

Around his waist was a thick, dark grey sash with both a sheathed katana and a strange smithing hammer attached to it. The hammer itself was one that neither Medusa nor Heracles recognized the metal or alloy used to create it, and brightly coloured gemstones that Medusa could recognize as various colorations of quartz on the longer sides and the top of the hammer.

Shirou's top half was adorned by a form-fitting but not tight top that folded over itself instead of buttoning up and was held firmly closed by the sash around his waist. And finally, the last item of his ensemble that he was currently putting on, a long, dark red, haori with black swords stretching from the bottom and the tips poking just above his waist.

"Shall I go with you, Senpai?" Sakura asked, tilting her head to the side as her eyes went from his face to his feet and back up again.

"Probably not, she's the paranoid sort. If she has a Servant as well…"

"That's a rather dangerous gamble. Meeting a Master and Servant without one of your own." Rider couldn't help but point out, feeling the thrum of gratitude through her connection with her Master.

"It's a one-sided battle if ever I've heard one." Heracles nodded, his face twisting a little at the idea of such a fight in the first place.

"I'll be fine." Shirou waved off their worry.

"Mama's going to go all yellow eyed if you die." Illya pouted at him, getting a humored roll of Shirou's eye.

"I won't die, it'll be fine. I'm taking my bike." Shirou spoke, dangling the keys as if to prove his statement before closing the front door behind him.

"Master, is he always so….cavalier with his life?" Rider asked hesitantly, looking between Sakura and the door.

"Senpai is…unique. And honestly there isn't a Servant alive that I think can scare him after-"

"Please don't say its name!" Illya whined, digging the heels of her palms into her eyes.

"Should I be worried about this creature, Master?" Heracles asked, almost in jest.

After all, he doubted there were many creatures in this day and age that could match the Nemean Lion or Hydra. But he wouldn't discredit the fights or achievements of another without further knowledge.

"N-…..Actually yes, very possibly." Illya nodded, her face flashing through a complex string of emotions as she confirmed that.

"I won't allow it to harm Senpai like it did before." Sakura nearly snarled, her hair fading a couple shades and the purple of her irises taking an ever so slight red hue.

"I feel as if knowing the identity of this creature would be helpful." Archer pointed out helpfully, watching as the colour returned to Sakura's features after a short moment to breathe in and out deeply.

"Sorry Archer! I promise to tell you but it's sort of hard for us to, and it shouldn't be an immediate concern." Illya apologized to her Servant, getting a short grunt.

"I understand, Master. When you're ready, I'll happily hear of this creature that injured your brother."

"You're very kind, Archer." Sakura smiled politely, getting the tiniest quirk of his lips as he de-materialised into blue motes of light, Rider following right after him.

XXXxxxXXX

Muramasa Estate

'Hmmm. The defenses around this abode are sparse but not necessarily weak.' Scathach hummed inside her Masters head, currently in her spiritual form for a multitude of reasons.

'Keeps it well hidden.' Bazett grunted, looking around at the house of the swordsmith that she'd known for a fair few years now.

And then she heard the rumble of a motorbike drawing closer, turning on the spot slightly to get a better view of the road and the approaching vehicle, snorting to herself when she caught a couple identifying features.

'There's our kid, Lancer.'

'He has a vehicle like yours, Master.'

'I helped teach him a thing or two after some event that happened two years back.'

'An event?' Scathach hummed in intrigue.

'You'd have to ask him. He didn't share many details and I had no reason to ask for more.'

'Understandable.'

Finally, Shirou pulled up in the driveway to his house, parking his bike and taking his helmet off. The teen wasting no time in moving over towards Bazett.

"You sure took your time." Bazett snorted with only the slightest glints of amusement in her eyes revealing her true feelings on the matter.

"I was spending time with my family. Well, my sister." The teen revealed rather easily. "You said you had some kind of deal to make?"

"Yes. May we enter?" Bazett gestured towards the door of his house.

"Yeah sure, come on in." The teen unlocked the door and stepped aside to allow Bazett in.

"Nice try, you go in first." The woman nudged her head in the direction of his hallway.

"And Kaa-chan always told me manners would be important." Shirou snarked, shaking his head and walking into his house first, letting Bazett shut the door behind her.

"All those nobles losing their minds over your decorum at the Clock Tower and now you decide to use your manners?"

"Ironic, isn't it?" Shirou grinned, leading her into his living room and sitting down, offering a seat to her.

With a suspicious glance she sat down on it, surprised at how soft it was.

"I didn't expect you of all people to have furniture this nice."

"Half of them are presents, the other half was forced buying."

"Ah. That would explain it." Bazett nodded with a deadpan glance.

'As much as I'm enjoying this conversation, did you not come here for a reason, Master?' Scathach reminded her through their link, gently yet firmly directing her back on track.

With a small cough to clear her throat, Bazett let her gaze harden and sharpen into something more befitting a battle than a conversation or negotiation, not that it really affected Shirou though, beyond a raised eyebrow.

"Now, for the reason I'm here." The Enforcer began, getting a hum from the teen.

"The Holy Grail War?" Shirou 'guessed', his lone eye wandering from her to around his living room and then back.

"Yes. The one that I see you've been chosen for as well…" Shirou raised his hand in response, showing the smudged red mark painting the back of his palm.

"Don't remind me, they keep telling me to summon Saber." He rolled his eye, getting an intrigued look from the Enforcer.

"The other six have been summoned already? And you're awfully confident to tell me what class you plan on summoning."

"No but we're aware of what Servant the catalyst will summon. And why wouldn't I tell an ally?"

"Slow it down there, smith, we haven't even started the negotiation yet." She snorted, raising a hand in his direction.

"Ah, right. Negotiations. Look, the more time we spend here the higher the chances someone gets worried and heads down here, which I know you don't want. So how about I just skip the fancy talk and tell you something important, okay?"

"No wonder the Edelfelt's deal with everything for you. You aren't very well versed in this are you?" Bazett noted with a hint of humor in her tone, getting a smirk in return.

"The Greater Grail is corrupted." The Enforcer froze, her brain practically turning to black and white static as she mulled over his words.

"….Eh?"

'The Greater Grail corrupted? If he's telling the truth, Master…' Scathach spoke, her brows furrowing in her spiritual state as she stared at the teenager.

"Any wish made using the Grail is a monkey's paw." Shirou continued, leaning back in his chair. "You wish to reach the Root? The Grail will kill you and as much of humanity as possible. You wish to become a Hero? The Grail kills you and as much of humanity as possible. You even wish to save the environment? The Grail kills you and as much of humanity as possible."

"That- The Grail system is meant to be one of the greatest artifacts made in the last 250 years. It doesn't just get corrupted." Bazett snapped back, her left fist clenching.

"Yet it did." Shirou shut her denial down, sighing a little at the heated look she gave him. "The Fuyuki Fire, I'm sure it came up in the research you did on the city?"

'Well, he certainly knows you, doesn't he, Master?' Scathach mused, moving her spiritual body around the room as they spoke.

"It did…" She answered hesitantly, almost afraid to do so given the connotations of it being brought up when it was.

"The Lesser Grail of the last war was broken, that cursed fire was the result."

"Impossible." Bazett denied, shaking her head.

"How so?"

"No family would create a system that can be corrupted to that extent."

"Even after two failed wars and bending the rules to summon a unique Servant?" Shirou challenged, knowing exactly what her response would be.

"No famil- No, I can't quite say that. We both know of many that would."

"Exactly. I can show you proof later on if you wish. But I need you to understand that fighting in the Holy Grail War can't happen."

Bazett pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair, mulling over everything that had been said. Kirei's actions and everything she'd been able to find out about the previous wars.

As much as she wanted to continue to deny Shirou further, she couldn't shake the idea that something was fishy about this ritual. Four wars and not a single winner?

Sure, the first war makes sense, and the second war was apparently a shit-show to end all shit shows. But in the third? Where the Church finally stepped in as a mediator faction? The fourth, where the rules and expectations had been hammered out and everything was meant to be working at full capacity?

Not to mention that accusation of the Lesser Grail creating the Fuyuki Fire ten years ago at the end of the Fourth War. If all of that was true, then even an accusation of the Greater Grail being compromised in some way, shape or form needed to be treated with extreme caution and the utmost seriousness. An artifact on that level, with the amount of energy it accumulated, plus whatever had supercharged it, wasn't something that could be allowed to have any doubt placed in it.

'Master, he's waiting for a response.' Lancer commented idly, 'sitting' on the arm of the couch that Bazett herself was resting on.

"…Fine. I will ally with you in…pausing the Holy Grail War until I can see the Grail and its status for myself, or proof of its corruption." Bazett agreed, a bit uncomfortable at the idea in all honesty.

"Excellent! Now-"

"Muramasa do not-"

"Can I see your Noble Phantasm?" The teen leaned forward excitedly, his single eye shining with unrestrained glee.

"For the last time. NO."

"May I show myself, Master?" Scathach asked, getting a tired sigh from Bazett as she slouched on the couch and covered her eyes with her hand.

"Go ahead Lancer…" She spoke aloud, getting the slightest tilt of Shirou's head as he near instantly locked onto Scathach's location the moment she started to materialize.

"Oh? You noticed me so quickly, how interesting…" Lancer spoke as she fully materialized, finding the look he was giving her to be a rather surprising one.

"No, she won't show you her Noble Phantasm." Bazett cut in, letting Scathach know what the teen must have been thinking about, causing the woman to laugh into the back of her hand.

"A fan of weaponry then, Muramasa?"

"A weapon fanatic, yeah." He replied easily and without hesitation.

"You've come to terms with it then? You seem rather at ease with calling yourself such a…almost demeaning term." Scathach raised an eyebrow and cocked her hip.

"Nothing to come to terms with, it's the way I am." Shirou shrugged, standing up and holding a hand out to the Servant. "Nice to meet you, Scathach. I'm Shirou Muramasa."

"Wha- How did you-" Bazett shot to her feet, her eyes wide.

"….Oh you're going to be an interesting ally, Shirou Muramasa. It's a pleasure." She clasped his hand and shook.

XXXxxxXXX

Twenty Minutes Later, Emiya Estate

"So this is where your family lives…" Bazett hummed to herself, walking behind Shirou as he led her to the front door and opened it.

"What gave you that impression?" Shirou asked, walking into the entrance.

"The fact that anyone enjoys your company when you can snark that easily is a genuine surprise."

'Master, behave. You're the adult here.' Lancer admonished her while in her spiritual form, well aware of the other two Servants in the building.

'Neither of us really care about decorum, Lancer…'

'Well, it's the thought that counts. Practice good habits even when they aren't needed, and good habits will be all that you have.'

"ONIIIIII-CHAAAAAAN!" Shirou was suddenly struck by a missile of whites and purples, getting a raised eyebrow from Bazett as the missile turned out to be a girl that looked roughly as old as he had been when they'd first met.

"Illya-chan. I wasn't even gone for an hour." Shirou snorted, patting her head as the girl hugged him possessively and pouted at the Enforcer.

"But you left without backup! And to meet with an Enforcer!" The younger girl, Illya, whined.

And despite finding the way the argument was presented to be rather childish, Bazett could see where she was coming from.

"Illya-san. There's a guest in the house." A purple haired girl that looked to be the same age as Shirou spoke up, looking for all of Bazett's knowledge to be some kind of servant or aid with the way she held herself. "Hello, my name is Sakura Matou."

"Bazett Fraga McRemitz." The Enforcer returned, nodding her head towards the girl, managing to successfully keep her surprise off her face.

'Why the hell is a member of the Matou lineage an aid for Muramasa? Or his family at least…'

'Noble Family politics are unorthodox at best and a complete mess at worst. It could potentially be some kind of trade agreement?' Scathach offered, her knowledge via being a Queen evidently giving her some kind of insight that Bazett herself was a little too off-kilter to come up with herself at the moment.

"Right!" Illya let go of Shirou and smoothed her skirt out with a small clearing of her throat. "I'm Illyasviel Muramasa-Emiya, Shirou's younger sister."

"Stop adding Muramasa into it." Shirou deadpanned, giving a dry stare as the girl turned and stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"We're siblings, so I'm allowed to!"

"That's not how the law works."

"Yeah, well according to the law I'm still an Einzbern!"

Bazett blinked rapidly a couple times, seeming to only now realize the hallmark queues of an Einzbern Homunculi in the small girl before her.

"I assume if you're here, that you accepted Senpai's offer for alliance?" Sakura spoke, getting an almost thankful look from Bazett as she replied.

"Yes. I'm still unsure how dire the situation actually is but it's not something I wish to particularly tempt."

"Understandable, after the Grail got supercharged its way more dangerous than ever." Illya spoke up, more serious than the Enforcer could have ever assumed she could be beforehand.

"As an Einzbern, I assume you have a more intimate knowledge of the Grail?"

"You could say that, yes."

"Then I wish to hear from your mouth how dangerous this situation is."

"Hmmmm, very well." Illya accepted with a single nod. "We can introduce you to our Servants while I do so as well. Here, follow me!"

And with a startled yelp, Bazett was grabbed by her hand and dragged into the living room of the Emiya Estate. A tired sigh leaving Shirou's mouth as he hung his head at his sister's exuberance.

"Tired, Senpai?" Sakura asked, moving up behind him with a concerned expression.

"I haven't been able to forge anything in days Sakura…" Shirou groaned, slumping over further.

A reaction which only got a small giggle out of Sakura as she playfully helped him straighten back up. Placing her hands on his shoulders and looking up into his eyes after a moment.

"I'm sure you'll have time later tonight, Senpai. And if you do, may I assist you?" Shirou just smiled softly, his singular open eye closing softly and curling up the tiniest amount.

"I'll be happy to get some help."

"Excellent." Sakura nodded with a smile of her own.

"Now let's go before Illya annoys Bazett to death…..Or the Servants put her in fight or flight."

"Ah. Right. Lead the way, Senpai."

XXXxxxXXX

Muramasa Estate, Fuyuki (2 weeks till 5th HGW)

"I was not aware so much went into the creation of a blade…" Heracles murmured to himself, watching Shirou as he hammered the glowing chunk of metal that was soon to be a blade, according to the teen.

"Well, it's a slight bit more…refined than it was during your age." Shirou responded, his gaze never leaving the metal as he continued to work on it with a steady rhythm.

"Onii-chan has a lot of practice too." Illya chimed in from the couch against the wall a few meters away.

"Of course, even with my lack of knowledge on the subject I can see that clearly. His breathing is controlled well and his strikes all land within an almost identical range of timings and power."

Shirou's teeth grit and his eye twitched, his next strike landing with too much force and getting a groan of annoyance from him as he grabbed the chunk of cooling metal with his bare hand and threw it back into the forge with enough power to genuinely make the Archer-class Servant give him a bewildered look.

"Oooooooh! Now you did it, Archer!" Illya giggled from the sidelines, turning the giant of a man's quizzical expression on her instead.

"What…exactly did I do, Master?"

"Onii-chan's a major perfectionist when it comes to making weapons!"

"Even the slightest imperfection in the forging technique spoils the blade, Illya!" Shirou called out, some green lines stretching from his fingers and up his arm as he released a stream of wind into the forge to heat it up even further.

"See? Onii-chan won't accept anything except perfection. Whiiiiiiich means he throws temper tantrums like that all the time!" The girl giggled into her hand mischievously, only getting louder when her brother turned on her with a heated glare.

"It's not a temper tantrum."

"It totally is! You get all scowl-y and throw stuff around and break stuff. It's totally a temper tantrum!"

"Master, Shirou. Please do not start fighting." Heracles tried to placate them awkwardly, holding both of his hands out.

"Oh, it's fiiine, Archer! We do this all the time!" Illya smiled innocently up at him.

"As much as she likes to mess with me, she's not wrong. That's fairly regular for us." Shirou agreed, nodding his head and grabbing the glowing metal out of the forge with the proper equipment this time.

"I see….If I might ask, Shirou. What is the reason for creating this specific blade...?" Heracles asked, looking around at the dozens of weapons hung on the walls all around him.

"A commission. Pretty unique one this time as well. Had the materials shipped over and everything."

"Is it from Miss Barthomelloi again?" Illya guessed, making a short noise when he shook his head minutely.

"No. Not this time. Lord El Melloi II's younger sister, actually."

"He has a sister!?" Illya leant forward so far she nearly toppled off the couch, her eyes wide.

"Sort of. It's a weird situation."

"So typical Clock Tower?"

"For the most part." Shirou responded easily, slipping back into his rhythm as easily as he breathed.

"Hmmmmm…..Soooo! What blade are you going to be bringing into the War?" Illya asked excitedly, looking around at all the surrounding blades.

"You're wishing to fight in the War?" Heracles asked Shirou in surprise, an eyebrow raised at the kind of confidence that took in one's skills and power.

"I'd prefer to be left out of it. But if I'm going to join, I might as well go into it with my A-game." Shirou replied, placing the metal back in the forge and letting it heat back up normally this time.

"Soooo, which one?" Illya asked, focusing her eyes back on her brother.

"It hasn't been made yet." Shirou hung his hammer up on a hook and stretched his arms, flexing his fingers a couple times.

"Woah! A custom order, Onii-chan?"

"Lorelei has given me many materials over the years in exchange for outfitting her Chelon Canticle Brigade, and I think that I finally have the skill level to work on them without fucking it up." The teen cracked his neck.

"That's really not narrowing it down by much, Onii-chan! What about those materials Gray sent you last year?"

"Potentially…"

"Shirou." The teen hummed and looked over at Heracles curiously. "You're both speaking as if you have many powerful items at your disposal, is it not dangerous to leave them as relatively unprotected as this estate is?"

"More the raw materials for powerful items." Shirou corrected, glancing down at the metal in the forge. "And not really. There's been some attempts, but they haven't gotten close."

"That's a very apathetic way of reacting, Shirou."

"Cause it's not really that big of a deal. I know how to deal with attempted thieves-"

"Also, it helps that he's got like a heap of friends in high places!"

"Calling most of them 'friends' is a major over exaggeration, Illya."

"Potato, tomato."

"Very well. If you believe that they are safe then I won't push the issue any further. But please keep my words in mind." Heracles almost pleaded, getting a small smirk from Shirou.

"I will, thank you, Archer. I'm glad my sister summoned someone as dependable as you." Heracles just smiled and gave a smooth quarter bow in response.

"Oniiiii-chaaaaaan!" Illya whined in embarrassment, covering her face with a couch pillow.

XXXxxxXXX

Emiya Estate, Fuyuki (1 week before 5th HGW)

Rin hummed happily to herself, looking over the gemstone that she'd been working on while sitting next to Shirou. Said teen nose deep in a notebook that he was scribbling into silently, his lone eye flitting across the open pages.

"Test 12 was a failure. Perhaps if I intertwine the hairs and thread them throughout the bone before the heating?" Shirou suddenly muttered to himself, getting a hum from the Tohsaka heiress as she thought over the proposition.

Even if she knew he hadn't spoken as a prompt for her.

"If you get it to a high-enough temperature the hairs could decompose into the bone and you could layer it like your katana's?" She spoke, getting an affirmative hum from her boyfriend in return.

"That's the idea. Forgetting the Mystery, hairs have high carbon and oxygen components which, if layered properly, will improve the overall durability and hardness of the 'alloy'. Draining the water from the bone and getting the calcium and phosphate to play nicely will be the hardest parts."

"…And then there's the Mystery?" Rin guessed dryly, keeping up only through her knowledge of gemstone creation and having known Shirou for 10 years at this stage.

"And then there's the Mystery." Shirou confirmed with a nod, his eye darting towards the entrance right as Rin felt a foreign Prana signature pressing down on her skin.

"Someone's here? Who?" Rin muttered, hearing Shirou sniff loudly a couple of times as she stood up.

"Shit!" The teen pushed himself off the floor and vaulted the couch in an instant, blowing past Rin and towards the entrance way even as he stowed his notebook in his pocket.

"What the hell…?" the Tohsaka heiress blinked in stupefaction towards the entranceway, increasing her pace as she heard the door open.

"Sherou!"

"Ah. Hey…Luvia." Shirou greeted awkwardly, obviously trying to keep his voice down, but it was too late.

Rin had already heard.

Launching herself forward and clutching the wall to stop herself from sliding past the hallway in her socks, Rin grit her teeth and pointed angrily at the doorway, seeing the fancy looking blonde girl hugging her boyfriend.

"YOU!"

Immediately Shirou sighed, the arms of the blonde girl, Luviagelita Edelfelt, tightening around him as she looked over his shoulder towards the Tohsaka heiress with a look halfway between smug and aggravated, herself.

"Ohhhh, the rude gorilla is over? Why didn't you say so, Dear Sherou? I would have come to save you right away!"

"…Luvia, meet Rin. Rin, meet Luvia." Shirou lazily drifted a hand in the air, pointing at each girl as he said their names.

"What are you doing here, Edelfelt?" Rin growled, stomping up to the two of them.

"Why I came here to aid my dear Sherou in the trials to come. Saving him from a gorilla like yourself is only a secondary advantage."

"Trials to come? Wait you don't mean-"

"Excuse you? Shirou clearly appreciates my company way more than some prissy bitch drowning in perfume!"

"How dare- This is the finest perfume and I put on the recommended amount and not a drop more! You don't think it's overpowering do you Sherou?" Luvia loosened the hug for a moment to lean back and give him a wanting gaze.

"Nice try Luvia. Show me your hand."

"Shirou?" Rin muttered in confusion, the argument between the two girls dying down in an instant at Shirou's refusal to play along.

"You've gotten better at keeping track of things, Sherou! Well done." Luvia smiled, pulling back from the hug completely and showing the back of her hand.

Where three command seals sat. Showing up in the form of dark red, rigid, lines that seemed to form a jewel out of their three sections.

"No way!"

"Huh, a Jewel. How fitting." Shirou muttered, his voice and expression falling flat.

'I don't know what I was expecting…'

"No. Nuh uh." Rin walked around so that she was between the two of them, forming a triangle out of their bodies.

"Oh, is it hard for you to understand? I've already been chos-"

"If you have a proper mark, you've already summoned your Servant, Edelfelt. Don't think I'm stupid. And if you have then so has your sister."

"Oh? You're aware of her?"

"Shirou has had choice words about her in the past." Rin revealed, getting a flat look from Shirou.

"Not surprising, they aren't the biggest fans of each other." Luvia agreed easily, this time being the recipient of his flat look.

"Where's your sister, Luvia?" Shirou asked, getting a thinned expression from the Finnish girl.

"In the accommodations she has chosen for the War. I came here without her due to…conflicting thoughts on the nature of this war."

"What- how do you know about that?" Rin growled, this time from a position as the Second Owner of Fuyuki, rather than a personal one.

And the shift in priorities must have been obvious because Luvia didn't even attempt to rile her up as she answered.

"From Gray. She informed me of the situation regarding this particular War. I informed Kristiina of it as well but she refused to believe it."

"She's too stuck in the traditional Magi ways. Short of the Grail blowing up in front of her she'll trust the Einzbern's Thaumaturgical history over anything else." Shirou rolled his eye, getting a similar look of annoyance from Luvia as she rolled her eye.

"Honestly that girl…How she still allies with the Democratic Faction is a mystery…" She shook her head and put her face in her palm.

"Hold on. I've heard about Gray, why were you talking to her about this war? Why not Lord El Melloi II?" Rin asked suspiciously, getting a demure grin from Luvia as she lowered her hand.

"Oh, if you must know, it's because of my Servant. She helped me get them."

"And said Servant is…?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Miss Gorilla?"

"I….look, you agree with our side of the war, right Luvia?" Shirou spoke, facepalming himself at the ease that these two slipped into arguments.

"Of course, Sherou!" Luvia replied, gasping in offense at the thought that she might not agree.

"Great. Can you show us your Servant?"

"Of course!" Luvia clapped her hands together, taking delight in the way that Rin grit her teeth and her gaze darkened into a rather formidable glare. "Caster!"

"Of course, Master." Shirou turned his head a couple degrees, coming eye to eye with the Servant that had draped herself over him.

Pale grey hair similar to Gray's and ice blue eyes were the first thing that registered in his mind, the near identical facial structure to his best friend's was the next thing that registered.

Their position was the third thing that registered, at the same time as two screeches of embarrassment and horror assaulted his ears from Rin and Luvia.

"Morgan le Fay."

"I personally prefer to go by Morgan Pendragon. Morgan le Fay is my…alternate incarnation, summoned by my Master's sister." The woman answered, a complicated expression crossing her face at the thought of the second Morgan that had been summoned.

"C-Caster what are you doing!?" Luvia screeched, blushing somewhat brightly.

"I'm just getting close to the Master of my dear sister." Luvia nearly fell over as she slipped mid-step.

"Shirou?" Rin gave a confused look, getting a sigh from Shirou as he continued to stare into Morgan's eyes.

"I should have known that you'd figure it out. You- or well an alternate version of you, got rid of it after all."

"Mhm, I'll have to apologise to 'Toria after she gets here for that. Thank you for the reminder, Sheath-keeper." She smiled, a smile that Shirou could instantly tell was that of royalty.

At this stage, Shirou was the premier expert on royalty. He knew their mannerisms and signs like the back of his hand.

"My name's Shirou, just use that. And please let go before Luvia and Rin do something drastic." Morgan pouted for a moment before smiling easily and letting go, stepping around him to stand beside her mortified Master.

Rin, meanwhile, latched onto Shirou's side. The girl blushed brightly as she did, but refused to let go after the actions of Luvia and her Servant.

"Sherou….you're going to summon King Arthur?" Luvia asked, almost numbly, as she thought over and digested her Servant's words.

"That's the plan." Shirou admitted with a deep exhale.

"What the hell even is this war…" Rin muttered into his side, curling behind him a little to avoid the teasing gaze of Luvia.

"A mess." Morgan cut in, looking every bit the Queen, she should have been. "I can feel the corruption of the Grail even from here. Not that I need to, my summoning, or rather my alternate selves summoning, shouldn't be possible by the base rules of the Grail that I've been granted knowledge of."

"Being the villain of multiple stories, that would make sense." Rin commented idly, getting a pursing of the woman's lips.

"Yes. The enemy to two orders of warriors. To think I fell so far..."

The conversation died out for a moment at the somber topic of Morgan le Fay and all the evils that she had committed in her life and legends. Though it didn't last for too long as Shirou clicked his tongue and started to walk into the kitchen.

"Ah, Sherou?" Luvia gave him a confused look, as did Rin, who had let go in her surprise and scampered after him.

"I get the feeling your sister and her Morgan are going to be trouble. I need to let everyone else know."

"A solid plan." Morgan nodded, following after Luvia who followed after Shirou.

"Indeed, Sherou. I'm glad to know that all the time Gray and I spent teaching you tactics didn't go to waste."

"Excuse you? Clearly, this is due to my teaching." Rin responded haughtily, getting a scoff from Luvia.

"Oh please. If you had been the one to teach him, he would have gone off to fight them right this moment." Luvia placed a hand on her chest, getting a growl from Rin.

"I just want this to be quick, so I can get back to forging." Shirou deadpanned, grabbing the house phone and beginning to input a phone number.

"You're a blacksmith?" Morgan asked curiously, getting a hum of confirmation from the teen as he held a hand up and wordlessly created a blade.

A blade that was taken from his grasp a moment later and inspected by Morgan. The woman twisting and shifting it around to look at it from as many angles as possible.

"Fascinating…"

A small click was heard from the phone.

"Tou-san? Yeah. Things are fine at home. Just some news on the school project. Oh yeah, the teacher added another student to our group. Their name? Oh, it's-"

XXXxxxXXX

Farmer's Market, Fuyuki

"Right, great to hear. Yes. Goodbye." Kiritsugu took his phone away from his ear, ending the call and flipping it closed.

And then immediately tapping both his wife and daughter three times on their shoulders. Getting surprised looks from them both as he moved his eyes to the side and then began to walk.

"Really? What happened? Something bad?" Illya asked, both girls wearing almost identical expressions of worry on their faces as they followed their husband/father back to the car.

"We'll talk in the car." Kiritsugu replied gruffly, making the both of them look even more worried.

"Anything you can say now, Kiri?" Irisviel asked, making the man stall in his speed-walking for all of half a second.

"Yes, watch for familiars."

"Youuuuu got it!" Irisviel grinned cheekily, winking at her husband despite his seriousness.

'Man. This must be bad if Papa's so serious…'

'It likely has to do with the two Servants that arrived within a city a couple of hours ago.' Heracles responded in spiritual form, getting an 'oh' face from Illya as she looked at her father.

'Wait, so Rin or Onii-chan won't be able to summon their Servants!?'

'It…seems so, Master.'

'DAMMIT!'

Unknown to Illya, she'd be repeating those words once more, only in a much different context once she heard the extremely watered down detail of events from her father.

XXXxxxXXX

Tohsaka Estate, Fuyuki (1 Day before 5th HGW)

"Alright. Circle is completed. Catalyst is in place. Old clocks have been accounted for…" Rin muttered to herself, looking around somewhat anxiously to make one last check for something she may have forgotten.

And when she inevitably found nothing out of place, the teen breathed in deeply, held it for a few seconds, and then let it all out.

"Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill."

"Break the six containers and fill the seventh."

"Servant of old, of the age of power."

"A blade in the night forgotten for wine."

"This accursed war that shall grant thine form."

"Heed my voice and accept my call."

"Trust not the Vessel yet fulfil its wish."

"Blackened mud and cursed flames."

"A world needs guidance and wisdom past."

"Poison All World's Evil's wish, and thin its hopes."

"Thou seventh heaven clad in the three silent words of power."

"Come forth, Agent of the Dark!"

The magic circle on the ground before her glowed a red so bright that Rin couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, gritting her teeth and clenching them tight to avoid going blind, only to stumble back a few steps from the blast of wind that hit her a moment later.

The furniture in her attic rumbled and rattled as her clothes fluttered in the wind before it began to calm down, letting her slowly lower her arms and hesitantly crack her eyes open.

And then they opened completely to stare at the figure before her. A rather average sized woman with a long, flowing black dress that screamed 'rich' alongside the rest of her clothing and accessories, such as the high-heels she wore and the earrings that hung from her ears. Ears which looked rather vaguely like those of an elf…

"Not for naught am I known as the world's oldest poisoner… Are you truly certain you can wield Servant Assassin, Queen Semiramis?" The woman, Semiramis of Assyria, spoke with a haughty grin and extended a hand in Rin's direction.

"Hmph." Rin straightened herself out properly and puffed herself up, not in arrogance but in a hard-fought for self-certainty. "I, Rin Tohsaka, am certain I can wield you, Queen Semiramis."

"Such certainty, does it come from arrogance perhaps?" The Queen grinned mockingly, getting the slightest hint of a grin from Rin in return.

"Not a place of arrogance, I've gone through too much to doubt myself as a Master at this stage."

"I see… Your summoning was a strange one, I'll admit. I almost didn't answer it. But your request was so interesting I just couldn't deny it." The woman propped an elbow up on her other hand, her fingers ghosting down her own cheek as she shifted her weight.

"I thank you, Assassin." Rin did a half-bow.

"None of that. You shall refer to me as my name and only my name. It is one of prominence and prestige for a reason, after all." The girl sweat dropped at her Servants, quite frankly, arrogant words, suddenly having a bad feeling about the rest of this war.

Somewhere in the distance, she was certain that Gilgamesh was laughing at saddling her with such an arrogant Servant. The man was probably trying to create him and Tokiomi 2.0 when he told Kiritsugu and Irisviel about Semiramis' catalyst.

"If that's what you want, Semiramis." Rin acquiesced easily. "Would you like to know about my request?"

"Yes. I would. I would assume it has to do with the 'poison' within the Greater Grail?"

"You can tell?" Rin gave her a shocked look, getting one that was equal parts preening and annoyed in response.

"Of course, I can tell. I'm the creator of poisoning as a method of murder. My concept of poison is far removed from the simpleton methods used in this day and age. And whatever is inside the Grail is a poison of the highest order, corroding it away from the inside. The fact that none of its failsafe's tripped simply by this war starting is a miracle in and of itself."

"Servants from the Age of Gods really are something else…"

"You've met more than myself?" Like the famous and intelligent Queen that she was, Semiramis had instantly caught onto the slip in Rin's words.

Not that she was really trying to hide it.

"I have. Due to the Grail's corruption, I and other masters have decided not to fight where possible, to avoid the Grail unleashing a calamity upon the world." Despite her annoyance at having to be this respectful to her Servant, she was well versed in it thanks to Gilgamesh, and so had no difficulties.

"I see…Very well. Let us meet these 'allies' of yours and I shall deem them worthy or unworthy of my assistance."

"That's….great. Thanks. Oh-venerable Queen." Rin deadpanned.

"I'm sorry, are you mocking me, girl?"

"No! Never." Rin smiled innocently. "However, we'll have to wait till the morning to meet with any of them. Actually, you'll meet most of them at school tomorrow."

Rin still couldn't believe that Luvia and Kristiina had both managed to weasel their way into their school. Just being around Kristiina gave her the feeling of being stalked, no doubt due to her Servant, but the worst part was Luvia being there!

And it didn't help that she managed to talk the teacher into getting Shirou to show her around the school! How bullshit was that!? She must have used a spell on him, Rin was certain of it.

"Hmmm. Very well. You should get your beauty sleep Master. You look like you need it."

A vein in Rin's forehead throbbed.

XXXxxxXXX

Emiya Estate, Fuyuki (0 Days till 5th HGW)

Shirou hummed, looking over his handiwork and making sure there were no obvious errors in the summoning circle.

As he did so, he created and threw a knife at the hair-bird familiar in the rafters of the Emiya Dojo, destroying his sister's Familiar.

"She really isn't as sneaky with those things as she thinks she is…" He sighed, standing at the edge of the circle and holding a hand out over the complex thaumaturgical ritual.

Honestly, it probably said more about himself than the ritual itself that he could break down the circle and its components as easily as he did. The days, weeks, months of research in preparation for Altrouge Brunestud and her Idea Blood having filled his head with more knowledge of contracts and rituals than he'd ever need to know otherwise.

"Alright, better do this now before Tou-san and Kaa-chan get back from Sweden…"

(Song Suggestion: Kishi Ou no Hokori)

He wasn't sure why it was taking him so long to actually start, it's not like he didn't know what to do, he wasn't nervous to summon King Arthur either, nor did he have any reason to wait apart from those. In all honesty, it was probably his thoughts on the war in general.

From the moment he'd heard of it, he'd never understood the fervor that people had towards the grand prize. He hadn't understood it, nor had he even wanted it for the slightest of moments. And then he'd heard of the origin behind the Fuyuki Fire. And then he'd heard what could happen if the war played out as it was meant to this time as well.

Shirou Muramasa-Emiya wanted no part in this war. He hadn't, didn't and would never. But this, what he was doing right now, wasn't for the purposes of fighting in that war, it was for the purpose of trying to prevent it. He was creating a blade in the hopes that it would stop a war from happening that would ever need its edge.

It was a foolish, idiotic hope that something deep inside Shirou; that part of him that was 'Sword', scoffed at but one that he wished to see come to fruition all the same.

Usually, the incantation for the summoning of a Servant was grandiose and full of double entendre's and symbolism. Truthfully, the incantation was a call into the Throne, and the words themselves mattered little, only whether the meaning or power behind them could convince the Heroic Spirit in question to divide that part of themselves that became a Servant and allow it to be summoned.

So Shirou, as Shirou did best, decided that the regular magi way was ridiculous and over bloated. And instead went with his own method, born of his rather unique knowledge and outlook on the world.

"Throne beyond all boundaries, heed my call."

"I do not seek the greatest Heroes to lead me to the Kingdom."

"I seek an audience with the King that dreams of Utopia."

"I call upon King Artoria Pendragon with my conviction and words."

"A calamity of fire and death threatens to consume and destroy."

"If you refuse to stand by and watch the world burn then answer me."

"To protect those close to me from the destruction of our world."

"I call upon you, King of Knights!"

The magic circle beneath his feet exploded with light and air, trying its absolute best to blow Shirou back. But despite shutting his eyes, he didn't budge in the slightest. Both of the teen's eyes opened as the light behind his eyelids dissipated in the nighttime air.

And in front of him, in a long blue battle dress covered in silver plates of metal and her hair tied up in a bun just like Gray liked to do, stood Artoria Pendragon. The daughter of King Ulther, sister to Morgan le Fay, and the last King of the Kingdom of Camelot.

"I am Saber, your Servant. I have come in response to your summons. I ask you….Are you my Master?"

"Hey, Saber." Shirou greeted, his right eye beginning to glow the faintest amount as Avalon reacted to the true presence of its first wielder. "I'm Shirou Muramasa-Emiya. Your Master." His outstretched hand lowered slightly, shifting its rotation so that he could offer a handshake to her.

XXXxxxXXX

Artoria Pendragon was….confused.

Her new Master's incantation was simple, far too simple. It never should have worked, never should have even reached the 'her' dying on the hill, let alone led to her being summoned.

Though, after barely a moment's thought, she at least knew why it had been accepted. Artoria Pendragon was an existence that sat kneeling on that hill in Camelot, bleeding out and forcing herself to stare, unblinkingly, at the destruction and calamity that had overcome her kingdom. A destruction burnt so thoroughly into her eyes that she could see it even now, as the smoke of her summoning began to dissipate. She couldn't allow even a fraction of that to overcome another, even if it meant she had to work with an unmotivated Master.

And then, as the smoke cleared and she got a view of who she believed to be her Master, despite feeling the connection, her breathing hitched for only a moment. Her armour, made deceptively to fool the eye and hide the curves of womanhood that had come in a scant few years before she pulled Caliburn, clinked as she breathed back out, looking over him.

Her Master looked to roughly be the same age as she herself looked, clothed in the traditional clothing of the country she had been summoned into. Yet at one side of his waist sat a jeweled hammer, and on the other rested a sheathed blade.

"I am Saber, your Servant. I have come in response to your summons. I ask you….Are you my Master?" Her question was calm, composed, void of all her confusion and personal feelings, as was meant to be the case.

Both as King, and as this boy's Servant.

"Hey, Saber." The teen greeted her, almost casually, both of his eyes beginning to ever so faintly glow, though the right one far moreso. "I'm Shirou Muramasa-Emiya. Your Master."

And then he held his hand out to her, to shake, she noticed, and not wanting to be rude to her new Master, she accepted. Though the name Emiya made her wary and cautious, wondering if this boy was anything like her previous Master, especially given the proximity to the last War.

And in her caution and wariness, for only a single moment as the fingers of her right hand began to curl around his own right hand, the King of Britain considered acting out now, before he had a chance to become just a second Kiritsugu. She wasn't going to, of course, but the thought was like a parasite, refusing to die quietly. Her fingers tightened, her mind telling her to tighten further and strike in that singular moment of cautious weakne-

Crushing grip, a grip returned of equal strength.

A blade hidden by wind; A thousand blades prepared.

Blood.

Artoria blinked in surprise and nearly stumbled back a step as Shirou smiled innocently and shook their hands up and down one time, pulling her own back to her as he ended the handshake.

"So, Saber. Things probably aren't as simple as you might have thought with this war."

'When are they ever?' The King thought to herself, but she kept those thoughts and all inklings toward them off her face as she recovered from her vision.

"In what way, Master?"

"It'll be easier to explain in the morning once I'm running on more than a couple of hours of sleep. Are you okay with waiting?"

"That will be fine with me, Master." Artoria responded, since she truthfully had no reason to ask for the details at this moment and time.

It was unlikely anything would happen tonight, so she believed she could afford to wait the…six or so hours till sunrise, based on the moon's position.

"Great. Just...fair warning, my sister has summoned a Servant of her own, so if you sense a Servant in or approaching the house…"

"I understand Master. Thank you for the warning." She didn't know how to feel about this.

On one hand, just knowing he had some relation to her last Master made her wary of everything her new Master said. Yet at the same time, her new Master was hardly like her old one so far. She didn't know what to think, her caution and her logic fighting it out in her mind as she followed behind him.

So, for now, she'd trust in her instincts, and continue following after her Master.

"Are you going to spiritualize?" Shirou asked, not expectantly or arrogantly like most Magi, more in genuine curiosity.

And now it was Artoria's queue to start lying.

"Ah, unfortunately Master, I cannot. It seems the summoning was improperly completed. I'm receiving the correct amount of Prana, yet I will be unable to spiritualize." After her words, the teen froze and turned his head to stare at her with those strangely mismatched eyes of his, the fairy letters in his right entrancing her just enough that she almost missed the way that his brows furrowed and his eyes themselves flit between her and the summoning circle he had used.

"Huh…damn. Oh well, I'll set up a bed for you in a spare room then?"

"I assure you I need no such thing, I am a Servant after all, not a real person anymore." Shirou's brows furrowed further at this. "And the further I am from you, the more danger you are in. I cannot allow us to stay in separate rooms."

"Hm….Alright then, a bed in my room." Shirou acquiesced, starting to walk back towards the main building of the estate Artoria found herself on.

"Once again Master-"

"Saber, you still have the instincts of a person, do you not?"

"I- uh. Yes." His question had thrown her for a loop, leaving her momentarily on the back foot in their conversation.

"Then your instincts will make you feel tired, won't they?"

"Not quite. Servants can conserve mana by spirituali…sing…"

"I'll set you up a spare bed." Artoria pressed her lips thinly together, feeling an ember of childish anger flare up at losing such a simple argument with her master.

And then she crushed it ruthlessly. Such emotions weren't needed. Not as King and especially not now…

"Very well, Master."

XXXxxxXXX

Einzbern Castle, Fuyuki (0 days till 5th HGW)

"All of you fan out and check the Bounded Field." A young teen with pure white hair pulled back into a high ponytail and ruby red eyes ordered coldly.

"Right away, Lord Walter." A multitude of Einzbern Homunculi flittered away from the boy and the Servant that was beside him.

"And you." The figure, Berserker, hummed, turning blank eyes on the teenager who only stared back with cold passivity. "Spiritualize, you suck up far too much prana simply by existing."

Berserker hummed once more, their attention being drawn to something far off in the distance, though to Walter it only seemed like they were staring at the wall of the castle blankly.

"…Gi..l…."

"Did you not hear me, Berserker? Spiritualize." Blank eyes turned once more on Walter, before their appearance began to waver and wane, slowly spiritualizing like he had ordered.

Until finally, only Walter was left alone in the hallway of the castle, the teen-looking Homunculus letting out a long, aggravated breath.

"This time. This time, nothing will stop us from winning!"

XXXxxxXXX

Omake: The 23rd

"It's January 23rdddddddd!" Irisviel squealed happily, sliding into the living room with two lit sparklers held high above her head.

From the couch, Kiritsugu looked up from his newspaper and Shirou looked up from his ideas notebook, the both of them giving her identical flat looks of confusion.

"And?..." Kiritsugu asked, knowing that he wasn't missing some kind of anniversary or holiday.

He kept a meticulous calender of such things after the outburst of '97 after all.

"January! 23rd!"

"Kaa-chan….that doesn't mean anything to us." Shirou deadpanned, his singular open eye going half-lidded as he did so.

"Illya-chan!" The matriarch of the Emiya household yelled out expectantly.

"JANUARY 23RD!" Much like her mother, Illya slid into the living room, waving two lit sparklers and blowing on a party horn as loud as she possibly could.

And both clutching their ears at the loud, high-pitched sound, both Shirou and Kiritsugu snapped.

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!"

XXXxxxXXX

Hi guys!

It's January 23rd of 2023 and I'm releasing Chapter 23. The meme is not only alive but stronger than ever! And with an omake to boot.

Also for those of you who might be wondering, probably not many of you, this version of Artoria is slightly older than the Canon Saber Artoria in terms of body development and when she pulled Caliburn from the stone. If you wanted a visual indicator I'd say roughly halfway between Lancer Artoria and Saber Artoria, but leaning more towards Lancer. Now while part of this decision was because I prefer the appearance of Lancer Artoria, I do have an actual explanation for why I've done this which I'll either explain in the AN of chap 24, discord or both if enough people want to hear it. Also yes, this same Artoria was the one that was summoned into the HttB version of the 4th HGW.

Now, other than that don't have much to say except for the fact that there is a review that drove me to the brink of insanity. This singular review led me into a 2-3 week raving mad binge of rants and research that my discord had the unfortunate displeasure of being forced to witness.

I will be covering the topic of that review here because I physically cannot word this in a nice enough way to feel safe putting the persons name besides this.

I absolutely, completely, with my entire fucking heart refuse to use the terminology that "Primate" in the nasuverse now means "Prime Species". I hate it. I hate it with my entire heart and soul. Not only does it barely fit but the wiki page saying so has no sources or references for where this has come from and other than that wiki page I've found a single reference towards the same thing and that was a reddit post discussing a fan translation of the new Tsukihime Remake. Y'know, the remake that came out almost an entire year before the wiki page on this issue.

EGGS if you're somehow reading this, put a goddamn source in the wiki page or put your fucking hands up cause we're fighting.

Because it's not from LB6, that came out 3-4 months before the wiki page was created and its sure as shit not from LB7 which came out 2-3 months after it was created. Even if I've been told it features in LB7.

But the reason I bring this up is to answer a single question. "Could Primate Murder beat the Rainbow Serpent?" to which the answer is no.

Primate Murder is so fine-tuned to beating humans that I personally do not believe he was built to fight anything else. First of all he's only been around while humans were very squarely the Prime Species (He was still Fou and had yet to actually become Primate Murder as of at least 500 CE/AD). Second of all he's a beast of humanity, Beast IV to be exact. Third of all, and this is regarding a comment in the actual review, Authorities fighting Authorities are outright bullshit by nature. Primate Murder fighting a God like the Rainbow Serpent isn't just down to "I'm faster therefore I win", fights involving anyone/thing with Authority is a conceptual clusterfuck. Fourth of all, and this still applies even if I agreed with the "Primate = Prime Species" thing, which I don't (I'd like to preface I have no issue with the idea of Prime Species, more its tying into the word "Primate" and all the clusterfucks it retroactively creates), theres the fact that there can only be one Prime Species at a time. That's why they're the Prime. It does not matter if Gods were the Prime Species, they no longer are, so no Primate Murders Authority does not apply to the Rainbow Serpent. Fifth of all is the fact that Primate Murder has been around since roughly 2000 and thus has 22 years of lore to go through. Changing the meaning of Primate now is misleading and almost outright confusing. Because all the lore for Primate Murder has been centered around humans, with the IRL meaning for "primate" whenever its been used to describe his abilities and so on. Looking at everything before the definition change and just saying "Yes Primate Murder can now 7v1 some of the Greek Gods regardless of Authorities" isn't how it should or does work in any meaning. Anyways I'm going to stop myself right here before I start going in loops and knowing my luck Nasu is going to release something in like 2 weeks confirming all of this and making my life a living hell.

Right. So. That's my incoherent nerd rage out into the world to likely be clowned on and flamed for, for all eternity. Hope it was educational and/or entertaining for you all.

Oh, and one more thing.

I cannot fucking believe that 6 goddamn days after I add Archer Heracles and the Einzbern Servant into this story one of the only Fate stories to include both of them dropped a 7 minute trailer. I've been malding ever since it dropped and I do not believe I'll ever stop.

Now! There are many reviews to go through so lets get onto that shall we?
REVIEW REPLIES:

Chapter 21:

King of Uruk: I know right? Very fitting name btw

Fujin of shadows: Yeah but you gotta make things have stakes somehow y'know?

AngelicWisdom: I'm glad it had such a profound effect on you! I've been planning this out for months at this stage.

FatherKirei: Rather ironic considering your name but thank you so much for your kind words! I'm very happy you enjoyed it as much as you did and I hope you had a great holidays as well.

JonnyBoboThe1st: I'd hope so, it was fucking difficult to write!

RebelOtakuX: Thank you for your understanding and your praise, it means a lot.

AnimeFan13579: Very much so, but his arrogance is such a strong part of his character that you need something big to even shake it, let alone break it enough for him to act like that.

Zukafew119: Hello once again with the first of your two reviews! I don't have much to say except for the fact that the fire blade you thought was Ig-Alima was actually Sul Sagana. Ig-Alima was the blade she used Millennium Castle Brunestud to defend against the first time. Also about not getting to see Altrouge and Arcuied that was very much purposeful because after everything else in the chapter I didn't want to bog it down with rather boring, if tense, talk they were going to have. And not to mention it'll be referenced later on most likely so if it is you'll learn more about it then.

Simon334: Gilgamesh has been moving about, that's for sure, but of course the best plans are often the simplest and if the main issue is everyones strength than that's a pretty easy fix, at least in his mind.

Chapter 22:

Fujin of shadows: Indeed, it will be spicy, and maybe, who knows?

Marcus De Gabriel: Sorry to say, my dude, but Artoria has been added. And I'm glad you enjoyed the parts with the Rainbow Serpent.

AngelicWisdom: Please be careful with injecting wholesomeness and remember that telling the hospital what you injected is always safer than trying to hide it.

Citrinequartz712: Yes indeed it will! And I can't wait!

GoldQuartz: His God Hand wasn't nerfed as a Berserker actually, that's an Alcides specific NP.

Orion B: No guessing needed when you have luck like mine…-_-

Mufalan: Thank you and I shall try

Greyfox2: Merry Christmas and you're very welcome!

Rhazort: Dude. Sorry to say but Medea isn't here anymore

Swiftcaliston: iiiiitttttttssssssss hhhhhhhheeerrrrrrrreeeeeee

LOSTxWo1f: I've already completed chapter 24 as of posting this chapter so I can say it's quite amusing.

ZeroCrimson: Well you're in fucking luck!

TheSlySage: I'll freely admit this. EMIYA won't be summoned by anyone

ThisIsStorm101: Yes, the Rainbow Serpent is a Creator Deity, you're correct.

Midoriryu: I'm glad you've enjoyed his development, I've been planning it out for a while and slowly sowing the seeds. Its been fucking torture having to wait this long.

BoneDaddy2019: Aaaaaaaand now the identities of all the participants have been revealed and/or hinted at.

Gabedane: Yeah she's still a straight up villain in Fate. But sorta so is Medusa and magi are weird folk anyway

AnimeFan13579: Trust me there's quite a lot of thought that's gone into all this stuff and the scale of the Rainbow Serpent was just one idea I had to supercharge the grail but the other two were deemed too "Generic or cringey" by my Beta's. But yes, certain items can be tied to more than one person and the Edelfelts alone make any War more interesting.

Letr1994: Shirou doesn't know that they used to be sisters because they don't really have a reason to tell him, and yes Rin is aware of what's happened to Sakura

Zukafew119: Hi!...again. First of all I'd like to say that no, Jubstacheit has no idea about that because all the damage was fixed after the battle specifically so that they'd be none the wiser. And don't worry, even though Kirei is gone in life, he's still in the story in spirit and will continue to haunt the cast, specifically Rin and Caren with all the outright cruel shit he did/was doing over the 10 years. And finally I hope you had a good New Years as well Zuka!

REVIEW REPLIES OVER!

Alright that's me done and dusted. Time to go fix some characterization in chapter 24 and fucking relax after this chapter (11255 words as of this sentence). Also Chapter 24 will be releasing at the usual date of the last 3-4 days of the month so likely anywhere between February 25-28.

If you want to join my discord here ya go
discord code: plasmaassassin

(That's right Gal's, Bro's and Non-binary ho's, I have a custom link to my server now!)