"Well, that meeting was certainly interesting." Shirou yawned into his hand, walking down a street in the setting sunlight of Fuyuki.
" 'Interesting' was certainly a word for it. Is it wise to put trust in Semiramis?" Saber asked while shadowing her Master as they walked.
"You don't trust her?" Shirou hummed, turning his head to look at his Servant with his one good eye.
"After that display she put on as a 'test', I can't quite say so." The blacksmith merely hummed, turning his head back towards the end of the street as he kept walking.
"I can't blame you for that. I think Rin looked about ready to throttle her." Shirou snorted, getting a thin frown from the King.
"Your maid didn't look pleased either."
"Sakura…" Shirou's voice took on a more pensive quality for a moment, making Saber eye the back of her Master's head curiously before he continued. "She doesn't take kindly to those who badmouth me. It's something that Sella taught her, and those lessons stuck."
"As the lessons of a proper maid or butler should." Artoria nodded resolutely to herself.
"That's exactly what Sella said too."
"Then she is a proper maid."
"Hm. But as for Semiramis, I don't know. I don't want to make a decision one way or the other just yet."
"You want to try and wait it out to see where her priorities lie? I'd personally recommend caution in interacting with her first and foremost." Saber responded coolly, almost admonishing Shirou for his viewpoint.
"I mean, yeah. Of course, exercise caution. But I'm also not going to treat her as if she's going to stab me at any moment." Shirou easily retorted. He opened his mouth to say more before pausing, his head tilting to the right. His action caused Saber to do the same.
The woman had clenched her fingers and tensed for a split second, ready to call upon the legendary blade she carried. Her eyes narrowed and her stance lowered.
But in the end, it proved not to be necessary. It was merely a simple owl. Saber was certain it was a familiar, but only a regular one and not one that either of them had to worry about in a combative sense.
"Do you recognize it, Master?" Saber asked as they continued to walk, watching the owl silently fly away.
"Nope." Shirou hummed, popping the 'P' as he continued to walk without a single worry in the world.
"Clearly it was looking for us."
"And it found us. Not really much else to do. Either they'll do something or they won't, but now we know they're there." Shirou shrugged, getting a thoughtful hum from the Servant.
"I still believe that taking the familiar out would be the smartest plan." Shirou hummed once more at his Servant's words. He looked over at her as if weighing up his options before shrugging and stretching an arm out wide.
"Well alright then, been a while since I've had a target like this." In Shirou's hand, a traditional English longbow appeared in a flare of Prana. An arrow appeared in his other hand as he brought them together.
"You're an archer, Master?" Artoria raised her eyebrows, unable to find anything wrong with his stance as his eyes narrowed on the retreating familiar.
"I dabbled." The arrow left his fingertips in a crack of wind. Nothing quite as powerful or instant as the similar scene with Heracles the day before, but nonetheless surprising for the Once and Future King.
It took her squinting ever so slightly thanks to the light of the setting sun, but Artoria was easily able to watch the arrow in its flight. Her green eyes tracked it across the sky before, like it was fated, the projectile struck its target head on. Sniping it from the sky in a puff of feathers and a burst of Prana.
"Alright, it's gone. Come on, Saber." Shirou smiled, gesturing for her to follow him as he started to continue his walk. The Servant dutifully followed.
"That was a rather impressive shot, Master."
"Thanks, it's been a month or two since I last practiced archery." Shirou folded his hands across his chest, slipping them into the sleeve of the other arm.
"You don't do it regularly?" The admonishment in Artoria's voice was clear to hear and actually made Shirou flinch a little, laughing nervously.
"Ahhh, don't be like that, Saber. I've been pretty busy with commissions."
"Right. You're a blacksmith, aren't you, Master?"
"That's right, and I'd like to say a good one." Shirou nodded proudly.
"Given your Magecraft, I can easily understand that." Artoria said, a ghost of a smile touching her lips.
To have a Master as strong and driven as her current one had sparked a kindling of pride within the king. One that she wouldn't show and wouldn't even admit to herself yet, but one that was beginning to form all the same.
"Would you believe me if I said the Magecraft came second?" Shirou turned his head to look back at the woman with a smirk.
"I... I can see how that could happen, yes." It took Artoria a moment, but she could see how his Magecraft could have been developed from an already present skill or enjoyment in blacksmithing.
She wasn't quite on the money with her guess, but without certain facts, she would basically never be able to figure it out. So it made sense.
The conversation between the two of them died out for a moment as they walked. The only sound in the street was the buzzing hum of the streetlights and their footsteps.
"Saber, do you hate me?"
"Wha-!?" The question knocked Artoria entirely off center, making her stumble over her own foot and spread her arms out on instinct even if she caught herself a second later.
Shirou gave her a moment to recompose herself. He stood still and looked at her with those mismatched eyes that gave her the impression that the teenager was seeing right through her. His spiky hair waved in the breeze; hers did the same but was more subdued thanks to the tight bun hers was woven into.
"Where did that come from, Master?"
"Just thinking. You're hard to get a read on when you go all stone-faced. And you react so violently whenever I bring up Tou-san or what's happened to the Grail."
"Those are... separate matters entirely, Master. I do not hate you for them. Even when you bring them up rather... bluntly."
"Are you sure? I understand if you do happen to."
"No. Master, I assure you that I hold no ill-will towards you, despite what my... shameful outburst yesterday may lead you to believe." Artoria couldn't help the blush that crossed her cheeks at the reminder of how angry she had gotten the day before.
It was small and barely noticeable, but still there.
And then it was gone in an instant as the both of them jolted at the sound of a ringtone from Shirou's pocket. Shirou hummed and pulled his phone out, getting a quizzical look from Saber.
The teen flipped his phone open with a bored hum before his eyebrows rose into his hairline, getting a somehow even more intense look of confusion from the Servant. With a simple press of a button, Shirou lifted the small device up to his ear.
"This is Shirou Muramasa, what can I do for you today?"
Saber couldn't help but notice the similarities to a shopkeeper answering a patron as she listened in on the conversation, even from where she was standing.
"Muramasa, quick to answer. You must not be in your forge."
"You'd be right, Barthomeloi."
"Good. Tell me what happened in Fuyuki. The mana readings of the entire city and immediate surrounding area shot up last night."
"Shot up? We'd all feel something like that, and nothing's increased." Saber could see the confusion that was painting her Master's face and couldn't help but share it.
The mana levels of the city had been exactly the same since she had been summoned.
"I would warn you against lying to me, Muramasa."
"I'm not. Nothing has increased in the Mana of Fuyuki. At least not to my senses."
"…I see. You're right, such an increase as the one we have noticed would be easy for anyone trained to use Thaumaturgy to notice."
"So what? The Clock Tower has suddenly just sensed a massive increase in Fuyuki's Mana?"
"It seems so. This has closed a few theories."
"Pleasure to do business?" Shirou trailed off, clearly off-put by the bluntness of the woman on the other end of the conversation.
Saber hoped that it would cause him to reconsider his own way of speaking. She knew better than to do it, but she hoped all the same.
"Indeed. Speaking of, have you put any thought into the offer that I made last time you came to the Clock Tower?" At this, Saber perked up a little, wondering what sort of offer had been made to her Master and whether it was beneficial or not.
"It's certainly tempting, I can't deny that. Unfortunately, my answer will be the same, I need the time to decide."
"Of course. The Edelfelts have been longtime partners of yours. However, I'll be waiting for that answer, Muramasa. Farewell."
"Yeah, bye to you too." Shirou replied dryly, hanging up the call and sighing heavily.
"That appeared to be a rather interrogative conversation, Master?" Saber spoke slowly, taking a chance that Shirou either wouldn't notice or care that she'd been eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Because it was, that's how Lorelei always is."
Lorelei Barthomeloi. Artoria made sure to save that name to memory. It seemed, at least from the way that she was talking, that she was in some position of authority amongst the Clock Tower.
"What deal is she trying to make with you, Master?"
Shirou, in response to this question, merely sighed and let his head droop for a moment before raising it back up to speak to her.
"I come from a family lineage that's 500 years old. As far as the Clock Tower goes, it's far from the longest, but it's still pretty high up there. Lorelei is the leader of the Aristocratic Faction. And they, in really basic terms, believe that bloodline and pedigree are the most important things."
"Ah, I see." Saber deadpanned. She really should have known that was still an issue, she really should have.
"I've been partnered with the Edelfelts since I came to the Clock Tower, they're part of the Democratic Faction who believes that the individual matters more than what family they came from."
Ah, Saber could see what was unfolding before her now. Shirou was allied with the Democratic faction, but considering his lineage, this Lorelei woman obviously believes that he should be part of her own faction and was trying to convince him over to her side.
"Does that mean you agree with the Democratic faction and their views?" This was a perfect time to get a better understanding of her Master and his viewpoints.
"I don't care." Shirou groaned tiredly, making Saber deadpan once more, but this time directed at him. "Honestly, I fit better with the neutral faction. I don't care, and I just want to further my smithing in peace."
"I see. You've certainly found yourself in a… unique situation, Master."
"That's just my life at this point." Shirou finally took a hand out of one of his sleeves to crack his neck, shaking his head a bit a moment later.
"I'd have to agree with you on that point, Master. Even with only having known you for a scant few days." Saber nodded before she stilled, and her gaze snapped to the rooftop of a building a few blocks down from the two of them.
"Hm? Something interesting, Saber?" Shirou asked, his own gaze sliding in the direction of his Servant's attention.
"Potential enemies are heading this way."
"Oh? How many?" Saber looked over at the interested twinge in her Master's voice, hoping that he wasn't actually looking forward to a fight.
"They're still a way out, but it seems like-" At this Saber paused for a moment, seeming to be concentrating. "-Six."
"Only six? I'm not even going to be able to pull my blade before you're on them." Shirou sighed sadly, getting a sharp side-eye in return.
"Master, need I remind you that as your Servant, it is my responsibility to fight in your stead?"
"That's during fights with other Servants-"
"It's during the entirety of the Holy Grail War, for as long as I am materialized. And forgive me if I'm wrong, but I believe I am currently materialized." Saber argued, getting a sigh from Shirou as he patted the pommel of the katana sheathed on his hip.
"There, there, Kuro-chan. I'll get to test you out properly one day, I promise."
"Master, is your blade... sentient?" Artoria couldn't help but ask, a little perturbed at his speaking to it.
The absolutely owlish look of confusion she got in return only served to compound her own.
"Of course not."
"I… see." Saber didn't know what to say in response to that, so she just decided, smartly, to say nothing.
For the moment, she didn't pull her blade out, instead waiting to see what the six figures rapidly approaching did. Though she did have to hover a hand towards Shirou when she noticed his own hand inching closer and closer to his blade.
And finally, the six reached them. Their bloodlust was as clear as day, despite the expressions on their faces. They were clearly not regular people; their eyes were hazy, and their expressions were lax and unmoving even as four of them charged spells while the other two began to draw weapons.
And as if Shirou had personally pissed off God himself, all six of them clearly had it in for him specifically, only getting an unimpressed look in return.
"Master, get back!" Saber launched herself forward, her invisible blade striking the blade of the largest melee combatant, shattering it and tearing clean into the man's torso.
Her blade went straight through the man with no effort on the Servant's part whatsoever. The blade already rising into the air after she leapt high and batted two spells, one wind based and one curse based, aside with her gauntleted hand. A one word aria spell from a Modern Magus could never hope to harm her due to her high Magic Resistance so it was childs play to knock them astray.
Meanwhile, Shirou, more out of excitement to see Saber's fighting style than any real worry, leapt back at his Servant's command. His action caused him to skip a few meters back before easily sliding to a stop, almost tempted to keep his hands in his sleeves. Of course he didn't, he was too well versed in combat to do anything as ridiculously dumb as that, but it was certainly tempting.
However, the familiar watching the combat was certainly something he couldn't help but notice, so pretty and so very European. It was a rather bad pick for Fuyuki, but really, he knew how bad Magi were with Eastern countries, so he should have expected it.
The sound of a scream of pain brought his attention back to the fight, where it seemed like Saber had managed to deflect the other two spells and had taken out the last of the melee combatants, now starting her siege on the long-range casters. A barrage of spells curled around Saber, more than she could possibly protect Shirou from. She narrowed her eyes as she shot towards the Magi with a renewed vigor, hoping that Shirou could deal with those attacks as she showed no mercy on the blanked eyed, almost robotic, magi.
Meanwhile, sitting on the edge of a streetlight, was a sparrow. Its small, beady eyes watched the entire fight with an intelligence that such a species of bird should never have been capable of. But as the last of the ranged combatants started to fall, it decided that now was a proper time to report its findings to its master.
"Well, hi there." The bird startled mid-takeoff, faulting for only a moment.
Yet it had no time to even let gravity take hold of it, as the hand of Shirou whipped out and grabbed it. His grip was so precise that the bird was unable to move yet found itself not damaged in the slightest.
"Hey there, no need to worry, I just have a message for you to bring back to your Master, ok?" The bird in his hand nodded its head rapidly, so Shirou opened his hand, letting it escape his terrifying grip. "Just let them know if they want a fight to come to me directly, ok? The cloak and dagger stuff gets real boring after the first few families give it a try."
The bird did nothing except take off, getting an exasperated sigh from Shirou, as if he had just finished talking to an unruly teen that wasn't listening to his world-wizened advice.
"Master! Are you unharmed?" Shirou perked up before he smiled down at Saber from where he was crouching on the streetlight.
"I'm all fine, Saber. There's no reason to worry, really."
"I would not be a proper Servant if I did not worry, Master."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Shirou sighed and hopped to the ground, his legs absorbing the impact with ease as he straightened back out again.
"Are you really going to allow that familiar to leave, Master?" Saber asked, giving him an unimpressed look as he shrugged.
"I had a message I wanted to pass back to its master." He replied, getting a disapproving glare and a tired sigh.
"Master, why?"
XXXxxxXXX
Five Minutes Later, Einzbern Castle
"I see. Thank you." The sparrow nodded its head before flying away from its master, letting them turn back to Walter von Einzbern.
"Well?" The Homunculi asked with an unimpressed look, tapping his finger on the arm of his chair with an impatient scowl.
"The Master's combat ability is still completely unknown because the Servant took down all of the assailants single-handedly."
"So much for using hired help." Walter sniped, clearly making an insult towards their dolls that they'd sent after Shirou under request from the homunculi in front of her.
"I doubt your homunculi would have made much of a difference, and I have fulfilled my part of our agreement, regardless."
"Yes, yes. I suppose any information is better than none. And sadly, you have completed your end, so I'll share with you information that Lord Jubstacheit has decided can be known."
It was silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry, did you want me to say something?" The figure placed a finger to their bottom lip and tilted their head.
"Hmph. I should have expected that even the humans in your family would be just as inept at social cues. The information is that there's a fail-safe built into the Greater Grail. Set it off, and the first Great Holy Grail War will take place. 14 Servants, 14 Masters."
"I see, brother will be happy with this news. Thank you, Mr. Einzbern." The figure stood up, dusting themselves off.
"Next time I'll forgo your services if that's all the information you can bring me, Ainsworth."
"If that's what you wish, go ahead. I've gotten what I need." The figure nodded, getting a scowl from Walter as he tightened his fist.
"Berserker!"
"Farewell."
And as Berserker appeared in a crackle of mana, the figure fell through what, for all intents and purposes, was a portal. The overlapping blue squares folded back in on themselves before disappearing entirely, getting a disgusted look from Walter.
"Those Ainsworths are nothing but trouble. If she tries to approach again, kill her Berserker."
"Mmmmmmm."
XXXxxxXXX
"Angelica, what did you find out?" The moment that the young woman had dropped into her family's abode, her brother was on her.
But calling him her brother didn't feel quite right, not anymore.
Once upon a time, Julian was different. He'd been an introvert and tended to prefer his time in solitude. But there had been a warmth to him, like a radiant heat that gave off no light but nonetheless warmed the room when she was with him.
Now, after the disaster that had been the artifact retrieval two years ago, her brother had changed. Perhaps it had been the rather shockingly fast decline and deaths of their father and mother, but Julian was starting to act just like their father. Angelica wasn't the biggest fan of that. He had gone past the point of acting now and didn't even feel the same anymore.
But nonetheless, he was her brother, and like a good older sister, she would do her best to aid him.
"On Saber and her Master? Rather little, I'm afraid." She bowed in apology.
She never felt compelled to bow like this before the failed retrieval, she did it out of a show of respect. Now it's like Julian expected it of her, as if it would be a slight against him if she didn't. Just like their father…
"But, while annoyed and begrudging, the Einzbern did give me information on the Grail."
"Anything we didn't already know?"
"Yes, there is a failsafe built into the Greater Grail. Activating it will summon additional Servants."
"Additional? Why?"
"I... do not know, I apologize."
"Such a simple question... Very well, it doesn't matter. That's just what we need. To achieve my wish will be far simpler with a Servant at my side from the beginning rather than circumventing a Servant to take out their Master."
"Of course. Forgive my asking, Julian. But what is your wish exactly?" Angelica asked, almost afraid to ask.
"To bring humanity back to its prime, of course. Can't you see the chaos we're facing? Dead apostles are more active than ever, there are weapons of mass destruction around every corner, and Thaumaturgy is slowly dying out. If you can't see all these issues, I really do worry about how useful you'll be, sister."
Angelica tensed slightly, fortunately hidden by her somewhat baggy clothing. Her eyes, which were already firmly fixed on the ground, slightly hardened.
"I will be useful, I promise. Julian."
"Excellent. Check in on the dolls, make sure they're aware of what's to come. I'll meet you in Fuyuki once I check in on the Orb."
Ah, yes, the Orb. A rather strange artifact that had been in their family's possession for centuries at this stage. To this day, Angelica still had the bare minimum knowledge of it, since neither her father nor Julian, whom he'd apparently told, had seen fit to inform her of what exactly the Orb was. All she knew was that by linking their family Magecraft, Displacement Air, to the Orb and channeling it through it, it allowed them to push their Magecraft far past what anyone had thought possible.
Angelica did doubt the view that both Julian and her father had of it being an infallible magical artifact. As the family's vanguard in recent years and the one who used Displacement Air the most by a wide margin, Angelica was well aware of the growing faults in the Orb.
But now wasn't the time for that, she had a job to do. So she would do so, but the reminder of their family's dolls gave her a momentary pause. Perhaps that was why Julian had been so different since their failed mission. Had his injury been too grave and he'd been made into a doll?
She'd have to look into it further, but for now she needed to keep moving.
XXXxxxXXX
Meanwhile, Fuyuki
"I see, that's no good." Illya deduced. A hand on her chin as she nodded gravely with her eyes closed.
"I'd have to agree on that matter, attacks of any kind aren't a good sign. Especially if we don't know who's perpetrated them." Bazett nodded, sitting at the dinner table alongside the two Emiya children.
"I agree with you both, which is why I keep reminding Master that he shouldn't be fighting." Saber added, looking pointedly at Shirou as he continued to eat his food nonchalantly.
"You'd have a better chance of curing a Berserker of their madness." Bazett snorted, grinning teasingly at the mildly miffed look that Shirou gave her in response.
"I agree with you, but that's just uncalled for." He pointed his chopsticks at the woman accusingly. Though he lowered them a bit when Scathach materialized beside Bazett, the woman kneeled beside her Master as she figured was customary at this specific type of table.
"Lancer?" Shirou gave her a confused look at her sudden appearance, getting a polite smile in response.
"Just call me by my name for the moment, since I actually have a personal request of you. If my Master would allow it." Scathach looked over at her Master, and it seemed the two of them were having a telepathic conversation.
Though the startling intake of breath that Bazett made only made everyone at the table more curious as to what Scathach could have said. Other than Shirou, it also made everyone at the table rather suspicious about what this request would be.
"Excellent." Scathach nodded, so they could only assume that Bazett had given some kind of permission for her to continue. "Then, Shirou. I've heard from Master that you're a rather skilled warrior."
Knowing her brothers' luck, Illya immediately knew where this conversation was going, making her let out a startled bark of laughter.
"I practice quite often." Shirou responded modestly, but Scathach could tell that it wasn't fake.
Oh, sure, he was clearly holding things back. But at the same time, he wasn't being dishonest with his answer.
"Yes, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but you're a blacksmith, are you not? It's quite odd to see one with as much strength and skill as yourself."
"That's because my family believed that the best way to discover a flaw in a blade was to wield it yourself. How could you ever create a masterpiece blade without first being able to wield a blade to a level befitting your own creation?"
"Ah, I see. A commendable way to think about it. Yes, it's true that a master could take any blade and be at least partially proficient with it. But in that same token, only a master could find a flaw in a truly well-made blade."
"Exactly!" Shirou pointed at her with a grin.
"There's two of them." Illya whispered harshly to Bazett, leaning over while keeping her eyes stuck on Shirou and Scathach.
In return, all Bazett did was huff in annoyance and shove the younger girl out of her personal space.
"Well, I can see that clearly you want to try out that blade at your side and that you itch for a battle. I myself am quite curious as to what constitutes 'rather strong' in this day and age."
"Are you asking to spar with me?" Shirou asked curiously, completely missing the ashen color that his Servant had turned about halfway through Scathach's sentence.
"I am indeed." Scathach replied with a small but pleasant smile, not even reacting at all as Saber spoke up.
"Master, I know you're strong, but to match a Servant on her level, you'd have to pull every trick you could possibly imagine. It's simply too dangerous." Saber denied it instantly, though unfortunately, in her worry for her Master's continued health, she had slipped up.
"'Match a Servant on my level'?" This time Saber froze, realizing her blunder when she turned her gaze to the Queen, only a scant 100-200 years younger than the King of Knights herself.
The woman was giving Shirou a look that could only be described as 'violently inquisitive', her interest in the teen well and truly peaked with that statement from his very own Servant. This was bad, who knows what could happen if Shirou were to fight a Servant as old and powerful as Scathach, she had to diffuse this situation quick-
"I mean, Onii-chan fought a Dead Apostle Ancestor two years ago, and thanks to Gilgamesh's training, he's gotten way stronger!" Illya added in helpfully, ever the exuberant cheerleader for her brother.
And it was the exact opposite of what Artoria wanted at this moment. Thank you not at all, Illyasviel.
"Is that so…?"
"I have to say, even I'm interested now." Archer spoke as he suddenly materialized.
"Master, you are not fighting Archer." Saber deadpanned, locking eyes with the teen and practically peering directly into his soul.
"So Scathach is still on the table then? Great! I accept." He said quickly, turning back to Scathach and holding a hand out, getting a giggle and a somewhat dark grin from the woman as she shook it.
"Don't thank me quite yet. You'll find that I'm a rather dangerous opponent and an even worse teacher if you happen to impress me."
"Great! I know a place where we can fight, if you're wanting to do it now?"
"Very well, lead the way then."
Saber stamped down on the urge to physically grab her Master and haul him away from the Queen of Shadows, though in doing so she completely missed the rather adorable pout and glare combo that she was giving the Servant.
Unfortunately for her, Illya did not, which only gave her an idea that would have made Irisviel so proud she would cry. But that could wait, she wanted to see her brother go all out for the first time since Enhance came knocking.
XXXxxxXXX
Meanwhile, unknown location within Greater Fuyuki
"Hmmm, they're on the move again."
"Where are they going, Caster?"
"They seem to be heading towards the outskirts of the city, how very interesting."
"And Muramasa is among them?"
"Yes, indeed, he is." The Servant turned towards her Master, an icewall expression on her face.
Meanwhile, her Master, one Kristiina Edelfelt, grinned as if she were trying to cosplay the devil himself, interlacing her fingers together as she looked down at the map of Fuyuki in front of her.
"Soon, Muramasa. Soon you'll pay for showing me up all those times. Insulting me and making me look like a fool. Who do you think you are?" Kristiina growled to herself.
In response, all that Morgan le Fay, legendary witch of history, did was continue to stare coldly at her Master as she cackled over her 'battle map' of Fuyuki.
Her Master was a proper Magus, she couldn't deny that, not in the slightest. But she had an ego that Morgan honestly had little care in catering to or defending. Her obsession with the Muramasa boy would be good though, they seem to have a history of antagonization between the two of them. Strong memories and strong emotions, then.
The Muramasa boy himself was quite interesting, at least as far as humans in this day and age go. There was something not quite right about him that just made her instincts as a witch shiver. Not to mention that he'd summoned her dear sister, which by itself was enough to put him in Morgan's line of attention. Artoria always had a way of surrounding herself with interesting people and Morgan was well versed in tearing things down around Artoria, it was what she deserved for taking her birthright and ruining-
No. Deep breaths. Save the anger for later. Let it cool, then add it to the frozen lake. There, all better.
But, to properly ruin her sister, she needed to prepare and maneuver. Sadly, simply showing up would likely lead to a repeat of her first appearance.
A magnificent success in terms of throwing Artoria off her game. An equally magnificent failure in that she both failed to reach the Greater Grail and was put out of commission for the last few days. A fact that Kristiina had been hanging over her head and getting pissy over the entire time that she had been tweaking her territory and recovering.
However, there was a place where Kristiina could not only get close to the Muramasa boy but was also required to stay within a certain proximity of him. And Morgan was never one to let an insult go unpaid, so perhaps it was time to let her Master suffer something embarrassing while helping her out?
"Master."
"Yes, Caster?" Kristiina asked, her eyes still glued to the map, alight with fury and violent excitement.
Morgan pulled a small knife from one of her sleeves and cut both of her palms, masterfully smearing the blood with her fingers to draw complex magical patterns on both of her palms as she approached Kristiina from behind.
Now, it's probably important to mention that out of Kristiina's three Command Seals, one has already been used. It had been used the moment that she summoned Morgan, and it was a rather simple order, all things considered.
Morgan Le Fay cannot harm Kristiina Edelfelt.
This Command Seal was why the Edelfelt heiress felt so confident in acting as she usually did with the Witch of Camelot. That was why Kristiina allowed herself to be distracted or even slightly at ease around the witch, who was quite literally famed for betrayal and manipulation.
Unfortunately for Kristiina, injuries and murder were far from the only tools that Morgan had in her chest of secrets. And without them on the table, she had to show at least a modicum of creativity. which, when compounded with her egotistical treatment of the witch, led to her current situation.
"How about we talk about Shirou Muramasa?" Morgan's hands grabbed the sides of Kristiina's head and squeezed the magical patterns right over her ears as they started to activate.
"CASTER!?" The girl's eyes blew wide, and she immediately started to scramble in her seat, her hands slapping around for any crystals she could possibly reach as a black fog started to leave Morgan's hands and enter her ears. "CASTER WHAt are you….do..ing…I-I…..comm…and…."
"Shhhh. Shhhhhhh. There's a good girl. Don't worry. This won't harm you, sweetie. Just be a good girl for me and listen, why don't you?" The girl's body went entirely limp in her seat, her arms falling slack at her sides as her eyes glazed over.
Morgan couldn't help the dark grin that spread across her lips at the new state of her Master. It would last pretty much forever, thanks to the difference in their skills and power, but Morgan could always tweak it if need be.
"Now, let's talk."
And all that Kristiina could do was stare blankly at the wall in front of her. As drool started to trail lazily down her chin, Morgan's poisoned honey words drifted into her mind and took root. The words sounded like the greatest ideas that Kristiina had ever heard, such simple observations.
How could she have missed them?
XXXxxxXXX
Fuyuki Outskirts
"This place has seen many battles." Scathach commented, standing in the center of the training grounds that Gilgamesh had taught them in.
If anyone else had brought someone here, Gil himself may have appeared to enact justice, but given that it was Shirou himself and the purpose for it, the teen knew that the King of Heroes wouldn't make a fuss.
At least not a true one. He'd probably throw some kind of comment in there for his own enjoyment.
"It's where we tend to train and where I test out more destructive weaponry."
"Even more destructive than that blade at your side?" Scathach asked in interest, getting a slight grin that practically shone with pride.
"Currently, yes. But this blade is designed to grow stronger under specific circumstances."
"I see. Well then, I hope that I don't shatter it in our bout." Scathach spoke truly, though she could see the twitch that developed in Shirou's eyebrow at what he perceived to be a slight at his skill.
"Yeah, hope you don't." Shirou started to lower himself into a wider stance, one hand on the sheath of his blade and one hand on the hilt.
"Alright, I guess I'll be the referee." Bazett muttered with a blank gaze straight ahead, raising one arm. "If I say stop, I expect you both to stop, and if someone surrenders or can't continue, the fight will also end. Am I understood?"
"I understand." Scathach nodded, both of her spears materializing in her hands, almost making Shirou salivate on the spot.
"Crystal clear." The teen responded, his eyes alight at the sudden appearance of the Noble Phantasms already resting comfortably in his Reality Marble.
"Alright…Begin!"
Scathach pushed off, her expression carefully blank as she closed in on the teen at a rather comfortable speed, meaning blisteringly fast for anyone born in the current era. Yet to her thankful surprise, the teen seemed to be able to follow her movements, his blade flashing out and knocking her longer spear off course as she tried to impale him. The force of the strike was impressive, nothing to write home about but it could force Scathach out of her strike at this speed, so it needed commending.
'Let's test his defense first and foremost.' Red eyes narrowed.
Her shorter spear swung up and around, aiming for Shirou's stomach and chest as she used the momentum granted to her by his parry. As she spun into the strike, she stepped forward, closing the distance and negating his ability to dodge by simply moving backwards. Her shorter spear hit nothing but air as Shirou crouched down below her strike, immediately rising straight after and swinging his blade straight up. Except unlike her own strike, in which she'd positioned herself to cut off as many avenues of escape as possible, Shirou was stationary in his strike, allowing Scathach to dance around and counterstrike before he could continue.
She would test his offense later, but for now she evidently needed to push her offense a little more to keep him on his toes.
So push the offensive she did, beginning to properly attack with both spears in tandem, dancing and twirling around Shirou with the grace that only a seasoned, ancient warrior could produce. Though she found that despite pushing herself a fraction faster, Shirou was still keeping up, attacking back and getting a hum from her as she knocked his blade away and leapt back a few meters.
For a moment, she let her eyes roam over the teen as he eyed her in preparation, seemingly in the exact same state as her, no worse for wear as he levelled his blade at her.
"You don't have much in the way of sustained defense; you tend to favour parrying, riposting, and counterattacks." Scathach commented, getting a raised eyebrow from Shirou.
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"Not necessarily, but having no means of a sustained defense is a notable weakness in your arsenal, even if you prefer not to use it. Now, I wish to see your offense." Scathach unfurled four of her fingers from her shorter spear, keeping her thumb still wrapped around it as she made a 'come at me' motion with them.
And in response, Shirou grinned. Crouching low and kicking off the ground, he approached Scathach at a moderate speed, his blade singing in a flurry of blows that the woman seemed to almost see before he even started them. Her body and spears danced and swayed through his swings and thrusts with an almost bored aura, her leg suddenly swinging up and striking Shirou in the side, throwing him across the clearing.
Though he was quick to respond and rolled into a crouch as his momentum ground to a halt, the teen slowly continued moving, looking at Scathach as if he was only just seeing her for the first time.
"That's not all you have, is it?" Scathach asked, looking over at Saber briefly.
She did so for one reason, the other Servant seemed to have some form of knowledge about her Master's skill set somehow. Regardless of the blonde woman's reaction to the combat, it would be telling for the Queen of the Land of Shadows.
And telling it was, a hopeful and confused furrowing of her eyebrows and a pensive pursing of her lips as she looked at her Master.
'So he's holding back to that extent, but why, I wonder? ' Scathach hummed to herself.
"No, not really. I just wanted to see how my blade did." Shirou shrugged from his position, getting a hum from the Lancer-class Servant.
"And what's the verdict, if you don't mind me asking?"
"It's handling just as I thought it would. The durability is holding up, and the length is proving to be great for my height and reach." Shirou stood up, doing a few swings with his blade experimentally. "I'm a bit disappointed that I can't use Kuro-chan at full power, but as a base test, this has been great so far."
"'Kuro-chan'? Is that the name of your blade?"
"It's part of it." Shirou confirmed, nodding his head.
"I'm surprised, I would have thought that you'd have pushed this opportunity further." Scathach spoke, even as she said that she knew the truth.
Shirou Muramasa-Emiya was a simple man, one that paradoxically would do the most complex of tasks for a simple outcome. His desired outcome had been to test this blade 'Kuro-chan' and he'd done so, even if only in its weakest state, according to the teen himself, and he had.
And Scathach was fine with that; she may not be a teacher anymore, but aiding a budding swordsmith like himself to learn about the peculiarities of his blade was something she was happy to do. She didn't need more.
Though she also knew that his family believed in mastering the blade to create a masterwork blade themselves, and really, there was no way to become a master of the blade without training against someone equally or more skilled in combat. So if she pushed things further, it would be fine. She was just aiding him further and not as a teacher either, so it was fine.
Shirou sheathed his blade, and Scathach's eyes narrowed, the Servant wanting to scare him a little into fighting a little more seriously, so just for her kickoff, nothing else, she went full tilt.
With speed that easily matched or eclipsed the majority of the Servants in this sham of a war, Scathach disappeared from the sight of the regular human eye. The ground melted beneath her feet at the speed she was pushing off of it as she circled around the back of the Muramasa teen, letting her carefully controlled Killing Intent blast him at full power as she raised her short spear high above her head in a stabbing motion.
She was going to go through with it, of course. She had ways of healing him if things went terribly wrong, but it was far from her full speed and might as she started to bring her arm down.
Gold, blue, and amber-bronze eyes met ruby red as Shirou turned his head, his eyes practically glowing as they seemed to bury into her very soul itself.
Scathach saw the attack before it even happened, a combination of Clairvoyance {A} and Instinct {B} manifesting in combination to not only prophesize the future but also show her the most optimal path through said future.
Cyan lightning crackled around Shirou's arm, turning dark red at the center of each bolt as a blade found its way into his already swinging arm, the ground beneath his feet cracking. His blade seemed to cut through the very air itself as he twisted. All the muscles in his legs, back, and arm being thrown into his attack.
And in response, Scathach fizzled out of sight, moving as far back as quickly as she could.
Then it happened.
Shirou's blade cut past where Scathach had been standing, where he'd controlled it so that the most powerful section of his swing would come to fruition. But there was no Scathach there, no object with which to hit except the air itself.
And so, the air it did hit. All of the force of his swing left his blade in a catastrophic shockwave of wind. The ground shattered in an arc in front of Shirou, and the very air itself fizzled with energy, the wind picking up and swirling in a miniature wind tunnel. Illya's scream filled the air as Heracles materialized to simultaneously protect her from the flying boulders and stop her from being picked up by the winds.
And as quickly as it started, the offense against nature ended. Stones fell to the ground like rain as Shirou slowly turned to face Scathach. The teen's face was perfectly calm as he raised the blade he had created from literally thin air to point at her.
A section of the Mono-uchi (Upper portion of the blade) cracked and chipped.
"Oh, so you wanted a proper fight. And here I was just testing out Kuro-chan. My bad."
The entire blade—handle, tsuba, and all—shattered in a brilliant explosion of metal, wood, and fabric, the shards hitting the ground before disintegrating into motes of light.
XXXxxxXXX
Side Story: Olga meets the second Superhuman
"Master? Why have you called me here?" Olga asked respectfully as she walked up to the figure of El Melloi II.
Leaning with his back against the wall beside one of the many experimental test chambers of the Clock Tower, he looked the picture of aloofness. Though at the sight of his second apprentice, his eyes softened ever so slightly as he pushed off the wall with a small tap of his foot.
"I have something, and someone, special to introduce you too." He answered simply, getting a nod from the ten-year-old girl as she looked at the door to the chamber.
Whatever and whoever he had waiting for her must be in there already. Or they were going to meet inside there.
"Where is Gray?" The girl questioned, looking around idly as if the Princess of Death would walk around a corner at any moment.
"She's already inside. She's been pretty excited for him to get here." Waver grinned and pointed a thumb at the door.
'Excited? Gray? I doubt it's a chef. So who or what would make Gra- Wait.' Waver's grin widened as he watched the exact moment that it clicked inside Olga's head.
Her eyes widened and snapped onto the door. Her fingers twitching as if she wanted to lash out and rip the door open but didn't want to ruin her image in front of Waver.
Forgetting the fact that he'd seen her in the midst of both heavy sleep and a panic attack during and after Greece. When it came to Waver and Gray, she had no image to tarnish or ruin. But unfortunately for the Animusphere, she had yet to realize this, and likely never would.
"Go ahead." He chortled, gesturing to the door with a sweeping hand.
And quick as a viper she had the door open, only to stumble back a step from the buffet of wind that struck her.
"What is-…" Olga mumbled, before her voice went dead.
They were death incarnate. Two blurs of colour and metal in an intricate dance of war. Sparks flying into the air that almost appeared slower than the swings that created them. Bodies that moved faster than any other Magi she'd ever seen in action and weapons made at a level she never could have comprehended.
And then it ground to a halt, a hand grabbing the face of her fellow apprentice. Attempting to ground her momentum to a halt and reverse it back into the ground beneath them, but a blurring swing of her legs throwing Gray out of the other teens grip before he could properly grab her and letting his palm smack into the ground with an audible, and visible, crack of stone.
"You really have gotten faster. I can't believe that while I was in Greece dealing with homunculi you fought one of them and survived." Gray pouted; the battle halted as she carefully crossed her arms to not be stabbed by her scythe.
"Barely. And you sound like you wanted to be there." Shirou snorted, the sixteen-year-old standing up and giving a small grin to Gray.
"Of course, I do! We're friends and partners. If I can help you face something that dangerous you know that I will." Gray said heatedly.
Not loudly, or angrily. Merely heatedly. Making sure that Shirou got the full brunt of her displeasure.
"Alright, alright. I get it. Oh hey! Is that Olga?" Shirou looked over at the entrance as Olga and Waver walked towards them.
Only for Olga to freeze up the moment that Shirou's eyes met her. A sudden sense of nervousness washing over her that she tried her absolute best to drown out with the mask of a proper Magus.
"H-Hello Shirou Muramasa. I-I'm Olga Animu- I mean Olga Marie Animusphere!" She stammered, realizing that this was the blacksmith that she'd ordered a commission from via his parents.
But more than that, that absolutely terrifying display of combat prowess made her realize one more thing. She was standing before yet another Apex Superhuman, who at the very least could keep up with Gray on a physical level. And while that was certainly scary, the stories she had heard of him from Gray and Luvia helped to curb it somewhat.
"Heh. Hey Olga. I've heard a lot about you. Gray's really grateful for all your help in reigning in Waver."
"I'm right here and I'm the one grading your reports." Waver deadpanned from the sideline.
"We all know that you're too professional for that, Master." Gray shot back, smiling innocently at the accusatory look that she got from her Master.
'She's always like this around Shirou and Luvia…' Waver sighed morosely, wondering where the cool, shy girl he'd brought from that village had gone.
"It's nothing. Merely one of my duties as the Apprentice of Master El Melloi II." Olga answered diplomatically, slowly managing to fake a calm and collected exterior.
"Well, as a friend of Gray. I appreciate it." He smiled kindly at her and crouched down, placing a hand on her hand and gently rubbing it.
And Olga froze. The young girl unable to comprehend what was happening and what the head pat was making her feel.
Then Shirou went for the killing blow.
"And I know you've been waiting for this for a while. But here's that commission you ordered. I'll tell you about its special ability later, ok? Just don't tell Luvia or Gray or they might get jealous." He let his grin turn a touch more teasing and smugger at the offended squawk that Gray let out.
'Its like having a brother…' And with that simple thought, combined with the feeling of his headpat and the sheathed blade held out to her, something inside Olga Marie Animusphere shifted.
XXXxxxXXX
Hello one and all!
Before we get onto the chapter, how was the Side Story? I've wanted to show Olga and Shirou meeting for a long time now and this felt like a good time to show it. Additionally, I really enjoy it because instead of Eroge Protagonist EX it's Big Brother EX for a change and Olga has a vulnerability to that specific skill. Wonder what will happen if Illya and Olga meet?...
Anyways, how was the chapter itself? Things are finally heating up and I'm so goddamn excited to post this because I've already written chapter 28 as of posting this chapter and this really is the start of the fun part of the HGW. Finally got to show some of 17-year-old Shirou's abilities including the move that I blatantly stole from Senji Muramasa that I do have a name for. But you'll need to wait for chapter 27 to see xP
Also, one of my beta's told me that what Shirou did with the familiar here is just what Tai Lung did with the goose and now I can't stop thinking of that whenever I re-read through this chapter. It's ruined that scene for me XD
Anyways, for those of you wondering why I listened to Nyan Cat for five straight hours, it was for a uni assignment. I was trying to force myself to code faster so that I could turn it off. Fun fact: If you listen to nyan cat for too long the 'lyrics' turn into a weird static-y wind noise.
Also, for the many people asking why Artoria didn't ask about the blood used to activate Avalon. She was a little distracted at the time. How he even has Avalon was a bit more important to her than how he managed to activate it, even partially.
Now I think that's all I have to say about the chapter. So I'll see you all next month!
PRAISE THE SQUARE TABLE!
Discord code: plasmaassassin
REVIEW REPLIES:
Savitarsurffer: They're certainly monstrous, that's for sure. And I'm glad you've enjoyed it so much, that makes me happy to hear.
DragonSword35d: Kirei is an important man with an important body. It could genuinely be used for a variety of things.
DragonB0b: I had the exact same thought but I'm not quite that mean.
NotSpecialDude: Seeing specifically EMIYA during his day job is a genuinely terrifying prospect, so you're correct. And blaming Gil may be the correct way to go. Who knows.
Sawtooth44: That's entirely fair.
PlzDontReferToMe: The Edelfelt's family attribute allows them to summon two aspects of the same servant. So essentially you get two entire servants but they only take a combined one spot within the grail roster.
AngelicWisdom: Honestly the possibilities for Sakura's RM are so vast that I can't pin down one specific thing I want for it so far. I have a bunch of ideas though. I just need to get my main lore guy to stop asking for Sakura's death to get his input on them.
Michael Morningstar: Ikr? And thank you!
GlassedGamer: You are correct.
AnimeFan13579: Don't let my lore guy hear that. It's one of his largest pet peeves. Because we don't actually know what causes RM's in humans. Servants get them cause they're ways to convey anecdotes or abilities they supposedly had. And Daemons specifically have them because of their alien common sense, from memory. But how humans achieve them? No clue.
Rajo: This entire review made me very happy to read! I'm so glad you found my story through another authors favourites and that you enjoyed it yourself. Also you're far from the only one asking me who I sold my soul to, to make Gilgamesh a likeable character. I somehow, through just trying to reach a specific setup that I dreamed up during like chapter 1-2, ended up making Gil one of, if not THE, most fan favourite character in this fic. Also it makes me happy to hear your thoughts on my characterization. Especially considering how hyper critical my beta's can be over that stuff XD
Zukafew119: Hello once again! Once again I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and everything in it. The reminder of how long its been since Lorelei got any meaningful screentime surprised me. Whenever I stockpile chapters my sense of time goes completely wack, I swear. Also, Astolfo hates Morgan. Other than that, I don't have a massive amount to say, just that it's always nice to read your reviews and we'll have to see if any other story abuses you this month since that seems to be a theme XD