Hello, everyone my co-author and I welcome you back once again to look at the grail war.
Beta read by NimtheWriter
All hope felt lost
It was a night where everything had changed. From the start of planning against Caster and her master, the revelation of Archer's true identity, and then an unknown entity appear before them.
They knew the Holy Grail War was about to reach its climax but at the same time, they didn't know what to do.
Rin felt the most of it, just after knowing her former servant's identity and past life, she suddenly lost him in such a gruesome manner.
Just when she thought that she finally found clarity, it got taken away from her.
She walked through the cold night behind her company, a young and petite woman with hair as blonde as the sun, and a young man with auburn hair walking in front of her in silence.
It made her relieved a bit, that she was not alone this night.
Perhaps everything could turn out all right, she thought.
But we all know that expectations and reality are two very different things.
The blonde young woman in front of her was also occupied with her thoughts. Saber also walked through that cold night thinking about whether or not her ideals were right.
From the previous experience, she had experienced all kinds of emotions, all kinds of self-doubt, and for some reason, justification.
She had become the king of Britain, her Court was Camelot, and she ruled with everything she had thought to be right and just.
For she was Arthuria Pendragon, the king of knights.
Everyone in the world knew the legend of King Arthur, but little did they know that King Arthur was a woman, and despite accomplishing many achievements be thought of as a prime example of a brilliant and just monarch...
She regretted how she had ruled the kingdom.
The ending of her ruling could be described as a travesty. The rebellion started because her supposed offspring claimed that she was unjust, unworthy, and unfit to rule.
Her Knights of the Round Table made judgments of her ruling, made errors of their faith in her, and some could be even considered treasonous.
She once thought that with the Holy Grail, she could change the fated destiny of her kingdom... and then she realized that it was all her fault.
That she shouldn't have become king...
But then, Archer's last words became an earworm in her head.
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to fight as well from now on."
It had been a shock for her to learn that Archer was her Master from a different past and an alternate future.
He was Shirou Emiya who realized his ideals and became a Heroic Spirit.
For the times that Saber had spent with her master, she knew that he was headstrong, stubborn, and had an impossible dream to achieve... To be able to save everyone and be a hero of Justice.
And then she met Archer, someone who was jaded, devoid of life, no sense of righteousness, no care for the world whatsoever... A different picture than what a hero of Justice was supposed to be.
Once she had learned about everything, she realized that Archer was her as well.
Someone who realized their ideals and only regretted them later on. But then someone stopped him and made him realize that he was not wrong after all.
Shirou Emiya himself made him realize it.
His words not only affected Archer but also herself. Made her question whether or not she was wrong to stop believing in her ideals as king and made her question her regrets.
She walked through the cold night with all these thoughts in her head... A hand touched her own, giving it a warm embrace,
It was the hand of her master and the one that made her silent in this walk.
Shirou knew Saber was lost in her thoughts, and all he wanted to do was give her a sense of peace by instinct.
Little did she know that his little mission was a success.
But in actuality, Shirou needed that touch from her hand the most, for he was more lost in his thoughts.
Whether it was about his ideals, his worries on the upcoming battles of the Holy Grail War for Caster was still at loose and then there was also the shadow...
Archer had said it, from this moment on, he needed to catch up to him and be able to protect those he wanted to protect.
He had already been given insight into the full extent of his abilities. Unlimited Blade Works, the reality marble of Shirou Emiya and Heroic Spirit Emiya.
He had the tools to fight with his Servant, to end this Holy Grail War, and be able to save those in front of him.
They all walked through this cold night toward their destination, which was the Emiya household. Shirou's hand was still lingering on Saber's while Rin walked behind them who was still so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice it.
His hand regained the Command Seals he had lost, signifying that he was Saber's Master again after their battle against Caster.
They then arrived at his house, and then Shirou remembered one crucial detail he had forgotten all this time…
Sakura was left all alone in his bed… and at this moment, he was bringing two very attractive girls that for some reason, he had indescribable feelings for as well.
When he opened the doors, he expected that Sakura would greet him and then be shocked at the visitors, but it turned out that no one was inside the house.
He then remembered Sakura having Rider as a Servant as well, considering the state he had left her, Rider would've been by her side.
But for some reason, he felt something was off as if Sakura could be in trouble or something.
They all then went to the living room. Shirou shook off his negative thoughts and worries and decided to prioritize what he needed to be thought of first.
The Shadow.
Rin started by saying that the Shadow could be a Servant or an ability by them, but Saber felt something was amiss by its presence.
For Shirou, the Shadow felt… familiar, as if he had seen or known about it a few years before this.
They also discussed what they should do with Caster, as she was still on the loose even with being heavily injured, she still posed a problem for them.
They arrived with their penultimate and only choice… to join forces with Illyasviel von Einzbern and her Servant, Berserker.
It was the best option they could've thought, considering that Lancer and his Master were still unknown and Caster was definitely on the loose.
Shirou had thought of Sakura and Rider as well, but then he also thought that it would be better that they didn't get into any fights, especially after having seen Sakura's state before.
It was perhaps the best plan, but they still didn't know what to expect especially after the near-death experience they had with Berserker and her Master.
The night was already filled with surprises, and they were not surprises that they could have welcomed.
They decided to spend the night at the Emiya household, choosing to rest instead of gunning toward Illyasviel in the middle of the cold and dark night.
That night, Rin also decided to stay the night at Shirou's place. Her thoughts were filled with the current state of no longer having a Servant.
Even after losing Archer, she still decided to fight on... Especially seeing the dangers of Caster being on the loose and a foreign entity deciding to strike down servants in a surprising manner.
They all slept in different rooms, with Shirou finally experiencing a night where he was alone with no company of someone beside him.
His thoughts were filled with worries over the upcoming battles of the Holy Grail War, and also more about his feelings for his supposed loved ones.
He said words of love toward Sakura and spent more than a couple of nights with her.
He also got kissed by Rin, and he kissed back her lips with every passion he could have mustered.
And then, he also felt like his heart was complete after regaining Saber back.
Truly, he was in a state of dilemma. But little did he know, the girls who were staying the night at that household were also in the same state as well.
That night, Shirou slept while dreaming about the life of the King of Camelot, for the first time since he had lost his Servant.
In his state of sleep, he showed a small smile.
The night was over and dawn was breaking. Shirou woke up in a state where the sky hadn't been greeted by sunrise.
He went to his household's dojo, signifying his intent to train, and conjured up Kanshou and Bakuya.
He practiced his moves, mirroring Archer's battle stance and every bit of memory he could conjure up when fighting him.
He didn't notice that he was mirroring Archer perfectly. Every movement, every strike, every glance, and every attack he was practicing was in every inch perfect mimicry of Archer's own.
Shirou also barely noticed that someone was watching him.
It was his servant, the one with the golden locks and a radiant face, Saber.
No words were spoken.
Saber only watched him, intently focusing on his form and battle stance.
Out of nowhere, a sword appeared in front of her. It wasn't anything like a practice sword made out of bamboo, but a real one made of steel.
Shirou gestured for her to grab the sword, which she did.
No words were spoken as they both knew that they needed to train again, just like all those days before they had been separated.
So they did, training until the sunrise passed them, and the sky was clear as day.
After the training, they got cleaned up and then went to the dining room where Rin was waiting for them.
Shirou then made them breakfast, big ones because he knew they all would have a long day to go through.
They didn't speak too much, only discussing plans and trying to make this alliance happen for this was the only choice of being able to win the Holy Grail war against Caster and... that foreign shadow.
They all walked out of the Household together, no longer having calm faces as they knew they could be going to their deaths at this moment.
The Einzbern Mansion was located in the beautiful, yet very eerie, Fuyuki Forest, with Rin knowing this due to the Einzbern being one of the families of Magi such as the Tohsaka family.
They were expecting the forest to be littered with many Bounded Fields, where they would be booby traps, sensors to monitor trespassers, and the usual road blockage to be able to arrive at the Mansion altogether.
With them having Saber, they were also expecting Illya and her Servant to instantly greet them before entering the forest.
What they didn't expect was that the Bounded Fields were already destroyed and looking at the remaining damaged pieces, it was as if the Einzbern Mansion was being attacked by someone at this moment.
No longer were they walking calmly, choosing to go ahead to the mansion and see what was going on.
Saber had her outfit changed from a normal one to her battle attire, Shirou already placed his trigger in mind to summon his favored twin-swords, and Rin also had already prepared gemstones for her Magecraft to use.
Everything had made them on edge.
They knew that a battle was coming, but they didn't know who they would be fighting.
When they got to the mansion, they saw the once pristine and medieval structure of the mansion collaterally destroyed. Rubbles and debris were littering the ground, and noises were heard.
The sky was no longer clear. White clouds were there, no longer. Replaced by dark ones, signifying a storm was coming even though it had been clear just a few moments ago.
They then saw Berserker, the Great Hero Heracles, with a small girl with snow-white hair being carried by him, launching from the ground of the mansion to the rooftops.
Shirou was preparing whether or not he would fight Caster again, or perhaps her master.
For some reason, he got an eerie feeling after arriving at this place, at this moment.
It was then that he saw the ground become darkened. Black tendrils started to pop up from the ground, trying to pull Berserker towards the ground.
They then knew that Illya was being attacked by the Shadow, not Caster.
The shadow then made its full appearance. Shades of black and a slight hue of red as its visage, an undescribable appearance with an aura of darkness.
"Berserker!"
Illya shouted at the top of her lungs. Berserker was still being pulled to the ground towards the Shadow's visage as if it was trying to swallow him.
Rin was confused. She did not know what to do at this particular moment, considering their intentions to forge a temporary alliance with Illyasviel but right then and there, the Shadow was attacking and she was on the losing side.
Shirou, on the other hand, already summoned Kanshou and Bakuya, intending to help Illya fight the Shadow.
The tendrils already snatched up Berserker, pulling him to the ground at ease and the shadow became enlarged.
He then threw his swords toward the tendrils, freeing Berserker from its hold. Illya was shocked by the unknown savior of her Servant, she had no expectations whatsoever about getting help from someone.
"Illyasviel!"
Saber shouted her name, for she was falling to the ground after Berserker had got snatched up by the Shadow's tendrils.
She moved on her own with no command from her Master whatsoever, catching the falling girl in the process.
Illya was more confused. She knew she was an enemy of Shirou and his Servant, but then here they were, saving her and her Servant.
Rin, with all her splendor, told the small girl that they were here to make a temporary alliance to deal with the unknown Shadow, and also Caster later on.
They all thought that it was a bit of a wrong time, but alas, they also thought that Illya would agree.
They thought wrong, for Illya disagreed with the term of a temporary alliance...
They were a bit jaw-dropped by Illya's words. And Rin, of course, was fuming.
"I'd agree more if you were saying that you'd be my temporary servants..."
Rin didn't like that, not one bit.
Both Rin and Illya were then at an impasse, arguing like children even though they were being presented by an unknown force of assailant.
Berserker then appeared in front of them after having freed himself from the Shadow's tendrils, intending to fight on with Saber also summoning her invisible sword, intending to fight with him.
After they bickered, Rin and Illya finally subsided their differences and were then focused on attending to the matter at hand.
The Shadow appeared in front of them. Its aura was beginning to darken the whole area as if it was spreading its killing intent on everyone and everything.
Shirou had his twin swords at hand again, intending to join the fight and also protecting Rin and Illya behind him.
Illya explained that half of Berserker's lives were already gone, as the Shadow had continued to attack him with a barrage of Mana explosions, similar to the attack that had killed Archer.
Out of a sudden, an explosion of mana appeared, but more concentrated as it only appeared at one point...
It was as if the Shadow was summoning something... or perhaps, someone.
And then, he appeared, shocking them in the process.
He was no longer clad in blue, but black and red. He had red spikes and thorns appearing from every inch of his body armor. His hair and face were shrouded by a dark aura, no longer were they shown for the world to see.
But they all recognized the blood-red spear he was holding...
"Lancer..."
It was the Servant of the Spear, summoned by the Shadow.
They truly didn't know what was happening in front of them. Considering how different Lancer's appearance was from last night when Rin and Shirou had made a temporary alliance with him.
It was as if he was altered...
Their shock was halted as Lancer was no longer in front of them but was in front of Berserker and Saber.
He twirled his spear, intending to strike both of them down. Saber and Berserker instantly prepared their weapons to face Lancer's attack.
But Lancer was able to overpower both of them, making them launch a few steps back.
They then fought on, a two against one fight and Lancer was the one having the upper hand.
The Shadow wasn't idle any longer as well. Black tendrils started to appear again and were then trying to grab a hold of both Saber and Berserker.
When the tendrils were able to hold them, Lancer started to make a stance...
A throwing stance.
Shirou, having Unlimited Blade Works, was able to discern what the spear's True Name was.
Gae Bolg, the blood-red spear of Cu Chulainn.
A spear that would always strike its opponent's heart, but when thrown, it served more as a missile to decimate armies.
Lancer then threw his spear with all his godly strength, and it truly did launch as a striking missile, making the Masters there watching in awe, fear, and most definitely, worriedness.
The spear launched towards the incapacitated Saber and Berserker, who were still not able to get loose from the black tendrils of the Shadow.
When the spear finally found its targets, an unholy explosion happened.
That massive explosion made everything unable to be seen, clouds of smoke and the residuals of it made the result of the battle unclear.
Shirou was able to think on his feet, shielding both Rin and Illya from Lancer's attack, so they were left unscathed.
He was then worried for the state of his Servant, Saber, who was hit point blank by the attack.
The clouds of smoke started to disperse, making it clear for everyone to see the ground that got hit by the attack was cracked as if a god had tried to split the earth with an unholy force.
Shirou was the first to see what the state of Berserker and Saber were in, and what he saw shocked him.
Saber was not there, but Berserker had most of his body damaged, almost like the last state Archer had before he passed.
It was then that he saw that Saber was at a different ground altogether, many feet apart from Berserker… as if she had been thrown to safety before colliding with Lancer's Gae Bolg.
It was very peculiar, but he was more worried about what would come next.
The Shadow appeared next to Berserker, its black tendrils were starting to form, and snatched the Greek Hero, intending to swallow him whole.
Lancer also appeared next to it without making any noise whatsoever, and Saber started to pull up from the ground, whose state was not unscathed by the attack before.
Saber made haste to go beside her Master, intending to fully protect him and the Masters behind him.
Illya was erratic, after pulling herself from the ground up, she watched as her Servant was about to be swallowed by the unknown apparition that had attacked her throughout.
Shirou didn't know what to do, as Lancer was guarding the Shadow and be able to face Saber and anyone head-on if one had been to attack the Shadow.
Then, all of a sudden, Rin decided for them all to retreat, as she knew that the battle had already been lost and there was nothing more they could do.
Illya voiced her disagreement harshly, stating that Berserker wouldn't lose to anyone, and started to glow red to activate her Command Seals so that Berserker would return to her side.
It was, of course, for naught… as Berserker was already swallowed by the Shadow, and they could not do anything but watch.
Shirou then grabbed the small girl, carrying Illya like luggage whereas she could only cry and scream for Berserker to return to her.
Saber followed him, and Rin took the lead for the retreat.
They ran, as fast as they could, trying to get to safety before anyone could attack them in a surprise.
After a few moments, they head back to the Emiya household, for it was the only safe place they could think of.
Their breaths were ragged, signifying their tiredness from their haste run, and Illya was still grieving for the loss of her Servant.
It was another thing where they were confused about what to do with the situation at hand. Never had they thought that the Shadow had Lancer at its disposal… more so, about how and why it could happen in the first place.
They could only stand there, at the entrance of Shirou's house, in silence. Thoughts were filled with dread and the hopelessness of the state of the Holy Grail War for them.
Shirou then walked to the girl he had been carrying toward safety. Illya was still just sitting there crying and wallowing for Berserker.
It was a rather shocking thing to occur for her, for she had been more than confident about the strength of the Great Heracles, but then the Shadow just made everything unclear and an anomaly of a situation and enemy.
Shirou knelt in front of her, intending to calm the small girl as it broke his heart a bit seeing her in this sort of state.
"You're safe here, for now… I'll protect you here from now on, okay?"
Those words shocked Illya, as she had been an enemy Master for him, and little did he know about the personal vendetta she had with Shirou… and their father.
Shirou patted her head, intending to make sure she felt safe and sound here with him.
For some reason, it brought a small smile to her face, which signified a job done for Shirou.
Rin and Saber watched this, slightly sweatdropped while all this was happening in front of them, considering Illya had almost killed them a few nights back.
Rin then interrupted the fuzzy atmosphere by asking Illya a serious question… about whether she knew anything about the Shadow.
Illya, who was still in a trance from the head-patting she had been given, turned a bit sour by Rin's question.
She answered having no knowledge about what that Shadow was.
Everyone there had more questions than answers about that unknown apparition. A powerful yet frightening force of darkness that had started to kill and swallow Servants.
But still, Shirou felt like that Shadow was more than familiar to him, but he still couldn't figure out what it was or its identity in the first place.
He then started to make any sense of the situation, trying to solve the problem they had in hand and the only solution he could think of was joining forces with Sakura and Rider to defeat the Shadow and Caster.
Both of them were a threat to everyone, especially the normal populace of Fuyuki.
Shirou could see that Rin and Saber were in distress, their faces were showing signs of stress and confusion due to the situation at hand.
At the entrance of the Emiya Household, they gathered there in silence. Shirou Emiya and her Servant, Saber along with Rin Tohsaka and Illyasviel von Einzbern, former Masters of the Holy Grail War.
All of a sudden, their tranquillity was disrupted by an unknown presence.
Saber already stood guard, her weapon in hand as she felt a malevolent aura coming towards them, whereas Shirou, Rin, and Illya could only react slightly, thinking of the worst-case scenario of the Shadow and Lancer attacking them here.
They then saw an abundance of insects gathering just outside of the gates of the Emiya Mansion. For everyone who was watching, they would describe the phenomenon as unsightly and even disgusting.
Worms and insects were beginning to join together and form some sort of humanoid figure…
And then, he appeared.
An elderly man with abhorrent eyes, his back being hunched and having a small stature, signifying his rather old age.
For Saber, the only Servant there, she felt his presence to be more unholy than the Shadow or even any unholy creatures she had seen throughout her all experience.
The 'supposed' old man who stood in front of them finally introduced himself.
Zouken Matou, head of the Matou family.
Shirou had a knee-jerk reaction, considering the old man who stood before him was someone who had planted those… Crest Worms inside Sakura.
"You all have no idea who and what that 'Shadow' is, do you?"
Zouken asked them a question they all had been questioning ever since they laid their eyes on it.
He then pointed at one person; the small Illyasviel von Einzbern.
"It is just like you… Lesser Grail."
Shirou had no idea what Zouken meant by those words, but Illya had a knee-jerk reaction after Zouken said those words to her.
For Illya to hear it, everything finally made sense to her.
Zouken then told a story about the previous Holy Grail War, the one that ended with the Fuyuki Fire, where Shirou had lost everything and gained another life altogether.
He explained that he had taken some of the remnants of the Holy Grail, where Saber then was shocked as he told everyone that she had been the one to destroy it.
Everything they were hearing shocked them to the core, as it was a revelation as well to hear that Saber had fought in the previous war as well.
Zouken then explained that he made a Lesser Grail, similar to what the Einzberns had done to Illya… and one person had become the result.
He then gestured towards Rin, who was still processing the information she had gotten.
"That person is a girl, my granddaughter, Sakura… your former sister."
Shirou was more than at a loss, not knowing the fact that Rin and Sakura were blood-related, whereas Rin could only look at the ground.
Shirou truly didn't know what this all meant for him. He kept asking what Sakura had to do with everything that was happening, especially the Shadow's appearance in the first place.
"Oh, you poor boy. After all those nights spent with her… you still haven't realized the Shadow is her all along, have you?"
Zouken said that the Holy Grail and Sakura had been fusing all the more since the start of the war, and she'd had many people be consumed just to satiate her hunger for Mana.
It was a shocking revelation to hear that the killings that had littered Fuyuki weren't caused by Caster or some rogue Master, but Sakura herself.
Shirou wouldn't hear any of the words that came out of Zouken's mouth. He told the old man that there was no way she would've done all those things in the first place, especially killing.
"Oh, you don't know what she is capable of… Even just a while ago, she killed her brother. Poor Shinji…"
Shirou and Rin couldn't believe the information they had gotten from Zouken. Shinji Matou was dead, and Sakura was the one who had done the deed.
Shirou had enough, summoning Kanshou and Bakuya, and started to go towards Zouken in haste.
He tried to strike him down, but alas, he was only striking bugs and worms.
"Foolish boy, I cannot be killed… especially by such an attack. Truly, you have fallen in love with someone who shall birth Angra Mainyu, but I do not care."
After he said those words, especially a foreign name that Shirou did not know, Illya had her jawdropped.
Zouken's form started to disperse, becoming an abhorrent number of insects, once again.
Even with the old man's form being gone, his voice was still radiating throughout for everyone to hear.
"The Grail will be born, I shall have my wish, and you have no choice, for innocents will die… unless you kill her."
Those were the last words coming from Zouken Matou as the insects finally dispersed, leaving everyone there in a state of shock.
Shirou threw his swords to the ground, screaming and being frustrated by the sudden revelation that his greatest enemy in the Holy Grail War was none other than Sakura herself.
Whereas Shirou had some sort of mental breakdown, everyone could only stand there in silence, reflecting on the newfound information they had recently procured.
Saber, even in her own state of shock, went to Shirou to calm him down. She placed her hand on his shoulder and made him walk with her toward his home, gesturing for the others to follow her lead as well.
Shirou had his thoughts all mixed up, not even knowing what to do anymore.
He had already fought with his supposed 'future self', who showed him the error of his ways of trying to save everyone.
A truly impossible wish, something that he thought that even no matter how far, how impossible, he would try his hardest to make it happen.
But then, this situation came to him like a sudden thunderstorm.
'Was he right all along? Were you wrong all along, Dad?'
Those thoughts kept occupying his head. Questions after questions were asked inside his head…
But the most prominent one was something he had never thought of to be possible.
'Should I kill Sakura to save everyone else?'
He then looked around him, seeing that he hadn't realized that he was in the living room of his house. Rin, Saber, and Illya were there, also deep in their thoughts.
No one was speaking, for they all thought they'd had a hand with the current situation.
Rin was internally blaming herself for letting go of Sakura, her little sister, to the Matou family, where, because of it, she became a calamity in this Holy Grail War.
Saber thought of the previous Holy Grail War, where she had been the one to destroy it, reluctantly, and let its contents spill into the city, making the fire and also creating a chance for Zouken to do what he had done.
And then, there was Illya, who had her mind filled with thoughts of the name that Zouken Matou mentioned.
Angra Mainyu, the Avenger Servant that the Einzbern had summoned for the Third Holy Grail War.
"The Holy Grail is tainted."
Illya broke the silence, making everyone there who had been lost in their thoughts turn their heads toward her.
Illya explained further what she had just said, about the past when the Einzbern family tried to cheat the system and summoned the Zoroastrian God of Darkness.
All the Evil of the World, Angra Mainyu.
It turned out to be a total dud, as he had been nothing but a weak Servant who got defeated in an instant.
But considering that the Holy Grail consumed the Servants so that it could grant a wish, then it meant that the Holy Grail had consumed Angra Mainyu.
After all those inconsistencies and unusual things that happened in the later wars, it all finally made sense.
The Holy Grail War was tainted by darkness itself.
After Illya finished her explanation, it was Saber who had the greatest of reactions… by almost smashing the table they all were at.
Saber finally realized that Kiritsugu was not at fault for what had happened in the later stages of the Fourth Holy Grail War. She realized that he had known all along what the Grail was, and decided to use his Command Seals on her to destroy it.
But then, what did it mean for her wish? Would it never get realized?
Saber finally realized that she was fighting a lost cause, all along.
Shirou saw the face of his Servant, and he had no what to do or say, for he was also in shock with the state of the Holy Grail.
They had been promised an all-granting wish device, but instead, the Holy Grail was akin to Pandora's Box.
Truly, this had been a night of revelations for all of them.
"So, what should we do now?"
Shirou turned his head from looking down to suddenly looking in front, not knowing who asked the question.
He knew that everyone had been lost in their thoughts, clearly showing signs of loss and lack of hope for their state in the Holy Grail War.
Suddenly, Rin got up from her seat, no longer looking lost but showing signs of thinking about what kind of plan she should muster.
"We need to find Kirei."
She said it with more conviction as if she was not lost in her thoughts any longer
It was a sound plan for Kirei Kotomine was the caretaker of this Holy Grail War and served as the neutral party for all sides fighting in it.
With this state of the Holy Grail War being corrupted meaning that they needed some form of clarity or at least another newfound information for what they should do next.
But to find him was another struggle to begin with, as they didn't know where the priest's whereabouts were, and even most of them were convinced that he died after Caster took the Church as her base of operations before Shirou and Rin made her retreat.
They needed to gather hints about him, or anything related more to this Holy Grail War.
Rin gave them a plan to go back to the ruined church, more specifically, to go to the basement or maybe the catacombs to find any hints about Kirei or anything they could use.
It was a sound plan, far better than just wallowing in their despair and doing nothing.
They all agreed, even though Shirou was still in a trance about his newfound information related to Sakura and the Holy Grail.
They all still had energy, even at this late of an evening. So, they decided to go to the abandoned and ruined church.
Along the way, Rin and Illya made their familiars surround their perimeter so that any kind of malevolent force, be it the Shadow or Caster, would make them alerted.
Saber and Shirou walked behind them, still in silence as they both were still in a trance and also with their guards up to the maximum as they feared a surprise attack or presence would threaten their very lives.
In a few moments, they arrived at the abandoned and ruined Fuyuki church. Half of the building was ruined thanks to Archer's battle against Lancer… and also his last stand against the Shadow.
Police lines littered the entryway of the church and they immediately discarded them, basically breaking into a supposed crime scene.
All this happening, and Shirou was still thinking about what would he do next in this Holy Grail War.
'Should I save Sakura or save everyone else?'
It was a thought that he never had thought of, but after remembering what Archer had said to him, he finally understood more about the Wrought-Iron Hero's regrets and choices of his past life.
Rin, Illya, and Saber made their way toward the basement of the church with Shirou following them from behind.
Considering that all of them, except for Illya, had entered the basement, they wanted to go to at least an office, or Kirei's room, or maybe… the catacombs.
It was a rather eerie feeling for them to think about entering the church's catacombs this late at night, but they feared for their lives being in danger from the Shadow more than that place.
They explored the basement further, and they finally arrived at the catacombs' entrance.
Rin and Illya analyzed the entrance and they could see that it was heavily guarded and laced by some sort of high thaumaturgy, as if someone was hiding or guarding something underneath…
Which was odd, for it was supposed to be only a church's catacombs, nothing more and nothing less.
Saber summoned her invisible sword and broke through any kind of Magecraft protection with her Noble Phantasm.
Without any problem whatsoever, the entrance was clear for them to go through.
Shirou decided he would push the catacombs' door, something that he would wish that he had never done…
When it opened, they expected to see coffins but they saw more than that.
The coffins were opened and they all could see what was inside clearly.
Rin made a silent scream, Illya could only be disgusted, Saber was more than just speechless, and Shirou… had the worst reaction than any of them.
Most of them were the bodies of children in the coffins, but their state was as if their blood or life had been sucked out from them, forcefully.
Shirou walked slowly, entering the catacombs deeper while the girls could only stand behind him in silence.
"These are children's corpses… but their state is as if their life force, no, Mana, got sucked out of them until the last drop."
Rin made her statement for all to hear, but she didn't expect what Shirou's would be.
"I knew them… all of them."
Shirou just stood there without looking back, his mind was going haywire… for these were the orphans that survived the Fuyuki Fire as well… the ones he had met in a glance many years ago before being adopted by his father.
When he told them this, they only replied with silence as they didn't know what to say or how to react to this information.
They explored the catacombs more, trying to understand just what kind of atrocity these children had experienced.
Rin had her suspicion, trying to comprehend that Kirei had been at this church for many years… since the Fourth Holy Grail War ended.
"That fake of a priest… had too many skeletons to hide, far too many."
It was the only hypothesis Rin could make after seeing this nightmare of a scene but in this supposed silence, Shirou took it far, far worse.
'I was saved by Kiritsugu, but no one saved them… no one. Why was I the only one who was saved? They deserved it more… why am I the only one alive now?'
Shirou thoughts were going into a state of despair no one could fathom, feeling guilt, rage, sadness, and hopelessness… all bundled into one.
Was it wrong for him to inherit his father's ideals? Was it wrong for him to try to obtain that impossible dream? For what he saw only brought him more despair…
Saber arrived at Shirou's side, looking with worried eyes at her Master as his face was indiscernible.
She tried calling his name, but he only replied with cryptic words, more specifically, a command.
"Please… just check all of them, every single one of them."
He didn't just command his Servant, but also Rin and Illya, who heard it.
So, without any complaints or any reply whatsoever, they did what Shirou had told them.
For him, who was still in a state of shock and disbelief, he only thought of one thing…
'Please, just one… just let me save one…'
He was basically begging for a miracle at this point, in this dark room where it was littered with corpses of orphans.
They all checked the coffins, with Shirou exuding the most stamina on it as unlike the girls, he wanted to check at least he could save someone.
Saber and Rin looked at the only male there with worried eyes, considering he was close to looking as if he was obsessed with checking the corpses.
The more he looked at the orphans, the more erratic he became and also the more hopeless he felt…
Illya, on the other hand, just checked them to see if anything could be of use… and, for some reason, trying to have fun with her search and checking on the orphans.
And then, there was a coffin with a rather peculiar thing inside of it…
As it wasn't a corpse of a dead orphan, but a woman in a suit.
Illya looked inside the coffin to inspect the corpse further. She found traces of Runecraft around her attire, and considering her state compared to the rest of the other corpses, the woman's death was far more recent.
Illya, with a slightly rude attitude, asked Rin to come check her findings.
When Rin arrived at Illya's side, she was shocked after seeing the woman's corpse.
It took more than a glance for Rin to see that her left hand had been cut off, and the traces of Runecraft were around the woman's attire…
Rin had a feeling that this woman was supposed to be a Master in this Holy Grail War, prematurely killed and had her Command Seals taken from her forcefully.
But it was a mystery, as Kirei had not made any announcement that a Master had been killed or anything of this nature.
Rin tried to inspect the corpse further, to see if she could discern anything more.
But then, something happened as she was about to touch her…
The corpse… took a breath.
Rin and Illya screamed their lungs out, shocked and terrified at the sudden turn of events, and while this was happening, Saber and Shirou instantly ran towards them.
"This woman's still alive!"
Illya shouted those words, a statement that was akin to a miracle.
Shirou, who arrived at the scene, looked at the woman in a suit.
Her hair was cut short and with a slight magenta color shading it, her face was a bit more mature and androgynous, but all Shirou could focus on was the fact she was still alive.
Little did he know that he had a smile on his face, and Saber, who was beside him, noticed it.
Shirou then told everyone that they needed to take her to safety, and in an instant, took her out of the coffin and carried her by himself.
Rin and Illya had their apprehensiveness about it, as she could be another enemy considering all the signs led to the woman being a Master as well, who had wanted to fight in this Holy Grail War.
But he didn't care, he wanted to save her… he asked just for one to be saved, and he got what he wanted.
It was a nightmarish thing to comprehend, as many corpses of orphans were there with no explanation whatsoever and a Magus of a woman was there as well, barely alive…
Shirou took hold of her with care and the rest followed his lead to go back to the Emiya Household while still being apprehensive about every other danger they could face.
The walk was with haste with Shirou giving the unknown woman a bridal carry and Rin, Illya, and Saber guarded from behind.
While for Shirou, the woman was someone she needed to save, for others, she could have vital information surrounding the whereabouts and mystery that was Kirei Kotomine… and perhaps an explanation about the dead orphans in the catacombs of the church.
They then arrived at the household. Shirou instantly entered it and made haste towards an empty room where he could lay the woman he was carrying.
They arrived at the empty room and Shirou placed her in the bed with care.
Rin told everyone to vacate the room so that she could try to heal her with her Magecraft, and so, they did what she told them.
After they exited, Shirou was still erratic, pacing back and forth with his thoughts accompanying his walking around.
Whilst everyone was waiting, Rin took the chance to look for any markings or any kind of identification that the unknown woman might have.
Except for the traces of the Runecraft surrounding the woman's suit, she couldn't find any, but the Runecraft themselves gave her some information about her origins.
'Most Runecraft practitioners hail from the location surrounding Scandinavia… could she possibly hail from one of the big families? A Fraga, perhaps?'
Her mind was asking questions without any definitive answers she could find, as the answers she sought could be answered once the unknown woman woke up.
So, with her thoughts on hold, Rin used her gems and activated her Magecraft to heal her.
The unknown woman's state was basically at death's door, seeing the state of her left hand being gone, clearly sliced, and also… a lethal stab wound that made a hole in her chest.
The Runecrafts she had basically put her in a state of coma and stopped her bleeding from going any further.
With Rin's Magecraft that could even heal Shirou's heart after being stabbed by a cursed spear, it was something that she still could handle after looking at the unknown woman's injuries.
After a few moments, it was done. Rin did all she could with her and left the room.
She exited the room and was greeted by Saber and Illya waiting for her at the door, whereas Shirou was still pacing back and forth.
"She's stable for now. Perhaps she needs some water and a meal to regain the blood loss she experienced, once she wakes up, of course…"
Shirou instantly nodded at what Rin informed them, going to the kitchen to reheat some of the food he had in stock for not only the unknown woman but the rest of the girls as well.
They had a meal together in silence, with Illya for the first time tasting Shirou's cooking and having bliss on her face. Something Shirou found a bit of solace in once he took a look at her face.
Rin and Saber had not thought of eating as they had just witnessed a gruesome scene of many dead orphans placed in coffins, but the smell of his cooking made them put their thoughts aside.
After they had their meals, with their belly full and satiated, they heard a cough coming from the room the unknown woman was in.
In an instant, They all checked up on her condition, going to the room with haste.
Shirou was the first one to arrive, followed by Saber, Rin, and Illya behind him.
They all looked at her, more specifically, her condition.
Her face was still very pale, looking also like she just woke up from a deep slumber. Her suit was gone, now only wearing a white buttoned-up shirt with many lacerations on it.
She looked around her, seeing the faces of strangers and waking up in a room that was foreign to her.
"Water…"
She asked with a hoarse voice as if she was going through dehydration. Shirou immediately ran to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.
He then presented it to her, and in an instant, she grabbed it and drank like she had never drank before.
Shirou took a seat next to her bed while the others just stood behind him, looking attentively at the unknown and injured woman.
She said her thanks after finishing the glass of water to him, and he replied with a sincere smile.
"Who are you? And where am I? And… my hand, it's…"
She asked him questions while looking weakly at her left hand which was no longer there, trying to remember the last memory before waking up in this foreign place.
"You're safe now. We rescued you from the Church's catacombs, and… I'm sorry for what you've been through."
Shirou told her what he could, for he also didn't have most of the answers she wanted.
Rin then took a step forward, placing herself behind Shirou's place of sitting.
"I'm Rin Tohsaka, the Second Owner of Fuyuki. Can you tell us who you are and what business you have in this city?"
She asked her point blank about her identity, affiliation, and any kind of business she had to come to Fuyuki in the first place.
"Enforcer Bazett Fraga-McRemitz… I am- was… supposed to be a Master for the Fifth Holy Grail War…"
Their suspicions were right dead on, for the woman, now known as Bazett of the Fraga family, was a Master.
To think that she was an Enforcer as well, a member of the Clock Tower's task force, was news for the rest to hear.
Shirou then asked her what had happened to her that made her end up in the catacombs in the first place…
"The priest… Kotomine… he betrayed me…"
Bazett then told them her story, on how she came to Fuyuki to summon her Servant… Lancer.
After she had summoned him, Kirei Kotomine called her to meet up at the church. At that moment, she had trusted him for they went back a long time ago, going on missions together for Kirei had been an Enforcer as well.
"When I arrived, he cut off… my arm… and took my Command Seals. Lancer then became his… and I just… bled out. Next thing I know, I'm here… in a strange place… rescued by strangers."
It was a shocking information for her to hear. Kirei Kotomine, the caretaker of the Holy Grail War was playing dirty in this war and had an unknown agenda. Having Lancer served as his Servant instead and broke every rule the Holy Grail War supposedly had.
Rin turned her hands into fists, signifying her anger and shock after hearing what her supposed guardian did to the female Enforcer.
"I cannot thank you enough, truly…"
Bazett turned her head slowly towards Shirou and said those words, sincerely.
After he heard those words, Shirou felt that his heart was a bit warmer. Knowing that in that desolate place filled with death and hopelessness, he was able to save at least someone.
But, still, if it hadn't been for Rin, she wouldn't have been able to sit here, thanking him.
"No, don't thank me… it was Tohsaka who healed you, and I'm just glad you're safe for now…"
Shirou said those words with a sincere smile as well, and Bazett also thanked Rin for nursing her back from her near-death state.
Illya, who was standing at the back, clearly noticed that Shirou's smile made the mature and short-haired woman feel a bit of joy, somehow…
'Wow, he's a natural girl magnet, huh..'
Illya made assumptions inside her head about Shirou, her supposed adopted little brother. Knowing what effects Shirou had on women…
While Illya was occupied by her thoughts, Bazett asked about the state of the Holy Grail War.
Rin, with a slight apprehensiveness, tried to give her all the information surrounding the war, the servants that were left, and finally, the corrupted Grail itself…
It took a while for Bazett to comprehend what Rin had told her, as it was a crazy thing to behold that the Holy Grail that was promised was nothing more than a device of calamity or some sort of demon about to be birthed.
Shirou, who had his thoughts on it on hold for a while, finally returned to thinking about the Holy Grail as well, more specifically, about Sakura.
No longer was he sporting his sincere smile, but rather, a hard look of worriedness.
"That's why we went to the Church, to find Kirei and make him spill everything and what to do with this situation… but now that we know how much of a fake priest he is…"
Rin made her comments about Kirei known to all, signifying her hatred and exuding an aura of wrath in the process.
Bazett didn't know how to react to the newfound information. She had been in a state of coma and when she woke up, she felt as if the world was coming to an end or something.
Shirou, while still having his thoughts filled with many, many things, simply asked her if she was hungry and needed to eat.
Without even her replying, he immediately went to the kitchen again and came back with a meal intended for Bazett, for he knew that it had been days since she had a meal, to begin with.
"Thank you, but perhaps… can all of you give me some alone time as well?"
Bazett requested for them to exit the room. Shirou was worried about whether or not she could eat with only one hand, but she instantly tried to make his worries go away by picking up the utensils with her right hand.
They then respected her wishes to be left alone to finish her meal and left the room altogether.
After they exited the room to give Bazett some alone time, Rin was still apprehensive about the Enforcer, as she didn't want to trust anyone so easily, especially after going through many betrayals in this war, so she stood by the door.
Illya and Saber were just there standing in silence, and Shirou made his way towards the backyard of his home, for he also felt like he needed some alone time.
When he arrived at the outdoor corridor of his massive Japanese household, he looked at the dark skies and saw the moonlight, shining.
It reminded him of his last night with Kiritsugu, his father and savior, the night when he promised him to be what his father couldn't achieve.
At this moment in time, Shirou finally understood why it had been an arduous road to be a hero of justice.
Even after facing Archer, Shirou, knowing the full potential of his powers, felt like he was still not enough to save everyone in front of him.
These thoughts were making him fall deeper towards despair, but deep down, he still knew that what he wished for was not wrong.
Shirou then heard a noise coming from behind him, and then she appeared.
His Servant, Saber, with the moonlight shining on her golden locks, came to him with a worried look.
Even after spending many days together, he was never tired of seeing her face, for she was as beautiful and radiant as the sun, from his point of view.
"Saber…"
He called her in a slow yet tender voice, remembering the first night he had ever looked at her. The night of her summoning…
"Shirou, I need to tell you something…"
She said those words with a slight fear lacing her voice as if she had been hiding something.
"I was your father's Servant in the Fourth Holy Grail War. I fought together with him… and his wife, Irisviel. I'm sorry for holding back this information, but you deserve to know everything…"
Shirou knew that Saber had fought in the previous Holy Grail War, thanks to Zouken Matou, but this newfound information would give him more shock than awe.
She then told him her story, right from the beginning she was summoned by Kiritsugu Emiya, the man known as the Magus Killer.
It was a story beyond Shirou's wildest dreams, where at the beginning, Saber told him what his father had been from her point of view…
Kiritsugu Emiya was an assassin, a cold-blooded one, hired by the Einzbern family to win the Holy Grail for them.
The way she was portraying was nowhere near close to the man that he looked up to. Instead of a man trying to save many, he was a man who put the end first, no matter what kind of means he had to go through.
Saber told the story of the Fourth Holy Grail War from her point of view, where she faced off against Kings, Knights, and even Murderers…
She then told him what she had learned about his father's way of thinking and his goals for fighting the war… not for the Einzberns, but to save all of humanity, by any means necessary.
Whether it would be blowing up blowing up buildings, underhanded tactics, and any forms of lacking chivalry, Kiritsugu would do it… to obtain his wish.
Shirou finally understood what Archer truly had meant when he said to him that he would never be able to save everyone, and for Kiritsugu, it meant that he would sacrifice anything for the greater good.
Saber finally told him the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War, where the Grail appeared in front of her, but Kiritsugu used all of his Command Seals to order her to destroy it.
"I thought that Kiritsugu betrayed me. I… hated him, all this time. But it turns out, he knew from right then and there that the Holy Grail couldn't grant any wish, including my own.
Saber said those words with a hint of shame, while Shirou was still dumbfounded by all the information he was taking in.
"I too have my wish, Shirou… to save the fate of my kingdom by not becoming the king, in the first place."
Shirou then realized what she meant. All this time, she was dealing with her regrets as well, the same thing that Archer had been experiencing.
"Why do you regret what you've accomplished… Arthuria?"
Right then and there, it was Saber's turn to be shocked. Not knowing that Shirou knew all this time about her true identity.
Shirou explained to her that every night since becoming her Master, he had dreams of her life, from her childhood to her leading and saving a country.
"You saved your people, you lead them in a time of need… you were the greatest king of all."
Saber could only stand there in silence, where even though she accomplished many, she was still plagued with nightmares about how her kingdom ended.
"You have no idea, Shirou. I should have never become king… for my kingdom's end is far from beautiful."
Saber said those words while trying not to look at Shirou's face, her locks were hiding her sorrowful eyes and all Shirou could see was a woman who was hurting in front of him.
He then took hold of her hand, gently and thoughtfully.
"Do you regret saving them?"
He asked her gently, with his voice as tender as the wind.
"My regret… is that I couldn't save them from themselves, and from me… my rule. That's why I fight for the Holy Grail, to save them from me becoming their king and have someone more worthy…"
Shirou was shocked by her response, still seeing that she wouldn't look him in the eye in the process. He watched her life every night in his dreams, and he was more than confident that no one was more worthy than her.
Shirou then pulled Saber in a gentle embrace, and Saber immediately accepted, for this was the first time she ever felt so vulnerable with someone.
"I know that you still regret how it ended, but I know firsthand, that what you did for them was not wrong. If you were wrong to save them, then would I be wrong to still hold on to my ideals as well? Even if the ending would be like going through hell itself?
Shirou compared her life to a potential life that he could have in the future. He saw firsthand how even Shirou Emiya had regretted his ideals after living by them, and yet in the end, they were not wrong in the first place.
"No, Shirou… you're not wrong. But if that means I wasn't wrong as well, I… wouldn't be here lamenting my rule. Besides, the Grail won't grant my wish… what should I do now?"
In this embrace, Saber was laying her head on his chest and she could hear his heartbeat. For some reason, she felt comfortable in this state.
Shirou then faced her and looked her in the eye, his eyes were gentle and sympathizing with her pain.
"You can be proud of what you've accomplished, for you were never wrong to lift that sword from the stone."
Saber wanted to believe what he said, but with years of lamenting and regretting, it was still a hard pill to swallow.
"You can rest… and stay with me."
Shirou said those words while keeping eye contact with her, and Saber was shocked by what Shirou had insinuated.
All this time, Saber didn't know what she felt for her Master. The more she spent time with him, the more she felt comfortable and joyful, and even the more she cared for him.
A few moments had passed, and they still looked into each other's eyes with the moonlight shining on them.
Shirou felt more and more enchanted with her being embraced by him like this, their hands were getting more intertwined, their faces were as close as ever, he could hear her heartbeat and she could hear his.
Shirou knew, with certain, that he was in love with her, extremely.
While Saber, or Arthuria, didn't want to know that she was feeling the same thing as well.
Shirou moved her lips closer to her, and without her knowing, Saber did the same thing.
"Don't…"
She tried to hold him back, very weakly with her hands and words. Nevertheless, she couldn't hold him, and herself, back.
They shared a passionate kiss, not holding back their urges anymore, and let their feelings and lust take over.
It felt as if the world belonged to just the both of them, not caring about anything else except for what they were feeling at that moment.
They didn't even realize that minutes had passed since they enacted their kiss, as every second passed, it just kept getting more and more passionate.
Once they stopped, their breaths were ragged, and even their saliva was intertwined as well.
"We… shouldn't have done that.."
Saber said those words in a whisper followed by heavy breaths as well.
Shirou wanted to reply that their kiss wasn't a mistake, that what they both were feeling was genuine, and that he loved her… wholeheartedly.
But then, all of a sudden, Saber had a jerk of motion. Not looking at Shirou any longer but at the backyard of the Emiya Household.
She felt a presence that something… or someone was coming. More specifically, a Servant.
Seconds later, she appeared.
Her lavender hair was flowing with the wind, her eye patch made her face's expression indiscernible, and her chains were being held by her hands as well.
Rider had arrived, for some reason. Saber was already in her armored dress, even before she made her appearance.
Shirou was no longer in a state of trance, even after kissing and having a romantic and passionate moment with his Servant, he took focus on the situation at hand.
It was rather peculiar for Shirou to see Rider arriving, as he knew that she was Sakura's Servant, and Sakura was not with her.
Rin and Illya then arrived, sensing that a foreign Servant had arrived at the premises, and worriedly came to the backyard.
Rider then made a move forward, and slowly took one step but Saber immediately brandished her invisible sword at her, telling her to stay where she was and speak her intent on coming here.
It was then that Rider did something a bit unbelievable. She let go of her chains and raised one of her hands.
"I do not wish to fight if that is what you're concerned for."
Shirou then remembered that Rider had made him promise to look after Sakura, something that he could tell meant that Rider cared for her Master.
Shirou took a step forward to go towards Rider with Saber, Rin, and Illya voicing their disapproval, strongly.
He was then face to face with the tall and illustrious woman, her head being an inch or two taller than his own.
"Why are you here, Rider? Where's Sakura?"
Shirou asked her questions that he was longing the answers for to, especially the latter.
"Sakura used the last of her Command Seals for one specific thing, and her whereabouts now… I suspect that she's with that accursed thing we all call the Holy Grail."
Shirou didn't know what to say after Rider answered, and he wondered what Sakura's last commands with Rider were.
"To protect and be with you, Shirou Emiya."
Rider answered Shirou's wonderings, which made him shocked as he didn't need protection, if anything, he felt Sakura needed protecting the most.
Why would Sakura place Rider with him, instead of with herself?
Everything just made him feel like he was out of the loop, more and more he started to feel like he was the one being protected even though he wanted to be the one protecting.
With that in mind, Shirou told Saber to stand down, feeling like Rider meant no harm by coming here.
Saber was still apprehensive about the situation, as Rider had been an enemy Servant just a few days ago.
But with Rider coming to his side, for some reason, he felt that all hope was not lost whatsoever.
Before he could come up with something to say, Rider interrupted him, saying that a presence was approaching slowly, and it was coming to the entrance of his house.
Saber felt it as well and knew that it was the presence of another Servant incoming.
Rin and Illya widened their eyes as the only Servant and threat left were either the Shadow or Caster…
And above them, she appeared.
Caster, floating with her robe tattered, yet still menacingly looked like the frightening witch that she was.
Everyone immediately became on edge, preparing for a fight that they all thought was about to come and take place at this household.
But all of a sudden, Caster no longer was floating, but rather smashed to the ground hard, as if she had no longer the power to fly above them.
Confusion started to arise, and then they finally saw her true state.
Her tattered robes were smeared with blood, her injuries were not scarce at all, lacerations after another littered her very being, her breaths were heavy and yet, very slow as well.
Shirou made his assumption that she had been fighting with everything she had, and even though she survived, she hadn't left her battle unscathed.
Shirou was the first one to go to her, as she was lying down across his backyard with everyone watching warily.
"I… couldn't save him… that thing- it took everything from me…"
Caster said those words to him after he knelt next to her. Shirou immediately realized what she had just meant.
The Shadow went to her, and gave her the beating of her life… and took her Master's life.
Souichirou Kuzuki was no longer alive, and Shirou could see that It broke Caster's heart and soul… after seeing the traces of tears she had around her eyes.
Even though this witch had been his enemy for the majority of the Holy Grail War, he could sympathize with the pain she was feeling at this very moment.
His thoughts on this war were getting clearer and clearer. All this time, he was confused, but after seeing the pain that everyone was going through, it started to become more clear to him.
"Rin, come here."
Shirou commanded Rin to come next to him, who was still kneeling next to Caster.
It was a rather shocking thing for Rin to hear, for the first time, Shirou called her by her first name, just like how Archer had done.
Everyone there was skeptical of course with Caster appearing and all. It seems that even though Caster was erratic and rageful, she wasn't having any ill intent coming here.
Rin walked toward Shirou, who was looking at Caster's heavily injured state with slightly worried eyes, followed by apprehensiveness.
"That abomination is no wish-granting device! It's only a calamity about to be awakened! Why… would I even think that I deserved a second chance… that I deserved peace…"
Caster voiced her anger and sorrow, being blinded with grief and sadness by the state of the Holy Grail War.
Rin told her everything about the corrupted state of the Holy Grail, that they all had been fighting for essentially their doom, instead of their wishes.
Shirou, on the other hand, focused on what the Witch of Colchis just said about what she wished for…
It turned out that witches held wishes so simple and endearing, after all... even though they wished to kill you every chance they could get.
"Rin…"
Shirou called out to the young woman beside him, looking at her with some sort of intent on what he wanted her to do.
Rin, after looking at his expression, was able to discern what he wanted for her to do, instantly.
"You can't be serious, you idiot! Why?! After all that she did to us?!"
She voiced her disapproval loudly, even though there was someone who was hurting badly in front of her. Shirou could only wince after hearing Rin's rather shrill response.
"It's our best chance… to save her."
Shirou finally knew what he needed to do, and at this moment, he needed all the help he could get as well.
Rin widened her eyes, shocked by his words and what Shirou just insinuated.
He wanted to save Sakura, her sister, who was being controlled and merged with the Holy Grail.
"Oi, Caster… do you wish to enact revenge for losing your Master?"
Rin asked Caster with a rather cold voice, while Caster could only widen her eyes after hearing Rin's question.
"It's… the only thing I wish for, now…"
With ragged breaths and blood-smeared visage, Caster could still make a fist and voice her rather new, yet simple, resolve.
Rin then gave Caster her hand, gently lifting it towards her direction…
"Hear my summon…"
She chanted an aria that made some of the ones there shocked to the core, for it was the incantation to make a Master and Servant contract…
And it was obvious that Rin was about to make Caster her Servant if she were to accept.
Saber could only widen her eyes, shocked by the situation and the resolution that was about to be enacted.
She hurriedly went to Shirou, who only looked calmly at what Rin was doing.
"Shirou! What is this?! Are we really gonna-"
"It's our best shot, Saber… for us to win this Holy Grail War."
Shirou cut off Saber's worries, indicating that this was the last resort and the only pathway for them to be able to win and survive.
Caster, who could hear what Rin was incanting at her, had her jaw dropped slightly for she didn't know that this would be how the events would turn into.
She then had a smirk and reached for Rin's hand.
Thus, Caster, or Medea of Colchis, became Rin Tohsaka's Servant for the remainder of the war.
Command Seals were starting to appear on Rin's hand, and Caster's injuries were fading, appearing healthier and healthier by the second.
"Never thought I'd have such a brute of a woman as a Master, but at least, you are more than adequate to serve the role."
Caster said those words with the biggest smirk she could muster, while Rin had a face that indicated sourness.
"You betray me, and I'll make sure to break your neck myself."
Rin said those words with conviction, sounding like a promise that she would wholeheartedly do if those circumstances had occurred.
"Don't worry, dear, I won't do anything, at least.. not until Angra Mainyu gets what he deserves."
Saber, who could hear everything that Rin and Caster were saying, was still confused about what they would do, now that they had Caster and Rider on their side as well.
"Shirou, what are we going to do?"
Saber asked her Master, gently, with care and caution.
Shirou then walked slowly forward to be able to face everyone who was there in his backyard. His face showed a man with sheer will and focus, instead of a confused boy like a few moments ago.
"I know everyone here had been fighting each other since the very beginning, and some of you have lost something… and someone… due to this war.
Shirou's voice was calm yet firm. He looked at everyone there who had been fighting in this Holy Grail War and knew that because of said war, they lost more than they could have imagined.
"But we need to put aside our differences, and end this… end everything."
Everyone then looked at Shirou with focus and firm eyes, knowing that he finally had a resolve and they all wanted to back it as well.
"Tomorrow, we'll cancel the birth of All the World's Evils… and destroy the Holy Grail for good."
Shirou looked at the faces in front of him.
Saber was still a bit shocked because of her knowing that her wish couldn't come true, yet put aside those thoughts, knowing that this was for the greater good.
Rin and Illya also knew that they had roles to play for the war's ending, and steeled their resolves.
Rider, meanwhile, had her thoughts on the one person that she cared for and was apprehensive about what they would do with Sakura and her corrupted state.
Caster, meanwhile, had a small laugh after hearing Shirou's declaration.
"And what about the Lesser Grail, boy? Should we kill her as well? Knowing that with her gone, our jobs will be far easier."
Shirou knew this was a tough choice, as Zouken's words about choosing Sakura or others had been festering his mind.
But he knew what choice he would make, and he would be damn sure to uphold it.
"We'll save Sakura Matou, no matter what, and destroy the Holy Grail to save everyone from its calamity. Do you have a problem with that?"
Shirou looked at Caster head-on, signifying that he was not joking with his command.
Caster only stood there in silence, still looking back at him with no discernible face whatsoever due to her face being covered by her hood.
She then laughed, wholeheartedly, after a few moments of intense staring.
"You really are one of a kind! No wonder you can end up like him. How fascinating…"
Out of a sudden, Caster made a movement that shocked everyone in the vicinity… by removing her hood.
Her hair was of mixed shade between blue and lilac, her ears were elvish-like, showing pointed edges, and her face was different from what everyone thought a witch would have as it was a face of a matured beauty.
"I, Medea of Colchis, shall do your bidding, Shirou Emiya. Well, until our paths diverge or my revenge, satiated, whichever comes first… even if I have to be this brute's Servant"
Caster, or Medea, made a statement for everyone's ear to hear, including a jape toward Rin as well. For some reason, it felt rather sincere for Shirou.
Then, Rider stepped forward while uncovering her eyes, removing her blindfold in the process.
"I, Medusa, shall fight with and protect you, Shirou Emiya… to end this nightmare and save her, for that has been my promise in this war."
Rider, or Medusa, made a statement while looking at Shirou intensively, giving him her word and intent to end this war as well.
It was a turnaround of events as well, knowing that Shirou and his company had been in a state of rather stress and hopelessness, but then, with two Servants being added, they didn't look hopeless any longer.
After that, Saber stepped forward, joining the rest of the Servants who were in front of Shirou.
"I, Arturia Pendragon, King of Britain, shall uphold my oath to fight with you, Shirou Emiya. No matter what hell we're about to go through, I will end this war for you.. and all of us."
Saber, or Arthuria, pledged her allegiance to Shirou, her Master, one more time. This time, she would fight all out with the rest, trying to forsake her wish… so that the world wouldn't end and end this nightmare of a Holy Grail War.
Illya and Rin looked on at the Servants pledging their will toward Shirou, the only man there.
For once in a while, they too finally resolved with no desperation whatsoever, finally feeling like they had a chance and a glimmer of hope.
To read more chapters you can visit
P*a*t*r*e*o*n. com (slash) SeraphimofScales