Shirou and Elena where walking through the hotel lobby aiming to go towards the room where he would finally get to meet the man he had heard so much about. Elena's father.

The play had ended and it had taken quite a bit of time so Elena suggested afterwards they immediately make the way to the hotel for the proposed meeting. Any unspoken feelings our actions during the play where left that way for now and Shirou knew he had to focus.

For everyone's sake, for Elena's sake. He had to convince this man to let go of his plan.

When they finally arrived at the destined room Elena knocked on it. Shirou breathed in slowly, trying to steel his nerves. The door opened and out stepped a young man that he had seen on a photo before. It was Elena's brother.

He looked Shirou over like a lion was looking at it's prey. Then he turned to Elena.

"Sister" he said shortly.

"Kerrion," Elena responded in a similar tone "I brought him here as per father's request."

"I need to check him for weapons" Kerrion said.

Elena sighed and placing her hand on her forehead "Kerrion don't be an idiot why would he carry weapons with him in a busy city in broad daylight. It makes no sense now just let us pass."

Shirou saw Kerrion's stoic expression fade to one of annoyance but nonetheless he stepped aside to let them pass, but not before warning Shirou.

"If you try anything against him I will end you."

Despite the threatening tone coming from him, Shirou didn't actually feel threatened. Kerrion reminded him a bit of Shinji, all bark, no bite.

They all stepped inside and Shirou looked in the room. A very large but modest room, in front of him there was two opposing tabled with a table in between them. On the farthest couch he sat.

Shirou instantly noted the red-veined scar that covered the man's eye. He could now understand why the man had been so adamant on his revenge. His left eye was completely white and void and he likely didn't see anything from that eye. Shirou looked him over, his appearance was distinguished, like a classic gentleman. His cane was leaning against the couch.

When Shirou's eyes locked with the man, the latter smiled brightly, grabbed his cane and stood up from the couch.

"Ah Shirou Emiya. How wonderful to finally meet you, my daughter told me a lot about you," he walked over towards where Shirou was standing and greeted him with an open hand "my name is Argus Manadek."

His tone was warm and welcoming. It had been a sharp contrast with what Shirou had imagined. He had imagined him as a sharp and stoic type of man but instead he seemed very much full of emotion just by the look on his face.

Shirou shook his hand and as polite as he could said "it's a pleasure to meet you as well sir."

Argus smiled warmly at him, placing a hand on his shoulder and leading him towards the couch, gesturing for him to sit down. Shirou did so and Elena sat next to him while Argus sat across from them, placing his cane back on the edge of the couch. Kerrion however remained firmly standing behind the couch his father was sitting on, his eyes fixed on Shirou.

"Would you like a cup of tea my boy?" Argus asked politely.

Shirou shook his head "no thank you but thanks for the offer."

Argus smiled and grabbed his own cup of tea on the table and took a sip, glancing at Shirou the entire time.

"I'm glad you decided to take up my offer of meeting me young Shirou. It does me good meeting the stellar young man that my Elena has taken such a shine too."

Shirou couldn't help but lightly blush, he turned to Elena and saw her look away, a blush also clearly visible on her face.

"It seems almost like fate," Argus continued "that my daughter would meet with the son of Kiritsugu Emiya."

Shirou's head perked back up upon hearing his late father's name.

"Wait. You knew my father?" he asked.

Argus nodded "oh I did. I didn't know him closely but I did have a chance encounter with him. It was ten years ago. I will never forget that night nor will I forget him. After all," he placed the empty tea cup back on the table "he killed the man that I wanted to kill."

His tone had shifted with that last sentence. First it was warm and joyful and now it was ice cold and remorseless. Argus pointed towards his scarred eye and said "did she tell you. Did she tell you who did this to me."

Shirou looked at Elena who nodded at him, giving him some encouragement.

"She did sir. And I'm very sorry to hear that it happened to you. What that man did to you is unforgivable."

"Indeed it was. It was despicable. Doing that to me, in front of my twelve year old daughter was another level of cruelty. For months I sought justice and couldn't find it. Those filthy incompetent imbeciles of the Clock Tower did nothing but look away and tried to sweep it under the rug. So I decided to get justice myself. I followed that man here to Fuyuki but before I could kill him. He was assassinated by the hands of one Kiritsugu Emiya."

Shirou clenched his fists, his eyes betraying his disbelief.

"That can't be…my father was a hero of justice. He was all about saving people."

"He might have been that. Who knows why he did it, it was war after all. Regardless that night changed everything for me. I may have lost my chance at justice but I gained something far more rewarding."

Shirou looked up at him "what was that?"

Argus smiled warmly and said "enlightenment my boy. Enlightenment. And it all came in the form of your father's Servant. Her and her sword."

"Saber…" Shirou mumbled out in shock. All of this was new to him. All these revelations about his father he never knew about. He knew his father was in the Holy Grail War ten years ago, but he did not know that Saber had been his servant.

"And now as if by fate. Ten years later his son inherits his servant. You've seen her power. The power of Excalibur. I seek that power Shirou. I seek it to save the world."

The man moved forward, his hands over the table and grabbing onto Shirou's.

"You have been next to her my boy. Touched by the mighty King Arthur, blessed by her grace. You have connected to the sword I can feel it. So I ask you for your help my dear boy. Together we can save the world."

A tense silence flowed through the entire room as Argus held onto Shirou's hands and looked at him with a bright warm smile. Almost as if he was fully expecting nothing but an enthusiastic yes.

"Save the world? Is that how you see what you want to do in your head?" Shirou replied.

Argus stepped back, letting go Shirou's hands and sitting back down on the couch behind him.

"What are saying my boy?"

"Don't play dumb Manadek. I know what you're really about. You want to commit genocide!"

Shirou's tone was angry and he could see Kerrion beginning to walk forward, but a quick hand raise from his father made him immediately back down.

"Genocide?" Argus said in a curious tone "I think you misunderstand my boy. I do not wish that at all."

Shirou stood up and angrily pointed at Argus "you want to kill all the Mages in the world. How can that not be genocide!"

"How dare you talk to my father like that!" Kerrion spouted angrily, reaching for something on his belt and taking a step forward from behind the couch.

"KERRION STAND DOWN IMMEDIATELY!" Argus yelled out angrily. And in an instant Kerrion backed down again and stood back, his head down in an almost submissive manner.

"Don't make me say it again Kerrion" Argus continued, placing his fingers on his temples and breathing in slowly to calm down.

"My apologies for my son young Shirou he just…doesn't think things through."

Shirou hadn't moved from his position until Elena slowly came up to him and tried to calm him down, at least making him sit down.

"Let me ask you something my boy. Do you get into a moral dilemma when you need to call an exterminator to deal with a cockroach problem. Of course not, they are vermin, pests, parasites. Why would we feel bad about exterminating them. Why should mages be any different?"

Shirou couldn't believe his ears.

"You…you can't be serious…"

"I'm deadly serious my boy. You say it's genocide. But for that to be the case it would mean the mass destruction of an entire group of humans. But I'm not doing that. I'm cleansing the world of the parasites that are mages."

Shirou angrily clenched his fists, he could feel Elena's arms around his hand and her soft muttering to stay calm.

Argus once again pointed towards his scar "this is what they have done to me. What they have done to so many others. This was because I stood up for someone. Mages are nothing more then self-righteous narcissists thinking that their abilities entitle them to inflict whatever harm they can onto whoever crosses their paths. Can you not see why these monsters have to be dealt with."

"Just because one of them was a monster to you doesn't mean every Magus is like that!" Shirou yelled.

Argus slumped back into the couch with a sigh. He took a deep breath before he leaned forward and spoke again.

"You might think that now my boy. But if you've gone through what I've gone through you will see what I see. I will find that sword Shirou Emiya, with or without your help and you will see the world becoming better because of it."

Shirou also leaned forward, meeting Argus' gaze.

"Over my dead body Manadek. You won't get it and I will make sure of that."

He expected him to be mad but instead Argus simply smirked and leaned backwards, grabbing his cane and standing up.

"Very well then my boy. Then our conversation is done," he turned to Elena "Elena my dear please escort him out and say your final goodbyes. I don't want you speaking to him anymore is that understood."

Shirou felt his heart sink as he looked at Elena, who unflinchingly said "yes of course father."

Shirou had no time to respond as Elena grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the door of the room. All but pushing him through it. She escorted him completely silently through the halls, the lobby and finally at the entrance of the hotel did Shirou finally speak.

"Elena I…."

But Elena shushed him with her hand "look our alliance still stands but I have to be more careful now. Don't come to me ever, I will come to you understood?"

Shirou simply nodded in understanding. Elena smiled and pushed him out the entrance door and turned around to walk back, leaving Shirou out in the cold as the afternoon was slowly closing in.

Argus watched as Kerrion poured him another cup of tea. His fingers twitching around his cane. He took the cup but before he could get one sip the hotel room door opened and Elena barged in, clearly red in the face with anger.

"Kerrion get out!" she yelled.

"What the? Why?" he responded in confusion.

"Because I say so!"

"You think you're the boss of me!"

"Enough!" Argus' annoyed voice yelled as he slammed his cane onto the ground. Placing his cup on the table once more and standing up.

"Kerrion go out for a walk now!"

Kerrion nodded submissively and said "as you wish father" as he walked past Elena, giving her an angry scowl before he disappeared through the door, slamming it shut behind him, leaving father and daughter alone in the room.

"Well say what you want to say daughter?" Argus said as he remained standing firmly.

"Are you out of your mind telling him all that. He will never help us now? He was our best chance at finding the sword!"

"We'll find it one way or another. I was hoping the boy would help. If not by our plan to save the world then by his…feelings for you."

Elena shook her head to rid herself of the blush that was beginning to form.

"Feelings? What feelings?"

Argus laughed hardily "oh come on Elena. We can both clearly see the boy has feelings for you. It would strike me as odd if you of all people hadn't picked up on it."

"Regardless of that. You have caused us a powerful and capable ally. He had a deep connection with King Arthur, he could sense the sword I'm sure of it. And now you can forget about him helping us."

Argus simply shrugged "again it matters nothing. Even if we did find the sword tomorrow it be completely useless to us until Richter completes his experiment."

"What experiment?" Elena asked.

"One I will tell you about once it's finished. Have some faith daughter," Argus said as he stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder "once it's finished we can make the world a better place…I can make it a better place for you…"

His hand moved to cup his daughter's cheek.

"All I have done in this moment is for you. For you and your brother. So you may live happily in a world without mages who can hurt you."

Elena placed her hand over her fathers, breathed in and closed her eyes briefly before looking into her father's eyes.

"Don't lie to me dad…" she said solemnly yet also agitated.

Argus seemed taken aback by this "what?"

Elena removed her father's hand from her cheek and said "don't lie to me. You can lie to yourself and your minions. You can easily pull the wool over Kerrion's eyes. But you can't lie to me. I see right through you and I know what this is all about."

Argus firmly held his cane and he seemed to try hard to keep it together.

"All this talk about saving the world? Making the world a better place. All what you are trying to do here is not about that and deep down I know you know it too. This crusade of yours against them, it's neither righteous nor altruistic. It is nothing more then anger and hatred that you can't let go off!"

She yelled out that last part and Argus slowly turned his head away. Unwilling to look his daughter in the eye. And it seemed Elena didn't mince anymore words for him as she simply turned around and left.

"Elena…" Argus tried to yell after her. But it was too late. The door had already slammed behind her.

His entire body trembled and with a mighty yell he threw his cane to the ground and he fell to his knees. Clutching his face as tears streamed down it.