P.S Author: English is not my native language and I use a translator, so there will be mistakes. I apologize for that.
The sword from a different angle by kewes
Chapter 6
Shirou found himself in the same room where the previous dream had ended. The murmur of voices, the echo of footsteps—all of it seemed distant, muffled.
At a wooden table sat the young man Shirou had observed in his last dream. His light, almost platinum blonde hair was slightly disheveled, and his dark blue casual attire looked modest yet neat. Calmly, he packed books and notes into his bag.
Next to him stood another boy—tall, with chestnut-colored hair and a kind smile.
— Ready to head home?
— Yeah, — the blonde replied simply.
They walked together, talking about mundane things. When they reached a corridor with several paths, the blonde stopped and said:
— Sorry, but today you're going home alone. I recently found a shortcut to get back faster.
The dark-haired boy muttered something in response, but after saying goodbye, the blonde headed toward the exit.
Shirou followed him.
The young man left the building where he studied and headed toward the forest that bordered the campus. Shirou had a bad feeling, though he couldn't explain why. The trees grew denser, the path narrower. The boy's bag swayed slightly on his shoulder, but his steps remained steady.
The forest greeted him with silence. Only the rustling leaves and the occasional bird cries broke the stillness.
With every step, the tension in the air grew. Shirou felt it. The boy did too. He slowed down, his gaze scanning the trees.
— Something's wrong, — he muttered under his breath, gripping the strap of his bag.
From behind one of the trees stepped a young man with dark hair and equally dark eyes. His expression was anything but friendly.
— You're the heir of Zephran, right? — the blonde asked, surprised.
The dark-haired boy nodded.
— Do you need something? — the blonde asked calmly.
The brunette smirked.
— Your blood.
The shadows of the trees seemed to come alive. Four figures in black cloaks emerged, their faces hidden behind strange masks. Around them, a magical barrier formed, enclosing the area.
— An ambush, — the blonde said quietly, his lips tightening.
One of the masked figures, clearly the leader, stepped forward.
— You're far too confident to wander alone. We're here to end you.
The blonde straightened, his gaze growing cold.
— So, it was you who killed the heiress of Amiruén, — he said, staring at his attackers.
The leader chuckled.
— Of course. But you won't be telling anyone about it.
He raised his hand, releasing a white spell that shot toward the boy.
The blonde tried to dodge, but the spell grazed his shoulder.
He dashed behind the nearest tree, summoning a black blade in his hand. Another spell shattered his cover into splinters, forcing him to roll behind another tree.
The attackers gave him no time to rest. Spells rained down one after another: lightning, fire, sharp gusts of air.
— Is defense all you're capable of? — the leader taunted, ordering his men to increase their assault.
Small cuts began to appear on the boy's body. His clothes were torn in several places, and his breathing grew heavier. Yet his gaze remained resolute.
Then, he began to chant:
— This is a world that reflects the will of weapons.
Weapons that eternally repeat the path of war.
Steel is my shield, and the blade is my law.
Fire forges my dreams, water sharpens my blades.
With every word, blades materialized around him, and his movements became faster.
— In endless battles, I found my reflection.
One of the masked figures pulled out a green stone and threw it in front of the boy. A surge of magical energy exploded at his feet, throwing him to the ground.
The boy quickly stood, leaning on one of his blades. His face was covered in dust, but his gaze remained unwavering.
His face was shrouded in shadow. Shirou saw the blonde whisper something, though he couldn't make out the words.
But it no longer mattered.
Suddenly, a brilliant white flash lit up the entire area. The forest vanished. Everything vanished.
Shirou awoke in his room. He had too many questions.
What? How? Why? Was that a young Saber? What happened after the flash?
All these questions swirled in the teenager's mind as he stared at the ceiling for several minutes. Unfortunately for him, the more he thought about it, the harder it became to recall certain fragments of the dream.
Shirou decided that, perhaps, if he didn't forget, he would ask Saber about it. But for now, he needed to get ready for school and prepare breakfast for himself and Taiga. So, he headed to the bathroom to complete his morning routine.
Somewhere in an unknown location
A young girl had fallen asleep in her chair again, and once more, she dreamt a strange dream she couldn't understand. Her exhaustion was growing, and she knew this couldn't go on.
Stepping into the corridor, she encountered her friend—a girl with green eyes and silver hair. The friend was dressed in a gray skirt and a black hooded cloak.
Walking beside her was a man around 29 years old with long black hair and dark green eyes, dressed in formal attire.
The young lady, upon seeing them, immediately called out:
"Hello, Gray! And you, brother! I was just looking for you."
"What is it, Reines?" her so-called brother replied, while Gray simply nodded in greeting to the young heiress.
"I need your help, brother," said the heiress of the El-Melloi family, opening the door and inviting them into the room.
Once everyone was seated, Waver silently gestured for her to explain.
"I have a question, brother. Tell me, during the Holy Grail War, did you ever feel a bit exhausted?"
At her words, memories of the Fourth War overwhelmed Waver. He nodded.
"Yes, sometimes Rider needed more mana, and because of that, I felt tired. Why are you asking, Reines?"
The young blonde ignored his question and asked another:
"I remember you once mentioned that you dreamt of your Servant's past. Tell me, did those dreams occur only during the war, or do you still have them now?"
Realizing she wasn't going to answer his questions, Waver replied with mild irritation:
"No, I only had those dreams during the war. Why do you ask?"
This time, Reines answered:
"You see, brother, something strange has been happening to me over the past three days. I feel tired, as if someone is draining my prana. Moreover, I've started having strange, interconnected dreams about a person I don't even know. Also, we recently learned that the Clock Tower sent two representatives to Fuyuki. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"
Waver frowned.
"You're suggesting that a new Holy Grail War has begun? And that you're connected to it?"
"That's right, brother. I've made this assumption based on the agents sent to Fuyuki and what's happening to me. I believe I'm somehow connected to one of the Servants participating in this war."
Waver responded skeptically:
"You don't have any Command Spells, and you didn't summon a Servant. That's impossible."
"And yet, brother, my mana is disappearing without explanation, and these dreams feel like a connection to a Servant."
"Even if that's true, so what? It's still better for us to stay here, where it's safe. The Holy Grail War is a bloodbath. What do you propose?"
"I knew you'd ask that, brother. We're going to Fuyuki to try and sever this contract."
"Absolutely not. First, it's far too dangerous. Second, I can't leave the Clock Tower right now."
At this, Reines merely smiled and turned to Gray.
"Gray, if we went to Fuyuki with my brother, would you come with us?"
The girl was surprised by the question but answered:
"Yes, Reines."
"Perfect. See, brother? Gray will be with us, and you yourself said she defeated the Impostor Hephaestion, who was a Servant. So, there's nothing to worry about."
Waver frowned even more.
"I still can't leave the Clock Tower."
"You can. You've worked as a teacher for six years without taking a single vacation. Besides, starting next week, many classes will have a two-week break. And if you're worried about being summoned as one of the Lords, I'm sure we can figure something out."
Waver smirked at this.
"Are you sure about that?"
Reines nodded with a calm expression, then turned to Gray.
"Gray, let's go pack our bags."
"Of course," the girl replied.
As they walked out the door, Waver realized that he would be the one responsible for buying tickets and handling all the other arrangements.
(Several hours later in the workshop of Emiya)
In the "workshop," there were Shirou and Saber. The latter was clearly teaching Shirou something. While Shirou practiced what Saber had told him, he felt uneasy. He sensed that something was about to happen. Today had been the most peaceful day since his summoning—no battles, no urgent news or discoveries. Nothing. The only interesting thing was Shirou's reaction to the news that the Tohsaka heir would be moving in with him for the time being. Rin had gone to gather her things and promised to return by late evening.
For the rest of the evening, Shirou finally managed to properly reinforce his body or other objects each time.
When Saber said they were done for the day, Shirou said he would practice a bit more and then go to sleep, wishing Saber good night. He didn't linger and went to his room.
An hour later, when he didn't hear Shirou enter his room, Saber decided to go check on him. When he reached the "workshop," he found no sign of Shirou—only white threads that were beginning to pull somewhere. Realizing his master had been kidnapped, Saber followed the threads.
(Ryudo Temple)
Shirou awoke in a place he recognized—the Ryudo Temple. However, when he tried to move, he realized that he was bound hand and foot.
A figure appeared from the black smoke, a woman cloaked in black.
"Seems you've woken up, boy."
"You... a Caster-class Servant, I assume?"
"Correct. Master Saber."
Shirou tried to release mana or at least reinforce his body to break the threads, but it was futile.
"Useless. This spell cannot be undone with such pitiful attempts. Especially not the ones you can manage."
"So, I was easier to capture than the others?"
"Correct. Among all the Masters, you're the weakest."
"And what, you're going to kill me?"
"No, at least not now. If you die, I can't take your mana. I killed a few before, but now I've learned how to gather the necessary amount."
"So it's because of you that there are comas in the city? Caster, that's a violation of the Holy Grail War rules!"
"Violations are considered when you involve those who don't know about the war or kidnap people. I'm just taking a little mana. Thanks to this, I was able to build my own defense for the temple. You can see for yourself—mana from hundreds of people is hidden in this land. Well, it's time to take your command spells."
"You want to take my command spells?"
"Exactly. I'll give them to my master, and then we'll have Saber deal with Berserker. But to take them, I'll have to extract your magical chains."
She said, and a spell began to form in her hand, which she immediately brought to Shirou's hand where the command spells were.
Shirou felt pain all over his body as Caster pulled out his command spells. However, before she could finish, a hail of arrows began, and Caster had to break off her spell to dodge the arrows.
Looking toward where the arrows had come from, they saw a figure in red standing on the wall with a black bow.
"You're tougher than you look," he said, then jumped between Shirou and Caster.
Shirou realized that he could now move, but before he could do anything, the archer spoke:
"Don't move and don't fidget, or this witch will take out her anger on you."
At that moment, Caster was enraged:
"Archer has arrived. What are you looking at, Assassin?" she shouted.
"See? So it's better if you don't move. I have a feeling things are going to heat up here."
"You're right, Archer. Crushing you will be as easy as any other Servant in this war. Getting the Holy Grail is no big deal, but what comes after it is what concerns me."
"Want to say you can defeat us easily? It's funny hearing that from a witch who can only attack from behind."
"Yeah? In my temple, you won't even be able to touch me. And for those who call me a witch, I have an appropriate punishment."
"So, you can't even be touched? If one strike isn't enough, I'll leave you alone with the boy."
After these words, two short blades appeared in Archer's hands, and he rushed at Caster. She tried to defend herself with a staff, but Archer skillfully sliced through her defense. When the witch fell, her body began to disintegrate, and it seemed like they could finally relax. However, they heard Caster's voice again.
"It didn't work."
A bright purple flash appeared in the sky, and Archer had to defend himself from the magic directed at him.
Looking at the sky, they saw Caster hovering above the ground, watching them with a smile.
"Naturally, time manipulation. I see, on your own turf, you can simulate true sorcery. Impressive, Caster."
"Well, you've disappointed me, Archer. I hoped you'd be useful, but you're even worse than Assassin."
He just clicked his tongue and said:
"Well, whatever."
For the next few minutes, Archer dodged the witch's spells, while also marveling at how much mana she had.
Shirou, meanwhile, was watching from a "safe" spot, waiting for the moment when he could escape. He understood that a battle between Servants was beyond his level.
When it seemed like a moment had come, Shirou strengthened his legs and tried to run as fast as he could out of the temple.
However, when he reached the entrance, he realized that Caster had noticed him. At that moment, Shirou felt a spell heading toward him.
Shirou thought he was done for, but at the last second, he was pushed. When he looked at the spot where he had been a second ago, he saw Archer standing in an unfamiliar violet-colored field.
"How's it feel, Archer? Even a knight-class Servant can't move if the space is immobilized. Looks like you've lost. I don't know whose land's hero you were, but it's time to say goodbye."
At that moment, Archer said something that Shirou and Caster didn't hear. When the witch asked what Archer had said, he replied:
"I said, 'Dodge.'"
At that moment, Caster saw two blades flying toward her and managed to block them. But because of this, Archer was able to break free since the spell was no longer maintained.
When the witch angrily tried to attack Archer again, he skillfully dodged her spell, and then a bow appeared in his left hand, and in his right, a strange spear-shaped arrow that he immediately nocked onto his bowstring.
Shirou immediately felt mana gathering around Archer in large amounts, and then there was a shot.
Caster tried to defend herself, but the arrow easily pierced her spell and continued on, clearly hitting the witch, who screamed in pain and began falling down like a sack of potatoes.
When she finally fell, to their surprise, she was still alive. Looking directly at Archer, she said:
"Archer, why don't you finish me off?"
"I told you I'd only make one hit."
After this, the witch healed herself and began rising to her feet.
"So, you're not planning to kill me?"
"At least not now. My goal was to save the boy."
Shirou then observed as the witch offered Archer to join forces with her. Although he refused, Shirou could tell the refusal was insincere. All this time, he stood ready, knowing that if the witch survived such a hit, she was not vulnerable. Immortal.
Just as Caster was about to dematerialize, Shirou heard someone running up the stairs, and a second later, Saber appeared through three entrances.
He spotted Shirou and, relieved that his master was okay, turned toward the witch, ready for battle.
She angrily asked:
"Saber, how did you get here?! Assassin is guarding the gates!"
"And what do you think?"
It was a rhetorical question, as everyone understood that Assassin had been killed.
(Several minutes ago)
Saber and Archer, climbing the stairs, saw a tall man dressed in purple-lavender clothing with violet hair tied in a ponytail. He had a long sword strapped to his back.
Nodding to Archer, signaling that he could go and save his master, Archer also nodded and simply walked past the servant, who immediately began speaking:
"I am the servant of class Assassin, Sasaki Kojirō. And you, I understand, are Saber."
Saber remained silent and prepared for battle.
"Ah, you prefer to speak with your weapon in battle. I can respect that. Well then, let's begin."
Saber and Assassin began exchanging blows with their swords. This went on for several minutes—Saber couldn't break through the assassin's defense. The assassin was exceptional with his sword. The assassin had no trouble with his "invisible" weapon. However, one moment was unexpected.
Suddenly, both Saber and the assassin heard a scream. This distracted Saber for a moment, and Assassin tried to decapitate him.
Saber managed to block the strike, but he got a small cut just above his wrist and had to jump back a couple of steps.
To the assassin's surprise, instead of continuing the fight, Saber began to slowly retreat up the stairs. After a few steps, the weapon that was clearly a sword disappeared from Saber's hands. The assassin, surprised by this action, commented:
"You're retreating? What about your master?"
At that moment, Saber decided it was time to end this fight.
But instead of answering the assassin's question, he whispered:
"𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘖𝘯."
A weapon began to materialize in his hand.
It was a katana, about 110 centimeters in Japanese style. It had a round guard just above the hilt, which was wrapped in black tape or cloth.
He took an unusual stance and started running up the stairs toward the assassin, but then he suddenly disappeared.
When the assassin saw Saber again, he started speaking:
"The first step outruns sound."
When he disappeared again, the assassin realized something bad was about to happen and started preparing to defend himself.
"The second—space."
However, he wasn't prepared for what was about to happen.
"The third—the sword strikes."
"Mumyou Sandanzuki."
This was the last thing the assassin heard before Saber appeared before him. Then he saw the same blade coming from three different directions, and within moments, it pierced the fake Assassin.
When he realized what was happening, blood spurted from his mouth, as well as from the wounds inflicted by this technique. Realizing that it closely resembled his own technique, Tsubame Gaeshi, he died with the thought: "(So, this is how my technique looks to others.)" And then he vanished from the world with a smile.
Saber, looking at the spot where the Assassin had been a moment ago, sighed. The katana in his hands dissipated, and the familiar sword reappeared.
He then ran upstairs to his master.
(Present time)
When Caster disappeared with irritation, Saber turned to Shirou and asked:
"Master, should we pursue her?"
"No. Caster is invulnerable here, and it's pointless, at least for now."
Saber nodded approvingly, glad that his master decided to think things through instead of rushing into a pursuit without a plan.
If anyone had looked at Archer right now, they would have seen a strange expression on his face. He had thought that Shirou Emiya—The Defender of Justice—would at least consider chasing after her. But instead, he had calmly thought everything through.
Then he heard Saber calling him. It was time to leave.
When Shiro was descending the stairs of the Ryudo Temple, he noticed blood that, as he realized, belonged to Assassin. However, his main interest was when the three of them reached the bottom of the stairs. At that moment, a black car arrived and stopped. The rear door opened, and he saw Rin. She immediately sighed upon seeing him.
"Phew, are you okay?"
"Tohsaka, what are you doing here?"
"What do you mean? I came to help my servant, who went to assist in saving you."
At that moment, Shiro also saw three other people getting out of the car. The first was a tall man in his thirties, dressed in formal attire. The second was a girl wrapped in a hood; she stood behind the man and seemed a bit embarrassed when Shiro looked at her. The last was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had aristocratic facial features and was dressed in quite exquisite Victorian-style clothing in shades of blue. She wore a smile that didn't inspire trust in Shiro.
The unspoken question in the air was attempted to be explained by the heir of the Tohsaka family.
"This is..."
However, her answer remained unspoken, as the blonde girl raised her hand and said:
"Allow me, Miss Tohsaka. I am Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, heiress to the El-Melloi family."
She then pointed to the man:
"This is the current Lord El-Melloi II and my brother, Waver Velvet."
She then pointed to the last girl:
"This is Gray, my brother's student."
Upon hearing this, Shiro also decided to introduce himself:
"Nice to meet you, I am Emiya Shirou."
After these words, Waver and Reines first showed surprised expressions, and then their faces changed. The girl had a sly half-smile, and Velvet had a sympathetic expression.
However, Shiro remembered that they were from mage families and wanted to ask a question, but he was immediately preempted by the eldest in the company.
"We are not participating in the Holy Grail War... at least not now."
Shiro nodded and then asked something else:
"So, you came to Tohsaka?"
"Actually, we came to you, Mr. Emiya. To be precise, to your servant," explained the young blonde with blue eyes.
"What?"
"You see, I think I have developed some connection with a servant. We came to investigate this connection."
At this point, Tohsaka intervened.
"I met them when I was about to go to your house with Emiya's belongings."
(20 minutes ago, with Reines, Waver, and Gray)
Two hours ago, they arrived by plane at the nearest city to Fuyuki with an airport. Then they received a car from someone who owed their family. After that, they went to Fuyuki, first to the second owner. While Waver was on the way, memories of the Fourth Holy Grail War overwhelmed him when he saw the bridge where he and Rider first observed the battle between Lancer and Saber.
When they arrived at the place where the heir of the Tohsaka family was supposed to live, they saw a girl with black hair and blue eyes. She fit the description of the current heir of the Tohsaka family. Getting out of the car and asking if she was the heir of the Tohsaka family, when she confirmed, they introduced themselves. Rin immediately had a question:
"So, what are you doing here, Lord El-Melloi II? You know that the Holy Grail War is currently happening here?"
Nodding, Waver began to speak:
"That's right, but my sister has presumably formed a connection with one of the servants of this war."
"A connection? How is that possible?"
"We don't know ourselves. That's why we came to investigate this connection. Perhaps, Miss Tohsaka, you have already met the servant we are looking for."
"Maybe, but I need to know what he looks like."
At this moment, Reines spoke up.
"A blonde with blue eyes, dressed in blue clothes."
Rin's face showed surprise, and then she said:
"Yes, I probably know who you're talking about..."
Unexpectedly, the girl fell silent, then started speaking again.
"Archer? What's going on with Shirou? Archer, help Saber save Shirou, then report to me how it went. I'll try to come as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Waver spoke up.
"So, you are in alliance with Saber's Master?"
Rin nodded and then said:
"Yes, since yesterday. And it seems he's been kidnapped. Saber is probably the one you're looking for. Unless Assassin or Caster fit your description."
"Where do you need to go?" Lord El-Melloi II asked immediately.
"Ryuudou Temple."
Hearing this, Waver waved his hand toward the car. They immediately got into the car, and they set off for Ryuudou Temple.
(Present time)
"... and so, we ended up here," Rin finished explaining.
"I see, so you need to talk to Saber?"
"That's right. However, Mr. Emiya, perhaps we will also have something to discuss with you," said the beautiful blonde girl.
Emiya immediately suggested going to his house to discuss everything there. When everyone agreed and got into the fairly spacious car, the servants dematerialized, saying it was faster for them. Emiya Shirou felt that an unpleasant conversation was approaching.
Information about servant(Saber):We didn't learn anything new, that's why there are no statistics.