From Fake Dreams

by Third Fang

Emiya Kiritsugu was happy living the rest of his short days. He had put his past behind him... until he began to dream of futures that had yet to be. Let it be known that the Magus Killer was not dangerous simply because he was dying and had no plans to fight. Slowly being put on Royal Road over time.

50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Contemplation and Calibration

I do not own Fate/Stay Night and stuffs.

o. o. o.

"So. How does it look?"

Caster didn't bother to glance back at Archer. She was too enraptured with trying to stabilize and deconstruct her counterpart's mysteries to bother giving him such a boon. In front of her, Marjatta remained unconscious and static, floating in a solution as if she was some sort of science experiment specimen… or a pickle, if the eerie green glowing was taken into account.

"It will take some time. All of this was made as a supplement to the Grail's system. It is miraculously well done, but is still just an addition for a system that was already complete. Had she made a mistake in its construction, she might have done irreparable damage to the area with or without drawing power from the land."

"Sounds about right." Archer sighed, comfortably leaning against the far wall. "Do you need any help dispersing the gathered Prana? Even if we're Servants, the concentration in this room is near suffocating. I have a few blades that can absorb some of it if needed."

Granted, some of them tended to explode once they hit their limits, but that was neither here nor there.

"Maybe later. As of right now, doing so would cause an imbalance of prana that would destabilize the system and cause the whole thing to collapse, which is what we are trying to avoid." Her answer was clinical and to the point. "Marjatta's condition is unlike the Homonculus' or Rider's Master. The latter two were designed to be parts of the system in their entirety. In contrast, Marjatta is merely a key component for the part that those girls represent. Much like comparing an engine to a completed vehicle. This entire room can be considered just another major component to the project as a whole."

"Hmm. No wonder this setup is different than the others." Archer looked around with a skeptical eye. He could feel that the power in the building was corrupted by Angra Mainyu, saturated by its taint. He doubted that Caster had missed it as well and had taken steps to protect herself from it. Since he was an abnormal Heroic Spirit, he could stand being in the room without such measures for a while, but even he wouldn't push his luck if he felt something was off.

"It may have been built on top of the Grail System proper, but my counterpart still did not possess the customized components to recreate what was done to those other girls. It was only because Marjatta had such a unique disposition that she could be used for such a setup," Caster elaborated.

"Lucky her. Can't say I'm envious though." He inspected the girl with an unreadable gaze. She was unconscious and didn't look like she was going to wake up anytime soon, but that didn't mean that she had spent the entirety of her time in there asleep.

"Doubt anyone would. Then again, the same could pretty much be said for anyone involved in this farce of a war."

"No need to tell me twice." He let out a brief chuckle. There was not a single person involved in this event that had not been screwed over in one way or another because of it. The only person that somewhat came out clean was Saber, but even then her goal was still the Grail itself, and she was still stuck in a limbo of her own design.

"Mmm. Still, it's quite a feat that we were able to get this far in the first place. As much as that boy infuriates me, I can't deny that he was the main reason that we have managed so much."

"Please don't tell me you've fallen for him too like pretty much every other woman here," Archer all but groaned. His memories may have been fragmented, but he definitely knew that he had many women-related issues in his past.

"Another comment like that and you will replace the girl in that container, Archer." Judging from her tone, she was serious.

"Don't blame me that you're an outlier." Secretly, he let out a sigh of relief. "On the subject of women and their impulses, does your Master have any idea what to do with her sister once she is freed? The girl is the only one here that isn't a part of the loop now. She might not take too kindly to the ceasefire and instead do something unfortunate."

The Princess paused for a moment. "That, is not beyond the realm of possibility. From what I have witnessed, young Marjatta is rather, opinionated and impulsive."

"Funny, you aren't nearly as careful with your words when speaking about me. Imagine that." Archer whimsically sighed. "So she's the standard Magus brat. Wonderful. I can already see how this is going to turn out. Everyone's going to walk on eggshells around her as soon as she wakes up. She gets annoyed and tries to find out what's going on. Then she finds out something we didn't want her to and everything snowballs from there."

"Could you perchance allow everyone to enjoy our victory for even an hour before ruining it?"

"If it's not me, it's going to be something else. I've been on the wrong side of these things too often to pretend otherwise. At least this way I'll have the satisfaction of being right."

"Can you be any more petty?"

"The little things are all I have left. Let me enjoy them while I can."

She really couldn't say anything to follow that. Not without a bad taste in her mouth. "… Has anything like this ever happened before? With so many Servants and Masters agreeing to a ceasefire?"

If Archer caught onto why she changed the subject, he didn't mention it. "A few times. It's an oddity but not an impossibility. Actually, it's better that we killed your counterpart and Gilgamesh before we go through with it."

"Whys that?"

"It varies between realities, but sometimes the Grail has a failsafe that triggers when all the Masters team up and go against the rules of the War. Ends up summoning a whole new set of Servants, plus an eighth, a Ruler Class, and has both sides duke it out. Completely wrecks the local leylines in the process, not to mention the area the Grail is in itself. Killing the Witch and Gilgamesh might have tricked the system into believing that we're still fighting. Or at least, it'll give us enough time to figure something out. Having the Vampire acting as the official moderator and postponing the event might be a factor too."

Eight more Servants. Caster suppressed a shiver at the thought. Dealing with the eight that had been summoned with her already was enough. "And of the Wars where you were fortunate enough for that not to happen?"

Archer shrugged. "You know how the world is. Sometimes everyone just lives long, uneventful lives outside of the occasional dimensional mishap and experiment. Sometimes the world doesn't like what's happened and comes down on us, and we all end up dead within six months. Heck, once ORT went on a rampage within a week of things cooling down for who knows what reason. Even if I did remember everything, it's impossible to predict what will happen next. Regardless, this scenario is new to me. Shirou Emiya has occasionally been more apt and capable in thaumaturgy before the war started. But I don't recall a timeline where he answered to Barthomelloi directly, let alone while he was secretly an Apostle at the same time. Even by my standards, he has terrible luck."

"… And Assassin?" She knew it was a sore subject, but she had to bring up the elephant in the room.

When she and Archer had entered the building to reach Marjatta, they had crossed paths with Assassin as he was leaving. The latter party was hidden with Presence Concealment and didn't even react to them as he passed. For the briefest of moments, Caster had been worried that Archer would abandon his priorities and attack Assassin. Thankfully, he kept his personal issues in check, allowing them to enter the Workshop just in time to see the Witch's corpse, complete with her blown out skull and brain matter finish decomposing into harmless Mana into the air.

The memory of the sight would stick with her for as long as she lived. She was, after all, Medea of Colchis. Seeing "herself" killed in such a gruesome way was traumatizing no matter how one saw it.

His fists momentarily tightened so hard that his knuckles popped before he let go with some effort. "He, is another outlier."

He hadn't made his final judgement yet, but it was obvious that he didn't like it.

Before either one of them could say anything else, Luvia walked briskly into the room. While she tried to look composed and in control, it was obvious to anyone that she was on the fringe of losing the image she put up out of sheer worry. She completely ignored Archer and barely paid attention to her own Servant. Instead, all of her attention was on her little sister.

If the prana saturated air in the room was stuffy to the Servants, it was borderline suffocating to the human that had just arrived. And yet she still spoke and breathed as though it was otherwise. "How is she?"

"We managed to get here in time," Caster soothed her Master, moving to another array of fields to stabilize them. "My counterpart put a great deal of effort into this arrangement to ensure that her… efforts, were not wasted. I've halted the flow of prana she had been stealing. Now I'm bleeding it out, releasing pressure, so it should only be a matter of time before everything is stable enough to free her."

"How long?" Luvia pressed.

"She should be ready by noon tomorrow. Young Marjatta has been channeling and saturated in absurd levels of power for the past week. If we take her out now her body may reject the sudden change in environment and kill her on reflex. It is much like how one cannot go on an airplane after scuba diving. The sudden change in pressure is too much for the human body to cope with."

To the side, Caster glanced at the small ritual circle with a copy of Gae Dearg stabbed in the middle. The field was designed to constantly eject and disperse a set amount of Prana constantly at a safe rate. She had not been joking when she said that she might have needed Archer's help. The weapons he could produce could easily serve as quality tools for mysteries and rituals.

Caster's words seemed to have soothed some of Luvia's nerves as the girl's shoulders seemed to finally sag and relax in relief. "Tomorrow at noon. Is that right? I see. Thank goodness."

Archer briefly contemplated reminding Luvia that even though Marjatta's body might be in good shape, there was still no telling what state the girl's mind might be in. However, just as the words were on the tip of his tongue, he stopped.

There was a look of genuine relief and gratitude on the girl's face.

There had been enough fighting and stress to go around for one day. As much of a wet blanket he could be at times, even he had limitations when it came to ruining the mood of others.

Luvia deserved this. After what she's gone through, she needed a bit of happiness and closure.

And if things don't turn out well in the end… well, it wasn't his problem. No point in making it worse.

o. o. o.

"So, here we are."

Rin stood at the entrance of the Temple with her arms crossed with Saber nearby. Behind her, sitting on the stairs and leaning against one of the railings, Shirou slept quietly. It was obvious to anyone that the teen was out for the count and wasn't liable to wake anytime soon.

Gathered in front of her were the bulk of the other participants to the Holy Grail War. Sakura and Rider stood calmly next to one another, their contract renewed. Illya with her puffy red eyes, signifying that she had been crying recently, overshadowed by Berserker. Lancer had the sleeping Bazett in a bridal carry.

In the background, Merem and the King of Rats watched quietly with interest.

"It's been a long night," Lancer agreed. "Haven't had this many mixed feelings in a fight in a while. Just like old days, eh Saber?"

"I would rather if such times stayed in the past, Lancer." Saber sighed. "But I agree, it has been a long night and a hard battle. More so, it is rare and fortunate that we have reached such a positive conclusion."

Several nods and tired grunts of agreement went around.

"Where's Archer, Luvia and Caster?" Sakura asked.

"Sorry for being late." The aforementioned male Servant materialized next to Rin. "Luvia and Caster need to stay here for a while to manage the Witch's setup. I was with them a little longer than expected in case they needed help. They said to go without them. Seeing that Caster took over her counterpart's bounded fields, I'd say that she's in no need for extra support for a while. Once they are done, I'm sure that Caster will use her copy of Rule Breaker to switch back to her original Master."

"Is that wise?" Illya frowned. "With Caster there, they could simply finish what the Witch started when our backs are turned. It's not beyond their abilities."

Indeed. What Illya stated would be something to expect from the standard Magus. Sacrificing friends and family were par the course when something like the path to the Root was on the line.

"It's not beyond their abilities, but certainly outside the reach of their humanity." Surprisingly, it was Archer that spoke up for them. "Luvia may be an experienced mercenary, but she genuinely cares for her sister. As for Caster, despite being the most competent among us when it comes to mysteries, she is also quite possibly, and ironically, the most moral individual among us. The odds of either of them making a wish on the Grail as it is now are borderline imaginary."

"Yeah. Yeah. It's nice to know that we aren't going to get blindsided at the last moment, but aren't we missing someone?" Lancer looked around. "Where's that mute bastard Assassin? Don't tell me he died or ran away already. I owe him a drink for taking out that bitch of a boss of ours."

From the way that most of the others there were shifting uncomfortably, it was clear that Assassin didn't have the most stellar reputation.

"If he doesn't want to be found, then it's best to leave him." Illya sighed. "We're the only magi in Fuyuki now. If he doesn't make a contract soon, he'll go away regardless of what we do."

Saber was unconvinced that the girl didn't care about Assassin if the calm look she gave the homunculous was any indication. "It would be best to find him regardless. He does have Independent Action and a rather destructive set of skills. There is no need to risk making things worse in the town than it already is."

Everyone glanced down at smoking town of Fuyuki, where at least a dozen buildings were either burning or completely collapsed. If there was one thing that the Witch had done right, it was the fact that she had more or less emptied out the area near the entrance to the Temple before the fighting began.

"You sound like you know what Assassin is capable of personally," Rider noted with some skepticism.

Saber remained quiet for a few moments before coming to a decision. "Due to some circumstances regarding the way I became a Heroic Spirit, I remember previous summonings. I was called as the Saber of the Fourth Holy Grail War, and thus remember my time with Kiritsugu Emiya as my Master. I am well acquainted with his capability as a human, but to be perfectly honest, I am genuinely concerned of what his limitations are as a Servant unsupervised."

"Oh quit being such a wet blanket already," Lancer groaned. "He didn't talk much, but the guy had a good head on his shoulders. He didn't do anything unless it was for a good reason. He didn't strike me as the sort that would go about killing people left and right on a whim."

"You'd be surprised what he considers a whim and what he considers rational." Memories of another angry Irishman stabbed by his own spear cursing the Grail were drawn up in Saber's mind.

Come to think of it, everything that unfortunate man bellowed in his final moments came true, didn't it? In a sick and ironic way, one could say that, if the winner of the Holy Grail War was to have their Wishes realized, then the real winner of the Fourth War was actually Lancer.

A small shifting of footsteps nearby instantly caught everyone's attention, making them all turn to see none other than Assassin walking to them out in the open as if there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.

Before anyone could say anything, the Servant lazily tossed a few small blocks in their direction, causing more than a few Servants and Masters to get ready to move at a moment's notice in case they were explosives.

Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized what had just landed in front of her.

They were explosives.

Just not Assassin's.

Only this time the wires had been cut.

"You forgot those." Assassin stopped next to Illya, who wasn't alarmed by his approach at all. "They sometimes go off by themselves if you leave them alone long enough."

Saber blinked. "Those are the explosives that Sakura planted when she slipped under the workshop."

"You knew about them?" Sakura swallowed heavily, somewhat nervous about being caught.

"A decent backup plan, but unnecessary. If you had paid attention, you would have noticed the ones I had already planted." Assassin's hands moved underneath his cloak before revealing a few blocks of his own charges momentarily.

"Ha! Haha! You had her the entire time and she didn't even know!" Lancer burst out laughing.

"I am more astonished that he was busy not making things worse with our backs turned than the fact that he knew about the explosives in the first place." Saber sighed eyeing the newcomer warily. Despite his actions, it did not change what she said about him. Kiritsugu was dangerous in a unique way. Unless those around him knew what he was going to do next, it might be for the best to kill him here and now. No, even if they knew, it still probably would be prudent to follow through with the idea.

Even if Illya was here to see it. It was the lesser of two evils.

No one missed how tense several of the Servants were gradually becoming. It was clear that there was some bad blood between them.

"Assassin. To make sure that our hard earned victory doesn't fall to hell immediately after we earned it, can you please tell us what you plan on doing now so we can have some peace of mind? I think we've all had enough fighting for one War, don't you?" Rin broke the tense silence with a tired groan, knowing that she'd have to play mediator sooner than she wanted.

If anyone expected Assassin to say anything more, they were woefully disappointed as Illya stepped next to him.

"Papa's my Servant."

It took a moment for her declaration and proud look to register with everyone there.

"… Eh?"

"At first I was worried about maintaining two Servants at once. Berserker alone needs a lot of prana to keep around, but in the end it wasn't a problem. Papa's a really weak Servant and he has Independent Action, so I barely need to give him anything to keep him around," Illya continued, as if what she's doing was nothing special in particular. In fact, she was almost cherubic with pride as she spoke. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he behaves himself. He owes me for missing so many of my birthdays. Onii-chan is a nice start, but he still has some ground to cover."

Everyone stared at the girl, unable to comprehend what they were hearing. As if wanting a second opinion to verify her claims, most turned their attention to Assassin again, only to bite back an unkind word or two as the Servant faded away into spiritual form to avoid further questioning.

Whether it was due to lack of caring, or embarrassment was up in the air.

"Don't worry. He's always like that. Papa was never fond of talking much." Illya brushed away his behavior as if it was nothing new. "But now, I have Berserker and Assassin to help me protect Onii-chan when he does something stupid."

Archer held his tongue. On one side, he was going to have to deal with a younger competent version of himself that hated him more than the others for reasons that he still didn't understand, AND he was going to be constantly reminded that Kiritsugu Emiya was indeed a Heroic spirit.

On the other side, his younger self now had to deal with an Illyasviel that was somehow even more terrifying than he thought possible and focused completely on Shirou. All the while, he would stay at a safe distance and watch the chaos unfold with no repercussions or responsibilities at all. That is, outside of the usual messes that came from being Rin's Servant which, in hindsight, he could probably do blindfolded for the most part.

He wasn't sure if the pro's outweighed the cons just yet, but he wanted to see it anyways.

Still, there was one question that had been nagging him in the back of his mind since he had been filled in on what was going on.

What had caused Kiritsugu to dream of the alternate realities in the first place?

o. o. o.

"Hmm," Waver hummed as once more Lorelei Barthomelloi sat down at the paltry table that was in his cell. Judging from the fact that she only looked irritated and wasn't radiating with malice, he could only come to a single conclusion. "Good news I take it?"

"Your project was a success." That was as close to humoring him as she would ever get. "The Holy Grail has been secured. The rogue Servant Caster has been neutralized, and all remaining participants in the war have engaged in an official ceasefire until otherwise stated."

"Only Caster was killed? Shirou's even better than I thought." Waver nodded with a faint smile, internally breathing out a deep sigh of relief. He didn't miss the annoyed look she shot him. "What's wrong? Shouldn't you be pleased as well? From what little I've heard, the situation appeared to be all but hopeless. If Shirou outperformed all expectations, it would be quite the boon for both of us, wouldn't it?"

The Queen of the Clocktower held her gaze with Waver for several long moments, as if determining the correct thing to say for someone lower than her. "A victory is only worthwhile so long as one knows how to appropriately capitalize from it. Otherwise, it is merely a more palatable defeat."

Waver's good mood died a little as he slowly digested her words.

Ah. So that's what she wanted.

"And here I thought my worries would be over with the good news." He sighed, half groaning and shooting the woman a rare annoyed glance. "Who knew that the Barthomelloi could be so selfishly avid? Are the Servants and the boy not enough as it is? The trove of Noble Phantasms at your fingertips? Much less the dirt on the Church from Kirei Kotomine's actions?"

"There are questions that will be asked in time. Be they here or at your trial. Questions that will not go unanswered." The woman did not back down.

"They are also questions that I already have prepared in advance for my testimony tomorrow." He cut her off with a sharp look. The sort of look that told her that said answers would be the ones that the moonlit world's public would know, and not what would likely be the truth.

They were at a critical crossroads. There was no doubt that Barthomelloi would not like the truth behind the questions she would ask. What she would learn contained information that would put a stain on not only Waver's name, but her own as well.

The latter of which, was especially unacceptable.

The issue was that while she was no stranger to forbidden research, antiquated knowledge, and conspiracy, rarely was she the one that was at risk. Due to the nature of Shirou's actions, the Barthomelloi name was being questioned by being his direct supervisor. While she indeed had much to gain, she also had much to lose. The very idea of being forced into such a position in the first place was infuriating.

That was why she came down here to find out what Waver Velvet knew, or rather, what he was hiding. There was more to Shirou Emiya than she knew, and if any information of that nature came to light that she was not already aware of during the trial, then the repercussions could be catastrophic.

If she answered a question in a way that didn't align with what Waver or the boy claimed during the trial, she would never be able to live it down. It was not a figure of speech either. The records in her family archives would make it a point to inflate her failures and how she tarnished the family name. She would rather die than suffer such a humiliation.

Her fists tightened in anger. It had been a mistake to take the boy as her own. A rash action that she had employed in her mute thrill of witnessing another Magus slaughter another Dead Apostle Ancestor. Her dog was special, but it was clear that he did not hold her as the absolute authority that she was like she assumed. And now he had enough pull and influence on his own that she could no longer reprimand him so casually should he step out of bounds again.

However, there was a fine line between a bad dog, and a mad one. A line that she was not so sure about anymore… as she was now unsure that what she had was even a dog to begin with.

"Then speak your testimony here, and I will judge whether or not you are worth my time tomorrow."

o. o. o.

Not for the first time, Shirou woke up wanting nothing more than to stay in bed and ignore the rest of the world. That or take a gun to his head to get rid of the massive headache he was experiencing.

"Ngh."

"I see you've finally graced us with your consciousness, Shirou," Saber warmly chided from nearby.

"Saber." Against his body's protests, the young assassin pushed himself up and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion before remembering what he had been doing before he fell asleep. All at once his body went stiff and his eyes darted around at full attention.

"Calm yourself Master. Everything is fine. We are in your room," his Servant ordered, knowing exactly what was going through his mind. "We won."

Two words. They were such simple things, but the meaning behind them was unequitable.

Shirou paused before turning to his comrade in arms. The one person that had been with him since the beginning of the War. "We won? No issues? No traps? No deadman switches?"

Arturia shook her head. "If there were any, Caster is dealing with them personally. She and Luvia have to take their time dismantling the Witch's mysteries, but it is all under control. Congratulations, Shirou. It was a complete, and perfect victory. All thanks to you. Everyone is alive thanks to your efforts."

A slow exhale escaped his lips, and he turned his attention to his hands as if to expect something there that wasn't. Judging from his expression, the fact that Saber accredited their win to him didn't seem to register at all. "We won. It's… over."

Saber smiled, knowing exactly what was going through her Master's mind. "It's a peculiar feeling, isn't it?"

"Is it wrong to say that despite living in a world of magic, vampires, and heroic spirits, this feels like the most outlandish thing I've experienced to date?"

"Considering that few have ever managed to emerge victorious against all three of said entities, I'm willing to give you some leeway, Master."

"You're too kind," Shirou scoffed, shaking his head before looking at his hands again, his expression turning blank again. "So, what's the damage?"

Saber sighed. She would have liked it if he had allowed himself to enjoy his victory for more than a few scant moments, but then again, this was Shirou. Something would have been wrong if he wasn't paranoid about something by this point. "Rin, Archer, and Merem Solomon are out dealing with the collateral as we speak as the Second Owner and representative for the Church in the city. There are no solid numbers right now, but from what I saw, at least a good couple dozen buildings at least were damaged severely from the fighting in the town. I am unsure what the potential casualties were if any. The priests at the Temple are alive, albeit in poor shape. The Witch stole a good portion of their mana while there. It will be some time before they recover or determine if there are any permanent side effects."

"Haaa. I figured as much." Shirou scratched his head. Rin was no doubt going to be in a poor mood when he saw her again. "And everyone else? The Masters and Servants?"

Saber's lips quirked into an amused smile. "Well, since your home is somehow the only one that escaped completely unscathed, and is big enough, it was unanimously agreed upon that everyone would be boarding here for the time being."

She clearly did not take joy in watching Shirou's face pale and listen to a choking sound squeak from his throat. The smug look she had was merely a trick of the standard electric lighting in the room.

"All of them? Here?" he squeaked.

"Is there a problem? We were under the assumption that you wouldn't mind providing accommodations for everyone."

Shirou fumbled with his words for almost half a minute before giving up with a look of defeat and horror. "My home survived the war, but it's going to be obliterated in the aftermath. The Grail War is going to look peaceful compared to the next few days."

"If their decision bothers you, I believe it would be best to bring it up with them, no?"

He shot her a dirty look. "I thought that you tasked yourself with making sure that I don't get stuck in dangerous positions."

"I gave up such foolish endeavors after I realized that I'd never be able to stop you from doing that to yourself."

Knowing that Saber had pretty much trumped everything he could argue against her, Shirou grit his teeth and flexed his hands in frustration when something caught his eye. Looking down at his left hand, he saw that he once more had three Command Seals, as opposed to the lone one he had left over after giving the other two to Rin so she could move Archer and Caster at whim.

"The Vampire's doing," Saber answered before he could even ask. "As Kirei's replacement, all unused command seals go to him now. Including the ones that the Witch had leftover. He gave out seals to everyone that fought so that you are all at three apiece again. Illyasviel was rather disappointed since she still had all hers, but he claimed that he would find something to reward her with later."

"Yeah. That sounds like something he'd do." Shirou clicked his tongue, only to flinch as he cut it on the sharp teeth on the left side of his face. He clearly still needed practice to make sure that his body remained human while he slept. "Where is Illya? And everyone else? You already mentioned Rin, Luvia, and Merem."

"Illyasviel and Sakura are here, as well as Lancer's Master. Their Servants are with them." Saber nodded, taking note of her master's face returning to being fully human. "The former two have been looking after the house, keeping things organized, and checking up on you. It's actually past noon, and you just missed Sakura a few minutes ago. Lancer's Master is currently resting in one of your spare bedrooms. She's exhausted and in rough shape, but fortunately doing well. Caster is going to have a look at her once she returns with Marjatta."

"Past noon?" He groaned, disappointed with himself. He had taken beatings before during training and still woken up early the next day. He must have been completely out of it to sleep in this late. "I'm surprised it's still this quiet so far. Once everyone gets here it's going to be a complete circus. It's a miracle that I still have enough… crap. Saber, please don't tell me someone went into the room that Zouken was in. With everything going on I never went through with checking it, or cleaning it, or burning it."

Given just how unsavory Zouken was, Saber would not be surprised if Shirou was being completely honest about committing arson to his own home. Be it out of precaution or spite was anyone's guess. "Actually, when the matter of rooms was brought up, Sakura decided to move to that particular space knowing what it was. She claimed that she was the most suited for cleansing the space for future use with the least issue."

"Is that so? Well that's one issue solved at least." He muttered, not liking it, but not able to find any arguments against it either.

"Mmm." Saber didn't say that prior to the decision being made, there was a slight… disagreement, when it came to the idea of someone potentially sleeping in Shirou's room with him, but she put an end to that personally, stating that it was her job to protect her Master while he rested, and that they could take turns when he wasn't dead to the world.

The fact that she may have let on that Shirou would be the one to decide the order was also conveniently omitted from future conversations.

It was technically his castle they were staying in. It should only be natural that he would make the rules.

"Saber, you have that look again."

"What look? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"The one that says that I'm going to be stuck in a position that I really don't want to be in and you're not going to do anything about it no matter how much I ask."

"You're seeing things, Shirou. You have just awoken."

"You do remember what my eyes can do, right?"

Saber coughed to clear her throat before regaining her impassive appearance. "I believe that you wanted me to continue my report?"

The accusing stare he gave her spoke of many things. "This. This right here is why I am terrified of leaving you alone in the same room as Rin."

She decided to ignore that comment for the time being. "Lancer is currently overseeing his Master, but has occasionally come out to speak with us, so don't be surprised if he does show up. Sakura said that she was going to see if the market was open to fill up the pantry and the fridge to account for our guests. Judging from how the fact that I just felt Rider leave the property, she likely went with her. There's a chance that they might come back empty handed due to the chaos our fighting caused."

"How is the town taking it so far? What does the news say?"

"It's still under investigation, but I believe that the vampire has decided that an independent terrorist cell going wild with their resources would be the most appropriate story to rely on given the extent of the damage and recent global events. The fact that the Temple had been targeted also lends itself to religious extremists being the culprits."

"He's probably going to use a few of the casualties that are too damaged to be identified as scapegoats." He concluded with a hint of distaste, knowing that he'd do the same thing in a pinch, even if it was an unsavory thing to do. "Any riots?"

"Given how things have been the past few weeks, most people in the area are scared to leave their homes." Saber sighed, remembering what Rider had told her during her surveillance of the area that morning. "A few of your neighbors' employees are about asking questions and trying to provide the image of security, but it is a slow process."

"Given what's just happened, I can't blame them. Old man Raiga's guys are probably as freaked out as everyone else. Wouldn't be surprised if one of them comes over soon to check up on me as well." Shirou grunted, picking himself up from his bed and stretched to get the kinks out of his body. He really had to hand it to Avalon. No echoes or leftover injuries from last night at all.

"I do hope that you are not planning on doing anything excessive already."

"No. Just want to do a few warmups to get my head on straight." As more blood flooded through his body, Shirou went through his mental checklist of things to do and things that still needed to be done. It didn't take him long to get to one of his few remaining major hurdles. "Waver-nii's still in trouble with the Association for helping me out with the War. He's on trial tonight. I'm probably going to be too busy going over what to say and keeping everyone informed to do anything else today."

"Rider's Master…" Saber thought back to the small terrified child that was perpetually clutching at the King of Conquerors' side during the previous war. The thought that such a boy could supposedly turn into someone of such repute was honestly astounding to her. Then again, that man did have the sort of smothering charisma to achieve such things. "Do you require assistance?"

"Considering what has happened, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone will be questioned at one point or another." He sighed. It wasn't a matter of needing help as it was simply making sure things went as smoothly as possible. "Luvia will be a key witness, so she's all but guaranteed to be called up. And Sakura, Rin, and Illya are the representatives of the three Families that started the War in the first place. It would be odd if they didn't say their piece considering what just happened."

"And then there's you, who is at the center of it all." Saber stated what needed to be said. Her Master really was a magnet for trouble. Then again, she should have seen this coming. She had undergone several events like this after successful campaigns herself. "Even with my limited knowledge, I am sure that there are more than a few things that must be avoided during this inquiry."

"Yeah well, it helps that my boss is an unofficial judge in all this. If something goes amiss, her name is on the table as well, and she knows it." Shirou clearly did not look forward to the oncoming event, knowing full well that the Queen of the Clocktower was never going to forgive him for his actions. "And if there's anything that woman values above all else, it's her family name."

"And I'm sure that the events that led to such a scenario were purely by circumstance." Saber gave him a dry look.

"Actually, it was more her fault than mine in this case. Not that it matters. She'd still put us on the top of her hit list if we screw this up." He sighed, not willing to argue his case more than that. Fighting the Grail War was one thing. Fighting against the entirety of the Magus Association and their resources was another.

Maybe if he had a better foundation for himself he might have stood a chance, with a castle and a little help from a Caster class Servant in maybe twenty to fifty years, but as it was now, no way in hell. It wasn't a matter of military might, but overall resources and capability. He'd be able to hold out for a while with what he had, but sooner or later something would slip past his defenses in one form or another. Even sooner if one of the uncertain Masters like Luvia or Bazett decided to help them out.

The best he could do if his ass was in the fire was make it look like it wasn't worth the resources and effort to go hunting for him. Conveniently, the fact that he had nearly half the Grail War's participants firmly in his corner made the idea actually feasible in execution, unlike some of his other plans.

"To be frank, I'm somewhat surprised that you've managed to last this long without stepping on anyone's toes."

"Never had any toes to step on until recently. Or the need to." He shrugged.

Saber resisted the urge to groan. On the bright side, she had B ranked Charisma, so she should be able to make up for her Master's deficiencies… so long as he didn't talk much.

"What?" Shirou blinked at her in confusion, completely missing the reason why she was in despair.

"Nothing. I am merely marveling at how we managed to get to this point in the war without everyone trying to tear one another apart. Your talent is truly unmatched."

He shot her a dry look. He didn't know why she was irritated, but he had been in the Clocktower long enough to know when he was being insulted. "You know, I was planning on cooking a victory feast for everyone, now that I finally have the time to focus on things other than the war, but if you're going to be like that…"

"No no. That's perfectly fine. I have full confidence that you have planned ahead Master." Saber's eyes went wide with fear and her back went straight up at attention.

"I thought as much." He allowed himself to bask in this minor victory for a few moments before getting back on track. "Don't worry. I have planned ahead for this. Not as much as I'd like, but enough that no one is at risk of being thrown under a bus."

He tore his attention away from Saber to look for his cell phone. A quick scan of the room with his eyes told him that it was in his coat, hanging in his closet, torn and burnt from last night's activities. He wasted little time getting it out and inspecting its contents.

"Hmm. So it's like that." He mused, reading the encoded messages that Sirius had sent him. Along with a few other pieces of information, he had been sent the details of Waver's trial: who was on the jury, when it would take place, and the like.

Conveniently enough, Waver was more popular than anyone had anticipated. Despite his situation supposedly being low key, the man had already somehow managed to get what appeared to be half the students in the compound up in arms in his defense, along with their families. Convicting the man would not be without a fair share of blood.

"Something the matter?" Saber looked over his shoulder to try and read the message.

"A surprise that's in our favor for once. Looks like Waver-nii managed to develop a bit of his own charisma skill over the years."

"Out of everything I have witnessed in these past two wars, forgive me if that sounds like the most outlandish."

He couldn't help but laugh at her words. He had a feeling that his teacher would fall into depression if he ever heard them, mostly because he'd be unable to argue against them.

She gave him an odd look as his smile and gaze didn't vanish. "Is something the matter? Even if I did jest, I do not see how it is amusing enough for you to still focus on me like this."

Shirou shook his head. "No. I'm just, I really can't tell you how thankful I am for your help, Saber. Everyone's made such a big deal about me and all my plans and whatever, but I wouldn't have been half as capable or confident through all of this without you. I seriously would not have been able to pull all of this off if you weren't here."

His admission caught her off guard if the faint blush was any indication. "I… n-no. You underestimate yourself, Shirou. I am indeed a powerful Servant, but we both know that I am not the strongest. There are many other Heroic Spirits out there that you could have utilized just as easily as me. As capable as I am, you are the one that accomplished the most among us. Lancer, Rider, all of the other Servants and Masters acknowledge that you are the main reason why we have accomplished so much. You are more capable than you give yourself credit for, Shirou. If anything, I would not have been able to fight to my full potential under the circumstances we encountered without you. The only unique thing I was able to do for you that other Servants couldn't was allow you to utilize Avalon."

He frowned and opened his mouth to argue before thinking better of it and sagging his shoulders. "Let's just agree to disagree then. There's no point in arguing something so trivial. Especially after we just won."

Saber looked like she wanted to push the argument, unsatisfied with a forced draw when she knew she was right, but held her tongue. She'd give her Master this much. For now.

"We won." He shook his head, his body moving up and down with a heavy sigh. "It really does feel messed up. After all of that. And now it's over."

"You'll have time to get accustomed to it," Saber consoled before noticing the way he was looking at her. "Is something the matter?"

"No, it's just…" Shirou shifted uncomfortably. "Now that the War's over, and the Grail's, well, what it is, technically you don't have a reason to stay here."

It took a moment for Saber to register what he had just said to her. "Shirou, I hope you are not insinuating what it sounds like."

"I'm insinuating nothing. I'm just letting you know that no matter what happens or what you decide, regardless of when that may be, I won't stop you." If he was alarmed by the grave and angry tone of his Servant, he didn't show it.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I thought you were against some of my personal decisions and my current state."

He waved her off. "I am. But I'm also your friend and want what's best for you. Arturia. Not King Arthur. Not Saber. Not the ruler of Brittan. As far as I'm concerned, the whole Master Servant thing we have is a consequence of circumstance. We've done too much together to not get past that by now. To be honest, I couldn't care less about useless formalities like that."

Friend.

That one word stuck out more than anything else to Saber.

How long had it been since someone acknowledged her as that above all else? Above a King? Above a warrior? Above a knight? Even those that she fought and bled with were incapable of such a train of thought.

If victory was an alien like sensation to Shirou, then this was its kin for Saber.

Her moment of surprise prevented her from saying anything, which gave Shirou the impression he could go on. "I'm not telling you to go or stay, and given your reaction I'm pretty sure I know what you're going to do regardless. My only real concern right now is that when you do go, you do so after going over everything we talked about, taking it to heart, and being sure without a doubt, whether or not your wish is worth the consequences that it will invoke. If I were to put a condition on your leave, it would be that."

Her body slackened slightly, realizing what he was getting at. Honestly, that boy was far too kind for his own good sometimes. Not even awake for ten minutes after the ordeals of last night and he was already worried about those close to him would do in the future. "You are an insufferable person sometimes, Shirou. Making such a demand calls into question my ability to make such decisions in the first place. You are aware that I have killed for less."

"Yes. I am aware that you can be quite petty at times."

To her credit, Saber did not visibly react to his verbal jab. Truth be told, she couldn't tell just how serious his words was. "We both know that the world can be unaccommodating. What if circumstances came about that forced me to leave prematurely?"

For the briefest of moments, the young human looked like he was going to attack the King of Knights. The glint in his eyes held a keenness that was the equal to a Noble Phantasm.

"Then I'd go after you myself after slaughtering those responsible. I would never forgive myself if I let you destroy yourself making a decision you weren't prepared for."

Shirou had more or less claimed that he was holding her hostage until his condition was met if Saber ever wanted to leave. She must be aware of, certain of, and genuinely accept all of the consequences of her wish should she obtain the Holy Grail. If she was incapable of any of these three things, then there was no doubt in her mind that Shirou would turn the world on its head to prevent her from leaving.

And knowing him, he'd pull it off too.

What a hypocrite her Master was. He said one thing, but he meant another thing entirely. The sad part was that she couldn't hold it against him.

It was her duty as a King to ensure that all of her decisions that pertained to her kingdom were thought out and considered in their entirety before being enacted. The ramifications of changing history, of potentially obliterating the deeds and merits of her Knights had slipped her mind. Her legend was her Knights' legend, just as her name was tied to her sword's. One could not exist without the other.

She wished for her kingdom's salvation, but in the process of her wish, she might as well be destroying it in the same gesture.

Loyalty. Resolve. Dedication.

What had given her iron resolve to do what needed to be done had now twisted on itself, leaving her unsure of her initial decision. An uncertainty that for once she could not simply rationalize away as merely "a tough decision that only a King could make".

What had once been a straight line had turned into a perilous path in the Fourth War… but now, she was at an unexpected crossroads, and she was unsure where she truly wanted to go from here.

But, in this world of magic and monsters, time was a rather whimsical and inconsistent factor. There was no rush to make such commitments. Not yet at least.

The faintest of smiles escaped her lips. An expression of genuine amusement born from self-pity and confusion. Never had she been stuck in a situation like this before. Despite being the one on the losing side, this kind of exchange between someone that saw her as an ally above all else was… nice.

"You really are more trouble than you're worth sometimes, Shirou."

Seeing Saber's relaxed posture seemed to calm Shirou down a bit as well. A mutual agreement that the conversation had more or less ended had been made. "Yeah, well, join the club. Shouldn't be long until we have matching uniforms."

"I'll keep that in mind." She picked herself up, enjoying the use of her legs once more. "Speaking of individuals that you have bewildered, I believe that it is best if you are up and about. Illyasviel was adamant on taking some sort of action if you took much longer getting up. I can only imagine what her reaction would be if she found out that you were taking your time to let her know that you were awake now."

As expected, Shirou reacted by turning pale. It was ironic, he was probably more afraid of angering his tiny sister than he was going through last night's mess. "Ah. Y-yeah. Better not keep Illya waiting. Making her angry sounds like a bad idea."

"I would hurry if I were you. I recognize her sort. The longer you keep her waiting, the more vindictive she will become."

Shirou nodded instantly in agreement before rushing through his stretches, putting on a new shirt, and leaving the room at a brisk pace.

Saber sighed audibly the moment the coast was clear. "That guy. Sometimes it's impossible to deal with him properly."

"I dunno. Looked like you managed him well enough."

She didn't bother to look at the other side of the entrance of the room, where Lancer had just materialized, leaning against the doorway with arms crossed.

"I didn't know you had fancied yourself an Assassin."

"Funny, coming the one whose sword is invisible most of the time." The Irishman rolled his eyes. "I was just walking by when I heard the kid was up and got curious. No more. No less. If you wanted to do anything about it, you could have at any time. Still, I wouldn't have guessed that the kid would have had the balls to give you the old killing glare for anything. It was on the weak side, but gotta give credit where it's due."

"Is there anything you wish to talk about?" Her tone grew hard. It was clear that their conversation had been of a private nature.

"ONII-CHAN! YOU'RE AWAKE!"

"I-ilya! Wait, what are you-?!"

THUMP.

The sound of two sizeable bodies colliding in the living room was noted and ignored by both parties.

Lancer took the hint and responded with a helpless shrug. "I noticed you didn't bring up Assassin when talking about the others."

"And you assume that Shirou didn't?" Saber gave him a dry look. "Assassin, no, Kiritsugu's relationship with his children is… complicated, to say the least. If Shirou inherited anything from that man, it was his ability to make things more complicated and controversial once he gets involved. Frankly speaking, I was astounded that he allowed himself to make a new contract with Illyasviel. It's not something that he would have normally done."

"Yeah. Can't argue with that. The guy is the standoffish type. Prefers to keep to himself more than anything, especially if he thinks it's the best thing to do. Hates talking with a passion too. Sometimes felt like I was conversing with myself whenever I was with him." Lancer nodded in agreement.

"You have no idea," Saber muttered under her breath, looking to the side.

"Mmm?" Lancer gazed upon her, his crimson eyes filled with curiosity, as if she had just said something rather peculiar. For a moment it looked like he was going to press the issue, but thought better of it. "So what? You're just going to let things play out? Think that's a smart idea considering both of them are a little bit off and a lot bit dangerous?"

"Smart, no, but there's no point in trying to guide those two anywhere without making them suspicious. Doing so would probably just make things worse. And I find it quite appealing that we don't have to fight over meaningless things right now."

Lancer lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Haaa. Fine. Fine. I get it. Leave the crazy murder happy family alone. Far be it for me to start something in someone else's home while they're helping me out. Again."

"Your words are not encouraging, Lancer."

"Oi. I'm recovering from last night too you know. Not everyone has a broken healing ability like you and Berserker. Cut me some slack."

Saber bit her tongue. It was true. All of the Servants save for Caster, herself, and Berserker were still recovering from last night. The only reason why Caster was included in the list was because what little damage she had sustained was cosmetic at best, having fought at range and defensively for the bulk of the night.

She made way to the hallway, passing Lancer in the process. Knowing Illya and Shirou, the latter might need some help in the near future.

"Hey."

It was his tone that made her stop dead in her tracks and her body tense instantly.

Lancer hadn't moved, but the deadly calm gaze in his eyes showed a sharpness that could stun a weak willed man easily. "I didn't mention it to the others yet, but I noticed something while waiting on top of those stairs for a week bored out of my mind. The smell in the air that travels around town's changed."

It was a vague statement that normally made no sense at first glance. But upon further inspection, it could mean a whole host of unsettling things.

"How so?"

"No clue. With what the Witch was doing, the vampire, and everyone throwing their power about everywhere, I didn't even notice for sure until the night before last. Wouldn't have been able to catch onto it if I didn't have some experience with magecraft under my belt. But I'm certain that something annoying came into town recently that shouldn't. The prana that's flowing through the air over the city is carrying a taint that doesn't belong to any of us. It didn't give a corrupted, curse-like impression either, so I don't think it's the Grail either. Anything capable of doing something like that is bound to be bad news. Especially if it's trying so hard to not be noticed."

Saber's hands tightened into fists in frustration. Clearly their work wasn't over just yet. "I'll see what I can find. You focus on recovering and keeping an eye open."

"Think the kid might be in on it? Would be kinda a dick move to know about something like this and not give anyone head's up."

She… didn't know. Shirou always seemed to be on top of things, and more than willing to share his secrets with her. This didn't sound like something he had been preparing for or aware of in the slightest, but, she couldn't be too sure. The idea of him not informing her of something this important hurt in a way that was almost akin to betrayal.

But, if he did know, if he did hide it from her, then he must have had a good reason for it.

Right?

Suddenly, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out the answer to the question.

"… Maybe. It's hard to tell with Shirou sometimes. Still, this is the first I am hearing of this. I'll know soon enough regardless. For all we know, this entity may pass by without causing any issue. There's no need to raise the alarm just yet."

"Tch. Wouldn't that be nice." Clearly, Lancer was not as optimistic. "When should we tell Caster? She'll notice it too sooner or later. Especially now that she's got the Witch's setup."

"As soon as she is done tending to Marjatta. It would only make things worse for everyone if we distracted her from that."

"Didn't she say that she should be returning soon? That's not a lot of time." He scratched the back of his head. "Fair warning. I had a skirmish against the Casters before you were summoned. Didn't last long, but I did manage to get a good look at both Masters while the spells were flying. I'm sure you have the older blonde on your side, but I'd keep my eye on the younger one if I were you. Standard noble princess with an insufferable ego to match. The sort that won't take no for an answer. She can fight, but that personality of hers is a pain. You know the type. She might cause some trouble if she doesn't like how things turned up when she was out of action. Servant or not. Especially if everyone's under the same roof."

Saber grimaced. As conveniently spacious and accommodating Shirou's home was, a secure fortress it was not. Even less so against enemies from within.

Suddenly, her Master's comment about his home being obliterated after the War seemed far more likely.

"I understand. I know that you're in poor shape, but please help keep the peace here if you can."

Lancer shrugged. "No problem. Gotta earn my keep here one way or another, especially after you and your Master went through all that trouble to make sure I survived that mess last night. To be honest, I'm still astounded that the witch was the only one to kick the bucket last night."

"Mmm. Shirou does have a gift for figuring out ways through difficult situations." As frustrating as he was at times, Saber couldn't help but be proud of her Master.

"You're telling me. I sure as hell am glad I didn't get on his bad side." Lancer looked in the distance as if seeing something far off.

"Something the matter?"

"… No. It's just, no offence, but something's off about your Master. His plans, his tactics. The way he carries himself when on the field. You've probably seen it more than I have. The way that kid gets when he's really ticked. Don't tell me you didn't get chills when you felt those silver eyes on you. That's not look a normal human could give."

Saber held back a grimace.

The bottom of the mountain, after his heart was shot out and Rider was taken.

The battle against Gilgamesh when she had been ensnared in his chains.

Both times. Shirou had taken to the field in person. Both times something had happened to endanger those close to him. Both times, Shirou had been utterly enraged to the point that he had shut off all emotions, emulating his father to a terrifying degree.

Both times, his target had been utterly shut down by his plans.

… No. It was without a doubt more than two times.

Zouken Makiri. The worm most likely had earned himself his fate through similar sins in Shirou's eyes. How that monster never noticed her Master's gaze on him for two years honestly bewildered her in hindsight.

Anyone that earned that gaze of Shirou's, and unleashed his hidden fury, was guaranteed death. No matter what defenses or powers they had. No matter what preparations they made. The only thing that would change is the time and manner of their execution. He would without a doubt find a way to kill them every time.

The ironic thing was that Shirou probably didn't even know the effect he had on people that saw him once triggered. His cold gaze mixed with the way he held himself seemed to put anyone on guard in an instant, Servant or otherwise. With just a look, he made them feel as if a blade was being held to their necks.

It didn't matter he returned to his normal self later. The image of what he could be, the danger he posed, was something that could never be forgotten.

They were fortunate that Shirou was so kind at heart… no. Rather, it was more like there were very specific conditions that needed to be met in order for that side of him to surface in the first place.

He reminded her of a cursed blade. So long as it was sheathed, it was of no threat to anyone. It could be hung off the wall like an elaborate wall ornament as far as anyone could care and cause no issues at all. However, once drawn…

She smiled. "Humph. Your concern is flattering, Lancer. Could it be that you're actually afraid of my Master?"

He shot her an annoyed glare.

"There's madness in that kid's eyes, Saber, and not the normal fun kind that you see on the field. You know it. I know it. Everyone does. Hell, it's part of the reason why the Witch was so put off at the thought of being near him. We've both worked with crazies before. We know what risks they can pose if we take our eyes off of them. I don't mind a little spice in my life, but even I chafe at the idea of staying in a madman's home with people that might set him off. Not after that mess of a Champion's Bout I had to deal with at Bricriu's. You couldn't get me drunk enough to go through that mess again."

Saber's amused demeanor dropped. "Then it clearly would be best to ensure that nothing does happen. It is as you have said. You are far from the first to notice Shirou's disposition, Lancer, so it comes to reason that you are not the only one concerned about such an outcome."

Lancer held a cold gaze with Saber for several long seconds.

And then the tension was broken with Shirou not squealing like a small girl in the living room as Illya apparently did something to him with childish glee that caused something large and heavy to fall to the floor.

And like that the tension was killed as Lancer gave up the unspoken contest. "Fine. Fine. I get it. Apparently everyone here already knows the rules of the house but me. I'm clearly overthinking things compared to everyone else, somehow."

"It is understandable. You have reason to be wary." Saber forgave his transgressions with the slightest hint of victory in her voice.

"Just tell me what not to do while I'm here to prevent him from going after me next."

She paused to think. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Do not start any trouble. Be respectful, or in your case, close to respectful, to others. Don't harm anyone…"

Lancer noticed her pausing. "Go on. Give me the important stuff."

"Don't, compare him to Archer." Saber frowned, as if berating herself for forgetting that particular rule.

"Archer? Ah, right. Wait, isn't that guy supposed to be…?"

"It's complicated." Saber cut him off with a frown.

"Considering that there's two of them, obviously." Lancer paused and clicked his teeth in annoyance as he realized what he had just said. "Tch. Damn it. Two of them at once. In the same house. I'm going to need way more booze if I'm going to be able to relax here. Please tell me the kid keep any spirits in stock?"

"Yes, however until you have permission from Shirou himself, no one is allowed into the kitchen. It is a fundamental rule of the household that will be followed."

Lancer lifted a skeptical eyebrow as he heard Saber sternly recite the rule. "I take it he likes to cook?"

"Allow me to clarify. In terms of priority, the kitchen is the most important room in this property. That includes his workshop. No permission. No entry. No exceptions." Saber's tone was saturated in severity.

"Uh, huh." The Servant nodded very slowly, as if out of all the things he had learned recently, this was the hardest to swallow.

"On a side note, I am somewhat certain that Shirou would try to kill Assassin on instinct if he sees him in the Kitchen for any reason."

"I thought those two were supposed to be tight?"

"They are, but apparently my Master still has nightmares from the first time his father tried to cook something as a child. I think it would be one of the few times that his self-preservation instincts would actually kick in over his normal habits."

He stared at her with an unreadable gaze for several long seconds before giving up and making way to the living room. "Fuck it. I'm too sober for this. Hey kid! Saber says you go nuts if someone goes into the kitchen without your say so! But I'm gonna go nuts if I don't get any ale in me soon! How about we compromise so we don't end up killing eachother!"

Saber sighed as Lancer left to pester Shirou. She should have just lured him away with alcohol from the beginning. No, if she had done that, then all she would have done is made him even more on edge while here. There was going to be enough tension in the household in the next few days already.

"You didn't have to listen in. I had it covered," she spoke out loud, as if conversing with herself.

A few seconds of absolutely nothing passed before Assassin stepped out from the room next to Shirou's.

Illyasviel had claimed her territory almost instantly as soon as she entered the building. Well, instantly after she realized that she couldn't sleep in Shirou's room with him at least.

Sticking true to old times, Kiritsugu didn't say a word, though he was firmly staring at Saber as if he did want to say something.

Sad to say that it probably was already one of the more intimate conversations they had ever had.

What she didn't expect was for Assassin to fumble with something underneath his cloak and take out several electronic devices that fit in his hand.

"Someone beat me to trapping the house this week. These aren't Shirou's, or mine."

The fact that he had actually spoken to her directly was enough to underline just how grave the situation was.

Saber didn't even try to hide her surprise and worry. Her guard was instantly on high alert. She did not trust Assassin when it came to many things, but this was one of the few exceptions. "How can you tell?"

"They're different than what he has. Wiring and plugs are different. More expensive. Too sloppy." He explained simply. He didn't have time to examine his son's equipment stored in his workshop during his earlier raid. He barely managed to snag all of the cameras he had the first time with his restrictions, using the excuse for checking for traps for intruders as the loophole for some leeway. But, with a new Master and free access to the property, he had all the time he needed to make his conclusion.

"You think it's related to what Lancer warned about." Saber wasted no time coming to the point of the matter.

He held one small device up to her eyes and crushed it with his fingers. The remains didn't even make it halfway to the ground before seemingly evaporating into prana and smoke, a reaction that clearly was similar to, but not the same as a Servant.

"You didn't mention this earlier."

"Neither did Lancer."

She held back her tongue, wanting to ream the silent man verbally for yet another reason. Now was not the time for petty accusations. The last thing anyone needed or wanted was more unexpected complications. "If Shirou does know something, he hasn't shared it with me, yet. I'll inquire about this tonight. Getting him excited now will only cause more problems than solve. Whoever it is won't take any immediate actions with so many Servants here. You keep an eye out for any more of these devices and anything else suspicious. As for the others…"

She didn't need to be a mind reader to tell that Assassin was against the idea if the look he was giving her was any indication.

"I'll leave that decision to Shirou. Even if everyone is up to date on current events, he's still the most suited to make such a judgement. Be warned, I wouldn't be surprised if he asked Caster to help with this."

His expression returned to being the blank façade that she was accustomed to. It wasn't much of an improvement if she was being honest, but it at least showed his approval.

The two maintained eye contact for several more uncomfortably long moments before Assassin broke off first and began to walk away, apparently satisfied with the conversation now that his message was sent.

Saber wanted to chide him for his rude behavior, but gave up on the idea knowing nothing would come from it. Instead she decided on something else. "Iskander's Master is being put on trial soon for his cooperation with your plans. Shirou is likely going to be called as a key witness and accomplice from here using some means. I would not be surprised if the other Masters and some Servants were to be questioned as well."

Assassin paused in his leave. He didn't turn around to look at her, but he didn't keep moving either.

"I thought it would be something you would like to know ahead of time. Lord El Melloi II has supposedly become somewhat a person of repute in the Clocktower since last I saw him. A valuable individual at that." Saber excused her actions firmly. She would not ask him to testify on behalf of the man that had risked himself for the Emiya Family, and by extension the world. She would not ask him to reveal himself to his son. Making demands of Kiritsugu would get her nowhere, and appealing to his sense of justice or conscience would yield even less results.

The best she could do was remind the man of his actions and of those that had gone out of their way to help him, and the value that those individuals still had.

This time, Assassin did turn around. Only it was to shoot her a dirty and annoyed glare while at the same time going into spiritual form.

Saber sighed. One way or another, it felt like everyone in the Emiya family was a child. A highly functional, psychopathic, murder-capable child.

"I-Illya?! Wh-what are you doing?"

"Ohoh! And here I thought I wouldn't be able to enjoy any shows here until it was night again!"

"Go away you useless drunk! I'm trying to spend time with Onii-chan! Berserker!"

"██████!"

"Illya! No! Stop! New rule! You can't use Berserker in the house! Saber! Help!"

Something told Saber that keeping Shirou's home intact was going to be just as hard as participating in the War itself.

… It really was a shame. Irisviel would have adored seeing this.

o. o. o.

Merem hummed to himself tunelessly as he watched the humans below go about their business from the building he was in. It was not quite sunset yet, but he was not that agitated seeing as he was on the side facing away from the sun, so he wasn't as exposed as he normally would. The fact that the more modern buildings humans made these days filtered out ultraviolet light and other harmful radiation made his current predicament more bearable than it would have.

A short distance away in another room, the King of Rats was acting as his proxy, speaking to the remains of the contacts the Church had in the city in order to manage the massive fallout from last night's activities.

It was going to be an obnoxiously large feat to oversee considering that the Witch had gone out of her way to pick off said resources one by one over the past week, but it was one that he had anticipated. Already, assistance from out of the country was arriving in a steady stream at his request, wasting no time addressing any shred of evidence that may indicate that something of unnatural in origin had taken place.

And whatever small things they missed, the rats would scour.

"For someone that was here and fell into this position by chance, you are surprisingly efficient."

The Vampire didn't so much as notice Archer materializing on the other side of the room.

"I am a person of many hidden talents. As are you, Shirou." Merem didn't turn around, finding the view of Fuyuki more interesting.

Archer frowned in annoyance, but he didn't fall for the obvious provocation. "Apparently."

"Hmmm." Merem held back a laugh as he glanced at the Servant.

"Something I missed?"

"It's not surprising, but you make the same face he does. When you're trying to figure something out that you don't like." The vampire didn't try to hide his mirth. "You're so stern, but you try to act like nothing bothers you. Your experience has certainly dulled your emotions. When you try to hide them, you have a habit of slightly frowning. It's something you do when you're focusing all your thoughts on a single topic or goal. But, whatever you do feel when your guard is down, you still show as easily as you did when you were alive."

Judging from the look on his face, Archer was more annoyed than impressed with Merem's analysis. Or maybe it was because he was being compared to his alternate.

"Why are you here?" He got to the point, the tone of his voice clearly indicating that he was in no mood for more small talk.

"Yet so different…" Merem's eyes glimmered, as if he was intrigued or elated by Archer's response. "I thought you were already aware, Archer. I was already acquaintances with young Shirou prior to the War, and was interested in how things would play out."

"And risk yourself by being directly involved, so soon before the Aylesbury Valesti ritual? And your chance to kill Altorouge Brunstud?"

Merem's smile dropped instantly. "… I see. The ritual does pose the potential to invoke the Counter Force if certain conditions are not met. My apologies for not taking your possible involvement into account. Counter Guardian."

"I'm still waiting for my answer, Vampire."

The two maintained eye contact in literal dead silence. The tension in the room was palpable

"… I was not circumventing the matter when I stated that my being here was to sate a curiosity. This has nothing to do with the ritual of Dark Six. Rather, it has to do with a more personal desire."

EMIYA frowned in confusion. "What does the boy have to do with it? I have been through this war countless times, and you, much less any other Apostle, hardly ever involved themselves with it. Even the White Princess, Arucreid Brunstud appears more frequently than the majority of your kind combined. Including you."

Merem didn't say anything initially, but for the briefest of moments, Archer saw a flicker of distaste in the Vampire's eyes. "I would appreciate it if you would not use the Princess' name so casually."

"I've been killed by her enough times in her blood rage to not care." He held his ground. On the rare occasion and world that the last True Ancestor did go mad with bloodlust, the Counter Force was often called in to counter her. It rarely ended well.

More silence suffocated the room before Merem sighed and turned to look outside the building once more. "I do not know if my reason for being here exists within the worlds you have witnessed. I would be somewhat intrigued if that was the case though. The war and Shirou's exploits were quite entertaining and interesting. That being known, you are correct that they are not the reason I am here."

"I would not be here if I thought otherwise." While it had been a long time since Archer had the liberty to trust his gut instinct instead of Alaya's instructions, he had not forgotten just how frequently he was proven right.

A flicker of a smile flashed on the Vampire's lips. "His peculiar condition as what I can only call a Living Apostle is interesting, and is admittedly a significantly compelling excuse. However I would be remiss if I stated that it was my primary reason for participating in this ordeal. And, as I have stated multiple times already, I have no need for your manufactured grail. I am a Planet Terminal. I am fully capable of enacting miracles on my own."

Archer frowned. The way Merem had spoken had clearly been on purpose. A hint or a taunt towards the truth, or at least a significant truth. Damn immortals.

Not the war. Not the boy. Not the Grail. Not directly at least. But… then what? It was clear he was here on a whim and not on orders, so the Church's and the other Apostle Ancestors' involvement was unlikely. Virtually everyone had their eyes and ears focused on the outcome of the War and Shirou, but they had already been ruled out. He had no need for an all-powerful wish.

Maybe it was the Noble Phantasms? Solomon was a collector of ancient relics. It was the reason why he joined the Church in the first place. The lure of obtaining, or even seeing one in action was tempting.

No. If it was that simple, he would have appeared in far more Grail Wars in general.

So what else was here? What else could an immortal who had been around since before the Grail Wars had even began be interested… in…

Wait.

Wait wait wait wait. No. What if he had been approaching this from the wrong angle? From the wrong perspective?

"It, couldn't be…"

Archer paled as his mind traveled rapidly, connecting the few dots he had to make a picture that he desperately didn't want to believe. Grasping at straws didn't even begin to describe the assumptions he was making. It was a train of thought that was so absurd and fantastical that he wouldn't have been surprised if it had been nothing more than a bad joke, but it made far too much sense to not be the case.

But, if it was true, at least in this world, then that meant…

"I'm afraid you have me at a loss, Archer. While I do admit to having a wide range of capabilities, telepathy is not one of them."

It meant, that if they weren't phenomenally careful, things were going to get worse long before they got better.

And not just for his past self.

Once more he cursed Shriou Emiya. Wherever that boy went and whatever he did, some way or another, he always seemed to make things worse for those around him.

o. o. o.

A/N:

Again. Thanks Wayfarer for betaing this. I didn't think I made so many oversights with this one.

Woo! New Chapter!

(Ducks the obligatory flying chair for being a month late.)

Ok. Ok. I deserve that. But I have a good excuse!

Taxes!

… Never said it was an interesting excuse.

But yeah. That's what happens when you live in one state but own property in another. Shit gets complicated and the papers needed so you don't get charged up the anoose triples at the bare minimum.

On the bright side, because I did some shenanigans and did some studying, I only had to shell out 250 this year instead of bending over for the 3k I had to pay last year.

Fucking higher tax bracket. Counting rent from my apartment as income my ass. Don't let your folks die in Connecticut kids. They tax the inheritance money that gets moved around there. I'm not shitting you.

Word of advice? If your company has a retirement investment program and you're doing pretty well, invest your money pretax. It'll save you a headache down the line once you start making more money down the line.

Ok, back to important things. Like fanfiction.

So, short chapter again. Gonna be honest, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to stick to this format for FFD in the near future. Like I said last time, I'm not crystal clear where I'm going with this exactly, so longer chapters tend to be counterproductive and work against me here. I need the flexibility and the slowdown so I don't screw something up for myself. The change in pace is a bit jarring to be honest, which explains part of why this took so long to get out.

And speaking of screwing something up, this in particular goes all you Nasuverse uber purists. Be prepared, because I'm going to be taking some major liberties with the Universe lore real soon, again. So clench up. You have been warned, and I am preparing my popcorn.

Still playing Monster Hunter world. I don't have PSPlus, so I can't really do multiplayer, but I have managed to get into the late late game via solo play. Meaning tempered Elder Dragons. Woot.

Still can't find any attack gems for the life of me though.

And despite LS being my main weapon, I still can't counter fade slash for shit.

That's… about it. Still playing FGO. Still hoarding my tickets and quartz for Jalter. Just beat North America.

Oh, if anyone that reads this works at Roosterteeth, let me know. My sister is trying her ass off to get a job with you guys, and all things considered, she's overqualified for a lot of manager related positions. I'm not overstating it either. She's really good at it. I keep telling her to stuff her RWBY cosplay pictures in her resume for you guys too, but she doesn't listen. Just give her a chance.

… Oh shit! Right.

Ok. So, I issued a challenge chapters and chapters ago, and no one has taken it yet, but I REALLY want someone to take it, so I'm going to repost it here.

Shinji had a Good idea. (Don't worry, he's still an unforgiveable asshole.)

Basic premise is as follows.

Before Shirou gets involved in the 5th Grail war, Shinji goes about doing his thing around town with Rider. During which, he finds out about Caster and Assassin at the Temple, and more importantly, decides to use and or abuse Rider's Mystic Eyes of Petrification to instakill Assassin, BECAUSE ASSASSIN HAS THE LOWEST MANA RANKING IN THE WAR AND HER EYES CAN DO THAT TO SERVANTS WITH LOW MANA RANKING.

Note: I know it is more than possible and likely that Caster could set up some spell or bounded field to prevent this beforehand in the original story, but for the sake of the challenge, assume that she didn't.

So. Assassin dies and then Rider attacks Caster in the Temple because Shinji is an overconfident twat.

Whoever takes up the challenge has free reign on how the story goes from that point onward. Everything else in the fic should follow canon rules, give or take. I don't have any real expectations. I just want to see what people come up with in this situation. It has the potential to get real messy real fast with Caster without a Guard Dog from the get go. That woman does not work well under pressure.

And that's about it.

SO REVIEW! WORSHIP THE LOG! BERSERKER IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE DINING ROOM WHEN FOOD IS BEING SERVED! AND REVIEW AGAIN!