FateStay Night: Paradoxical Blade Works

by Praxus84

Ten years have passed since the events of Fate/Zero Paradox, and now the Holy Grail War has begun anew. A whole new generation of Masters ready to claim the ultimate prize, and just like the last one, the Heroic Spirits to be summoned are limited neither to merely seven nor by the boundaries of this world. Take your places, everyone... I own neither characters nor setting.

3. Chapter 3: The Beginning III

The silver-haired man set his coffee mug down on the table. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

"Well…" She had a pretty good idea who this guy was sitting across from her. But anyone could've asked her this question, and she'd give the same answer: "I want to be a Huntress."

"You want to slay monsters?"

"Yeah. I only have two more years of training left at Signal, and then I going to apply to Beacon. See, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, 'Oh, I might as well make a career out of it.' I mean the police are alright, but HuntsmenandHuntressesarejustsomuchmoreromanticandexcitingandcoolandjust!" She couldn't help but squeal. "Oh, you know?!" Okay, maybe this wasn't the best way to prove herself responsible after the whole stopping a Dust robbery thing, and scary blonde woman was giving her that look again, but she couldn't help herself! This was her dream!

Luckily, the man looked pretty chill about it. "Do you know who I am?"

And somehow, she was positive about her answer. "You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon."

A chuckle, then, "Hello."

"Nice to meet you."

He leaned a bit forward. "You want to come to my school?"

"More than anything."

The woman didn't look convinced, though- "Well, okay."

And with those two words from Ozpin, she felt like she was on top of the world.

---

"Give me that!" The girl in white snatched the case she'd picked up away, glaring at her all the while. "This is Dust," she opened it so she couldn't see, "mined and purified from the Schnee quarry."

She rubbed her head, head still spinning from Yang ditching her, tumbling into all this luggage, just being here at Beacon Academy in the first place… "Uhh…"

And the crabby girl apparently didn't have much patience for her. "What are you, brain-dead?!" She pulled out a vial full of Red Dust and slammed the case shut, colored powder leaking out. "Dust!" She started shaking the vial at her, scattering red stuff in the air. "Fire! Water! Lightning! Energy!" She was only getting crabbier… "Are you even listening to me?!"

And she couldn't even answer, because that Dust was tickling her nose… "Ah… Ahh…"

"…any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"…AH-"

---

"CHOOO!"

Rin Tohsaka snapped upright in her bed and let out a sneeze she could've never released in public. She sat there panting for a moment before looking worriedly up, but the room was fine. No sudden burst of fire, lightning or whatever kind of energy. "These dreams…" She rubbed her head before grumbling in a mock-higher pitch. "Oh, it's nice to make a first impression for once without exploding!" Rin huffed, back to normal. "For goodness' sake…"

Well, she had wanted to see the power of this "Dust" for herself…

Sighing, Rin shrugged off the covers and got up. At least her body didn't feel so heavy this time, meaning her Magic Circuits had made a full recovery from summoning her Servants. Servants… still a bit surreal to consider that twice as many Heroic Spirits would be called to Fuyuki. This had to be the largest Holy Grail War in the city's history!

And on that note, the Tohsaka Master had one more official piece of business to handle. After breakfast and getting ready for school (no point skipping for another day), she grudgingly dialed in a certain number and picked up the receiver. "Kirei, it's me." Rin didn't waste time cutting to the chase. "Register me formally as a Master. I've established a pact with Archer," a slight edge crept into her otherwise polite tone, "and Lancer X. How good of you, by the way, to omit the little detail of Masters having two Servants each."

"My deepest apologies, Rin," the decidedly unapologetic-sounding priest replied smoothly, "but I couldn't officially divulge such information to you when you had yet to be a Master. I might've given you a few hints about this Grail War's unusual situation…"

Rin's mind flashed back to the message Kirei had left her: "Only two standard slots remain, Archer and Saber class of our world." Her grip tightened on the phone. Sly prick of a priest…

And his infuriating voice rumbled on while she listened and her two Servants waited, Archer standing by the wall, Lancer X swaying in her spot. "And two knight-class Servants, you say? Quite an achievement. From what I understand, there doesn't seem to be any rhythm or deciding link of how these X Servants are assigned other than how they might reflect their Masters' characters. You acquired Lancer X? How interesting…" Her fingernails dug into her hand from Kirei's implications. "So, have you decided on your next move? Would you care to pay a quick visit? I have something your father entrusted me to give you."

"If you mean Father's will, I already solved it and collected what he left. If I need to, I'll come by and meet you then." Not that she had any intent of actually visiting him, fourteen Servants running about or not, and she promptly hung up even as he tried to say more.

Lancer X leaned her head into view. "So, that's the overseer guy for the Grail War? I take it you don't get along with him."

"Not particularly." Rin answered evenly while walking for the door. Her irritation towards the red-hooded Huntress had dimmed again since last night. Still, she wasn't quite ready to paint fingernails and braid hair with her. "Let's just say he and I have history."

"Can he be trusted?" Archer asked as they stepped out into the daylight. The familiar duo promptly transitioned into spirit form.

Rin led them outside the grounds before shutting the gate behind them, noting the Bounded Field was unchanged. "We can trust he wouldn't want to risk his position and that he'll adhere to neutrality." Otherwise, I wouldn't trust him to change a 500-yen bill.

She walked in the direction of Homurahara, which her Servants picked up on. 'Oh, are we going to see your school today?' Lancer X chirped curiously.

"Yup," Rin popped the "p" before blinking. She shrugged it off and continued. "I'm still a high-school student as well as a magus and Master, so I can't keep skipping."

As they reached a crossing, three other students in uniform besides Rin and a few other people, she felt a sense of wariness from Archer. 'Wouldn't it be a problem if someone launched an unexpected attack at such a public place and we need to defend ourselves?'

The signal for walkers flashed green, and she crossed the road and went on her way without rush or concern. "Masters avoid fighting each other out in the open, remember? There's no way anyone would try something in a place as busy as a school."

'Don't bet on it.' Lancer X's skepticism was tinged with something Rin couldn't quite make out. Regret? Anger? 'What if somebody's infiltrated it and is just waiting for their chance?'

"Doubtful. Only one other magus family resides in Fuyuki besides the Tohsaka's, and that family is long past its glory days. They don't have a master to offer in this Grail War." More students were ambling about the closer they got to Homurahara; Rin saw Himuro and Saegusa waiting together at the bottom of some stairs. Probably for Makidera.

While the tan girl arrived to meet up with her friends, Archer's hum echoed over their link. 'So, basically, there's indeed one other magus going to school, but they lack the mana to become a Master, Rin?'

"Precisely."

'But that's just the enemy you know about, Rin.' His tone grew more scolding as they began to reach the open. 'What Lancer X meant, and frankly I agree with her, is that a magus you don't know might've slipped into the school…'

Rin was growing a little exasperated at being belittled again… but as she stepped onto school grounds, a wave of miasma washed over her. A sensation that seemed to reverberate across every place outside but no one else could pick up on. How could they without magecraft?

She was so rattled she barely heard Ruby's whisper. 'No, not again…'

Rin didn't waste time in slipping out of her coat and shoes and into her indoor slippers, then she made for a nearby exit few people ever used. Dark and quiet enough underneath some stairs so she could assess the situation properly. "That isn't just some bad air lingering about," she muttered crossing her arms while she leaned against the wall. "Could someone have set up a Bounded Field around here?"

'An incomplete one, maybe, but the process is still ongoing.' Archer surmised while still ethereal.

Lancer X had switched to serious mode herself. 'Doesn't look like anyone normal is aware of this. But anybody who's willing to set up something this obvious for us must be pretty confident.'

"Or they're a rank amateur," Rin countered. "It'd be generous to call this Field third-rate if we can pick it up this easily. A real magus hides and waits for the perfect chance to make their move."

'Amateurs can be dangerous, too, Rin, especially if they don't play by magus rules.' A fair point, the Master conceded privately, even if she couldn't help but think Lancer X deliberately chose the word "play."

But Archer spoke before she could figure that out. 'So, what do we do?'

Right. Disagreements aside, Rin was positive Ruby wouldn't condone something like this. And on that matter, they were in agreement. "First, third or last rate, I won't stand for anyone setting up this trash in my territory. We're taking them down."

'Sounds good! We going after them right now?' Sure enough, the Huntress was raring to go.

"As much as I want to, we can't, Lancer X. As soon as school's over, we'll examine the Bounded Field. Once we've determined what it specifically does, we'll decide on whether to dismantle it or not." She sensed another possible argument coming, but the sound of rustling papers behind Rin drew her attention. She turned around to Sakura on her knees and sheets of paper splayed out in front of her. "We'll talk later," she whispered before walking over.

Sakura tried not to wince as she began collecting the papers with one hand, the other holding her books. She, too, had picked up on the Bounded Field, and it was giving her a migraine. The more she tried not to focus on it, the more the pounding at the back of her head persisted. She almost didn't hear the footsteps until a familiar voice reached her, "Need a hand, Sakura?"

Rin knelt down beside the other girl as she turned towards her with a tired smile. "Good morning, Big Sister! You're back in today?" She nodded at that before picking up some papers of her own. "Oh, you don't need to do that."

"I know." Rin's own smile faltered a little when she saw Sakura trembling slightly. "Are you alright?" She reached over and placed a hand against her sister's forehead. "You haven't come down with something, have you? It's flu season."

"No, no, I just didn't sleep quite so good last night." Sakura giggled slightly before trying to wiggle away from Rin's persisting. "I promise you, if I were really sick, I'd have called in and let you and the school know."

Rin pretended to flinch at the pointed statement. "Right, sorry about not telling you in advance yesterday. I got a little caught up in the excitement. There wasn't any trouble?"

"Oh, no, the teachers and your classmates were all very sympathetic once I told them you'd come down with pancreatitis." Two fingers shot out before Sakura could duck away and tugged on her cheek. "Owowowow, I'm kidding! I just said you had a minor cold, I swear!"

"I always knew your cuteness was a deceptive façade…" Rin added one last twist to Sakura's cheek and then gave it a mock-scolding pat as she whimpered. She couldn't help but grin in relief, though; sporadic as Sakura's moments of mischief were, they were a good enough sign that she was alright. "So, are these meant for your class?" She lifted the papers in her hand.

Sakura accepted them with a shake of her head. "Kuzuki-sensei asked me to recollect them because he spotted a typo."

"Kuzuki-sensei's nothing if not thorough." Noticing her sister's eyes were drawn to the Seals on her hands, Rin nodded. "It worked… A little better than I expected." She showed them off. "Don't ask me why, but every Master gets two Servants in this Grail War, including me."

Sakura stared at the dual red markings on her sister's hands. "Two Servants…?" She was so taken aback by this development her grip on her load slackened before she noticed. She fumbled while trying to stop the papers from falling again, Rin stepping towards her for the same reason.

But a third set of hands swiftly snatched everything up and held it up for Sakura. "Phew, that was close." Sakura blinked at the silver-eyed girl with red hair and a red cloak suddenly standing beside her. A sense of power and warmth seemed to emanate from her. The hidden wizard's eyes landed on the silver buckle holding the cloak in place, then to her sister's hand.

Ruby huffed at the look her Master shot her. "I know, I know, stay in spirit form until you tell us to materialize. I'm just trying to help!" She then smiled at the other dark-haired girl standing wide-eyed next to her. "Sorry, didn't mean to shock you. I'm Ruby!"

While Rin palmed her forehead, Sakura managed to reboot her brain. "I-it's alright, thanks for the help." She reclaimed her papers and spared a quick glance around, as did the other two girls, but they were thankfully still alone. Class had yet to start for a few more minutes. "So, you're one of Big Sister's Servants?"

"One of them," Rin sighed while Ruby nodded brightly, "and you might as well show yourself, too, Archer. Seeing as we're now making introductions…" She seemingly frowned at thin air. "Oh, come on, your partner popped up already and nothing's happening."

"Yet." A deep voice rippled as blue particles danced around a humanoid shape, then a tall red-and-black-clothed man with silver hair and eyes was standing between Rin and Ruby. His gaze seemed to linger on Sakura's head, but she didn't feel like he was sizing her up or anything perverted. If anything, the look in his eyes was… Surprised? Relieved?

Then they blinked and became as cool as her sister's when talking to normal people. "So, who is this young lady if I may ask?"

"Right," Rin placed a hand on her shoulder with a soft smile, "this is my younger sister. She's currently housing along with my mother just outside the city, a precaution so no one can try using them against me while the Grail War goes on."

Sakura smiled, too, and bowed her head in greeting. "Sakura Tohsaka. It's nice to meet you both and thank you for aiding my Big Sister."

"No problem, it's what she called us up for," Ruby giggled while offering her hand. Sakura accepted it, marveling a little at how soft yet sturdy her fingers felt as they shook hands.

She repeated the gesture with Archer who seemed a bit hesitant. "A thankless job, but someone has to do it…" He drawled with a little smirk. "I see you're the nice sister. A pity."

Rin's smile evaporated. "Ruby." She gave the girl Servant a pointed look downwards.

Thwack! Archer tried to dodge, but her boot was too fast, and any doubts he might've had about his partner's self-proclaimed aiming skills were dispelled when she hit the exact same spot as last night. He bit down any sounds of pain to a grunt and glared at her while kneeling to cradle his shin once again, grumbling between his teeth. "…Will you stop that?!"

"I'm just following our Master's orders." Lancer X leaned towards him with her own pout. "And it wouldn't kill you to be a little nicer yourself."

"You don't know that…" Sakura couldn't help but giggle at their bickering and her sister's silent exasperation. It seemed like they were a bit more of a handful than Rin had anticipated. Still, she sensed that there wasn't any real bad blood between these… Heroic Spirits, that was the term, right? For reproductions of legendary figures, they were refreshingly human in their interactions. She also felt something… familiar about their presence.

There was one other detail that stood out to her. "Excuse me," both ceased their banter and turned to her politely, Ruby even letting Archer support himself on her shoulder. "Sorry if this is… too personal, but… your color scheme and your eyes…" Sakura fumbled slightly.

Thankfully, they understood, and after exchanging a look for two seconds, they faced her and said in unison, "Coincidence."

Rin then stepped in. "Alright, sorry to cut this short, Sakura, but you and I both need to get to class," she eyed her Servants, "and these two need to make themselves scarce again before somebody spots either of them."

"R-right," Sakura panicked a bit as she checked her watch, "I've got to get these papers to Kuzuki-sensei before the bell!" She hurriedly cast three bows in short order, "Thanks again for everything, good luck with Big Sister!" and powerwalked down the hall.

Rin watched her go with a fond grin before heading up the stairs, her entourage dutifully back in spirit form. 'Look, sorry about jumping out like that,' Lancer X began, 'but I'm glad we got to meet your sister. Sakura's really nice!'

"She is," Rin agreed before taking on a sterner tone. "But try not to interact with her too much anymore. She's not involved with the Grail War, and I want to keep it that way."

'Okay. By the way, I don't want to pry, but I didn't pick up anything… magical from her.' Another hum from Archer who apparently agreed with her.

Rin weighed the question, then sighed. "Sakura's not a magus. She doesn't have Magic Circuits… not anymore." She rose a hand to forestall any further inquiries. "It's a long story, and the important thing is, I'm not letting her get dragged into any of this."

'Sure, I get it.' Ruby, thankfully, dropped the subject and didn't say anything else. That left Rin free to concentrate on the upcoming classes and how deal with the Bounded Field.

However, neither girl noticed an incorporeal Archer stealing glances back to where they'd met Sakura.

---

One other student had noticed the Bounded Field that now enveloped Homurahara, and Shirou was plenty worried enough already. The morning had started out pretty alright, breakfast with Taiga, Bull, Shiba and Pakkun, mixing chocolate chips at his big sister's advice into his freshly made cookie dough and then setting it all into the fridge; he'd bake them when he came back from school so Maiya could enjoy them fresh when she came home tonight.

But while he was locking up after himself, he noticed a weird marking on the back of his left hand. Shirou dismissed it as a bruise from bumping into some junk, something that would fade away after a day or two.

Then on the walk to school, he saw two more houses right next to each other that had been thoroughly trashed. One looked like it had been ripped apart from the inside out, the other was half-burnt away. Shirou could still smell the ashes when he walked past it. None of this awakened any good memories in him, and he just couldn't accept it as yet another gas leak.

And finally, as he walked into the school, a weird exhausting feeling persisted all the way up to his classroom. Maybe I'm just tired, the boy considered, but it might be something else. Something doesn't feel right…

The unease in the back of his mind persisted throughout the day until classes ended and the sun started setting. Still, he managed to power through and even finish patching up any other broken appliances. Well, those that weren't beyond saving anyway. Issei was definitely grateful as they said their goodbyes.

With nothing really left to do, however, Shirou couldn't help but think about this bad feeling as he walked down the stairs. The more he thought about it, the surer he was that there was some kind of Bounded Field set up here. Kiritsugu had explained the concept, and Maiya had elaborated more about different types and how to deal with them. This doesn't feel like an early warning signal like the one at home, plus, it didn't exist yesterday. So, who set it up, and why?

The sound of giggles mixed with a familiar laughter disrupted his ponderings. Shirou turned to see Shinji sauntering out with a junior girl on either side; not an uncommon sight. Possibly new archery recruits. "Oh, you think that was amazing? Just wait and see…" Their laughter died out as the blue-haired boy caught sight of his friend. "Still wandering about, Emiya?"

"Not anymore," Shirou gave a slight wave to the girls, "was just heading home."

"Good for you, I've got my own fun for the evening set up." Shinji raised an arm to wrap around the girl on his right with his usual smirk. Said smirk flickered into a grimace, though, as his arm nearly reached shoulder level, and its fingers balled briefly into a fist.

It was only for an instant, so no one except Shirou picked up on it. "Everything okay, Shinji?"

"Huh?" He sneered at the boy who was already back up the stairs. "I'm feeling just great, Emiya. What's got you looking so worried? Was there an old microwave here you needed to euthanize?" His entourage giggled a bit, but it seemed mostly for effect.

And Shirou Emiya wasn't easily deterred. "You're looking a little stiff, come to think of it. I know you get carried away from time to time in archery, but it's nothing that would get you this banged up."

Shinji's smirk twitched slightly, but he tried to keep his cool. "Whoa there, you trying to see through me? Let's not get perverted here, you're not my type." He turned around in an attempt at dismissing his friend. "Go help some old geezer cross the street, will ya?"

"Was it your uncle again?"

From the way Shinji froze in his tracks, Shirou knew he'd struck a nerve. "Drop it, Emiya," the other boy practically growled over his shoulder. "You're starting to piss me off." The two girls were visibly growing uneasy.

Shirou stood his ground, even taking a few steps after him. "Just because he's family doesn't mean he can just walk all over you." He'd met the big one-eyed man named Masao Matou once or twice while studying at Shinji's home, and those moments alone, he could've done without. That one eye always looked down on him or Shinji like they were annoying bugs no matter what he said, and he gave off such an aggressive aura, Shirou couldn't help but brace for a fight during their short talks. "You don't have to be his punching bag."

"What happens in my family is none of your business," Shinji whirled about and strutted towards him, "and you've never actually seen Uncle lay a finger on me, have you?" He snapped a finger at Shirou's face. "Don't go making such baseless accusations, Emiya. It's considered impolite."

But Shirou just studied him carefully, noting the slight asymmetry of his slouching shoulders, the way his left foot dragged a little with each step, the right corner of his sneering mouth twitching… "Maybe it is none of my business, but your uncle's a violent man, Shinji. I just want to help."

"I'm fine." Shinji made to storm off before pausing, a thoughtful gleam crossing his purple eyes. "Look, if you really want to help me, Emiya, why don't you be a sport and tidy up the archery dojo for me? We left a bit of a mess behind," his head cocked to the left, "and seeing as you've got enough time on your hands to worry about my rusty old uncle…"

The girl with the ponytail spoke up. "Weren't you supposed to do that as Fujimura-sensei instructed, senpai?"

"Yeah, she did," the other agreed while Shinji tilted his head back to them, "and you know how she gets-"

He shot them a relaxed smile. "No worries. Besides, if I started cleaning now, we wouldn't make it to the shop in time afterwards." He then began to lead the pensive girls away with a careless wave. "I know I can count on you! Seeya!" One hastily added a thanks before catching up with the other two.

Left behind in the hallway, Shirou stared after his friend before walking towards the dojos. Truth be told, this actually worked in his favor: if he stayed behind to clean up after the archery club, he could investigate this Bounded Field a little more.

Besides, Shinji really didn't seem in good shape. Maybe this could help him…

He quickly reached the archery club and slid open the door. Taking a quick check to make sure no one else was around, he summoned two Shadow Clones. "Can you take a quick look around, see if you can find anything out of the ordinary?" His clones both affirmed and headed in different directions. Shirou wasn't sure himself what he needed to look for, a crystal or an incantation scrawled somewhere, but the clones had his knowledge and eyes. Three sets of eyes could see more than one.

So, he slipped into the dojo and closed the door behind him. The Shadow Clones would disperse on their own whether or not they found something. With Maiya's training, they could stay out of sight, and nobody else should be around soon enough. That left him with his own work here, and the dojo really needed cleaning after all. He balled up his sleeves, filled a bucket with fresh water, and dampened a cloth in it. "Same as always, this place…"

The floorboards were wide, but once he got down the rhythm, he scrubbed them all in no time. Shirou got to his feet again, his field of vision rising along with the movement, which meant he could spot the cobwebs shimmering with evening sunlight in the upper right corner. With a frown, he broke into a short jog and a leap that carried him up to the corner, rag in hand and feet attached securely to the walls. There was a time he needed to go barefoot in order to do the Tree-Climbing Exercise, but he kept at it to the point where he could channel his od through socks, his sneakers, even hiking boots. Just like Aunt Maiya and Kiritsugu…

He scrubbed the webs away with two sweeps of his rag, then added a third for good measure. Shirou shifted in his spot to check for more and huffed. "Oh for…" He pulled himself by his hands up so he could crawl along the ceiling. Which was sadly very necessary. "Really need to get a decent ladder…"

---

As night fell, the students cleared out, leaving only Shirou Emiya in the archery dojo (and his clones snooping around that area) … and one other student conducting her own investigation.

Rin had far more theoretical knowledge of magecraft, so determining the root of the Bounded Field was a cinch. The endpoint of her trail led her to the top of the roof, not far from where she'd had lunch by herself two days ago. "And this one makes seven," she noted crouching over a crimson-glowing glyph on the ground. It was a mixture of squiggling dark lines around one dark spot and letters surrounding two octagonal squares. "Looks like this sigil is the progenitor, too. I've never even seen anything like this kind of language before."

'I'm not too familiar about magic with "rules" like you guys. Is there anything you can tell of it?' Lancer X asked, her attention fully on the sigil and its effects.

"Well, I can determine its intent at least. You recognize it, too, right, Archer?" Rin glared at the blood-colored figures. "This Bounded Field is currently passive, but if it were activated, every last human inside the building would be literally melted away." Disgust emanated from Lancer X, a feeling Rin for once had no issue sharing. "It's called soul eating. A barrier filled with blood, terror and pain, ready to shred apart every body within and feist on the souls. It's a no-brainer who would go after souls like this."

Sure enough, they both knew who she was talking about. 'A Servant.' It seemed as though Ruby wanted to pace the roof or do something else, so stressed was she. 'Are there really heroes who would do something this awful?'

'Depends on your definition of hero,' Archer was significantly calmer, or at least he sounded that way. 'Don't forget, Lancer X, we Servants are spiritual beings at our core. Servants need to nourish themselves on soul energy just like humans can eat meat for nourishment. And naturally, the more we "feed" on, the larger our mana supplies.'

Rin's face scrunched in disgust. "Isn't it the job of Masters to provide their Servants with sufficient mana?"

'Yes, but that doesn't mean sufficient is enough. A common strategy for Masters is to acquire as much mana as they can to keep their Servant running full throttle. So, this Bounded Field is a potent tool for such a method, especially when the Master might have to provide for two.'

'Sure, and all it takes to supercharge a Servant, maybe two, is turning a school full of innocent people into their food?' Ruby was definitely pacing now in spirit form. 'Do the people of this world really not care at all about lives? Is winning all you care about?'

"Watch yourself, Lancer X," Rin stood up and glared in the direction of her Servant, "I would never stoop to something this revolting."

Archer, too, sounded rather offended. 'Neither would I. I was just explaining the mindset of select individuals. I never said I agreed with it.'

After a moment, the "pacing" ceased, and a spiritual sigh echoed out. 'Sorry, that was… I just don't like this kind of strategy. I didn't mean to imply anything about you guys, it was wrong of me.' The sincerity of her words dampened Rin's indignation a fair bit; it also confirmed that age irrelevancy aside, Ruby Rose had been a young hero in life. Young enough to retain her innocence as a Heroic Spirit. It was… 'So, how do you wanna handle this, Rin?'

The Master was further pleased at her Servant deferring to her, even if it was because she understood magecraft the best amongst the trio. "Well, I can't completely shut down the Bounded Field, but I can at least nullify this sigil. That'll disrupt its workings a bit."

"Aw, do you have to erase it?" A male voice made her freeze. "That's too bad." She turned to the left and gasped.

Crouching atop the roof's water tower was a man in blue armor with silver highlights. Two silver pauldrons were strapped over his shoulders while two long earrings of the same color dangled from his lobes. His hair was blue and mostly tied back in a long ponytail save for four short strands hanging over his forehead, the ponytail hanging over his left shoulder. Two red eyes stared bored down at Rin while his sharp face shifted into a smirk.

But the real thing that drew Rin's attention was the long crimson spear effortlessly balanced over his neck. Her fists clenched as she realized who this man most likely was, but she kept her voice even. "Would this happen to be yours?" She nodded sharply at the sigil.

"Nah, cheap shots like this I leave to mages and Masters." The man released his spear with the left hand and set it with the right atop the tower, a light ring chiming from the metal. "Guys like me just fight when and where our orders take us." He winked, but not at Rin. "Isn't that right, Invisible Buddies One and Two?"

She snapped a glance to the side, but to the naked eye, no one was there. But she knew better, and so did he. "If you can see Archer and Lancer X," she muttered warily, "then that makes you a Servant." She glared again at his weapon. "You're the Lancer of our world, aren't you?"

The blue-armored man's smile only grew. "I guess it's pretty obvious. But if you can puzzle that all out, I take it you're my enemy, then, girlie? But if one of your Servants is Lancer X…" He chuckled before baring his teeth in an excited grin. "Looks like I've got some luck in this War. I wouldn't have thought I'd get the chance to duel with a colleague so soon."

As Lancer stood up on the tower, Rin looked about. The roof wasn't very big, and each side ended in a metal fence. We're boxed in. Fighting here wouldn't be in our favor.

"Not bad," Lancer hummed above her. "You might look ignorant, but you seem to have a good grasp of the situation. Man, I guess I missed my shot." He twirled his spear one-handed before pointing it out as red energy danced along its length. "Fun though this is, I shouldn't have opened my big mouth."

Faced with an unknown but obviously powerful enemy, Rin made the most sensible choice: She turned on her heel and sprinted away from him. Stealing a look behind her revealed Lancer already hurtling towards her. She barely ducked under his first slash and desperately rolled under the follow-ups. Rin knew, though, that under normal circumstances, a human couldn't hope to match a Servant in combat. Lancer was just playing with her.

She forced down her agitation and concentrated. Es ist groß… Her legs hummed with mana as she aimed for the fence. She was planning on Reinforcing her legs and nullifying her gravity to jump off the roof, then let one of her Servants catch her. Es ist-

"Hang on, guys!" Ruby's voice in her ear rattled her concentration, then her vision turned all red.

Lancer halted in mid-thrust as a swirling mass of rose petals appeared out of nowhere, seemingly sucked up the girlie and blasted over the fence and out into the yard below. And all within one second. He reached the edge to see the girlie stumbling behind two Servants in red, the smaller one having the steadiest footing. Petals danced around her while she glared up at him. "Cute and quick… I like her already." Then Lancer leaped after them.

Rin fought off her dizziness and blinked away the red spots in front of her vision to find Lancer X's cloak rippling in front of her. "Nice move," Archer rumbled to her right, "but stay sharp. His partner might be nearby."

"Right." Lancer X pulled out that red contraption of hers as the other Lancer dived in, but her partner was the first to intercept.

"Archer!" Another blink, then Rin could see perfectly again. She hoped she wouldn't have to travel by Petal Burst again anytime soon, but for now, her concentration was on the battle.

Archer stood in front of his team, a black curved blade in his left hand that immediately drew Ruby's attention. A white triangle pointed out from a partial yin-yang symbol while the blade itself had some red hexagonal design along its side. Giddiness rose inside her. It's about time!

Lancer smirked at his first opponent. "Here we go. I like it when people don't dodge around the business at hand." He crouched and gripped his spear with both hands.

"That makes two of us." Lancer X stepped forward a bit, her own weapon yet to be unveiled.

"You're definitely a Lancer, little lady." He ignored her glare to focus on the man. "But your buddy isn't giving off a Saber vibe. Who do we have here…?" Archer gave no answer, drawing a laugh from him. "You don't strike me as a duelist first, either, so I guess you're Archer." He eased up his stance a bit. "How about you take out your bow and let your cute partner dance with me? I like duels, but I'm not picky about it being one-on-one."

Lancer X tensed a little only to stop at a pointed look from her partner who then nodded towards their Master, all while still keeping an eye on their enemy. Rin wondered about his behavior, "Archer…?" before realizing he was signaling for them to wait for her orders. "Really?" Then again, this was what they'd talked about after their first argument.

And Rin Tohsaka was a woman of her word. "Archer, Lancer X, I'm not helping you in this fight. Here and now is the chance to prove your strength!"

Archer smirked and tightened his grip on his blade. Blue gale winds gathered from beneath him and rippled around his body.

"You got it!" Lancer X's smile was wider, and the energy that emanated from her was naturally red in color.

Lancer watched them seemingly casually, but in truth, his body and senses were on high alert. He waited to see which one would make the first move, half-expecting it to be the cutie. But it was Archer who disappeared and suddenly jumped to slash at his left. Lancer blocked the blade and parried its next attack, then swung in himself. The red Servant managed to divert both of his blows before sprinting to the side.

As for Lancer X, she preferred a fair one-on-one herself, but that didn't mean she wouldn't step in. Especially because she sensed Archer wasn't the stronger duelist here. So, she leaped forward herself; even without using Petal Burst, she reached the other Lancer instantly.

Lancer saw a flash of something crimson in his counterpart's hand as it raced towards him, but he was already shifting away from the thrust, still keeping the Archer in his peripherals… only her move wasn't a thrust, but a slash. A slight mechanical sound was the only warning he got before a large, curved blade bit into his neck, and he barely managed to parry it with a twist of his spear. Lancer X flipped away from his riposte, spun her weapon around her back, and then the blade was sweeping in for his left leg.

Only momentarily surprised by his partner's reveal, Archer quickly crossed the distance to strike at Lancer's back, but the blunt end smacked his blade away. He deflected two more blows before hopping back to let Lancer X's blade swing in again. The air itself trembled from the force of two crimson blades meeting one another, and twin diagonal lines split the ground between them. One Servant of the Spear wore a confident, slightly cheeky smile, the other an ecstatically broad grin. A third tried to take advantage of the lock, but Lancer pushed the scythe away and pounced upon Archer again.

Rin tried to follow their movements, but even with Reinforcement, she could only just keep up. Their weapons were like blurs, and the most she could tell was the damage made on the field just from their armaments clashing. One uppercut-like blow from Lancer X sent their enemy flying into the air, then a yelling Archer struck hard enough to blast Lancer into a wall. "This is how Servants battle…?" The sole human present mumbled in awe.

The three combatants separated for a momentary lull in the battle, though none of them were out of breath. But this meant Rin finally got to see Lancer X's weapon as more than just a red streak, and the two native Servants were eyeing it just as curiously.

What she gripped behind her back wasn't a spear, but a red scythe as tall as the girl's own body. The handle was all metal with some odd features near the handle, like a rectangular box and a tiny cylinder, and ended in a twin prong on one end. The other had an absolutely massive blade; seriously, it was broader than Ruby's entire torso! The inner edge glinted silver in the moonlight.

Ruby Rose spun Crescent Rose gracefully around from behind her, as if she only weighed as much as a marching baton, and held her in front with both hands and a confident smirk. "Like my sweetheart? She's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!"

"…A what?" Two voices chorused.

Archer had been silently staring at Lancer X's weapon, or maybe trying to stare would've been more correct. His eyes kept flickering open and shut the longer they were aimed at the oddly complex armament, much to his private irritation/confusion.

But now he echoed his partner's smirk as she planted the front of her scythe towards Lancer. "She means…" Lancer X pulled back a metal part on the handle. And only then did Lancer realize there was a small hole at the end. "It's also a gun."

A loud Bang! rang out as something surged from the scythe's hole towards the other Servant of the Spear. Instincts and a certain Personal Skill allowed him to evade the rifle bullet despite his shock, but then Archer was slashing at where he'd bent his body.

While the two male Servants were duking it out, Rin stared at the crimson weapon, smoke wafting from its end. "…I thought you said you were a Lancer."

"I am! And besides, you wouldn't let me show her to you up till now!" She puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms while somehow keeping hold of the scythe… gun… thing. "It's not my fault there's no Reaper class for Servants! Stupid system, scythes are awesome…"

Then in a flash of rose petals, she was jumping into the fight just as Archer's blade shattered.

Multiple thrusts from Lancer finally broke that black toy, leaving the other man wide open. "Game over." Lancer drew back his spear for the final strike, only to break it off when a scythe he was growing more familiar with rushed in towards his torso. He brought up his spear to block it, but then Lancer X pulled the trigger, and while the round it fired was aimed opposite from Lancer, the force of its shot still sent the blade slashing into his abdomen. Lancer ducked under the swing and retaliated, noting how red energy crackled against Lancer X's neck where his tip scraped along.

Meanwhile, Archer muttered something drowned out by the cacophony of battle, then his second blade appeared in his right hand. Ruby's Aura had protected her throat from getting pierced, but Lancer's blow was still powerful enough to unbalance her for a split second, enough for him to thrust again. This time, Archer's blades swooped in to protect his partner. Lancer skidded backwards from the twin slashes against his spear before straightening again to deflect three bullets from Lancer X who was peering through her scope. "A dual-wielding Archer playacting a swordsman and a scythe-wielding Lancer who's a crack shot, too." He sized up his opposition anew. "What a pair you make!" Then he charged in for the next bout.

Privately, Cú Chulainn was ecstatic. This bout with the two was turning out as challenging as the one he had two nights ago with that metal-armed lunatic. Whoo, that was a wild time!

Rin continued to watch this two-on-one clash, gradually growing more accustomed to its pace. By now, she had adjusted her Reinforced eyes enough to keep track of their movements for the most part. Archer was the most visible while both Lancers were like gusts of wind at times, her Lancer discernable through the petals that danced around her. As for the Servant of the Bow, every time he lost or broke one of his blades, another would appear in his hand. And they were adjusting to each other, Rin noted, even while they fought together.

Then Lancer X ejected some kind of red box from her scythe and inserted another one in, except this one bore a symbol of a black circle surrounded by squares. She stabbed her blade in the ground, took aim at Lancer and pulled the trigger, the resultant Bang carrying a sort of purple shockwave. And the next bullet he deflected nearly sent him sprawling. Lancer X beamed at her curious partner. "Gravity Dust."

Archer nodded with a hum. "Impressive. But I doubt that trick will work twice," He warned as he leaped forward to press the advantage.

"We'll see." Lancer X then pointed Crescent Rose behind her and fired again. Rin actually stumbled slightly from the ripple of the gravity disruption while her Servant used the recoil of her shot to clear the distance to Lancer faster than Archer. He rolled backwards underneath her gravity-powered swing only for Archer's white blade to dig slightly into his back. Grunting, he unleashed a seemingly erratic flurry of stabs and swings that shattered his male opponent's right weapon (again) and forced them back.

Red eyes were locked on Archer while he called forth another Bakuya, Kanshou awaiting its mate in his other hand. "That's number sixteen," Lancer frowned at him. "I've disarmed you sixteen times, but you keep whipping out more."

Looks like he's getting impatient. And aside from R-Lancer X, this scene feels a little familiar… He considered the situation and decided to prod a little. "What's the matter?" Archer shifted a bit away from Lancer X. "You don't strike me as the type to wait and see, and don't start complaining now. You were the one who suggested facing the both of us."

True enough, Lancer was sporting a bit of mileage from their dual assault. A nick by his throat, some cuts along his legs, chest and back, and his left pauldron was a bit cracked. Still, none of it was life-threatening. "Crafty fox," he clicked his tongue, "trying to bait me? Well, I might as well just ask now. From which land does your legend come from? I've never heard of a guy with a bow using two swords, either."

Lancer X stayed silent, herself a little curious. Those two blades she'd watch Archer use the whole time were already cool enough, especially in their symmetry. It was like they were built married! And Archer hadn't even drawn his bow yet! Wait, did the blades combine into a bow? No, this world didn't have mechashift weapons…

Anyway, her partner didn't seem willing to talk about his missing identity. "As for me, I have a good idea who you are. They say Lancers are comprised of only the fastest heroes, and you're at least on par with my partner's natural speed." Ruby silently conceded the point while Archer continued his analysis. "That puts you at a level not even three spearmen of our world's history can boast. Factor in that wild animal's agility of yours, and that leaves us with only one."

"Flattery won't get you everywhere, Archer." Rin noted how unconcerned Lancer seemed about them being this close to unraveling his identity. "Though I have to say, you, little lady," he turned to Lancer X who looked a bit peeved at the "little" moniker, "you are a lot more impressive than him. That weapon of yours sings with passion and is a true beauty at that. Not once have I seen or heard of anything like her."

Lancer X's irritation gave way to a bashful joy. "Aw, thanks! That spear of yours is really cool, too!" She rubbed the back of her head. "And, yeah, I might've gone a little overboard with putting Crescent Rose together-"

"Hold up, hold up, you built that?" The blue Servant whistled in genuine respect. "A warrior and a craftsman. Er, craftswoman, sorry."

But she waved it off, happy to gush about her creation. "Sure, I made her myself, it's kind of a normal thing back where I'm from. We all design and build our own weapons when our training really kicks off. Didn't you guys make yours?" She stared at both of the native Servants so earnestly Rin wanted to laugh. How can a girl be so skilled and composed one second, and so adorably childish the next?

One look from those eyes, and Archer found himself wanting to answer. "It's… complicated."

As for the other Lancer, he shrugged while hefting his class weapon. "Afraid not, this here's a hand-me-down from my teacher. And I can't tell you more than that, what with us being enemies and the matter of our True Names." Rin sighed to herself; that would've been too good to be true. Still, they'd picked up a little more data from this. Guess Lancer X's perkiness had its uses. "A pity, this is the first time I meet a warrior who specializes in scythes." The blue Heroic Spirit rested his spear atop his shoulder. "In another time, we might've been able to come together for a night, compare weapons, but this will have to do."

Protective fury abruptly surged inside Archer at the blue dog's words, but he took a deep breath to leash it. "Come together for a night…" Hah! Over my dead body. …Wait, what am I thinking?

Lancer X, though, didn't notice the implications (such as they might've been) and sighed back. "Yeah, it's a real bummer we Servants have to go all slash, stabby, fight-fight-fight as soon as we see each other. I'd have liked to get a better look at your spear." She shrugged. "Oh well, sorry, but I've got a job to do."

"So do I." Lancer waved off her apology and sank back into his stance. "And fun though this is, if we keep going at this pace, one of you is going to kill me sooner or later."

"Then maybe you should call in your own partner," Archer taunted even as his eyes scanned the vicinity. "It's impolite for you to keep him hidden when you get to dance with mine."

Lancer grimaced. "Would if I could… But that ship has sailed." Rather than elaborate, he drew his right foot back and extended his left while brandishing his spear. Crimson power emanated from the point like flames and traveled up its length. "You'll just have to settle for me. Let's see if either of you will meet my greatest strike."

Lancer X twirled Crescent Rose once before pulling her back. "Bring it on, I've seen worse."

Archer readied Kanshou and Bakuya. "I'd have to take you down eventually anyway."

Not good. On the sidelines, Rin was much less confident than her Servants. Her eyes were locked on that blazing spear. So much mana… He's definitely ready to invoke his Noble Phantasm. She bit her lip. There's got to be something…

Then the Servants' ears, inhumanly sharp as they were, picked up a scraping sound.

Shirou had finished up with the dojo about a minute ago, but he was no closer to figuring out what was going on in the school. His clones hadn't found anything concrete, either, even after sneaking into a few rooms (and doing a little extra cleaning). By now, they'd released themselves and the lack of anything concrete from their memories made him sigh. "Oh well… I might have to let Aunt Maiya know about this. She may have a solution… but it wouldn't be right to drag her here right after she gets back home."

Besides, Shirou was growing up. He shouldn't have needed his aunt's help to solve a problem, particularly when she had so much on her own plate… He set down the water bucket and yawned. "I'll check it out a little more tomorrow. Maybe I'll find-"

Clang! He started. What was that sound? Shirou walked towards a window as it intensified. It was like some blacksmith was hammering on a piece of metal, but more… erratic.

Outside, a huge cloud of dust had been kicked up with sparks of red and blue bouncing all over the place. Shirou thought he could something red drifting about once or twice as he stepped outside near the track field. The closer he got, the more he could make out:

Two men and one girl fighting each other…? And were those real weapons they were swinging around? "Who in the…?"

His throat felt dry all of a sudden. These guys were swinging at one another fast he might've thought he was hallucinating, but the damage all over the field was very real. Then they paused and started talking. It was too far away for Shirou to hear them, but the conversation ended in the blue guy straightening while the spear held suddenly lit up like a candle. This fight seemed to be getting intense, and a little voice in the back of the boy's head was asking if he really needed to stick around and watch. He stepped back…

And his foot scraped audibly against the dirt.

And then red eyes glared at his spot as the man in blue turned around. "Who's out there?!" He didn't look happy, and that spear of his was looking pretty sharp, so Shirou spun around and ran. He wasn't sure where to go, only that staying in this spot was a really bad idea.

Lancer X's eyes snapped between the boy running into the school and Lancer already in mid-lunge. Her Semblance activated even as she assessed these two facts, but by the time she re-materialized in front of the enemy Servant amid fluttering petals, she already knew what her next move was.

Dirt flew beneath Cú Chulainn's feet as he halted in place, grunting from his imperfect block of his female counterpart's scythe. Its blade was suspended centimeters from his right pectoral, but those pleading yet determined silver eyes bit into him even more. "Don't," Lancer X stated, not begged. "He's just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Rotten luck for him." He didn't like it, but he had his orders. "Trust me, I'd rather continue our bout than do this." Lancer then stomped forward with a push, unsettling Lancer X enough for him to spring over her. He then barreled into the school after the witness, noting she was one step behind him. Something furry(?) struck his side, but he shrugged off the impact.

Rin could only watch one of her Servants take off after Lancer as she ran to the other one. "A student?" She had only just made out the telltale brown of their uniform. "Somebody was still here at the school?"

"Apparently." Unlike his partner, Archer had remained at his spot. Partially to guard Rin in case any other Servants were hiding in the shadows, partially… "Guess our lives just got saved." He dispelled his blades. "Lancer's probably going to take him out because he was a witness. Maybe Ruby can save him." Inwardly, he doubted it. Fate wasn't so easily changed…

"Go after them, Archer!" a panicked Rin ordered him. "I'll catch up with you too!" She then broke into a run towards the school entrance. Damn, how could I be so stupid?! She berated herself for forgetting the basics. The first rule of a magus is to not let witnesses live. I never liked that rule, so I've always taken extra care, but… She made it to the doors, an unexpected thought at the forefront of her mind: Come on, Ruby!

Inside the school, Shirou ran panting as fast as he could up the stairs and into the hallway where he'd argued with Shinji a few hours ago, trying to look for a place to hide. All the classrooms were deserted, of course, but they were locked, too. Where could he duck into that the spear-slinging guy wouldn't find him in three seconds…?

As he glanced behind him, the man in blue skidded to a graceful stop in front of the hallway. His spear's tip glinted dangerously from the moonlight. But then a larger, curved blade hooked around it and pulled it away while two boots slammed into the man's chest, sending him grunting into the wall. Shirou watched baffled in between catching his breath as a red-cloaked girl turned to him, her silver eyes sparkling with worry. "Get out of here! Hurry!"

That sounded like a very good idea, now if only his legs would cooperate…! The blue man was back on his feet and glaring at the girl as she swung her scythe at him. The hallway was too narrow for a weapon that broad, though, so he easily lunged inside her swing and rammed his shoulder into her. As she staggered back, he leveled his spear towards Shirou, only for a small, pale shape to barrel into his stomach. It landed in front of him with a growl Shirou recognized. "Shiba…?"

"Shirou, run!" The mohawked hound yelled at him before darting away from a slash of the spear. The blue man glared down at him in confusion, thereby failing to notice the bigger dog sneaking up from behind. A snarling Bull then pounced onto his back and bit down hard into his left shoulder. The man cried out in pain, staggering from both the bulldog's weight and bite.

Lancer X blinked in shock at the new development. "Doggies…?" Then the smaller fella leaped up, his own jaws clearly aiming for Lancer's throat. But a stroke from that red spear smacked him through the window with a pained yelp, then the native Servant grabbed the bulldog's mouth, pried his jaws open just enough, and heaved him into Ruby as she made for another attack. She stumbled from the sudden weight, then the spear's tip cracked into the left side of her head. If it hadn't been for her Aura, her skull would've been split in half.

"Shiba! Bull!" Shirou had made it halfway through the hall when he saw the two dogs get hurt. Bursts of smoke signified their summoning ending, but his worry of if they were still alive let alone okay halted him in his tracks again. Then the girl in red went down, and the blue man disappeared. The boy's eyes darted about, trying to find him…

"Hey…" He heard the man's voice and spun around- Sh-shnk.

Shirou's mouth hung gasping open. He couldn't move his arms or legs. His whole body felt like it had lost all its strength, and he could only stare down in the hole in the chest that just appeared… Then that spear appeared in a shimmer of blue as it stabbed into him.

Lancer X pushed herself back to her feet only to see Lancer materialize and run the boy through. "No!" She sped down the hallway as her counterpart pulled his spear out and flicked the blood away, the boy falling to his knees between pained gasps. He would've faceplanted if she hadn't reached him. "No…"

"Sorry." Lancer stared down at them, hopping away from the girl slashing her scythe one-handed at him. "Not much luck going around tonight." He winced from the bite on his shoulder. "Not much at all… I didn't want to do that, little lady, but he saw us, so he had to die."

"Y-you didn't have to kill him!" Ruby angrily retorted while blood spilled through her fingers and onto the floor. "We could've just wiped his memories or-or…"

Lancer shrugged his right shoulder, too much pain in his left. "I'm afraid I don't know much about erasing minds, and he's guaranteed not to talk if he's dead. It's the boy's own fault for having no luck or power… but two damn mutts." His good humor had evaporated. "It was fun battling you, little lady, but to make me do a lousy job like this…" The Celtic Heroic Spirit glared behind him. "This is no task for a Heroic Spirit. …Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm going."

Lancer X in her anger only then realized he wasn't talking to her anymore. She gently set down the boy, shifted Crescent Rose into rifle mode and took aim, but fast as her actions were, he was already dissipating. "Man, why did I have to be saddled with a scumbag for a Master…" His voice became an echo, and it was soon only her and the boy.

Shirou could barely hear anything anymore. His vision faded in and out, so he couldn't really tell much of the girl crouching over him except her red hair… and silver shimmering eyes. He hadn't felt the girl's hand, and he couldn't feel anything at all except agony. It was like that stab had sent a bolt of lightning through every last part of his body and frying him alive. His heart, though, there wasn't any pain there… He was dying. He knew it, and he knew nothing could stop it… no matter… how hard… he tried to… fight…

By the time a panting Rin made it up the stairs, she found Archer in a hallway, standing over Lancer X who in turn was kneeling beside someone, her back to them. "You did everything you could." She couldn't say who the silver-haired Servant was addressing.

"But it wasn't enough…" Ruby seemed to think she was the addressee, and from her quiet, broken tone, it wasn't good. Rin steeled herself and wiped any expressions from her face as she approached. The closer she got, the clearer the boy was in his uniform and the pool of blood surrounding him. She couldn't see his face yet, but she noticed Ruby's shoulders shaking slightly. "I should've been faster… I-I should've stopped Lancer…"

"Archer," the Tohsaka Master spoke with a calm, stoic demeanor, "go after Lancer. We need to see his Master's face at least, or else this evening will have been for nothing." Archer nodded and left in spirit form. That left two girls and one doomed boy in that hallway, and the human girl moved to her partner's side. "Don't blame yourself, Ruby." Her voice softened a touch before she adjusted it. "This is my responsibility."

The girl's red bangs shivered as she shook her head. "I let Lancer run him through," she replied dully. "His heart's been skewered, and I can't do a thing to fix it." Her eyes shimmered with such sadness it made Rin's heart wrench. "Some hero I turned out to be…"

Rin knelt beside her, picking up a pained wheeze from the boy in the process. A compact Crescent Rose lay beside its wielder, she noted, and she knew it could easily be unfolded in an instant. Ruby's hand hovered trembling over it. She doesn't know if she should… finish it, Rin realized with another twist of her own heart. She doesn't want to see him suffer, but she can't work up the nerve to put him out of his misery.

Her hand reached out and squeezed Ruby's tightly as they sat there together. "I'm sorry." Rin didn't know who she was apologizing to, maybe both of them… She locked eyes with Ruby who studied her before nodding sadly. "We'll stay with you until it's time." Rin then lifted her gaze up his body; the least she could do was memorize his face…

Ruby was trying not to think of Pyrrha when she heard a horrified gasp escape Rin. The Huntress glanced worriedly between the dying auburn-haired boy's face and her Master's, her eyes wide enough to fall out of her sockets and panicked breaths shooting out of her. "No… Not you…" Cool, collected Rin whispered, almost whimpered, her eyes not leaving the unmoving boy. "Don't… Wh-Why did it have to be you…" her whole body shook like a leaf. "What were you e-even doing here…t-tonight of all t-times?"

"Rin, what's…" Then it clicked as Jaune's call inadvertently rang inside her brain. Ruby gripped the other girl's shoulder. "You know him, don't you?" Rin hugged herself trying not to cry but managed a nod. "He's… a friend?" Another, more hesitant nod.

"W-What am I supposed to tell her tomorrow…?"

Rin covered her eyes so as not let Ruby see her like this- no, because she couldn't stand this sight anymore. Not of Shirou Emiya bleeding out. So much red- Red…

She dug into her pocket until she felt the silver chain there and tugged on it. The ruby pendant left behind by Father was just as Rin remembered it, still practically reverberating with mana. So much potential…

The Heroic Spirit with the same name watched her movements carefully and how she seemed to be hopeful again. Just a tiny bit. Her eyes landed on the gem, and even she sensed what was inside. "You've got something, Rin? Something to save him?"

"Y-yes…" Rin blinked at the sudden intensity in Ruby's voice. "There may still be a chance…" But even as she said the words, doubt crept in. Was this right choice? Doing this would probably expend all of the mana Father had left behind for her, and the Holy Grail War had only just begun. If all the other battles, the other Servants, would be like what she saw tonight, could she be so liberal with her resources…? Even if it was… for his sake…?

"So, do it."

Ruby's voice sliced through her thoughts, and Rin found those silver eyes staring once again into hers, nothing but determination in their irises. "If you can save his life, then do it, Rin! Don't just sit here worrying about what-ifs and maybe's, he needs you right now!"

A voice less familiar rang out just as the last of his embers seemed to ebb out. "What's the point of having power if you don't use it to help those you care about?!"

"…L-Like I need you to tell me what's right…"

A pendant with a red jewel jingled over Shirou. Glimmers of light, then he felt a pressure on his ribs. Not too heavy, though. It was the least painful sensation for him… this… night…

Rin concentrated, funneling the mana into his body and feeling the individual cells and blood vessels inside Emiya's body. This spell was a delicate process. One wrong move, and the energy could do even worse damage or something. She dully registered Ruby standing guard behind her, the girl's confidence and valor seemingly flowing into her. It was painstaking work, but… she thought it was working. Almost done. Before she knew what she was doing, she dropped the pendant and pressed her right ear to Emiya's chest despite the blood, trying to tune out her own hammering heartbeat. After a far too long stretch of nothing…

There it was. A weak but steady rhythm growing stronger the longer she listened. And Rin herself finally felt like she could breathe again.

---

Alone in the hallway, Shirou Emiya gasped for air. He still felt like his insides were on fire… but he was alive. Somehow. Panting, he managed to prop up his arms and turn over so he was all fours; every breath of air was a battle. "What happened…?" He patted his chest and found blood all over his hand. So, that stuff… those people… Dying… it hadn't been some dream. Shirou tried to get up and stumbled back to his hands. His legs were still so heavy.

While the boy's lungs worked feverishly to suck in oxygen, his eyes were drawn to something glittering on the floor: that red pendant he saw just before blacking out. Shirou grabbed it without thinking and tried standing up again, wobbly but upright this time. Got to get out of here…

Shirou somehow managed to stagger his way half-dazed back home before finally collapsing in the dining room. He flopped on his back and sucked in one lungful of air after another. "Bull… Shiba…" He wheezed to himself with one hand over his chest wound. "Gotta make sure they're okay…" His fingers lapped up some dried blood, but his od was in too much turmoil for him to summon. "The blue guy and the white guy… and the red girl…Who the hell were they? Not normal humans, that's for sure…"

Remembering his lessons, he took an effort to slow his breathing, steady his od. He also ran through the facts. "The blue man really almost killed me. No," he flashed back to that agonizing stab into his heart, "he did kill me." Shirou painfully sat up, the effort of this action confirming his next statement: "But I'm still here alive. That red girl… she tried to protect me, but it wasn't her who saved me…" He shut his eyes to pick out the memories.

"No… someone else showed up after her… they argued… then they saved my life… But who?" Shirou shook his head. Too much noise between his ears to figure out if he knew the voices. "Least I should do is thank them… and the other girl…" He perked up. "Right… the boys." He prodded the stains on his shirt; too dry. He needed fresh blood to summon-

Shirou stilled when bells chimed. They were a signal from the Bounded Field Kiritsugu had set up, a signal of intruders-

The blue man appeared right above him, spear aimed at his chest.

---

Rin didn't really recall returning to the manor. She simply laid stretched out onto a couch in the living room, exhaustion seemingly gluing her to the cushions as she stared up at the ceiling's patterns. Guess I'm all tapped out of adrenaline, she thought, tonight's events running through her brain again and again.

Then Lancer X stepped into view with a white damp cloth in hand. "Here." Rin just blinked at her. "For your face. You've still got some, uh…" Ruby waved her free hand at her right ear, and the pieces slowly slid into place. Panicking, Rin bolted into an upright position and checked the cushion. She sighed, no bloodstains. "Do you need me to-"

"I've got it." The Master snatched the cloth away from her Servant of the Spear and began dabbing at her right side. Flecks of dry blood dirtied the warm cloth the more she worked, and the sight of it made her stomach turn. It was probably a good thing she hadn't eaten dinner. Another couple seconds, then running it through her hair, and Rin turned to the girl standing beside her. "Am I clean?" Ruby nodded, and she relaxed again. "…Thanks."

"Oh, well, I figured nobody likes that, uh, stuff clinging to-"

But Rin shook her head. "Not for the rag, you dolt…" Her insult lacked any sting or fire. "For… supporting me. Tonight."

Ruby watched her while accepting the rag, then eyed the spot beside her. At a nod from Rin, she sat down. "I'm your Servant, it's my job to have your back." Her smile softened as she took in the girl's heavy sitting, her face away. In that moment, Ruby Rose saw for the second time the truth about Rin Tohsaka, the same truth she'd seen back at the school over the boy: She was a magus and a seventeen-year-old human girl. "Hey. You did the right thing."

"Did I?" Some of Rin's usual coolness returned, a Tohsaka's way of distinguishing oneself from the rest. "That pendant was… valuable. I can't just rustle up another just like it. Maybe I could've put it to use later down the line. I might still need it, and now I don't have it…"

"We'll deal with that if and when we have to." Rin stifled a laugh before turning to see Ruby grinning at her. "You saved someone's life tonight. I don't know what's okay and what's not for mages on this world, but even if what you did isn't okay, I don't care. That boy will get to go home, go back to school tomorrow, play video games, be with his family," she pointed a finger at Rin, "and it's thanks to you. Not me or Archer or Lancer or any Heroic Spirit. You saved his life, Rin. Don't go second-guessing yourself about that."

The Tohsaka heiress stared at her. For a moment, Ruby's face seemed to grow older, her skin darkened, her eyes shifted from silver to hazel… Rin shut her eyes for a long moment and opened them again. There, back to normal. Honestly, she felt a little looser after watching Lancer X… Ruby battle tonight. Maybe it was because of her skill, maybe because she used a scythe, not a spear or a… staff.

"Besides," Ruby had yet to pick up on her thoughts, "me and Archer just gotta put a little more oomph in our efforts to even out whatever you lost with that necklace!" Rin couldn't help but giggle. Or maybe it was because the Servant was so damnably endearing. If she could bottle this girl's optimism, she'd make a fortune.

"Is that metric or imperial oomph?" Archer materialized with a half-smirk behind the couch.

Lancer X hopped to her feet and made to check on him. "Are you okay? You were out for a while…"

He waved her off. "I'm fine. Unfortunately, my mission was a failure. Lancer's Master is very careful."

Rin huffed while leaning against the couch's back. "Well, I guess that would've been too easy." Metal jingled, and then a familiar ruby (not the Servant) dangled next to her. "Oh, you recovered it for me?" She held out her hand for him to drop the pendant into. Though powerless now, it was still a last gift from Father.

Archer simply stared straight ahead. "Try not to lose it again. You're… the only one it suits, Rin." He put on his smirk again when his partner looked at him. "Well, maybe Ruby could pull it off, too."

"Present!" Rin sucked in her cheeks so as to not join with her giggles. She inspected the pendant. Yup, not a speck of mana left in it. But I put it to good use…

The Servants stopped their banter upon seeing their Master stiffen again. "Rin, what's wrong?"

"Lancer's Master…" Rin muttered half to herself, half to them. Her frown was back. "If he finds out the witness thought dead is still alive…"

Lancer X's eyes widened as she picked up on her train of thought, and Archer voiced the conclusion. "Most likely, he'll dispatch Lancer to finish what he started."

"Not if I can help it!" By the time Rin stood up, Ruby was already halfway to the door. "You guys coming?"

Rin didn't bother giving a redundant answer as she retrieved her coat, but Archer frowned at them. "You're both getting really worked up about something unnecessary." Lancer X stared back at him, but he stood his ground. "That boy isn't our responsibility."

Rin tugged her hands through the coat sleeves and marched to the front door where Lancer X waited. "I'm not about to let him die after what I paid to bring him back!" She snapped while flinging open the door.

Lancer X let her step outside as she continued to stare at her partner. When he simply stared back, she sighed. "If you really don't want to help, stay here, Archer." She didn't even give him a look goodbye before heading out after their Master.

Then just as they made to shut the gate, a disgruntled Servant of the Bow joined his partner's side. "I didn't say I wouldn't help…" he grumbled deliberately averting his eyes from Lancer X's relieved smile.

Rin was busy orienting their location and the Emiya house. She had gone there two or three times to pick up Sakura after the odd cooking session… "This way!" She pointed in the direction and gauged the distance. "Lancer's probably already there…" Her shoulders slumped as an idea came to mind, and she turned wearily to one of her Servants. "…How far can you transport all three of us with that Semblance Noble Phantasm of yours…?"

Her heart sank at the grip on her and Archer's arms and the plucky grin on Lancer X's face. "Let's find out!"

---

Shirou braced himself before tackling the screen in his way. Glass shards fell around and on him as he rolled onto the yard, his fingers briefly coming together. He barely kept a grip on the Reinforced poster, his only weapon at the moment. He struggled to stand up when the blue guy was suddenly next to him and kicked him away.

Lancer scoffed at the boy writhing slightly in the dirt, his pain plain to see. He must've tried blocking it with that paper, but good luck with that, magic or not. "You're not putting the chance I gave you to good-" The air whistled as that same boy was suddenly on his left swinging for his head. He stopped the swing easily but puzzled, a state that grew when he registered the boy again behind him. Three of them…? Lancer instinctively parried their clumsy attacks, noting how they all looked, sounded and even smelled exactly like the boy who was slowly getting up a couple feet away. "Oh, some kind of duplication trick? Interesting." He slashed once, and both disappeared with a Poof! "Bit fragile, though."

Well, the Shadow Clones had lasted about as long as Shirou had expected, but he managed to limp his way inside the shed. "Yeesh, you're a man, aren't you?" The jerk called out behind him. "At least die with your pride intact." Shirou ignored the taunt as his eyes searched the interior for anything that might work as a weapon.

He didn't notice the magical glow on his right, too busy unfurling the poster to stop the spear from skewering him a second time. Mana flashed, and it burst apart while Shirou tumbled backwards from the aftershock.

"This is it." The blue man wasn't even winded. "You've got a few tricks up your sleeve, kid." Shirou pushed himself trembling off the cement floor. "But I don't get you. You're a quick thinker, but you don't seem any good at magecraft aside from those doubles, and I'm not sure that even was magecraft. Who knows, you might've been the seventh…" He could feel the bastard getting ready for another lunge. "But that's not the case for you anymore. You're done."

That spear almost sounded ready to kill him again, but at the moment, Shirou couldn't feel any fear. "Like hell…" He rolled around to glare at the intruder and tapped his battered chest. "Someone saved my life. I was given a chance to live again, and I'm not giving it up that easy!" Images of his big sister, his aunt, his dogs, his friends at school swelled inside his mind, ending with an image of his father. "I can't die yet, not when I have so many responsibilities, things I can't fulfill if I'm gone!

"No way am I dying here," Shirou Emiya barely noticed his left hand tingling, "for no good reason," or a prickle in his right, "by some guy like you!" as he glared defiantly at the spear hurtling towards him. "By some guy who couldn't care less about taking lives!"

A golden sheath lit up amid a spiraling lake of od, then lines like Magic Circuits stretched out forming shapes until they reached first a certain sword, then a carving of a leaf with a spiral.

Lancer stopped his thrust to stare in shock at the torrent of mana blazing before him. He could make out a shape inside it, no, a presence. "The final Servants?!" The attack he only just blocked sent him flying back out into the yard.

Shirou stared dumbstruck at the person that now stood in front of him. Blue winds seemed to whirl around the body clad in silver armor on top of blue robes. Their arms were stretched out to the right in post-swing, he realized, though he couldn't see any trace of a sword. Just more winds curling around one another and leading down to be gripped by sturdy silver gauntlets.

He was facing their back, so the battered, uncomprehending boy couldn't make out their gender, but then he heard a feminine voice. "I ask thee…" The figure (shorter than he thought at first) straightened and turned to him, the motion revealing that the robes were actually a dress. A breastplate emblazoned with some blue design curved outwards, suggesting it wasn't guarding a boy's chest.

"Are you my Master?" And the face staring dignified down at him, framed by blonde hair tied back in a bun with a single strand poking out front, smooth cheeks, shining green eyes… This was definitely a girl.

Shirou blinked, trying to get his brain working after all the excitement of the night, the path that led to him bleeding, sore and on his butt in front of a beautiful girl who was expecting some kind of answer. "M-Mas…ter…?"

A blonde eyebrow rose on that face, but the girl otherwise seemed unfazed by his confusion. "Servant Saber has arrived in response to your calling me, Master." Again, that word, but a flash of pain from his left hand cut off whatever questions he might've asked. She didn't look like she wanted to wait for them, either, as she turned towards the yard. "Setting's a bit unorthodox, but from this moment on, I shall swing my sword in your name. My fate is as yours." Winds gathered again in her hands that she held to the side. "Thus, our pact is complete."

She then shot out of the shed like a rocket, Shirou scrambling after her. "What're you talking about?! What 'pact'?" But the girl was already swinging that wind-sword at the guy who'd killed him, trading blows almost faster than he could see. The man was looking pretty happy, too. Despite the many questions on his mind, Shirou recognized he shouldn't get involved.

The girl charged first, her weapon meeting his too many times in one second for a human eye to count, then a particularly powerful strike sent him skidding backwards. The blue man twisted gracefully with the impact and began shifting from side to side before thrusting at her, but she sidestepped and hit his spear upwards. The ground shattered from their clash. Soon, the guy was being forced back as she pressed the attack, showing amazing strength and speed for her height. One blow came dangerously close to his head, his spear actually bending a bit, before he launched himself up and over her.

Maybe it was because of the fight's intensity, but Shirou didn't even realize someone else was inside the storehouse until he heard his voice. "Hm, looks like a battle's already started." He turned just as a hand clapped down on his shoulder and froze, but the single grey eye peering down at him from a masked face showed no hostility. Moonlight reflected off the metal headband he wore, an odd leaf-like symbol mixed with a spiral glimmering in the night. It fit his silver hair well. "I take it you're to be my Master then?"

"Wh-what?" It was the second time someone had asked him that question tonight, and he'd made little progress in understanding the situation. "First that blonde girl asks me after appearing out of nowhere, and now you show up, mister…"

"The blonde girl? Well, well…" The man turned his head as his gaze traveled towards the fight, and Shirou could've sworn he was smiling underneath his mask. "Still plowing courageously into battle at the drop of a hat…" He pushed his headband up, revealing a scar over his closed left eye. It opened, allowing Shirou to see a red eye with three tomoe.

Then the man blurred.

Shirou blinked again, and just as the blue guy maneuvered around the girl, six whirling things suddenly hurtled towards him from different angles. He batted them all away with two swings of his spear, a shuriken embedding itself in the doorframe by Shirou. The man's red eyes darted about in search of his attacker… nearly missing the other man appearing behind him. He ducked before his throat could get slit and rolled away with a slash the man evaded.

The blue guy landed with his back to Shirou, but the boy could still hear his anger as he yelled at the girl. "How cowardly, first hiding your weapon, then having an Assassin try and stab me in the back! How do you think you are?!"

"Sorry, but I saw a chance and took it." Now that he was out in the open, the moonlight illuminated the interloper's features for all to see. He was tall, only a little shorter than the blue guy, and wore a dark-green flak jacket, a red spiral on his back and pouches on the front, over blue clothes. A white pouch hung off the back of his waistline, and a slimmer black one was tied around his right thigh. His feet were in sandals the same blue as his pants, and fingerless gloves with metal plates covered his hands. A kunai gleamed in his hands.

The girl had adapted the quickest to the newcomer. "Your assistance is appreciated." It likely helped that he appeared to be fighting on her side, but for just a moment, so fast Shirou thought he might've imagined it, her stoic demeanor had shifted to silent but blatant joy upon seeing the man. "May I assume you're my partner in this War, then?"

"By all means." The masked man, too, sounded rather happy. He inclined his head to her. "Assassin X, at your service and our Master's. A shame this is how we get acquainted, but you weren't in the circle when I opened my eyes. Hope you don't mind if I lend a hand?"

"You won't have any hands left after I'm done with you!" The blue man cleared the distance to them instantly, his spear aimed at the green man's chest… But it was batted aside by the girl's sword, her suddenly between the two. Shirou watched amazed as she tilted her head left, allowing the man behind her to grab her shoulder, flip forward and roundhouse kick the other guy's head faster than he could react. "The hell?!" His cursing was cut short when the man landed in a crouch while pulling the girl along, allowing her to roll atop his back for a vertical strike. The spearman stumbled away, blood trickling from his shoulder. "How'd you do that?"

Her only answer was another slash that he sprang over and landed on the other side. This gave Saber a chance to recognize what she instinctively had just done with Assassin X: Maneuver 7… But this wasn't the best time to air her questions. "Something wrong, Lancer? All spearmen would be shamed if you simply stand around." Saber kept her tone cool and unflappable as ever.

"Oh, there's no need to get personal, Saber." Meanwhile, Assassin X acted as casual as she'd always known him while he sauntered to her left. Lancer's crimson eyes tracked him warily even as his own red eye gazed back. "We all have our ways of dealing with difficult situations. I as a foreign Servant have no right to judge you two on how you wage battle."

"Before we get back to that, can't you allow me a few questions: Do your blonde friend really have a sword as your Noble Phantasm? And are you, Mask Man, really only an Assassin?"

The duo exchanged a look, the man shrugging before the woman nodded to him. "Oh, I'm Assassin X straight up," he twirled twin kunai, "and you may not want to meet me alone in a dark alley. But where I come from, we learn how to battle out in the open as well as from the shadows. I'm no knight class, of course, but I wouldn't consider myself helpless."

"And speaking of knight class…" Saber took over. "Maybe I do wield a sword," she hefted her invisible armament, "or maybe not. It might be an axe or a spear. Who knows, Lancer, it might even be a bow or a mere frying pan."

"Now that, I'd like to see in a Heroic Spirit," Lancer snickered a bit before wincing from his wound. He was still a bit sensitive about the bite from that mutt earlier. Despite the pain, he spun his lance before shifting his right foot back and taking a left step forward.

Shirou had been trying to follow along with whatever these weird people were talking about, but now his eyes widened at the blue man's actions. "That stance…"

Assassin X watched cautiously, his demeanor stiffening. He could already detect a prickle of mana around Lancer's weapon, a prelude of what was to come. He's getting serious. "Let me ask one last thing: Seeing as this is the first time we've met, would either of you like to end it here as a draw?"

Saber stepped forward. "Considering the cards are in our favor, I refuse. This is where you die, Lancer." She halted, though, upon noticing Assassin X eyeing her. He tilted his head in a way that she recognized, making her halt in her tracks and ready her guard.

"Really?" While the odds weren't looking good for him, Lancer showed no worry at all. "Damn, I was supposed to just observe, but let's see if I can't draw a wild card." He stiffened, and the tip of his spear blazed crimson with energy that wafted up its length. Saber braced herself, but Assassin X's red eye widened as it focused on that weapon. Oh, that's not good…

Shirou warily watched the blue man glowing red with power; it was just like back on the track field, except this time, this "Lancer" looked ready to follow through. What do I do…? Phantom pain flared up in the boy's heart as it recalled getting split in half by that spear. He almost doubled over clutching his chest. I-I've got to stop him. Somehow- But it turns out the guy with the mask had the same idea.

Lancer smirked at Assassin rushing him, multiple kunai already flying his way. "Attacking me while I'm readying my Noble Phantasm? Nice try…" He shifted his stance, Protection From Arrows allowing him to evade or knock away every knife easily, "but you're too late-" The rustling of paper cut him off as he noticed some knives had sheets tied to them.

'Assassin X's' hands blurred together in a series of signs that still struck a familiar chord in Shirou, then the man briefly fiddled with his mask to breathe a stream of fire. "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" As soon as the flames touched the papers tied onto the knives, they detonated simultaneously. Shirou threw up his hands from the sudden heat and fire that enveloped the blue man.

Assassin X adjusted his mask back in place, not taking his eyes off the burning cloud before him. No way this would've been enough to finish off a Servant of Lancer's caliber. His Sharingan alerted him to danger, allowing him to prepare before that dreaded lance shot out of the flames. "Looks like I'll take your heart first, Assassin X!" Lancer stomped to a stop even as he continued his thrust one-handed. "Gáe…" The shinobi leaped back and the left, moving out of reach just as the thrust ended-

"Bolg!"

Steel seemingly turned into a pronged lightning bolt that bent and curved at impossible angles to chase its target. A baffled Assassin X twisted in midair to shift around it… Then it was as though time stopped and was rewound. It was homing in on him again despite his dodging, the boy and Saber's eyes wide open in worry. The crimson bolt ripped into his chest- Poof!

Lancer stared in shock at the smoke that had erupted from his target's body instead of blood, followed by a heavy cracking sound. The cloud dispersed to reveal not a perforated Servant, but a wooden log Gáe Bolg had reduced to splinters. He had no time to puzzle this out, for Saber was already attempting to behead him. The bluenette Servant jumped away to a safe distance, a thin line of red appearing along his neck.

Saber drew back her invisible blade with nary a speck of emotion on her face. This Lancer was nearly as fast as the last one she had dueled, and though he lacked a second spear, that meant his concentration wasn't split between two weapons. Even so, her comrade (she nearly smiled) had unearthed a vital clue about him. Assassin X landed in a silent, mostly graceful crouch behind her save for a light stumbling. He panted a bit, holding one hand over his chest where his heart would be.

His heart that had just been grazed by that red tip. It still felt like a thousand thorns of metal were wriggling between his ribs. And the ninja instinctively knew he had been right to plan ahead with his Sharingan and lucky; if he hadn't initiated his Substitution Jutsu prematurely, the spear would've run him through, no matter how Assassin X might've tried to dodge. "An attack that flips cause and effect around… That's one scary weapon you have, Mr. Lancer."

"You're pretty scary yourself, Mr. X," Lancer quipped as he backed away from Saber, a hand at where his neck had been cut and his face's veins bulging. "That's the first time anyone's managed to avoid my unavoidable spear like that. By the skin of your teeth, but a near miss is still a miss." He smirked at the Servants before him. "What a terrifying pair you make, maybe more terrifying than the one I already met tonight. You're certainly better coordinated."

"And just where is your partner?" Saber shied a step forward while maintaining her stance. "Or do you still think yourself capable of taking the two of us down all by yourself when you've just revealed your Noble Phantasm as Gáe Bolg," her eyes narrowed at him, "Ireland's Child of Light?"

Cú Chulainn clicked his tongue before smirking in a sort of self-deprecating manner. "Guess this really isn't my night. I have to score a kill with that move, otherwise, I've got a problem." He relaxed his stance and began walking away from the two. "See, I've got a total coward for a lord, and I didn't have the good sense like my former partner to bail when I had the chance. Now I'm on my own, and X here survived my spear, so he's calling me back."

Saber glared after him. "Running away? After what you've done?"

"Go ahead and chase me if you want." He stopped and shot a feral glare over his shoulder. "But if you do, you're putting your life at stake!" With that, he leaped effortlessly on top of the wall and off it into the night.

She almost made to follow him but stopped; this could be a trap. A chance to split up the freshly formed team after a hard battle. "Hey!" On that note… her sword still out, Saber shifted to see her (their, she corrected herself) new Master running over to them. "Are you okay?" Assassin X, for his part, simply repaired his damaged flak jacket with a flare of mana. "What are you people…?"

"We are your Saber and Assassin-class Servants." Shirou frowned at how matter-of-factly the blonde girl said that. Like that was all the explanation needed for her slicing up the place with super-sharp air or the fire-breathing guy dodging a freaking lightning bolt. Hang on… did he use a Substitution Spell? Like Maiya would? "I'd prefer if you called me Saber." The smile she gave him rattled him out of his thoughts, especially as it got a little bigger when she turned to the other "Servant." "And…?"

"Assassin X is my class," The silver-haired man flashed them a kind of smile with his closed eyes, "but given the circumstances, telling you my own name shouldn't be too much of a risk." He rose a hand in Japanese greeting. "I'm Kakashi Hatake, but feel free to call me what you like." He began straightening only to stagger slightly. He prodded his chest with a wince. "Wound's still fresh and frankly a little worrying. Plus, I don't feel as strong as I could be." He sighed before pulling his headband over his left eye again, the other fixing on Shirou. "You wouldn't be willing to patch me up, by any chance?"

Shirou got a little flustered, having to admit, "I… don't know spells that complicated." His eyes dropped to the ground in shame at his lacking abilities. "I can do some first aid, but that's probably not much help with a wound like that…"

"Well, not ideal circumstances, but I've been in worse…" A hand patted his shoulder, making him look up to see the man… Kakashi… eye-smiling at him again. "Can you at least tell us your name?"

Between their hopeful looks and the fact they had just saved his life, the boy couldn't help but tell them: "It's Shirou. Shirou Emiya."

That eye opened to stare at him thoughtfully, and Shirou thought he heard Saber mumble, "Emiya…?" But neither gave any impression of what they might be thinking in that moment.

"The house-uh…" He scratched his head, trying to get his thoughts sorted out. "Wait, that's not what I ought to ask first…"

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "It's okay. You look like you've been through a rough night already, and then we fall into your lap." His gaze drifted to the inside of the shed. "You didn't realize you were summoning us in the first place, right?"

"I… have no idea how that happened or what's going on…" Shirou admitted.

"Proper Master or not, you are the mage who called us here." Saber seemed to prefer the straightforward approach to conversations. "Ergo, you are our Master."

Shirou held up a hand. "Hold on a second, isn't weird that either of you keep calling me 'Master' when you can do stuff like this?!"

"Right, looks like we've got a fair bit to bring you up to speed on," Kakashi concluded, though Shirou felt like the masked man was studying him. "Would it help if we call you Shirou, or is that too familiar?"

The boy shook his head; an earnest one, Artoria noted. More than the last man she'd met with the name "Emiya," though she didn't really have it in her to judge that one. "Shirou it is, then. Yes, that is a good name for you." Kakashi nodded even as his eye drifted to their surroundings. This house, the shed, the Magic Circle… it seemed as familiar to the ninja as it was to the knight. Does he… remember like I do?

From the way these people seemed to be glancing at each other, Shirou wondered if they were acquainted. But right when it seemed someone was about to say something, pain flashed through both of his hands. "Argh!" The boy brought up his hands thinking he might've scraped them against something, but what he saw baffled him: on his left hand was some kind of sharp red markings that reminded him of a sword, and on his right was a bigger red version of the symbol on Kakashi's headband. "What… what are these things…?"

Assassin X's attention snapped back to his new Master. "Time for your first lesson, I suppose: Those are what we call 'Command Seals.' They are your connection to us and need to be handled with care." Shirou just stared at them confused, a sight that triggered some nostalgia in the jonin. We've got a bit more to cover than I thought… but I think I'm going to like him. He turned towards a certain wall. "We've got company."

"Three of them this time," Saber, too, was alert. She then rose up to the roof in one bound while Shirou tried to follow their words. "Two are Servants. But I can confront them myself. Considering your injury, Assassin X, you may want to stay back and watch over Shirou."

"Watch over me? Company? Servants?!" Shirou watched her drop over the other side and turned to Kakashi who shot him a rather sheepish look.

"…Yeah, next lesson: There's never a dull moment when you're in a Holy Grail War."

Eyebrow twitching at yet another thing to process, Shirou settled for running out to the street where he found Saber locking blades with the guy in white and the red girl who'd tried protecting him from that Lancer guy.

Rin Tohsaka was kneeling in shock. After another stomach-turning petal-powered trip across Miyama Town, she had just about reached the entrance to the home when Archer called out to her about sensing more Servants' presences. She'd turned to him, thereby almost missing someone chopping her head off if it hadn't been for Ruby. She managed to fend off her attacker and Archer quickly joined her to provide support, openly stunned at their opponent.

The magus couldn't blame him, she, too, stared at the blonde girl in blue and silver armor. The power radiating from her, her solid stance despite her height… There was no doubt who this ought to be. "A Saber Servant…" Rin whispered amazed.

Saber blocked a slash from the red-cloaked girl's scythe, twisted and counterattacked, making her skip backwards to the man's left. She made to press the attack when the girl pointed a finger at her, making her stop. "Quick note: That sword… is… AWESOME!" She blinked befuddled at the high-pitched squeal that rippled through her. "All that air hiding it from tip to handle, wow, it just looks so cool, and I haven't even seen it for real yet!"

Archer sighed to himself at his partner's gushing. If I spend too much time with Ruby, I'll end up a diabetic, I swear. His eyes inadvertently lingered on the proud, stalwart Saber in front of him. But at least I get to see her again…

"Er… thank you?" A little red dusted her cheeks from Lancer X's comment, a feature the Servant of the Bow quietly decided looked good on her. "You wield quite an impressive weapon yourself." She then coughed and straightened. "B-but don't expect mercy from me."

"Whoa, there, we really didn't come here looking for a fight… But I do kinda wanna see your sword for real now…" Lancer X swayed her head a bit in thought, unwittingly endearing herself just a teensy bit more to her current opponent. Even so, they were both warriors.

Behind her, Shirou, too, had been a bit caught off guard by the red girl's excitement, but then, she lifted that crazy scythe of hers, and Saber leaned forward like she was about to charge. This was happening all too fast again, and he thought he could see a girl on her knees behind the two in red. So, as Saber made to attack, the boy reflexively raised a hand after her. "Saber, wait!"

The markings on his left hand lit up in front of Shirou's eyes, and he felt like a wave of energy washed out over Saber. She froze in her tracks shivering. Even the motion of turning her head back to stare at him was so stiff. "That's not helping, Shirou!" She chided him. "I could have driven them off by myself, but now your command hampered my movements." Her body kept twitching like she wanted to move but couldn't.

"Just hang on, Saber," Shirou pleaded. "I haven't a clue what's going on! You two called me your Master, so can't you take a few minutes and explain this whole mess clearly?!"

Archer narrowed his eyes at the boy. She dimly heard Lancer X repeat, "Two?" as he weighed his options. Twice as many Servants… Unknown divergences in the timeline like… Sakura's situation… But the boy was the same… Perhaps he should act now-

Whatever decision he might've made was put on hold when he registered a blade at his jugular.

"He was referring to Saber…" Lancer X suddenly felt someone besides her holding Crescent Rose, "and me." Only then did she notice the silver-haired man standing between her and Archer, one hand gripping her baby near the top, the other holding a knife to her partner's throat. "Good evening, ladies, gentleman. I'm afraid you're standing too close and too hostile near private property."

Archer glared down at the kunai, then at the red tomoe-encircled eye staring levelly back. His hand tightened on Kanshou's handle when he noticed Saber relaxing despite her frozen state.

Shirou made to speak when Kakashi preempted. "Uh, please be careful with your words, Shirou. Thanks to those markings on your hands, your words have a certain degree of power over us." His eyes drifted to Saber apparently unable to move, finally beginning to understand some of this insanity. "I know we have a lot to being you up to speed on, but this really isn't a convenient time for explanations." He understood that much, too, but did these guys really need to just jump into fights to the death?

Before he could say anything, Shirou heard a rather teasing hum. "What a good little amateur for a Master… This is how things are, then?" The girl he'd noticed was up and walking around Archer so he could see her clearly, and once again tonight, he was left in shock:

"It's my turn to say good evening, Emiya." Rin Tohsaka smiled demurely at him.

---

Not too far away, a single red eye peered into a crystal ball showing these events, a devilish grin widening at what it saw. "Face both new and familiar… And so, the final pieces have arrived …" Masao Matou cackled into the dark surrounded by his allies. "The board is set.

"Let the War begin."

---

And further still, Sakura Tohsaka was taking action herself.

Aoi had long since gone to sleep while her daughter slipped out quietly into the backyard. Clad in a sky-blue sweater and a grey dress over black tights with sturdy shoes, the night air didn't bother her at all, nor would it even if she were in her nightgown. She had carefully watched her device for all of last night and into this one, and at this very moment, the jewel remained alight without the slightest dimming. It was as sure a sign as any that the leylines underneath the city and her power were at a compatible wavelength. There was little time to waste. Fortunately, Sakura had prepared herself and her tools in advance.

Some fleeting doubts surfaced in her mind again only to be brushed aside just as quickly. Her lost memories were tied into the Holy Grail War, Sakura would've bet her staff and what magic she had on that. In order to recover them and find out why Uncle Kariya had to die, she needed to get involved. Rin could go after the Holy Grail and honor of winning and all that stuff; that was her business, and it looked like she had Servants good enough for that. Sakura only needed to participate. But for that, she required a Servant.

She glanced around to make sure the backyard was safe, then unwrapped the long parcel, revealing it to be a staff almost exactly like the one in her dreams. Sakura had found it in similar circumstances to her "real" one: while ambling through some woods and stumbling (literally) over a long tree branch that must've snapped off by its own weight. It wasn't exactly the same, though, she reminded herself while running her fingers along the Elvish runes etched along its surface. Sakura had carved them in along with the bud-like shape at its tip, her way of making the wood feel more… comfortable to use in conjunction with her magic.

Channeling spells through it still didn't feel as natural as it did with her dream staff, but Sakura could make it work. As Atto had instructed her, both staffs were ultimately mere tools to help her focus. The magic came from her.

Thus, the young girl began dragging the wooden base through the soil into the shape of a magic circle. She'd memorized the design and the rest of the summoning ritual via peaks snuck into her sister's notes. It weighed a little on Sakura's conscience, but Rin really needed to stop falling asleep in the workshop and leaving her research papers lying about. Isn't it usually the elder sibling who carries the younger one to bed? Sakura giggled to herself amid her preparations.

And while the notes were written in code, prodigious though everyone believed her to be, Rin's cryptographic skills weren't exactly Enigma-grade. It had taken Sakura a little under three hours altogether to puzzle out the necessary steps for summoning a Servant. Once the circle's last lines had been carved in, she withdrew a bottle and began pouring a mixture of mercury and water she'd enchanted herself one afternoon in one of the school's labs. Blood would've been simpler, but Sakura didn't like the idea of killing some helpless animals. And it wasn't like she could just take out a loan from the blood bank. Still, her mixture ought to suffice as she traced it along the lines in the soil.

Once the last drops filled the symbols she had drawn, the physical preparations were complete. Now came the hard part. Sakura backed a few steps away before planting her staff with both hands into the ground. Final doubts flared up in her mind: What if this wasn't enough? What if she did summon a Servant, but they wouldn't heed her because she didn't have Command Seals? Could she really do this without Big Sister…?

Sakura Tohsaka closed her eyes, drew in a breath and expelled it along with these questions. Her sister was busy forging her own path. She needed to do the same. Thus, she began to chant. "Quant. Quant. Quant. Quant. Quant. Care- so en- an lempe, mal yare ilya termáre- quanta, rucs- tien." Her fingers fluttered along select sigils even though her eyes remained shut; having carved them herself, she knew where each and every one of them lay. She could sense them lighting up in a particular sequence while the magic inside her swelled. "An i talma telepse ar angaina…"

It had taken Sakura weeks to transcribe the chanting into Quenya. There were so many words that didn't quite match with the ancient Elvish language, and more than once, she just wanted to rip her hair out in ragged clumps. Luckily for her black/beautiful white strands, Atto had lent her a hand and his wonderful mind.

And their efforts had paid off. She sensed powerful energies swirling before her. Excitement flashed inside the girl, but she forced it down with effort. "Bime mime vére, ni indóme n- ilya i mára- esse i nór." This was a delicate process, Atto had warned her. She was already bending great forces to her will. Bend too far, and they'd break. "Ar ni indóme termáre- yenya ilya i na- ulcu- -esse i nór!"

Sakura's eyes finally opened to find the circle alight with gale winds and bolts that crackled loudly into the night. However, the light was flickering even as she watched, and she could feel a… dullness at the center. Panic flared inside her that soon gave way to determination, and she gripped her staff all the tighter. "Menel -o otso mana na- -esse i valief quetta -o tur…" She'd come this far, and she wasn't giving up now!

"Túl yenya i corin yare ni líre- ana le, ohtatimeáro tavári -o menel!" Sakura Tohsaka, unwitting nascent Istar, raised her staff high as her spell reached its apex and then stabbed it into the ground.

---

Something shifted among the planes of reality. Darkness swelled around so much of Fuyuki City, and yet nearly no one recognized it. Not even prodigies like the Tohsaka girls or seasoned experts such as those employed by Clock Tower to infiltrate the Holy Grail War. And this was by design, of course. Angra Mainyu had not spent the last ten years simply twiddling its form-lacking thumbs within the Holy Grail. It had been waiting, gathering its energies in preparation for the scheme its allies had concocted. And it naturally continued its own efforts of corrupting the rules, keeping a certain type of Servant out of play.

And now all fourteen standard Servants, plus a few… additions, were out and about. The War had begun. Everything would soon end as those who worked with All the World's Evil had envisioned…

Except.

Deep inside their respective domains, two Servants of a certain class snapped their heads up in surprise, for they detected a great ripple of magic that washed over Fuyuki.

Sakura Tohsaka was not supposed to become a Master. Something had… interfered with that. No matter, she would certainly play a part in the grand scheme. Only fate had a different plan than the Grail War's schemers and even the Grail's corruption had anticipated. One for which she had just taken the first step.

Powerful safeguards that had been established seventy years ago were suddenly struck by a spell carrying otherworldly, holy magic and fueled with raw willpower. This wish struck against the barriers, battering them just enough to allow something… someone… to break through.

Once again, the fate of Fuyuki City met with an unexpected development.

---

Sakura's strength gave out quickly, and she fell to her knees. She'd have faceplanted into the dirt if not for her staff. Sucking in deep breaths, her gaze slowly crawled up to where the circle was…

And it was empty.

Tears began to gather in her eyes. "No…" Sakura's head sank into defeat, her black hair falling all around her. Another sign of her weakness, maybe? "Why?" The ritual would've worked in her dreams… Was this why she always felt so disappointed in the waking world? Because she couldn't do anything here?

So distraught was the poor girl over her apparent failure that she at first didn't notice the inhuman presence beside her. But even through her crying, she eventually made out a hand on her shoulder and a second one held in front of her as an offering.

And as she reached for it, Sakura heard a powerful, resonating baritone: "May I help you, young one?"

---

There we go, part 3 of this story's beginning as a present on Boxing Day!

I hope you like this little trilogy, dear readers, because I'm afraid this will be the most I have to offer for a while. I've got a fair bit of work on my hands despite it being the holidays, and I can't say for sure when I'll be able to post the next chapter. Maybe in February 2025, but I can't say for sure. I just thought I'd do something nice and get the ball rolling for now, and I absolutely intend this through to the end, no matter how long or many the chapters get or whether I happen to lose all my readers in the end or not. So, I humbly ask for patience and truly hope you have as much fun reading this extended Christmas present as I had fun writing it.

Rider is the same as canon, even though Sakura's not the one who summoned her this time around. Shinji used a catalyst in this timeline. Rest assured: I have a plan that isn't completely dependent around canon. Unlimited Blade Works is just a basic framework, and I'll be constructing my own divergent storyline step by step. As I said, patience, please.

…Aaaand Sakura wasn't the only one who struggled with translating the summoning ritual into FURSHLUGGINER… Elvish. I am not a linguist by nature; while I studied Latin and Ancient Greek in high school, that was mostly so I could learn about the respective mythologies. Ergo, if anyone finds fault with my efforts, please note that this was the result of my best efforts with a Quenya online translator and a thesaurus. Though my struggles were similar, it didn't take me weeks, so hopefully Sakura can forgive my dishonesty, but as for the rest of you, I'm trying my best here! Sue me!

Assassin X-

Class: Assassin

Master: Shirou Emiya

True Name: Kakashi Hatake

Titles: Copy Ninja, Man of One Thousand Techniques

Sex: Male

Source: Naruto

Region: Konohagakure

Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: D

Endurance: C

Agility: C+

Mana: C

Luck: B

NP: B+

Class Skills-

Presence Concealment: The capacity to hide one's presence as a Servant. It is a common skill to the Assassin class.

A-: Despite his current inability to assume spirit form, Assassin X is extremely difficult, if not impossible to sense. He has been trained to assassinate people and carry out missions stealthily ever since he was four years old.

Personal Skills-

Jutsu: A Skill which originates from an alternate world, where the shinobi can harness their inner energy (chakra) to perform feats similar to magic spells or curses. Special handsigns are required for more complex abilities, but not mandatory for all.

A: Assassin X is practically a walking library of jutsu. Thanks to Sharingan and his own prodigious mind, he is well-versed in all variations: ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, nature transformation of all five elements (with a natural affinity for lightning), summoning of a ninja-hound pack he trained since they were pups and formed a special contract with. The only true limitations are those techniques which require specific bloodline traits to perform and his own relatively average Mana reserves which limit the number of high-level jutsu he can perform. Assassin X compensates for the latter drawback with creative and carefully considered use of his resources.

Expert of Many Specializations: Access to and use of many expert skills.

A+: Assassin X was known as "the Copy Ninja" in his lifetime due to his ability to successfully imitate techniques across a wide variety of styles and forms. He is said to know more than one thousand techniques and is at least a B-rank expert in all forms of combat- physical, ninjutsu, illusions, tracking, trap-making, etc. He is also a first-rate teacher.

For One's Comrades: Rank-up in stats when fighting to save or protect one's comrades.

B+: Assassin X's philosophy in life has always been that "those who abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash," having learned it from a fallen comrade. All stats besides Luck increase by one rank, perhaps even Lightning Blade if he gets a Luck Check, for the duration of Assassin X fighting to protect an ally.

Noble Phantasms-

Lightning Blade: "One Thousand Birds that Cut Lightning": B (Anti-Unit): Assassin X's signature technique in life, it is a condensed form of lightning that envelopes his hand and is then thrust at his opponent at high speed. It causes a sound that resembles a thousand birds chirping. The technique is said to be able to penetrate anything, and it is rumored to be able to even split a lightning bolt in half. Assassin X himself is the one who invented Lightning Blade and has also experimented with broadening its usage to the point where he can wield the technique in both hands, flow the charge into a kunai to enhance its piercing power and project the jutsu, and link it with a Shadow Clone to cut through multiple targets with the current of electricity. However, the immense speed with which Lightning Blade is performed can cause Assassin X to develop tunnel vision when charging at his target. Heightened visual power, such as that of Sharingan, is therefore necessary to safely perform this technique.

Sharingan: "A Gift from a Fallen Brother": B~A (Mystic Eye): Assassin X's left eye has been replaced by the Sharingan, a bloodline limit unique to his closest friend. Assassin X obtained his eye when his friend was on his deathbed on a mission. Among its many boons, it allows Assassin X to predict the movements of his opponents, and to see into the future to a limited extent. It also allows him to copy the physical techniques of his enemies, save for a limited few. Though technically of the Mystic Eye skill, Assassin X was not born with Sharingan. The unique way he obtained it and how it has added to his legend increases its nature to that of a Noble Phantasm. Since he was not born with this optical power, however, Assassin X's body lacks the stamina to use it eternally, hence his covering the eye with his headband to avoid unnecessary mana loss. It holds a second, A-rank form called Mangekyo Sharingan.

Kamui: "The Authority of the Gods": A+ (Anti-Unit): The signature technique of Assassin X's Mangekyo Sharingan, it creates a temporary, small warp that can be summoned in Assassin X's line of sight. The dimensional warp then absorbs whatever it touches before dissipating. This can only be used safely once per day; Assassin X lacks currently enough mana for more and will collapse from any overexertion. Requires Sharingan to be active.

I don't think I need to hide any of his Noble Phantasms seeing as he's essentially the same as in Zero. His stats, though, are a bit lower much like Saber who is currently sporting canon FSN-starter stats due to the circumstances of their summoning.

As for Kakashi being Assassin X once again, yes, I planned that from the start of writing Fate/Zero Paradox. Shirou did have a sort of catalyst to summon him after all, albeit not a physical one: the jutsu he'd learned and honed for years now, techniques taught by Kakashi Hatake and only one other living person in this Fate universe knows. Given their origin, I say they qualify!

But this catalyst could've called up someone like Naruto for Shirou. There are two other factors: Someone very powerful and very evil has been very invested in Kakashi Hatake's return, and he's not quite the same man he was when first summoned in FZP.

Oh yeah, I've got one last Christmas bonus for y'all.

Paradox Carnival: I'd Never Forgive Myself If I Didn't Add This Scene

Flashes of light and sounds of clashing could be heard inside a nondescript building somewhere in Fuyuki. Then the nearest wall suddenly blew apart into smithereens as a certain Servant duo was flung outside. They landed hard onto the ground, covered in bruises and ash, and the building slowly collapsed in on itself. Soon, all that remained of it was a smoldering pile of rubble, and anyone still inside was dead or at least very, very unhappy.

A grunting Kakashi Hatake, Servant Assassin X, got up onto one knee to start dusting himself off. "Just like the good old days, huh?"

"Indeed." Behind him, Artoria Pendragon, Servant Saber, rolled her shoulder while smiling/wincing in the opposite direction. "No wonder I hated them so much."

Assassin X shared a bitter chuckle with his partner. "Tell me about it, plenty of new aches on top of…" He trailed off as both of his eyes widened at something in front of him. "…Uh oh."

Saber's mien flattened, her back still turned. "Don't tell me. There's a whole new faction of evil Servants about to strike."

"Yup," her best friend confirmed in a similar deadpan.

"And they all have our incompletely trained, rather naïve new Master in their sights?" She rose to her feet.

"Most likely." She heard a familiar chirchirchirchir behind her and the crackling of lightning.

Invisible Air swirled in anticipation around the King of Knights' treasured blade. "…Bring it on."

…Oh yeah, it's good to be back.